7:02 Shulman, Hershiser, and Phillips in the booth tonight. I like Hershiser alright…at least we’re spared Miller and Morgan.
7:06 Progressive Field, not The Jake, in Cleveland. That’s a shame.
7:07 Posada out of the Yankees lineup for the first time since 1996. On the ESPN ticker on the bottom of the screen where it usually says “MLB” or “NBA”, it just said “Clemens” to deliver the news of his alleged affair with that country singer whom I had to look up to discover that she at one time was famous for getting arrested a lot. I wish Clemens would go away.
7:08 Pitching for Cleveland is Aaron Laffey, who has never faced the Yankees. He was just called up from AAA Buffalo. Do the Yankees still scare young guys just by virtue of being the Yankees? I’m not so sure. Maybe that leadoff walk of Melky was indicative of something. Maybe Laffey is just freaking cold because it’s like 45 degrees there.
7:11 Jeter reaches on error. Shulman said it was scored as “a fielder’s choice, E4.” What?
7:13 “Subpoenaed” is an awkward looking word.
7:13 A-Rod pops up with men on the corners. The Yankees have been atrocious so far this year with RISP.
7:14 I’m not going to recount every at bat, don’t worry. I think I’m just excited and/or nervous and/or a blogging phenom, but that last one remains to be seen.
7:15 Typical of the Yankees this year. It looked like Giambi crushed that ball and it just sort of died in right center and was caught for the third out. I can only hope that once the weather warms up that the Yankee bats will do the same. And that Giambi will at least get up to the Mendoza line, which would currently be nearly double his average. Yes, double.
7:18 Moose pitching for the Yankees. The last time I watched him pitch, Manny Ramirez made Moose’s whole week, if you know what I mean. (He’s had at least one real quality start since.)
7:22 People who sit behind home plate and are constantly on their cell phones and waving at the camera should be prosecuted as terrorists.
7:23 I’ve quickly noticed a huge advantage to this running diary thing. I’m paying attention to only my thoughts and what is going on on the field; I rarely if ever am listening to the dummies in the booth!
7:26 Jack Daniel’s commercial…damn the power of advertising. Be right back.
7:30 I went to the kitchen to get my drink and everything went wrong. The dishwasher started to (and continues to make) some seriously threatening noises and a bunch of ice fell out of the freezer. I missed the whole half inning, save for some quick glances and listening to the play-by-play. Laffey must have thrown what, 5 pitches? Way to be patient, hitters.
7:35 Two things that I love that don’t go well when consumed at the same time: avocado and whiskey. I know, you’re surprised too.
7:36 Jeter just reached a grounder but couldn’t make the throw. Sabermetricians love to bash on Jeter, and I’m well aware that it’s partly because it’s Jeter and Sabermetricians love to show how their stats and graphs buck conventional wisdom so Jeter is a perfect subject. That being said, I do agree that he’s overrated in the field. But I also don’t think he’s as horrific as the Saber guys would have you believe. Speaking of Jeter, this always makes me laugh.
7:44 One of the dummies just pointed out that Casey Blake shares the record for putouts in an inning: 3. Is this really necessary to point out that he shares a record with hundreds if not thousands of other players?
7:46 Whoa. Just went to baseball-reference to find some Steve Phillips stats to make fun of, and they’ve redone their search. Results now come up in a wiki. Weird. Also, BR lists Al Leiter as a New York Met “franchise player.” Really?
7:48 Indians batting. Right on cue, E6. Ugh.
7:50 Hershiser retired with 204 wins and an ERA+ of 112, 25 SHO, and 2014 Ks. Not bad at all. I don’t recall ever seeing him pitch. He was only in the AL for 3 years, only one of which I was living in the country. If only we had a time during the season in which fans of AL teams could have the opportunity to see NL players matched up against their favorite…just kidding. I hate interleague play and don’t you forget it.
7:51 While I was harping, another ball (hit) got by Jeter. I don’t believe in jinxes.
7:58 I can’t believe people get paid to do this.
7:59 Approximately the 47th pitch of this at bat coming up. Mussina won’t last 5 at this rate.
