.

I was going to start on my "year in review" post tonight, but with today's sad news, I just don't feel like it. My condolences to Lidle's family, friends and teammates.

Here's a link to Cory's last interview with friend and Times-Herald Record columnist Michael Geffner.

Worst. Drive. Home. Ever.

Thursday, October 5, 2006
ALDS Game 2
Tigers 4 Yankees 3
Subway Race Winner: WW
Cap Game: #3



(You'd think with a day game yesterday that I'd be able to get this post out on time.)

Driving home from a weekday afternoon game is never fun. Not only do you hit game traffic, but also rush hour traffic. Driving home after a loss like yesterday is in the afternoon rush is even worse.

The game didn't have the same feel to it as Tuesday night. Not just because the Yankees lost. The crowd just seemed different. Being a day game I'm sure had something to do with it. While it wasn't jammed packed, there were still quite a few empty seats. Plus, day games in general have a different feel. Yeah, it still felt like a special day. But with the bunting on the decks and the cool yet sunny weather, it felt more like Opening Day than a playoff game. Only problem was, this game really meant something.

My parents were with me Wednesday night in the rain, but they couldn't go on Thursday, so a couple of customers from work got those seats. Justin, who was also there on Wednesday, was able to ditch class to go to the game. Many fans near us from the night before were there as well, including a family from Atlanta (visiting relatives in the area) and a couple from Boston. They ended up staying in a hotel in Connecticut. Once again, Paul O'Neill threw out the first pitch. And once again, Sheff's wife, DeLeon, sang the national anthem. Cue jokes of Sheff threatening Yankee brass to have his wife sing or else. Seriously though she did a fine job.

Like I said, the joint wasn't as jumpin' as Tuesday, and when Detroit scored in the 2nd, they were even more deflated. But then in the 4th Damon hit a 2-out, 3 run homer to put the Yanks ahead 3-1. And much joyousness ensued. I totally called that shot by the way. Justin said he would've been happy with an RBI. But I said he was going to put one in the upper deck. And on the next pitch he did just that.

Well the joy was fleeting, as Moose gave up a run in the 5th and a dinger to Guillen in the 6th to tie the game. Detroit got another in the 7th on a Granderson triple to go ahead, and that was that. A-Rod made a nice stab of a liner with a runner on third and 1-out. He nearly turned a double play by diving to third, but Granderson just beat him there. Alex was getting booed all day at the plate, but this play earned him some cheers from the crowd, especially where we were. There was a jackass sitting in the back row of the section, yelling shit about A-Rod all day. You know, all the cliches that get spewed out by the sports radio stations and the NY papers. Shit about money. Yelling at him to dive for a foul ball. Yelling at him when he takes strike one or fouls a ball off. Even some of the fans that are generally critical of the guy were getting annoyed. So when A-Rod made that play, everyone turned around and looked at the guy in a "whaddaya got to say now" fashion. He tried to lay low, but we wouldn't let up. So he facetiously stood up and cheered for Alex. Jackass.

Both Proctor and Bruney were pretty good in relief. Proctor walked the lead-off man, which of course brought groans from the crowd. But he got the next 3 batters out. Bruney was great. Struck out the first 2 and got a ground out to himself.

There was a glimmer of hope in the 9th when Matsui singled to center. Melky came in to run, which drew some cheers from the crowd. Posada struck out fairly quickly on 4 pitches. But Cano's at bat was just torture. Strike one, looking. Then 6 foul balls before he finally flied out to left. With Damon up I was hoping that he could pull it off. But I wouldn't dare try to call another dinger. That's just tempting fate. His at bat got to be too painful to watch. Strike one, looing. Foul. Ball. Ball. Foul. Pop fly to center. Cue Liza and the mass exodus from the Stadium.

On my way to the Macombs Dam Bridge I caught a glimpse of the construction site of the new Stadium. This was the first time I actually saw some activity in the area. Usually they are done with their work for the day when game time rolls around. The game ended some time before 5:00, but it was almost 7:00 when I got home. Just in time to see the Rangers open their season. And now that game 3 is over, thank god for hockey, huh? On the marquis outside of the Stadium, they usually post the oppenent, day and time of the next home game. But all they would write this time was "GOOD LUCK YANKEES". Good luck indeed, boys.

In attendance record (post-season): 1-1

Washed Out

Best thing about tonight was that we found a spot on the street, so we didn't have to pay $26 for nothing. I called my boss once I found out that if they cancelled, the game would be played tomorrow afternoon. At first I was going to go in early to get some work done and then head up to the Stadium. But once the game was called off, I worked it out that I could do a little work from home before I head to the Bronx. Plus, he's probably going to take my extra tickets, so I don't feel as bad playing hooky with my boss being there as well.

The Bobby & Derek Show

Tuesday, October 3, 2006
ALDS Game 1
Yankees 8 Tigers 4
Subway Race Winner: D train
Cap Game: #3 (they did this in the 3rd inning rather than the 8th)



I left my office in Metuchen around 4:00 and picked up my brother's friend at my brother's house in Colonia (he drvoe up from South Jersey). My brother had to go into work for a bit. Since he works in West Patterson, he met us at my apartment in Clifton. We grabbed some beers and sandwiches and were on the road around 5:30 or so. Only took us about 20 minutes to get to the bridge so we figured we were in good shape. It was around 6:20 as we drove down the Cross Bronx. The sunset at that time, at this time of year is gorgeous. But, as we got closer to the Police Station on the corner of Jerome and River, the traffic started to back up. At first it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary, but things got worse as we made our way down River Ave. We were barely moving. Every intersection was a bottle neck, with only 1 or 2 cars getting through on each turn of the light. We weren't really nervous that the lot would fill up. It's a large deck with 3 levels. By the time we got to the light right before the deck, there were traffic cops there trying to keep everything in order (and a police tow truck taking away cars parked on the the street, including a volunteer fire truck from Farmingdale). We finally got into the deck around 7:15, nearly an hour after we got over the bridge. At that point, they opened the bottom half of the deck that's usually reserved for handicap parking open. There was a couple guys instructing people on where to park. Luckily my brother has a little car and the parking attendant had him back in perpendicular to the last car in one of the rows. Not long after we got through, they closed the deck. We figured that it was a good omen that we were so lucky to get a spot.

