Mo May Be Neo

The Good

After 15 years, we may finally have figured out the secret to Mariano's long run of success. Based on the play he made to end the game, jumping over a bat fragment all the while reaching down to field the ball, Mo must be Neo from the Matrix. I must say, he was totally miscast in the movie. Oh, and the Yankees won the game or something.

The Bad

What's with all the late inning runs against Cleveland. We can't hit their starters save literally? WTF?

The Ugly

Teixeira's 3 run home run with 2 outs in the seventh was the difference in the game. Teixeira had the ball retrieved by Yankee Stadium staff. He then grabbed a sharpie and wrote, "Hey Masterson, nice effort today. Wasted. Wasted effort today. Your friend, Marky T" on the ball. He then had it sent to the visiting clubhouse.

Winners Hit Home Runs and Enter Raffles

Thanks to Mark Teixeira, the children will be getting another $2 from RJG. Remember that you can still sign up for the CHF sponsored raffle. If you're a winner that is.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 10hr = $20
Swisher 9hr = $18
Jeter 5hr = $10
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 8hr = $16
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $110

Indians Beat the Yanks, 'Cause It's Poetic Justice

The Good

Cleveland pitcher David Huff got a standing ovation from the crowd at Yankee Stadium. Bet he wasn't expecting that coming into yesterday's game. We put up eleven runs. That's also worth mentioning. No players were attacked by ninjas, or bears. That should count for something.

The Bad

Sabathia was pretty bad. Five earned runs in 6 innings? That's like, 1 run an inning. He spent half the game shaking off his former favorite catcher in the whole wide world, Francisco Cervelli. I for one am taking Cervelli's side on this one, since Cervelli drove in runs for our team, while Sabathia only drove in runs for theirs.

The Ugly

Our bullpen belongs in 'The Horrendous' section. But we don't have one so 'Ugly' will have to suffice. Robertson, Mitre, and Joba combined to pitch less than one inning and allow seven runs. Wow.

The Sheer Lack of Love for Children

You know, we try to be good people. Pay our taxes. Most of them anyway. Give to charity. But we can't do this alone. The Yankees hit no home runs yesterday, which means no money for the CHF. Thanks a lot Yankees. I hope you're real proud of yourselves.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 10hr = $20
Swisher 9hr = $18
Jeter 5hr = $10
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $108

Yanks Beat the Indians, 'Cause They're Racist Like That

The Good

Phil Hughes remembered how to pitch, going seven strong innings. Curtis Granderson remembered how to run. Cano went 3-4 from the clean-up spot. As best I can tell from today's coverage, he was awarded the batting title and silver slugger for 2010 after the game. Teixeira continues to play stellar defense. Also, Nick Swisher got engaged. Sorry ladies.

The Bad

Yankees beating Indians? This is the most offensive match up baseball can conjure up. Somebody's getting sued.

The Ugly

In the fourth inning, Chad Moeller called for a cutter but Hughes shook him off. For his next sign, Moeller just gave Hughes the finger. A single tear rolled down Hughes's cheek. He never shook Moeller off the rest of the game, but the lewd gesture continued to shake him. So sad.

By The Power of Greyskull!

Swisher gave the Yanks the lead with a two-run shot in the second. Cano hit a grand slam in the seventh. "I didn't really need to hit a grand slam," Cano recounted after the game. "But I did anyway. You know, just to be mean."

Two home runs means the CHF is getting $4 from RJG. Feeling guilty about your lack of philanthropy yet? Good. Now go sign up to donate and enter the raffle already.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 10hr = $20
Swisher 9hr = $18
Jeter 5hr = $10
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $108

Winn Designated for Assignment

With Curtis Granderson coming off the DL and the Yanks needing to make a move to clear a roster spot, Randy Winn was designated for assignment earlier today.

"It's the worst part of my job," lamented Girardi. "This one was particularly awkward too. He's like a twelve year vet. Everyday player. This has never happened to him before. I'm all, 'Winn, you've been designated for assignment.' And he's all, 'Okay coach, what do you want me to do?' I just stared at him. 'What's the assignment, coach.' So I'm like, 'I'm not giving you an assignment, you've been designated for assignment.' And he's just, 'So you don't have an assignment for me? Why am I here then?' Then Cashman walks in with this karaoke machine, but I took the cd from him before he could pop it in. Then Cash goes, 'Hey Winn, I guess your new name should be Randy Lose. Get the hell out of my clubhouse! What am I doing in Cleveland?' That's when it sunk in. It was pretty awkward."

Yankees Lose, but Not Surprised

The Good

Don't look now, but Teixeira has two multi-hit games under his belt. Could he, maybe, possibly, be breaking out of his early season slump? Not so fast says Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long: "Teixeira suffers from a rare memory disorder. He loses all memory of hitting in the off season, and takes a couple months to relearn it. Could you imagine how difficult it is to learn how to hit at the major league level every season?"

The Bad

After a couple of good starts Javy has digressed. He gave up 5 runs in 5.2 innings, and more concerning is that he could hit his spots to save his life. I constantly saw Cervelli set up inside against lefties, and then watched as Javy's pitch sailed right over the center of the plate. Even a lot of the outs were hard hit.

The Ugly

Brandon Harris did not play in yesterdays game due to an incident that happened late Wednesday night. "I was sleeping last night when I felt a presence in my room. I opened my eyes just in time to see a knife flying towards my face! I rolled out of the way and saw a squirrel scurry towards the window. I reached for the gun I keep loaded under my pillow and let off a few rounds, but I don't think I hit him. But then the cops came, and there I had a gun, a knife in my pillow and a couple empty bottles, and now I have to go to court, all the while this lunatic squirrel is out on the loose."

RJG Raffles for the Babies

The RJG and CHF are raffling off tickets to the August 7th game between the Red Sox and Yankees. To enter the raffle, make a donation to the Children's Health Fund in any amount, and under the section that asks for who you were referred by, write the RJG Blog. See this post for more details!

This year we are committed to donating $2 for every homerun hit to the Children's Health Funds through the Yankees Homerun Club. Yesterday, the Yankees were more interested in losing than hitting homeruns. "I'm still trying to learn how to hit." Explained Teixeira.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 8hr = $16
Jeter 5hr = $10
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $104

Yankees Take Two

The Good

Derek Jeter hit a homerun in the 6th inning of the continued game giving AJ Burnett a win. In the second game, Andy Pettitte pitched 8 innings of 2 run ball, and Swisher went 2-5 with a double and a homerun. Mariano secured two saves yesterday.

The Bad

Teixeira's bat was benched the first game of the Twins series. "Every now and then a bat just needs a day off to remember its purpose in this world." Said Manager Joe Girardi. "I mean its not like Teixeira was using it."

Teixeira did have two hits in the second game, showing Girardi's plan to be effective.

The Ugly

A ravage squirrel attacked Twins 3rd Baseman Brendan Harris. Recent reports indicate that the altercation actually began before the game started. "I was sitting at the park eating some peanuts, and this squirrel walks up to me and asks for a couple." Explained Harris. "He was looking at me, and I was looking at him, we locked eyes, and in that instance we became mortal enemies, then intimate lovers, but then back to mortal enemies."

Raffle For Yankees vs. Red Sox Tickets!!!.....For the Children

If you have not seen it, look at yesterdays post about the Children's Health Funds raffle of Yankees vs. Red Sox tickets for the Saturday, August 7th game. To enter the raffle, make a donation to the Children's Health Fund in any amount, and under the section that asks for who you were referred by, write the RJG Blog.

