Ok, ok… granted… Game One of the World Series was not C.C.’s finest pitching outing.  Cliff Lee pitched his behind off and the defending World Champs definitely came into the Bronx ready to go… but IT WAS ONLY GAME ONE, FOLKS! Yanks in 6! Very little to say that went well for a Yankee fan other than we are glad game one is over.  A-Rod silenced, Mark “Chris” Teixiera no help either, C.C. down in seven after getting no help from his offense.   In fact, very little offensively until the ninth when we finally got a run in.  Once again Fox Sports announcing duo managed their typical balanced commentary.  I do believe there was a total of two players on the field and neither wore pinstripes.

Final: Phillies 6, Yankees 1

Game 2 Tomorrow night.  Have a read-through so I will have to miss half.  GO YANKS!!! Maybe we will get to see a pie delivered by starter A.J. Burnett (hopefully not since they only come after a from behind victory).

Ok… the big item.  The Yankees are off to THE WORLD SERIES!  After a bit of speculation about the pitching decision (I thought all along that Andy Pettite was the way to go since he as pitched in numerous big games and now has the most post-season wins of any pitcher).  Once again, a great game and I was flabbergasted when the combo of Buck and McCarver began to be silenced when the Angels remarkably made two errors in a row.  The quartet of players who were flying high in the late ’90s (Captain Jeter, Pettite, Jorge Posada, and closer extraordinaire, MARIANO RIVERA) will be joined by second year skipper, Joe Girardi (who was also the catcher in the late 90s and now is the fourth person to play on a World Series Yankee team and later coach another to the series).

NOW, for even better news on a personal level (close but yes even better), I will be playing the role of the eeeeeevil Mr. Potter in the Village Players’ production of It’s A Wonderful Life.  Travis called me earlier and informed me that I need to put on my mean face.  I love playing the villain.  Can’t wait to get started!  And it is now projected to run 2 weekends (December 11-13 & 18-20).

GO YANKEES!!!!  AND NOW I CAN TRY OUT THOSE ERASABLE HIGHLIGHTERS (I was hoping that it would not be a long wait).  BOOYAH!

Thankfully, the game really did not get started until I got off work at 9.  Up until then, the Yanks and Angels were scoreless through three, but that was soo to change.  Game 4 in the ALCS featured a remarkable one-two punch for the Bombers.  C.C. pitched eight incredible innings allowing one run on five hits on a short three days rest and giving the much used bullpen a rest of its own.

Alex Rodriguez with all the turmoil he has been in this year off the field has never had a better post season.  I cannot forget his arrival in the pin-stripes.  He was terrible in the post season.  This year… 5 home runs, 11 RBIs.  Tonight he was a triple away from hitting a cycle including a two run smash.

Last night’s questionable use of the bullpen and tonight’s even more questionable calls made by the crew chief along the third base line are now a distant memory as the Yankees are one victory away from THE WORLD SERIES.  Now… I just have to concentrate on other things until Thursday night (of course that will not be a problem for me… sorry guys, you will have to take a back seat until 9).  Hopefully, they can wrap it up Thursday night so I can go a-haunting this weekend safe in the knowledge that they will be back in the Big Apple waiting for next Wednesday.   But… it is not over yet.

For anyone not in the know… Yankees 10, Angels 1.

And today is the 99th birthday for the longtime former voice of the Yanks, Bob Sheppard.  In homage, Captain Jeter has Mr. Sheppard’s recorded voice announcing him every time he steps up to the plate (at hime, anyway).  Can we get a “Yankees win!   THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Yankees WIN!” Mr. Sheppard began announcing in the ’51 season with none other than greats like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra leading the Bombers to another World Championship.

Yep… once again… an extra inning pitching duel.  Captain J started off the afternoon just after 4PM with a single homer.  A-Rod, Johnny D, and Posada added their own throughout the game.  However, single HRs often do not win games, correct?  I do think the Yanks went a bit too deep in the bullpen… but that is just a bit of armchair coaching.  Final: Yankees 4…Angels 5 in 12.  At least it was a late afternoon game unlike Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday.  Game 4 Tomorrow Night 7:30… C.C. back on the hill!!!!!!!

I could have used another more colorful metaphor to describe the announcing prowess of one of my oh, soooooo favorite commentators,  Joe Buck for FOX Sports is so one-sided, anti-Yankees that it is downright disgusting.  No where was this more true than in the bottom of the 10th inning of the still going on Game 2 of the ALCS.  What was a seemingly easy double play turned into an advanced runner to second and an out at first.  Funny that as the Angels had back-to-back picture perfect double plays.  And we go to inning 12 at 12:17AM after A-Rod ties the game at 3 all..

Ok… back to the failed double play.  The defensive player at second NEVER HAD HIS FOOT ON THE BASE.  What was worse is that he straddled to so blatantly… nowhere close. but yet he was shocked and Mike Scioscia, himself came out to argue the call.  So Mr. Buck argued that it was a gimme, neighborhood ball.  After the inning was complete and the game progressed, ol’ Joe made what for me was the closest he has ever come to a retraction.  Apparently, in the two other perfect double plays, the player indeed had his foot on the bag.

I have at times pushed the mute to silence the golden tones of the fine and talented broadcaster.  Really need to look into other means to listen to the games.

Now, we have the fifth pitcher for the Yanks coming up.  Apart from the announcing, it has been a dandy of a game.  The rain is starting to pick up so they better wrap it up soon.

