On the Yankees beat

Can they activate Guidry?

Yanks are ending the season just as they started it. Wang "running" at the tail end of Spring Training "tweaked" a hamstring, and now Clemens does likewise. The Yanks initially reported Wang's injury as being minor, and his inavailability would be "short term". Wang ended up being on the DL roughly a month. I hope we aren't seeing the same scenario unfold with this Clemens injury.

Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney are not of post season caliber. How about Ohlendorf ?

Farnsworthless on the roster???? Great move JT!!!! I say sign Roy Storing before you do that.

I sent my resume to Joe and Gator and I expect a call sometime today. I figure that I have a shot because A, I'm a lefty and B, I can give up walks and HRs as well as those bums can and I'm cheaper.

My choices for the post season roster for the pen are:
Mo
Joba.

What? They aren't enough?

John G.,

I'm interested in your thoughts....who would you say is the strongest team, over-all, going into the post season?

Okay, I'm done with my really, really bad jokes so here it is:
Mo
Joba
Farnsworth (He may have straightened out his issues. He seems to do better from the windup)
Vizciano (IF Torre doesn't burn him out before next week)
Veras (nice job last night)
Villone
Ohlendorf (I like this kid and I think that he can help us)
Hughes (He's probably going to be in the rotation if Clemens can't go, but if not, he has to be on the roster so put him in the pen)

That's it and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Hi Cas!

All of the AL teams are pretty close and it may be a toss-up, but from my perspective as a Yankee fan, it would have to be Anaheim.
Our record against them is 3-6 and we don't really match up well with them. They also have proven playoff starters in Lackey, Escobar and Weaver. Their pen may not be as strong as it was earlier if Shields isn't right, but if he is, he's a great bridge to K-Rod.

I'd have to say that the Yanks may be 2nd because our lineup is strong and the addition of Joba. Also, we have a great 1-2 punch in Pettitte and Wang and if we can shorten the game to 7 innings, I like our chances.
The Red Sox would be next based on their playoff experience and having Papelbon as the closer. I know that they didn't play bad in the 2nd 1/2, but they did struggle. They key guy in the pen, Okajima got tired and if he doesn't come back strong in the post season, there's no bridge to Papelbon. I don't trust Gagne and Timlin isn't an 8th inning guy anymore. Also if matsuzaka, Schilling and I'm guessing Wakefield don't step up and help Beckett out, then Boston could be in trouble. If Manny is healthy and a force, then that would offset some of the pitching issues.
I'd have to rank the Tribe last because of their lack of post season experience, and i really don't like their closer. I know that he has a lot of saves, but that's misleading. They have a terrific 1-2 punch in CC and Carmona, and if they get the 5 games in 8 days series, they may be really tough to beat.
However, anything can happen as we all know and it could be a roll of the dice here.

Mo, Joba, Vizcaino and Veras for sure.

Hughes if he does okay in bullpen try-outs this week. Even if he's not great, he could be an innings-eater if one is needed, since he's used to starting.

Farnsworth IF he continues to do well out of the windup AND is not permitted to pitch from the stretch.

Igawa because he's a lefty, has shown improvement, and can be innings-eater.

Any starters that are under-used due to scheduling, or are available on a throw day.

Ohlendorf and Britton if needed to make up the numbers.

Ramirez and Bruney should not appear on the mound again this year unless a drive-by shooting decimates the pen. If someone feels these guys can still be fixed, that comes later. Much later.

P.S. Supposedly Kennedy has used up his innings for this year, so I didn't consider him. But he has told reporters that he would like to come out of the pen in the post-season, so someone who knows more about how much he's been used and how prone he is to injury could think that one out.

John G.,

I essentially agree with you, the Sox would be my choice as best prepared IF Oki, Dice-K, and Wakes pitch to their potential. I am comfortable with Timlin...he's been "steady Eddy" as of late, but he is not as good from the stretch as he is a full windup. The good news is, JD Drew is finally hitting with authority (.383 (18 for 47) over his last 14 games), and the kids...Pedroia, Bucholz, Ellsbury have all added some real spark.

Cleveland is playing very good ball right now.

LAA lacks offense....they desperately needs another bat...a power bat.

Yanks only weakness is the middle releif,...

I really dont see one team having much of an advantage over another.

Marianne,

A drive by shooting?

