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