Good Day Sunshine

Sunday, April 30, 2006
Home Game 12
Yankees 4 Blue Jays 1
Subway Race Winner: WW*
Cap Game: #3



You know something's not right with the calls behind the plate when Giambi strikes out looking twice. The shoddy work of umpire Adam Dowdy caused Torre to get tossed in the 5th. (Jays manager John Gibbons also got tossed in the 5th) It apparently lit a fire under the Yankees butts, because they score 2 runs that inning to take the lead. The first run came on an Andy Phillips homer (his first of the year) that just cleared the wall in right. The Yanks then loaded the bases on a double from Damon and walks to Jeter and Giambi. Mr. Roboto then walked A-Rod to give the Yanks the go-ahead run. Giambi tack on some insurance runs in the 7th with a 2-run dinger.

Moose had another strong outing. He got into a bit of trouble in the 5th. But he struck out Yankee-killer Shea Hillenbrand to end the inning. What impressed me most about his outing was that he didn't let the bad calls get to him. It always seemed like Moose would have a melt-down when calls wouldn't go his way. But he fought through it. Farnsworth pitched a strong 1.2 innings. He gave up a single to Rios in the 7th, but it was erased when he got caught stealing. I haven't seen the replays, but he looked safe to me, and that's from a few hundred feet away. But, I'll take the gift any day.

Random Notes
– I love day games, especially when the weather is this nice. But sometimes the most annoying people show up to those Sunday games. Like the idiots behind me. They were trying to taunt the Met fans that were sitting a few rows in front of me. Except they were failing miserably. When the Met fans replied with the fact that they're in first place by a bunch of games, the idiots started babbling on about Atlanta beating them. This just went back and forth for far too long. Really, all they had to do was comment on how the NL East is full of weak teams and it would've shut them up for a while.

These guys also caused me to miss the subway race.

I had two more annoying people sitting in front of me. A young couple who were canoodling the entire game. I came to see a baseball game, I don't need to see your girlfriend sucking on your earlobe for 3 hours.

– My friend's co-worker took my extra ticket today. It was his first trip to Yankee Stadium. It's always fun to watch a game with someone who has never been the Stadium before. They're not as jaded as the rest of us.

– I think I got a little sunburn today.

The Yanks left for Boston tonight. They will play 2 games there, then 2 in Tampa, then 3 in Texas. I have a bear of a project to get done this week so I probably won't be commenting much (I'll probably have to catch most of the games on radio). So, until next time...

In attendance record: 4-2

RIP Steve

Friday, April 28, 2006
Home Game 10
Blue Jays 7 Yankees 2
Subway Race Winner: 4 train
Cap Game: #1



Whenever there's a moment of silence at the Stadium, I'm usually prepared for it. It's either for a big name in the news or in the organization. But today, when Sheppard announced that there would be a moment before the anthem I was a bit surprised. I hadn't remembered reading anything during the day about anyone important dying and the flag was a full mast. Then in Sheppard's slow, deliberate style, he said that it was a former Yankee player. My heart sank as the first name that popped into my head was Rizzuto. Then he said that it was a pitcher. Whitey? Finally Bob informed us that is was Steve Howe. There was a gasp from the Stadium. Not exactly the name I would expect to hear. Steve was the poster boy for the cocaine problems that ran through baseball in the '80s. He was suspended 7 times and was released from the Yankees for the final time in 1996, missing out on that championship by just a few months. I was in high school when he started playing for the Yanks in 1991. I seem to remember that my mom didn't like him very much, what with all the suspensions (especially since they were drug and alcohol related). I really don't remember him on the field, but I do remember hoping that he would clean himself up, much as I hoped that Gooden and Strawberry would too. I really didn't know much about Howe as a person, just as the druggie and running joke. A symbol of what was wrong with the drug policies of baseball. But in reading the stories about him tonight and the comments from his former teammates and coaches I get the feeling that he was a good man at heart. On the radio post-game, Waldman had some comments from Bernie, who is the only current Yankee to have played with Steve a significant amount of time. He said he was a good teammate. When Bernie was just breaking into the majors Steve took him under his wing. Mattingly also said that he was a good and fun-loving guy. My thoughts go out to Steve's family.

