Is anyone happier than me that the month of April is over? 

this month was a true litmus test, to not only the Bombers, but as to fan patience and loyalty.   a 9-14 record, 6.5 games out of first, and whats worst, LAST PLACE IN THE STANDINGS.  And of course, The Boss isnt happy.  I agree with the vote of confidence, and I think that George is right.  Its put up or shut up time. 

"The season is still very young, but up to now the results are clearly not acceptable to me or to Yankee fans. However, Brian Cashman our general manager, Joe Torre our manager and our players all believe that they will turn this around quickly. I believe in them. I am here to support them in any way to help them accomplish this turnaround. It is time to put excuses and talk away. It is time to see if people are ready to step up and accept their responsibilities. It is time for all of them to show me and the fans what they are made of. Let's get going. Let's go out and win and bring a world championship back to New York. That's what I want."

You're Gosh-darned right, George.  Everyone is going to have to step up, starting tomorrow out in Texas.  This is embarrassing.  Its embarrassing to see the Yanks play like this, its embarrassing to see them drop 2 of 3 to the Sox, and its embarrassing to see Red Sox fans parading their dirty hats all over the place, especially in the Fashion District.  Its bad for the morale of this city, and it just doesent feel right. 

Time to get it together, fellas. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Tonight was one of those games that was hard to watch.  I mean, Phil Hughes gave it his all and pitched a good game(well,just about as good as we needed at this point), and the Yanks couldnt get into any offensive rhythm whatsoever.  It was excruciating to watch, and the Yanks have hit bottom this season.  I dont care where the Yanks end up this season, they need to win in the worst way this weekend.  ESPECIALLY against Boston. 

Like I mentioned up top, Phil Hughes pitched a good game tonight, or at least did his part to keep the Yanks in it.  He gave up 2 runs before he recorded 2 outs.  He placed his fastball well and kept them off balance with that nasty curve of his.  I felt that the ump was squeezing him a bit, and it wasnt something that was given to both sides a the ump was expanding the strike zone on AJ Burnett.  I mean, I know he is just a kid, but help him out a bit!  Or at least call a consistent game and call it for both sides, something that he didnt do.  Hughes went way up in the pitch count, and all Hughes could muster was 4.1.  I wasnt expecting a long outing from Hughes, and the bullpen once again didnt help matters much.   

Offensively, there wasnt much to talk about.  Jason Giambi hit one opposite field, and got tagged out trying to stretch it into a double.  He got the "Di-Di-Dee" award tonight for that one.  A-Rod hit a bomb that almost made it out, but Vernon Wells made it look easy. 

Onto the second series against Boston, as Andy Pettitte goes up against Daisuke Matsuzaka.  I felt that we got at Dice-K enough the last time we saw him, and although the Yanks have been under a current run of bad form, I think that we can give Boston a run for their money.  You can never count The Bombers out at any point of the season, and you cant count them out now. 

Stephanie was telling me on the ride home that if I was a fan during the 80's, if I put up with the insults from all the bandwagon kids that became Mets fans, that I can put up with a losing streak like this and that I have to stay strong for the team, cause they need all the fans to be strong.  There is nothing better to me than being a fan of the Yankees.  I get to cheer for the Greatest Team, and I do so proudly because they represent my borough.  Us as Yankee fans need to rally around our team, and send all that good karma towards 161 and River.  And this too, shall pass.  Im not giving up on this team, and I dont think that anyone else should, either.  Right now is when all the bandwagoners will fall off and the real fans will show their true colors and wear them proudly.  Though we have hit bottom(when was the last time you saw the Yanks drop 6 in a row?), Im supremely confident that we can turn this around and get to where we gotta go.  Lets see where Toronto stands in October. 

Kei Igawa is going to be skipped on Saturday, giving us a Jeff Kartsens-Tim Wakefield matchup.  Maybe he can get into the bullpen and work on his control a bit, as he was all over the place in his last start.  People are expecting too much out of him too soon, and I think that he is going to need some time to adjust.  Jeff Kartsens pitched OK last Saturday, but Ive seen better out of him.

6 in a row.  Lets get it together, guys, you know youre better than this!

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

BOSTON *****!!!!!!!!
BOSTON *****!!!!!!!!

