Let’s keep it going here folks. Been one helluva night, no?
Game 156 Spillover Thread
The comments in the earlier thread are adding up, so use this one for discussion about tonight’s game.
Game 156: The House That Became A Home
Today is a day that I thought would never come. Like the last day of summer vacation as a kid, I knew it would happen eventually but didn’t want to believe it. But now it’s here, the last game at Yankee Stadium, and I can best describe the feeling as sad, joyful and nostalgic.
I’ve spent many days in The House That Ruth Built, more than I care to count. Whether I was a kid annoying my father for more cotton candy, or cutting class in high school to catch a day game from the far reaches of Tier Reserved, or a yuppie deciding which dugout I wanted to sit behind, the one thing that never changed was the proud Stadium. Walking out of the tunnel to see the greenest grass I’ve ever seen and hear Ed Alstrom on the organ for the first time has always been one of my favorite memories of the Stadium.
We’ve bitched and moaned about the team on the field all season long, but I don’t even care about that anymore. Today is about celebrating a long-standing New York tradition, soaking in the best Yankee Stadium has to offer. As Doug Mientkiewicz perfectly put it: God did create heaven on Earth … it’s called Yankee Stadium.
Yankee Stadium will live on forever in our hearts and memories, but as Jane Heller reminds us: The memories — the magic — were never really about the building. Truer words have never been spoken.
The baseball gods took care of the Yanks today like they have so many times before, granting just a perfect day for baseball. Enjoy the game, enjoy the pre- and post-game festivities, enjoy being a Yankees’ fan.
Game 155: Two to go
It’s the last day game in the stories history of Yankee Stadium. In 40 minutes, the Yanks will take the field on the House that Ruth Built for the last time under the sun. It is a bittersweet moment, to be sure.
Al Aceves draws the start today for the Yanks. In his last Yankee Stadium start, he held the White Sox to two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings this year. Facing him will be Brian Burres, 7-9 with a 6.32 ERA.
Damon CF
Jeter DH
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Nady LF
Cano 2B
Ransom SS
Moeller C
Aceves P
Final Game Notes: The Biz of Baseball has the complete rundown of the ESPN TV coverage scheduled for tomorrow. If you can’t make it to the stadium for the farewell game, there are plenty of tributes to watch on the Worldwide Leader.
Photo Credit: The new Yankee Stadium by Librado Romero for The New York Times.
Game 154: Going Out With A Bang
And so it begins, the final series at Yankee Stadium. It’s only fitting that the Orioles would close out the Stadium, since the Yankees’ franchise came about when the original Baltimore Orioles moved to New York in 1903. The Orioles became the New York Highlanders, who then became the Yankees in 1913. The rest is history.
If Mike Mussina’s send off was any indication of what we can expect these last few games, it’s going to be one exciting weekend. Sit back, relax, and enjoy Yankee baseball the next three days. They won’t disappoint us.
1. Damon, DH
2. Jeter, SS
3. Abreu, RF
4. A-Rod, 3B
5. Giambi, 1B
6. Nady, LF
7. Cano, 2B – .500-.545-.600 since the benching
8. Pudge, C
9. Gardner, CF – .364-.417-.455 with 2 SB in his last 3 starts
And on the mound, Carl Pavano.
Game 153: Do or die for Moose’s quest
If Mike Mussina wants to win 20 games this year, he has but one choice tonight. He must win. He will make three starts, counting this evening’s, before the season runs out. If he wins them all, 20 wins will be his.
Unfortunately for Mussina, he has done little winning lately. While the Yanks are 5-2 over his last seven starts, Moose has nailed down just two W’s in that period, and his ERA over that stretch of 43 innings is 4.81. Mussina will also attempt to keep his walk total lower than his number of games started. He has allowed 27 base-on-balls in 31 starts.
This could also be Moose’s last career start in Yankee Stadium for the Yankees. In his Yankee career, Moose is 69-38 with a 3.66 ERA in 125 starts.
Facing Mussina will be old friend Javier Vazquez. The former Yankee is 12-13 with a 4.13 ERA. In his only 2008 outing against the Yanks, Vazquez allowed 10 hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. Meanwhile, on the year, Javy’s allowed a hit per inning and has just a hair under a strike per inning. If you want to talk about the Yanks’ selling low, Vazquez should enter the conversation.
In other news, Juan Miranda makes his Major League debut tonight. He kills right-handed pitching.
Gardner CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Nady LF
Cano 2B
Miranda 1B
Molina C
Mussina P
Game 152: Return of the Phranchise
The Yankees elimination number is just three, so any combination of three Yanks losses or Red Sox wins, and it’s officially over. Not that we’re holding out hope at this point. For the Yankees to make the playoffs would take a collapse on the level of…nah, I won’t go there.
On the mound tonight is Phil Hughes, in his first major league start since going down with a fractured rib in late April. Phil has been stellar his past few starts in AAA, winning two playoff games, including the clinching game of the International League Governor’s Cup.
It’s not exactly a big night for Phil. With the Yanks basically out of it, there’s no pressure. Yes, it would be wholly disappointing for him to look like he did in April. But if that’s the case, well, it’s no the end of the world. He’ll get another start or two before the season closes, and he’ll get plenty of work in winter ball. All we really care about is him doing well in 2009.
For the skeptics out there, though, it’s best that he gets through at least six innings with two earned runs tonight. And when he gives up those runs, hopefully it’s in the later innings. If he gives up a run in the first, I fear for my text message inbox. I can see the “Fraudchise” messages pouring in.
Your lineup:
1. Johnny Damon, LF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Jason Giambi, 1B
6. Xavier Nady, DH
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Ivan Rodriguez, C
9. Melky Cabrera, CF
And on the mound, back to number sixty-five, Phil Hughes.
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