baseball is over for the season...

I am sad. The baseball season is now over for me. Yes, yes, I know the World Series has not begun yet. For me, baseball is over. I am a Yankees fan. Once were eliminated from the playoffs, I was hoping the Mets would win. My grandfather was a Mets fan and I figured, what the heck, they are from New York. But, the Mets were eliminated tonight. I was so hoping to be able to watch baseball for another week. At least it's not the Red Sox in the World Series. How many days left until pitchers and catchers report for the 2007 season?

All-Star Game goes on without Jeter

Now how do you have an All-Star game without him?!?

All-Star Game goes on without Jeter

"He's the face of baseball. If you're trying to promote the game in a positive way, he's supposed to be here," said Gary Sheffield. "He has All-Star numbers. What's happened to this game when Derek Jeter isn't here?"

"He's on that list of the best players in the game," said Johnny Damon. "Derek finally gets to have three days off, so he may be happy, but the All-Star Game is definitely strange without Derek Jeter."

Captain not at Midsummer Classic for second time since '97
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

Jeter 2

Jeter 2
Originally uploaded by irishblueyes.

What an amazing photo of Derek JETER

A-Rod

A-Rod
Originally uploaded by irishblueyes.

I love love this picture of AROD

Major League Baseball : Events : 2005 Hall of Fame Inductions

But why not Donnie Baseball?Major League Baseball : Events : 2005 Hall of Fame Inductions

AP Wire | 12/31/2004 | Tino Martinez Rejoins New York Yankees

TINO! TINO! TINO! AP Wire | 12/31/2004 | Tino Martinez Rejoins New York Yankees

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Tino Martinez is headed back to the Bronx.
The popular first baseman and the New York Yankees finalized a $3 million, one-year contract Friday, a deal that gives manager Joe Torre a familiar option if Jason Giambi's health problems keep him out of the lineup again.
Martinez, 37, played for New York from 1996-01, helping the Yankees win five AL pennants and four World Series titles. A close friend of Derek Jeter, Martinez hit .262 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs for Tampa Bay last season.
"The Florida Marlins probably were my other choice," Martinez said. "If the Yankees had any interest at all, whatsoever, it's where I wanted to be, where I wanted to finish my career."
Giambi, who replaced Martinez as New York's first baseman in 2002, missed much of last season because of a variety of illnesses, the most significant a benign tumor. He was ineffective at the plate when he returned late in the year, and New York did not include him on its postseason roster. Giambi, the 2000 AL MVP with Oakland, wound up hitting .208 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs.
During the offseason, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Giambi told a federal grand jury in 2003 that he used steroids, and the Yankees have been investigating whether they can void his contract, which has $82 million and four years remaining.
"At this stage, we have not made any decisions on things like that," general manager Brian Cashman said. "I expect him to be in camp with us, 100 percent healthy and ready to contribute to the 2005 Yanks."
While no top Yankees officials have spoken with Giambi since the end of the season, he's been in contact with the medical and training staff.
"It is a strange situation," Martinez said. "I spoke to Joe Torre last night. He gave me a call. I told him I'm willing to do whatever role he wants me to be in."
Tony Clark and John Olerud, who played first base in Giambi's absence, both became free agents.
Martinez, a two-time All-Star, has 322 homers, 18th among active players, and he has played in 95 postseason games, fourth on the career list. He gets $2.75 million next season, and New York has a $3 million option for 2006 with a $250,000 buyout.
He signed a $21 million, three-year deal with St. Louis in December 2001, then was traded by the Cardinals to Tampa Bay in November 2003. The Devil Rays declined an $8 million option, allowing him to become a free agent.
Martinez said the Yankees will be the final team he plays for. New York hasn't won the World Series since Martinez left and Paul O'Neill and Scott Brosius retired.
"They've had great teams and have come up short a few times," Martinez said, "Maybe a few breaks here and there, they're world champions again."

New York Yankees Coaches

I am so glad to see that Don Mattingly is coming back for another year and that Joe Girardi is now a bench coach. How exciting!

