The Ferocious Lion Roars

        I glanced down at the table next to the couch in the loft.  Uh oh.  Nothing there.  I realized that I had left the phone downstairs.  I might as well get up and go get it, I thought as I peeled myself off the couch, because it’s going to ring any second.  And ring it did.  Before I got to the stairs, even.  “That’s going to be Tony,” I said as I started down the stairs.  “How do you know?” asked the Mrs, without looking up from watching Dancing with the Stars.  “Because Matsui [of course we know him as The Ferocious Lion, but what do you want from me?  The Mrs. wouldn’t read BPS if I tried to hide it inside a People magazine] just got his third hit in his first game back.”  “Oohh,” replied the Mrs, not at all paying attention to what I had just said.  I clicked on the phone at the last ring before voicemail.  Tony didn’t even wait for me to say hello.  “Do you understand the fundamentals of what’s really happening right now?  I don’t think you do…”  Despite being leveled with an accusation right off the bat, I couldn’t help but laugh at the excitement that was pouring through the phone.  “Dude, I have to admit, this is completely nuts.”  “You have no idea how nuts this really is!!” 

         Jeff Brantley, on Baseball Tonight, said that it was a testament to the Yankees medical staff that the Yankees keep coming back in playing shape and start producing right off the bat.  I must admit; I have never heard that before.  I really never thought about it, and I’m inclined to think it’s just an opportunistic statement, thrown out to masquerade as an “insightful” comment. But maybe there’s something to it.  I guess he was talking about Moose, The Ferocious Lion, Miguel Cairo, who came back today, and Cano, who truly did not miss a single beat when he came flying back out of the gate in early August.  Maybe it was an insightful comment.  Maybe it is completely ****-eyed.  At this point I really don’t care.  What matters is that the lineup is coming together.  Sheffield took batting practice today, and has declared himself ready to play.  Is it me or did Sheffield’s time away have a polar opposite feel than the Ferocious Lion’s?  The Ferocious Lion started out by apologizing to his teammates for letting them down by getting hurt (!!), then refused to go back to Japan to rehab, and then started workouts at the Stadium as soon as his wrist was ready.  Sheffield took more of a Barry Bonds approach, disappearing for a while as the Yankees were seemingly clueless about how the rehab was coming.  Although unlike Bonds when he was rehabbing last year, the Yankees weren’t complaining that they had absolutely no idea where he was and had no way of getting in touch with him.  But in any case, Sheffield reappeared a little while ago, saying that his time away from the game was nice and relaxing, that he needed some time away.  Whatever.  Thanks for showing up, Gary.  Let’s hope you’re ready like you say you are.

         Mikey Juice and his bride were at the game tonight.  By the time I called him he was in the Yankee clubhouse store debating whether or not to buy the Yankee hat with the camouflage back and the white front.  He eventually declined because he didn’t like the Velcro back.  He was looking for something fitted.  A bit of a surprising choice for Mikey Juice, which he readily admits, because the former marine doesn’t usually go in for the cammo.  Something about four years of staring at it every which way, I guess.

         Things seem to be shaping up in the American League.  The Twins don’t look like they’re going away.  Seems to me it would be a shame if these two teams met in the first round, because they look like the two best teams in the AL right now.  Of course, I’m sure all of the Yankee haters are begging for this matchup, because that would be Minnesota’s best shot at upsetting the Yanks.  Five games with plenty of Santana and Liriano (maybe).  Karl Ravech asked a pretty good question the other night on ESPN.  “Why does every one think Santana and Liriano would be such difference makers in a series against the Yankees?  Why should we think it won’t be 1-1 in the seventh like it always is, and Santana leaves the game and the Yankees tee off on the bullpen?”  The response from the panel?  Because Minnesota’s offense is better this time.  So let me get this straight.  You are acknowledging that there is a great chance it will be 1-1 in the seventh, but you like the Twins offense’s chances on the road against the Yankee lineup?  Okay…

         Mariano.  The good news is that he doesn’t seem to be hurt to any significant degree.  The Yankees are insisting that he’s sitting out as a precautionary measure.  And why not?  They have a few more weeks to just goof around.  The bad news is that he isn’t playing.  And as long as he isn’t out there, you really don’t know.  Ras, I’m going to tell you this.  I want no part of relying on Farnsworth to close games in the playoffs.  The last piece of good news is that this sore forearm didn’t ever affect Mo’s performance on the hill.  He was still crushing people, even the day he shut himself down.  So if he can still be Mariano even with this sore arm, well hey, he’s got the whole off-season to rest.

         A hearty Happy Birthday to our boy Sean.  I can only imagine that Joe Torre rallied the troops together and made sure Moose got some run support and a W.  That was Joe’s gift to you.  And to everybody else.