Sorry for the long post. I didn't think the death of Steve Howe would cause me to write this much. But, stories like these remind me of a friend I had with a serious drug problem, in and out of rehab many times. We really only hung out when he was in one of his clean periods (even then he wasn't totally clean, he just wasn't using the hard stuff.) When he would have a lapse he would disappear. It was always a hope against hope thing that he would one day be totally clean. He too was a good man at heart, but he just couldn't stay clean. I haven't talked to him in years but I still hope that he's ok.

Now, on to the game.

It's a shame that a decent start by Wright was wasted. But shit like that happens. It wasn't as big of a let down as Wednesday night was. I mean, they were facing Roy Halladay ferchrissakes. I think we should just be grateful that Jaret wasn't hit with any projectiles today. After giving up 2 runs in the first inning, Wright held the Jays in check for the rest of his outing (although 2 of the runs that came in on Hillenbrand's homer in the 6th were charged to him). The Yankees only runs came from Bernie Williams, who hit his first homer of the year to center. With Wright's first inning struggles, maybe they should try what they did with Kevin Brown. Make him throw an inning before the game to get it out of his system. My brother also suggested that Kerrigan should throw pieces of a broken bat at him as well, to get that in-game feel to it.

I'm not terribly worried about the loss tonight. I have a good feeling about the weekend with Randy and Moose on the mound. Let's hope they don't prove me wrong.

Random Notes
– Mötley Crüe seems to be the band of choice lately. Wright warmed up to "Shout at the Devil" in the first inning.

– When the Yankees are down late in the game the video crew usually runs 1 of 3 clips: the locker room scene from Rudy, the scene from "Rocky", or the John Belushi "was it over when the Nazi's bombed Pearly Harbor" monologue from "Animal House". Tonight they ran all 3. One each in the 7th, 8th and 9th respectively. I just wish they would also go back to playing "We're Not Gonna Take It."

– Whenever Toronto comes to town I look foward to 2 things, "O Canada" and Vernon Wells. Not for anything he does in the field really, but the fact that he's such a good sport. He's the only opposing outfielder that I've seen respond to the taunts coming from the bleachers. He'll tip his cap or wave or do some other gestures. I get the feeling he looks forward to it. When the "Horse's Ass" chant start he was bobbing his head along with the melody. At one point they start "Come play for us." I'm not quite sure if the fact that Damon was up to bat at that moment was related in any way.

I'll be back at the Stadium on Sunday. Let's hope the Yankees bats wake up tomorrow (and the Rangers pull a win too.)

In attendance record: 3-2

Moment of Clarity

Thursday, April 27, 2006
Home Game 9
Yankees 4 Devil Rays 1
Subway Race Winner: 4 train
Cap Game: #1



Chacon threw his first inning warm ups to Moment of Clarity by Jay-Z. And after tonight, he just may have broken out of that messy start he had to begin the season. According to what I heard on the post-game, he says he didn't have his best stuff. He had trouble locating his slider (or something to that effect). But he did end up pitching a nice, crisp game. 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 Ks (eerily similar to his line from Saturday, but with 1 less walk). This is, what, the 5th quality start in a row for the Yanks. Hopefully these last two starts from Shawn are indicative of good things to come this season.

Hendrickson did a pretty good job of keeping the Yankees' bats at bay (they scored 4 runs on 5 hits). The only real blast came from Sheff in the 1st. But Gathright made a leaping grab and robbed him of what was probably a home run. It was so good they actually showed a replay on the Diamond Vision. But, the Yankees did something they couldn't do last night, they manufactured runs. In the 6th they took advantage of a couple walks and an error. Giambi tied the game with a ground out to first with the bases loaded. Matsui followed with a single up the middle to take the lead at 3-1. In the 7th, Damon walked and then scored on a Jeter double to the right field corner. Jetes was 3-3 with a run and an RBI, bumping his average up to .408. I just hope he stays this hot when Damon comes out of his slump. That would be one nasty 1-2 combination.

I'm glad Matsui came through with that go ahead RBI. Steve at Was Watching brings up a good point about the pressure he has to perform well here. He not only has to live up to the expectations of the Bronx, but also to an entire country. With the lineup constructed as it is (with OBP king Giambi ahead of him) they need him to do well. Hopefully he can build on tonight. He made a couple nice plays in the field too, holding both Hall and Gathright to singles.

Random Notes
– A-Rod received his MVP award before the game.