4-3 in 13 innings.  The Yankees win!!!!!  ThAAAAAAAAAAAAA Yankees WIN!!!!  Off to the West!  Good night!

tonight after watching the Bombers take game one in the ALCS thanks in no small part to C.C. Sabathia’s excellent pitching plus some errors in the field by the Angels, I watched my latest DVD rental.  I have never seen a Sam Raimi  directed effort apart from the blockbuster Spider-Man films.  Apparently, he was well regarded as a low-budget horror maker and made his return to the genre last year in the aptly titled, Drag Me to Hell. This decidedly B-movie was equal parts fright, gore, and humor (mainly from some of the ridiculous situations, but I think this was the intent… not taking itself too seriously).

The film follows a bank loan employee who is a possible candidate for a promotion to assistant manager.  Christine is approached by an elderly gypsy woman (complete with a creepy glass eye) who is in need of an extension on her delinquent mortgage payment.  When the request is denied, the old beggar woman takes it quite personally and places an evil spirit upon our heroine and (you guessed it) strange, horrific things begin to happen that only Christine is witness to.

Christine’s boyfriend, Clay, is skeptical to say the least.  However, he does accompany her to a psychic who knows how to rid the woman of her problem before she is literally… well… you know dragged to hell.  Goofy, yes but is there a b-grade horror film that isn’t?  Plus, you get to see the wide acting ability of Justin Long who you may remember  from the live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks…. so maybe not so much since he was the voice of Alvin.

I took my two youngest daughters to lunch today, and then scampered back home to allow my youngest to get her stuff together to head back to school. On the way to Fort Wayne, we stopped in Hicksville to see a play Jamiahsh was in. About 10 minutes into the play, I mentioned to my daughter that I was guessing Jamiahsh’s character would be the murder victim. Not just because he was annoying the ‘director’, but because, these shows are predictable. At least to some extent. I will admit that I didn’t get the ‘real’ murderer. A very fun performance.

Then off to Fort Wayne with a stop at a Walmart to get pictures developed and some scrap booking supplies. That took some time this evening. A rather late dinner and I got my daughter back to school some time after 8:00pm. Then the hour drive back home.

When I got here, I decided to relax and watch the end of Sunday Night Football. By the time I started watching, the game was just about over and it was only halfway through the 3rd period. At least during the game I did find out that most of the teams for the league championship series have been decided. Only the Phillies and Rockies need to complete their series. And they had a snow out…. I think some cities should have domed stadiums (or more exactly retractable domes) if they start competing in October/November. Sometimes it is just too cold for baseball.

I also heard that the Bears won, so we should see another Whatever post… 😉

for the first time since 2004.  While posting about the final performance and wrap party, I was watching the Yanks sweep the Twins to move on to face the Angels on Friday.  The “unbiased” announcing seemed to be leaning a bit to the other side.  During the marathon top of the 9th inning, I went downstairs to watch my mother nervously trying to keep her emotions in check as two of the granddaughters were sleeping on the couch  (no school tomorrow… not because of C-bus Day but for Parent/Teacher Conferences).  There was a bit of a delay in the bottom half as a crazed fan ran on to the field in an apparent attempt to throw of the pitching prowess of Mariano Rivera to no avail.  The fan was apprehended and the Yanks win 4-1.

The end of the season for the Minnesota Twins spelled the end of the teams home in the Metrodome as the team will be moving to Target Field in 2010.

Since I am a Tiger fan, I do tend to like the Tiger announcers, but since they did not make the playoffs 🙁 , I am listening to other announcers. So far, I’ve heard the Yankee announcers during the season. The lady they have (sorry I don’t recall her name) seems to really know her baseball. The Red Sox and Angels announcers are gung ho for their team (as expected) but seemed to do their homework on the other team. I feel this is very important. It bugs me when the announcer can’t pronounce the other team’s players.

I hope to hear the NL announcers before this round of the playoffs ends. But that will depend on my schedule and when I can get to a computer or radio that gets local stations.

I’m thinking the AL will come down to the Angels and the Yankees. I’ve been against the Yankees since I knew about baseball, so I really can’t root for them. (Sorry J…) I do think they will go to the World Series, my likes and dislikes won’t change that at all. They have a better set of pitchers and they can out hit any team on any night.

I’m not sure about the National League teams, since I didn’t pay as much attention to them. I would like the Dodgers to get to the Series, but I’m not sure which team has the best chance. Prior bias on my part hopes the Cardinals don’t get in (they beat Detroit in 2006). While it looks good for the Dodgers, I just just don’t know. As far as the Phillies and Diamondbacks, to me that is a coin toss.

Fearless prediction

Yankees, Dodgers in the Series. Yankees win it 6 games. Arrgh!!! I hate saying that….

Yesterday, the Bronx Bombers closed out the regular season in historic and dramatic fashion.  In the sixth inning, A-Rod blasted 7 RBIs by hitting a three-run homer and in his second at bat in the frame, belted a grand slam leading the Yanks to a 10-2 finish against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Two records were set… the most RBIs in one inning for an American League player (only Fernando Tatis of the St. Louis Cardinals has had more in one inning with 8, back in 1999).  The first homer of the inning was the Yanks’ 243rd rounding of the bases topping a team record set in 2004.  Rodriguez’s 30 long balls and 100 RBIs for the season seems exceptional considering he was sidelined (ok.. mixing sports terms here) for the first 28 games due to his right hip surgery.

AH… October madness.  Now we wait for a week before the Division Series begins.  Still a toss up between the Tigers and Twins as their records are tied prompting a final game to decide the AL Central title.  Let the party begin!