Welcome back, “Sweet” Lou

God only knows how late Yankee owner, George M. Steinbrenner, would feel about the team’s off-season moves, but I’d like to think that The Boss would have given the news that Lou Piniella had returned to the fold the thumbs up. “Sweet Lou” – nicknamed for both his great swing and sarcastically for his fiery on-field persona – who was part of the Bronx Zoo teams that took home the World Series trophies in 1977-78, was brought back to work in the YES television booth this year.

Having had the pleasure of hearing him talk about the game this winter during Spring Training games, I was very happy to hear his voice the last few nights doing the games versus the White Sox. Teamed with Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill, who Piniella managed back in Cincinnati, Lou is a real, old school baseball man and has a lot to offer a broadcast. In the Bronx for Old Timer’s Day (Sunday), Piniella is making his mark in the booth; his banter with O’Neill is some priceless stuff; his insight on hitting, as well as managing, really make him a great addition even if we only get him here and there (I suspect “there” will be his own territory of Tampa)—enjoy it while you can.

For you younger Yankee fans, who maybe only know Sweet Lou as the grumpy manager of the Cubs, picture a guy who was a cross between Nick Swisher and the aforementioned Paul O’Neill. Piniella was a righthanded-hitting corner outfielder and DH who the Yankees and GM Gabe Paul “stole” from the Royals for Lindy McDaniel following the 1973 season. Lou, who was Rookie of the Year in 1969 and actually the very first batter to appear for the new Kansas City team, was about as solid a player as you could find. He was the very first batter I can recall who had been described as sometimes, “throwing the bat at the ball.” When Piniella did it, it often resulted in a base hit.

A lifetime .291 hitter, Piniella hit .330 and .314 respectively in those championship years of 1977-78. Occasionally overlooked in significance to the Bucky Dent three-run homer in Fenway Park on October 2, 1978, Piniella made the most important defensive “play” in that historical one-game playoff. With Bosox shortstop, Rick Burleson, on first base, diminutive secondbaseman, Jerry Remy, hit a line-drive to right. An afternoon game and the sun field left Piniella blinded – he didn’t see the ball coming – but Lou pounded his glove as if he had a bead on it, freezing Burleson. When the ball dropped in front of Number 14, he was able to stick his glove out and snare it—keeping Burleson to second. And yes, while the laws of predictable outcomes can never be assured, the long fly that Jim Rice hit next surely would have scored the tying run as a sacrifice fly. Following Piniella’s heads up play, it was just a can of corn.

Most likely the only guy to play, manage, perform the duties of General Manager and now (again) broadcaster for the New York Yankees, he is also a tie to some additional great Yankee history. Not only did he play for famed manager Billy Martin, he even replaced him as skipper in 1988. Piniella, much like Billy, was famed for his eruptions at umpires; I am sure YouTube can probably bring some of his fiery tirades to your screen.

Known to be outspoken, I would have a little trepidation in regard to his job security in the YES booth, but I have a hope, even if it may be ancient history, but the new Bosses may be predisposed in their affection for Sweet Lou. I vividly recall this as a kid as I was collecting the Yankee/Burger King baseball cards that were issued in 1978, but I am going to let Piniella’s former teammate, Sparky Lyle, tell you this anecdote. This comes from what is in my opinion the best baseball book ever, “The Bronx Zoo:”

"George loves Lou and hates it when he doesn't play. Lou is also George's son's idol. Last year when Burger King put out a set of baseball cards with the pictures of the Yankee players on them, they forgot to include Piniella, and George called them up, reamed their ass, and made them print a special Piniella card to add to the set."
 

Welcome home Sweet Lou and keep up the great work on the TV broadcasts. I am looking forward to another summer with you back finally as part of the greatest franchise in sports history.

Yesterday, despite winning their 5th game in a row, was a bad, bad day in Yankee world. Announced prior to first pitch, CC Sabathia is headed to the 15-day DL with an adductor strain; call it a groin pull if you wish. It's not severe or even very serious -- Yankee brass said had this been September and not June -- he'd pitch through it, but as it stands the rotation will be without its #1.

That was compounded when the Yanks #2 starter -- and the other lefty -- Andy Pettitte took a line drive off his leg that fractured his fibbula during his start yesterday. Reports have Pettitte out four to six weeks, but with a forty year old who really knows the time table. The Yanks have the best record in MLB and a pretty decent lead in the AL-East, but this could set off something approaching panic.

