Yankeeology.com

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

Javy Vazquez stated the game in fine fashion and seemed to be unhittable for the first few innings. It was a very hot day, 95 with the humidity, 90 without. Either way it was steaming hot and even breathing had become somewhat of a task. No matter how much water we drank, we would not refresh ourselves. As for drinking beer, not a good idea, unless you were in an air conditioned room.  So it would be understandable that both pitchers Vazquez and/or Pineiro would overheat and become uneasy at some point in the game. Pineiro was first, the Yankee offense took advantage of the circumstances and proceeded to bombard him with an array of singles, doubles and homers. By the end of the 4th the Yankees were up 6-0. Amazingly, the Angels left Pineiro on the mound, I guess they knew that Vazquez would have one of his total breakdowns and they were right.

The Angels proceeded to bombard Vazquez and before you knew it, the score was 6-5 and men on base with Robertson on the mound. Somehow Robertson was able to slide out of the inning and the score stayed the same. The Yanks were not able to do anything in the bottom of the 6th as Pineiro was resurrected and had a one-two-three inning. But the Angels were unsuccessful also in the top half of the 7th as Logan came in to record two outs, along with a shaky Joba who ended the inning on a ground ball.

DH Juan Miranda hits a solo shot and increased the Yankee lead to 7-5, one out in the bottom of the 7th. Granderson singled to left and Cervelli reached on an infield hit. Man on first and third, Gardner is up. This is when something I personally never seen before happened. With an 0-2 count, Gardner frustrated by the home plate umpire, Paul Emmel, call strike, turned around and said something to the him as he stepped out of the batting box. Gardner then turned around to step back in and said something again to the Emmel and this was it! Emmel stood up straight, turned his head, pointed to Gardner and then at the Yankee dugout and proceeded to throw him out of the game, goodbye, wow! Very rare and Girardi had to immediately choose a replacement for Garner. He did so and the rookie Colin Curtis stepped in with an 0-2 pitch, very difficult circumstance, I must say. Well somehow, Curtis was able to take three straight pitches and make the count to his favor, 3 and 2. And this is what happened next. Unbelievable!! And I was there, yeah!! The score was 10-5 now going into the 8th inning. The Angels scored one run and Joba was able to squeeze out without allowing any more runs. The 8th inning ended with the Yanks not scoring any more runs.

Here comes Mariano and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” plying in the background. Another One-Two-Three inning, game over Yanks win!  Box Score and Highlights.

When I entered the Stadium grounds, it was very evident to me by it’s majestic exterior, that it was a brand new building. But when I walked into the stadium and took a look at the field and the outfield walls, it felt like Déjà Vu all over again. I thought as I stood and looked around, that I was in the old original stadium! Then I sat down on the cushioned seat and I realize I was not. Great job in replicating the old Yankee Stadium.

Note: All the following pictures were taken by me at the stadium, you can download them if you need them:

Did you know what Don Mattingly did on 20th of July in 1987:

Final score was 10-6 although both teams managed the same amount of hits:

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

My condolences to the Steinbrenner family, all Yankee fans will miss the “Boss” and especially Yankee fans of my age. I’m talking about the ones that had to struggle watching the Yankees in the late sixties and the early seventies, you know who you are. We were first hand witnesses when we picked up the Daily News to read about this guy who had just purchased the Yanks. Nobody knew who he was, this guy from Cleveland, George Steinbrenner. And remember, unless you had some idea of who the Yankees were before, another words, if you were in your early teens and on, you would know a little about Yankee tradition. So it was a crucial time, the Yankee tradition was in jeopardy. For those who were just toddlers, Steinbrenner was the only hope left for the Yankee tradition to continue. If he didn’t step in, Yankee stadium would probably not exist anymore.

In the Six Part series dedicated to the history of Yankee Stadium by New York Daily News writer Wayne Coffey, he explains the grave situation (Part Four: The Bronx Zoo) that faced Yankee fans as their team was in shambles and the stadium itself was deteriorating:

It was one of the happiest moments I’ve ever had as a ballplayer,” White said.

