Whats your take on A-Rods bullshit attempt to knock the ball out of Arroyos hand. THat was an embarrasment

I don't blame A-Rod too much. I'm sure it was instinct. It's hard to imagine how we any player would react in that position. Was it wrong? Yeah. But will he admit it was wrong or keep with his "motion of running" argument? If he doesn't change his tune, I will lose a little respect for him.

I'm not sure the Red Sox could ask for anything more than this. Win Game 7, and they will put the Yankees name in the record books for a record they surely don't want. The only team in baseball history to EVER lose a series after being up 3-0.

Probably was an instinct play. I'm not sure he knew the rule about not being able to swat a ball on a tag near first, because he look surprised when they called him out. I sure didn't know the rule.

This is A-Rod's 11th year in the bigs. He's not a dirty player. We all know that. If anything, frustration got to him. I really don't think he gets in the box thinking, OK, if I hit a dribbler, I'm gonna whack Arroyo and try to get away with something.

There was a similar play in last year's playoffs involving Robert Fick of the Braves and Eric Karros of the Cubs on what was just a routine throw to first after a bunt. Fick was fined $25,000 by MLB and an undisclosed amount by the Braves. His intent, however, looked a little more vicious than A-Rod.

More here:

http://cubs.june24.net/posts/001529.html

Ugh. I was there, and it sucked. I have never heard such a quiet crowd at a playoff game. I think the fans were so tired everyone was sleepwalking.
At least I opened my big mouth and bet everyone around me a dollar when Bernie went up to bat. I won $8 on that call.
Dangit. We have to do this again tomorrow? Can't I have a nap first?

A couple of post-game quotes about the A-Rod play. More to come, I am sure:

"I know that line belongs to me and he was coming at me," Rodriguez said. "Once I reached out and tried to knock the ball, the call went against me. I should have just run over him."

"That was unprofessional. That's against the rules," Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar said. "If you want to play football, strap on some pads and go play for the Green Bay Packers."

I guess the runner has to be able to do something. Again, I chalk it up to just a heat-of-the-moment reaction. A poor one that ended up costing the Yanks a runner in scoring position, as well.

Always nice to get a lesson in professionalism from Kevin Millar. Grooming tips, next?

I went to high school with Fick and now he's my neighbor.
That play was not out of character for him.
A quote from one of the roto sites:
"Either we're about to witness the greatest comeback in postseason history or the Red Sox have invented a new way to torture their fans."

I don't blame A-Rod for the play itself, that was just spur-of-the-moment instinct. But his whining and moaning about the play after he was called out was lame. It was pretty damn obvious from 15 different angles that A-Rod thought he was in a Braves uniform and did a Tomahawk Chop on Arroyo's arm to knock out the ball-- no argument here, and A-Rod knew he did it. His crybaby act after the out was declared was like a bank robber complaining about the cops being unfair when they arrest him-- it was obviously interference on his part, they called him out, he should deal with it and suck it up. That was just petulant of him, to moan about a play where he was obviously out.

And thank you Paul for chastising the immaturity of the fans defiling Yankee Stadium field like that with all the tossed debris. Although as an Orioles fan I've nursed a healthy dislike of the Yankees for years, I have great respect for Yankee Stadium, its history and all it represents, and that childishness was inexcusable. WTF??!?! Is this gonna become like one of those British soccer games when 90 people get killed by a bunch of drunk yahoos with no sense of perspective or dignity? RIOT POLICE ON THE FIELD??!!??! That made me more angry than anything I've seen on the baseball field in years. A team of such accomplishment and professionalism as the Yankees have (yes, we all grudgingly admit it) should have fans with some modicum of the same. That was just awful, almost unbearable to watch last night. Disgusting.

I'm a N.Y. Giants fan, too, and you may recall some years ago when they pelted the San Diego Chargers' bench with snowballs. Management was vigilant about going after those specific people and taking away their season tickets. Bravo to that, and I have long believed that baseball teams and surrounding fans could do the game a great service by showing a commitment to ridding the stadiums of these clowns.

Now, I could have just as easily have been there and would have hated to be painted with such a broad brush. But let's rally against the individual dipshits who throw shit in a game played and ruled (correctly, at that) by humans.

So many ugly incidents have marred what has been a storybook clash between these teams in 2003-04. Brawls and debris and Gay-Rod shirts and all that crap. Players like Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon and Bernie Williams and David Ortiz should not have to be associated with this shit.

'Either we're about to witness the greatest comeback in postseason history or the Red Sox have invented a new way to torture their fans.'