GREAT ONE! LOL

I agree with most of your post, but I don't agree with you on Igawa. He walks too many guys and in my opinion, he's a ticking time bomb.
I also think that Hughes may be in the rotation because of Clemens' hammy. He may not pitch in the LDS so Hughes will get the ball.
You and I are in complete agreement on Farnsworth. If he uses the windup he SHOULD be effective.

Good pull by you on Kennedy.

EJ Fagan's Thoughts on the situation:

Joe Torre’s bullpen is in a state of absolute chaos. Beyond Rivera and Chamberlain, the Yankees do not possess a single reliable reliever. And the playoffs are just a week away.

What do we do? I think that Torre has to follow his 1996 model - where the Yankees went into the playoffs with plenty of offense, but shoddy starting pitching and a 2-man bullpen. Basically, go with who is hot. Kyle Farnsworth finishes the season with two more scoreless outings? He’s your 3rd guy. Chris Britton goes 2 scoreless innings tomorrow? Take him.

Basically, cross your fingers and hope that the starters go 7 innings. Brian Bruney and Edwar Ramirez effectively pitched their way off the playoff roster yesterday. The Yankees will likely carry 9 starters, 5 bench players, and 4 starting pitchers. That leaves 7 spots for the bullpen.

Mariano Rivera
Joba Chamberlain
Kyle Farnsworth
Phil Hughes
Luis Vizcaino
These are the definite members of the roster. Who else could be included? Chris Britton, Ron Villone, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras, Jeff Karstens, and possibly the disgraced Edwar Ramirez. Who will Torre go with?

You can probably place your bet on Ron Villone for the first spot. Torre needs his crutch lefty, so that Villone can walk Travis Hafner in a big spot. That leaves one spot open. Judging by his recent usage, I’d say that the spot will go to Chris Britton. Torre seems to have settled in on a situational right-handed use pattern for Britton - which may not be the worst way to use him. Right-handed batters hit .240/.284/.328 off Britton at AAA this year, while Left-handed batters hit .231/.276/.440 - a notable power increase. Britton also has a history of struggling against left handed batters. He has superb control and can strike out batters - meaning that he can be trusted to come into a based loaded, 1-out jam in the 6th inning and not beat himself.

Or Ross Ohlendorf could pitch 4 scoreless inning this week and find himself on the playoff roster. We’ll see.

Ramirez looks to nervous out there. Might be good on a small market team, kept to a regular routin, won't have to give way on the schedule to big dogs, pitches with less pressure. He's got talent but not much confidence I think.

I nominate John G. for new Yankee pitching coach. At least he knows what he has on his staff and is not trying to re-invent some of these guys.

Pedroia has done it all year and the kids have done a great job. Drew is hitting better true, but whoever is playing Boston in the LDS will pound him inside. The advantage that Boston has right now is they already clinched a spot and Francona can set up the rotation.
The Tribe is hot right now as you say, but that doesn't mean anything to me come next week. The Yanks were hot last year and in 2005 and look what happened to them. Also, if they draw the Yanks, their 0-6 record against us may get into their heads. It may not. Who Knows!
(that seems to be my favorite phrase lately).
Other than Vladdie, Anaheim doesn't have another power hitter as you say, but Anderson has driven in a ton of runs (63 since the break?) and they run, Run, RUN!!! If they get on base, they go from 1st to 3rd better than anybody.
Better than the Yanks.
Better than the Red Sox.
Better than the Tribe.

HYD

I'm glad you brought up 1996- because it is true the Yankees went into that post season with a 2 man bullpen (Wetteland and Mo)

But they would not have won the championship without the post season contributions of Nelson, Boehringer, Weathers and Lloyd.

Weathers and Lloyd were getting pounded the last two weeks of 96- even worse than Bruney and Ramirez were last night.

So it comes down to a crapshoot- there are going to be at least 3 pitchers on this roster who have looked bad- but maybe they will come up big in a big spot- then again maybe they won't.

Of course, if the Yankee starters get balsted like they did last year, it won't matter.

HYD,
Ohlendorf over Britton. I pick "stuff" over "The Family Guy", although it is a very funny show..

No argument here John, the Angels are a team that can play small ball and get it done.

John G.,

I just about didn't agree with myself about possibly including Igawa, so I wouldn't even argue with you on that one.

As for the drive-by, it would take that or an outbreak of Ebola in the pen for me to consider Ramirez or Bruney.

NSH may have a good point on Ramirez possibly blossoming in a less pressured situation. That would not be the post-season.