Roy White signed with the Yankees as a 17-year-old kid from Los Angeles, in 1961, his head full of visions of Yankee Stadium grandeur. Soon he’d be playing alongside Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford, and doing it well into October.
“When you sign with the Yankees,” White says with a soft laugh, “you think, ‘I’m going to be in the World Series every year.’”

It did not quite happen that way. The Yankees hit bottom in White’s rookie season, 1966, finishing last, 26½ games out of first, reaching the nadir on the afternoon of Sept. 22, when they lost to  Moose Skowron and the White Sox, 4-1, at the Stadium. Bobby Murcer, a 20-year-old shortstop-turned-center-fielder from Oklahoma, was already hearing all the next Mickey Mantle talk. Murcer drove in the Yankees’ only run that day. The crowd of 413 – no misprint – did not have to fight much traffic on the way home.

The Yankees had their good moments over the next 10 years, most of them furnished by Mel Stottlemyre, who had three 20-victory seasons and won 164 career games on mostly second-division teams; and by White, Murcer and Thurman Munson.

A pugnacious, squat-bodied catcher from Canton, Ohio, Munson was the American League rookie of the year in 1970, and would become not only the pillar on which the Yankees were rebuilt, but the club’s first captain since Lou Gehrig.

“He’s the greatest winner I ever played with,” says Willie Randolph, who was an integral part of the Yankee resurgence himself, after he was acquired in December 1975, the Yankees trading a top starter, Doc Medich, to get him.

But mostly the news was grim, and sometimes downright bizarre. Shortly after Munson’s third full season, two Yankee lefthanders, Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich, announced they were swapping wives, and lives. This particular transaction did not go over too well with the new owner, George M. Steinbrenner III, the military-minded scion of a Great Lakes shipbuilder, who had bought the club from CBS for $8.8 million. Steinbrenner put up a little over $800,000 of his own money.

The investment has worked out pretty well.
With his team playing in Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was undergoing renovation in 1974 and 1975, Steinbrenner commanded his players to get haircuts and follow orders. The Yankees returned to respectability, if not dominance, and when Steinbrenner replaced manager Bill Virdon with Billy Martin, a Yankee hero of old, the sense of invigoration was almost instantaneous. The low-key Virdon was a solid baseball man who brought professionalism to the club, and had the team in the AL East race into the final weekend in 1974. But Martin brought his own buzz with him, to say nothing of baggage, and showed up at the perfect time...Continue Reading

Note: I have the all six parts on Yankeeology.com, just click on the “Stadium” image on the sidebar.

He goes on with the signing of  Jim “Catfish” Hunter and key acquiring of players who would make up to be champions. But it was the characters of these players that Steinbrenner propelled in as owner. He knew a winner when he saw one and he knew the type of players it would take to become champions, he was an expert in building a perfect team chemistry.

But things became very sour for the Yankees in the eighties although they made the World Series in 81. He became a nuisance with the Windfield escapades, things really got ugly, the players from the 70′s were gone and every player he picked up was a bust. As a fan, I was going to the games very frequently and the pitching was atrocious. The only reason why my friends and I would go to the games was because of “Donny Baseball”, Don Mattingly. There was nobody there at the games, so much room to roam around, the stadium was ours.

Here in this Steinbrenner SI article by Alex Belth (Page two), you can get more of the picture:

In the ’80s, the Yankees imploded. Steinbrenner bought talent — after the 1980 season, he made Dave Winfield the richest man in sports with a 10-year, $23 million deal — and traded away promising prospects such as Jose Rijo, Willie McGee and Fred McGriff. The Yankees had the best cumulative regular-season record in baseball during the decade with only the ’81 Series loss to show for it.

