Yankee Notes: June 2nd, 2006

The Yanks sure looked different out there in Game 3 of the Tigers series. Who are those guys? Cabrera, Cairo, Phillips, Long? Last I remember it, the Yankees were Damon, Jeter, Sheffield, A-Rod, Giambi, and Matsui. Anyway, they won again and it seems that anyone we put on the field contributed these days....uh...well, except Terrence Long. Get his ass outta here. 0-3 with 3 strikeouts has him at .214/.313/.250 so far in pinstripes. I know it's only 9 games and 28 at bats, but his career numbers are .269/.319/.405 and there are plenty of guys out there that can do better.

Mike Mussina is Mr. Freeze. Can't you just see him shouting to Joe Torre from the mound, "My name is Freeze; learn it well, for it's the chilling sound of your doom." A little tribute to the worst film ever made....1997's "Batman and Robin." Mussina has been so good that his ERA may well end up "Subzero" by the end of the season. Also contributing to the win is the devastatingly powerful Batman, Jason Giambi. Bam! Pow! The Yankees win! Theeeeeeee Yankees win!!

Okay, enough with the Batman business. A few random thoughts from around baseball.

1. Albert Pujols is on pace for 162 runs, 79 homers, and 207 RBIs. His OPS of 1.224 would rank him 15th all time on the single season list, tied with Babe Ruth's 1930 season, and only percentage points ahead of Mr. Andro's 1998 season.

2. Roger Clemens ends the most overblown "free agent" saga in baseball history by finally choosing the 3rd place Astros over the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers, who I believe more and more were never in it anyway. I like Clemens a lot, more for his dedication than anything, but we all know that he's only really about one thing. Himself. He always does what's best for Roger Clemens. He chose the Blue Jays, inexplicably over the Yankees when he left Boston. He got himself traded to New York when it became apparent that it was the only place that he was going to win anything. He unretired to take a boat load of money from Houston, and got to stay home on road trips. Now he returns to Houston, where his son plays, he owns parts of the minor league franchises, and he still doesn't have to go on the road with the team. That's cool. Get yours Roger. I don't blame you. Just don't think you're going to win it on a team that ranks 20th in runs scored, 22nd in OPS,18th in team ERA, and 22nd in average against. I'll enjoy watching him pitch, but I have to think to myself, "What a waste." He'll prove me wrong if he can spearhead a charge that leads this bunch to the wild card.

3. The Yankees go for the rare 4-game sweep against the Tigers with Chien Ming Wang taking on Justin Verlander. There can be only one. If you get that reference, you're trying too hard. See you tomorrow. Go Yanks.