Man plans and God laughs came to Yankee Stadium last night. Needing but 2 hits over the 3 games seemed none too taxing a job for Derek Jeter, but then the rain's came and with it 1 of those games remaining before the All-Star break and an extended road trip following that. The Yankees claim they did everything possible to get the game played during this series with the Rays (well, outside of scheduling a real double-header because, well, that would have cost them quite a bit of money and baseball is a business, y'know) but the visitors were not having it. And since this is supposed to be all for the fans, even if the Yanks had been willing to forego the receipts from a sold-out game so that they could "play two," fans holding tickets for last night's washed out contest would still be out of luck...

So today - soon as a matter of fact - The Captain gets to face David Price and it would be so good for all involved to just get it over and done with today. I still am itching to see what would happen should Jeter's 3000th hit be of the walk-off variety. I would like to think that AJ Burnett would hit him in the face with a shaving cream pie -- it would make a great ending for the doc' that is being shot about his quest -- but I don't think Jeet's had a walk-off since that new tradition started...

A-Rod may need surgery on a tear in his knee, Jeter nursing the calf (really) and Mo wanting some extra rest for his bicep soreness have all dropped out of the Mid-Season Classic which is fine by me. Cano will compete in the Homerun Derby after being asked not to last year.

Spent some time at Hidden Beach yesterday afternoon with a new friend and a large gaggle of hippies and hipsters; it's almost hard to tell the difference here: they seem to co-mingle quite a bit. I am not saying that is a bad thing... Tattoos, dreadlocks and bikinis all make fine bedfellows.

Had a conflict schedule-wise, but I will be visiting the Windy City next weekend for the first time ever. I once had a ticket to visit a friend there, but had to cancel at the last minute. The Ranger training on Sunday is the reason I am going and will also permit me to "write off" the whole trip. That's my excuse and I am sticking with it... I'm hoping that a few friends from here make the road trip with me.

Okay, it's time to get the hotdogs grilling: first pitch is in about 10 minutes. Here's hoping Derek Jeter becomes the 28th baseball player - and the first Yankee - to reach the magical plateau of 3000 hits TODAY!

Brian