“The problem with the Yankees,” wrote Bill James in 1988, “is that they never want to pay the real price of success. The real price of success in baseball is not the dollars you come up with for a Jack Clark, or a Dave Winfield or and Ed Whitson. … It is the patience to work with young players and help them develop. So long as the Yankees are unwilling to pay that price, don’t bet on them to win anything.”

From 1989-1992, the Yankees were 288-359, never placing higher than fourth. In 1990, they bottomed-out, finishing dead last, 21 games out…..Continue here

This is when I personally became critical of the Yankees and I continued on and was very vocal. All that money thrown around and nothing for it. When Mattingly was discarded, pushed aside I was very bitter towards him. Although it was Mattingly’s back that really pushed him out, I was furious when he left and blamed most of it on Steinbrenner’s disregard. Picking up superstars and trading away young prospects was the general concern for me and Steinbrenner was the architect behind it all, it was frustrating for the least. I was even more outraged when Tino Martinez signed. Here we had a member of the Seattle Mariners playing in Yankee stadium for my Yankees and taking Mattingly’s place, ouch! But it was a great choice, he had the right character and was perfect for the ultimate team chemistry formula. Not to mention, O’ Neil, Jimmy Key and Boggs.

It was the 90′s now, nothing since 1978 and the new generation was getting restless. We were all getting restless and then came 1996. Happy days were back and I was satisfied because we had a team that was similar to the 77 and 78 teams. The Yankee mystic, the comebacks, the down and dirty hard work type of players. It was 1996 and Steinbrenner was back in the picture. The Yanks went on to win 4 out of 5 years, they were 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. A dynasty was born and since then the Yankees have become an entity that no other professional team in any other sport can match.

Is this good for the sport of baseball? Was George Steinbrenner good for the sport of baseball? You probably ask yourself this question many of times. As a “true” Yankee fan, my obvious answer would be yes, of course. But because I am a “True” Yankee fan and love the game of baseball and I admire a hard working, low key, hustle inclined, team player. Then I would say that George Stenbrenner was and still is a great inspiration because he has kept the Yankee tradition alive and never veered off excellence. This is what he was all about, you can see it in every Yankee. They know that we, the Yankee fan, will not tolerate anything else but hard work, a no showboat attitude, all-out hustle and most of all, team unity.

You ask yourself if Steinbrenner was good for Yankee fan and for baseball in general. As a Yankee fan, George Steinbrenner was huge and we all have a little of him in our blood now, either if you agreed with him wholeheartedly or overwhelmingly disagreed with him. His attitude towards winning and his push for excellence is what every true Yankee fan is all about and we are definitely proud of it! You can’t take that away from him, he promised and he delivered. There were bad times that’s for sure, especially in the 80′s but he configured another group of overachievers and did it all over again in the 90′s. Every true Yankee fan has a little of George Steinbrenner in them and we should recognize it. Some of us more than others but this is a fact! As for non-Yankee fans, there’s a tall tale sign that shows how George Steinbrenner affected them positively, in one way or another, just look at the numbers. Look at attendance numbers of opponent’s the Yankees face during the season. We all know how high these numbers are, look at the games on TV and you see them. I don’t mean the many Yankee fans that are visible. I mean the “true” fans of the opponents the Yankees face, you can see how much they want to beat the Bronx Bombers and why? Because they know and their team members know also, they are playing against an organization and a sports tradition that is equal to none. They want to beat the best!

Don’t forget, it was George Steinbrenner who brought tradition back and kept it alive until now. And I don’t see any sign of this tradition fading away in the near future. We now what it takes to win and George Steinbrenner reminded us and helped install it on now, a third generation. As for baseball, he raised the bar in a competitive manner and helped baseball survive in its worse moments. Yes George Steinbrenner is gone now but the Yankee tradition will always live on because of his love of the Yankee fan, he gave them their dignity back and made them winners again. As for the players who went through the system, they are so grateful of the organization he created. Ask them? They say he was tough on them but they learned about winning and winning is contagious!