We downed our sandwiches and each had a beer and made our way to the Stadium. While my brother and I sat in my usual seats in the bleacher, his friend could only get a single ticket in the upper deck, just inside the left field foul pole. We tried to call him throughout the game, but the sounds from the PA between innings prevented any sort of conversation. We got their just in time for the Yankee introductions. Donnie, Bernie and Melky got the biggest applause. The Yanks had their usual military laden national anthem ceremonies, complete with the giant flag in center. After the anthem, 2 jets flew overhead.

As for the game, Wang wasn't as sharp as he had been much of the season, but he did enough for the win. He had one bad inning, giving up 3 runs. But other than that, he was able to pitch himself out of some jams. And the offense, well, what can you say? Bobby had 2 hits, 1 run, 4 RBI. Jeter, 5 hits, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 1HR. Abreu's 4 RBI came in new identical situations. Damon gets on. Jeter doubles. Abreu knocks both of them home. Of course it wasn't just Abreu and Jeter that did all the work. Giambi got on base all 4 times he was up. 2 HBP, 1 BB, and 1 high fly ball that just cleared the fence for a 2-run homer. A-Rod had a single and could've had 2 more hits. He was robbed by Polanco in the second. And in the 7th he roped a liner right to Ordonez. Every starter except for Matsui and Cano had at least 1 hit. And how about the picks that Sheff made at first? That double play to end the 3rd was just awesome. Jeter made a nice snag, perfect throw to Cano at second, who then fired to first, where Sheff nearly did a split to snag the throw just in time.

The bullpen was a bit shaky, but only Meyers gave up a run (a homer to Granderson). However, Proctor and Farnsworth gave the crowd some agita. There was A LOT of bitching about the relievers by some of the fans near me. But from the rest of the conversations I heard, I don't think those people watched very many games during the regular season. That's the problem with the playoff crowds. You get a lot of casual fans (who can even pronounce the name Guillen) that just don't appreciate what those guys have done all season. Yeah, Meyers giving up the homer wasn't a good thing, but they still had a 3-run lead at that point. And Proctor and Farns let some runners on base. But they got out of it unscathed. Look, people are gonna screw up sometimes. That's baseball. Runners are gonna get on base. Christ, it seemed Wetteland used to put runners on all the time before recording his saves. But, I'm not gonna get all worked up about it until those runners score and the lead is blown. There's enough anxiety at these games as it is. As for Mo. He was Mo. Pop out. Bloop single. Double play to end the game.

Stupid comments aside, the crowd was rocking. High fives and fist pumps everywhere. Oh, and Ronan Tynan was back at the Stadium to sing God Bless America. He sang it a little faster than usual. Wonder if MLB said something to the Yanks about that. The entire crowd sang along. It just gives you goose bumps to hear that.

Well, it's now 3am. This post-season is going be draining. But, that's a good thing. Hopefully by the end of October I'll be catatonic.

In attendance record (post-season): 1-0

Second Annual Bernie Williams Appreciation Day

Sunday, October 1, 2006
Home Game 81
Blue Jays 7 Yankees 5
Subway Race Winner: WW
Cap Game: #1



It wasn't as dramatic as last year's love-fest due to the fact that Bernie was manager for the day. But fans still showed him some love throughout the afternoon. Once again, players and coaches recorded messages thanking fans for their support throughout the season. Bernie, of course, got the loudest applause when he appeared on the Diamond Vision. He was also included in roll call. This time he was a little quicker to the top step, as opposed to Opening Day, when he had to be coaxed out of the dugout. We were wondering if he would put himself into the game. But I guess Torre made that decision for him. In the 9th, I could see him in the dugout, reaching for a batting helmet. When Nieves came to bat with 1 out, Bernie popped out of the dugout and the crowd started to cheer. Poor Will. Don't think anyone was even watching his at bat. We just wanted Bernie to get to the plate. After Nieves struck out and Bernie made his way to the plate, everyone rose to their feet. The place went nuts when he hit that double, which on the Encore looked playable, but Wells and Rios miscommunicated or something. But that didn't matter. Posada got the ball back to keep it for Bernie in case this was, in fact his last hit at the Stadium as a Yankee. I like to think that if the Yanks win it all, he'll retire and go out on top.

I was hoping that Wright would have a better showing. But I still feel like he's going to do something special in the post-season. Same thing for Farnsworth, although I'm less sure about his post-season showing. Overall, I have a good feeling about this year. Which may be a good thing, since I had a bad hunch about last year.

Random Notes
– One of the times Cano came to bat, my brother made a remark that he has gone down a couple notches in his book because he was coming to the plate to a Justin Timberlake song. I told my brother that he himself had gone down a couple notches to me because he actually knew that it was a Justin Timberlake song.

– Don't think I'll be sleeping much Monday night or getting much work done on Tuesday. This time of year is like Christmas, 'cept better.

Final in attendance record (regular season)
Overall: 32-22
Home: 32-19
Road: 0-3 (ouch)
Winning percentage: .593

Not quite as good as last year. But I didn't go to as many games. I'm going to attempt to work out some splits at some point.