To win or not to win.. is this really a question?

In dramatic fashion, the AL East will be decided in the final days of the season.  The Yankees and the Rays neck and neck, the division title is for the taking.  With an ugly loss for Tampa and a rainout for the Bombers, the Yankees are currently a half game up on the Rays.  The Rays have a game today and tomorrow with the Royals and the Yanks have a double header with the Sox today and one final game tomorrow.  The Rays have the better head to head record so their magic number is down to 3, meaning the Yankees need to win one more game than the Rays do.

But with both teams already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, does it really matter?  I change my mind every 5 minutes, but right now I'm going with yes. but I'll play a little devil's advocate and look at both perspectives:

On one hand, the Yankees will be playing October baseball (the real kind) no matter what.  If they don't win the division, they will not have home-field advantage at all during the postseason and will face the Twins.  Though the Twins have a better record and have been much hotter lately than Texas, the Yankees actually play the Twins pretty well.  Potentially facing the Twins doesn't really scare me...I mean their number 2 starter is CARL PAVANO for crying out loud.  However, what DOES scare me is the thought of possibly facing Cliff Lee twice in the ALDS.  Accepting the wildcard now could allow older players to get their rest and be fully prepared for a long postseason run.  After all, the division title won't matter without a World Series Championship.

But this is the New York Yankees we're talking about, and we want it all.  There's no holding back in New York, no accepting defeat of any sort.  To quote the wise DJ Khaled, all we do is win, win, win, no matter what.  It's a shame that the rain had to spoil the game last night because Girardi had the Yankees top lineup ready to play.  With the doubleheader today, it will be hard for Joe to justify having 35 year-old players in 18 innings today and another 9 tomorrow.  But whoever is playing in each of these games better be playing to WIN.  With the Rays loss last night, the ball is in our court, and this is our division for the winning.

Ultimately, in these two big games today for the Yanks, my focus won't be as much on the division as it will be on Andy and AJ.  Seeing good things from them today would make me feel so much more confident going into the postseason, even as the wildcard.

Ahhhh October Baseball, my favorite time of year.

"Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing."

On July 13, 2010, the greatest owner in the history of team sports passed away.  George M. Steinbrenner III.  In the eyes of many, that M could stand for Mean, Maniacal, Manipulative, Materialistic, Mouthy or Menacing. And while George certainly fit those descriptions at times, he was also Majestic, Marvelous, Masterful, Merciful, Mesmerizing, and Matchless.  Matchless in the way that no Hal or Hank or anyone else could ever compare to the greatness that was The Boss.

I was a spoiled young Yankees fan as I grew up in the 90s and believed that the Yankees always won the World Series.  Every Fall there was Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and another World Championship for the New York Yankees.  I remember staying up way past my bed time on a school night in 7th grade, November 4, 2001, as I cried my eyes out watching the trophy slip through the finger tips of my beloved Yanks and Mariano Rivera, who I thought was nothing less than invincible.  The Yankees were not the World Champions, and I thought the world was coming to an end (and thinking of that heart-wrenching night still pains me as if I were 12).  Little did I know how blessed I was.

I was fortunate enough to be at the stadium a week ago for the memorial ceremony for George, and watched all of the players of today march out to Monument Park along with the Steinbrenner family and various Yankee greats including Yogi, Reggie, and Donnie Baseball in a truly beautiful and sacred moment.  But what really got to me was when Tino Martinez and Joe Torre's faces appeared upon the ginormous screen in centerfield, taking me back to my childhood that took place during one of the greatest eras of Yankees baseball, bringing tears to my eyes.  In that moment it was clear: it was all thanks to The Boss.

As the boys head into the last week of a hard-fought season, with the magic number of a playoff spot down to 1, I bet you George is looking down upon us, with fire and compassion in his eyes, thinking... "What the hell are you doing?! Win the goddamn division already and then bring number 28 to New York!"  I couldn't agree more.

Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing.  Breathing first, winning next.

