Tuesday night I had back to back fantasy football drafts and managed to survive relatively unscathed. Or not. I can’t even tell anymore. Here’s the rundown on both teams.

6 p.m. EDT – Girls Guide Pro

This is a 14 team league comprised of women who work in the sports industry (hence, the term “pro”). Online draft through Yahoo! Sports. QB, RB, RB, RB/WR, WR, WR, TE, K, D/ST. 10^th pick.

Bad Idea Jeans

1. (10) Andre Johnson (WR-HOU)
2. (19) Reggie Wayne (WR-IND)
3. (38) Jonathan Stewart (RB-CAR)
4. (47) Knowshon Moreno (RB-DEN)
5. (66) Matt Ryan (QB-ATL)
6. (75) Vernon Davis (TE-SF)
7. (94) Ricky Williams (RB-MIA)
8. (103) Devin Aromashodu (WR-CHI)
9. (122) Darren McFadden (RB-OAK)
10. (131) Chad Henne (QB-MIA)
11. (150) San Diego D/ST
12. (159) Toby Gerhart (RB-MIN)
13. (178) Devery Henderson (WR-NO)
14. (187) Matt Prater (K-DEN)

I sort of hate this team. I’m going to try and swing a trade involving Reggie Wayne and one of my RBs for a stud RB if I can. He was still there at 19. I had to take him.

7 p.m. EDT – Law Firm League

This is my longtime law firm league (yes, I was a lawyer in my previous life). 12 teams on CBS Sports (yeah I know, I’ve been trying to get them to move, but to no avail). QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, K, D/ST. .5 PPR. 16 rounds. 6^th overall pick.

Heisman Strippers

1. (6) Andre Johnson (WR-HOU)
2. (19) DeAngelo Williams (RB-CAR)
3. (30) Pierre Thomas (RB-NO)
4. (43) Dwayne Bowe (WR-KC)
5. (54) Kevin Kolb (QB-PHI)
6. (67) Mike Wallace (WR-PIT)
7. (78) Reggie Bush (RB-NO)
8. (91) Jerricho Cotchery (WR-NYJ)
9. (102) Zach Miller (TE-OAK)
10. (115) Toby Gerhart (RB-MIN)
11. (126) Mohamed Massaquoi (WR-CLE)
12. (139) Jason Campbell (QB-OAK)
13. (150) New York Giants D/ST
14. (163) Kareem Huggins (RB-TB)
15. (174) Devery Henderson (WR-NO)
16. (187) Matt Prater (K-DEN)

This is an interesting team. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. Note on the name: other contenders were Corn on the Kolb and Bowe-die, DeAngelo and Wallace. I really wanted to pay tribute to The Wire, but decided to go Heisman Strippers.

At this point, I just want the season to start so that I can stop second-guessing my draft picks and start second-guessing my start/sit decisions.

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 32: Oakland A’s vs. NY Yankees

Date: Thursday, September 2, 2010

Final: Yankees 5, A’s 0

Win: C.C. Sabathia (now 19-5)

Loss: Dallas Braden

My 2010 Record: 22-10 overall; 19-9 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: remain at six

Slideshow:

Game Notes:

• Before we get to the game itself, allow me to share a little about why I’m writing this post at 4 a.m. Yes, 4 a.m. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go to this game because I am leaving tomorrow (Friday) morning for Minneapolis for my big Target Field Ballpark Trip. But I also have tried to go to every weekday day game this summer since my schedule has been, um, flexible. Of course I missed the most notable weekday day game this season – when A-Rod hit his 600th home run. But that’s not the point.
• I also knew that although this is the Yankees’ longest homestand of the season, I won’t be able to go to any more of the games because I’m going to Minneapolis, I have two fantasy football drafts and some other commitments next week. These are not major cry me a river problems. These are just the facts.
• So after getting home from the U.S. Open at around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday night, I thought, is it really the smartest thing to go to the Yankees game tomorrow when I’m taking this trip, meeting friends for dinner and need to do a Jersey Shore live blog? Of course not. But with C.C. Sabathia against Dallas “Get Off My Mound” Braden, I couldn’t miss this. And I realized that I would regret not going more than I’d be stressed out. So I grabbed a cheap ticket on StubHub and decided that I would sacrifice sleep tonight. So far, it’s working out exactly as planned.
• Now for the game. Bottom line: I’m glad I didn’t miss it. Because not only did C.C. pitch a brilliant 8 innings of one-hit ball, but I got to see the game from the best seats I’ve ever sat in at the new Yankee Stadium, thanks to the power of Twitter.
• When I got to the Stadium, I checked my @ replies and saw that one of my Twitter friends (and competitors in the Battle of the Sexes fantasy baseball league) Keith Black (aka KBoogey), was at the game. Long story short, he had won sweet seats from MasterCard (through a Twitter giveaway; yes, really) and tweeted that there was an empty seat next to him. Not to get anybody in trouble, but I headed down to Section 115 in the second inning and enjoyed the game from an amazing seat at first base, just two rows behind the moat. Incredible. So it was a tweetup and a seat upgrade all in one! It was great to meet Keith in person and to be able to enjoy the game with two knowledgeable and funny Yankee fans. Good times.
• Just a few more notes. When C.C. pitches, my blog posts sound like a broken record.
• C.C. was flat dealing today. Again. Yes, the A’s are a bad offensive team, but he made their batters look silly. He gave up one hit over 8 innings. One hit. ONE HIT!!!!!
• C.C. now has 16 straight wins at home. Today’s win tied Ron Guidry for most consecutive home wins.
• C.C. is unbeaten in his last 21 regular season starts at Yankee Stadium. Matching the record held by Whitey Ford. That’s some pretty impressive company to be keeping.
• We wanted C.C. to come out for the complete game (he only had 95 pitches), but the smart play was to bring in Albaladejo who had just joined the team from SWB after the September 1 roster expansion.
• And now for Curtis Granderson. Granderson did not get the start today against the lefty Braden but was forced into action when Swisher went down with an injury after the first inning. No problem. Because once Braden left the game due to an injury later revealed to be heat-related cramps (hey, couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy), Granderson teed off on the weak A’s bullpen with two home runs and 3 RBI. I love Granderson and wanted to wear his shirsey today, but didn’t when I saw he wasn’t starting. I don’t like wearing a shirsey of a player that isn’t playing. It’s a silly rule, but one that I try to follow nonetheless.
• The score does not really indicate how good a game it was before Braden got hurt. It was a legitimate pitchers’ duel with a total of 3 hits allowed between Sabathia and Braden. The Yankees did most of their damage off the weak Oakland bullpen. Not that I’m really complaining but it would have been a treat to see a 1-0 or 2-1 game (provided the Yankees ended up winning, of course).
• Sorry if this is a little more rambling than usual. I’m exhausted and not sure my brain is functioning properly at this point.
• Time of Game: 2:45
• For more on the game, see my Tale of the Tweets below.