George Steinbrenner admired Thurman Munson so much, they got along so well. I think it was because they were very much alike.

Oh! He did other things and outside of Baseball, as you will see in this presentation by MLB and New York Yankees.com. More on Steinbrenner here.

Click on Image here and read the Press Release

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

One man show it was but it could as well been a two-man show because CC Sabathia was great again! But A-Rod was amazing as he pushed in 5 of the total 6 runs all himself. Four the runs came on one swing in the third inning. In the highlights here you can see the grand slam blast but you also see the 5th run he knocked in, another homer. The Yankees didn’t generate many hits so A-Rod’s were very useful. Besides the two mistake pitches to Rodriguez, Cahill was great, just allowing 4 hits. Sabathia allowed 7 hits but just one earned run. The two homers were the difference. Yanks win! Box Score

Just like that Yankees are up two games on Tampa Bay and 3.5 ahead of the Bosox. See rest of the standings.

Extra Story: Hank Bauer (Article written in 1996):

JULY 22, 1957

In the 1958 Series, the last time before this fall that the Braves and Yankees met for the championship, Bauer was a hero. New York dropped the first two games in Milwaukee, then the Braves’ home, and seemed overmatched by the pitching of Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette. But when the Series moved to Yankee Stadium, the old Marine took command, driving home all four runs in a Game 3 shutout. Spahn won the next day, halting Bauer’s record 17-game World Series hitting streak, but New York swept the final three games to clinch the title. Bauer had 10 hits in the Series, four of them homers, and drove in eight runs.

Bauer was a typical Yankee of the Casey Stengel era, a hard man who played every game as if it would be his last. An ex-Marine who had won two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts during 32 months of World War II combat in the South Pacific, Bauer was keenly aware of his mortality. The war delayed the start of his 14-year major league career until he was 26, but he made the most of what remained. And he was at his clenched-fist best under the nerve-jangling pressure of a World Series.

The New York Yankee who graced our cover of July 22, 1957, had, in the words of comedian Jan Murray, “a face like a clenched fist.” It was an apt description, for, grizzled countenance aside, Hank Bauer played baseball with the taut fury of a clenched fist. “When Hank came down that base path,” Boston Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky once said, “the whole earth trembled.” Continue Reading

Hank Bauer was a real winner and the Yanks did prevail, as they came back after they were 2-0 to beat the Braves also. Here are his career stats.

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

Mariner starter Felix Hernandez left of where Lee did and with an even better performance. He pitched a complete game 2-hit shutout and struckout 11 Yankee batters. Javy who was his usual self, descent but not good enough, gave up only 3 earned runs in 6.0 innings, with 6 hits but 2 homers. Vazquez also has the misfortune of being effective to certain degree where he can actually win the game but the offense seems to let him down every time. In this game it really didn’t matter because Hernandez was sharp and practically unhittable. It was one of those nights for the fans in Yankee stadium, boring and frustrating. Of course, the bullpen (Marte, Gaudin) was ineffective again and failed to give the Yankee offense any chance at all to come back, if any. Yanks Lose 7-0. Highlights

Al East Standings getting very tight:

Click on Image to ENLARGE

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

The Yankees patiently hung in with the Diamonbacks and came up big to beat them with a Home Run from Granderson in the top of the 10th inning. But with all this clutch hitting from the Yankee batters comes a magnificent performance by the one and only Mariano Rivera. Here you have the last 6 outs. Mo is one of a kind, he is truly unbelievable and there will never be anyone like him. To consistently pitch for so many years and be so affective for so long, is totally remarkable. Rivera actually won the game and sure made it very close, as the D-Backs loaded the bases in the 10th without recording an out but Mo popped two to outs up and then proceeded to strike out Reynolds to end the game!  Equally deserving for much fanfare is Cervelli, A-Rod, Swisher and Curtis.

