August 12, 2010

Well, for once (maybe twice, this season) I have to agree with the hated Michael Kay: last night’s Yankees/Rangers game really was a nail-biter. I am down to the quick on the middle and ring fingers of my right hand after that one. And if this quick two-game series was indeed a playoff preview, then bring it on!
We went up against them missing Tex for both games. He was back in Connecticut with his wife for the birth of their third child. Now, as a person, I suppose I am all for this newer, kindler MLB; the MLBPA got bereavement time off for their players, now it looks like paternity leave should follow soon thereafter. But normally missing your very hot third-place hitter would be unacceptable to me and, fer chrissakes, it was their third kid; you’d think the bloom would be off that rose. That said, Girardi sure did push the right button, substituting Marcus Thames in the three-hole – 5 hits including the game winner last night hopefully had Tex sleeping better at home despite the newborn…
But knocking out Cliff Lee and beating the Rangers in a game that they expected to have, probably has Ron Washington more than a little worried (and I guess I have to say: I sure hope the painful loss didn’t lead him back to the ya-yo) especially since we did it with a depleted bench and our fifth starter. Javi didn’t get the win; Kerry Wood picked that up for two, scoreless innings. And Mo showed the heart of the Ranger lineup how hard he is to face when a save is on the line.
And personally, I was reminded again, just why Yankee fans stay ‘til the end: worked out great for me during that Sunday night contest out at Chavez Ravine and again yesterday. Wasn’t watching live last night (actually had a training session for recording to the blind & dyslexic (www.rfbd.com, if you’re interested, too) and I must admit, when the Yankees were down 6-1 to Lee and it was getting later and I was getting tired, I seriously considered going to bed. But Thames and company saw fit to make it worth staying up past my bedtime for that great game.
And while I am trumpeting the Yankees, I’d like to point out how good for the game of baseball the travelling team from the Bronx actually is. They were just in Tampa (Yankee Stadium South) for three games. What’s the big deal? Well, it was the first time all season the Rays sold out three games in a row. Coincidence? How about this then: the Rangers had their biggest two-game attendance in the history of their ballclub with the Yanks in. This is a combination of Yankee fans being loyal and dedicated and seeing the team on the road as well as fans in other cities wanting to spend their hard-earned dollars on seeing the World Champions, seeing the stars and seeing the game played the way it is supposed to be played…
Following up on the Tigers announcer bit from yesterday, their color man is former Tiger player, Rod Allen, who I can’t say I recall well at all…
Last bit today comes via the Chicago Cubs telecasts. I don’t think this is a WGN thing; I think it’s more a Fox Sports angle, but whoever directs those telecasts likes to have his cameramen, especially on those hot Mid-West day games, settle the camera on some lovely females in attendance. Now, I am not complaining and again, I can’t give you which announcer said this, but it was classic. The camera is on a very pretty, well-endowed woman as the announcer starts to talk, “Big,” he said as I was thinking something along the same curvaceous lines, “game tomorrow,” he finished up as they cut back to the action…