I don't trust Britton right now. I like Ramirez, but for him to be effective, he has to pitch more. He's not a power pitcher as his "out" pitch is the change. Now isn't the time to use him more. ST will be a good starting point for him and I think that he'll be a good one for us.
Next year, but not today!

Forget Bruney. This guy is really bothering me because I really liked him and based on last year, I felt that he would be a force for us.
But he walks too many guys and he always pitches from behind in the count. Because of that, he winds up throwing meatballs and gets clobbered, instead of throwing aspirin tablets and blowing guys away. What a HUGE dissapointment!

But hey, it could be worse.

We could have the Mets pen instead.

Just shoot me now and get it over with!

Remember, the 1st rd. is best of 5, so only 3 "starters" should be required. The "starters" would be Wang, Pettitte, and a healthy Clemens. This means Mussina and Hughes should be in the "pen", and used in relief if necessary. Vizcaino, and the closing duo of MOJO would be responsible for innings 7,8, and 9.

Scranton Numbers this year explain my uneasyness with Veras. His 1.50 WHIP there is the same as here. He lets guys on base. Granted these numbers don't have an exact translation to the majors, but you get the idea.

Actually, it copy and pastes like a mess from my Excel spreadsheet, so I guess you guys will have to do without. What I will point out is that Veras & Ohlendorf both had WHIPS of 1.50 or higher and ERAs of 4.50 or higher. I wouldn't go betting on them based on a combined 11 innings in the majors.

Britton however, pitched well in the minors with a 1.13 WHIP. Almost identical to his WHIP in the majors (1.11). The guy throws strikes. Isn't that what someone was begging for?

Cas,

You know the old playoff saying.

Pitching, PITCHING and MORE PITCHING.

Along with great defense and timely hitting;

WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!

Period; end of story!!!

Case in point: the 69 Mets!

Okay guys, don't kill me on this, but I'm guessing most of you are too young and weren't even born when the mets won their first championship.

That year they hit .242 or around there but not more than .250 as a team. They had one really good hitter in Cleon Jones (.340) that year and one HR guy in Don Clendennon, but not much more after than.
They were 100-62 that year and came back from 9 1/2 out in late August.
They did it with Pitching and defense. They made the plays, got the timely hits and played stellar defense.
I thought that Baltimore was going to kill them!!
Guess I was wrong.

I don't know John G. (how many pounds you down with that Nutrisystem diet?) -

Anaheim just got Juan Rivera back, but Vladimir is probably going to be a DH the whole first round. Shields is all screwed up. Weaver is definitely not playoff proven yet and his bloodlines give me pause. Escobar is also bothered by something and may not be 100% heading into the playoffs. I'll bet Boston takes them out again. They play against Boston like we do against Anaheim; tentative and on the defensive. This is my favorite series because we just can't lose it. One of the two toughest teams we play will be eliminated without question. Gotta love that.

Boston has it's share of issues, but if Cleveland should stop the Yankees I'd like their chances to advance as much as I detest the thought. Schilling's outing was good news for them even if it did come against the A's, who are mailing it in these days. We made 'em squirm, but the hole we dug was just too deep. If Youkilis, Manny, Okajima, and Wakefield round into form this team will be tough. The always are.

Cleveland has been so hot that they can't be taken lightly. Confidence begets confidence and they don't have the bullpen issues we do shaky closer or no. Man I'd love to have that Rafael Perez in our bullpen. I swear the kid has had two bad games all year. Rafael Betancourt is steady as a rock. By rights the Yankees should beat them, but it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. The Yankees are just a little bit too inconsistent offensively despite their awesome four month run.

At the end of the day I think we could either go all the way or get swept. I hate this feeling. It never used to be like this. These teams are all very even, but I definitely don't give the edge to Anaheim overall. As much as it pains me to do so I would give it to Boston even though I'd be more confident playing them this year than I was in either 2003 or 2004. This is going to be white knuckle time.

HYD,

Britton does throw strikes as you say, but didn't you point out that he doesn't do the job against lefties?
Also when he gets ahead in the count, he has to put guys away. The game that sticks out in my mind is the last game against Toronto in their place. The game that Kennedy matched up with Burnett. He came into the game in the 9th and gave up 2 consecutive hits to Rios and Thomas.
Ballgame!
Maybe I'm unfair judging him on that one game, but he's going to face tougher hitters in the post season.