Yankees have a large following where ever they go, this is in Arizona against the D-Backs

Vazquez was not sharp though as he struggled in every inning. The Diamondbacks would take a lead and the Yanks would tie them up. Checkout the Box Score and you will see. The reason for the yanks managing to comeback from their small deficits is attributed to Willis’ inability to throw a strike down the plate. The Yankees were determined to win this one and they did! Checkout the Highlights also.

Extra Story: Yankee Rookie of the Year Winners

Did you know that the Yankees had 8 players who were voted as rookie of the Year in the American League. Not to many if you think about it with all the superstars who went through the system but they had lead all teams until the A’s Andrew Baily tied them in last year (2009): Here are the Yankee winners

In 1951 Gil McDougald won, in 1954 Bob grim won, in 1957 Tony Kubek won, in 1962 Tom Tresh won, in 1968 Stan Bahnsen won, in 1970 Thurman Munsun won, in 1961 Dave Regetti won and Derek Jeter won in 1996. Read here for more information.

Here are all the winners:

The Rookie of the Year Award, or Jackie Robinson Award as it became known in 1987, is given to the individual player from each League who has the best rookie season; pitching, hitting or fielding, that is during his first year of eligibility.

In 1947 and 1948, only one winner was selected from the Major Leagues. From 1949 on, two players have been selected each year one coming from each league, respectively. Since 1980 the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America have named three rookies on their ballots. A first place place vote equals five points, second place equals three points and third place gets one point. Those points are totaled and the winner is announced at the completion of the season…… Read through all the winners, National and American League

Here you have

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

A perfect game at Yankees Stadium! First and foremost, Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! And so to CC Sabathia, who out pitched Santana and pitched 8.0 innings, gave up only 4 hits and did not allow any runs. He would have finished the game if the sudden rainstorm would have waited another half hour. Mo came instead and put a stamp on the Mets. Before the game started, there was an announcement from ABC’s Extreme Makeover : Home Edition here:

NEW YORK — It was extreme makeover day at Yankee Stadium.

No, the Yankees weren’t revamping their banged up lineup. The reality TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” took to the field and surprised a New York family with the promise to rebuild its home.

Host Ty Pennington introduced the Lutz family of East Setauket, N.Y., before the Yankees played the Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Shouting through a bullhorn, Pennington brought the Lutzes out of the stands to join him in front of the pitcher’s mound. Then the home improvement crew ran onto the field wearing blue hardhats with the Yankees’ interlocking NY logo on the front….More

As for the Yankee runs, they all came in with one quick swing by Teixeira. It just made it out but it was a “Frozen Rope .”  Take a look at the Box Score of the game and the AL East Standings , Yanks are now alone in First Place!

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

The Yanks have found their clutchiness again! When this game started Pelfrey and Hughes were both 9-1. The Mets scored first when my counter part Jose Reyes hit a leadoff  homer. The bottom of the second inning Gardner lead off with a single, Swisher hit a bullet that took one bounce off the wall and Francoer fired it to second. It was a long single but Gardner made it to third base. Teixeira hit into a double play and Gardner scored. Tied ball game 1-1. In the third inning, again, my counter part Jose Reyes hit another homer and this time there was a man on base, Mets are up 3-1. Bottom of that same inning, Teixeira this time does not hit into a double play but slams a two-run homer and ties the game 3-3.  Bottom of the fourth Posada walked and Granderson smacked a homer, Yanks take the lead! Hughes gets out of a jam in the top of the 6th and got Bay to hit into an inning ending double play. Hughes leaves the game after a one-two-three 7th and Joba comes in the 8th. Mets managed a double but Joba strikes out David Wright to end the inning. Mo closes the game, Yanks win! Great game! Hughes is now 10-1 and Pelfrey is 9-2. Box Score and Highlights

Happy Father’s day!!!!