I'm up here in Boston for school and I doubt it-- despite all the amazing comebacks, most people up here think the Yankees are probably gonna take Game 7 in a cakewalk. It's all been gravy since Game 4 basically, even for a lot of the perennials. I guess the wins in Games 4, 5, and 6 were all pretty improbable too, but c'mon. In Game 7 you guys are gonna have a fresh arm in Brown or Vazquez who still has solid stuff even if he's not the ace of the ballclub, plus a deep and competent relief staff, plus an experienced and brilliant manager who's been through more than a few Game 7's. While the Red Sox starters and relievers are practically gonna be pitching with their arms in slings. Even if Francona goes and pulls a Bob Brenly and puts in Schilling for relief, he's gonna be tossing his fastballs with a blood transfusion goin' in his left arm-- he was bleeding profusely from his ankle since like the 4th inning.

Naturally anything can happen and I'm sure some gamblers in Vegas have been taken to the cleaners already the way this series has proceeded. And folks up here (including us stray Orioles fans who have the common enemy thing going) would cheer a Yankees loss, but look at whom you'll be facing-- you're basically gonna be playing against a hospital ward tomorrow evening. That's not much of a stretch.

Sorry to intrude here...but Banshee, your a good writer! dont take paul's job but you have a keen insight.

what did you ppl think of the call where the home run ball hit the girl in the stomach,bounced back in the field of play, and at first was ruled a ground rule dbl?
just curious

Oh, that was a HR all the way. The umps did their jobs. No one with half a brain could possibly gripe about either.

The Yanks have the biggest Vegas edge of the seven games, looking at -165 to -175. Wow.

I was at the game too, but I gotta say, I think the crowd (sans throwing things) was pretty damn good and loud. I was at Yanks/Twins Game 1 and THAT was a bad crowd. At least last night people were into it. People in my section barely sat down the entire game.

As for the throwing things when the plays were "clearly correct", know that we didn't have the benefit of Instant Replay like I'm sure Fox showed about a zillion times. All we saw was the ball get dropped on the A-Rod play, so it looked like a bad call to us. No reason to throw things, but I know I wasn't fearing for my life or anything like that. I've been more fearful at regular season Yanks/Sox games than I was last night.

I wonder if both these two teams would have anything left for the next series.

Glad to see the umps getting together and making the right call. It's funny though that many in the RSN are still bitching and moaning about the A-Rod thing and the homerun, even though they got the call right...must be just a habit I guess.

Was it just me or did Leiter and McCarver go at it a couple of times? They've been so awful up to this point I really haven't been paying attention, but a few times last night Leiter pointed out some of the stupid shit McCarver says (like when McCarver tried to explain why a pitch right across the middle of the plate is a ball because the catcher had to move). Leiter also pointed out that the ump called A-Rod safe on the Bronson play way before A-Rod was even close to the base....is Leiter coming around?

I just hope the Sox can do it. I don't want to see my husband cry again this year...I can't take it.

I've loved Al Leiter's commentary so far this postseason. He really does a good job of saying things we wouldn't know ourselves. I hate watching a game, saying something and hearing it repeated on TV right after me. If I know it, the color analyst probably doesn't have to say it. Al Leiter has done a great job, IMO.

Baseball is not even close to my number one sport, so I appreciate Leiter and McCarver (in general, Fox Sports does a good job covering sports for those who aren't fanatics).

The Yankees crowd did turn me off during the 8th inning, and I don't blame the umpire for bringing out the police. It wasn't that long ago that a fan rushed on the field and attacked an ump.

I've been to Yankee Stadium during a playoff game, one where they were behind, and remembered the confidence that was beaming through the crowd (the Yankees did win that game). I didn't sense that feeling was there last night.

While we're on the subject of McCarver - how about when he said the leadoff walk in the 9th was just as good as a homerun?

Uh, no, dumbass - the next batter up could still hit into a doubleplay. A walk in that case is just as good as a single, and that's it.

I'm praying for the umps tonight - if they blow a crucial call, I don't know if there's enough riot police in the Bronx... just kidding, yanks fans!

I guess Schilling shut up 55,000 fans after all. Until he left the game, it was a morgue in there. Too bad it was Game 6 and not Game 7.

I'm not sure who Banshee talks to up here in Boston, but I've yet to encounter anyone here who thinks the Yanks will take Game 7 in a cakewalk. I think people expect an epic battle, blood left on the field.. and perhaps even the revenge of Petey!

Go Sox!!

C'mon Paul, instead of blaming the Yankee bats for cooling off (were Matsui and Sheffield supposed to bat .500 the WHOLE series?), how about giving the Red Sox credit for some gutsy pitching efforts. Funny, I didn't see any mention of Schilling and/or Foulke in you piece today (even the bloody sock didn't inspire you? ya got no heart)

Briefly mentioned by you, but worth noting again, the debris tossed onto the field was a nice touch. Shit on the Sox fans all you like, Yankee fans may not be 'tortured,' but 'nervous and ugly' sure had good seats last night.

Prediction: Torre did a nice job seting the table -- Yankees win tonight on a bullshit call that decides the game. Inevitable.

I couldn't care less who wins this game. I'm just glad to see enough good baseball played to bring back some fans.