I wouldn't bet the mortgage on Ohlendorf and Veras, but they have done well as of late and I would trust them to get the job done.

John,

All good points by you and I was thinking about Anaheim getting Rivera back too. They have a good staff and are playoff proven. They are good and will be dangerous. I'm glad that Boston is getting them and not us. I'd much rather play the Angels in a 7 game series because I feel that we can beat them. A 5 game series is another story.

As far as the Tribe, you are right in that they're hot, as cas also said, and confidence begets confidence.
But post season baseball has a way of killing that confidence.
They will be pitched to differently. Their big guns will be pounded inside constantly and Borowski as a closer would scrare me if I was an Indian fan. The rest of their pen is good and that kid that you mentioned is the real deal, but i feel that we can beat them in a short series.
But hey, it's playoff baseball and anything can and will happen.

The way you guys evaluate pitches is LAUGHABLE. Ohlendorf has pitched 3 2/3 innings. Suddenly, that makes him good? Think about that one people.

Mind you, I think Ohlendorf WILL BE a very good relief pitcher. I'd even put him on the post season roster, but I want to ground people and let them see the BIG picture.

For those confident in Veras, I must ask, are you looney? Are you giving him a free pass because of the games he imploded in resulting in wins? He gave up 4 earned runs in 2/3 of an inning in the game the Yanks won 12 - 11 against Toronto. Yeah, that made me rest easy. He gave up 2 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in the game the Yanks won 8 - 7 against Boston. Again, I was thrilled. So, the guy has pitched in 6 games for 7.1 innings and has given up 6 earned runs giving up multiple earned runs in 1 out of every 3 times out.
He has as many strikeouts (6) as walks. Seriously guys, you're beginning to evaluate relief pitchers the way that Gloom evaluates everything; very much in the moment and only as good as your last game.

Please, I BEG of you, DO NOT make me have to compare Yankee fans, that clearly are intelligent, to Gloom again. It makes me kind of sick to my stomach.

John G,

You may think those were bad jokes...but they cracked me up. And I really needed a laugh. I'm at a lame conference in Carlisle PA and your blog input just made my day.

If Veras or Ohlendorf make the team, you will only see them on the mound when it is a 10+ run spread either way.

Predictions for what they will do in ALDS (assuming it is the series where they use 3 starters):

Wang: Games 1 and 4 (#4 will be at home)
Pettite: Games 2 and 5
Clemens: Game 3.

Bullpen strategy:

If a starter gets knocked out 5th inning or before: Mussina or Hughes
6th inning: Villone and/or Vizciano
7th inning: Farnsworth and/or Vizciano (If Joba can only go 1 inning). Joba if he can go two.
8th: Joba and/or Mo
9th: MO
Blowout or losing situations: Veras and Britton or Ohlendorf

HYD,

We aren't experts at evaluating pitchers, well, at least I'm not anyway, so it's based on opinions for some guys, seeing the person pitch for some guys, and stats by other guys.

You're a stats guy. At least it seems like you are. You'll look at stats and make your predictions and opinions based on the stats that you see and the stats that you compile.

I make my opinions based mostly on what I see. Not the best approach by far, certainly not scientific, but that's me.

I don't know who the 'right" guys are for our pen other than the 2 givens. All of the others have been reliable and good from time to time, and they've sucked from time to time. At least that's what I saw when I watched the games.

I'll go with my gut and stick to the guys that I'd like to see out there. They may be great, or they may bomb;
BIG TIME.

Let's just say that the only relievers that I'd like to see go out there frequently are Joba and Mo, because that means we are winning those games and those other guys out there will not be needed.

And I'm keeping my lucky rabbit's foot on my key chain to be sure.
and keeping my 4 leaf clover nearby,
and my rosary beeds,
and my statue of Joboo.

I'm thinking of also having the family shave their heads, but they might not go for that one!

However, if we find ourselves down by 2, I'll get them all when they're sleeping.

Boss,

Thanks for that! :-)

I hope that your conference is good. Isn't that the town where Jim Thorpe came from?

cs07,
I couldn't agree with you more. I think you are right on point with Veras and Ohlendorf. If our offense wakes up, then you will see these guys. Other than that, wait until the next round (FIRST WE HAVE TO CLINCH A SPOT, JOE)

John,

Nutrisystem, I forgot. I'm down 15 and I feel better.

I'm at 160 and I want to stay there.

