Thursday, September 6, 2012

Yankees @ Orioles 9/6/12


The Yankees start an all important four game series with the second place Baltimore Orioles tonight with only one game separating the two teams in the AL East. The Yankees got a big win yesterday over the Tampa Bay Rays and tend to do extremely well in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where all four games will be played, so the Yankees have to have some confidence going into it. The Yankees will start David Phelps tonight coming off of one of his worst starts in his very young career and will be facing off against Jason Hammel fresh off the DL for the Orioles. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm et on YES and MLB Network.

Lineups

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF


Go Yankees!!

I Could Not Be A Yankees Fan In The 80's


Thankfully I was born in late 1985 and did not get into baseball religiously until the 1995 season because I would be a totally different person right now if I had to watch the Yankees in the 80's and early 90's. I am usually a very calm and collected person but over the last month to month and a half I have been a very edgy and irritable person. The Yankees, behind only my son and my wife, have become my passion over the last 16+ years and I hate to see them lose. I was visibly upset and downright angry when I went to bed Tuesday night after losing and falling into a tie for first place and I got to thinking, what would I do if I was a little bit older, not spoiled by the Yankees recent success and dynasty, and has to watch the Yankees post Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson.


The Yankees won 103 games in 1980 but it was a year after Thurmon Munson's death and we lost in the ALCS to the Kansas City Royals. We had a strike shortened season, which I have never witnessed first hand because I was 8 years old for most of the year in 1994, in 1981 and lost in the World Series to the Dodgers. Then the revolving door of managers and the chaos around the team started and eventually spilled onto the on field product. Hell George Steinbrenner even got suspended from baseball for misconduct if that puts things into perspective for the younger Yankees fans that are reading.


Losing seasons in 1982, 1989-1992, and 1994 were the toughest of times for Yankees fans in recent memories. The team finished no better then 2nd place from 1982-1993 and would not see a season where they "finished" in first place until 1994, the 1994 season that ended premature and cancelled the World Series. The Yankees loss in the ALDS to the Seattle Mariners cost Buck Schowalter his job which is a shame because he would never get to see first hand the team him and Gene Michaels built which included guys you may have heard of, guys like Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Jorge Posada to name a few.

I think all of the younger Yankees fans are truly spoiled, and not to say that that's a bad thing because it is not, and could not imagine watching the Yankees during that 12+ year stretch from 1982-1994. I know I couldn't if I react the way I did to falling into a TIE FOR FIRST PLACE then I could not imagine watching a losing season. I would probably be on my second or third heart attack. I am just glad everything is good in Yankeeland this morning, at least for one more day.

This Day In Yankees History : 9/6/12


On this day in 1973 the Yankees released not one but two Alou brothers. Felipe Alou was sold to the Montreal Expos and Matty Alou eventually ended up with the St. Louis Cardinals.


Not really Yankees news but on this day in 1995 Cal Ripken broke the iron man streak held by Lou Gherig  playing in his 2,131st straight game with the Baltimore Orioles.