For now, Freddy Garcia, who got the win in relief yesterday, will get some starts; Adam Warren is coming up from AAA to take Pettitte's place in the rotation. But with the trade deadline looming in a month, one has to know that GM Brian Cashman will be hearing from the GMs of clubs already out of contention offering up the likes of Matt Garza, Wandy Rodriguez, Ryan Dempster and Francisco Liriano and while a number of them are seemingly an upgrade over the tandem of Garcia/Warren, one hopes Cash doesn't actually panic and make a trade that doesn't help out in the long run.

Dodgers without Kemp/Ethier simply can't hit. Playing six games in the East Bay they scored a total of two runs. The Giants wrapped up a sweep last night, having shut out their division rivals three games in a row. That hadn't happened in the 123 years the two teams have been playing each other. The win also vaulted San Fran into a tie for 1st place with LA.


As for Rose stuff, I've ordered some promo biz-cards that I will start scattering around the Twin Cities; hopefully setting up some signings/sellings soon. As for now, just looking for ways to beat the heat. It was 91 when I biked home at 10pm last night. For me it's probably a movie, but if I were you, I'd go here: https://www.createspace.com/3527985 and get a copy of "Rose" for some summer reading.

Thanks,
Brian

Yup, another pure baseball blog today. This is my rant of an open letter to Yankee catcher, Russell Martin that will appear on Bronx Baseball Daily tomorrow. Next week I will get back to some other stuff and mention my book again. But until then:

J’accuse Russell Martin

Yes, I am aware that Chris Barca ranted about the Yankee catcher only a month ago on this site, but it’s time for another. Maybe this open letter – in a language he understands – may get the point out, but Russell Martin is becoming something of a black-hole at the backstop position. He needs to let his bat and his glove do the talking, but instead we are getting something of the weirdest season from a Yankee catcher than I can ever think of.

Listen: it was great during the winter when you came out and said you hate the Red Sox. We hate them, too; we get it, although not much of what we say can potentially come back as clubhouse bulletin board material. That you then later backed off the quote made you look more Swiss than Canadian. And yes, it’s great that you tweet in French, that you honored your mother’s family by including the “J.” on the back of your Dodger uniform although none of my friends in Los Angeles knew what it was for. But you’re a Yankee now – and apparently you sort of want to stay one – and we don’t put our names on our backs. Get it?

Want to figure out a new way to impress your mom? How about hitting more consistently? It was nice to see you finally crawl off the Inter-State and get your batting average up over the Mendoza-line finally, but what have you done for us lately? Weakly hit grounders that are tailor-made double plays. You said, “I’m starting to feel dangerous at the plate,” a couple of weeks ago; little did we know at the time that you meant dangerous to Yankee rallies.

When Girardi even tried to bat your predecessor, Jorge Posada, ninth (that’s last here in the American League) it caused a major eruption. The skipper bats you last and you don’t even bat an eyelash although it probably doesn’t matter: even if you did bat one, you’d probably swing and miss.

Perhaps you need a muzzle behind your mask. Seriously, what were you thinking calling out umpire Lars Diaz? Do you honestly think telling the newspapers that the home plate umpire is a dick is going to get your pitcher more strikes? Shut up and play the game, J. Martin; you sound like a whiny six-year old who didn’t get his nap when you tell the world that the umpire wouldn’t let you throw the ball back to the pitcher.

Of course you want to follow in the line of great New York Yankee catchers. Who wouldn’t want to be mentioned in the same sentence as Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson and Jorge Posada? You see how I left your name out of that sentence? Running your mouth and not even hitting your weight (with what I see as only occasional pop from your bat) is not going to get you that long-term contract you were seeking this winter. You’re going to play yourself out of this town the same way you played your way out of Los Angeles. Last season, you had us all wondering why the Dodgers would non-tender you; now we know why. Maybe you felt safe when we traded Montero; maybe you saw sending Cervelli to AAA as a vote of confidence.

Joe Girardi came out quoted giving you some credit for the starting pitchers turning it around, but unlike him and your mom, I don’t have to find something nice to say. With a big mouthful of a name like Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr. you must think you’re a real New York kind of guy. Why don’t you shut your mouth, start playing or, if I had my druthers, you could be banished to battery-mates with AJ Burnett out in Pittsburgh.