The Boys are Back in Town

As I headed over the George Washington bridge, I could feel the excitement flow through my body.  It's that time again, time for Yankees baseball.  Game 3 of the home opening series, my first return to the stadium since that late, magical night in November.  Upon arriving, you could tell that this was the home of the champions by more than just the $4 increase in parking, but by the atmosphere of the crowd, the clear feeling of accomplishment.   The new championship gear in all the stores on River Avenue, the added 27th signage above the concession stands in the stadium, and the new 2009 pennant flying high on far left edge of the facade.. finally, the 27th championship us Yankee fans spent the past decade longing for.  However, this feeling of accomplishment comes hand in hand with the even deeper desire to bring the feeling back in 2010.

I kicked back in our new upgraded seats, took a whiff of the hot dog and beer scented air, looked out onto the field and thought HOLY COW.  But this night was not about the late Phil Rizzuto; all eyes were on 24 year old Phil Hughes.  Phil is still young but has had 3 years in the majors to prove himself.  We've seen glimpses of greatness from him, but he has yet to prove his consistency.  After beating out Joba, Mitre, Aceves and Gaudin for the spot, Phil's time to shine is now.  His first outing was not perfect, but it was encouraging.  5 walks isn't swell but aside from that his stuff looked pretty good.  Phil made one other mistake; surprisingly, it made me happy.

Never would I have imagined myself rising to my feet to applaud a homer from a member of the opposing team at Yankee Stadium.  But when Hideki Matsui sent the second pitch he saw from Hughes into the right centerfield bullpen, I couldn't help but cheer, along with the rest of the stadium.. it was a very bittersweet moment.  I miss seeing Godzilla in pinstripes and will always be a fan.

4 more quick points about last night's game:
1)  Everyone was Mariano Rivera.  Ok, so the 42 on every player's jersey was really for the original 42, Jackie Robinson, but number 42 on pinstripes sure looks like Mo to me :)
2)  Robinson Cano, named after Jackie, hit 2 homers and made a great play.  I think Robbie is one of the more underrated players on the Yankees.  He's been on fire to start off the year and I'm predicting big things from him this season. *knock on wood*
3)  The captain and love of my life knocked in 2 RBI with a homer and a double and played some quintessential Derek Jeter baseball.  Never ceases to amaze.
4)  In his 9th game as a Yankee, Curtis Granderson came up with two triples.  I'm very impressed with the way he plays the game as well as his demeanor and intellect.  If you ever hear or see an interview with him, you'll notice that he is incredibly well spoken and has a selfless Jeter-like attitude.. and he's got me loving him already.

So the Bombers take the first 3 series of the 2010 season and are lookin' pretty good.. but there are plenty of improvements to be made and still much more baseball to be played!

Let the good times roll

Today, Sunday March 14, 2010, is a beautiful day.
...except it's rainy and miserable outside and I'm sick in bed with strep throat.
so why is today a beautiful day?

SELECTION SUNDAY!
March Madness, I didn't take much interest in until high school, and its a real shame that I didn't.  Its a beautiful thing, for 2 reasons.

1) It's so much college basketball, the best in the NCAA, all day every day.  Its incredibly exciting and just so much fun.  a fantastically entertaining tournament, whether your team is in it or not, but fortunately mine is.  I'm so very excited to watch my Terps.  Greivis Vasquez, though actually just a jerk if you see him around college park (he loves himself, are you shocked?), has had an excellent season and if he plays smart and doesn't get too cocky, I honestly believe he can lead this team deep into the tournament.  FEAR THE TURTLE

2) When March Madness comes to its end, my favorite time of year soon begins... you must know by now that I'm talking about baseball season :)   Sunny days and great baseball, just around the corner. and I can't wait!

But until then...


Maryland, we're all behind you
Raise high the Black and Gold
For there is nothing half so glorious
As to see our team VICTORIOUS
We've got the team boys,
We've got the steam boys,
So keep on fighting, don't give in
M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D
MARYLAND WILL WIN!