Photo of the Day:

High fives after Granderson's second home run of the day

Tale of the Tweets:

• My last game of the homestand (@ Yankee Stadium w/ 34 others) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• Got the Eduardo Nunez roll call wave! #missionaccomplished
• Of course! RT @kboogey25: At yankee stadium. Is @amandarykoff in the building?
• Owner of bar downstairs from my apartment (Yuengling on tap!) standing right next to me at Yankee Stadium. #smallworld
• Took place right in front of us. RT @StaceGots: Cano #facepalm
• Hello from sweet seats in Section 115. Big thanks to @kboogey25 http://flic.kr/p/8xAEg5
• Bunmmer about Braden. This was a heckuva pitchers’ duel.
• Was going to rock the Granderson shirsey today but he wasn’t in the lineup. All good.
• Still undefeated in the Cap Game! #obligatory
• Eduardo Nunez: professional wreaker of havoc. #notquite
• Curtis Granderson, ladies and gentlemen.
• Random Chili Davis highlight montage sighting.
• The A’s are clones. Every player looks exactly the same. It’s a little creepy.
• Justin James and Jesse James. #samenamenotrelated
• OH from @kboogey25: “Justin James and LeBron James” #samenamenotrelated
• Awww. Wanted a CC CG.
• But welcome back Albaladejo!!!
• What a great game. So glad I was here.
• CC Sabathia is ridiculous. #thatisall

Photos on Flickr: A’s vs. Yankees – 9/2/10

Next Game: Friday, September 3: Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Oh hell yes!

Next Yankees Game: Monday, September 20, 2010 vs. Tampa Bay

As if there wasn’t already enough competition in college sports, we’ve got yet another national title up for grabs starting this season: the first ever Capital One Cup. I can hear you rolling your eyes and saying, “Oh great here’s another way to reward the big schools like Alabama and Ohio State.” This is a title with a twist: it incorporates and rewards a school’s athletic titles and accomplishments across multiple men’s and women’s sports. The Capital One Cup is not just about the success of the high profile basketball and football teams (Capital One Chief Marketing Officer Bill McDonald referred to these as “the Big Sexies”), but also women’s golf, men’s cross country, volleyball, lacrosse, wrestling and many other Division I sports. A total of 13 men’s and 13 women’s sports are represented.

Capital One Cup

The bottom line is an all-in total program performance award that looks at programs top to bottom and rewards them for overall athletic excellence across all sports. There will be one $200,000 prize each for the top men’s and women’s programs, to fund student-athlete graduate-level scholarships. Points toward the Capital One Cup are earned and tracked throughout the year based on final standings of NCAA Division I Championships and final official coaches’ polls. Winners will be announced at the annual ESPY awards (ESPN, CBS and Turner Sports are the three media partners of the Capital One Cup).

I could spend the rest of this post explaining the scoring structure (there are tiers and certain sports are weighted more than others, etc.), but that’s not very fun. For more details on the eligible sports and the tiered scoring structure, please see the Capital One Cup Official Website.

On hand at the Times Center this morning to announce the new award along with Capital One’s McDonald were the members of the Capital One Cup Advisory Board, esteemed former college student-athletes Brandi Chastain (Santa Clara), Doug Flutie (Boston College), Clark Kellogg (Ohio State), Lisa Leslie (University of Southern California) and Robin Ventura (Oklahoma State), with ESPN’s Rece Davis (Alabama) serving as master of ceremonies.

Presenting the Capital One Cup

Presentation Highlights

The presentation was well done and we had an opportunity to hear from McDonald about the details of the program and from the members of the Advisory Board about their involvement with the Cup and college athletics.

• McDonald emphasized that the goal of the program is to “change the way fans view college sports. It’s not just about the ‘Big Sexies’.”
• Doug Flutie talked about the Cup’s impact on “excellence, commitment, integrity and pride in your school.” He also thinks the new incentive will unify students on campus, getting them to rally around the smaller sports.
• Clark Kellogg discussed the importance of sports in his development and growth, learning “teamwork, discipline, working through adversity.”
• Lisa Leslie, a beneficiary of Title IX, looks forward to the Cup “shining the light on sports that don’t get all the attention.”
• Robin Ventura looks forward to the Cup adding additional ramifications to the College World Series, which is already a “hidden gem” of college sports in itself.
• Brandi Chastain said the Cup will “inspire young people out there to dream about being a champion” while also being leaders, finding a voice and learning about teamwork.

The program has been in development for over a year, and Capital One worked hard to create a program where hoops and football aren’t dominant. Of course, championships are the goal, but they can be from a variety of sports.

Fun fact: if the Capital One Cup had been in place last season, Duke would have won the men’s title and Stanford the women’s title. The two schools did receive the Capital One Best College Athletic Program Award at this year’s ESPYs. As McDonald quipped, “Imagine if Butler had sunk that shot.”

Asked about promotion, McDonald said all the SIDs are on board. He also expects the blogosphere to jump all over this program and is expecting the program to go viral as part of its promotion. He hopes the “cybermagicians” to go back and do the math to figure out who would have won the past ten Capital One Cups. Anybody up for that challenge?

Post-Presentation One-On-One Interviews

After the official presentation, I spoke one-on-one with Advisory Committee members Brandi Chastain, Rece Davis and Robin Ventura.

Brandi Chastain is pumped

Chastain, who is of course best known for this iconic moment in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, was an All-American soccer player at Santa Clara University, where she currently serves as a volunteer assistant coach. She told me that when Capital One first approached her about the Capital One Cup, she immediately said yes. I wish I had taken video of the interview; you could honestly see her excitement about the program as she talked about it. She sees this as a great opportunity to get Santa Clara’s name out there and also to talk about the importance of women’s athletics. Chastain wants young women to not be demure and shy about being sports fans. “Why is it ok for the guy to wear his Michigan hat and sweatshirt but the woman can’t?” In her role as volunteer assistant coach for the Santa Clara women’s soccer team (her husband Jerry Smith is the head coach), she serves as mentor, cheerleader, role model, support system and water girl, all wrapped up in one. In her words, “it’s heaven.”

Rece Davis, best known as the host of ESPN’s College Football Live and College GameDay, is also a graduate of the University of Alabama, and a big college football fan. He’s excited about the Capital One Cup. “College fans like to brag. My school is better than yours. This is another way.” I asked him about ESPN’s coverage of the Cup and he was very diplomatic, stating that ESPN is a media partner with Capital One and they are exploring various programming options, but nothing has been set. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a “Capital One Cup Update” on College GameDay. He also said that the goal is for this to be a multi-year program. I asked him how he felt about Mark Ingram’s knee injury. He said he is worried about it, not as an Alabama fan, but because he wants Ingram to succeed and do well in the NFL. “The shelf life of a running back is so short you want these kids to make their money while they can.”

Finally, I had a chance to speak with Robin Ventura, who was on hand representing college baseball. Before he was an All-Star third baseman (playing for the White Sox, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers over a 15 year career), Ventura was a three-time All American baseball player at Oklahoma State, where he won the Golden Spikes Award. Ventura currently is an anchor on ESPNU and has been an analyst for College World Series telecasts on ESPN and ESPN2 the last few years. He is excited for the Capital One Cup because it will help raise college baseball’s profile. He’s also optimistic about Oklahoma State’s prospects. “Oklahoma State has really good golf and wrestling so those will be huge.” I also talked with him about baseball and the new Yankee Stadium, since he made his first visit to the new ballpark this past Monday night. Sorry to be a blog tease, but I will write a separate blog post about this part of our talk.