160 John G.?

Sheesh...I aint been 160 since I graduated from high school...

I'm pushing 230....I'd love to get down to 200...

Cas,

I'm a runt. When I gain weight it goes right to the labonza. I quit smoking 3 years ago so that add a few pounds.

For some reason, I didn't picture you at 230. I had this vision that you were a tall, lanky sort of guy.

Now, since you mentioned your weight and since you live in the woods in Maine, I'm going to think you look like that guy in the Bud Light commercial that gets picked up hitch hiking with the 6 pack and axe!

You don't have a beard, do you?

LOL!

John G. - 15 lbs and you're down to 160? I'm with Cas; they'd probably list me your program at 5'9 3/4 a la Doug Flutie, but I'm probably closer to 5'8". I'm up around 210 and, at 47, may have used up all of my metabolism it seems. Anyway, how long did it take you to drop 15? Did you take a second delivery of food? Just curious. I'm thisclose to trying it myself because I'm clearly a disgrace to my gender. Thanks!

John G.,

I am...or always was a tall lanky guy..about 6'1"...and always was in the 195-200lb range since my mid twenties on...but I'm now 51 and I have a front ass that I'm not sure what to do with. LOL...love to lose about 30 lbs. My problem is...I love to cook, and am really good at it..and I LOVE to eat.

Yes...I do look something like axe guy...no beard...just a goat. (LOL...I also have a chain saw...sort of a prerequisite here in Maine)

Ya really doing Nutrisystem, JG??? I've been thinking about it, but 350 clams a month is pretty steep, no?

Yes, Jim Thorpe spent most of his youth here. I believe he was born in Oklahoma, but Carlisle is fairly famous for Jim Thorpe. And the US Army War College!

Is is $350/mnth?....not so bad when you consider that equals about $11.67 a day...or less than $4 a meal....less than I spend on food now.

Boys,
When I looked at some of my recent vacation pics I was wondering who the fat guy was with my kids...then I took another look and that fat guy was....ME! On Aug. 1st I started doing something I really hate- running. I don't mind running when I'm playing on my softball teams or even when I played football, but running just to run never thrilled me, but I started and after the first couple of days when I stopped blowing bits of lung on the street after 1/4 mile, it became easier and the pounds started coming off. I'm now up to 3 or 4 miles per day, every day and I've lost about 15 lbs. and I feel really good. Plus, I still eat like I always have although I catch myself eating less sweet stuff just because I don't want to "ruin" the work I've been putting in. I don't know how long I'll keep this up, but I suspect I'll keep trying to do it for a few years. Like some of you, I'd like to lose about 20 more. I'm 5'9" and I was 210, now I'm 195.
Chocolate Chip cookies are my kryptonite though...especially when they just come out of the oven...they usually don't have a chance to get cold when I'm around.

Back to baseball: I'd like to see Giambi play regularly this last week to get him ready for the playoffs. Thoughts?

I worked on a project during the summer of 2003 in Central Florida. I was outside every day from 8AM to 8PM in the humidity of Brevard County and Orlando Florida.

I lost 35 pounds in 2 months.
I got married a month later. I was never thinner nor more handsome in my life.

Now I have the belly back and the round face back... but at least I had good looking wedding pictures.

Truth be told, I gained a lot of weight during my wife's pregnancy. More than HER! And she was carrying twins!

LMAO....too funny sully

Cas, John G, Jim...funny remarks today. Blowing bits o'lung, front a$$, etc.

Who will DH when CC or any great lefty pitches? Giambi? Matsui? Damon> Shelly? Time will tell, but going in to these playoffs, I don't see a clear cut AL fave.

I dont run anymore...I used to run alot...but at my age with these knees and ankles ...I aint running no more...I do walk...I try to do at least 3 miles a day..take the hound..she loves it..gets to swim in the creek and wsallow in the swamp on our trek...it's on a little dirt road so I usually see deer or rabbits or whatnot along the way.,..one of the better things about living in the hicks. So, I'm in pretty good shape for a guy my age...I also cut my own firewood, and help my family on the farm and at the saw mill from time to time...but, all that said...I cant seem to lose this gut. I think it's partly genetic....everyone of my Uncles has the same issue. My father would if he wasnt diabetic..but he refuses to gain an ounce after working so hard to lose weight when he became diabetic.

Subject: A Michigan Cow?

The only cow in a small town in Arkansas stopped giving milk.