This year we are committed to donating $2 for every homerun hit to the Children's Health Funds through the Yankees Homerun Club. Yesterday, the Yankees remembered that the "Bombers" part of Bronx Bombers stood for homeruns, not for bombing series against teams they should beat (Yes I'm talking about the Mets). Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher donated to the cause with solo homeruns.


Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 8hr = $16
Jeter 5hr = $10
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $104

Red Sox vs. Yankees Ticket Raffle for August 7 Game!

About a couple weeks ago, we at the RJG wrote a post encouraging people to donate money to the Children's Health Fund, and to sign up for the Yankees Homerun Club. At that point, we said that if anyone matched the RJG level of giving ($2 per homerun hit this season) we would give them a thumbs up from the blog. Although people were overwhelmed by this genorous offering of thumbs up from the RJG, the CHF has decided to make things a little more interesting.

The Children's Health Fund has teamed up with the Respect Jeter's Gangster blog to raffle off two tickets to the Saturday, August 7 game against the Boston Red Sox. Anyone who donates to the CHF, whether a flat amount or signs up for the homerun club, and tells them that they were referred there by the RJG will get entered into this raffle. The CHF will do the drawing after the All Star break and the winners will be announced on the blog.

To be entered into the raffle just follow these easy steps:

1) Donate money to the CHF by either signing up for the Yankees Homerun Club, or donating a flat amount. Any amount you can give will do!
2) In the row that says "Referred to the Yankees Home Run Club by" enter RJG Blog or Respect Jeter's Gangster Blog or some combination of Jeter, Gangster, and Blog. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!!
3) Submit your donation.
4) Cross your fingers and pray that you get selected.

We at the RJG would like to encourage those who can, to sign up for the Yankees Homerun Club. Your donations do make a difference. We will be tracking the number of homeruns the Yankees hit this season as well as the money we are donating in each game post.

Lastly, our last post about the CHF received good responses from the public and we would like to thank those who looked into and donated to the CHF. We at the RJG owe you a thumbs up, and you will get it, but for now you can settle on these thumbs up from the staff at the Children's Health Fund:

Mets Take Rubber Match, Sabathia Weeps

The Good

Jeter had a 3-5 night, including the Yankees only extra base hit: a double off K-Rod. Cervelli continues to hit at the major league level, which no one could foresee.

Mitre and Logan proved how effective they can be against National League teams.

The Bad

The Yankees could do little against Mets ace Johan Santana. Santana allowed just 1 run across 1.2 innings. In what was billed as a huge lefties match up, Santana performed and Sabathia did not. Which leads to this:

The Ugly

Sabathia lasted 5 innings allowing 6 runs, 5 earned. Sabathia admits that he strayed from the game plan the team outlined at the beginning of the game. "We had this game plan where I was going to go out and not give up runs, and pitch deep into the game. Instead, I decided I'd try my own game plan of giving up lots of runs, and getting out early in the game, just to see how that would work out. In hindsight, it didn't work out that well, but I would have never known that had I not tried."

Cervelli agreed: "I was calling for sliders away, and Sabathia was shaking me off. So I was like, fastball down the middle? And Sabathia was all for it. Sometimes you just gotta let a pitcher call their own shots."

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The RJG is commited to donating $2 for every homerun hit this season to the Children's Health Fund. For information about the Children's Health Fund and the Yankees Homerun Club, please look at the links provided at the top right hand corner of this page.

And that previous paragraph would mean a lot more had the Yankees hit any homeruns last night. Maybe we need to get Miranda into some more games.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $100

We Lost to the Mets? Why Was I Even Born?!

The Good

Baseball was played yesterday, that's always good. No errors. That's a plus. No injuries, also a good sign.

The Bad

The offense just never quite seemed to get it together. Hughes was hardly sharp for the second game in a row, and we lost to the Mets, which can best be compared to losing to the Mets.

The Ugly

Did I mention Ron Washington did cocaine? He did. Ron Washington. Cocaine user.

Recession Takes Wind out of Charitable Giving

No home runs were hit by the Yankees yesterday due to the tough economic climate at CitiField.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $100

Yankees Remember What Pitching Looks Like

The Good

6 shutout innings from Javy, the bullpen preserving a 2 run lead, and all our runs driven in by a volunteer from the crowd.

The Bad

Javy laid down a sac bunt in the seventh that hit off his finger. He had thrown only 70 pitches to that point. Also, Mo gave up another run, which means he's too old to be effective out of the 'pen anymore. The Yanks will soon have to decide whether to leave him floundering in the 'pen or convert him to a starter.

The Ugly

Every time a Met hits a long fly ball, he dies just a little bit inside.

"You don't know what it's like," exclaimed Jason Bay. "Do you know what it is to crush balls all day, and have nothing to show for it?!"

Nobody really knew what to do with that question, so we just let it go.

No TV and No Beer Make Homer Something Something

Not go out of the park? Don't mind if I do! No home runs were hit in the production of yesterday's game.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $100

Pitching Continues to Falter

The Good

For the second consecutive day, the Yankees scored 6 runs. Juan Miranda belted a homerun and triple while Jeter went 3-5 with 2 RBI's.

Dave Robertson was lights out with 2 innings of scoreless ball.

The Bad

Can someone tell Mark Teixeira that he doesn't have to hit into the shift? He could have gone 4-4 if he even tapped them opposite field. Might help him break out of his 2 month long start of the season slump.

The Ugly

Our stopper gave up 6 earned run over 5 innings. The Rays are a good team, but they made Pettitte look like Javy.

Respect Jeters Gangster is For the Children

The RJG is commited to donating $2 for every homerun hit this season to the Children's Health Fund. For information about the Children's Health Fund and the Yankees Homerun Club, please look at the links provided at the top right hand corner of this page.

Last night, Juan Miranda remembered the children and hit his second homerun of the season. "In Cuba we have free health care." He explained. "But here we have the New York (Expletive) Yankees!".

Indeed.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 2hr = $4
Total = $100

Panicking Now Appropriate

The Good

Cano had a monster game going 4-5 last night, and Cervelli drove in a pair of runs going 1-3 with a double. Beyond that, there wasn't too much good about yesterday's game.

The Bad

AJ Burnett remembered how fun it was last season when he was the most inconsistant pitcher in our rotation. He decided to recreate that. If a 6 run deficit wasn't enough, Boone Logan and Mark Melancon combined for 4 additional runs in just 2.1 innings of work. 10 runs allowed by our pitching staff last night!

The Ugly

It looks like Posada's day-to-day foot bruise is actually a 3-4 week broken foot. Cervelli's been pretty magical thus far into the season, but losing Posada for a month is certainly not going to help the team.

Oh, and Mark Teixeira still sucks.

Respect Jeters Gangster is for the Children

The RJG is commited to donating $2 for every homerun hit this season to the Children's Health Fund. For information about the Children's Health Fund and the Yankees Homerun Club, please look at the links provided at the top right hand corner of this page.

Last night A-Rod hit a homerun. It was pretty awesome.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 1hr = $2
Total = $98

Can I Panic Now?

The Good

CC continues to dominate, throwing 7 innings of one run ball. The offense, despite the injuries, is still scoring runs.

The Bad

Remember way back when, when our bullpen was a strength? April feels like so long ago. For the second time in three games, Joba and Mo teamed up to bury the Yankees. WTF?