Making History: Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez

Last season both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez would have to admit that they were pressing to reach personal milestones. More or less guaranteeing Hall of Fame induction reaching 3000 hits for the Captain and 600 homeruns for A-Rod, were marks that put player over team and in both instances, we wanted them to get it and then move on. There was a palpable sense of relief when the numbers were notched.

But in 2012, this tandem of teammates, Jeter and A-Rod, are making history nearly nightly. As Yankee fans we are being treated to a season where one, or both of them, are surpassing some of the greatest names and greatest players in the long and storied history of both Major League baseball and the New York Yankees franchise and we should expect more of the same in 2013.

Since surpassing the vaunted 3K last season in an impressive way – we won’t forget the homer off David Price that was part of Jeter’s five-for-five day – the number of Hall of Famers he has put in his rearview mirror is quite impressive; it reads like a roll call of some of the game’s great hitters. Passing legendary Yankee Dave Winfield got the ball rolling for Derek this season. Since then Jeter has left Tony Gwynn, Robin Yount, Paul Waner and, finally, George Brett behind him.

Before this season is done, the Yankee Captain can be expected to move past Cal Ripken, Nap LaJoie, Eddie Murray and Willie Mays which would place him eleventh all-time. Staying healthy and productive through the 2013 season should potentially vault Jeter to sixth all-time, passing by the likes of Eddie Collins, Paul Molitor, Carl Yastrzemski, Honus Wagner and Cap Anson. The aforementioned Cal Ripken is of the belief that Derek Jeter will reach the rare air of 4000 hits – and potentially challenge the all-time mark set by Pete Rose.

This past week, Alex Rodriguez hit his twenty-third grand slam. What’s significant about that number? Oh, it just tied the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, for the all-time record for long balls with the sacks juiced. One has to suspect that that particular record, long held by a Yankee, will continue that way when A-Rod finally hangs ‘em up.

That homerun, A-Rod’s 639^th of his career total, inches him closer to catching Willie Mays at 660 which is good for fourth all-time. Having passed Ken Griffey, Jr. earlier this season for fifth place, Rodriguez may not catch the Say Hey Kid this season, but he really should in 2013. Just for good measure, Alex will get his 3000^th hit next season as well. I was totally remiss in doing the research on how A-Rod is moving up the all-time RBI leaders, but you should check that out as well.

Both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are students and fans of the game. It’s probably hard to ignore the milestones when they go up on the big scoreboard; you know both players would tell you none of the personal marks mean that much unless the team is winning. But right now, the team is doing that very thing so it gives us a little extra opportunity to enjoy watching history being made in the Bronx. As a fan, I sort of wish that Jeter and A-Rod were as close of friends as they were earlier in their careers and could keep pushing and encouraging each other, but it’s still an amazing part of the 2012 season watching the teammates make and break baseball history.

BEN NICHOLS at 7^th Street Entry June 10

“You can’t choose your family,” drawled Ben Nichols part way through his sold-out, jam-packed Sunday night gig, “…can’t choose your fans.” Normally, seeing the lead singer of a favorite band playing solo/acoustic is one of those shows you’ll take, but you’re really wishing it was the real thing. But if you read my (mostly) positive review on this site from April when Ben had the entire Lucero outfit backing him up at First Ave., you know I am more a fan of the older, sadder songs.

But what Ben does solo is to take even the bigger material from the two more recent albums, 1372 Overton Park and Women & Work and strips them down, pours whiskey down their throats and finds the sad in each and every one. Much in the same way the full band doesn’t work from a set-list, neither did Ben, which lead to a lot of give and take with the exuberant audience. “Not gonna happen,” was his reply to many a request, but if anyone left this show unsatisfied, well, you can’t pick you audience.