8:00 There we go. Moose pitched out of a small jam there. He makes me nervous this year, and I feel bad. I feel like I’m letting a friend down. He had a rough year last year and a terrible spring. He’s getting old. He routinely gets whupped by Boston. I’m pulling for him but this year is definitely his swan song. By the way, the story behind the saying “swan song” is surprisingly half-interesting.
8:04 Someone just mentioned how Jeter, assuming he remains healthy, will race by 3,000 hits and will have a legitimate shot at 4,000. It’s going to be so weird watching him DH as I assume he will near the end.
8:05 Among other boggling stats, A-Rod has 10 straight 30 HR seasons.
8:11 On the ESPN ticker…”NBA Alert…Giants will move P Barry Zito to bullpen.”…some intern just got fired.
8:16 Jhonny Peralta…was that on purpose or did his parents make a mistake? I honestly wonder without judgment. Believe it or not.
8:19 Those people behind home plate are STILL waving, Jose Molina is slower than molasses, and potentially drunk Arkansas Megan’s drunkenness is currently incalculable through text messages.
8:27 Cano just got hit in the back, which seems to be the only way the Yankees will get on base tonight. Still no hits on Laffey.
8:31 Drudge is relaying an article that a couple “experts” are predicting that gas will reach $10 a gallon this summer. They base this on a projection that oil will reach $200 in the next two to three years. Well I think oil will reach $6,000 a barrel and gas will be $194.50 a gallon. There are roughly a bzillion factors that go into those prices and these so-called experts can’t make any better projections than you or I can.
8:34 Giambi totally blew that pick-off.
8:34 In the same article I reference above comes this quote: “There was a pray-in at a Chevron station in San Francisco on Friday led by a minister asking God for cheaper gas.” I don’t even know what to say about that. That is a factor that I did not include in my estimate of a bzillion.
8:35 Back to back hits on Moose. This is a typical 5th inning for him this year. He’s pitched pretty well so far though so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt here.
8:36 Jose Molina has 9 stolen bases in his career. The brothers Molina have a combined 16 stolen bases in a combined 25 years of major league baseball.
8:39 First run of the game goes to Cleveland. Two on, no out. I think Moose lets things affect him much more psychologically than he used to. I don’t have a good feeling about getting out of this inning without letting any more runs in.
8:40 Clemens’ agent’s name is Rusty Hardin. Potential stage name?
8:41 Another hit, bases loaded, no outs. The Moose is shaken, and he should be. Cleveland didn’t beat the Yankees and reach the ALCS last year for nothin’. Bullpen is alive.
8:42 Jonathan Jessica Albaladejo is warming up. One down in the meantime. Hafner up. He’s tied for the MLB record for grand slams in a season, with 6 in 2006. (Tied with Mattingly, 1987)
8:45 Hafner sac fly, another run in. It was an obvious out and not out of the park and yet I didn’t see the Cleveland fans jump out of their seats and scream wildly as if the bases were about to be cleared. Philly fans, take note.
8:48 If Mussina gets out of this down 2-0, he will have done a great job…as he loads the bases again with a walk. Still, he’ll have gotten out relatively unharmed, given the potential for the New York bats. Albaladejo still comes in in the 6th, I think.
8:50 Lineout to Jeter. Not bad, Moose.
8:51 Kevin Kouzmanoff, currently with the Padres, was with Cleveland in 2006 when he hit a grand slam on the first pitch he ever saw in the majors.
8:53 First hit of the night for the Yankees comes from Melky. Say what you want about the Yankees’ mediocrity so far this year, but no-hitting them through 5 is still a feat for the youngin Laffey.
8:54 Jeter caught a break there but it was a makeable play by Blake. Score is a hit.
8:56 Abreu loads the bases with a line drive to left. No outs. I wish the Yankees would consider hitting like this earlier in games, before they’ve fallen behind. I’ll take what I can get.
8:57 A-Rod is .350 with 16 homers with the bases loaded in his career. The guy is not as bad with RISP as people would have you believe.
8:58 He also is good at getting hit by the ball. 2-1, Cleveland.
9:00 A-Rod has been hit 128 times in his career…what else do you expect me to do when the Indians meet at the mound?
9:01 Giambi RBI groundout ties the game. He’s good for something, I guess.
9:02 Matsui RBI groundout, Yankees up 3-2. Ah, a base hit or two would have been nice. Laffey is done.
