But rather than taking credit, let's consider other possible reasons behind the Yankee resurgence.
1. Teixeira. He's hit three HRs, but as The Master notes at least once a game, his "presence" in the Yankee lineup is "so important." We have passed resolutions praising Lyle Overbay. But since Tex returned, he's Lyle Afterthought. And playing him in RF isn't going to help. Overbay's time is running out as a Yankee. It's going to sad, but it's going to happen. If what we need is a RF, both Mustelier and Almonte are hitting at Scranton. Only a matter of time.
2. The competition. The YES men marveled at Cleveland's record, but I'm sorry: They didn't look that good, especially after losing their SS. Same with the Mariners. They have Seattle disease. Next up, Oakland, Angels and Dodgers (back in NY) Was it real or Memorex?
3. Roller coaster. We have a pitching staff that can't make up its mind. Sabathia is hot; he could stay that way for a month. Pettitte - God love him - pitches well between tweaks. But Phelps is Jekyll and Hyde. Will his next start be a bomb?
4. Brett the Jet. Lately, Gardner's been on fire, our toughest out. If Gardner hits .260, considering his walks and steals, he's a solid lead off man. If he hits .300, he's an all-star. Right now, he's at .284. (Over .400 for the month.) Curtis Granderson in CF is just a dream.
5. Luck. Yesterday, in the ninth, Mariano put three runners on base. He got out of it. When Mo does that, it's like thunder off in the distance. Then again, luck is juju. And right now, it's on our side. Six out of seven, baby. Six out of seven.
Three parts juju, two parts tomato cans and a beautiful Tex garnish.
ReplyDeleteSadly, Oakland and the Angels tend to be juju resistant.
Tex? you're kidding, right? Batting a post season Nick Swisher-like 0.167, 0-5 last night with 4 SO and 6 LOB.. That never-an-insideout-swing Tex??
ReplyDeleteNo, this is all JuJu.
You've been watching, right? Two of his homers won games last week.
ReplyDeleteTwo homers, big ones. But it's a long season, and the seasons have not been kind to Mr. Pull Everything This Ground Out Is For Little Billy In the Hospital.
ReplyDeleteTex did a nice job upon his return. Now the odds are he'll return to the Tex we've come to know and dread. Opening the door for Lyle Talbot Overbay.
As Arnold himself once almost put it, "Lyle'll be bahck."
Tom: I give full credit to el duque and the IJJI for turning likely ARod-ish meaningless homers into game winners. Tex needs to keep the power surge and expand the batting average otherwise we suffer another bleak October against the excellent pitching of actual contenders.
ReplyDeleteTex, I beg of you. Please make them at least consider that you just might hit the other way. It will do wonders for your average and the team.
For Tex to go to the opposite field, Kevin Long might have to charge his TV.
ReplyDeleteNow I am worried that , since you have questioned Ju-Ju's intervention impact, things could go south.
ReplyDeleteIt is all due to the intervention!
Tuesday I focus my personal Ju-Ju on Robbie; you guys can handle the team. I worry about him. He's getting big and bulky (anyone else see that?) and is having trouble with lefties. A .230 Robbie is no Robbie at all, even with 40-45 homers.
ReplyDeleteDeal. I got Vernon.
ReplyDeleteKD -- something larger than an international juju intervention is apparently required to get Tex to roll the ball down the 3rd base line. In fact, based on his comments after his homeruns, he seems more committed than ever to hacking away, which will lead to lots more of banging our heads against the wall. But, at least he did do some damage last week. That was nice.
ReplyDelete