Complaining of kidneys trying to push their way out of his back, Nichols drowned his own personal misery in the whiskey the fans up front kept handing his way. At one point, Nichols took a hand off his guitar to raise a toast with a fresh drink and had to ask if it was a quadruple. Yeah, it was that kind of night; later he had to pause in his great cover of “If Only You Were Lonely” to tell us that he had just thrown up in his mouth a little. I’m not saying Ben Nichols is at his best when he’s going to be doing pull-ups on the toilet bowl later, but…

Nichols was in Minneapolis to play a benefit for the St. Jude’s Children’s hospital (the night before at Grumpy’s) but he added this one-off for fun. He succeeded. Toward the end of the night, Ben hefted up the liter bottle of Jameson (which you just have to assume is the lead bullet point on his contract rider) and auctioned it off for St. Jude’s. Knowing he was probably breaking MN blue laws at the time, it suddenly didn’t matter much anymore when a fan in the crowd paid $300 for the bottle; Ben Nichols was truly touched by the generosity, although I was wondering who the hell has three bills left in their wallet at the end of a Ben Nichols or Lucero show. One of the best rock ‘n roll nights I’ve had in some time.

And then yesterday, my worlds combined: I haven't been watching/reporting on as much baseball as I usually do because I've been in a VA Hospital room with my dear friend, David. And then, lo and behold, baseball came to us. Okay, I wasn't there because I had come down with something of a cold and couldn't be in close proximity to the man recovering in the bed. And even if I can't recognize anyone other than David & his wonderful wife, Margit except for Twins manager, Ron Gardenhire (back/right) and team mascot, TC (front/left) I did vow that I will no longer refer to the Minneapolis professional baseball club as "the twinkies."

Let's see how long that lasts...

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are leaving their brooms in the closet and are steam-rolling the NL East this week. The Yanks swept the cross-town "rival" Mets out of the Bronx over the weekend with some comeback muscle. They took the second of three last night down in Atlanta, coming back from four down in the eighth on the bat of A-Rod who hit his 23rd career grand-slam. The bases-clearing long ball tied Lou Gehrig for top of the list - all-time - and tied the score at four. Two batters later, Swish also went yard. CC got the win, the pen nailed it down with Soriano getting his tenth save of the season filling in for Mo - it was also the 100th career save for Sori.

And despite how poorly this season has seemed to be going for the Yanks, they now have the best record in the AL and are in first alone atop the division for the first time since April. Let's hope they're there to stay.

Okay, that's it for today. Although I am going to once again, leave you with a moment of baseball Zen. This video that was posted on the YES site yesterday is freaking brilliant even if it's still too soon for bosox fans. Kenyan kids re-enact the Bill Buckner play from the 1986 World Series. WOW!

http://web.yesnetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120612&content_id=33164494&oid=0

Thanks,
Brian

Sorry for the absence of new material last week; spending quite of a bit of my time with a friend in the hospital. Hoping to change both of those scenarios this week. Below is my piece for Bronx Baseball Daily; if you read it there already, apologies for the repeat...

Thanks,

B.

Thurman Munson would have been sixty-five years old this week. He should be showing up to Old Timer’s Day with the requisite paunch and the for-the-fans mutton chops still in place – frozen from the 1970s – laughing behind the batting cage with Sparky and Bucky, burying the hatchet with Reggie “Not the Straw that Stirs the Drink” Jackson. The number fifteen would still be retired, the monument erected out behind the centerfield wall, but not posthumously.

Baseball, really more than any other professional sport, teaches its fans a great life lesson: you can’t win them all. A team can lose sixty games in a season and it would be regarded as a great season; a hitter can fail seventy percent of the time and still make the Hall of Fame. His career cut short, Thurman Munson is not enshrined in baseball’s great museum, but his plaque is etched in the minds of those Yankee fans who got to see him play the game: always the right way and always hard.

His gruff manner belied the heart of a gentleman; when he was dying in the plane crash that took his life his final words to his companions were to ask if they were okay. His defiant stance was embodied in the beard that he wore beneath the tools of ignorance despite being against George Steinbrenner’s team policies toward player appearance.

Speaking of “The Boss,” one has to imagine that the Captain would have worn out his welcome at some point. The banishments of the stars of those great, Bronx Zoo-era teams such as Graig Nettles and Goose Gossage probably would have reached Munson, too. But just as clear is the eventual return of the prodigal son to the pinstripes. Munson as the Yankee manager doesn’t seem so farfetched as we see a string of catchers becoming prized skippers.

Thurman Munson, like many icons, went out in his prime. Bringing up the likes of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe does not feel like a stretch. The generation before mine know where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot; Yankee fans who grew up in the 1970s, like me, remember vividly the events of August 2, 1979.