STOTTLEMYRE, MATTINGLY, GIRARDI NAMED COACHES

The New York Yankees announced today that former catcher Joe Girardi, a member of three World-Championship Yankee clubs in 1996, 1998 and 1999, will rejoin the club as Bench Coach and Catching Instructor in 2004.
Pitching Coach Mel Stottlemyre will return for a 10th consecutive season in 2005 and Don Mattingly, who returned to the Yankees as Batting Coach last season, will be back for a second straight season.
Girardi, 40, concluded a 15-year Major-League career after the 2003 season and spent last season as a broadcaster for the YES Network. He was named to the National League All-Star team in 2000 as a member of the Chicago Cubs.
An announcement on the remaining members of Joe Torre's 2005 coaching staff will be made at a later date.New York Yankees News

Jeter hauls in Gold Glove Award

Well its about time this happened! WAY TO GO DJ!

Jeter hauls in Gold Glove Award

Derek Jeter added another line to his already impressive resume on Tuesday, winning his first Gold Glove Award.
Jeter becomes the first Yankees shortstop to win the award, giving New York a Gold Glover at every position in its history.
"It's a great honor. I take pride in my defense and I work hard each year to improve in the field," Jeter said in a statement released by the club. "There are a number of fantastic defensive shortstops in the American League -- too many to count -- and to be recognized with the Gold Glove makes it that much more of a special accomplishment.
"I also want to thank our pitching staff for having so many of our opponents hit balls in my direction."
The Yankees have now had 20 players win a total of 55 Gold Glove awards, led by Don Mattingly's 10 at first base.
"Derek Jeter is a great, inspired leader and captain," said George Steinbrenner through his publicist, Howard Rubenstein. "He certainly deserves this honor."

damn johnny damon

Red Sox Beat Yankees, Head to World Series
I think that I am just too depressed about this to even try to explain it.

game two - yankees 3-1

yankees win game two 3-1

The chants of "Who's Your Daddy" were constant at Yankee Stadium tonight. I was hysterical laughing every time I heard it. Yes, Pedro Martinez got his start tonight in the Bronx against Jon Leiber. But the star tonight was John Olerud of the New York Yankees. Olerud hit a two-run home run off of Martinez in the sixth inning.

The thing that surprised me the most tonight was how humble Martinez seemed to be in the press conference after the game. The same man who three years ago said

Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass.

actually seemed to be humble. Talking about how just 15 years ago he was under a mango tree without money to take a bus, Martinez said that he enjoyed the attention at Yankee Stadium (although the chants clearly made fun of him) by saying

It actually made me feel really, really good. I actually realize I'm somebody important. I caught the attention of 60,000 people, you guys and the whole world. If I turned the clock back 15 years, I was sitting under a mango tree without 50 cents for a bus. And today I was the center of attention of the city of New York. They made me feel important. I don't regret one thing. I obviously kind of like it.

game one - yankees 10-7

yankees win game one 10-7

Well so much for Schilling shutting up the crowd at Yankee Stadium because the Bronx was ROCKING tonight!

"I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up," the Boston Red Sox ace [Schilling] said Monday, a day before starting the opener of the AL championship series against Mike Mussina.

Matsui was on fire tonight and the Yankees proved once again why they should not be counted out yet!

game schedule

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Game 1 at New York Tue. Oct. 12 8:00 p.m. FOX
Game 2 at New York Wed. Oct. 13 8:00 p.m. FOX
Game 3 at Boston Fri. Oct. 15 8:00 p.m. FOX
Game 4 at Boston Sat. Oct. 16 7:30 p.m. FOX
Game 5* at Boston Sun. Oct. 17 7:30 p.m. FOX
Game 6* at New York Tue. Oct. 19 8:00 p.m. FOX
Game 7* at New York Wed. Oct. 20 8:00 p.m. FOX
*If necessary

it begins again...

for anyone that lives in a box, the yankees are playing the red sox tonight and i couldn't be more excited and nervous about it. mussina is pitching against schilling tonight. it should be a really good match up and a hell of a nail-biter!

The rivalry that never rests

arod

arod
Originally uploaded by danic.

Alex Rodriguex warming up with Derek Jeter

infield

infield
Originally uploaded by danic.

Three of the infielders, Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez, Short Stop Derek Jeter and Second Baseman Miguel Cairo

arod

Alex Rodriguez at bat

arod
Originally uploaded by danic.