The Ugly

Phil Hughes once spoke of Mariano Rivera as a video game. "It's kind of weird," Hughes said, "but we play with a video game." (or something to that effect, I can't be bothered to look up the quote). After the second blow up in three games for the beleaguered closer, the Yankees realized what was wrong.

"It's very simple," explained Yankees Chief of Engineering Nerdie Dorkovsky. "Mo is a video game, and some genius went ahead and set him to 'easy.' Normally he's set at 'advanced,' but something must have happened the last time we ran a software upgrade. Everything should be back to normal now."

Let's hope so

Homers for Babies

That's what I think the charity should be called. Anyway, Juan Miranda hit a home run. Good for him.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Miranda 1hr = $2
Total = $96

Just Like Old Times

The Good

A walk-off win in the ninth is always good. Marcus Thames had a playground moment: bottom of the ninth, two outs . . . okay the bases weren't loaded and it wasn't the World Series, but still. A-Rod homered off Papelbon to tie the game with one out in the ninth. Then Thames homered to end the game, earning the whipped cream pie he received from AJ Burnett.

The Bad

Phil Hughes barely got out of the fifth. If not for a catch in foul territory by Teixeira that is best described as a modern day miracle, Hughes may not have even thrown enough innings to qualify for the win. Hughes managed to get two quick outs in the fifth, then just couldn't put away any of the next three hitters. His ERA is now a monstrous 2.25. Girardi was mum on whether he would be skipped his next turn in the rotation.

The Ugly

Marcus Thames is deathly allergic to whipped cream. All dairy really. But particularly whipped cream.

"I told these guys the first day of Spring Training," explained Thames after having an epipen administered. "I love your walk-off celebrations, but I'm allergic to dairy, especially whipped cream. You cannot hit me with one of those pies should I ever hit a walk-off."

In the clubhouse, Burnett did not seem to appreciate exactly what the big deal was. "I'm not an idiot," said Burnett. "I know he's allergic to whipped cream, that's why I used low fat. If he's allergic to low fat too, he should have said something."

Told that Thames' allergy was to dairy, regardless of fat content, Burnett retorted, "Now you're just making $#!% up. Is that what this is about? Huh? You want me to feel bad? Maybe cry a little? Just cry in my milk? Maybe I shouldn't have milk in the clubhouse either. Is Thames allergic to that, smart a--?!"

At this point, all of us in the press corp figured it would be better just to leave.

I Believe The Children Are Our Future

Remember when Eddie Murphy sang that song in Coming to America? Classic. We already mentioned that Thames and Rodriguez hit home runs last night, but did you know that nobody else did? Bet you didn't know that.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 5hr = $10
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 2hr = $4
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Total = $94

This Is What Happens When Mo Pitches Twice A Month

The Good

No new injuries were sustained by Nick Johnson . . . we think. Mitre pitched a solid five innings, and there is now talk of him opening the series against the Mets instead of Javy.

The Bad

The strike zone was awful. Mo's second pitch of the game, on the inside corner of the plate, was ruled a ball by the home plate umpire. A pitch thrown in the same spot by Rauch was strike three to end the game in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly

Mo is the greatest closer of all time (unless your name is Goose Gossage in which case it's not fair to call Mo that because in Goose's day closers pitched for multiple innings in the snow). But even Mo is subject to rust. That's what we saw yesterday. Getting squeezed by the home plate umpire didn't help, but Rivera just hasn't seen much activity lately. Granted, some of that time off was due to a muscle he tweaked while sneezing, so I can't really blame Girardi or anyone else for his under use. That said, I blame Girardi anyway, because I'm a Yankees fan and that's what we do.

Searching for Homer

No home runs were hit yesterday, as the Yankees didn't feel like it.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 4hr = $8
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 1hr = $2
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Total = $90

Yanks Win Another Series

The Good

Girardi brought in Robertson and Marte in the 7th and we still won. Pettitte continues to pitch well, and today he gave us 6.1 innings of 0 earned run ball. Both Teixeira and Posada hit home runs today, earning them the nickname of 'The TP Boys.'

The Bad

A Beavis & Butthead reference? Really? Also, we allowed the Twins to score one run, like cowards.

The Ugly

The Yankees scored four runs in the seventh inning today, putting a game out of reach that they already clearly had in hand.

"It was unfair," explained Twins catcher Joe Mauer. "They were already winning, and they were going to win, and then they just kept scoring runs. Who does that?"

Do You Have TP?

As mentioned before Teixeira and Posada both hit home runs . . . one handed.

Posada 6hr = $12
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 4hr = $8
Teixeira 7hr = $14
Thames 1hr = $2
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Total = $90

Gardenhire Does His Best Girardi Impression . . . And It's Pretty Good!

The Good

The Yankees won a game against an opponent. AJ worked 6.2 innings without his best stuff. A-Rod hit a game winning grand slam. Also, Gardenhire managed the Twins.

The Bad

Girardi still seems to think Marte can pitch to live hitters. Marte should probably stick to warming up in the bullpen, which I can only assume he excels at. He clearly does not excel at getting runners out, so the quality of his bullpens is the only conceivable reason for his still being on the team.

The Ugly

After A-Rod hit his grand slam and rounded the bases, the fans wanted a curtain call. That's good, right? Well, it would've been, except that instead of running to the top step of the dugout and giving a hearty wave, A-Rod ran out onto the field, pushed Minnesota pitcher Matt Guerrier off the mound, stomped on the mound, ran another victory lap around the bases, jumped into the YES Network camera well, grabbed Kim Jones's microphone, told Gardenhire, "Nice walk. Suck it!" then threw a photographer's camera onto the field, ran into the visiting dugout, peed in it, then waved to the crowd.

The Constant Gardner

Gardner hit his second home run of the season, just to have A-Rod steal his shine. Oh well.

Posada 5hr = $10
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 4hr = $8
Teixeira 6hr = $12
Thames 1hr = $2
Gardner 2hr = $4
Winn 1hr = $2
Total = $86

Anemic A-Rod?

Something that has kind of slipped under the radar with the success the Yankees have had this season, is the production of one Alex Rodriguez. I recognize that it is still early, but through nearly a month and a half of baseball, A-Rod is sitting at 3 homeruns. He's been driving in runs, and has also hit 2 triples in that time, but this is a considerable dip in power from other seasons. Currently, 5 players on the roster have more homeruns than A-Rod, including Jeter, and the only players with less homeruns than A-Rod are either bench players, injured players, or players named Brett Gardner.

Now I know homeruns aren't the measure of a man, but for A-Rod it kind of is. Especially after the steroid news that broke out last season, and after the whole Tony Galea thing this previous off season. Perhaps A-Rod is just feeling overwhelmed with the whole "march to 600" thing, since he is just 14 homeruns shy of hitting 600 for his career. Perhaps, he's just off to a slower start than usual. The question is, should we be concerned, or is it still too early to worry?

Yanks Drop Second Series of Season

The Good

No runs were driven in by the Yankees, which means limited running. They should be fresh for the upcoming series against the Twins. Also, we saw that Ivan Nova can pitch. Plus his name sounds like he's from the future, so that's good.

The Bad

No runs were driven in by the Yankees, the second time this series that Detroit has blanked the Yankees and made them look sad. Also, we never got revenge against their closer despite his attempts to ruin baseball by fist-pumping.