Getting ready to head out to The BX and Im thinking to myself, "This kid better be the real deal, And Im sure that he is".  You'll never know if the kid is ready till you give him a chance.

Good Luck, Phil, and welcome to The Bronx.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

So Steph and I are driving, and once we reached 161 and the Concourse, we hear on 1010 WINS that tonight's game is going to be called.  At least Phil Hughes is still scheduled to pitch tomorrow.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Thats what Rhoderick told me this morning when he called me. He and I are in utter disbelief at this 8-11, 4.0 games behind, LAST PLACE TEAM!!!!!!  Now Im at the point of anger, as this current run of form does nothing to ease me, and watching it is nauseating to say the least.  I know that I always say that its only April, but May is around the corner and that excuse wont work past next week. 

Last night was terrible.  Despite Matty going yard, in light of Jorgie tying it with a double, and Josh Phelps giving us a lead,  besides Scott Kasmir opening the door in the 7th with an error, NOTHING. Actually having the lead, and with Wang-o having an opportunity to win the game(note the re-occuring patter for what seems like the last week and a half), and an over-taxed bullpen(read: Bruney, Myers, and Vizcaino) giving up hits, and Mike Myers giving up a Granny to Carl Crawford, and The D-Rays actually moving up to 4th and posting a better record than us at this point.   FOR SHAME!!!!!!

The sun rises on the new day, and the Bombers are back home. I just found out that I have a ticket for tomorrow night's game!!! PHIL HUGHES, BABY!!!!! I want to thank Rhoderick once again for hooking me up, as I have been waiting for this moment since the kid got drafted.  He asked me if I wanted to go to tonight's game, and I may just do that as well, as I always love watching Andy Pettitte do his thing.  He goes up against AJ Burnett tonight, and Andy has always had the reputation of being a losing-streak killer.  Only thing stopping me is the laundry, but Im thinking about getting a jump on that since Im working from home today.  We need a win badly, not just for pride at this point, but for the team ego.  Pitching, from the starters to Mo HAVE TO ABSOLUTELY PICK THIS TEAM UP!!!!  Offense has been going off,  and Wang had the lead.  The bullpen has to do a better job of keeping leads and not giving in to hitters.  The sun rose on the new day, and The Yanks are still The Yanks.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

WHAT THE **** IS GOING ON HERE!!! 5 IN A ROW????!!!!!!!

So everyone knows how rough its been this weekend, getting swept by the BooSox and taking a backseat to The Orioles of all teams(actually if the D-Rays were in front of us, Id be p1ssed).  Going up to Boston and coming up empty isnt something Im used to seeing, and is something that I havent seen  happen since 1991. 

With the exception of Andy Pettitte's start of friday night, pitching killed us this weekend.  It was hard to see the Yanks post 2 runs in the first in each game, and have the lead be handed back to the Sox, and The Bombers regaining the lead, with the bullpen giving it right back.  The bullpen is taxed, and with the exception of Andy's start, the rotation is not picking up the pen. To have the bullpen showing fatigue this early in the season can never be a good thing. Jeff Kartsens got rattled saturday, and The Sox tied a record for 4 straight dingers in the second, taking what was at that point a 1 run lead when it was said and done.  Manny, Drew, Lowell, and Captain Cookie all go deep, and none of them were cheapies.  It was infuriating to watch, but I never counted the Bombers out, not with this lineup.  When I looked at the matchups, I thought that we were in over our heads on the weekend matchups, and friday night was our best chance to grab a W.   Dice-K looked beatable last night, but the bullpen muffed one.  Losses like this are always tough to take, but you gotta swallow it.

Despite bad pitching, I thought that offense kept us in it for the most part in this series. They kept it close, and A-Rod's bat is staying hot, as he went off for the most part.  I think that the shot of the weekend was his second homer on friday night, as Cereal Boy tumbled over the wall in a vain attempt to snag it.  I can take some satisfaction in knowing that the bats are getting hot, and the offense was making Dice-K sweat all last night.  Derek hits his first dinger of the campaign, posting the go-ahead run at the time.   Im liking what Im seeing out of the offense, and its one that can score runs at will and can put pressure on the best pitchers in the league. 

