Baltimore Roadtrip

I was up bright and early last Saturday morning. Well, not bright, more like cloudy and early. It was 7:40am on my day off when I awoke to a text from a friend of mine that said "I'm in the Bronx. First one to reply gets shotgun." I replied "I'll be ready in 6 minutes." It was time to get on the road because the Yankees were playing in Baltimore and my friends and I had tickets.

After Russ picked up Grumer, Jay and myself, we got on to 95 south. We drove through Jersey as fast as possible and only stopped once. It's just too hard to pass a Cracker Barrel without stopping. Once breakfast was resting safely in our stomachs and we were insulted enough by Philly fans, we were back in the car headed to Delaware.

Delaware went quickly and without even noticing, we were in Maryland. Soon we were ignoring Grumer's question of what a tunnel was and we were in the tunnel headed right into Baltimore. Once we exited the tunnel there it was. Just beyond M&T Stadium (the home of the Baltimore Ravens) was the beautiful Camden Yards.

After we were all done snapping pictures, it was time to find parking. We drove a few blocks and accidently parked in a hospital parking lot. We paid $7.00 for parking instead of $25.00 so I recommend making the same mistake. After we were parked in what seemed like the center of the earth because we went down so far to find a spot that wasn't reserved for physicians, we all got game ready and left whatever articles of clothing weren't needed in the car. We then realized we had arrived 6 hours prior to game time. WONDERFUL!

We walked to the stadium and directly across from Camden is a row of fun looking bars. And since it was dark and rainy we did what any man would do if they had 6 hours to kill before a sporting event. We drank.

We walked in to a bar called Pickles Pub and had a seat at their lesser crowded bar. We then made friends with the bar tender and began our fun. Slowly the place began to get crowded and to our surprise, the Yankee fans were strong in numbers. There were no angry words spoke between us and any O's fans. At one point it was recommended that we try Baltimore wings and I have to say, if you are in the area and are a lover of chicken wings, do try them.

After about 4 hours in the bar, we ventured outside. We were very surprised to see that the clouds had vanished and the sun was shining bright. Our next step was to enjoy a delicious Maryland crab cake because let's be honest, if youbare in Maryland and you don't try a crab cake, you are doing yourself a great injustice.

Once the crab cakes were done, it was time to venture inside. Upon seeing the field, you realize that Camden Yards is one of the most beautiful stadiums you will ever see. There is no easy way to describe why but everything about it just screams Baseball.

Our seats were outstanding. Right center field bleachers in the front row. There were a decent amount of Yankee fans so we weren't alone although I wasn't really worried, at this point we had established that Orioles fans are very nice people. They are not obnoxious Yankee haters (well not outwardly anyway). They are passionate and knowledgeable.

The game as a whole was a laugher although Adam Jones did what he could to spoil C.C.'s unstopable approach and make a game of it for a little while. Jones teed off on a pitch and drove it out in right field making it a 6-3 game. However, C.C. would go on to complete 8 innings and the Yankees would win 15-3 while hitting 5 homers (2 by Russell Martin).

Even while the Yankees were destroying the Orioles, the fans never really got on our case. It wasn't until the game was over sand we were outside that some O's fans decided to get tough. For the most part, we just laughed off remarks about how the Yankees "suck."

We walked the few blocks to our car and it was straight to New York for Easter dinner.

As a whole, the trip was certainly memorable and one I hope to take again someday.

WEEK IN REVIEW: The Yanks came home to a 4 game set against the White Sox. The Sox were able to take the first two games of the series by stifling the Yankee bats. The first game was lost 2-0. Rafael Soriano gave up the 2nd run in the ninth. The next night, the Yanks had a 2-1 lead going into the 8th, and again Soriano was not able to get the job done. This time, Soriano gave up a go ahead homer to Paul Konerko. I'm sick of hearing "it's only April" in regards to Soriano. The man is being paid a lot of money to get outs in every month, and if the Yankees end up losing the division by one game, you better believe I'll remember this.

The following night, the Yanks rode Bartolo Colon to a 3-1 victory. Colon threw a brilliant 8 innings just giving up 1 run. Mariano came in for the save.

C.C. Sabathia continued the recent string of strong outings with a 7 inning performance on Thursday night. The Yanks were being no hit through 4 innings despite taking a two run lead on 4 walks and a sacrifice fly. In th fifth, Gardner led off with a monster homerun to break up the no-no. The Yankees continued to collectively hit for the cycle in 4 consecutive at bats. The team batted around before recording an out. The game ended 12-3.

Tonight did not go so well. The pitching was painful, and the Yanks were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. The final score was 5-3.

Mark Teixeira was back in the lineup tonight after a night off due to a sore shoulder.

Phil Hughes may have a season ending circulatory issue and will be seeing a specialist on Monday.

Finally, the Yankees have welcomed back their back up catcher, Francisco Cervelli.

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On a Tear

First, let me start by apologizing for my recent absense. It certainly has been a little while since my last article. Last time I wrote an article, the Yankees were not in first place. Today, they have a 2.5 game lead over the A.L. East while Boston is still sitting in the basement of the division.