An Epic Football Sunday

Though baseball is typically my topic of discussion, today it's all about the pigskin.  You'd think after watching the Giants shove their heads up their rear ends all season long that I'd prefer to spend the day watching reruns of SVU or writing my PR ethics paper or doing ANYTHING else.. but even though my G-men are at home picking their noses, I'm oddly as excited as ever for this football Sunday.

Game number 1 leaves me torn between my city and my favorite players.  When it comes to baseball, I never root for the Mets (unless its a 1986 World Series-like situation, of course) but I actually like the Jets and if you asked me to rank NFL teams in order of preference, I'd list them as my #3.  But who's #2, you might ask?  Of course it's the Indianapolis Colts.  Peyton Manning is not only brother to little Eli but he's one of the best quarterbacks of all time.  

The Jets/Colts game is on now so i'm gonna have to cut this post short but all i have to say about game number 2: Favre vs. Brees. out of control

I think I've decided to pull for my city.. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS

27 going on 28

                                          

TWENTY-SEVEN.

Unbelievable. It was almost 3 months ago now and it still completely surreal. Everything about the 27th World Championship seems like a fairy tale to me.

For starters, let me briefly touch on that STADIUM. My dad and I were lucky enough to grab some 25 cent bleacher tickets to an exhibition game against the Cubs in the new stadium, and spent maybe 30 minutes watching the game and at least THREE HOURS checking out the new home. I'm not sure words can describe how unbelievable this stadium is.. I swear I thought I was in heaven. You can hate the Yankees and say all you want about all the money they spent on the place.. get some $15 bleacher tickets and check it out. I guarantee that you will be amazed.

Skipping ahead to October, with my clicking skills and a hell of a lot of luck, I landed tickets for me and my dad to 3 of the greatest games of the 2009 postseason.

1. I sat in the cold upper deck during Game 2 of the ALDS when A-rod sent Joe Nathan's 3-1 pitch into the Yankee bullpen to tie the game at 3 in the 9th, as well as in the 11th when Mark Teixeira lined a walk-off homer down the left field line, earning his first ceremonial pie in the face from AJ Burnett (A new tradition added by AJ to a season full of come-from-behind wins)
2. I endured 5 hours and 10 minutes of freezing rain from the left field bleachers where I witnessed yet another game-tying bomb from Alex in the 11th, followed by Jerry Hairston's game winning run on an error in the 13th.
3. At only the age of 20, I reached one of my life-long dreams: November 4, 2009 I witnessed my Yankees win a world championship.

I experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions during these 3 games in the Bronx. The rush you feel when you watch Alex Rodriguez swing the bat and carry the ball over the fence in the same exact way that you imagined he would... It is spectacular and it almost feels like magic.

I'm running out of steam for the day but I can't conclude this without mentioning the fact that this championship was significantly sweeter because it was against the Philadelphia Phillies. As I mentioned in the first entry, I live in South Jersey just a hop and a skip from Philadelphia. If you aren't already aware you should know that Philadelphia itself has a huge inferiority complex. I honestly like the city of Philadelphia, however, it's not New York and they know it. New Yorkers could care less about Philly but Philadelphians DESPISE New Yorkers. Philly fans felt that this World Series was their opportunity to prove their superiority over the Big Apple. We all know how that story ended and the ending couldn't have been sweeter. It was simply beautiful watching my boys shove a sock in the mouths of all those who tortured me for all of my life and the fact that the Phillies final loss went to good ole Pedro Martinez was the icing on top of the most delicious cake I ever imagined.

Que es su padre, Pedro?

Good Morning Alex

So about a year ago, I created a blog with the intent of updating it frequently. However, I have not updated it since my first post and for some reason am unable to remember how to get back in to that account. Soooo I'm posting my first post from February 7, 2009, and hopefully I will stick to the original plan and be better at updating in 2010...

Whoever is reading this: hi! I'm Carolyn, I've been meaning to do the blog thing for quite some time but I never really knew where to start but recent events have inspired me to get it going...what the hell, right? So before you sink yourself into my rants and ramblings there are a few things you should know..