– I've heard complaints about the people who work at the Stadium (security guards, food service, etc.), that they're rude, or they're not helpful or whatever. But I have to say, there are some really nice people working there. I was about to walk up the ramp to my seats when one of the security guards stopped me to ask how I was. She was there when I got clocked in the head on Opening Day. She even asked about my aunt too. I also got a call last week from someone in the organization following up to make sure I was OK. Sometimes it's just the little things.

Tomorrow Jaret Wright starts against Roy Halladay. The last game I saw him start, he got thwacked with a ball in a chest. And in the start that I saw before that, he got hit with a broken bat. Both of those games were against Toroto, too. Let's hope for no more projectiles coming his way this time (and hope he can at least keep the score close).

In attendance record: 3-1

There's a change in the weather

Sunday, April 23, 2006
Home Game 6
Yankees 7 Orioles 1
Subway Race Winner: B train
Cap Game: #2



I packed my "Rain at Yankee Stadium Survival Kit" today: 2 large black garbage bags, 1 hand towel, Yankees cap, extra napkins from the sausage stand, cardboard food tray (also from sausage stand), ziploc snack bags for my tickets and note paper, all stuffed into my multi-pocket Columbia jacket. I ended up using all of the items, as the game was delayed due to rain. (The food tray is to keep my ass warm cause those metal benches can get kinda cold.) Aside from some misting around the 5th inning, the rain held up. By the bottom of the 6th the sun was out.

The weather wasn't the only change of the day. Posada made his second start as Randy's battery-mate, the first being Opening Day. The tandem seemed to work well together as Johnson went 8 innings, giving up 3 hits (all to Miguel Tejada), 1 run (a Tejada homer in the 2nd), 1 walk, and 5 Ks. While the strikeout total is a bit low by Randy's standards, he had his slider working (or so I heard on the post-game, it's tough to see where I'm sitting) and pitched a tidy game.

Giambi had a huge day at the plate. He countered Tejada's HR with one of his own in the bottom of the 2nd and Andy Phillips tacked on another run in the same inning with an RBI single up the middle. Giambi hit a 2-run dinger the next inning and doubled off of the left field wall (yes, left field) to knock in 2 more in the 7th. He was 3-4 on the day with 5 RBI and 2 runs scored. His other at bat was a bullet right into the glove of Kevin Millar (who was probably booed more this weekend than when he was with Boston).

Mo came on in the 9th to get some work in. His only blemish was a hit by... Miguel Tejada. If it wasn't for him, Johnson may have had a no-no.

Randon Notes
– Before the game, Jeter was presented with his Gold Glove award.

– I didn't notice it until today, but under the out of town scoreboard in left field there's an ad for Lipton Green Tea. I wonder if Torre has anything to do with that?

– Andy Phillips came to bat to Mötley Crüe's "Looks That Kill". Cool choice of song, but rather odd coming from a religious man who sings in his church choir.

– In the bottom of the 8th 2 pigeons landed on the railing in front of the bleachers, which prompted a chant of "Get off the rail" from those nearby. Guess it worked, cause they flew away.

Due to having a shitload of work to do this week, my next game won't be until Thursday. Hopefully the Yanks will be going for a sweep of the Devil Rays that night. And hopefully the Rangers will have won a game or two against the NJ Devils by then as well.

In attendance record: 2-1

Not Too Shabby

Nice outing by Chacon, especially considering the weather. Hopefully this win will give Shawn a little boost of confidence.

I'll be at the Stadium tomorrow to watch Randy against Chen. Hopefully the rain will hold off.

Can't You Hear Me Knocking

Friday, April 21, 2006
Home Game 4
Orioles 6 Yankees 5
Subway Race Winner: 4 train
Cap Game: #3



Can't say that the Yanks didn't have their opportunities tonight. Unfortunately no one bothered to open the door. They had at least one runner on base in every inning and had bases loaded twice. Every time I thought they would rally, they just died. Cano's 2-run homer in the 4th was the only multiple run inning for the Yanks. You know what this means? It's time for Mattingly to grow his mustache back. My brother had mentioned that when he grew it back last year the Yankee bats woke up.