Things can only get better from here, as Wang and The Moose are on track to rejoin the team this week, and Carl Pavano is on his way back(though Ive been saying that a bit too much lately).  Beth from Yankees Chick is quoted as saying " I just hope we can get Clemens soon.  We can win the division without him, but going deep in the playoffs will require him."  Maybe.  He would definitely give us depth in the rotation, but the question as to whether he is going to pitch has not been answered yet and I personally am not sure that he will return.  But the Yanks can afford the luxury and will do his best to get him.   True, we werent supposed to be in it this weekend, but we were.  we were in it for the most part and if the bullpen had played its part, the results could have been the other way around. 

Time to panic?  Not in April.  Though there are some ****** in the armor, we are getting some key arms back this week, and hopefully we can end the month of April on a high point.  Onto tonight, as Kei Igawa goes up against Casey Fossum.  Im looking for the Yankee bats to keep up the production and Im looking for some payback against the D-Rays.  Don't despair, Yankee fans, though Sox fans will celebrate and gloat like they've won the World Series.  But then again, theyre on pace to win another one in about 83 years,.  Celebrate now, cause next weekend is a different story.  Its funny cause I can imagine all these Sox fans in the city with their faded hats and inflated egos.  Dont worry, Ill heckle all of you and kindly remind you what city youre in, and guess what, it aint named Boston. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Note to Yankee Management. :  Bring up Phil Hughes.

BOSTON STILL *****!!!!

I had looked for the Yanks to go strong this series, and due to the fact that we did miss CC Sabathia on this go-round, I was totally looking for the Bombers to sweep.  I wasnt expecting A-Rod to end another one, and I didnt give up on the guys.

I was at the game Tuesday night, and I witnessed an offensive explosion against Jake Westbrook, featuring A-Rod hitting one to Monument Park.  This guy is just a beast.  He is hitting them to all fields, and he is doing it with a confidence that I havent seen from him in a while.  Last night was more of the same as he helped Kei Igawa earn his first Major League win.  This afternoon, another bomb to the Yankee bullpen.  This, my friends, is called Being In the Zone.  When youre in it, its a great feeling.

I felt that Darrell Razner pitched a decent game, and I did like the way he pitched out of trouble this afternoon.  bases loaded and none out, he got out of it unscathed, striking out Jhonny Peralta to end the inning.  Surprisingly enough, Brian Bruney got himself in the same situation, and got out of it without any damage.  Luis Vizcaino gives up a 3 run dinger, and things get interesting at that point. On to the bottom of the 9th.

Josh Phelps hit a bomb, and if the game were to end there, I thought that it looked respectable. But it didnt.  You can never discount this lineup.  There is no such thing as a weak link in this lineup, and  the top of the lineup got the job done.  Here comes A-Rod, and there it goes.  You know that there was a point last season that if he were in this same situation, Choke-Rod would rear his ugly head, but this, my loyal 3 readers, is the re-modeled 2007 A-Rod, The Man Without Fear.  He absolutely CRUSHED one, and the Yanks come back from 4 down to win it by 2.  And that, my friends, is the best way to go into a big weekend.   

Everyone knows that this is my favorite time of the season, the Yankees-Red Sox weekend match-up.  As BooSton celebrates the 95th birthday of the Fens, the Greatest Rivalry in Sports makes its 2007 debut.  Tomorrow night is a match-up for the ages, as Andy Pettitte goes up against Curt Schilling.  Saturday will feature Jeff Kartsens Vs. Josh Beckett, and ESPN's sunday night baseball game will feature 2 rookies, as Chase Wright goes up against Dice-K.  Who has the edge here?  Gimme a break. 

This afternoon I ran across a good rivalry site, http://www.empirevsnation.com.  Its some pretty good stuff, as both sides of the arguement are prevalent and its always fun to read what Boston fans have to say(even though I dont really care what Boston fans have to say half the time).  Check it out, it makes for some good reading.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Last night was just a bad night as far as baseball was concerned.  I opened up the 2007 with the MadDogs and lost, and I had hoped that I would salvage the night by coming home with a win, but that wasnt to be.  Blah.

