Round One Predictions...

Here are my predictions....

ALDS:

Red Sox over Angels in 4

Yankees over the Twins in 3

NLDS:

Cardinals over Dodgers in 4

Phils over Rockies in 3

I could be bold and predict further, but let's wait and see if this pans out.

"It's Easy To Lose Sight Of The Fact That Everyone Makes That Kind Of Play All The Time..."

Thanks to his vaunted grace and tremendous skill, Yankees captain Derek Jeter was able Tuesday night to make a pop-up to shortstop look as routine as it actually was.

"Look at him effortlessly settle under that ball and close his glove around it as it falls slowly in," gushed Yankees radio announcer John Sterling, who also had the privilege of broadcasting Jeter's catch of a soft humpback liner in 2002.

Later in the inning, Jeter made an easy play look difficult with that jump-throw thing he doesn't need to do.

From The New York Daily News

The New York Daily News asked this about the New York Yankees: Where's the pitching?

Not in the Bronx, apparently. According to the Daily News, 10 weeks into the season the Yankees' starting pitching isn't nearly as good as expected, and you have to wonder when we're going to see the dominance everyone expected.

According to the Daily News, the starters have a 4.93 ERA, which ranks 12th in the American League, and even if that number is inflated by the Chien-Ming Wang(notes) saga, it still reflects a lot of mediocrity that has been covered up to some extent by all the late-inning comebacks.
And so in these last five games, neither A.J. Burnett(notes) nor Wang got out of the third inning, Joba Chamberlain(notes) threw 100 pitches in four innings, and Pettitte went only five innings for the third time in his last four starts.

Is this any way to win the AL East? The wild-card berth continues to look like a nice bailout for the Yankees if they can't beat the Red Sox, considering the lack of legitimate candidates. But nothing is assured if the starting pitching becomes an issue for this team, according to the Daily News. (via Yahoo Sports)

Kings Of The Comeback

From The Joy of Sox (It's a way of life)....

In the last eight days:

April 17 - Red Sox trailed Orioles 7-0 in 2nd inning, won 10-8.

April 24 - Red Sox trailed Yankees 4-2 in 9th inning, won 5-4 in 11.

April 25 - Red Sox trailed Yankees 6-0 in 4th inning, won 16-11.

***The winning streak is now at nine (from 2-6 to 11-6).

Tidbits (from mlb.com)

The Red Sox are 25-24 against the Yankees at Fenway Park since 2004. The all-time record of the rivals at Fenway Park is 446-446, with four ties. ... The first two games of this series have both lasted four hours and 21 minutes. ... Third baseman Mike Lowell has a nine-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .447 with five doubles, three homers and 18 RBIs. ... Leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury has eight stolen bases, including four in the past five games. ... David Ortiz has a 20-game homerless streak dating back to last season -- his longest drought since he went 42 games without a homer with the Twins in 2002.

First baseball Thoughts of 2009

"No team has won a pennant in 29 years or a World Series in 54 years with a shortstop as old as Derek Jeter, who turns 35 in June."

--Tom Verducci, SI.com

What I'm Reading....Now.

I have been working my way through this year's DCF Nominated books. Last year, my class was not as interested, nor was Haley, so I only read the winner.

I have read 15 all together and abandoned one (sorry Natalie Babbitt!) but this one is currently vying to be my favorite.

Like lots of these books, the characters are a little too perfect, even in their imperfections. The kids are always a little too self-aware and make the courageous choices you hope your child will make. The adults a little too understanding or the coincidences in their lives are a little too far fetched.

That being said, and even with its heavy New York Yankee undercurrent (it's the late 60's so it's a Yankee team steeped in history and universally loved), this one is pretty good.

"The Seems: A Glitch In Sleep" was really good, but in a different sort of way. And it has spawned a sequel that was just as enjoyable. But right now, Wednesday Wars has my vote.

A-Rod Backs Stimulus

A-Rod Backs Stimulus

Says Economy Needs Shot in Arm

President Barack Obama picked up support for his stimulus package from an unexpected source today as Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez said that he was "totally in favor of stimulus."

