DRAWING on OBSERVATIONS

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Heavy rains interrupted Sabathia’s bid for a no no last night. After two delays CC took the a perfect game into the seventh inning before giving up a single to Brendan Ryan with one out. He managed to strike out 14 in the one hit masterpiece.

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Derek Jeter becomes the first New York Yankee to tally 3,000 hits.

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They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad
They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad
Wednesday’s worse, and Thursday’s also sad

Song of the Day
one more time
keep it goin
and finally the incomparable Etta James

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Animal Kingdom, winner of the Kentucky Derby, looks to the second leg of the triple crown, The Preakness Stakes.

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On the subject of thoroughbreds: While fans debate if the Yanks should send Jeter to the glue factory, Derek hit two home runs in yesterday’s 12-5 win over Texas.

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The evening started with a clear sky, a full moon and CC putting himself in a hole by giving up a 2 run homer in the first. But, 2 run homers from Granderson and Martin, a solo shot from Cano, a little rain, some lightning, a little snow, the game winning RBI by Eric Chavez and Mariano in the ninth, made for a beautiful evening at Yankee Stadium. Thanks Dan for the Tickets and John and Maisie for joining Donna and I.

Too bad about the Knicks. Ouch!

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With 3,000 looming Jeter is off to a slow start.

Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun

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Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it’s all right
It’s all right

by George Harrison from The Beatles 1969 album Abbey Road

Today is opening day at Yankee Stadium.

We won’t see much “sun” and whether things are “all right” in the Bronx will depend on pitching. With all the stars in the line up, I’m keeping my eye on AJ.

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Enjoy the baseball.

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At 38 years old the veteran left hander was the model of efficiency last night. He threw 88 pitches, giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs. He walked 1 and struck out 4 in his 7 innings of work. While it wasn’t a no hitter, it was good enough to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the division series with Minnesota.

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After 162 games, October baseball starts tomorrow.

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Even in death, George is larger than life and still inspiring controversy. Many fans were taken aback by the size of George’s plaque installed in monument park before Monday nights game. The 7 foot wide, 5 foot tall plaque dwarfs the monuments honoring Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Roger Maris and other Yankee greats.

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Ivan Nova has been in the Yankees minor league system for the past six years having signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004. In his first two starts in the majors the 23 year old has given the Yanks a badly needed shot of adrenaline, going 2-0.

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It’s well documented that Lou Gehrig suffered many concussions playing ball. Now a study shows that brain trauma can mimic ALS or Lou Grehrig’s Disease.

See todays NYT article.

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As a fan I appreciated George’s drive to win, but I didn’t have to work for him

Harvey Green, a former Yankee PR guy, suffered the wrath of George many times having been fired by him on four occasions. Of his years with the Yankees he said “The phone would ring in the middle of the night and you knew it was either Mr. Steinbrenner or an illness in the family. After a while, you started to root for an illness in the family.”

George hired and fired Billy Martin five times.

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George Steinbrenner had to be the best at everything. When he was mean and insensitive, he was the meanest, most insensitive. When he made stupid baseball decisions, they seemed the stupidest. But when he bought a baseball team, he bought the best, got the best deal and always wanted to put the best team on the field. As a Yankee fan, I thank him for that.

RIP Mr. Steinbrenner

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Baseball, green grass, pinstripes, peanuts, cold beer, and Bob Sheppard… I can’t think of one without thinking of the others. For more than half a century he was the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium. It was his deliberate, precise voice that welcomed you to the stadium and announced your favorite players coming to bat. Always the position, jersey number, name and finally repeating the number. He was an original.

RIP Mr. Sheppard. He was 99.

Watch HERE

and HERE

Over at the brilliant Alex Belth’s Bronx Banter, Yankee Stadium weekend organist Ed Alstrom remembers the great Bob Sheppard. Click HERE

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Okay, so the Yanks wasted an early lead, allowing Boston to steal the opener. There’s 161 more games, 17 against the rival Red Sox, and I’m stoked that spring is finally here.

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Hideki Matsui had six RBI’s and was the World Series MVP, big game pitcher, Andy Pettitte came up big again on 3 days rest and the New York Yankees captured their 27th World Championship at Yankee Stadium last night!

