The Captain Returns!: Yanks-A's Gamer I

A last second change has our fearless captain, sore thumb and all, batting second and in the DH slot. The tears are streaming down my face. It's like every holiday wrapped into one. The Yanks take on the disappointing A's. It's Johnson vs. Haren tonight. This is your game thread.

Comments

[yankeemonkey]

Bernie back in right. 'Nuff said.

[YF]

And he gets a quick chance. 1 down.

[yankeemonkey]

Awesome, an easy 1-2-3 for RJ. If we believe the trend, that was the easiest inning for him to get scored on. Let's hope it holds up.

[YF]

Jay Payton, at 247/266/355 is their 3 hitter?! man, that's some serious injury problems. Surprised Beane hasn't had an aneurism.

[yankeemonkey]

YF, what do you think about Melky batting 9th?

[yankeemonkey]

And Thomas crushes one into right-center field bleachers. And Kielty follows with a single. Has RJ moved his early problems from 1st to 2nd inning? Urgh.

[walein]

You would think with Chavez and Crosby out of the line up it might be a tad bit easier to pitch to this soft team.

[walein]

Randy takes advantage of Perez.

[yankeemonkey]

Well, if the only damage they can inflict is with solo shots from Thomas, it shouldn't be too bad *crosses fingers*

[yankeemonkey]

Yankee fans are jackasses. Were they really cheering when A-Rod got hit? Sheesh

[YF]

Melky hitting 9th is fine with me.

Flash says QuesTec hurt Thomas? Interesting.

[YF]

We all like to beat on Murcer and Miggy. But Murcer is right that Miggy was smart to be looking to get a cheapie on the bunt. Woulda been nice, and a wiley move from a vet. Instead we get the fly out. Oh well. Can't say he didn't have an idea.

[LocklandSF]

I'm watching both games, and yes, they did cheer when ARod got hit. Just answering a question, not adding any comments about it.

[yankeemonkey]

Then allow me to reiterate: Yankee fans are jackasses (at least some of them).

[attackgerbil]

Randy, Come the F*CK on! You _have_ to be able to get Kendall!!??!! Crap.

[yankeemonkey]

What's happening? My cable box is having issues :-/

[attackgerbil]

Johnson walked Kendall after being up 0-2 (i think). They get the 543 dp on a roller from Swisher. Rouse gets plated as Payton singles to right.

[yankeemonkey]

F***.

[attackgerbil]

Hurt is up, homered in his firtst AB. Lifts one high off the end of the bat to deep right center, fly out to Damon. There aren't many players who can hit that pitch, (very low, very outside) that far.

[yankeemonkey]

Cabrera is having Giambi-esque ABs. Seems like every time counts are 3-2.

[attackgerbil]

Oakland is leading two nothing. It's the bottom of the third. Cabrera takes ball one, and checks his swing (close one) for ball two. 2-0 is a strike. 2-1 is high and outside. 3-1: fastball (or a slider?) on the outside corner for a full count. Payoff is a ground out 6-3.

[yankeemonkey]

What is it with Yanks and Haren? He's making like Sandy Koufax out there!

[attackgerbil]

Damon on a 2-2: fouls the fastball (high outside) back and left

[attackgerbil]

Damon with a texas-leaguer to left near the line to get on first with a single. Nice piece of hitting, that.

[yankeemonkey]

Gah! DJ gets nailed in the ribs.

[attackgerbil]

Derek Jeter, it is good to see you.

Foul ball, 0-1. Haren buzzes inside on Jeter (don't hit his hands you bastard!). ball 1. 1-1: inside, hitshim on the belly but was thrown at his hand. Take your base, Derek. Haren, you are a prick.

[attackgerbil]

Three pitches at the hands. !@(#*&

[yankeemonkey]

Giambi looks bad on that swing.

[attackgerbil]

First and second to Giambi. He swings for the fence on the 1-1 but misses it, it was off the outside part of the plate.

[attackgerbil]

2-2 to Giambi, two on, one out. It was a bit inside but called strike three. Can't really take that one.

[yankeemonkey]

A-Rod! Clutch! Bad baserunning from DJ there though.

[attackgerbil]

Two outs to ARod. Single to right past a diving Rouse scores Damon, but Jeter is caught at third trying to advance. Inning over. OAK 2, NYY 1.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson wastes no time giving up a straightway shot to Kielty. Oakland 3, NYY 1.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson is facing Bradley and missing his marks by about a foot. Take your base, Milton.

Posada comes out to talk about it.

[attackgerbil]

Scutaro is hitting .189. Johnson throws a ball low and away. Then throws one over a foot outside for ball two. 2-0: slider right down the middle, strike one. A very subtle balk from Johnson, but it was a balk. Bradley to 2nd. Foul ball strike 2.

[attackgerbil]

2-2: Johnson comes with the slider and Scutaro fouls it off his left instep. Ouch.

2-2 again: fouled back and right. 2-2 again: fouled back.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson is having trouble getting the pesky Scutaro and his whopping .189 BA to go away. To his credit, Scutaro's OBP is 100 points higher than his average. Another foul ball on the ground left, then another foul in the air up right. Sheesh. Finish him! Sweep the leg!. Full count on a pitch that should have been strike three.

[yankeemonkey]

Can Flash be the designated pitching coach for Randy?

[YF]

This is unbelievable stuff from Flash. Randy needs someone to wind him up for the entire game? Unbelievable.

[attackgerbil]

FINALLY rings up Scutaro on a slider on the outside corner. Perfect pitch.

