Wednesday night at a bar, I watched the Yankees host a generally meaningless game against the Orioles. It was over early, as the Bombers took a 13-2 lead in the fourth inning, eventually prevailing, 16-5. Some might call it a snoozer.
But I think I witnessed baseball history. The Yankees fielded, for certain, the greatest baseball lineup I've ever seen.
Jonny Damon, CF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Jason Giambi, DH
Gary Sheffield, 1B
Hideki Matsui, LF
Jorge Posada, C
Robinson Cano, 2B
All of them — ALL of them — have been All-Star starters (save Cano, who was voted to start in this season's Midsummer Classic, but unable to play because of injury).
Four of them — Abreu, Rodriguez, Giambi and Sheffield — have been the best hitters on other MLB clubs. Matsui, of course, a Japan league legend and MLB star.
Five of them hit home runs Wednesday night, in the first game in which the Yankees were able to field their healthiest, most potent lineup.
The 1-2-3 of Damon (24 HRs, 113 R, 25 SB), Jeter (.340 BA, 114 R, 32 SB) and Abreu (.430 OBP, 106 RBI, 29 SB) is probably the best in baseball.
The 4-5-6 of A-Rod (34 HRs, 118 RBI, 15 SB), Giambi (37 HRs, .413 OBP) and Sheffield (out most of year, but it's fucking Sheffield) is certainly the best in baseball.
And the 7-8-9 of Matsui (out most of the year, but it's fucking Matsui), Posada (21 HRs, 81 RBI) and Cano (.343 BA, 78 RBI) is ... are you kiddnig me?
This lineup is averaging 16 runs per game. Well, more, because a bunch of 'em got subbed out after the early carnage. The starters, at one point, scored 13 runs while committing 11 outs.
And they did it all in front of The Boss. No, not Steinbrenner, but Springsteen.
It's too bad we don't have any pitching, because nobody would trade their 1-2-3 postseason starters for Wang, Mussina and Johnson, nor would they swap their closer for Rivera.
In other news, the third-place Red Sux lost, 11-0, at home (is anyone still showing up?) to the Devil Rays, and Pedro Martinez has a 16.97 ERA over his last four starts, giving up 22 hits and 20 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. (He pretty much sucks right now.)
In even more other news, Terrell Owens contends he did not try to kill himself. As his publicist said during a press conference, "Terrell has 25 million reasons to be alive." Now that's the asshole I want to see get hurt — real bad, career-threatening hurt — in Philly next week. And I will not apologize for that. You wanna be a persistent, voluntary villain? Join the pro wrestling circuit or accept the hate.
It's amazing what you can do with $250 million these days.
Posted by stackpat at September 28, 2006 9:18 AM