Are there still non-believers out there? Our Yanks are 10-6 and are the only team currently in the division with a winning record. The team is off to a rather powerful start. Offensively matching or even surpassing numbers from the 1927 Yankees aka Murders Row.

The team is winning. But if you know this team like I do, you know what its like when they are really clicking. They have not put it into that high gear yet, this team is poised to do a lot of damage, maybe more than I even realized.

One thing I am ready to say "I told you so" about is the acquisition of catcher Russell Martin. It is still early in the year and there is still a lot of baseball left to play but Martin has caught all but 1 game for this team and he has done it with fire and intensity. Not only has Martin been a solid addition on defense, he has been clutch with the bat. He is making a lot of people happy in the front office. Brian Cashman even went as far as saying that Martin was "Munson-like." Quite the compliment. Don't be shocked if the Yankees look to resign Martin at the end of the season if he continues to produce on a desired level.

If Martin is solid through July, it might even be wise to talk extension and trade star prospect Jesus Montero. But that's a post for another day.

That's all for now but check back this weekend for updates on my trip to Baltimore to see our Yanks take on the O's.

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Away We Go

It was a nice opening home stand for the Yankees overall.  After 6 games played, the team is coming away with 2 series wins and a 4-2 record.  The team seems to be gelling nicely and all aspects that were a concern seem to be working well.  Russell Martin is proving that he has what it takes to handle the pitching staff and also hitting the ball well.  Jeter's new stride-less swing has gone from the talk of the town to eliminated as a whole.  A.J. Burnett is 2-0 and Posada, Teixeira, and A-Rod are all locked in. Yup, all in all things are looking good in New York.  

In Boston, on the other hand, there has yet to be a single pitch thrown in the historic and timeless Fenway Park. The Red Sox have started their season on the road and it has not been a friendly road trip. The trip started in Texas and the pitching gave up 26 runs.  From Texas, the team travelled to Cleveland where they were out-scored 12-5 and lost the last game 1-0 due to a base running blunder in the 9th inning.  All said and done, the Red Sox come home with an 0-6 record.  Something the team hasn't in over 60 years.

This weekend, it's time to get serious.  The Yankees have an opportunity to put the Red Sox in an 0-9 hole and make early asses out of all the skeptics that called them underdogs.  It is interesting to see all the  analysts who picked the Red Sox to run away with the east, now suddenly saying that the team is "not as good as advertised." 

The truth is, as a Yankee fan, I get serious joy out of seeing this atrocious start.  However, it is just 6 games people.  There are 156 more of these things to play.  Make no mistake about it, the Red Sox are a great team and they will eventually click.  But since we are telling the truth, the Yankees are a much better team than advertised.  This weekend's series doesn't mean all that much in the great scheme of things but it can help put things in perspective.  This division is going to be tough and it will likely not be decided until the end of the season.  

The Red Sox will be coming into this series desperate for a win but the Yanks will be coming into every series looking to prove something.  Yet another reason to be excited about Baseball.  Let's Go Yankees!

A Grand Entrance

Opening Day in the Bronx proved to be an excellent start to the year.  C.C. didn't seem to have his best stuff but he still found a way to limit the Tigers to 3 runs while the Yankee bats came to life to take the lead twice.  Russell Martin started the offense for the Bombers by getting a lead off single in the thrid inning.  After a walk to Jeter, Martin stole third base.  While the stolen base was very impressive and certainly got the crowd going, it was ultimately unnecessary because of Mark Teixeira's 3 run blast to the second deck in right field.  The home run put the Yankees on top 3-1.

Sabathia would later give up 2 more runs but it would be Curtis Granderson who would break that tie with a solo bomb to the second deck in right field.  Granderson capped off an outstanding day by making an outstanding running catch in the 9th for the second out.  He also made a very impressive diving play in the first inning.  Granderson played an outstanding game against his former team and proved that he was in fact healthy enough to start the season in center field.

The Yanks went on to score 2 more runs and a very impressive 7th, 8th and 9th inning combo locked down a 6-3 win.  Joba, Soriano and Mariano combined for 3 perfect innings.  That late inning combo is hopefully a sign of things to come. 

MARIANO WATCH: 

Mo is in the hunt for the all time saves record and as he gets closer, I will be counting down until he achieves his goal.

42 more saves until the record is his.

Big Bart

With Ivan Nova all but locking up the 4 spot in the Yankees rotation, one spot still remains open. It seems Sergio Mitre is destined for the long relief spot in the bullpen. So for the final week of spring, Bartolo Colon will battle Freddy Garcia for the final spot even though that battle seems to be over. Garcia is not likely to see anymore action in the big league camp, although he is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game this week.

Brian Cashman said "We have a pretty good idea of what Freddy can do." He said that Colon was just way more surprising this month. Joe Girardi seems to agree. Girardi explains that he is no longer a power pitcher but he can still get his velocity up to about 93MPH and can still locate very well. A long with his command, he has improved his breaking ball and his change up, essentially reinventing himself on the mound.