What got me the most about The Yanks last night was the fact that they had plenty chances to win the game, starting with Kei Igawa pitching well for most of his time there, from having the bases loaded with none out, not once, but twice.  I think that Igawa pitched well, but Eric Chavez touched him up on a pitch that stayed up when he should have focused on briging it down like had had done for the most part.  The sad part about it was that Igawa left the game as the winning pitcher, and for the most part, save for Kyle Farnsworth giving up a meatball to Nick Swisher, which tied the game.  As I watched the replay this morning, I noticed that Farnie was rushing in his delivery.  He wasnt locating his fastball and thus let last nights game turn into his second consecutive bad outing. Im going to go out on a limb and say Farnie's a bum.  He is fighting himself at this point, and its not looking pretty.  Brian Bruney was good last night, but I was a bit amiss about Joe giving up a free pass to load the bases.  At that point, we had man on first and third with one out.  A double play would have ended the A's half and given the top of the lineup a chance to get up and do their thing.  Instead, Dougie M rushed a throw to the plate and the A's won the game.  And I preceded to go to sleep after that one.  Just ugly.

Offense was getting on base last night, but no one came up with that big hit.  The best we could do was to walk in a couple of runs and settle for sac flys.  The middle of the lineup didnt get the job done.  We left the bases loaded way too many times, and when you have the bases loaded with none out and have to settle for just one run, there is no way you can win games like that. 

Like I mentioned up top, me and the MadDogs opened up our 2007 season last night with a 8-2 loss to the NY Pirates, a new addition to the NYCMBL this season.  Suffice it to say that defense wins games, something that me and the Dogs were lacking last night.  I struck out looking on ball 6 and got hit in the instep of my left foot of all places, and took myself out of the game as I had to hobble to first.  Imagine me, a lefty batter, doing all I can to get out of the way, and me doing a bad Charlie Brown impression and landing on my left hip.  Suffice it to say, I am in pain this afternoon.

Onto tonight, as Stephanie and I are hosting a game night.  Its gonna be beer, board games and Yankee Baseball!!  I hope that tonight ends up better than last night, as Darrell Razner goes up against Joe Blanton.  As I read that Carl Pavano is skipping his start due to elbow and forearm stiffness.  I am holding my breath on this one, as anything relating Carl Pavano and any sort of pain is never good to see.  Im looking for Razner to pick himself up after his last start, and I know that this kid knows how to pitch.  Nonetheless, offense has to pick pitching up.  The Yanks need to come out and take care of business, and get us a win. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Beating the Twins is something that I love to watch.  Its not for any particular reason, its just that the Twins are that much of a quality team, except for the fact that there isnt much to talk about after Johan Santana.  a 10-1 win, and one that Im feeling good about.         

After a mostly emotional return last Thursday night, and a huge letdown that was the final score, I was looking for Andy to have a good start, and thats what he had.  He isnt the same pitcher that he was when he was younger, he is actually better now.  He is changing speeds effectively, and isnt depending on a overpowering fastball.  He went 7 strong, and he looked solid.  96 pitches, and had a shutout going.  I had to almost wince when Scott Proctor came on, as he promptly gave up a run.  Luis Vizcaino came in and shut it down.  The Greatest That Ever Did It got some work in the 9th, and he was trying out the off-speed stuff.  Man, if Mo starts throwing a off-speed pitch, he is going to add at least 2 years to his arm.  He will be unhittable, nuff said. 

A-Rod!  The dude is looking so locked in, its scary.  Its not even the fact that he is hitting homers, its just good to see him making solid contact and going opposite field.  To hit the ball in that hard in that direction is just something to see.  Johnny Damon CRUSHED one, a 3 run job marking his first dinger of the season.  Melky finally got the bat going, getting 3 base hits on the night.  Kevin Thompson ripped a 2 run double and Bombers go up 9.  Twins pitching was not up to snuff, and the Yanks made them pay. 

Defense was good last night as well, as DJ made a couple of awesome plays, and Melky makes a great catch, as he is caught at full extension to make the final out of the bottom of the 8th. 

All in all, a good win.  Tonight features The Moose going up against Ramon Ortiz.  Moose is looking t o rebound from a bad start last week, which seems to be the trend this week.  another good matchup tonight pits Dice-K Vs. King Felix up in BooSton.  This matchup is gonna be too good to passs up, and I expect the buttons on the remote to get a workout tonight. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Now THAT's what Im talking about! 