1) I'm very much a girls girl but I LIVE for sports. I'm crazy, nuts, passionate, and all the rest that a sports fanatic is. I get very emotional about my teams and when people say "calm down, it's just a game, its just sports" I really have to hold myself back from punching them in the face. Because if you're a real sports fan, you know its SO MUCH MORE than just a game.

2) I love baseball. Football too, and college basketball (Go Terps!) but baseball will probably be the general focus of this blog. People who say that baseball is boring are just not intellectual enough to be able to appreciate the beauty of America's greatest pastime. Sorry if that offends you, but really it's the truth. Because there is nothing more exciting about 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded- when every single pitch could completely redefine the outcome of the game. It's thrilling and I am completely mesmerized.

3) Carolyn = New York. I have lived in South Jersey just 15 minutes outside of Philly for virtually my entire life but I am a New Yorker at heart. My entire family is from the city or North Jersey so I've been raised in the world of New York sports-- so you can throw all thoughts of calling me a frontrunner out the window. That infuriates me. So you should know, as much as I try to hold back my biases, this blog may posssssibly be frequently focused on the New York Yankees-- love them or hate them, they are the greatest team in sports history. Fact. I think it pretty much goes without saying that I am a DIE HARD Yankees fan. I could go on all day. I also worship Derek Jeter, not just because he's very good looking, but because he is what baseball is all about, or at least SHOULD be. I could go on all day about him too. (random fact: about 3 weeks ago I got a puppy and I named him Jeter.) I'm also a die hard NY Giants fan, still holding onto the fond memories of Superbowl XLII (18-1 HAHA!!!!).

So just keep those things in mind, but I always welcome a good healthy debate (but if you're a Red Sox fan or an Eagles fan... be warned: I may bite.)

I admittedly was slightly aloof this past baseball season, it was really just painful. I've spent the past couple days with my nose buried in The Yankee Years, written by the greatest manager of all time, Joe Torre. It's like a fantasy for me, recreating the magical moments of my childhood when the Yankees were just...sigh. (I just sat here for 5 minutes trying to find a way to describe those Yankees and I'm at a loss for words.) However, today's headline on ESPN.com certainly snapped me right back to reality: "REPORT: A-ROD TESTED POSITIVE"

Let me preface by saying there's nothing that has proved this to be legitimate, barely any hard facts have been given, it is unstated what the "substance" exactly was...these reports are lacking a lot of information right now so I'm not throwing anyone under the bus so fast. But UGH.

First let me say, I defend the guy so much and it gets exhausting. He's a fantastic athlete, there's no doubt about that, steroids or no steroids: I mean 104 players tested positive that year and they didn't all win the MVP! But regardless of that, Alex keeps getting himself involved in things that just disappoint me. And as a girl who's just getting so excited for baseball season (PITCHERS AND CATCHERS NEXT WEEK) these reports are just the last thing I want to be reading right now. I want to be able to say he's a Yankee but he keeps making it harder for me to ever do so...really Alex, I want to like you, but you're killing me.

HOWEVER, as far as I know, Alex has not tested positive since then. So while I think Alex often brings these things upon himself, I DO think that the huge magnified glass on him gets a little ridiculous. The steroids ordeal goes FAR BEYOND Alex; the fact that the media is making this into another Alex Rodriguez issue is just BS. Like I said, 104 players tested positive that year-- this isn't about A-Rod, its about MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. With the Mitchell Report and all this other crap, this steroid business has become a WITCH HUNT. What good will uncovering every single player who has ever used enhancement drugs do? How could that POSSIBLY solve the problem?? I don't have any thoughts on a potential solution, but certainly I don't think that all of craze and investigating is solving anything at all...in fact, it's just making the situation worse. It's really just a shame that the media is so focused on picking players apart like this...and to think that this is the industry that I'm striving to be a part of.

Okay, I don't even know if I'm making sense anymore so I can't discuss this any further right now...I'll go off on tangents like you won't believe and probably end up pulling a Plax and shooting myself in the leg (yeah, it never gets old). We'll see if any more scandalous news arises. But until then, back to the book-- the Yankees are about to win the '99 World Series and all is well in the world of baseball.

Peace, Love, and David Cone