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

The unlucky Vazquez pitched another gem as he only allowed 3 hits and one earned run in 7.0 innings. Yes, that’s all and he lost the game. The Mets starter, Takahashi gave up 4 hits in 6.0 innings but no runs. Why? Because the Yankees are in a hitting slump. Or if they do hit, it’s to get on base and threaten but when it comes to being clutch, they are choking it up. Meanwhile the Mets, with this victory, made 18 wins out of their last 23 games, they are on fire. Checkout the Box Score and look at the pitching numbers of this game. The Mets used 4 pitchers and they all came through. Meanwhile Park  and Logan both got hit around. Not only are the Yankees not hitting when needed, the pitching is struggling big time. Not good news at all! Highlights here. Yankees better wake up! Mets win 4-0!

Extra Story: The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center

Yogi Berra’s values, extraordinary accomplishments and lifelong commitment to the education of young people are the inspiration and foundation of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center. Since officially opening its doors on Dec. 4, 1998, with students and teachers from the Bradford Academy in Montclair being the first public visitors, the YBMLC has become a hugely popular destination for sports fans and educators alike. It is also recognized as the New York metropolitan area’s premier sports education center…….visit website

Berra’s Career Stats

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

The Yankees reminded the Phillies who the Champs are. And they did in an explanatory way as they beat the newest member of the perfect game list of pitchers. They hit him hard and early as they scored 5 runs before the 4th inning came by. In the second inning Gardner wrapped a triple to push in 2 runs. In the third Granderson lead off with a Homer, Cano doubled and Swisher smashed a two-run blast. The third home run against Halladay was hit by Teixeira in the 5th. Sabathia made a couple of mistakes but managed to toughen up, like usual. The “Doc” was ineffective in this game although he still owns the Yankee hitters. Great start of the series against the Phils, Yanks Win! Box Scores and Highlights.

Note: Tampa Bay, Boston are winners and Toronto loses a game on all three. MLB Standings

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

2nd Game (9-3):

The second game was a blowout and it only took two players to rip apart the Astros. They were Jeter and Posada, who produced eight of the nine total runs scored. In the bottom of the 3rd the Yankees scored 5 runs courtesy of a Posada Grand Slam into right field. They were actually losing before the Yankees got up to bat, 2-1. Vasquez was able to retire six straight until the top of the 6th when he gave up a solo shot to Carlos Lee but that was all. The score now was 5-3 and the Yanks picked up three more runs as Jeter smacked a three-run homer, his second of the game. The rest is history, Yanks win! Here are the highlights. And the Box Score.

1st Game (4-3):

In the first game, the Yanks took a quick 3-0 lead in the very first inning. When Cervelli hit a two-run single to make it 3-0. The first run was scored in a base on balls issued to Swisher with the bases loaded. In the top of the 2nd, the Astros scored 2 runs on a double from Manzella. From there on it was Pettitte and his mastery as he only allowed two more hits until the eighth, when Houston managed one run. By then the Yanks had scored an insurance run in the 5th and the score was 4-2. Joba came in to relieve Pettitte with one out and man on second and third. He gave up a sacrifice fly, the run scored, the score was 4-3 now and two outs. Lance Berkman came to bat and struckout swinging, inning over!  Mo comes in the 9th, Game over, Yanks Win! Box Score.

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

WOW! What a ceremony, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford. The rings, the prank on Matsui. Bernie Williams and much more. Not to mention a victory over the Angels, with a strong Andy Pettitte performance. You cannot get better than that for Opening Day.

The 2009 Yankees take their ride through “The Canyon of Heroes”

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

We are the Champions my friends! (Listen)

Queen “We Are The Champions”

I’ve paid my dues
Time after time
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I’ve come through

We are the champions, my friends
And we’ll keep on fighting – till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
Cause we are the champions – of the world

I’ve taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it
I thank you all

But it’s been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise -
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I aint gonna lose -

We are the champions – my friends
And we’ll keep on fighting – till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
Cause we are the champions – of the world

Extra Read All About it: All 27 Covers (New York Daily News)