Garcia has not pitched badly and, if it came down to it, he could likely do a pretty decent job at the back end of the rotation but the Yankees seem to feel they have caught lightning in a bottle with Colon. There is still some life left in that right arm. The only serious concern remaining about Colon is his weight. Colon is up at 267 pounds and the Yanks are wondering if he can hold up through the dog days of summer. Girardi says that it hasn't been cool in camp lately and Colon has bounced back nicely. But his lack of a full season since his Cy Young year in 2005 begs the question; can he take the ball every 5 days for 6 months? These are the things that the Yankees must think about over the course of the next week but with AJ Burnett being named the official number 2 starter, I imagine the rotation will look like this:

1. Sabathia
2. Burnett
3. Hughes
4. Nova
5. Colon

SIDENOTE: Joba is scheduled to pitch tonight, officially putting his oblique issue behind him. Chamberlain is not worrid but Girardi will feel better after he sees him effectively throw an inning.
Pedro Feliciano (bicep tightness) threw a bullpen session in which he threw 25 pitches and reported no issues.

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Foreshadowing

Last night, we got a glimpse of the Yankees as they will take the field on Opening Day against the Tigers. Along with their now likely number 4 starter, Ivan Nova, the Yanks showed what they can do against an Opening Day caliber Baltimore team. The Yanks put on a show with the bats including 2 doubles by Teixeira, a double by Chavez and a monster 2 run blast off the bat of Alex Rodriguez.

In fact, the only starter that did not join the hit parade was Bret Gardner who still managed to reach base by working a walk. Yes, the Yankee offense looked amazing last night but the story was (as it has been all spring) the pitching.

Ivan Nova showed his confidence and his ability by hurling 6 shutout innings against a talented O's lineup. Not only did he not give up a run, he never surrendered a hit, while striking out 4 batters. Nova's only blemishes were a hit batter in the first and an error by A-Rod. Only one hit was given up all game and it was by the most unlikely candidate, Mariano Rivera. Mo gave up a double to Vlad Guerrero. Other than that hit, Mo was strong. He needed only 12 pitches to get out of the inning even with the double to Guerrero. Prior pitched a strong inning surrendering a walk but no hits. Dave Robertson ended the game with a perfect inning, even striking out a batter.

Girardi won't admit it but with just two starts left for Nova, it's hard to see him not starting the season as the Yankees' number 4 starter. Leaving the 5 spot to Bartolo Colon and a long relief spot for Freddy Garcia. This is only speculation of course. We will know for sure in 2 weeks when the Yankees take the field in the Bronx.

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Lightning In A Bottle

It is now a 17 days until the Yankees suit up in their pinstripes. Just 17 short days until Opening Day. Spring Training is now more than half way over and dare I say it, the Yankees look to have possibly caught lightening in a bottle with several players. Of course, it all depends on how they hold up during the season, but I have to believe the Yanks are feeling good about what they see.

This may surprise you but I am not going to start with the pitching. Eric Chavez has done a great deal to turn some heads. He is batting .417 this spring and has shown range with his glove by learning to play first base. Chavez is looking to make the roster has a backup corner infielder and as long as he stays healthy, it seems the job is his.
By adding Chavez to the team, the Yanks are adding a veteran player who has the ability to play everyday and can fill in for A-Rod and Teixeira when needed without giving up a whole lot in the field. He has had some problems staying healthy recently but is looking to put that behind him.

Russell Martin has quietly had himself a nice spring. He has shown that he can be an asset at the plate as well as behind it. Martin's bat hasn't been quiet, even hitting his first spring homerun a few days ago but it is his ability to work the count and walk that had really caught my eye. He has done what the Yankees intended Nick Johnson to do last season. What has really impressed me about Martin though is his ability to call a game. He has learned the staff very well and seems comfortable catching everyone. His arm is also very impressive, which will hopefully minimize the opponent's running game.

O.K., now its on to the pitchers.

Bartolo Colon is pitching for a spot in the rotation and he has really turned some heads. His dominant command is making him a front runner for one of the two available spots in the the starting rotation. He has given up a couple of runs but he rebounds nicely and makes his pitches. I would have to say that right now he is the only front runner for a spot. It is not for lack of pitching though. It is because the other 3 guys are also bringing their A game.

Ivan Nova has been pitching very well but his last outing was less than stellar. Nova looks like the type of pitcher who always has to overcome that one bad inning during a start. Although there is hope for Nova because early on, Phil Hughes looked that way as well.

Freddy Garcia gave up 4 runs in his outing yesterday but previouly had not given up a run. It will be important to see how he bounces back from this start but he seems healthy and comfortable. You have to remember, these guys are not always going to be perfect. In fact, you expect the back end of your rotation to have the most amount of losses. With the setup the Yanks have now, I believe they are not only going to be good, but I am also havinga hard time believing this "underdog" label they have been given.

SIDE NOTE: Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera gave us our first preview to the 8th and 9th inning combo. Soriano pitched well giving up 1 hit in a scoreless frame. Mo dazzled hitters with his cutter as usual. Rivera struck out all three batters he faced, two of them looking. He threw 12 pitches, 9 for strikes in what was a dominant first outing of the spring for the closer. Mo has started his spring late as usual and is expected to throw 6-8 inning before the start of the season. Soriano is comfortable with this number and seems to be following Rivera's lead.

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