The Ugly

CC was unable to command his fastball yesterday, leading to 6 Tiger runs in 6 Tiger innings.

"I just couldn't command the fastball," lamented CC after the game. "Normally, I'm all, 'Alright Fastball, go to the outside corner.' But today, I'd look at my fastball, with its puppy dog eyes, and I just didn't have the heart to command it. It was just one of those days."

Yankees Deny Double Donation to CHF

No way around this one, the Yankees didn't even try to help the children yesterday. I guess children's health is just one more thing the Yankees are out to destroy along with sportsmanship and kittens.

Posada 5hr = $10
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 3hr = $6
Teixeira 6hr = $12
Thames 1hr = $2
Gardner 1hr = $2
Winn 1hr = $2
Total = $82

Double the Detroit

The Good

The biggest thing that stands out is the pitching. Javier Vazquez pitched his best game of the season with 7 innings of 2 run ball and 7 strike outs, even though it amounted to a loss. Not to be outdone, Hughes stepped up for 7 innings allowing no runs, and striking out 8 for the win.

The second game was fairly even until the last inning when the Yankees scored 6 runs to take an 8-0 lead. Gardner went 3-5 with an RBI, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored.

The Bad

Javier Vazquez pitched a good game but the offense simply couldn't score a single run, much less two. I would feel bad for Vazquez, but he got a win when he pitched 5.1 innings and allowing 3 runs against Oakland, so I feel like it balances itself out.

The Ugly

With the exception of the 9th inning break out inning, the offense was pretty tame. The first game of the series especially. To understand what happened to the offense, we turned to top hitter Robinson Cano: "Because of the rain out, we went to see Iron Man 2, and that just really hyped us up! We were up until 4 in the morning playing Avengers. I was Captain America, Swisher was Nick Fury, Hughes was Iron Man, we had such a great time."

RJG is for the Children

The RJG was pledged to donate $1 for every homerun hit this season to the Children's Health Fund, but as stated in this post, we are raising our donation to $2 for every homerun. If you can, we encourage you to join us in raising money for this cause. You can find links to the Children's Health Fund and the Yankees Homerun Club at the top right hand corner of this page.

Yesterday's double header amounted to 0 homeruns from the Yankees, putting to shame the good bronx bomber name.

Posada 5hr = $10
Granderson 2hr = $4
Cano 9hr = $18
Swisher 7hr = $14
Jeter 4hr = $8
Johnson 2hr = $4
Rodriguez 3hr = $6
Teixeira 6hr = $12
Thames 1hr = $2
Gardner 1hr = $2
Winn 1hr = $2
Total = $82

Uh-Oh

Just read this article by Tracy Ringolsby. It's not an opinion piece, just a report that MLB has warned the Phillies about the actions of their bullpen coach during a recent game against the Colorado Rockies. Apparently the Phillies' bullpen coach was watching the Rockies' catcher with binoculars from the bullpen, all the while Shane Victorino was on the bullpen phone in the dugout. Every now and again he'd step out of the bullpen, onto the field, and ask the Rockies' catcher to cycle through the sign again because he had missed something.

Accusations about the Phillies potentially stealing signs have surrounded this team since at least 2008. They arose last year during the World Series versus the Yankees (and they still lost!). Nothing has been proven yet, but it doesn't look good.

This is How We Get Benevolent: RJG Edition

Since the start of our blog two+ years ago, we at the RJG have been all about the children. As a third year participant in the Yankees homerun club, the RJG is committed to donating $1.00 for every Yankee homerun hit this season to the Children's Health Fund. The Children's Health Fund is an organization that provides health care and advocacy to underserved children in the community.

This year the CHF would like to get new members into the homerun club. Members in the homerun club pledge an amount they would like to donate for each homerun hit by the Yankees this season. There are several member levels starting at 50 cents per homerun hit. Upon some of the benefits you will receive from this donation are the following:

-A small token of appreciation from the CHF.
-A tax write off.
-A Clear Conscience.
-The knowledge that you're at least as benevolent as the RJG.

The RJG would like to encourage you to make a pledge to the homerun club. If you cannot commit to a per homerun donation, please consider making a flat donation. Every dollar helps!

Now, to show how important this is to the RJG, we are going to take the unprecedented (used loosely) step of increasing our donation to (drum roll).........$2 for every homerun hit this season! Since the CHF does not currently have a member level of $2 per homerun, we are going to make it up. Our $2 donation is now the RJG level of giving (by our definition not by CHF's). Anyone who commits to giving $2 per homerun this season gets a thumbs up from the RJG. Literally. The authors of this blog will take a photo of us giving a thumbs up, and post it on the blog just for you.

All that being said, let me just point out that we are not affiliated with the CHF outside of being participants in the homerun club. They may even be fairly embarrased by this post. But our intentions are to get you involved. Consider donating to the CHF in any way you can, and lets pull for the Yankees to smash some homeruns. We will continue to track the number of homeruns and our increased donation level to the CHF at the bottom of every game post.

Vazquez Spectacular!

Last night, Javier Vazquez did not allow a single run in his effort against the Tigers, silencing critics, and securing his role in the rotation.

"I just felt unhittable last night." Explained Vazquez. "And the fact that it was a rain out does not cheapen it for me. There was not a single hit or run against me. That's something."

The Tigers, who remained baffled by Vazquez's hitless and scoreless effort had little answers.

"I don't know what to say. I mean, everyone was saying that Vazquez was done, that we would be teeing off against him. Then last night, he was the starter, and we didn't get a single hit. It doesn't matter that the game was rained out, we can't make excuses. We were no-hit by Javier Vazquez." Explained Detroit third baseman Brandon Inge.

But the Tigers are taking comfort in the fact that they'll be facing Vasquez again tonight.

"I'm glad we're facing him again today. After last night's game, I sat in my apartment weeping. We need to redeem ourselves." Said centerfielder Austin Jackson.

Damon Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium

Registration Now Open for Damon Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium, a Run/Walk to Help Strike Out Cancer

NEW YORK, May 6, 2010 – The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation opened registration today for the second annual Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium, a unique charitable run/walk that uses the Stadium as its course. This year’s event takes place on Sunday, August 15, 2010, and will raise funds to support early career scientists conducting innovative research for all types of cancer.

Participants will explore the Stadium’s concourses and ramps, climb stairs between levels, and follow in the footsteps of the World Champions by taking their own victory laps around the famous Yankees field. Last year’s event, the first of its kind in Yankee Stadium, drew a capacity crowd of 2,500 participants, ranging in age from 5 to 72 years, and raised more than $295,000 for cancer research.

“The goal of the race is to support top young scientists around the country, because we think they’re the ones that are going to hit the home runs against cancer,” said Lorraine W. Egan, Executive Director of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. “This is a chance for New Yorkers and Yankees fans to see the Stadium from a player's point of view, and for every participant to make a real impact on cancer."

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has a long history with the Yankees: Joe DiMaggio was on its Board, and Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle were supporters. Damon Runyon himself was a New York writer who began his career as a baseball journalist, revolutionizing how the game was reported and often covering Yankees games. Click to see a video and photos of the Runyon 5K 2009.

How to Register

Registration opened to the public today—Thursday, May 6. Entry is limited to the first 4,000 registrants. Registration will close on August 6 or when capacity has been reached. The registration fee is $35 for students and children and $50 for adults. Starting July 16, fees will increase to $40 and $60, respectively. All participants are encouraged to raise funds and will have access to a customized fundraising page on the Runyon 5K website. 100% of all funds raised by participants will go directly to scientists funded by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. For more information and to sign up for the event, please visit: www.damonrunyon.org/yankeestadium.