Overall, I enjoyed the presentation and I find the concept behind the Capital One Cup to be quite interesting. Any program that helps give additional exposure to some of the smaller, less visible sports (both men’s and women’s) should be commended. Do I think students on college campuses across the country are going to be galvanized because the women’s cross country team’s victory could mean a chance at this title? I’m not sure. It will be interesting to watch and to see how ESPN incorporates the Capital One Cup into its programming. Of course I can’t wait for someone to go back and check the NCAA championship records to see which schools would have won the past 10 years.

Finally, a special thank you to Don Povia of Blogs With Balls for inviting me to attend today’s press conference.

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 31: Oakland A’s vs. NY Yankees

Date: Monday, August 30, 2010

Final: Yankees 11, A’s 5

Win: Javy Vazquez (in relief of Dustin Moseley)

Loss: Trevor Cahill

My 2010 Record: 21-10 overall; 18-9 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: remain at six [He was warming up in the bullpen in the 8th inning, but didn't make an appearance]

Slideshow:

Game Notes:

• I confess that I had a bad feeling about this game. With the Yankees coming off a big road trip and with spot-starter Dustin Moseley on the mound against A’s ace Trevor Cahill, it had the potential to be a long night in the Bronx for the Yankees.
• Cahill entered the game with a 4-1 record in August and a microscopic ERA of 0.92 this month (and a very impressive 2.42 ERA this season). Some analysts have even thrown Cahill’s name into the Cy Young candidate debate.
• After a very shaky top of the first in which the A’s scored 3 runs, I worried that I had been right. Ha! Turns out I had nothing to worry about.
• The Yankees continued a season-long tradition of knocking around excellent pitchers (and many staff aces). Cahill’s final line: 4 IP, 9H (season high), 8 ER (season high), 2 K, 88 pitches. His shortest outing this season.
• Cahill is 0-2 with a 12.60 ERA in two starts vs. the Yankees this season. He’s 14-4 with a 2.16 ERA against the rest of MLB. Talk about ownage. (stat via MLB Network)
• Other staff aces to suffer the wrath of the Yankees offense: Josh Beckett (9 runs), Ricky Romero of the Blue Jays, Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros, and John Danks of the White Sox 8 runs each and David Price of the Rays (7 runs). Yankees have scored 7+ runs on a starter 13 times this season. It’s almost unfair. (stats via @YesToResearch)
• Nick Swisher loves facing his former teams: against the A’s & White Sox this season: .400 (20-50), 5 HR (11 XBH), 15 RBI in 12 games (stat via @YesToResearch)
• Swisher had his 142nd hit of the season, a new career high. Wow.
• Pretty much every Yankee went nuts tonight: Cano (3-4, HR, 3 RBI), Teixeira (3-3, HR, 3R), Swisher (3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI).
• Speaking of Yankees going nuts at the plate, Marcus Thames hit his 6th home run in six starts. He absolutely murdered a baseball for a three-run shot.
• Javy Vazquez pitched very well in relief of Moseley and the run he gave up wasn’t even his fault. It was basically a result of defensive indifference.
• Here’s a wow stat from the Yankee Stadium scoreboard: Vazquez has struck out at least one batter in 347 consecutive games (since May 16, 2000).
• The Ramiro Pena RBI trend continues. Ramiro Pena has 17 RBI on the season. I’ve witnessed 10 of them, including another one tonight.
• One more cool thing about the game: the Yankees were joined on the field during the National Anthem by the Kaiserslautern Military Community All-Stars, a little league team made up of children of military personnel serving overseas. The team represented Europe in the LLWS. I enjoyed watching them standing on the field next to their Yankee counterparts. The Yankee players seemed to enjoy it, chatting with them before the game started.
• I have to mention this last item: there was a really stupid woman sitting behind us who seemed to think that the player’s jersey was also his age, since she thought Ramiro Pena looked older than 19 (this is debatable). By her logic, Joba is in great shape for a 62 year old. And Derek Jeter isn’t even potty-trained (h/t @StefMara for that one).
• Time of game: 3:09
• For more from the game, see my Tale of the Tweets below

Photo of the Day:

High fives after Thames' three-run home run

Tale of the Tweets:

• The Boys Are Back In Town! (@ Yankee Stadium w/ @stefmara @gcf123 @jackbouffard) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• Cool pre-game and anthem with European LLWS Champs who are all children of military personnel overseas.
• View from Section 411 on beautiful night for baseball. Too bad game isn’t so good. http://flic.kr/p/8wR3Hb
• And now Trevor Cahill is aware. #obligatory
• Tonight is the second leg of the Nick Swisher reunion tour.
• OH from @KellyMari75: “This is totally going to be the longest game in history.”
• Kurt Suzuki: Yankee killer.
• Until now, has Trevor Cahill given up back to back home runs this season?
• Subway Race update: D wins and extends season lead with 23 wins. 4 has 21. B has 20.
• And I’ve witnessed another Ramiro Pena RBI. #ramirothehero
• OH stupid woman behind us about Ramiro Pena: “He doesn’t look 19. He looks older.” #jerseynumberisnothisage
• Tough to double up that speedy Jack Cust. Wait what?
• Who is the PA announcer? That’s not Paul Olden. What happened to Paul Olden?
• There are no words to describe Robinson Cano.
• In the house: Joe Lieberman, Donald Trump, Bill O’Reilly. Also three people who have never been in my kitchen.
• Paul Olden is back. Must have been on a break. RT @mtrico: @amandarykoff Are you sure it’s not Paul Olden?
• And Henry Rodriguez just hit 100 MPH after two straight 99 MPH heaters. Damn.
• Marcus Thames: out of his gourd.
• Please make the wave stop. Please. Now.
• NYPD officer flirting with two girls in our section. New York’s finest hard at work.
• Hey @yestoresearch, how many pitchers have given up season high runs vs. the Yankees this year? Danks, Cahill, who else?
• Genius. Genius!!!! RT @TLCbias_Brian: http://twitpic.com/2jtirg – @amandarykoff Just for you.
• Still undefeated in the Cap Game! #obligatory
• The only way Jack Cust steals a base is via defensive indifference. #belatedtweet
• You’ll all be shocked – shocked! – to hear that Mitre is warming in the Yankees bullpen.
• I made a crack about Jeter and now @Stefmara is giving me the evil eye.
• Well I quite enjoyed that game. Another win in the book.

Photos on Flickr: A’s vs. Yankees – 8/30/10

Next Game: Friday, September 3: Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Oh hell yes!