Tonight's game had it all;  Good starting pitching, some longball, GREAT defense, and the big hit when it was needed.  Pav becomes the first starter to get out of the 5th, and he looked solid.  Given the state of the staff, I think that Carl did a he77 of a job and picked his mates up, making his pitches when he had to, and what I liked the most was his effectiveness.  79 Pitches?  That's whats up.  He got the double plays when he needed to, and the offense had his back, as Jorgie hit a shot to left that bounced in the seats for 2.  Speaking of locked in, what about A-Rod, as he sent a screamer the opposite way, and those are the ones that I like seeing, thats his power zone and he is absolutely CRUSHING the ball at this point.  Bobb-O hits his first dinger, and he crushed a meatball off of Our Favorite Fatty.  Sidney Ponson left his pitches everywhere, and was nowhere near effective.  I think that right now, I can go 4-5 off this dude, and my last at-bat was me trying to look cute up there. 

Defense was another thing dogging the Bombers last week, but the leather show was in full effect tonight.  DJ makes another great play, and Robbie goes across his body and against momentum to get his man.  NIce.  Like I mentioned before, Pav got the double play ball when he needed it, as he started one and DJ goes 6-3 on another one.  Johnny Damon showed no ill effects of his strained calf as he hustled out and made some key plays. 

I cant stop talking about Carl Pavano, but he was downright good tonight.  He was effective, throwing 79 and only gave up 2 runs.  This is the type of performance that we needed, and the type of performance that can set the precedence for the starting rotation for the week to come.  When he got in trouble, he got out of it.  He didnt back down, and was making Joe Mauer look silly for most of the night.  Defense helped out, and I think what sticks out the most was Carl's ability to hold a lead, and the offense had his back too. 

Onto tomorrow, as Andy Pettitte looks to give the Yanks another solid performance as he goes up against Boof Bonser.  What kind of name is Boof?  Only he knows, I guess. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Wow.  After he first week of the season, I think that several things are becoming evident about the Yankees, though I am not panicking or despairing.  I think that this club is a strong one, but I think that there are several things that have raised questions.

Starting pitching has been in the toilet this week.  All 5 starters have not been able to get into the 6th, which taxes the bullpen.  Then again, they have earned the wins so far this season(Luis Vizcaino and Mo are the only winners in the staff).  With the exception of last Thursday's game, the bullpen has been solid.  Other than A-Rod(that was one heck of a shot this afternoon), Jorgie and the Cap, no one has come up with the big hit when needed.  Friday night, 10 runners left on base?  Same deal Thursday night.  It's enough that starting pitching has been in the trash, but we need a big hit to get the offense going.  Solo homers aren't enough, its better to stack them runners up.  The lineup made Erik Bedard look too good today, and I think that the A-Rod homer was the only well-hit ball by the Yanks in the afternoon.  Guys looked lethargic, and the weather may be a factor, but then again, both teams have to play in this cold.

Today's loss was bad.  Darrell Razner was shaky, and a blister kept him from being effective, as he gave up a blast to Paul Bako early on.  Kevin"Idiot" Millar continues to tag Yankee pitching, as he hit a 2-run dinger.  Its bad enough that I have a loathing for the dude, but its worse when I see an idiot come in and get a blast like that.  It's just bad to see starting pitching going on like this, and this will eventually tax the bullpen.  If anything, I think that Carl Pavano having a 6 inning start tomorrow will pick up the team big time, and just giving guys like Vizcaino and Sean Henn a rest would be a bonus. 

Not a good way to start the season, but as Ive mentioned, its too early to start panicking and whatnot.  I think that the rotation will have a good bounceback week, and if anything, we can start counting the days till Wang-O comes back into the fold.  The prospect of seeing Phil Hughes in Pinstripes is always in the back of my head.  I guess Cash wants to keep him in the minors, but right now would be the perfect time to get him a start. 

Onto tomorrow, and a series against the Twinkies in the Baggie-Dome.  Good thing we managed to duck Johan this series, as Carl goes up against Our Favorite Fatty, one Sidney Ponson.  Our numbers against Sir Sid are nothing short of ownership.  Im looking for the Yanks to bounce back this week and come on strong. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

THANKS FOR FINALLY COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH!!!!!