Event Details

The Runyon 5K will take place from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm inside Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Staggered start times will be assigned to participants, with runners starting first according to pace. Local scientists funded by the Foundation will be on hand to answer questions about their cancer research and the work of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. More details can be found at www.damonrunyon.org/yankeestadium.

Participants

The event is open to both individuals and teams, with corporate and university teams encouraged to compete. The event organizers extend a special invitation to cancer survivors and those running in memory of lost loved ones or in honor of those affected by cancer. Families and supporters are also welcome. Spectators will have the opportunity to view the event from the Delta SKY360° Suite.

Yanks Drop First Against Tigers

The Good

We almost won. That has to count for something. We got on base a lot. Also, Teixeira hit a home run, tying him for first place on the all-time Teixeira list.

The Bad

Our assortment of relief specialists couldn't get the job done, as Detroit scored 5 runs against us. All of the runs were driven in by Johnny Damon and AJax, who held hands the entire time they were beating us. How did we ever let them get away? I expect a Bronny Cash resignation any day now.

The Ugly

Johnny Damon hit a home run in the fifth inning off Mitre. As he stepped on home plate he turned to Posada and said, "Nice pitch selection, biznatch!" Posada jumped up, looked right at Damon, and said, "Hey, remember that time when you could've made more money with the Yankees but you ended up with a far lesser one year deal with Detroit? Good times! Have fun losing to the Twins!" in Spanish. Damon still wept.

He Doesn't Like Girls Named April

Teixeira hit another home run yesterday. He now owns the all-time record for inexplicable starts to the season.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 7hr = $7
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 2hr = $2
Rodriguez 3hr = $3
Teixeira 6hr = $6
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $41

Overreact Much?

I just read this column by John Harper over at the Daily News and it seems a bit much. Apparently Burnett's poor start yesterday means that his first four starts were nothing but a cruel mirage. He hasn't learned to pitch well consistently at all. In fact, his other starts were cleverly staged hoaxes. The real games were all played before what we saw televised, all Yankees losses.

Okay, obviously yesterday was ugly. Burnett's record in Fenway as a Yankee? Also ugly. But maybe we should let more than one loss play out before we decide Burnett just doesn't have it.

Yanks Shame Selves, and Mothers

The Good

Swisher and A-Rod both hit solo homeruns in the 4th showing. Romulo Sanchez releived Burnett in the 5th and went on to pitch 3.2 scoreless innings of 1 hit baseball, with 3 strikeouts. I don't know who he is, or where he came from, but within 3.2 innings this man accomplished what neither Burnett could do in Fenway, or what Vazquez could do this season. Keep an eye on him.

The Bad

The Yankee offense could not get going against Lester. 7 innings of 2 run ball with 7 strikeouts pretty much did the Yankees in. Despite Swisher and A-Rod's power show in the 4th, the Yankees couldn't accomplish much. On more than one occasion, the Yanks would get out on the first pitch of the at bat. Its an offense, not even a mother could love.

The Ugly

A.J. Burnett. The man cannot pitch in Fenway to save his life. 9 runs in less than 5 innings. After his start you could see him being consoled by Javier Vazquez. We caught up with Vazquez to see how Burnett was doing. "I tried to help him, but I didn't know what to say. I mean, I haven't even given up 9 runs this season. I ended up calling Kei Igawa, and handing Burnett the phone. I think the two could relate."

The Penance

The RJG blog is donating $1.00 for every homerun hit by the Yankees this season to the Children's Health Fund. If you are interested in donating or reading about the Children's Health Fund take a look at the links provided at the top right hand corner of our page.

Despite the lacking offense in yesterdays game, two Yankee players did not forget about the children. Nick Swisher and A-Rod both homered over the monster.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 7hr = $7
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 2hr = $2
Rodriguez 3hr = $3
Teixeira 5hr = $5
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $40

Another 15 Minutes

Blog favorite Dallas Braden has just completed the 19th perfect game in Major League history. As much as I dislike the guy, it is quite an accomplishment.

Red Sox Players We Like and Those We Hate

There has been some discussion lately about which Sox players are most hated and which ones are more tolerable from a Yankees fan perspective, and I thought it deserved it's own post and analysis.

We'll start with the most hated members of the Red Sox. Papelbon and Beckett. Papelbon is an arrogant piece who infuriated Yankees fans by suggesting he should close the 2008 all-star game, played in Yankee Stadium, instead of Mo. He also enjoys punching children and talking down to others. This guys is such an awful human being that even Sox fans can't stand him as a person, even as they admire what he does from the mound. Beckett is also arrogant, and has about as much class as your local crack house. I think Yankees fans, despite having less love for Papelbon, react more strongly to Beckett. This is largely due to the fact that when we face Beckett, we have to put up with his antics (Oh $#!%, I'm talking like Dallas Braden) for multiple innings at a time. Also, while our hatred for Papelbon, I think, runs deeper, it gets tempered by genuine respect for what he does on the diamond. More often than not, Papelbon, I hate to say it, dominates. Beckett does not have the same level of success against us that Pap does, so the ill will towards him is not tempered by anything except more ill will.

Now, Youkilis falls into a strange middle category. Yankees fans hate this guy, but they have no reason to. Be honest, besides being horribly uneasy on the eyes, what has this guy ever done? Get thrown at by Joba? How dare he! Youkilis is actually a likable player: he's a good hitter, plays hard, doesn't run his mouth, and has a healthy level of respect for Jeter's gangster. But we hate him anyway. Maybe it's the batting stance.

Then there are the guys we like but don't admit it. Ortiz and Pedroia readily come to mind. Ortiz has killed us in the past and we all hate him for that. But his personality has won us over. We respect him as a worthy opponent and like him as a person. Pedroia definitely has a bit of arrogance about him, but it's different. It's not like Pap or Beckett. They're douches. Pedroia, on the other hand, is a Masshole. This is a person who carries himself with a strange mixture of self-effacing arrogance. He's cocky, but he doesn't take himself too seriously. The perfect example is the commercial he did for that video game whose name I can't remember. There Pedroia is, talking himself up as an MVP award winner, but in the context of a commercial that's totally $#!%ing on him. Self-effacing arrogance. Additionally, he too, like Youkilis, has a healthy level of respect for Jeter's gangster.

Yankees Embarrass Red Sox

The Good

Blowouts often follow blowouts, which was true today. However, the losing team in the first game generally blows out the other team in the second game. Not today. The Yankees followed up yesterday's 10-3 win with today's 14-3 win. CC would've won the game, had the umps not thrown away his start by suspending the game in the fifth with two outs and a 2-2 count on Victor Martinez. Our bullpen managed to give us 4.1 innings of shutout ball. Impressive. Teixeira hit 3 home runs. Also good, Cano was able to serve as the DH, and he actually got a hit. That's good news for the Yanks. Tomorrow we expect to have both Posada and Cano in the lineup. Also, Marte didn't blow.

The Bad

We may have lost another player. Aceves came out in the sixth with a strained back. Also, David Robertson is still on the major league active roster. How?

The Ugly

The BoSox had an outfielder pitching the ninth, and Teixeira took him deep, breaking a sacred unwritten baseball rule that you are not supposed to hit home runs off position players serving as relievers in blowout games on national television during weekends in May that had a rain delay.