[yankeemonkey]

So he's not really the Big Unit, he's the Big Baby?

[YF]

Incredible. It works. So RJ is like a 9-year-old. Wonder what a guy like Mussina thinks about him.

[yankeemonkey]

You gotta be kidding me. This is ridiculous.

[attackgerbil]

Perez hits an 0-1 deep to left... and out of the park. Melky can't jump that high.

[YF]

That is sad. (The home run to Perez.) The personality shit is also pretty weak.

[attackgerbil]

Well, not really out of the park, but 10 or so rows back in the air.

[Nick-YF]

at this point, I can't stand Johnson.

[attackgerbil]

Johnson has gone full and throws his 67th pitch for a foul ball back left.

[yankeemonkey]

So maybe it wasn't so bad that Wright got the start over RJ last night. At least Jaret kept them in the game for the first 5 innings...

[attackgerbil]

Johnson misses badly for ball four and walks the number nine hitter.

[attackgerbil]

Kendall walked his last time up. He takes strike 1. 0-1: a slider that should have been a strike. Called away, ball 1.

[LocklandSF]

When did you guys trade Randy for Clement?

Welcome to our world.

[walein]

Randy Johnson is fckuing terrible.

[Nick-YF]

I bet you we see Scott Proctor today. Joe's testing a theory about whether someone's arm can literally fall off mid-pitch.

[attackgerbil]

RJ's attitude is likely pissing off the ump ( or making him laugh giddily ). Ball two. Posada with a bad throw on the steal that dribbles in to left and Rouse advances to third.

[yankeemonkey]

Good grief, they've completely fallen apart in this inning. Blergh.

[attackgerbil]

Okay.. that 2-1 was a _strike_ I don't know what Johnson has to do to get that call.

[attackgerbil]

Ball four and Kendall goes to first. Nobody up in the pen. First and third, one out to Swisher. Ball one.

[walein]

"Randy thought that pitch was a strike too. Well, how about that homerun, was that the ump's fault too?

[YF]

And now RJ is acting like a total jerk, losing composure. Is there a sure-fire hall of famer with a worse makeup than this? The guy just loses composure so easily.

[attackgerbil]

Swisher hits it to right Bernie was coming in and fires home.. the ball is rolling on the ground by the time it gets to the mound. Fuggggggly. Run scores on the tag.

[yankeemonkey]

And now Small is warming up. So basically Torre is mailing it in.

[attackgerbil]

Walein: Randy is being a prick, and he has gotten robbed on a couple of calls in the last couple of at bats, and I am guessing A is a direct result of B.

[Nick-YF]

I still can't believe he gave up a homer to Antonio Perez.

[attackgerbil]

Not that that makes it right. Johnson is the one at fault, all the way.

[attackgerbil]

But it's maybe even more likely that B is a result of A.

[Nick-YF]

This is why we have Aaron Small. This is his sole function.

[attackgerbil]

Another walk. Johnson has nothing left. Check to the pen to see if Proctor is ready. Hurt is up and looks to make it 9-1 on his first swing.

[yankeemonkey]

This is the ugliest game I've seen in a long time. Temporarily watching the CWS to cool off...

[attackgerbil]

Okay, if that 1-1 is not a strike, I don't know what is. That is a perfect slider. The 3-1 looked mighty good too. Inning over on a pop out to center on another slider.

[Nick-YF]

If Proctor is warming up then Torre is a sadist.

[attackgerbil]

2-1 looked good rather.

[attackgerbil]

There is a distinct lack of consistency in the zone being called tonight between the lefty and the righty pitchers.

[yankeemonkey]

Nick, Small was up at last check. Which is not to say Proctor won't make an appearance next inning. I say leave RJ in there till he gets to 100 pitches. Who cares if he's in a bad mood? We can't burn out the bullpen every game.

[attackgerbil]

Haren is outside for ball one to Posada. Jorge fouls the 1-0 back. The 1-1: Haren loses the handle on the curve.. way outside for ball 2. 2-2 is fouled back on a check swing.

[Nick-YF]

Rally time game.

trivia question: Which two countries are the only ones whose flag does not contain either red, blue or white?

[attackgerbil]

Posada is rung up.

[attackgerbil]

Germany is one.

[attackgerbil]

Brazil? No.. they have blue, don't they.

[Nick-YF]

Germany has red.

[attackgerbil]

Very nice running catch by Kielty to retire Cano.

[attackgerbil]

No Germany then.. Hmm.

[yankeemonkey]

Uzbekistan is one, I think.

[Nick-YF]

Uz has red, white and blue

[attackgerbil]

Jamaica is one I think then.

[Nick-YF]

AG, that is correct! one more to go.

[attackgerbil]

I'm out. Jamaica is all I can think of.

[Nick-YF]

YM, you still playing?

[attackgerbil]

Now I am googling as Small puts a man on to lead off the top of five.

[yankeemonkey]

Libya.

[YF]

Libya is pure green

[Nick-YF]

YM fills out the last answer!

[Nick-YF]

Only 2 countries without those colors.

[yankeemonkey]

I would like to thank my agent, my lawyer and Google!

[Nick-YF]

Google ruins everything.

[attackgerbil]

The Libyans! How did they find me! Time to run to the DeLorean and activate the flux capacitor.

[YF]

It was a tie! RECOUNT

[Nick-YF]

YM/F tie goes to the runner. Who was the runner?

[YF]

The rerun of Germany-Costa Rica on Univision is more fun than this bleepin game.

[attackgerbil]

I want to thank Bob Marley, Disney, and the Jamaican bobsled team.