Next Yankees Game: Unless something changes, not until Monday, September 20, 2010 vs. Tampa Bay

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 30: Seattle Mariners vs. NY Yankees

Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010

Final: Yankees 10, Mariners 0

Win: C.C. Sabathia

Loss: Luke French

My 2010 Record: 20-10 overall; 17-9 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: remain at six [I did see him warming up before the game, but he didn't make an appearance in the game]

Slideshow:

A Special Pre-Game Note:

• This is where you normally see my ramblings about the game. But before we get to the baseball stuff, I want to share a story about something that happened before the game started.
• Before each game (time permitting), I try and stop by and say hi to Twitter friend Chris Johnson (aka Simply Smoov), who works as an usher at Section 120A at Yankee Stadium. Today was no exception and we arrived at 120A at around 12:25 p.m.
• All season, I’ve noticed a blind woman (always decked out in Yankees gear) sitting in Chris’ section. She arrives early and watches the games with her beautiful golden retriever guide dog. I’d always thought it was remarkable that a woman without sight was as committed a fan as she appeared to be, but never really thought to ask Chris about her. Well, after this week’s annual Yankees’ Hope Week, I now know who this remarkable woman is; her name is Jane Lang.
• If you don’t know what Hope Week is or who Jane Lang is and haven’t had a chance to read or hear about her remarkable story, I’ve put together some links for you. Here’s Tyler Kepner’s NY Times article about Hope Week and Jane Lang. I also recommend you read Smoov’s heartfelt blog post about Hope Week and his experiences with Jane, as it’s well worth your time. And please check out this great two minute video from the Daily News about Lang’s day with the Yankees. I dare you not to tear up at the end.
• After hearing about Jane’s story this week and learning what a remarkable woman she is, I knew I had to meet her. So I asked Chris if he would do me the honor of introducing her to me. Chris of course obliged (thanks again Chris!) and I talked with Jane for a few minutes from her perch behind home plate.
• First, she asked if was a friend of Chris, and I said yes. She said, “Oh Chris has such a wonderful smile, doesn’t he?” I told her that yes, Chris has a beautiful baby face and a beautiful smile. She said, “I can hear it in his voice.” Yes, this really happened. Is it getting dusty yet?
• Then she told me she wanted to see what I looked like so she felt my face. I apologized that I was sweaty from the commute and the humidity; she didn’t seem to mind at all.
• She asked where I was from. I told her Los Angeles originally, but I’d lived in New York City for 17 years and adopted the Yankees when I got here. At this point, I was almost speechless – yes, me, speechless. All I could think to say was how much I was moved by her story and wanted to say hi to her and to her gorgeous guide dog Clipper. She said Clipper was resting (he was resting at her feet) after a very long week. He’s not used to being a media darling.
• We also talked more about what a sweetheart Chris is (I don’t want to make Chris blush when he reads this, but she really really likes him).
• I didn’t want to take up any more of her time as she had already been so gracious and we were approaching game time (the tarp was off the field and we were looking at an on-time start). I also didn’t want to get Chris in trouble by staying in that section too long.
• As we said our goodbyes, Jane of course had the last word that confirmed just how remarkable a woman she is: “Please come by and say hello again. But don’t wave. It doesn’t work.” And she laughed.
• Meeting Jane today goes down as a highlight of my season.

Game Notes:

• Ok now on to the baseball stuff. This game was all about CC Sabathia and Robinson Cano.
• Let’s start with CC, shall we?
• CC was flat dealing today. Yes, the Mariners are a bad offensive team, but he made their batters look silly.
• CC now has 15 straight wins at home. His next win will tie Ron Guidry for consecutive home wins.  If not for the bullpen meltdown back in May against Boston, he’d be there already.
• CC is unbeaten in his last 20 regular season starts at Yankee Stadium.
• Today CC was a strike throwing machine: 71.1% strikes.
• First pitch strikes to 12 of 22 batters faced.
• 8 strikeouts through 6 innings. He would have had more (and probably a complete game shutout) but for the rain delay.
• And now for Robbie Cano:
• With the bases loaded, Cano was 6 for 11 with one grand slam and 15 RBI. Why walk Teixeira intentionally to get to him? Are the Mariners not aware? After today, Cano is 8 for 13 with two grand slams and 21 RBI.
• Cano is now one of three Yankees with 2+ grand slams. A-Rod has three, Posada has two. Now Robbie has two.
• I’ve seen two grand slams after an intentional walk to Teixeira this season. The first was an A-Rod shot on May 31 against the Indians. Back then it wasn’t a good idea. It still isn’t.
• Yankees have 10 grand slams this season. That is a lot.
• Yankees now 12-0 without A-Rod in the lineup.
• Mariners were shut out for an American League worst 12th time this season. They are a terrible offensive team.
• Note: replays showed that Posada tagged Gutierrez with the glove but had the ball in his hand.  He should have been safe.
• I loved watching the Yankee Stadium grounds crew work their magic on the field after the rain delay. They are great and I can’t give them enough props.
• Time of game: 2:41 (plus a 57 minute rain delay)
• For more from the game, see my Tale of the Tweets below.
• One last note: my friend Phil came with me to the game for his first visit to the new Yankee Stadium.  He is not a Yankees fan by any stretch but he was impressed with the place. You can read his post on the experience.

Photo of the Day:

Cano and Jeter high five after Cano's grand slam

Tale of the Tweets:

• Pre-game chat with Jane Lang. Awesome x infinity. (@ Yankee Stadium w/ @philcatelinet @stefmara) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• Aaaaaargh. Missed the Nunez roll call wave due to camera fail.
• Guy behind us yacking on his cell phone. And the guy he was talking to was at the gym. Double faux pas!!!
• StubHub seat upgrade was from 420A. I wouldn’t want to be upgraded from there. That’s a great seat! How about 431B?
• Oh that was disappointing. #yankees #twss
• That’s funny. Teixeira never makes errors at home. #airplanereferenceduringbaseballgame
• Who’s That Baby Bomber was easy. Posada had big ears as a kid.
• Austin Power. Yeah baby!!!!
• And Austin Kearns featured in the Match Game!!! 
• RT @ajfletch1: Oh what a throw by Swisher! #kayche
• View from @stefmara’s seats in 420B. Hi Stef! http://flic.kr/p/8usshR
• I said Robbie would make them pay. @PhilCatelinet will confirm. And hell yeah he did.
• And Luke French is now aware. #obligatory
• Rain delay tweetup with @PhilCatelinet @Stefmara and ma and pa @Stefmara.
• #nowplayingatyankeestadium I Can See Clearly Now. Tarp coming off.
• Met her today. Beyond awesome. RT @CariSports: Missed the whole segment on Jane Lang earlier this week. Wow. #NYY #HopeWeek
• Yankees grounds crew is fantastic. Great job getting the field ready.
• Yay! Eduardo Nunez’ first career double!
• Robinson Cano. Wow. #thatisall
• Yankees totally using stock footage of that woman who looks like Martha Stewart seat dancing. Seen it a few times before.
• Oooh new career high 6 RBI for Cano. What a beast.
• Still undefeated in the Cap Game! #obligatory
• Jorge Posada: not bad for an old man.
• Co-sign. And then some. RT @rebexarama: i love swisher.
• Spoiler alert: Guess the Attendance is always the highest number.
• Someone else is now aware! RT @PhilCatelinet: This Robinson Cano is good at baseball.
• ZOMG Tommy Lasorda got knocked down at third base in the bloopers reel! #neversawthatcoming
• I approve of that game.