The people did some research and found they could buy a cow up in
Oscoda, Michigan, for $200.00.

They bought the cow from Oscoda and the cow was wonderful
It produced lots of milk all of the time, and the people were pleased
and very happy.

They decided to acquire a bull to mate with the cow and produce more
cows like it. They would never have to worry about their milk supply
again.

They bought a bull and put it in the pasture with their beloved cow.

However whenever the bull came close to the cow, the cow would move
away. No matter what approach the bull tried, the cow would move away
from the bull and he could not succeed in his quest.

The people were very upset and decided to ask the Vet, who was very
wise, what to do.

They told the Vet what was happening.

"Whenever the bull approaches our cow, she! moves away.
If he approaches from the back, she moves forward.
When he approaches her from the front, she backs off.
An approach from the side and she walks away to the other side."

The Vet thinks about this for a minute and asked,

"Did you buy this cow in Michigan ?"

The people were dumbfounded, since they had never mentioned where they
bought the cow.

"You are truly a wise Vet," they said.

"How did you know we got the cow in Michigan ?"

The Vet replied with a distant look in his eye,

"My wife is from Michigan."

gotta love that farm humor

If it had been a NY cow it would have told the bull to go f*ck itself!

LMAO!

Well,

I'm lucky....the Sox play at 5pm today....so I'll have a chance to get the game in and still have time to check out the Yanks game later.

Unlucky me
I have the day off and I am home. I live the Bay Area. The Red Sox are playing the A's... a Bay area team... AND IT'S NOT ON TV!

It's not blacked out. There's just no TV assigned to the game today.

Can you imagine that in NYC? A Mets or Yankees game where they say "Nope... no TV coverage."

I'd say 15% of the A's games aren't on TV. And it's not being preempted. They are showing an infomercial on Fox Sports Bay Area.

The last time they reempted a Red Sox/A's game... Schilling nearly threw a no hitter and I couldn't watch it!

That do suck, sully.

I don't spend that much on the NutriSystem stuff as I go (actually, my wife does it) to their website and order what I like. The food is actually pretty good, except for the tuna cassarole (YUCK). The big thing is learning portion control which was always a problem for me. I can eat seconds, thirds, etc. I hate wasting food.
If any of you guys want to try it, i suggest doing it for a few months to learn the basics of portion control. Once you get that down, you won't need to buy it any longer. They give you a guide to learning how to eat in restaurants, good carbs and bad carbs, that sort of thing. No matter what plan you use, you'll have to supplement your meals with veggies; lots and lots of them so find veggies that you really like to eat. Lots of fruit and dairy products (milk, yougurt) is also recommended. Also, watch the alchohol!!!!!!! A glass of wine or 2 is okay, and a beer now and then, but forget drinking the 6 pack in one sitting. That's out! Another key, and probably the most important one is to drink water, constantly. If you're dehydrated, and you may be without feeling thirsty, you won't burn calories!!! Your metabolism will come to a screetching halt.

Jim A is correct in saying that exercise is HUGE. Pick your poison: running, treadmill, walking, swimming, doesn't matter.

It took me 6 months to lose the 15. I was on the modifed plan which is on the stuff for 5 days a week, off for 2. I also tend to drink more coffee than water, especially at work, and I'm a Frito junkie. I'm not good at exercising either cause I'm lazy. I make up for that by doing a lot of stuff around the house such as painting. Up and down the ladder for 6 hours at a clip is good enough for me!

You just have to find something that works for you.

well, I can still tie my shoelaces, and I feel great....so I got a keg instead of a 6 pack abs....THAT works for me.

Sully,

That link that i sent you never worked?

I use it at work and I get to see the games just fine.

Check you settings on the internet. make sure that you allow popups, your blocker is off and your virus protection stuff is disabled. You can always turn that back on after you finish watching the game. Also, don't use Mozilla. It's too vanilla. Use IE7 even if you only use it for the software to watch the games.

I rarely drink beer anymore...once in awhile if it's really hot and I'm working around the house...or when I'm hanging out of the farm/mill...those guys drink beer like it's life supporting.....but I do like to have a good bourbon on the rocks around ....why...this time of day!...perhaps I'll cut back on so much ice...will that work?

It doesn't seem to be Mac friendly

I'll have it on the radio, but even the radio station the A's have is so weak you have to sit in the radio station parking lot to get a clear signal

sully,

MLB.com audio cost $15/yr....I've been getting it for the last few years which comes in handy for those games I miss at home when I'm traveling or whatever. I suggest you give that shot.