This was my first time driving to the game from my new work location in Metuchen, NJ. Left around 4:20 and pulled onto Jerome Ave. at around 6:00. Not too bad considering it's a Friday. One big drawback to not working close to where I live is that I can't run home during lunch in case I forgot something. Which means I have to keep a jacket in the car or pay closer attention to the weather. Luckily I had a thermal in the car I could slip on before I left. It rather chilly tonight. I love going to the Stadium but I hate these April night games. It's late-season weather but the games are far from having that playoff-type energy.

A woman sitting behind me made it a point to dis A-Rod ever time he came to the plate. She called him "the Cooler" and bitched about the money he was making and all that other stuff that people like to say about him. On his first two trips he grounded into a DP and struck out with 2 on to end both innings. His third time up in the bottom of the 5th, I knew she was going to chime in again with the cooler bit. So I turned around and told her not to say it. I didn't want to hear it. It was bringing bad ju-ju. So she obliged, although she stood by her argument that he's not clutch. I tried to counter with the "Yanks wouldn't have made it to the '04 ALCS without him" bit but she wasn't going to budge and I wasn't in the mood for an argument. Anyway, she laid off the cooler comments and A-Rod drove in Damon with a single for what was then the go ahead run. I felt vindicated. Until, of course, the bottom of the 9th when he struck out with runners on. I still blame her though, cause she made a somewhat sarcastic comment about he's going to hit a walk-off. I could continue my rant against the A-Rod haters, but it's getting late and I'm sure I'll have more fodder as the year goes on.

Random Notes
– Flags where at half-mast at the Stadium for Oscar Acosta and Humberto Trejo, manager of the Gulf Coast Yankees and field coordinator of the Dominican Summer League Yankees respectively, who died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic earlier this week. A moment of silence was observed before the anthem.

– Before the game, Jason Giambi received his Comeback Player of the Year award.

– PA announcer Bob Sheppard returned to the mic tonight after missing the opening series with a hip injury. Before the 3rd inning they played "Welcome Back" and flashed his image on the Diamond Vision.

– Someone needs to tell Wang that he can't use a full wind up with 2 outs, a full count and the bases loaded. The runners got a ridiculously big head start and 2 runs came in on an infield single. I had heard that Mora was actually out at first, but that's no excuse.

– Proctor came out to "Unchained" by Van Halen. Guess he heard about my distaste for his song selection last year.

– Someone wearing a Rangers jersey (Messier) prompted a chorus of "Let's Go Rangers", which was quickly countered with "Hockey Sucks." While I'm disappointed in the way they finished the regular season, I am overjoyed that they even made the playoffs. They were picked to finish 30th by many people. It feels weird to root for a team with such low expectations.

I see that Chacon is slated to start tomorrow (if the game is even played). I hope and pray that he can return to the Shawn that I fell in love with last year. But maybe low expectations are the way to go. There's something to be said for being pleasantly surprised.

In attendance record: 1-1

Where was I?

Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Home Game 1
Yankees 9 Royals 7
Subway Race Winner: D train
Cap Game: #1



Picking up where I left off from Tuesday, we're on to introductions. So as everyone now knows, Bob Sheppard missed his first Opening Day since 1951. The guy who filled in did an ok job, but it's just not the same. I hope Bob is ok and can come back for the Baltimore series next week.

Everyone was wondering what kind of reception Damon would get. Where I was it was fairly mixed, mostly cheers though. Many remained silent. Bernie got the biggest ovation. There was a moment of silence before the anthem for West Point women's basketball coach Maggie Dixon, who suffered an arrhythmia heart episode and died last week. The anthem featured the annual unfurling of the giant flag and the fighter jet flyover.

Since everyone else already covered the game I'll end this with some random notes.

– I had mentioned that plastic bottle are banned from the Stadium this year. However, I just heard that they have lifted the ban because of too many complaints.
– Predictably but Mike Meyers comes out to the theme from Halloween. But it's still kinda cool. BTW, I'm pretty impressed with Meyers. I'll be even more impressed if he can handle Ortiz.
– Not much is new in the Stadium that I could see. But on the side scoreboards, when a Yankee comes to the plate they show a short video clip of the player. Looks like they used footage from the west coast trip. I'm sure they'll update them as the season goes on.

All in all, it was a great day at the Stadium. The worst part of the day was spending three and a half hours in the E/R for 2 stitches. (Here's the blood-stained scorecard and the ball from Mo. Don't look too closely at my scoring, I had a hard time keeping up that day.) Hopefully next Friday I'll have a clearer head and I'll be able to post a bit more about the game.