Last year on that day as I blogged about my experiences and remembrances of that fateful day, the kid with whom I had been playing Wiffleball (and with whom I hadn’t spoken it in about thirty years) somehow came across my blog and commented that he had been telling his friends about that day and our interrupted Whiffleball game.

I can still see Thurman, his stocky body clad in Yankee pinstripes, the only uniform he would wear, the baseball clutched in his right hand showing the umpire that he held on after a violent collision at home plate: the very picture of what we are talking about when we mention Yankee pride. Yeah, Thurman Munson would have been an old man – officially – this week; AARP and all, but to those of fortunate to see him play, he still embodies everything that is great about baseball and the New York Yankees.

Back in the old days of inventing and self-publishing there was probably no fear greater than those boxes filling the garage, attic and spare rooms of your house. Boxes upon boxes of unnecessary doohickeys or overwrought memoirs. Now, in the days of print-on-demand, the chances of being killed by the avalanche of your own, bound words is less likely.

That said, I have now have in my possession fifty freaking copies of "A Rose by Any Other Name: An Alphabet of Tales About a Man and a Woman." I suppose I will start carrying around a few copies; the book release party that I have been threatening, now can occur, I supposes...

And if you would like a copy, I can make like Pete Rose and sign just about anything you would like inside it. "I'm sorry I bet on baseball?" Sure thing. $14 plus shipping if I can't hand it off to you. Drop me a line if you would like one; they are cheaper by the dozen...

May was a pretty bad month for selling via Amazon, Kindle and CreateSpace https://www.createspace.com/3527985 but I was also rather busy (as I still am, helping out some dear friends which has kept me from being the scourge of the internet self-publishing message boards and like).

But it's June and Rose makes a great graduation or Father's Day present; the June Bride in your life would adore it too. I'm available for readings as well as performing weddings so maybe we can kill two birds with one book...

Cheers
Brian

In Praise of Raul Ibanez

The list of New York Yankee players who have surpassed expectations during the 2012 season to date clearly starts with the Captain – Derek Jeter – and then there’s Raul Ibanez (why did I want to write: “And then there’s Maude?”) and that’s about it. Having already written a piece in praise of the aforementioned shortstop, it’s about time we take a moment to single out the new DH.

Raul Ibanez was signed by Brian Cashman late in the winter for $1.1M – ten million less than he had made the previous season – to be the lefty DH and occasionally play some outfield. We knew why the player would want to come to the Bronx and why he would take that significant pay cut to do so, but fans were suspicious: we wanted a return of Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui; we wanted to finally see Vlad Guerrero sporting pinstripes. We got Ibanez and during spring training some Yankee fans were calling for his release and/or his head and not necessarily in that order.

And it was just last month where one of the writers on this very site was getting on Raul hard for his outfield play (okay- that was me) which was embarrassing; nearly as cringe-worthy as that of the aforementioned Damon. Cashman had said he signed Ibanez because he could pay some outfield; the joke being he never said he could play it well. But over the last few weeks, his defense has gotten steady; Ibanez catches all the balls he can reach and he throws to the right base. Having rotated a number of bodies in that slot trying to fill in for the injured Brett Gardner, Ibanez is now doing an adequate job in the field.

Derek Jeter, who is all of a year younger than Ibanez, was making Methuselah jokes at his new teammates’ expense already by spring. This speaks of a guy who’s good in the clubhouse, a guy who’s going to fit in to the ballclub. Raul turned forty yesterday, but he’s been swinging the bat like a guy many years his junior.

Serving as better-than-they-deserve protection for the heart of the lineup, Raul Ibanez came into play this weekend hitting a respectable .268 which is actually good enough for third best on the active roster. His nine homeruns ties him for second on the club with Tex. He has knocked in more runs than either Cano or A-Rod.  He trails only Granderson in longballs, doubles , OPS and in slugging. Raul’s so-called competition for that spot on the Yankee roster sees Damon hitting a whopping .186, Matsui .222 and Vlad Guerrero just got promoted to AAA. So at this point you have to say Cashman called the right agent.

There have yet to be too many bright spots on the Yankees this year, but Ibanez is a man clearly doing the job and exceeding expectations. His steady presence in the line-up (okay, I won’t miss seeing him in the outfield, but won’t hold my breath when he does) has definitely helped stretch the Bombers starting nine.  So, yeah, Raul Ibanez, those are not “boo’s” --  we’re “Rauuuu-ling” you.