9:05 Hershiser was kind to call Ensberg’s squib a “chopper” as somehow everyone is safe and another run comes in. 4-2, Yankees.
9:07 Cleveland finally gets out of the inning as Cano grounds out. I am currently very unsure as to whether Mussina comes back. I say yes, for a hit or two. The bullpen has been worn out lately.
9:08 I need to meet Arkansas Megan at the occasionally exceptionally shady metro stop in about 15 minutes. I’m not sure what’s going to happen when we get back as I can still not ascertain the exact level of drunkenness. Such are the natural risks of blogging, I suppose.
9:10 Moose in fact did not return. Albaladejo and his career 206 ERA+ take the mound. (Alright, 22 career IP.) I’m just glad I can consistently say his name correctly. Former National, by the way. It’s a wonder he’s not with the Mets, as every other former National seemingly is. I’m sure there’s no connection between that fact and the Mets’ current state.
9:15 Kyle Farnsworth is warming up. I’m suddenly very uncomfortable. (For a similar scenario, see: Jersey Matt when Jorge Sosa is warming up. Scratch that; any member of the Mets bullpen that isn’t Joe Smith or Pedro Feliciano. Maybe Figueroa if he hasn’t been drinking at all. Or maybe only if he has been drinking heavily. I’m not sure.) (That would be Jersey Matt drinking or not drinking, not Figueroa.)
9:18 In the meantime, the Indians have runners on the corners and 2 outs.
9:20 The dummies are discussing how to pronounce “Albaladejo”. They clearly were not trained by Michael Kay, as I was.
9:21 K for the last out. Nice pitching.
9:23 Metro time. Game paused. Love DVR.
9:39 Back, beat the buffer. Excellent.
9:42 Superb catch by RF Jason Michaels to rob Jeter of a hit. Web gem.
9:43 Just accidentally fast forwarded through a whole non-commercial segment. I don’t know what happened. Don’t want to risk that again so I’m going to just go forward slowly…
9:45 Well I just totally screwed that up and I’m back on live and missed everything that had recorded. Top 8, 2 out, Matsui up, still 4-2 Yankees. Apparently I didn’t miss much.
9:46 Matsui snuck a hit to the wall for an RBI 2B, Damon scores. 5-2. I can’t believe Matsui is younger than Jeter. Pitching change for Indians.
9:49 Morgan Ensberg is up. Read his guest appearance on Phil Hughes’ blog.
9:51 Ensberg pops up, Joba should be out next.
9:54 I wish Joba would bend his hat’s brim. Just a little.
9:55 Hershiser made a great point about a pitcher being able to deliberately slow a game down immensely, in reference to Joba and the bugs in last year’s ALDS in Cleveland. Young guy trying to tough it out, I think. Either that or he was a rookie in a real tough spot in the playoffs and he wasn’t thinking straight, which is totally understandable.
9:58 Joba gets out without any damage.
10:00 Surprisingly sober Arkansas Megan just asked a very valid question: How many times have they shown that Baseball Tonight guys at the Bobby Thompson game commercial tonight? Sadly, I do not know. But it’s been many.
10:01 They just showed a Rick Ankiel highlight, which immediately prompted someone to mention what a great story Ankiel’s is. Have we forgotten that the guy was found to have used HGH? Why was it such a big deal but suddenly we’ve forgotten? For some reason I still don’t mind it nearly as much as announcers’ constant fawning over Shawne Merriman and never ever mentioning his steroid suspension.
10:03 8-9-1 for Rivera in the bottom of the 9th after the break. He hasn’t given up a walk this season.
10:05 Shulman just stole my stat, only I think he said that Mo hasn’t given up a hit either, which is not true.
10:06 One out. Mussina is in line for the win, by the way.
10:07 Damn you, Shulman! How do I get to be the guy who slips the dummies all their stats?
10:09 Those uniform patches commemorating the Stadium’s last season are way too big.
10:10 Flyout to Abreu, two down.
10:11 Baseball-reference lists Rivera’s current ERA+ as “infinite”
10:11 Game over, Yankees 5 – Cleveland 2. Mussina gets the win, Mo the save. A successful first running diary? Comments and self-criticism tomorrow will tell.
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