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Where do I begin?  Jeter and 2 more errors??  Some REALLY shaky defense?  SOME REALLY BAD CALLS!!!!  A-Rod not coming through in the clutch, again?  Andy leaving with the lead, and the bullpen basically gifting a win?

Other than watching a loss, I can say that I had a great time at the Stadium, as I always do win or lose.  It's just that watching performances like the one I saw last night was downright ugh.  The weather was, well, I guess I cant complain about the weather.  Last night, the game had too many emotional swings too it, from Andy's triumphant return, to Pettitte recording the putout to end the top of the second, to Jeter and his 2 errors, and A-Rod not coming through in the clutch, AGAIN.  To be honest, I dont know if I can take any positives out of the game last night, other than having a ball with some other fans that I met last night. 

3 errors, 3 wild pitches and 1 passed ball?  Not the numbers that we need to see right about now.  159 more to go, I think that we got enough time to get it right.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

At the end of 2003, when Andy Pettitte left the ruggedness of the Big City to go home and pitch for the 'Stros, I definitely  had mixed feelings about it, as he was definitely doing the right thing for his family, but I felt that he was a part of Our Family, and it was hard to see him go.  I remember talking with Rhoderick after the signing happened, and he expressed as much dismay about the situation.  I remember telling him that we will see him triumphantly return to The Bronx one night and cheer him on wearing Pinstripes.  Looks like that moment will be tonight.

So I went and picked up my tickets for the rainout yesterday and asked Steph if she wanted to come to tonight's game, and she concurred, admitting that she missed going to a game with me(as a sidenote to my 3 readers, our first time at the Stadium was August 3rd, 2004, a 12-1 loss to the A's.  A Boston fan had the nerve to invade the Bleachers, and me like the loyal fan that I am, I got at him.  And she joined me.  Suffice it to say, we got thrown out.  In the bottom of the 8th.  It was that night I knew she was a keeper).  I had told the kid that was working the Will Call booth that I had wanted to exchange my tickets for tonight's game, and he didn't.  I went this morning and exchanged my tickets, and I am now sitting in Section 51 tonight, and it will feel as if nothing has changed.  Andy is one of those special players to me, someone who epitomizes excellence. He doesent know the word pressure, and he knows how to wear those Pinstripes proudly.  It is truly a pleasure to see you toe the rubber in The Bronx again, Andy, and Im sure that my fellow fans can agree with me. 

Tonight is a special night as well, as I make a return to The Stadium, and I get to return to My Home. As the new Stadium goes up behind the outfield wall on 161st St, I come to the realization that the days in the current Stadium are numbered.  I am definitely looking forward to the opening of the new Yankee Stadium in 09, but you can't deny the history that has gone down on these grounds.  This ballpark has seen some of the most important sporting events in modern history, and is recognized throughout the world as a historical monument.  That is the exact reason why I hate the idea of tearing down this stadium after the new one goes up.  I was all for turning the Stadium into a Little League field, but tearing it down completely does not make sense.  I may be in the minority on this one, but if so, so be it.

Im definitely going out tonight to see a win, and if Monday was any indicator of the season to come, then bring it.  Andy is looking to have a good outing, and Im gonna be happy to see it.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

The Rain Gods have not been kind to the Big Boy this morning, and I still have to report to the Will Call at Yankee Stadium to pick up my tickets....Im hoping the rain holds up enough to get this game in.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

  Despite his performance yesterday, I still think that this is one funny pic.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

I needed a new Yankee hat, so I went up to The Yankee Clubhouse at The Galleria in White Plains and picked up a New Era 5950 Performance Headwear cap.  Since I haven't seen a review on the MLBlogs concerning this hat, I thought Id do everyone a favor and undertake this task. 