In attendance record: 1-0

WARNING: During batting practice hard hit baseballs may smack you in the head

I have been waiting for this day for months. Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. I woke up, the sun was out, the birds were singing, etc, etc. I was off to the game with my aunt (which is good, cause she ends up paying for tolls, parking and lunch).

We get to the Stadium about 5 minutes before game time. We go in (uh, just a side note, there's no plastic bottles allowed in the Stadium this year) and we find a spot along the railing in the right field bleachers. The Yankees are taking batting practice. We catch the tail end of the first group. The second group of A-Rod, Matsui and Posada are hitting bombs. The relievers congregate in the outfield, shagging flies. Pretty much every player has a smile on their face. They're finally home.

Now the third group is up, which includes Bernie, who looked pretty good at the plate. He hit a couple monster shots. At this point the relievers (and I think Andy Phillips as well) were doing their pre-game warmups where a coach tosses them balls over their heads as they run by. I'm pretty sure Bernie was at the plate at this point. All of a sudden, a long fly ball is coming straight at me. I realize that it has enough to actually reach me. Last year I caught a BP home run from Sosa right in front of the railing. I figure this is going to be the same type of ball, so I have a shot at it. Well, I soon realized that it's going to make it over the railing, and my hands go from a basket catch position to a more vertical "save your face" kind of position. Only I kept my face right behind my hands. And my hands neglected to save my face.

That's right, I'm now one of those schmucks that got themselves hit in the head with a ball while trying to catch it. The ball hit my hands, then my head and glasses right above my right eye. I'm guessing it was my glasses that cut me. The ball actually ended up hitting my aunt in the neck after it bounced off my head. I heard that familiar "Ohhhh" from the fans around me. I put my hands to my head and yup, there was blood. One of the regulars in the bleachers is an EMT, so he took me down to the EMT's who are on call. They helped me mop up the blood and gave me some ice. Asked me the usually head injury questions. They told me I would probably need a stitch or two. I told them there was no way I was leaving this game. So they took me to the doctor in the first aid room. He put a steri-stitch on it and told me to get it sutured within 24 hours. We went back to our seats just in time for the introductions.

I almost forgot the best part about all of this. Before I left to go to the first aid room a girl who was sitting in the seats that are above the right field wall and below the bleach seats came by with a ball for me. She said that Mo gave her the ball to give to the person that got hit. So, I thought that was pretty cool. Just when I think I can't love Mo anymore than I already do, he goes and gives me a ball cause I got clocked in the head.

So, my summary of Opening Day will have to wait. I had to give my tickets for Wednesday and Thursday away because I can't take off work. Hopefully by Friday I'll have a full post about the game with some pictures (including my blood stained score sheet).

Blue Bulls

(I'll start writing about the Yankees again soon. But there are a few Yankee and baseball references today.)

On a frigid night at Giants Stadium, the Red Bulls played their first home game of the season against the New England Revolution. The game ended in a scoreless draw, which may seem disappointing to some, but the Revs are one of the best teams in the league. Aside from a couple close plays, the Bulls' defense really stepped up. For the second game in a row, the Bulls started rookie Marvell Wynne, their number 1 pick in this year's SuperDraft. (baseball reference ahead) Marvell's father (also named Marvell) played 8 seasons in the majors. The Bulls had a few scoring chances of their own with several free kicks in the second half, but failed to convert. Amado Guevera had the best opportunity of the night for New York, sending a shot that looked to be heading for upper net, but it was deflected over by Revs keeper Matt Reis.

There was a fairly elaborate pre-game ceremony. It started when the current team stripped off their old Metrostars jerseys and presented them to long-standing season ticket holders. Then the Bulls paid tribute to New York's soccer history by honoring stars of the Cosmos and Metrostars. And I say New York begrudgingly. I can see it in the Cosmos case, because they spent 6 seasons at various New York stadiums (including 2 at Yankee Stadium. See, I mentioned the Yankees) and 7 at Giants Stadium. But it always bothered me that New York was always in the Metrostars moniker. They never played anywhere besides the Meadowlands. And now, with their new stadium set to be built in Harrison, NJ, they still insist on calling themselves the New York Red Bulls. Is it somehow shameful have a team named after the Garden State? After all, Jersey has a rich history of soccer as well.

Sorry for the rant.