Some people call the A-Rod play dirty, some call it good baseball. I think of it in terms of what baseball players have done throughout the history of the sport — Rodriguez played the percentages.

Consider the following:
• If A-Rod runs along the first base line and does nothing, there's about a 1 percent chance that Arroyo misses the tag.
• If A-Rod takes a swipe, there's a 5 percent chance he ends up safe and Jeter is in a position to score (on that play or the next at-bat).
• Conclusively, it's a 99 percent chance he's out on the tag and 95 percent that he's out on interference.

I realize that those percentages are completely arbitrary, and I'm sure that A-Rod didn't process exactly that in the window of time where Arroyo was running with the ball. Still, I give A-Rod the benefit of knowing his chances were at least minimally better trying the ball swipe.

All I can say is it's been some fantastic baseball, despite the fact that my Cubbies are nowhere to be seen in Playoff-land.

I have to say, being a hard-core fan of neither team, it sure makes it easier on the stomach when you get to watch well-played ball and not have too much of a vested interest in either team for the outcome to keep you up at night for the next two months* (*see 2003, NLCS Cubs playoff choke)

Tonight will be a good one, so make sure to have the Pepto-Bismol on hand.

Kevin, I don't think that's a percentage play for A-Rod.

If A-Rod does nothing and allows himself to be tagged out, he advances the runner. By taking the 1-in-100 gamble that he could slap the ball out of Arroyo's hand and get away with it, he makes Jeter go back to first - in the event a runner is out on interference, all other baserunners must go back to the last base they safely touched before the interference occurred. In this case, that takes Jeter out of scoring position.

I think Rodriguez was just frustrated and made a foolish error.

I was reading about how Red Sox doctors put sutures in Schilling's ankle to prevent the rubbing. One article said all they need to do for tonight is sew Ted Williams' head on Johnny Damon's body.

I agree - if arod doesn't hit the ball and sheffield gets a single Jeter scores to make it 4-3

i was checking out baseball tonight earlier today and apparently there is nothing in the actual rule book about swatting at a ball. ball swatting gets addressed in a supplemental umpire's manual. seems kind of unfair if it actually is a situation where the umps know the rule but the players don't.

Paul, I have to agree with you now on yesterdays piece. It sucked having to watch the looks on the Boston fans.

It was much better watching the NY fans last night being 'tortured, nervous and ugly'.

Boston is pulling it off tonight.

8-1. Sure, Boston just stranded with bases loaded but...ouch. Yanks have never overcome more than a 6 run deficit in postseason....time is now for some "aura and mystique", eh?

But really - how badly will the Yanks' psyches be hurt to be beaten? Oh right... we're talkin' about the BoSox here....

Kevin Brown = $15 million? Give me a break.

When the Yanks lose the pennant, the LEAST they could do is play the Liza Minelli version of "New York, New York". Is nothing sacred?

Godspeed BoSox...

I'll be f***ed if an NL team is gonna win the World Series!

BoSox, BoSox, BoSox! Our AL, right or wrong!

Dang. What a hell of a series! This is why baseball is (still) America's pasttime- as a fan, who could ask for anything more??

The Yankees played with the enthusiasm of a group of third graders marching off to detention.

CHOKE!!!!!!!!!!!

180 million overpaid sissies...nice quality start Brown!!!!

Who's yo' Daddy, Yankees????

Move over Houston Oilers, you no longer have claim to the biggest collapse in playoff history.

It's been a busy year for me, but I took a minute to compile The year in review:

I don't care if your team made it to Game 7 of the 1946 World Series, after 28 years of not winning a title, and you lost in Game 7. I don't care if you returned 21 years after that and lost in Game 7. Or eight years after that and lost in Game 7. Or 11 years after that and, yep, lost in Game 7. I don't care if you lost in Game 7 in last year's ALCS and got punk'd with the signing of A-Rod soon thereafter. Act like an adult.

And now, apparently, the Red Sox are "better off" with Orlando Cabrera — an eight-year, .267 career-hitting shortstop whom I've never heard of

The 2004 Yankees: Better Than Mr. Burns' Dream Team

Thankfully, we will always have the night of Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003, and the early morning hours that followed, when Aaron Boone took Tim Wakefield's first offering and trotted around the bases with glee as Yankees fans exulted and Red Sox Nation got kicked in the gut one more time.

And that's what happened when Aaron Boone deposited Tim Wakefield's first offering in the left-field seats, introducing a new generation of Red Sox Nation to their life-long fate: pain.

Now THAT sounds like taking pleasure in someone else's pain.

Great site, but in the words of the late, great Rodney Dangerfield: keep it fair, keep it fair!

Yeah, sure, and you guys come here for that stuff. It's cool. I didn't say you shouldn't take pleasure in seeing your rival fans unhappy — to a degree (this still is just sports we watch). But ya gotta go somewhere else if you wanna read a guy who couldn't get himself out of bed this morning.