"It was a total disrespect for the game," explained Van Every. "Maybe he should take a look at his captain and follow his example. It's not the first time he's showed how much he hates the game, like when he won a gold glove and silver slugger, but maybe next time he'll think twice about disrespecting the game. That's how we roll in my area code you never heard of. Can someone remember how to spell my name now."

Homer the Clown

Teixeira hit three home runs today, just because he can and he hates the game so much.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 6hr = $6
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 2hr = $2
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 5hr = $5
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $38

Yanks Win, Cano and Johnson Possibly Injured

The Good

The Yanks scored 10 runs, nine off Beckett. Swisher had a three run home run to center. Hughes went seven, allowing only two runs.

The Bad

After Beckett hit two of our guys, no Red Sox hitters were plunked. That's bulls--t. Sad performance all around from the pitchers. Also, why is Robertson still in our bullpen? Does he understand his role to be to give other teams hope when they're down? Cano was hit on the knee, and will likely be day to day. This is an injury much like the one Posada suffered at the hands of Jeremie Guthrie. Should be a couple days before we see him again.

The Ugly

Nick Johnson has injured his wrist. This guy managed to get hurt while not playing the field and not ever swinging his bat. We caught up with Nick to find out how he got hurt.

"I was walking to first base recently," said Johnson, "When suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my wrist. I doubled over and grabbed my wrist, writhing in pain on the base path. I think my batting gloves were on too tight, or I slept on it wrong. It's hard to tell. An injury like this could really happen to anyone."

Oops, He Did It Again

Swish had a deep home run to center, which he had promised to a sick child while visiting a children's hospital in Boston earlier that day (not making this up).

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 6hr = $6
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 2hr = $2
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $35

Yanks-BoSox Preview

The Yankees now prepare to play the BoSox in Boston. Boston is a wonderful place with a Pesky Pole and where you can be called racial slurs you didn't even know apply to you. It's also the home of Sam Adams beer, or as Bostonians call it, their morning joe.

The Sox are coming off a strong series against the Angels as the Yanks head in, and they certainly will look to take advantage of the Yanks' recent injuries. Unfortunately, those injuries haven't exactly slowed the Yankees. The Yankees are coming off a series sweep of the Orioles, which isn't exactly impressive, except that the Os swept Boston. By the transitive property of the Orioles, the Yankees have already swept Boston. Hughes, CC, and AJ are up this series, which is good for us. But we all know from last winter that Boston has the greatest rotation in baseball history. Scrap that. In history. They will, however, have to face the oldest line-up in history, as we have learned from the last few days of Yankees coverage. The Yanks took the first series against the BoSox earlier this year, also in Fenway, and the BoSox will be looking to even the score. Should be a fun weekend.

Hmm . . . Interesting

Mark Feinsand is suggesting that the recent rash of injuries to the Core Four may be a matter of the SI cover jinx. I have a different theory. When you hit, oh I don't know, age 25 or so, your body changes. Weird things start happening to you. You pull muscles while seated and stuff like that. It doesn't matter whether or not you're in shape or work out, it just happens. At 25. You'll notice that Jorge Posada strained his calf not while running, or hitting, or moving at all. He strained his calf muscle while, literally, sitting. Okay crouching. But still. Likewise, Mariano Rivera hurt his side when he sneezed, another classic post-25 injury. Andy Pettitte first felt tightness in his arm while warming up. Who the hell gets hurt warming up? Can you imagine getting hurt while the treadmill is set at level 3? You can if you're over 25. My theory, then, is that this recent rash of injuries is the result of the Core Four being over 25. That's just a theory. Maybe they're all under 25 and it's the SI cover thing. I haven't checked their birthdays, seeing as there are four of them and that would require effort. Even with Google. But I'm going with that for now.

RJG State of the Yankees Address

Its been over a month since the baseball season started, and thus we have a great opportunity to critically review the New York Yankees as they currently stand.

New Faces

The Yankees added a few new faces over the off season and thus far there's been mixed results.

Centerfielder Curtis Granderson got off to a hot start, before his bat cooled down dramatically (.094 average in last 10 games) and then he got injured (groin strain). Though, some may question this move it is still too early to consider whether it was worth getting rid of AJax for Granderson (see post below). Through today, Grandersons average stands at .225, and his struggles against lefties is still pronounced (.161 average against southpaws with 11 strikeouts and 1 walk). His return from injury should tell us more about him then this first month has.

New DH Nick Johnson has been a walk monster with 24 walks to date, which ties him for first in the majors with Justin Morneau. However, unlike Justin Morneau, Johnson has not been hitting. We hope that his performance against the Orioles yesterday will be the beginning of his break out. He went 3-3 with a homerun and 2 walks, which is an amazing line. To date he's batting .171, but is sporting a .396 on base percentage, which alone is worth keeping him in games.

The last major addition was Javier Vasquez. He's sucked.

So I guess by mixed results, I mean they've all been disappointing, but I do beleive Granderson and Johnson will turn their seasons around, and I beleive that if Vasquez can get his velocity back, he could be a servicable starter. I don't know if that will happen.

Pitching is Key

4 of our 5 starting pitchers have been dominant thus far, and our bullpen has done enough to get us wins. Our top performing starters all have ERA's under 3, and two of them (Burnett and Hughes) are under 2. Mariano has been Mariano (a zero ERA through 9 innings this season), but the placement of Joba back in the bullpen has been a huge difference. He's been able to step up in Mariano's absence and shut down some ball games. He's no Mo, but then again, no one is.

Despite the terrible performances of David Robertson, mediocre performances of Damaso Marte, and the lose of veteran pitcher Chan Ho Park to injury, the bullpen has maintained and has bridged the gap to Mariano.

Bronx Bombers

The offense has been performing, but there are some notable exceptions. Per usual, Mark Teixeira is still straggling through the season with a .178 batting average to date. Alex Rodriguez is at .258 on the season and has 2 homeruns, half the number of Derek Jeter. Some of the encouraging signs have been Robinson Cano's ridiculous offensive output (.362 average, 9 homeruns, and 21 RBI's), and the production from some of the supporting players such as Nick Swisher (.290 average, 5 homeruns, 17 RBI's). Surprisingly, Cano and Jeter are tied for the team lead in RBI's with 21 a piece, which is impressive, and Brett Gardner has been keeping his "singles only" offensive approach to the tune of a .346 batting average and 13 stolen bases (2nd in the majors). He also has a .430 OBP. All in all, the Yankees are scoring runs and thats without the offensive support of two of their biggest players (Teixeira and A-Rod), without the run producing output of their DH (Nick Johnson), and with their centerfielder underperforming and then landing on the DL. That's also with one of our better producing players (Jorge Posada) missing time with a day-to-day injury.

Conclusion

Its too early to tell, but this team is showing a lot of encouraging signs. The recent string of "day-to-day" injuries is concerning, and we'll have to wonder how long we'll be without the consistant production of guys like Posada, Mariano, and Pettitte, but our bench has been more than servicable. Cervelli and Joba have made the temporary absences of Mariano and Posada very bearable for the team. Losing Granderson was not good, but I have to agree that having him have this injury now is preferable then losing him late in the season. Hopefully we won't have to experience both. Thames production of the bench has taken away some of the sting of losing Granderson. Despite their limitations, the Yankees have been winning games, and this series against Boston should tell us a lot about what this team can do.

