The Return of Allie-boy

        “We got a score?”  Shayne was yelling to me leaning over the rail up by the barbeque at his house, where he was finishing up plating the latest tray of burgers.  “Eight – one last I saw.  Eighth inning I think.  It’s over.”  “Give me details, dude, I’ve been standing next to this grill all day.”  I gave him my run-down of the game as a smile crossed his face.  What was not to love?  All of the bats are in full effect, with the possible exception of Giambi, who is mired in a mini-slump.  No matter.  Blink your eyes and he’ll be pounding home runs two at a time again. 

       I think everyone is having a grand time watching Allie-boy respond to all the love he’s been showered with all week.  Torii Hunter said that “what he was doing to the ball today wasn’t human.  He’s not human.”  It’s been a long time since we’ve heard that kind of thing about Allie-boy.  I think the fans at the Stadium surprised everyone last week when they stepped up with a thunderous ovation the first time he came up to the plate.  It just shows you what the power of positive thinking will do.  It took him an at-bat or two, but once the kid got going he didn’t stop raking all week.  If he can keep himself steady for the rest of the year it will be a tremendous advantage for the good guys, to say the least.    

       It’s tough to talk about any potential playoff matchups in this series.  For one thing, neither a Jeff Karstens/Scott Baker nor Darrell Rasner/Matt Garza matchup will ever materialize in October.  Unless it’s in the 17th inning somehow. 

       You have to laugh at the Yankees in the Scott Baker game.  I really don’t have an explanation as to why these rookies are so absolutely automatic against them.  I’m not sure I even want to venture a guess.  I was watching the game yesterday, and I kind of lost it when the Incredible Sal laid down the bunt to move Damon over to second for Jeter in the third inning.  I started yelling about “killing a rally” and “why are you giving him an out when he might be having trouble finding the plate” and all kinds of other crazy stuff.  The Mrs. appeared just after my rant, and laughed as she said she thought I was talking to somebody on the phone.  “No,” I admitted with resignation, “just me….yelling at the TV…..by myself…..again”.  And you could look at it in two ways.  You could certainly take the opinion that I am a total idiot, because Jeter came through with a base hit and the Yanks got the run.  Or, you could take the approach that the Incredible Sal bunted what would have been ball 3, and with a little patience you could have gotten a shot at two on and nobody out for Jeter.  We gave Baker an out and maybe sacrificed the big inning for one run.  And besides, they played the whole stupid game in a rainstorm, and they were right there in it until the eighth.  So I’ll deal with losing to Scott Baker, a guy they called up from triple-A last week. 

       As I’ve said, though, there is always the caveat that these rookie pitches have to throw strikes to be successful against the Yanks.  If they don’t throw strikes they are dead.  That was Garza’s downfall today, to some extent.  It wasn’t so much that he was walking people all over the place; he walked four.  It was more that it was taking him a lot of pitches to make it through the lineup.  He was letting the Yankee lineup bleed pitches from his arm before he got his outs.  It’s tough to blame him.  It’s what they do, and they are great at what they do.  So there he was in the third inning, almost 70 pitches deep, collapsing.  Sorry, bro.

       So now the Yanks have taken out the Twins and Tigers in the same week.  And they’ve taken four of six from the ChiSox.  The only team that hasn’t treated them well this year is the A’s.  I don’t imagine anyone is taking the A’s lightly, but the Angels are just such a bad matchup for the Yanks.  The A’s, with that light-hitting lineup, have no business taking the Yanks in a series, short or otherwise.  It could happen, of course.  Anything could happen.  But the Yankees are better than that.

       Let’s be wildly hypothetical and insane for a second.  Just because we’re watching the games and not playing in them.  Let’s say we do get another Subway Series.  If I’m the Mets, I’m starting John Maine in game one, and I’m getting a win in game one.  Not because he’s so great.  He might not even be in the playoff rotation for the Mets.  But he should be on the mound for that game.  We all know what happens to the Yanks against those rookies….And just throw him out there for that one game.  Don’t give the Yanks the chance to figure him out.      

       The Ferocious Lion will be playing in a rehab game this Wednesday night.  If he makes it to Staten Island at some point, Tony Sherry and I will be at the game, without a doubt.  And apparently he’s been taking batting practice at the Stadium the last few days, and has been pounding the ball out.  Music to my ears.  And Sheffield has re-surfaced, and supposedly isn’t far behind.  I can’t even imagine what kind of firepower all of these guys could unleash in the same lineup.  I want to see everybody out there at the same time, if only for a few games…. 

       So we went out there for the Second Annual Shayne Mariano Labor Day Classic today; our annual touch football game.  Last year, if you recall, we had to call the game due to darkness when the score was tied 6-6.  This year, no such issue.  We pounded them 7-1, with Brooklyn’s Own Mike Dantone, Igor, and me throwing for 5 touchdowns, catching 4, and picking off 3 balls.  It was an all-out rout, with “Joey Hands” and Chris D, two kids from the neighborhood, supplying the youthful energy.  And the most amazing thing?  No injuries.  Yup, my hammies managed to stay put where they’re supposed to be.  I may go into Wifflemania with intact hammies yet….

       No Ras, I don’t post on weekends.  Never have.  Why?  I’m lazy.  These things take me a while.  I’m a slow typer.  But I do go to a 7-day-a-week format come playoff time.  If that helps….

      Doesn’t matter if the Yanks win in KC.  Weird but true.  It only matters that they stay healthy and get ready for October.