Well, if I was going to miss one of the games out of the four versus the hated bosox this weekend, last night's game, part of the day/night twin-bill, was clearly the one to miss. Already being indulged by my weekend company, who is far better looking than say Darnell McDonald in pinstripes for the weekend, I couldn't submit her to two games in a day and the MLB television black-out rules made last night the easy choice.

A note on McDonald: he has DFA'd by the sox last week and the Yanks picked him up; some reports said just so he wouldn't clear waivers and boston could send him to Pawtucket (although it's been looking like the Yanks have been playing the sox' AAA club this weekend); there were other reports saying the Yanks were just going to keep his speedy, right-handed bat for the 4games in 3 days series against the rivals. And baseball is a business and the players mostly understand that fact, thing is-- with the Yanks personal grooming code, it meant McDonald had to lose his dreadlocks. Sometimes it sucks to be a pawn in the battle between the bosox and "The Evil Empire."

The Yanks have started each of the three games so far with a strong outburst of first inning runs having scored 5,4 and 3 runs respectively. They let the sox tie Friday night's game only to come back again and again and take the contest 10-8. Yesterday's day-dip of the double-header saw the only good starting pitching so far, as Freddy Garcia ran that lead into the 7th for the W. Garcia, who had been banished to the deepest parts of the bullpen -- he went almost two weeks without pitching, although it seemed both longer and shorter depending on whom you ask -- has stepped up since the injuries to CC and Andy and got his first win as a starting pitcher of the 2012 season.

Last night's game marred by porous defense and Phil Hughes inability to overcome it was the downfall in a 9-5 loss proving "you can't win 'em all." Tex had gotten things off to a good start with a 3-run shot in the top of the first, but it was mostly downhill from there.

In tonight's finale and the last game before the All-Star game break, it's Nova vs Lester in a good match-up; Lester normally fares well against the Yankees, but the Bombers crushed him last time so here's hoping that keeps up tonight. It's pretty damn hard to sweep a four game series especially one that contains a double-header, but a victory tonight wins the series and leaves the bosox nearly ten games out at the break in what I like to call a good start toward burying them completely.

That's what the "Rose" promotion cards I have been scattering about look like. Okay, my friend Kristin has been doing far more of the promo'ing and the scattering, but I made the cards and I stand there sheepishly as she tells cashiers and museum guards and passersby about the "famous author" in their midst and about his first book.

Yesterday was something of a break-even kind of day in regard to book sales. Yes, I did sell a copy to the museum guard (okay, full disclosure: she was a friend), but I also gave one away to another friend who is in the hospital undergoing physical therapy after breaking her back in a fall from a trapeze. I signed that latter copy chastising her for disproving the whole "descended from monkeys/swinging from trees" thing...

Cheers,
Brian