Shef

Shef
Originally uploaded by danic.

MVP! MVP!

Jorge

Jorge Posada adjusting his face mask

Jorge
Originally uploaded by danic.

Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter
Originally uploaded by danic.

We were sitting so close to the on deck circle at yankee stadium that we could hear what the players were saying

ESPN.com: Page 2 - Pedro finally learns the truth

This is one of the craziest things that I have ever read!

ESPN.com: Page 2 - Pedro finally learns the truth

by Jim Caple
Page 2

"What can I say? I tip my cap and call the Yankees my Daddy."

-- Pedro Martinez, after blowing another lead to New York in the eighth inning Friday and losing 6-4

"Yes. It is true. It brings me great shame to admit it, but the Yankees are my Daddy. I never knew until recently because my father left my mother before I was born.

"The Dodgers, of course, are my mother, and I loved her as I love life itself. She was the most beautiful woman in the world; and when I close my eyes now, I can still see her dressed in the purest whites and deepest blues you have ever seen. She sacrificed everything to raise me and my older brother, Ramon. She worked in the fields until her hands were raw and her back ached, and yet she always found time in the early evening to teach Ramon and I how to throw a beanball.

"One day when I was six and Ramon was nearly 10, we asked our mother about our father -- who he was and where he lived and when he would come home to teach us how to throw sliders. She only told us that our father was a very bad man, and then began weeping. She walked into her room, closed the door and stayed inside for three days. She ate nothing and drank only the tears that ran down her cheeks. We could hear her sobs even when we turned up 'Welcome Back Kotter' very loud; and when she finally emerged from the room, she said that we were never to ask her any questions about our father again. I tell you, these were the saddest moments of my life until Grady Little left me in too long in Game 7.

"Looking back now, I suppose there were clues to my father's identity I should have recognized if only I had opened my eyes wide enough to examine them closely. But so much of life is a deception, is it not? Even now, many Red Sox fans think we are going to win the World Series.

"I once caught my mother opening a worn shoebox and pulling out faded black and white photos of her when she was a girl in Brooklyn. Then she looked at a photograph of her as a young woman smiling with a man in pinstripes. When she looked at it, she made a strange sound and I could not tell whether she was laughing or crying -- it was similar to the sound Red Sox fans make at the beginning of each October. I asked who the man in the picture was, and she quickly put the photos away. She said only that he was a rich man she once knew in New York, and that I should not sneak up on her anymore and should instead go outside and practice knocking down 72-year-old men with Ramon.

"My mother also had a beautiful ring she kept protected under the mattress. Ramon and I never were allowed to look at it closely, but she would occasionally take it out to slip on her finger. We could see that it was gold with a ruby in the middle and small diamonds surrounding it and some sort of inscription. We asked why she didn't sell it in the market so that we could move into a better neighborhood with cable TV, and she said it was all she had left from our father and that she would never sell it. I understand now that it is a World Series ring, though of course, I have never seen such a thing up close.

"My mother died just before I reached the majors, and I was always sad that she never got a chance to see me pitch. But worse was the longing I felt for my father. Whenever I would see Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds or Aaron Boone, I would feel such jealousy. Why did they have fathers in the game, and I did not even know who mine was? And why did they always hit so many home runs in extra innings? I would be so envious that I wanted to hit them all in the head with my pitches. And I usually did.

"And then I visited my old, beloved aunt, the Expos, in Montreal this summer. She said that she would be moving soon, she did not know where, and that I should know the truth about my father in case she never saw me again. She said that the Yankees were my Daddy and that though they were dishonorable and had treated my mother very badly by not marrying her and never once paying child support, I must seek them out and resolve our relationship, though perhaps I should have my agent phone first.

"It was painful to learn, but at least now I know the truth. The Yankees are my Daddy and I look forward to reuniting soon and getting to know him as a son should know his father, perhaps beginning next season if he will offer me a four-year, $60 million contract. Perhaps he will even take me to the World Series.

"But the truth about my father is not the most amazing thing I learned. No, the strangest part is what else I discovered.

"Don Zimmer is my crazy uncle."