Saturday, July 4, 2026

HAPPY 96TH BIRTHDAY, GEORGE ! (game thread)



And when the sun comes up, I'll be on topYou'll be right down there lookin' upAnd I might wave, come up hereBut I don't see you wavin' now

Too many teardrops
For one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops
For one heart to be crying

You're gonna cry 96 tears
You're gonna cry 96 tears
You're gonna cry, cry-cry-cry, now
You're gonna cry, cry-cry-cry

Uh, like . . . you know
Cry 96 tears


31 comments:

Carl J. Weitz said...

I attended the July 4, 1983, doubleheader against the Red Sox. The heat was just about as bad as this current heat wave. Slightly cooler at about 95. But the humidity was even worse. Making things even more intolerable (especially for a freckled, fair-skinned guy like myself) were the seats. My cheap friend secured those bleacher seats in center field that were usually not sold and served as a contrast for batters to better see the white baseball being thrown by the pitcher. It was brutal-no shade, very strong sun, very hot and humid. There was only one concession stand, and people were lying on crushed cardboard like homeless people you see on big city streets, some apparently suffering from heat stroke. After the first game, a few in our group wanted to leave, but figured that we should get our money's worth by at least staying a few innings of the second game. But as fate would have it, Dave Righetti threw a no-hitter, and we couldn't leave. I was praying for someone to get a hit, and soon.
On the positive side, in honor of Old Georgie's birthday, there was a scintillating aerial display by the USAF Thunderbirds flying very low over the stadium and post-game fireworks, which my group did not attend for obvious reasons.

Carl J. Weitz said...

Oh, and those bleacher seats were black as coal which made the sun even hotter.

JM said...

I remember those seats but never sat there. Jesus, Carl, that sounds like torture...but I guess it helped to be 43 years younger.

A little, anyway. Wow.

JM said...

Who the hell is Beck?

BTR999 said...

George would’ve called him Becky

JM said...

He pitched for Hudson Valley in 2023. A Valley Cat!

BTR999 said...

“He spit the bit!!”

ranger_lp said...

Isn’t he the one that sings the song Loser?

BTR999 said...

The Yankees in a hurry to get back into the AC.
Rice didn’t even run that out.
They went down on 9 pitches.
Fuck this team.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Great Fourths in Yankee history:

—That 1983 no-hitter.
—Yanks invent Old Timers' Day, Lou Gehrig gives "Luckiest Man" speech, 1939.
—First 7/4 in the OG Stadium, 1923. Yanks sweep a DH from the Senators, 12-6, 12-2, to go 11 1/2 up in first.
—7/4/27, Yanks beat Senators at Stadium, 12-1 and 21-1, before 72,641. Senators are actually 40-31, in second place. And afterwards...11 1/2 back.
—7/4/36, Yanks beat Senators by a mere 4-3 and 5-0, before only 38,000, and go 11 up. (Other fans might find this tedious. Not us!)
—7/4/49, Yanks top Carmine Hose, 3-2 and 6-4 , aided by weird sirocco that saves storm-shortened second game (see my next book!), take pennant by 1 game.
—7/4/98, Yanks come from behind to edge old friend Doug Drabek and Orioles, 4-3. Rivera save a great effort by...El Duque!
—7/4/09, Yanks come from down, 5-3, to defeat Blue Jays, 6-5, in 12 innings, go 1 game up in standings en route to last world championship.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Oh, and Jorge singles in the winning run in that 2009 game!

ranger_lp said...

I thank you Susan lol

The Hammer of God said...

This team has got no desire, no "fire in the belly" as they say. A few weeks ago, Milwaukee Brewers were involved in a knock down, drag out, fight to the death. And they won, 15-14! Think these Yankees could ever win a game like that? Well, first of all, they ain't got the offense to score 15 runs, but secondly, this is the kind of team that rolls over and dies after the first punch on the nose. Whenever they fall behind, they have like ZERO chance of coming back. Just ain't got it in them. Judge publicly complained that the guys "lack focus". Not only do they lack focus, but they lack cahones, guts, hutz-pah, whatever you wanna call it. These guys are ... pansies, for lack of a better word. It all starts with the manager. What a shitshow! On America's 250th birthday, no less! What do ya'll think this one ends up? Maybe 18-0? Maybe 25-0? What position player will pitch the last two innings? Watch, genius Boone will put in Dominguez and his surgically repaired elbow to throw the last two innings.

The Hammer of God said...

I'm amazed that you guys were able to sit there. Must've been hot enough to fry an egg!

JM said...

The old Senators became the Twins. The second Senators became the Rangers. The Nationals have taken their name from the pre-Senators Washington team name.

It's all so confusing...

ranger_lp said...

Lots of empty seats in the Bronx today…

JM said...

Bleeding Yankees Blue had a good post about the crap culture Boone has created. Totally what you're saying, Hammer.

JM said...

Too fucking hot.

The Hammer of God said...

That is one of the long standing Yankee funeral songs. Hilarious! We'll use it again this year, no doubt. Soccer chant style chorus, perfect for this year with the World Cup here, eh?

Soyyyyyyyyyyy un perdadorrrrrrrrrrrr
I'm a loser baybeeeeeeeeee
So why don't you kill meeeeeeeeeeeee?

The Hammer of God said...

There is no way, just no way in hell that someone like Buck Showalter would tolerate this kind of bull shit. Any real manager you can think of, Mattingly, that cheatin' bastard AJ Hinch, that other cheatin' bastard in Boston, old timers like Billy Martin, Bobby Valentine. No one but Boone would tolerate this kind of crap. They just don't play the game right.

The Hammer of God said...

Daddy Boone to his son, Aaron Boone:

There is no way, no way in hell that you could've come from mah loins. The first thing I'm gonna do when we get home is to punch your mama in the mouth.

- courtesy of that great American movie, "Smokey & the Bandit"

The Hammer of God said...

Well, JD made sure it ain't gonna be a shutout. Too fucking bad nobody else has bothered to show up for the Yankees today.

BTR999 said...

HOG, Billy Martin would’ve assaulted someone.

JM said...

Only the fifth. Getting late early.

BTR999 said...

Again, it’s a fucking disgrace. But watch how the useless, sycophantic media bray like jackasses at boone’s every inane utterance after the game.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Hey, they've got TWO hits! TWO!

JM said...

We're catching up!

Technically.

AboveAverage said...

I about to watch pigs race.

Guaranteed 70% more exciting but HEY - happy birthday George!

JM said...

6-4, Bellinger big double.

AboveAverage said...

Damn it!

Why are the Yankees scoring runs!?!

They gunna interfere with my Pig Race enjoyment !

🤬

ranger_lp said...

Yankees have a pulse…