"Sometimes when you have to get the job done, you need a shot in the arm," said Mr. Rodriguez at a press conference in the parking lot of Yankee Stadium. "This stimulus sounds like it could be that injection."

The slugger, known to his fans and detractors alike as A-Rod, said that the U.S. economy may not seem very muscular at the moment, but that "juicing the economy" could change that overnight.

"Mark my words," he said. "If the economy gets the right injection, its muscles will bulge to monstrous proportions."

Mr. Rodriguez's words were in stark contrast with remarks made last week by another athlete, swimmer Michael Phelps, who said that the economy "just needs to chill."

"As far as the economy goes, I'm comfortably numb about it," Mr. Phelps said. "Dude, did I just say that out loud?"

At his press conference today, Mr. Rodriguez bristled when asked questions about steroid use, at one point throwing a car at a reporter.

*from The Borowitz Report

Did Yankees overpay for overweight CC?

As reported on si.com from a Boston Globe story...

One baseball executive offered an observation that seemed to bear truth with word of CC Sabathia's seven-year, $161 million deal: The Yankees will have to overpay to get any major free agent.

One general manager said, "It's just crazy. Seven years for a pitcher?" The Yankees have always had money to burn and have been burdened with big contracts that are eventually useless over time.

Sabathia is a terrific pitcher, perhaps the best in the game right now. He's lefthanded. Still, his big body worried every major suitor even though he's been amazingly durable.

"As he gets older, he's not gonna get skinnier," said the GM.

Did You Know?

The Red Sox have history on their side.

Under manager Terry Francona, the Red Sox are 8-1 in potential elimination games.

Since the ALCS became a best-of-seven series in 1985, six teams have taken a 3-2 edge into Game 6 with the home-field advantage. Three of those teams won Game 6 to advance to the World Series, one lost Game 6 but then won Game 7, and two teams lost both Games 6 and 7 at home.

The last time...when the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in 2004.

One game, one inning, one out at a time!!!

I still say it is do-able....

The Red Sox have a 3-1 hill to climb, but it has been done before. Here are the 10 teams that have come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win a best-of-seven series, including five that closed out the series on the road:

Year Series Team Opponent
2007 ALCS Red Sox Indians
2004 ALCS Red Sox* Yankees
2003 NLCS Marlins* Cubs
1996 NLCS Braves Cardinals
1986 ALCS Red Sox Angels
1985 ALCS Royals* Blue Jays
1985 WS Royals Cardinals
1968 WS Tigers* Cardinals
1958 WS Yankees* Braves (Mil.)
1925 WS Pirates Senators


* Won final two on the road.

"Because there's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying!"

Clemens heartbroken over Yankee Stadium snub

Estranged former Yankee Roger Clemens was "heartbroken" when his former team left him out of Sunday night's Stadium-farewell festivities, which included a video montage honoring the Bronx Bombers' greatest pitchers - but not him, a relative told The Post yesterday. Clemens was sitting at home in hurricane-ravaged Texas, in front of a battery-operated television on his living room couch, when the team delivered a final crushing blow to its former star. Clutching wife Debbie's hand on one side and mother-in-law Jan Wild's on the other, Clemens tuned in to his final team's last home game hoping for some recognition for helping win two World Series titles, Wild said. But that Rocket never launched. When the team played the video celebrating its greatest players at every position, the steroid-scandal-scarred Clemens was nowhere to be seen. "Debbie and I held his hand while we watched the game, and he was heartbroken," said Wild, 70. "Not mad. He still loves baseball and the Yankees, but it was sad what they did to him."

As Artie likes to say "Wah!"

From the "New York Post"

Today is the day!

When the Red Sox win and the Yankees lose (in the final game at 33-year-old "Yankee Stadium II"), then New York will be officially eliminated from post-season play for the first time since 1993.

I like that...might have to stay up and watch the game on ESPN tonight.

"Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey hey goodbye...."

The Yankees can be officially eliminated from the division race tonight, if the Rays win and New York loses.

Double Meaning...

From the back page of The Daily News...

From the "No Duh!" Department

SI.com is reporting a story with this gem...

"Hank Steinbrenner blames injuries for the New York Yankees' slide from contention."

Really?