This post was almost titled "My Night on Japanese TV." But the Yankees' 13-run eighth inning, polishing off a comeback from 10-2 in the fifth inning, trumped even that funny event. Here's how I saw the greatest Yankees win of the year:
• After spending the day with Brooks from SportsByBrooks.com and his harem of NYC-newbie hotties, doing the tourist stuff — huge lunch at Carnegie Deli and a calorie-burning trek through Central Park — we all headed up to Yankee Stadium. Brooks and Co. had four $90 tix, only a few rows from the field. Longtime Yankees fan Kevin from NYCBP.com and I didn't have ducats, but planned to pick up a few cheapies off the street after a couple of innings and beers at Yankee Tavern, a block off River Avenue.
• Then Randy Johnson stunk up the joint like a month-old carton of milk, his last pitch being thrown when it was 7-1 D-Rays in the third inning. So there was no way we were buying our way into that funeral.
• In the fourth, with the score 10-2 Rays, we were approached by a crew from a Japenese TV network. They were looking for people to interview about the HUGE Hideo Nomo-Hideki Matsui matchup, which nobody here gave a shit about. They told us that Matsui was more popular than the emperor, and that they were hired full-time to cover Matsui. Anyway, Hideki roped a single to right off of Nomo, and we hammed it up like mad, cheering like nuts and me banging on the bar, demanding celebratory shots. When asked my thoughts on Godzilla this season, I said, "I hope this season for the Yankees and Matsui ends with a happy ending." I'm hoping that when it's subtitled in Japanese that they translate it as "The Yankees and Matsui will end the season with a rub-down and a manual release."
• So we hung out at Yankee Tavern, had a few pops, and just when we were making plans to leave, with the Yankees down 10-2 in the fifth, they score four runs and actually bring the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded. This is the D-Rays. We are going NOWHERE.
• I told the American reporter for the Japanese TV station that Matsui was gonna hit the game-winning home run, and that he was gonna be promoted to station manager.
• John at the bar became a quick friend of mine, he got me my drinks for free. The D-Rays bullpen was quick to be a joke and, before you knew it, the Yankees had hit four home runs and scored 13 runs in the eighth inning (play-by play). Yankee Stadium was a block away, but while we (and about 20 patrons) were this close to having gone to the game, no one regretted their decision. What a fun time.
• So anyway...
- The Yankees score 20 runs for Randy Johnson, and he doesn't get the win? WTF!?
- Randy has to come back Saturday against the Mets after only three innings Tuesday, sparing us another rookie start. I think that's why they took him out so early. Ineffectiveness notwithstanding, you don't take the Big Unit out after 60 or so pitches against Tampa Bay.
- Down one with men on second and third, Lou Piniella decided to intentionally walk Jason Giambi, a strikeout king and a pop-out king, with out out in the eighth. Thanks, Sweet Lou, always a true Yankee. Can't believe anyone walked that guy. Bernie Williams followed with a bases-claearing triple that he just destroyed.
- Derek Jeter is hitting .309, Gary Sheffield is hitting .313, Alex Rodriguez is hitting .323, Hideki Matsui is hitting .300, Jorge Posada is hitting .290. I'm digging it.
- The Yankees are now 4-1 on the homestand when I'm in the Stadium and 1-0 when I'm a block away. Bad luck charm no more, thank god.
After the first week of the season, I was fielding offers for Matsui left and right in my fantasy league... and for the past couple months I've been cringing just thinking about everything I turned down. I was sure he was in for a monster season.
If anyone is savvy with the trends of Yankee players, it's you. Do you think the way he's been handling the bat over the past week is leading up to the kind of MVP second half most of us thought he'd be good for the entire season? Or would you pull the trigger if another of those offers came in?
I'm thinking I'll hold on to him. Without looking it up, I'm pretty sure he's been better than most in his second halves. Plus he's *usually* clutch as hell, and the Yanks look to be in the running for at least something the last few weeks, so that's gotta be good for something.
Posted by RP at June 22, 2005 4:01 AM