A medley of previously posted doodles

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AJ Burnett was masterful last night outlasting a very sharp Pedro Martinez to tie the Series at one game a piece. Hideki Matsui caught up with Martinez in the sixth with a go-ahead solo home run.

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Alex proved he belongs, CC won the most valuable player, but last night it was Andy Pettitte that brought his big game resolve to the mound and nailed down the sixth game of the ALCS to send the Yankees to the World Series to face the Phillies.

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A-Rod broke out of his post season slump with a great series against the Minnesota Twins. Last night he hit a game tying home run in the seventh inning to help the Yanks sweep the Twins 3 games to none. In the series Rodriguez contributed in each of the three games, hitting .455 (5 for 11) with three runs, two homers, six RBIs, and set a personal record for most runs knocked in during a post season series.

The Yankees will play the Los Angeles Angels (who swept Boston) in the A.L.C.S for the right to go to the World Series.

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In a big situation, in a lineup with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada, Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, and Robinson Cano, bad wheels and all, there’s no batter I have more faith in than Hideki Matsui. Yesterday, big game pitcher Andy Pettitte got the win, certain hall of famer, Mariano Rivera got the save, but with the Yankees down by one in the sixth inning, it was Matsui that delivered the two run, game winning single to clinch the Yankees 1ooth victory as well as the American League East Championship and home field advantage through out the playoffs. With Matsui’s contract set to expire at the end of the season and his penchant for injuries, this may be his last season in pinstripes, but if I were Brian Cashman I’d want Hideki in my lineup.

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Thirty years ago today New York Yankee catcher Thurman Munson was killed in a private plane accident. On a team with Reggie Jackson, Lou Piniella, Graig Nettles, Cris Chambliss, Bobby Murcer, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter, Tommy John, and Jim Kaat, they called Thurman Munson the Captain. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1970 and was the corner stone on which a great Yankee team was built. Munson led them to three consecutive World Series Championships 1976-78 . In the 1976 World Series he batted .529 and had a combined World Series batting average of .373. He was 32 years old.

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The Yankees opened a new Stadium on Thursday. The house that Ruth built now stands empty across the street as the current crop of Yankees hope to build a winning tradition in their new digs. It was fitting that perhaps the greatest closer/relief pitcher of all time, Mariano Rivera, recorded the first ever save at the new stadium on Friday April 17th.

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“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again.”
James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams

Spring training is here!

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Recession…what recession? Yanks sign Sabathia to a seven year 161 million dollar contract….That’ll buy a lotta knish!

Carsten Charles Sabathia is a big, hard throwing left handed pitcher. He spent his first seven years in the majors with the Cleavland Indians before having a cup of coffee with the Brewers. CC was the recipient of the 2007 American League Cy Young Award given to the best pitcher in baseball. He has 117 career wins, against 73 losses and a 3.66 career ERA.

Welcome to the Bronx CC.

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Rich (Goose) Gossage was inducted into Baseballs Hall of Fame yesterday. Goose was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1970. After five seasons with Chicago and a cup of coffee with the Pirates, the hard throwing reliever came to the Yankees in 1978. As a relief pitcher, he helped define the modern day closer, pitching the final out to clinch a Division, League or World Series title seven times. The Yankees, with the help of Goose, pioneered the set-up/closer configuration that every major league team has used since. He was … Continue Reading

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I grew up a Yankee fan, as was my dad before me, so it seems like I knew Bobby Murcer. He signed with the yanks in 1964, was called up in 65 to play shortstop, served in the military from 67-68, became a regular in 69 as an outfielder, was a five time All Star, had the second highest batting average in 1971 batting .331. a gold glove winner and fifth in MVP voting in 72. He was traded away to SF for Bobby Bonds and also played for the Cubs, … Continue Reading

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Last night my brother Dan asked me to a Yankee game. We had great field level seats, about half way down the first base line. Andy Pettitte was on the mound, but after taking the lead in the first inning, Jeter and the boys sleep walked the rest of the way to a 6 to 2 loss against the Detroit Tigers.