Photos on Flickr: Mariners vs. Yankees – 8/22/10

Next game: probably Monday, August 30, 2010 vs. Oakland

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 29: Detroit Tigers vs. NY Yankees

Date: Thursday, August 19, 2010

Final: Yankees 11, Tigers 5

Win: Phil Hughes

Loss: Rick Porcello

Save: Sergio Mitre. Yes, really. His first career save.

My 2010 Record: 19-10 overall; 16-9 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: Five Six

Slideshow:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Game Notes:

• What can I say about this game? It was awesome. In fact, it was NINE KINDS OF AWESOME.
• (1) It was a perfect gorgeous day; (2) We had sweet seats field level just past first base that were covered from the sun (they were in the retiree section, but that was ok); (3) The Yankees scored nine times in the 6th inning. NINE TIMES; (4) The Yankees sent 13 men to the plate and collectively hit for the cycle in that inning alone; (5) Cano finished a triple shy of the cycle (sorry, had to say it); (6) Phil Hughes pitched a strong six innings (I’m going to ignore the fact that he gave Miguel Cabrera a pitch to hit on a 3-2 count in the first inning); (7) Granderson continued to hit; (8) Eduardo Nunez made his major league debut; and (9) Sergio Mitre got his first career save and I was there to witness it.
• Austin Kearns had a huge double with the bases loaded during that insane sixth inning. That double brought the Yankees’ batting average with bases loaded up to .423. Whoa.
• Jorge Posada hit another milestone: with his sixth inning single, Posada passed Thurman Munson for 17th on the Yankees all-time hits list with 1,559.
• Had a great time at the game with River Avenue Blues‘ Ben Kabak. I wish he tweeted more of his snarky commentary. It was hilarious. And now I can’t remember any of it.
• Have I mentioned how much I love weekday day games in the summer time? There is nothing that feels quite as indulgent. Even while unemployed.
• Phil Hughes remains on my approved pitcher list.
• Sergio Mitre’s three inning appearance wasn’t that pretty, but he did throw strikes. And got hit hard. And gave up 3 runs. But got the save. It was only fitting that I was there to witness it.
• Another time, I may need to do a separate post about the Sergio Mitre story. For now, suffice to say that I’ve seen Mitre pitch probably more than anybody who’s not a beat writer.
• The only problem with today was that we arrived so close to first pitch we didn’t get the full Hope Week experience. There was a group of developmentally and physically challenged children from the Beautiful People, an organization founded by Peter Ladka (who threw out the first pitch). One of these remarkable kids, Daniel Fratto, worked the public address in the bottom of the fourth inning. He did a fantastic job. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of him in the booth.
• For more on the game, see my Tale of the Tweets below. For a real recap, see Ben’s post at River Avenue Blues.

Photo of the Day:

Yes, this really happened. I was there.

Tale of the Tweets:

• #plan Tigers v. Yankees (Yankee Stadium) Thu, Aug 19, 2010 http://planca.st/7hd
• Rocking the Granderson shirsey today!
• Gorgeous day for baseball! (@ Yankee Stadium w/ 46 others) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• Guy on the subway was wearing a Dontrelle Willis Tigers jersey. Yes, really.
• Why do you even give Cabrera anything he can hit?????
• Good guess. But no. RT @Marc_Normandin: @amandarykoff Was it Dontrelle Willis?
• Hello from Section 112 Row 26 on picture perfect day at Yankee Stadium http://flic.kr/p/8tEu44
• To quote @bkabak: “Stop giving up hits to Will Rhymes.”
• Granderson making me proud.
• Seems me and @bkabak are sitting in the retiree section today. #everybodyaroundusisreallyold
• Guys behind us talking about the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers lineup. Which is actually pretty awesome. #theyarereallyold
• Aha! RT @jquintong: Guess that’s where the $5 senior citizen tickets are today. My mom got great seats with that deal last month.
• Austin Powers. Yeah baby!
• This inning is ridiculous. I heart the Tigers’ bullpen.
• Why does Modell’s sponsor the stolen base graphic? So we’re reminded to go shoplift there?
• Also hello cycle for the inning! #yankees #approve
• And a Sergio Mitre sighting. Of course!
• 2 for 2 this week. RT @rebeccapbp: What is it with @amandarykoff going to games and Sergio Mitre pitching?
• Still undefeated in the Cap Game! #obligatory
• Memorable moment on jumbotron: Damon stealing 2nd and 3rd vs. Phillies. Followed by shot of Damon in Tigers dugout. He gives a wave.
• Fresh squeezed lemonade for National Lemonade Day (a day early). @akmcquade
• Of course I was here for Sergio Mitre’s first career save.
• One more note from the game: Subway Race season series is all tied at 20 wins each for B, D and 4 trains.

Photos on Flickr: Tigers vs. Yankees – 8/19/10

Next Game: Friday, August 20 vs. Mariners (ticket given back due to violation of A.J. ban). Sunday, August 22 vs. Mariners.

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 28: Detroit Tigers vs. NY Yankees

Date: Monday, August 16, 2010

Final: Tigers 3, Yankees 1

Win: Max Scherzer

Loss: Javy Vazquez

Save: Jose Valverde

My 2010 Record: 18-10 overall; 15-9 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: Four Five

Slideshow:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
Game Notes:

• Maybe the game should have just been rained out. Max Scherzer dominated for the Tigers, holding the Yankees to two hits through 6 innings (115 pitches). He also struck out six. This was Scherzer’s first road win since April 18 (stat courtesy of MLB Network).
• And Javy really struggled. 4 IP, 5H, 2 ER, 6K. 106 pitches. 106 pitches in four innings. I mean, really? It’s almost time for me to impose a self-ban on Javy games.
• The Yankees were lucky to even be in the game with the way Javy pitched.
• And believe it or not, Sergio Mitre actually pitched very well in relief. Oh yes, of course Sergio Mitre made an appearance. I was at the game.
• The whole bullpen did well until Joba gave up a solo home run to Miguel Cabrera in the top of the ninth to give the Tigers some insurance.
• Digression: I confess to missing some of the game (the second and third innings, including the Raburn home run) because I was doing a radio spot with Steve Cofield of ESPN Radio Las Vegas 1100 to discuss the Rob Dibble Debacle.  If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read the post I just linked to. Or don’t. Either way I’m ok. I’m actually tired of talking about it. Dibble made some extremely stupid, insensitive, stereotypical comments, many people (namely, women, including myself) were offended by the comments and then he didn’t really apologize for them. I’ve been subjected to a lot of sexist and disgusting stuff in the past few days (under the guise of anonymous comments on my blog, none of which will be published because I don’t publish hateful anonymous comments). If you’re going to make comments, at least have the decency to stand behind them. But ultimately I’m subscribing to this Penny Arcade comic.  Rob Dibble will now return to making stupid baseball related comments on the Nationals broadcasts.  And I can get back to tweeting and writing about other things. By the way, Steve Cofield thinks the whole thing was overblown and Dibble shouldn’t have apologized.  I did, however, manage to get this classic quote into my appearance.  Though I erroneously attributed it to Mark Twain. Oh well.
• Back to the Yankee game. There’s not much else to say. The Yankees couldn’t get anything started against Scherzer. Nothing. And then A-Rod and Swisher got hurt.
• How did A-Rod get hurt? It looked like he got frustrated after an at bat and managed to hit his calf with the bat. *facepalm*
• Also, thanks to the injuries and pinch-hitting, Francisco Cervelli ended up playing third base for the top of the ninth inning. He made a nice catch on a pop up. And Joba was slotted to bat fourth because Girardi gave up the DH. Not that it ended up mattering in the end. We joked that if it went to extra innings, CC would need to pinch hit.
• Speaking of the end, we got so excited in the bottom of the ninth. I’ve been at all three pie games this season, so here it was, bases loaded and Derek Jeter at bat with one out, down 3-1. Valverde was a mess and couldn’t find the strike zone. He had already walked four and even walked in a run. It was all set up, right?
• Set up for Jeter to ground into a game-ending double play. Ugh.
• Before the game, the Yankees welcomed the first HOPE Week honoree, 13-year-old Jorge Grajales, a quadruple amputee, and his family. The Yankees gave Jorge a pool party with his favorite Yankees (Jorge is Panamanian so of course his favorite Yankee is Mariano Rivera) and Jorge threw out the first pitch. He was tremendous. HOPE Week is really one of the best things the Yankees do. Each story is heartwarming and gutwrenching. Check out this article for more on Grajales and the Dyksens, his foster family.
• One positive was Curtis Granderson having a good game against his former team. It was his first game against the Tigers (he was injured when the two teams played earlier this season at Detroit). Granderson had two singles, one double and one walk in the game. But he got thrown out attempting to steal second. It was his first caught stealing in over a year. Granderson was 13-for-13 on steals since July 31, 2009.
• Austin Jackson seemed like a good young player. He had a hit and a stolen base. Didn’t make any spectacular plays in the field. My friend was grumbling about the trade.
• Interesting factoid: if the run doesn’t score in the bottom of the 9th, this would have been the Tigers’ first shutout since the Galarraga should have been perfect game.
• Time of game: a brutal 3:48.
• For more from the game, check out the Tale of the Tweets below.

Photo of the Day:

Johnny Damon Acknowledges the Warm Yankee Stadium Reception

Tale of the Tweets:

• And the tarp is on the field. (@ Yankee Stadium w/ 48 others) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• RT @harrypav: KRod was injured while washing his girlfriend’s dad’s pick-up. No big deal.
• Grounds crew hard at work getting the field ready. Great job guys!
• Tara doing demo of fried oreos and fried twinkies.
• But why would you alter an oreo? Oreos are perfection!
• Lots of pre-game greetings on the field between Granderson and Tigers and Damon and Yankees. Good stuff.
• #nowplayingatyankeestadium The Boys Are Back in Town. Hell yeah they are!
• Definitely didn’t think this game would start on time. Go Yankees!
• Very nice ovation for Johnny Damon. And I got a great picture of him tipping his cap. Of course.
• Hello from 232B but no @schwartzslaw to be found. http://flic.kr/p/8sUZwa
• About to go live from Yankee Stadium with @stevecofield on 1100 ESPN Radio Las Vegas.
• Radio hit moved to 7:45. Also stupid Javy and his dead arm.
• Yup. RT @richardiurilli: @amandarykoff must be at the game because Sergio Mitre is moving around out in the bullpen.
• Thanks to @stevecofield for having me on to talk Dib-bacle. Now let’s get back to watching Javy suck.
• Jhonny Peralta’s favorite road ballpark is Yankee Stadium. #yankeestadiumscoreboardfactoid
• Usher is holding a sign saying don’t go during an at bat but people are still going through. And he’s not stopping them.
• Hope Week = chills.
• B train wins again and takes season lead over 4 train. Outrageous!
• When did the Tigers sign Luis Castillo????
• In the least surprising news of the night, Sergio Mitre in. In surprising news, Pena in for A-Rod. #FML
• Oh K-Rod. Why do bad things happen to bad people?
• Woo-hoo! No proposals on the fan marquee tonight!
• Jackson stole that base just to rub it in Granderson’s face.
• Still undefeated in the Cap Game! #obligatory
• Oh we miss the overperforming Cervelli from May. #
• Hey we have Austin Kearns and Austin Jackson tonight. #stupidobservationsignifyingnothing
• Valverde in. Guess he’s not hurt too bad. Or maybe he is?????
• Come on Marcus! Never mind who will play third base.
• Valverde just jumped over the third base line en route to dugout. Is that his normal superstition Tigers fans?
• I predicted all 3 outs to third base. There’s one.
• That home run. Oy.
• Ok fine. Two strikeouts. But still oy.
• Damn this place has emptied out. Pathetic.
• Hoo boy. This is good.
• Aaaaaand that sucked.
• Not tonight. Sadness. RT @gcf123: Just saying @amandarykoff has been at all the yanks walk off wins this year

Photos on Flickr: Tigers v. Yankees – 8/16/10

Next Game: Thursday, August 19 vs. Detroit Tigers

UPDATE: August 15: Rob Dibble issued this apology and clarification. During the August 15 Nationals’ broadcast, he also made these comments, as transcribed by Kevin Reiss. Thanks to him and MASN.

This is not a post about what a terrible, horrendous and insanely awful announcer Rob Dibble is. This is not a post about why former baseball players who have little to no acumen immediately get high profile positions doing color commentary and analysis for teams or networks (yes, I’m looking at you and your frosted tips Kevin Millar). Nor is this a post about sexism in baseball. I could go on and on and on about all three of those topics. Perhaps another time. But not tonight.

Rob Dibble bio photo (c) MASNsports.com

No, this is a post to round up all the fantastic content I’ve seen over the past 24 hours in the wake of these comments made by former major league pitcher and current Washington Nationals’ analyst Rob Dibble during the August 12, 2010 Nationals-Marlins broadcast. These are his actual words during the broadcast, as transcribed and reported by Dan Steinberg of the D.C. Sports Bog in this post. Just in case you have no idea what I’m talking about, let’s let Dibble’s words wash over us, shall we?

“Those ladies right behind there, they haven’t stopped talking the whole game,” Rob Dibble said in the sixth inning of Wednesday night’s Nats broadcast. “They have some conversation going on. Right here,” he said, circling the offenders. “There must be a sale tomorrow going on here or something….Their husbands are going man, don’t bring your wife next time.”

But wait there’s more!

“All right Bob, now they’re back there, they’re eating ice cream and talking at the same time,” Dibble noted in the top of the eighth.

“I just got an e-mail that said there’s a lot of women who come to the games — while their husbands are the ones at home — because they love this game,” Carpenter noted, briefly touching base with the 21st century. “Tread carefully, Mr. Dibble.”