Anyone else read the recent threads on this NY YANKEE blog? I mean, come on, get a room boys! I wouldn't even have you guys on my show! Wait, there is a show for you all....the biggest loser!
How about some NY baseball talk?

Boss,

In the LDS, Damon is playing LF and Matsui is DHing. That's what I read in the paper today.

I expect Giambi and Duncan to pitch hit, and Betemit to come off the bench for Meintkeiwicz late in games.

Coming from a sanctimonious asswipe who got his start on Ophra, I dont think you got much room to whine, Doc.

Sully,

Try this:
http://myp2p.eu/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5153

I just took a look at the FAQ on the link that i sent you and this question was there: "Help, I got a MAC!"

This is the link for the answer to that question. I didn't look at it, though.

Doc,

We already spent the better part of the day dissecting the bullpen situation, playoff scenarios, whatever.

If you've got something to add as far as Yankee baseball goes, then go for it. If it's good, we'll all jump in.

If you don't have anything, then see what you can dig up and get back to us.

I got the game on the radio...

This way I can have the game on and still watch after my kids

Here, i got something for you Doc:

Michael Kay is on the radio now and he interview A-Rod today. He came out and asked him if he was leaving after the season. A-Rod told him that he loved NY and loves playing for the Yanks. He's going to talk it over with his wife in the off-season.

Sounds like a "I'll go to the highest bidder" to me

Lester k's the side in the first, sully...so far..so good.

I know he's younger, and better offensively, but I still would rather see the Sox keep Lowell and not go after Arod. Let him stay in NY, or go to the Cubs or Angels..whatever.

I love Lowell
I would carry A-Rod's luggage from Miami to Cambridge to have him play for the Red Sox

Sully,

Who can afford him? He's not going anywhere.

Not me...Arod has too much baggage to play in Boston, imo. No knock on his abilities...but I would not mess with the Sox infield one iota...thank you very much.

He's going one of 3 places:

1) The Yankees

2) The Angels

3) The Cubs if that stake in the team ownership rumor is true

But it won't be out of loyalty. It will be because Scott Boras sees a chance to create the greatest sports contract of all time... for the second time.

Hi Casual Observer, glad you're back.

Re: AR, he is an expensive commodity and a high-maintenance personality, but he adds enough that I hope the Yanks can keep him.

That said, I don't think losing him would be a *catastrophe* for the Yankees any more than it was for the other teams he has left, both of which seemed to get better upon his departure. I have no theory whatsoever about why that is so. But I do feel pretty sure the Yankees will be good next year either way.

People who point out how many games we would be behind without him make their calculations as if the whole rest of the team would be the same if he had not been there, plainly a fallacy. Teams adjust their rosters with every major change that comes along, and so would the Yankees.

If he does indeed "opt out", then to think the Sox wont be in the mix is short-sighted if you ask me...1. Because they can afford him, if they choose to. 2. Theo aint gonna let a player of that caliber waltz the floor without trying to get a dance.

I disagree my esteem Red Sox Buddies. :-)

The Angels aren't going to throw 30 mil/year for what? 5 to 10 years for one player. Moreno has stated as such, plus they have to deal with Vladdie. He's a FA after 2008 and he's been the heart and soul of the Angels. They aren't going to bring A-Rod in for 2008 for that amount of money, and have Vladdie play second fiddle so to speak. I'm pretty sure that they won't let Vladdie walk.

The Cubs have too much money invested in Soriano, Zambrano, Ramirez and Lilly. There's no way that they spend 30 mil per for A-Rod. Ain't gonna happen. As far as the ownership thing goes, it's illegal in MLB for a player to be a part owner or have any type of ownership of a major league team. Also, look for Selig's buddy to buy the Cubs. Mark Cuban is off limits! He has no shot at buying them.

The Red Sox are another team that will not spend 30 mil on one player. They can afford it, but Theo won't do it and I know that Manny and Lowell's contracts are up.

Angels losing to Rangers 16-2 in Top of the 8th.

I think the Angels are itching to make a splash... especially if they fall short this year.

He will probably end up back with the Yankees. But if they have the piece of the team offer from the Cubs, he'll be gone.

Lester is pounding the zone...he has k'd 5 of the first 6 A batters....seems to have great command of his hook.