I keep it simple.  Although I do like the different variations for Yankee hats these days, there is nothing better than a simple, understated Interlocking NY on a Midnight Blue hat, and everyone that knows me feels that its a signature of mine, so Im always wearing a Yankee hat.  When I first grabbed this hat from the salesperson, I noticed the texture of the polyester.  As Borat would exclaim, "NICE".  Traditional wool feels downright coarse compared to this new material, and it also feels lighter on the head.  another thing I noticed was the monochrome construction.  I read that the black underbill was designed to reduce glare, and it is logical enough.  The sweatband it also black, so its not like you can readily tell when your sweatband is dirty.  The crown itself looks like it has been modified, as its not as boxed out as previous generations of the 5950.  Other than these minor cosmetic changes, side by side, the newer model looks identical to the wool 5950. 

As I only wear a Midnight Blue Yankee hat, I can say that I have bought about 15 Yankee hats in the last 3 years( I dont even know how much Ive spent on Yankee hats over that time, due to the fact that I sweat way too much to begin with).  As soon as I got home I ran it under the a spray bottle filled with water.  As you may or may not know, hats tend to lose their shape when exposed to water.  Suffice it to say that this hat held its own and kept its shape.  That was worth the price of admission alone.  It didnt feel like it shrunk at all, nor did it feel heavy from water absorption.  I knew that this hat was a good fit(no pun intended). 

Although New Era and MLB are charging $31.99 for this new hat, I think that it is worth the price.  I see myself wearing this hat for the entire season, and from what Ive read and experienced so far, a 9 buck on average increase in price shouldnt deter you from picking one up.  It is a worthy crown for any Yankee fan, and although I am writing about my new Yankees hat, I suggest that every fan go out and buy a new 5950 with their team's logo on front.  Like I said before, I anticipate wearing this hat for the entire season, and Im already thinking of the money that Ill save from having to buy a new hat every couple of months.  All in all, its about as good of a buy as cold beer on a hot summer afternoon in the Tier Boxes. 

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!

Ohhh, man, the excitement of Opening Day.  The 105th opener in Yankee history, will go down as a 9-5 win for the Bronx Bombers.  1-0, the best way to start the season.

As Melanie Lidle threw out the first pitch, I couldnt help but think of her loss, and how Hank Bauer, Cory Lidle and the rest of the Yanks no longer with us were with us.  After the players are introduced, its game on. 

I think that Carl Pavano pitch well enough, not something like watching the Moose out there, but 3 errors behind him didn't help him either.  The Yanks came back and tied it, so he got off with a no-decision.  2 unearned runs, and A-Rod commits his first error of the season.  Matter of fact, Robbie was the only infielder not charged with an error. Derek Jeter's error was one that I think Josh Phelps could have saved, and the throwing error by Phelps later in the game could have been one that hurt.  I didn't agree with Phelps getting the start over Dougie, but with Scott Kasmir on the mound I guess there was no choice. 

I think that although A-Rod commited an error, he erased that by manufacturing the go-ahead run.  He hit a scalding liner in the general direction of Ben Probist(as I write this Curt Schilling has just walked in the tying run in the bottom of the 1st against the Royals.  Boo.  Hoo.)  He steals second, and JG knocks him in.  And what a shot by A-Rod to drive the nail in the coffin!  Jorgie was solid as he hit his first shot of the season.  Dereke Jeter, AKA Captain Clutch, proves once again why he is indeed clutch by driving in the tying run, and my choice for play of the game.  This is why he is who he is, and typifies what the man has done with his career. Johnny Damon left the game with cramps in his calf, and we saw Melky come in and give a solid performance.   Jose Vizcaino picks up the W, Sean Henn looked solid, and Mo was Mo.  Nuff said. 

The youth movement was in full effect for the D-Rays, as Elijah Dukes hits a SHOT off of Pavano, and this kid just looks scary.  The kid is huge, and its good to see the power out of this new crop of players. (Tony Pena, Jr just hit a triple off of Curt Schilling.  HAHA!!) 

On to the off day, and I am definitely looking forward to wedensday, as I am making my first trip to the stadium, chillin out in section 57 in The Bleachers.  I was kinda late on the Opening Day tix, so this is the next best thing.  Jae Seo vs. Andy Pettitte.  and best of all, Stephanie is gonna be there with me.  Im definitely looking for Andy to have a good game, and since the Yanks own Seo, Im expecting an offensive outburst.  The Yanks win on Opening Day, and The Sox are down 2-1.  All is right in Yankee Universe.

LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!
LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!