First, I lost track of the number of games played between these two teams. I was counting and then Lloyd Moseby retired and it all got muddled in my head. But we're here, late in the season and things are looking grim for the Yanks. They have only one choice to make: they need to choose victory. Before they were choosing losing way too much, and now we're here.
In order for the Yanks to catch either the Sox or the Rays, they need to play something on the order of .700 ball for the rest of the year. The problem is that they have pitchers such as Sidney Ponson and Darell Rasner going for them 40% of the time. So the odds aren't good. Tonight, for instance, features a match-up of one of these pitchers (Rasner) against Yankee-killer AJ Burnett. In other words, the Yanks are underdogs. The good thing is there is nothing quite as satisfying as rooting for the underdog. It's freeing, actually. There's no pressure. Instead, you have a lot of self-righteous fist-pumping. Sometimes you might cry poignantly. Why is something so magical happening to us nobodies?
Today is the first day of the rest of our rooting lives. We are the underdogs. We will root and cheer like fans of the underdogs. It begins now.
Editor's Note: Oops! I forgot to mention that Godzilla is back. Welcome back, Hideki!
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
A. Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
NadyLF
Matsui DH
Cano 2B
I. Rodriguez C
Rasner RHP
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Best I can tell, Nick, that Roman numeral makes this Gamer 81 smiley-face. I believe that's a record.
Posted by: Paul SF | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 06:39 PM
it makes a number? Wow!
Posted by: Nick-YF | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 06:41 PM
There's no pressure. Instead, you have a lot of self-righteous fist-pumping. Sometimes you might cry poignantly.
I cry every time the Sox win a regular season game. 90+ times a year.
Posted by: Atheose | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 06:57 PM
Underdogs? Ha! Sure. You don't get to be hangdog underdogs when your front office can spend out the wazoo acquiring talent, can basically have what it wants (as long as what it wants wants back), when you are the most powerful franchise in sports about to move into a new money-printing home. You aren't an underdog just because you have started to intermittently suck. (Except in Vegas). Underdogs for gamblers you may be, but spiritual underdogs you are not, can not be. Sorry to break the news.
Posted by: SF | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 07:38 PM
Good to see the old SF back...
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 07:53 PM
The whole payroll thing is really getting old...basically you have about, what, $50 million locked up in Jeter, Mo and Posada? Homegrown guys that deserve the money. Payroll is misleading. I wonder what people will bitch about when our payroll comes down next year...maybe even not the highest?
p.s. I hate this team. They all suck except Nady! (he hasn't been around long enough to piss me off yet...)
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 07:55 PM
Color krueg happy if we get rid of:
Damon
Fat Bobby
Moose
Pettitte
Thong Stache
Rasner
Pontoon
Bruney
IPK
(Pavano goes without saying)
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:29 PM
Well, it took some creative figuring to come with that number, Nick. Har.
Posted by: Paul SF | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:35 PM
Damon
Fat Bobby
Moose
Pettitte
Thong Stache
Rasner
Pontoon
Bruney
IPK
So after you dump the starting left fielder, starting right fielder, starting first baseman, three-fifths of the current starting rotation and two backup starters, what exactly are you left with?
Color Paul happy if the Yankees dump all those players, too!
Posted by: Paul SF | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:37 PM
Actual Yankees Paul!
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Pettitte is actually a real Yankee, he is just old and terrible...
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:39 PM
God ARod SUCKS!!!!! 3 k's and counting...
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:43 PM
Johnny fucking Damon. A whole new level of suck.
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 09:29 PM
I stand corrected...ARod showing up Damon for "Douche of the Game"!!!
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Damon is the douche of the game for sure. ARod's play was iffy but i dont blame him totally, that was a great play by overbay.
This team finds a new way to lose every day. Ugh
Posted by: Sam-YF | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 09:40 PM
Sam...he didn't run hard out of the box!!!! He jogged until he saw the ball land and THEN he started running hard. How many f-ing times have we seen that dick-with-ears not run hard out of the box this season???
Posted by: krueg | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 10:17 PM
no words... no words. they should have sent a fat, drunk, angry poet. I've only got the first three covered.
Posted by: attackgerbil | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 10:38 PM
"...he didn't run hard out of the box!!!! ..."
no, and he didn't even try to slap the ball out of mcdonald's glove...no effort whatsoever....
Posted by: dc | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 10:40 PM
...he could have at least yelled "ha" for crying out loud...
Posted by: dc | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 10:41 PM
at least giambi picked up a matching sombrero to accent his thong tonite.
(not meant as a dig at yf's, just been waiting all year to use it.)
Posted by: sf rod | Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 12:28 AM
Way to pile on DC!!! Unfortunately, ARod is living up to all you haters expectations...
Posted by: krueg | Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 09:17 AM