Yanks Take Game One

The Good

CC Sabathia pitched the postseason game of his life, going 8.2 innings and allowing only two mercy runs. The Yankees absolutely pummeled Baltimore closer, Jim Johnson, whom they now call Dim Dumbson. He's still crying about that. Russell Martin continues to hit only if it matters, getting the go-ahead home run as the first at-bat of the ninth just as the TBS announcers had finished mentioning how impossible it was to hit Jim Johnson's sinker in cold weather.

The Bad

After the game, Russell Martin described his home run by saying, "I put good wood on it." (Source). Damn Russell, think before you speak.

The Ugly

The mood in Baltimore was somber. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. The Orioles had magic on their side. Magic. They were supposed to beat the Yankees at home, using magic taught to them by the wise old wizard, Buck Showalter.

Could it be there was no magic? That there had never been any magic? Can the collective psyche of a team whose oldest player can't purchase Harry Potter tickets without an accompanying adult handle the possibility of a game determined by skill honed through practice rather than mythical forces?

The tears that cleansed the clubhouse floor suggested no. They could not go on without magic. They had to believe, or they had to let their season die. Miserably. Die like the aura surrounding a Jim Johnson sinker facing the number eight hitter in a line-up. At least the clubhouse floor was clean.

Postseason Home Run Count

Some people forget about the children once October comes around, but not the kind and beautiful souls at RJG. Kofi Annan has called us a "global force for Good." But we're just doing what anybody else would do. We're not anything special. Just because we put our pants on two legs at a time doesn't mean we're better than you. We're much better than you but it's for other reasons.

Russell Martin 1hr = $2

Total 1 hr = $2