The first week of the baseball is about as skewed a sample as you can get. Most pitchers (outside of the Baltimore Orioles) are not going to end their season with ERAs over 10.00. The Giants and the Braves will do better; the bosox and the Twins (especially now after losing Scott Baker for the season) may not. Mariano Rivera will blow another save and the sky will not fall... yet.

The Yankees dropped all 3 games to the Rays despite scoring 6 runs in 2 of those games. Then they turned around and took the same brooms to the Orioles, who had been feeling good about their 3-game sweep of those aforementioned Twinkies. But the Yankee pen was taxed as the last two games went extra innings. You don't feel as tired, though, when you pull those games out.

Today is the Yanks first day off of the 2012 season as they travel to the Bronx to meet up with the Angels for opening day, tomorrow at 1pm. Kuroda gets his second start; Yankee fans get their first look at Albert Pujols. I wish I were spending my birthday there, but the computer screen will have to suffice.

I am working on a positive (but not "puff") piece on the Yankee Captain, Derek Jeter, for this Sunday's edition of BronxBaseballDaily. In the coming week, I am hoping to get a quick, interview with a friend of a friend who had been the editor of Yankee magazine back some years ago. I recall being told some pretty funny and/or juicy tales of Yankee players activity off the field, and I hope I can get him to go on the record for something juicy.

The last installment of "Turtle Power" appears in the Jerusalem Post Lite today; the next one to get the illustrated/serialized treatment is my tale of impersonating David Blaine at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. And then they will start in with some of the more chaste, less risque stories from "Rose."

And yes-- after sooooooo much hemming, hawing, excuse-making, heal-dragging and just run-of-the-mill procrastination, "A Rose by Any Other Name" is available on Kindle and sits in the devices of some people. I'm having some issues with their site and with how the material uploads, formats and becomes available for purchase. But I also think I am more than a little prejudiced against the contraption. To me: a book is something you hold in your hand.

Hoping that UPS comes early today with the proof copies of the print edition. Really looking forward to having that fly out of the nest and onto your bedside table or the back of the toilet in your bathroom. I said "back of the toilet," but... whatever.

Okay, off to the mine...

Cheers,
B.