A Bad Trade?

A lot of people have been giving initial reactions lately to the Granderson trade, labeling Detroit the winner thus far. Granderson, after all, is hurt and was not hitting particularly well. Ajax leads the league in batting average, or at least he did the other day, I haven't bothered to check. As a result, the Yankees got shafted right? Wrong.

Granderson didn't replace Ajax in our outfield, he replaced Damon. Had the Yankees not made the move for Granderson, they probably would have resigned Damon and Ajax would currently have the best batting average in AAA. The Yanks, as of last winter, did not consider Ajax major league ready. They may have been wrong (still too early to tell), but either way, Ajax was not going to be patrolling any part of the outfield at Yankee Stadium.

Now you may say that Damon is hitting better than Granderson, which is true. In fact Damon's grandmother is probably hitting better than Granderson, but that's not the issue in this trade.

We've seen this season that the Yankee offense is formidable even when guys like A-Rod and Teix don't hit, or when guys like A-Rod and Posada have to miss time because their apple sauce was too hard. So the fact that Granderson isn't hitting that well doesn't matter (as long as he continues to hit home runs off Papelbon). What matters is that in the last week we've lost A-Rod, Posada, Mo, and Pettitte to minor injuries. Why? Because they're old. Hell, I think Mo qualifies for discounts at IHOP he's so old, but he's a robot so it doesn't matter. That's why the Granderson deal was, and still is, a win for the Yankees. Damon can hit, we know that. But can Damon stay any healthier than the rest of our oldies? We can hardly guarantee that.

Sure, Granderson is currently hurt. But he pulled a muscle in the first month of the season. How many early season hamstring injuries have we seen in the last few years? A lot. This is the best time to get those injuries out of the way. If he pulls it in September, we have a problem. In April, who cares? He's hardly the linchpin of our offense anyway. What's important is we have a player who won't need a day off every week to rest his eyes. We needed Granderson because, despite how they play, many of our players are nonetheless old. We didn't need another old man at the club(house).

Yanks Sweep

The Good

The Yankees swept the Os behind a strong 5 inning performance from Andy Pettitte, who allowed only one run. Nick Johnson hit a home run and a double. Nick Swisher hit a home run too, making it a day for Nicks everywhere.

The Bad

Pettitte left the game after 5, having only thrown 77 pitches. He was not particularly sharp today, but it is not clear yet why he left the game. We caught up with Andy to talk about his command after he came out.

"My command was actually good today," explained Pettitte. "It's just that, today, I kind of felt like pitching from the stretch. They'll only let you do that if there are men on base, so I put men on base, and then pitched from the stretch. When Joe found out what I was doing he told me to sit in the clubhouse and think about what I did. I've been thinking about it, and man, it was awesome."

The Ugly

Dave Robertson just wants so badly to live in Scranton again. He came in today and gave up consecutive home runs. I don't really remember who hit them but they were both Orioles so that is not acceptable. Logan didn't pitch pretty, but the difference is this: Robertson doesn't challenge hitters, and he misses over the plate. Logan, despite his fastball, doesn't really challenge hitters, but misses off the plate. As a counter example you have Ace, who got the final out of the ninth. He neither misses, nor fails to challenge hitters, even though his stuff is hardly overpowering. The combination of four different pitches and control, however, make up for that.

Power Has Been Restored

Both Nicks had home runs today. Coincidence? [Ominous music playing]

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 5hr = $5
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 2hr = $2
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $34

Cervelli's Resemblance to Actor Becomes Security Problem

Has anyone else noticed that Cervelli looks just like Tom Sizemore? I present for your consideration,

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:



This stunning resemblance has become a big problem for the Yankees ever since Cervelli became their regular back-up catcher. Tom Sizemore has been sneaking into Yankee Stadium through the player's entrance by impersonating Francisco Cervelli.

"We are currently reviewing security protocals," explained the head of Yankees security. "But it's an honest mistake. Anyone could have confused Tom Sizemore for Cervelli. I mean, he comes dressed in full catchers gear, and he looks like just like the guy. How are we supposed to tell the difference?"

At first the sneaking in wasn't a big problem, but it has since taken an ugly turn.

"The other day I go in for treatment," explained A-Rod, "I'm getting some sports massage and suddenly I look up and Tom Sizemore is massaging me. Then he starts asking me if I'm dating Cameron Diaz and whether I'd take a script to her that he thinks would be the perfect vehicle for both of them. Then he starts reciting lines from Saving Private Ryan, and after each line he goes, 'Scene.' It was really awkward."

Yankees Amazing With Half a Minor League Lineup

The Good

AJ Burnett was ridiculous. 7.1 innings with 1 unearned run and 8 strikeouts gave him his 4th win of the season, and simply did not allow the Orioles any hope, dream, or aspiration. Burnett's batterymate, Francisco Cervelli proved why Cashman was a genius by going 3-3 with a triple and 2-runs scored. Cano had a pair of hits, but no one seemed to care.

Gardner stole a base, which puts him in 2nd place in the majors for stolen bases with 12. 1st in the AL.

The Bad

The bottom portion of our lineup was Marcus Thames, Brett Gardner, Francisco Cervelli, and Ramiro Pena. After taking the loss, the Orioles wept.

The Ugly

The weeping continued throughout the night, turning into wailing at times, and even escalating to gnashing of teeth. Jorge Posada happened upon the weeping Orioles, and offered them these consoling words: "You guys suck." The weeping continued.

The RJG Blog's Redemption

The RJG blog is donating one American dollar for every homerun hit by the Yankees this season to the Children's Health Fund. If you are interested in this cause, see the links to the CHF on the top right hand corner of this page.

Last night, Yankees manager Joe Girardi fielded a team that was half the triple A lineup and half the big league lineup. "I just looked at the triple A roster and was looking at mine and I came up with a brilliant idea. What if I just meshed these two lineups together, you know? What if I came up with a hybrid team of mercenary ninjas to protect the world from communism?" Explained Girardi. Though we did not understand the logic it did result in a win. However, it also resulted in zero homeruns, and will now start the rumors of Girardi's disdain for sick children.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 3hr = $3
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 1hr = $1
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $31

It's Okay, He's Only Been on the Team for 15 Years

Earlier today, the NY Post had this image and article headline on its Yankees news page:



Then, it was changed to this:



Whoops. Not like he's been around for a while, won five championships, and is one of our Core Four or anything. Otherwise that would be embarrassing. I guess the Post should stop letting Jan Brewer write their headlines. I'm sure they're all named Pedro to her.


9:45pm Update:

For some reason, later in the day, the Post decided that going with last names would be easier:

Yanks Take Opener from Os, Posada Allergic to Guthrie

The Good

Sabathia threw 8 innings of one-run ball. Randy Winn remembered he was a major leaguer and hit a three-run home run. No batters were harmed in the making of this Jeremy Guthrie start.

The Bad

One batter was harmed in the making of this Jeremy Guthrie start. Posada left the game after the fifth with a strained calf. How the calf got into Yankee Stadium is still a mystery, but the renowned animal lover, Posada, wanted to make sure it got back to its family.

The Ugly

While Sabathia left this start in a much brighter mood than his last against the Orioles, he blatantly disrespected the game in the seventh when he tried to show up home-plate umpire, Bill Hohn.