“My wife loves to come to the game, but they’re right there, still talking,” Dibble countered.

Now you won’t be shocked to hear that these words stunned and angered me when I first read them last night around 1 a.m. after seeing a tweet from Emma Span. I circulated her tweet and was overwhelmed with the responses I got from across the country. The anger. The outrage. And even some humor. But mainly anger and outrage. And then I saw more tweets and posts about it throughout the day today.

I don’t need to tell you that I think what Rob Dibble said was misogynistic, chauvinistic and just plain wrong. I don’t need to tell you that I’ve been to many many baseball games this season and in seasons past and even took a baseball trip in June with one of my girlfriends. I also probably don’t need to tell you that if I’ve ever talked about going shopping while at a baseball game, it’s when we’re discussing what food or drink to purchase between innings. Or maybe maybe what non-pink, non-sparkly, non-bedazzled Yankees shirt I want to buy. But this post is not supposed to be a rant from me because you know what I think about what he said. It’s Exhibit #274 out of, let’s say 1000, Reasons Why Rob Dibble Shouldn’t Have a Job and Is a Boneheaded Buffoon. But that’s not the point.

The point is that Rob Dibble’s asinine comments have prompted some amazing responses on the internet and I wanted to make sure that you saw all of them. So I wanted to put them in one place: this post.  Oh, also, Rob Dibble needs to apologize. And MASN needs to say something. And fast. They have been conspicuously silent on this one.

Caryn at Metsgrrl.com had the first shot across the bow with her brilliant Dear Rob Dibble post. And a strong shot it was:

I wonder if Rob Dibble knows how many times women get looked at funny for keeping score. I wonder if Rob Dibble wonders how hard it is for female fans to have to continually defend their love of baseball as being about the game, and not about cute guys in tight uniforms. I wonder if Rob Dibble thought about what any teenage girls who were watching the game (and guess what, Rob Dibble, they do watch the game, taught by their mothers and grandmothers as well as fathers, uncles and grandfathers) and heard that. He just gave fuel to the fire of every sexist clod out there who thinks that women are dumb and can’t understand baseball and can’t possibly be at the game because they want to be. No one ever looks at a man and thinks “he must be here with his girlfriend”.  It is hard enough to have a conversation with a guy at a game who assumes you are there because you are with a guy.

Rob Dibble just made it harder.

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 27: Boston Red Sox v. NY Yankees

Date: Saturday, August 7, 2010

Final: Yankees 5, Red Sox 2

Win: CC Sabathia

Loss: John Lackey

Save: Mariano Rivera (yay!)

My 2010 Record: 18-9 overall; 15-8 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: Remain at four.

Slideshow:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Game Notes:

• This game was so chock full of goodness, starting with our amazing seats in Section 125 to the perfect weather to the great performance of CC Sabathia to Granderson to Mariano that I don’t really know where to start.
• Oh, also, this Yankees-Red Sox game was a tweetup with one of my favorite Twitter friends (and Red Sox fan) Alison McQuade, who was visiting from D.C. Yes, I may in fact be the most awesome Yankee fan ever. Alison even said so herself.
• Admittedly, I was a little nervous about bringing the enemy into my home stadium, but turns out there was nothing to worry about. First, Alison is perfectly pleasant and not at all a typical Masshole (if she was, I wouldn’t be friends with her). Second, she was wearing a classic Red Sox hat and not any pink sparkly thing. And finally, she was probably in a food coma after a Lobel’s Steak Sandwich, fresh squeezed lemonade, a peach from the Yankee Stadium farmer’s market (yes, really) and a chocolate shake from Johnny Rockets.  Oh, also, the Red Sox are so dilapidated and sucky right now, she fully expected them to lose. All in all we had a blast and the tweetup was, in fact, a wicked success. Now I just need to get down to D.C. for a game at Nationals’ Park.
• This game was really about CC Sabathia and his awesomeness. How awesome is CC Sabathia at Yankee Stadium? MLB Network had these stats up last night: Since the 2009 All-Star Break, CC at home is 13-0 with an ERA of 2.25, 7 IP/Start and an opponents average of .207. WOW.
• This season, I’ve seen four CC wins and one no decision. (Against the Red Sox. And I still don’t want to talk about it).
• Fun fact: this game was a rematch of Game 1 of the 2009 ALCS, when CC defeated horsey-faced John Lackey who was pitching for the also evil Anaheim Angels. That was also the same night my adorable nephew Sam was born. October 16, 2009 was also the night I started to blog.
• I love that Lackey went from the Angels to the Red Sox. It was so easy to just keep on hating him and his horsey face.
• As you know, A-Rod was a late scratch from the game after being hit by a line drive off Lance Berkman’s bat during batting practice (insert requisite joke about being surprised that Lance Berkman actually hit a line drive).
• So we had Ramiro Pena in the lineup and at third base. He ended up contributing with a key two out two RBI single, as he did back on April 18, when he filled in for Derek Jeter at shortstop (Jeter had a cold).
• What you’re about to read is pretty stunning. Ramiro Pena has 13 RBI this season. I have witnessed nine of them. Two of them were on the road, so that means that I only missed one home game in which he’s had an RBI. That is astonishing.
• Speaking of astonishing: Jorge Posada stole a base. Yes, you read that right. His 18th career stolen base.
• It was so good to see Mariano again. I hadn’t seen him since July 16 against the Rays when he got the win. That is way too long.
• Most everything else about the game can be found in the Tale of the Tweets below.  Or read one of the many many game recaps that are available all over the internet.
• Here’s one more stunning stat. Time of game: 2:47. For a Yankees-Red Sox game. Wow.

Photo of the Day:

Yankee outfielders celebrate the win!

Tale of the Tweets:

• RT @akmcquade: Woot woot #RedSox #yankees game with @amandarykoff!
• Oh hell yeah! With @akmcquade. (@ Yankee Stadium w/ 37 others) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• Ken Rosenthal interviewing Pedroia on the field. It’s unclear who is shorter.
• Enjoying the Lobel’s steak sandwich in style. (@ Audi Yankees Club w/ 2 others) http://4sq.com/arYgQN
• Need to remind @akmcquade that Audi Club Access and field level seats behind the Red Sox dugout are not typical. #spoiled
• Another downside of A-Rod being out of the lineup: we have to look at Pena from our seats at third base. #highclassproblems
• #nowplayingatyankeestadium Beautiful Day by U2. Special for @akmcquade.
• Today’s seats do not suck. #yankees http://flic.kr/p/8qkieJ
• RT @Fletch788: RT @rebeccapbp: I may seriously never go to a game again // *like*
• On the scoreboard, Lackey’s ERA matches the time: 4:45. #totaldorktweet
• I got the walk graphic again. This time it’s absolutely perfect! #obsessed
• Teixeira is the only player in the majors to record at least 80 runs and 80 RBI this season. #yankeestadiumscoreboardfactoid
• Usher would have let me down during an at bat. I stopped myself. Because you don’t go to your seat during an at bat.
• Even @akmcquade was impressed by that play by Gardner.
• Kerry Wood making his Yankees Match Game debut!
• Do I even want to know what Ramiro Pena’s UZR is?
• Sorry @akmcquade I didn’t get a fan marquee announcement for your first visit to Yankee Stadium.
• Also: there was a proposal on the fan marquee. @akmcquade agrees with me: not ok.
• I approve of this inning.
• Sit down Ortiz.
• RT @PaulCULLIFORD: @amandarykoff Don’t forget to pick up your ‘i was there when Jorge Stole a base’ T Shirt on the way out
• RT @leokitty: Every player who doesn’t immediately hit .400 after being acquired is a bust!!!!
• Curtis Granderson knows I’m sitting right at third base, so he’s spending some time there today.
• Not sorry to see Granderson leave third base there. Hee hee.
• Btw, I’ve seen at least 4 of Ramiro Pena’s RBI in person. Yes, really.
• Still undefeated in the Cap Game. #obligatory
• Boo birds out for Lance Berkman. I am not one of them.
• Oh Mariano how I have missed you.
• RT @HackswithHaggs: Lackey said he was “nickle and dimed” by series of 4 straight NYY singles in 5th. Appeared to me like he was outpitched
• So @akmcquade, would you call our Yankees-Red Sox tweetup a success? #awesomeseatsperfectweathersomuchfun

Photos on Flickr: Red Sox v. Yankees – 8/7/10

Next Game: Monday, August 16 v. Detroit Tigers

The plan: a quick post for every 2010 Yankees game I attend.

Game 26: Toronto Blue Jays v. NY Yankees

Date: Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Final: Blue Jays 8, Yankees 2

Win: Ricky Romero

Loss: Dustin Moseley

My 2010 Record: 17-9 overall; 14-8 at the Stadium

Mitre sightings: Now at three four.

Slideshow:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Game Notes:

• As you probably know, after Monday night’s debacle, I was filled with #AJrage and disgust. If you missed it, here are my thoughts on the disaster that was Monday night’s game.
• I had agreed to go to the game on Monday, when my friend Rebecca Glass of This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes offered me a free ticket. And since I had a feeling that Monday’s game would be another A.J. disaster, I knew I’d want to get back out to the Stadium as soon as possible. And did I mention that it was a free ticket?
• So with Dustin Moseley pressed into service for the Yankees with Pettitte hurt and Sergio Mitre, um, better suited for the bullpen, we knew it would be a challenge. But there was no way that Tuesday’s game would be as bad as Monday’s, right? Right?
• After tonight’s Ricky Romero complete game two-hit masterpiece, I just feel beaten down.
• Even after Teixeira’s first inning two-run home run to give the Yankees an early 2-0 lead (for the second night in a row), the Yankees never had a chance.
• Moseley pitched serviceably well, but really this was all about Romero.
• Romero retired the final 15 Yankees he faced, allowing just one infield hit after the Teixeira home run. And even when the Yankees hit the ball hard, it was directly at a Blue Jay.
• Somebody tweeted that the Blue Jay’s third baseman, right fielder and left fielder didn’t even make a play during the game. That is remarkable.
• What was good about the game? Our seats, for one. Section 215. The very nice Canadian couple sitting next to us making their first trip to New York. Disability Awareness Night pre-game. The awesome “You Can Call Me Al” Leiter montage on the scoreboard followed by a shot of Paul Simon in the Legends Seats and Leiter in the YES booth. And thanks to our great seats, lots of excellent butt shots during pre-game warmups and stretching. You’re welcome, ladies.
• We also witnessed several firsts: Dustin Moseley’s first home start. Austin Kearns’ first home start (and first roll call). Kerry Wood’s first relief appearance at Yankee Stadium. And Romero became the first non-Mariner to pitch a complete game at Yankee Stadium this season. You may recall King Felix’s total domination on June 30, which I also witnessed in person.
• Oh yeah, Alex Rodriguez went 0 for 3 and did not hit home run #600. He was of course on deck when the final out of the night was recorded. If you look closely at the final scoreboard, you will see that it has number 13 at bat.
• You know who did hit a home run tonight? Almost EVERY TORONTO BLUE JAY. Good grief that team hits home runs. We did see ML home run leader Jose Bautista jack one, his 33rd of the season. I still say they should have sold high. But wow.
• That’s three losses in a row for the Yankees. And my second two-game losing streak of the season. I don’t like it. Not one bit. Also: I miss Mariano. Terribly.
• One upside of getting totally owned: time of game was 2:21.

Photo of the Day:

Austin Kearns' First Roll Call in Left Field

Tale of the Tweets:

• Wearing flip flops to the game tonight, just to piss off @jaydestro.
• Tonight can’t possibly be as bad as last night. (@ Yankee Stadium w/ @jackbouffard) http://4sq.com/36LPXR
• Nice pre-game ceremony for Disability Awareness Night here at the Stadium.
• Great seats in Section 215 for tonight’s game with @rebeccapbp. #yankees http://flic.kr/p/8phAn2
• Oooh. Kerry Wood is tonight’s “Who’s That Baby Bomber?” Guess Berkman and Kearns aren’t far behind.
• “You Can Call Me Al” playing, followed by shot of Paul Simon in Legends Seats and Al Leiter in the YES booth.
• Yes, that relay throw by Jeter was as horrible in person as it was on TV.
• Also yes, that Travis Snider home run was crushed. #obvious
• Boo! Proposal on the fan marquee. #obligatory
• Thames infield hit! I’m sure we all saw that coming.
• Totally. RT @LochNessMunchys: @amandarykoff Don’t you just wish the girl would say no every time?
• +1 RT @MLBastian: Hill robs A-Rod of homer No. 600 with a diving catch up the middle on a low line drive.
• Sitting next to couple from Manitoba. Husband is Jays fan. Wife is NYY fan. 1st time at either Stadium. And of course they’re super nice.
• Bill Clinton in the house. Wanted them to make him the Fan of the Game.
• Give Romero credit. RT @riddering: Moseley has pitched well tonight. Yankee offense has been worse than the pitching.
• Kerry Wood is skinny! #pinstripesareslimming
• Kerry Wood may look skinny but that was a fat pitch! #thanksillbehereallnight
• Clip from Rudy to get the crowd fired up. Is that new?
• Must have missed it! Thanks. RT @leokitty: @amandarykoff nope, been using it since last year
• Little girl sitting in front of us wearing blue Yankees cap and Jeter jersey (no pink) asked about Posada hitting for Cervelli. Inquisitive!
• Oh good. It’s Sergio Mitre. FML.
• Didn’t think it was possible, but yes, this game is actually worse than last night.
• Last night I was angry, disgusted and full of #AJrage. Tonight I just feel beaten down.
• P.S. Of course the game ends with A-Rod on deck. #obligatory
• Also need to mention the Canadian next to me said “Get oot!” when the Jays hit a home run.

Photos on Flickr: Blue Jays v. Yankees – 8/3/10

Next game: Saturday, August 7 v. Boston Red Sox