So the night proceeded with the introduction of these past stars. The last player to be introduced was Pele, who, of course, received the loudest ovation. He came trotting out, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. After the national anthem, Challenger the eagle, known for his flights into Yankee Stadium during the World Series, flew on to the field from the upper deck. (look, another Yankees reference). The game ball was then delivered by the Red Bulls Air Force skydiving team.

Half-time entertainment was provided by Wyclef Jean and Shakira. A portion of the 35,000 in attendance left shortly after the break. Don't know if there were only there to see the Shakira or they were just too damned cold or both. It was a pretty lively crowd though. I don't think they'll draw that many for all of their home games, but I have a feeling that attendance will be better than last year. Especially if the Red Bull company puts on more events like this one. Unlike in baseball, having a rich owner won't help roster-wise in the MLS due to a salary cap. But they can throw their money into other aspects of the team. It might not help the on-field performance, but it will help draw more fans in, which can be nothing but good for the team and the league.

Number Fifty Thr... nevermind.

Forgive while I talk about another New York team.

Last night I went to the Rangers game. at the Garden for the first time since 1998. I forgot just how much fun it is to see the Blueshirts at home (against the Islanders, no less.)

I headed to Cosby's first to try to find a Ron Duguay retro jersey. No luck. So we made our way up the stairs, and in the lobby we see that they're doing the Rangers Tailgate show. And who are they interviewing? Ron Duguay! He was playing for the Rangers when I first started watching (and comprehending) hockey as a kid. And he became my instant favorite. Don't know whether it was his flowing brown hair, or the fact that he was my mom's favorite too. Doesn't matter at this point I guess.

Before the game they presented the annual Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award to fan favorite Henrik Lundqvist.

We got our tickets through my alumni association. Not the best seats in the house, but that doesn't matter at a Rangers game. Sometimes the crowd is more entertaining than the action on the ice. This was the case in the first period. Very lackluster play. Only a combined 11 shots on goal, one of which was a Isles goal by Satan.

Went to get some beers between periods. We passed a TV monitor as we made our way back to our section, and saw rookie Jarkko Immonen score his first NHL goal. He was called up to replace an injured Steve Rucchin. That seemed to bring some life to the Rangers. With just seconds left in the 2nd period, Martin Straka threw a pass in front of the net intended for Jagr, but it deflected off of a defenseman and into the net to tie the game at 1-1. Everyone thought Jagr got a piece of it for his 53rd of the year, which would have broken Adam Graves' team record. And of course we went nuts. Between periods there was buzz in our section that it was Straka's goal. When they made the announcement at the start of the 3rd, the crowd booed. Poor Marty. In the 3rd, Tom Poti made an amazing end-to-end rush and dished to puck to Straka for his second goal of the night and secured the Rangers 3-1 victory over the Islanders.

It's been an absolute joy to watch this Rangers team. A lot of people picked them to finish dead last in the league. This season has been a nice "fuck you" to them. I hope they can continue it through the playoffs. At least make it through the first round.

On Sunday I'll have a recap of the MetroStars Red Bulls home opener. Sound like it's going to be quite an event.

Clinched!

It's been a good 24 hours. Yankees spanked Zito and A's last night. The Rangers beat Philly tonight to clinch their first playoff berth after going 7 years without. Actually they clinched at the end of regulation when they earned a point for the tie. But the shootout win put them 3 points ahead of Philly at the top of the Atlantic Division.

Now, as I write this, the second game of the A's series is underway. Let's hope the next 24 hours are just as good.

The Most Wonderful TIme of the Year.

Sure, we all love October baseball. But for me, this is the best time of year. Hockey's regular season is coming to a close and the playoffs are just around the corner. (and the Rangers are holding on to a 2 game lead in the Atlantic.) The MLS season has begun, with the Metrostars Red Bulls failing to hold on to a 2-goal lead and settling for a draw in yesterday's opening match. Disappointing, yes. But nothing to get too upset over at this stage of the season. And tonight, weather permitting, the Yanks kick off the '06 season in Oakland. It sucks that these first 2 series will be out west, meaning games won't start here until 10pm. But at least they get a west coast trip out of the way early.

There can be only one.
One Team, One Mission. That's the mantra for this year's Yanks. When I read this, the Queen song "One Vision" immediately popped into my head. Of course that probably has something to do with the fact I watched Highlander this weekend.