Sabathia, frustrated with the strike zone, threw his arms in the air, yelled something, walked up to Hohn and demonstrated how one calls a strike, then he drew an imaginary box with his throwing hand where the strike zone should be and told Hohn that when a pitch is in that box, he needed to call a strike as Sabathia had just demonstrated. Sabathia then stood in the batters box glaring at the hitter, just to show him up too. Then, when Girardi came out to calm him down, he grabbed Girardi's cap and used all 6'7" of him to play keep away. This lasted for five minutes.

"I don't care about baseball," explained Sabathia after the game. "I care that my money gets paid to me via direct deposit and that I get the chance to talk to all my friends on opposing teams. That's why I play."

This edition of 'The Ugly' brought to you by Tracy Ringolsby

Wow, Your Stance Is Weird

Despite a fairly awkward looking batting stance, Randy Winn managed to hit a three-run bomb, totally taking the wind out of the sails of the hapless (save when they play the BoSox) Orioles.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 3hr = $3
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 1hr = $1
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Winn 1hr = $1
Total = $31

The Os are Back

Seems odd to do another series preview when we just played these guys, but here goes. The Yanks will be facing Guthrie, Matusz and Hernandez while they send CC, AJ, and Pettitte to the mound. Guthrie has a history of hitting our guys and most recently caused Posada to miss time when he hit him in the knee. So the big question before tonight's game is, if he hits someone do you rush the mound? Intentional or not, he can't keep hitting our guys. Alternatively, does the first Orioles hitter, or perhaps Wigginton whenever he first comes up, immediately get one in the ribs just so that it is clear we won't be having anymore of Guthrie's control issues?

The Os are coming off a series sweep of the BoSox, which is symbolically significant but not actually significant since the Sox are about as good as Javy is dominant this year. The Yanks are also coming off a sweep of the White Sox, since Javy's starts no longer count. Both teams are riding winning streaks then, and the next three games will determine nothing since the Os aren't serious contenders anyway. The biggest story of this series, besides Guthrie, will be whether the Yanks will skip Javy on Friday. Expect most coverage to center on that instead of what actually happens in these next three games.

A Word from Our GM

With the first month of the season already behind us, we thought it was time to once again place a call to our favorite GM, Brian Cashman. The following is a transcript of our conversation:

BC: Hello?

RJG: Well, if it isn't Bronn Bronn the Cash Machine. How's it hangin'?

BC: Please stop asking me that.

RJG: It's not anymore, is it? Oh well, it happens with age. So, the Yanks have played well, but two of your biggest moves, Javy and Nick Johnson, have not. Also, Granderson is now out for at least a month. How do you plan to address these flaws?

BC: Well, it's a little early to give up on Johnson. I fully expect Johnson to turn it around. The Granderson situation is unfortunate, but better to get the injuries out of the way early. We have the weapons to keep us going until they get back.

RJG: Hmm. Vazquez was conspicuously absent from your answer. What will you do about him?

BC: Well, we plan to . . .

RJG: Because he's been awful.

BC: Yes, well we are try . . .

RJG: Really awful.

BC: Can I fini. . .

RJG: Your face awful.

BC: That's not necessary.

RJG: Isn't it?

BC: Look, we're currently considering all options, but mostly we need to get Javy back on track. He has a track record. A record. In track. That has to count for something.

RJG: No, it literally counts for nothing. Javy is a classic case of what have you done for me lately . . . or since the 2004 ALCS.

BC: Yeah, we can't get rid of the guy because fans are still bitter about 2004.

RJG: Uh-huh. Why don't you just trade him?

BC: His value is not exactly at peak right now.

RJG: I don't give a $#!%. Just trade him far far away. Isn't Rasner pitching in Japan right now? Trade him to Japan for Rasner.

BC: We're not trading Javy for Rasner. Why would you even want Rasner back?

RJG: What the hell does Rasner have to do with anything?

BC: You brought him up.

RJG: I most certainly did not! I will not stand for such accusations and demand you apologize.

BC: I'm not apologizing.

RJG: It's not all about you, Bronny.

[Click]

There you have it folks. The Yanks expect Johnson to turn it around, Granderson to come back healthy, and will continue to try to work with Javy for the time being.

Yankees Take Rubber Match

The Good

Phil Hughes pitched an incredible game, shutting out the White Sox over seven innings. Cano hit a three run home run, Swisher had a two run home run, and Gardner hit a home run. Even Johnson managed to hit an RBI double in the 7th. Teixeira had 4 hits. Crazy.

The Bad

Pena went 0 for 5, with an error. Pretty much the worst part of this game was the performance of our back-up infielder. Melancon's ninth wasn't pretty, but he shouldn't have been out for another inning anyway. We also went into that inning up by 12, so I just don't care.

The Ugly

Buehrle's performance was not pretty. After he came out in the fifth, RJG caught up with him to find out what went wrong.

"The other day, I was watching this great pitching video," explained Buehrle. "It's called, 'How to Pitch in the Majors, with Javier Vazquez.' I studied every aspect of that video, but for some reason it's just not working out. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I copied it exactly. It's just dumbfounding."

The Air Show

As I said before, Gardner, Cano, and Swish all had home runs today. Swisher dedicated his performance to Maya Angelou, an inspiration to us all.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 9hr = $9
Swisher 3hr = $3
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 1hr = $1
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Gardner 1hr = $1
Total = $30

Vazquez Pitches, 'Nuff Said

The Good

The offense scored six runs. Mitre pitched well in relief. Andrew Marchand of ESPN asked whether the Yankees should skip Vazquez when they go to Boston. He chose my response as the best, my proudest Twitter moment. . . and moment in general.

The Bad

Javy pitched, which is always bad. Dave Robertson is pitching like he misses his friends in AAA, and Marte is pitching like he wants the Yankees to invent another injury and put him on the DL again.

The Ugly

After Javy left the game in the fourth, RJG caught up with him to discuss his struggles so far. Javy was surprisingly open about his performance.

"I know I haven't pitched well," said Javy. "But I'm still adjusting to the American League. In the NL you get to face pitchers, and the Padres. Here, you only pitch to the best. Also, hitters in the AL aren't blindfolded, which has cut down my strikeouts. It doesn't help that you can't call do-over in the AL either. And in the NL, any pitch that reaches the catcher is called a strike, but here they call balls as well as strikes, which is a little unfair. It just makes for a different game."

The False Hope

Swisher hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth. David Robertson and Damaso Marte were both jealous, because they don't get to hit, so they worked hard to give up the lead.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 8hr = $8
Swisher 2hr = $2
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 1hr = $1
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Total = $27

Jeter Rakes While Pettitte Limits the Damage

The Good

Though he allowed four runs in the first two innings, Pettitte limited the damage and gave his team a chance to win. Jeter had three hits and four RBI, including a game-tying home run and a go-ahead triple. Mo closed the game out, throwing only three pitches in the ninth.

The Bad

The first two innings were bad.

The Ugly

After Jeter hit a go-ahead triple, he went and sat in the Chicago dugout. When asked what he was doing there, he responded, "This is my house, b----!" The White Sox wept. Collectively. As an organization.

O'Jeter Rules!

Jeter was the only player with a home run last night. His blast tied him for number 1 on the all time home runs by players named Derek Jeter list.

Posada 5hr = $5
Granderson 2hr = $2
Cano 8hr = $8
Swisher 2hr = $2
Jeter 4hr = $4
Johnson 1hr = $1
Rodriguez 2hr = $2
Teixeira 2hr = $2
Thames 1hr = $1
Total = $27