A-Rod and Hudson Show Their Affection at the Stadium

Alex Rodriguez has been playing baseball since May 9th and for the most part this year, it's been all about baseball for A-Rod.

You would have thought that the steroid admission back in Feburary would've haunted Alex and the Yanks all season but it hasn't. As a matter of fact, Alex's hip injury was a blessing in disguise. It took all the attention about Alex's PED use and his steroid supplier of a cousin from DR. By the time A-Rod came back it was all about baseball, how his return to the lineup came at the perfect time. His team was struggling, Mark Teixeria was lost at the plate without his right hand man and the lineup wasn't hitting. Alex was the man who fixed the Yankees with one swing on a Friday night in Baltimore and the Yanks haven't looked back since.

The only thing that is getting Alex attention off the field is Kate Hudson. The two alledgely met in November in Miami and have been "friends" since. She has been spotted at Yankee Stadium on a few occasions and once in the Bombers last road trip in Anahiem. I mean could we really be naive to think they were just friends? I think not. Personally I think Hudson is a better pick up than Madonna and Alex should stick with the 33 year old blond bombshell.

Yesterday the Yankees held a family picnic on the field after the game and Alex's invitees were Kate and his daughters Natasha and Ella. Then finally Rodriguez and Hudson put all the rumors to rest and they smooched for all to see at the Stadium yesterday. Good for them. Not that it's anyone's business but it's good to see them not care about the public opinion and show their affections in public.

As long as the Yanks keep on winning, that's the only thing that will matter to the New York public and media.


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No Need For Trades Before Deadline

With the trade deadline about a week away many people are wondering of the Yankees are going to be active in the trade market. I don't think they will be. I believe they have all the pieces they need to take the division and go deep into October.

The starting rotation seems pretty good at the moment but it might be a cause for concern once Joba Chamberlain reaches his innings limit, assuming the Yanks stick with it. I find it hard to believe they would take Joba out of the rotation in the middle of a pennant race. Chien Ming Wang might be lost for the season so after CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett the rotation is up in the air. Andy Pettitte will still be a contributor but I think he's not as reliable as he once was. So maybe picking up a no. 4 or 5 starter will be in the works.

The bench seems ok at the moment but there is room for improvement. Eric Hinske was added for some flexibility and some pop and he has been just that. Ramiro Pena is in the minors getting some outfield experience so if the Yanks choose not to add any bench help, Pena can fill in at mulitple positions and provide stellar defense.

The bullpen has also been steady in recent weeks. Adding another lefty could be something the Yanks do but with Damaso Marte returning soon, the answer might be within. Everyone has assumed a role in the bullpen and know their duties. Joe Girardi has done an excellent job establishing his bullpen and it shows.

The Yanks will be in the race until the very end and they have the pieces to win it all right now. A little tinkering here and there might not hurt but isn't necessary. They're playing well now and are at a season high with their games over .500 and with their lead in the AL East, that's not by accident. It's because they are that good and everyone is performing up to their standards (minus Wang). Look for a quiet week from the Bombers as the trade deadline approaches.




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My 2nd Half Predicitions

More of my predictions at the start of the year and my updated thoughts:


In the National League:

EAST:Phillies
CENTRAL: Cubs
WEST: Dodgers
Wild Card: Mets

It's safe to say the Mets are going to be nowhere near the wild card this year. They might make a late surge but I think the injuries to them are too much to overcome. The wild card is anyone's guess in the NL, it depends on who gets hot in Septemeber. The Central will go to the Cards or Brewers. The East still belongs to the Phils and the West is a no-contest for Joe Torre's Dodgers.


In the American League:

EAST: Yankees
CENTRAL: Indians
WEST: Angels
Wild Card: Red Sox

The East and Wild Card is going to be a toss up between the Yanks and Sox as usual. The Central is up for the taking between the White Sox, Tigers and Twins. The Indians made me look bad and might end up being sellers before July 31st's trading deadline. The West still belongs to the Angels, as if that was a shock. The wild card might be a fight between the Rays,Yanks,Red Sox, White Sox, Twins and Tigers, I don't see the Rangers holding on to their strong performance until Septemeber.

AL MVP: Joe Mauer
NL MVP: Albert Pujols

Yanks 2nd Half Prediction: 44-30

Still have the Yanks winning the World Series!

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A Look At The Rotation

Before the season started I made some predictions, at the halfway point lets see how they've played out so far.

Starting Rotation:

MY PREDICTIONS
Sabathia: 18-9 4.32 ERA
Wang: 17-8 3.89 ERA
Burnett: 15-9 3.43 ERA
Pettitte: 13-11 4.45 ERA
Chamberlain: 12-7 3.34 ERA

Burnett and Joba miss some time with injuries with Hughes filling in more than expected. Hughes makes around 8-12 starts.


CURRENTLY:
Sabathia: 9-6 3.66 ERA
Wang: 1-6 9.64 ERA
Burnett: 8-4 3.81 ERA
Pettitte: 8-5 4.85 ERA
Chamberlain: 4-2 4.25 ERA

Burnett and Joba didn't miss any time because of injuries (cross fingers) and as expected Hughes has made an impact. He has started 7 games but has been lights out since joining the bullpen. Wang has been nothing more than a burden for the team and he obviously will not match the 17-8 I had him going for this year. Joba may end up in the 'pen before it's all said and done and Pettitte may very well be on his last legs. It's still a good rotation but not as strong as we once thought it would be. If the Yanks somehow can land Roy Halladay then the rotation will be a wrap, the Yanks will have the divison in their hands.



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A-Rod Enters Top 10 on All-Time HR List

For everything that was said about Alex Rodriguez over the offseason, he took it as movitation for the 2009 season. So far, you haven't heard a word about A-Rod doing anything crazy or questionable. He has let his play do the the talking. And he's talking in a big way.

He missed the first 5 weeks of the season due to his hip injury, then he comes back and hits the very FIRST pitch he sees this season out for a 3-run HR. Then on his 1st weekend back at home, he hits a game-tying HR in the bottom of the 9th inning against the Twins. He's had many highlights this season, both offensively and defensively. Yesterday was his last.

Alex hit 2 HRs in yesterday's 14-8 loss. The 2nd HR put him in the top 10 on the All-Time HR list. He passed Rafael Palmerio to get into the top 10.

A-Rod has quickly put up some good numbers. 17 HR and 50 RBI are solid numbers for someone who missed 5 weeks of the season. His average is also on the incline, he's at .263. Not something you really would be proud of but considering just a few weeks ago he was around .220 then you appreciate the .260 batting average.

He won't be participating in any All-Star Game festivities so he will be getting a 4 day rest which hopefully will help him for the remainder of the summer. It could slow his hot streak down a bit but Alex is a good enough player to start a new one come next weekend.

Alex has been ALL baseball this season and that's the way it should be. Other than the minor Kate Hudson talk Alex hasn't drawn much attention to himself. Hoepfully he keeps it that way and stays focused on the game and on winning championship number 27.


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QuickCap: Game 85

Yankees 8
Angels 14


I'm disgusted. For the second straight day the Yanks blew a 4 run lead. I just don't want to get into specifics because it was that bad. The upside, A-Rod hit 2 more HRs and is continuing his hot streak. He now is in the Top 10 on the All-Time HR list. Another good note was Eric Hinske, he hit 2 HRs yesterday. That's 3 homers in 9 at-bats as a Yankee. That's better then his 1 HR for the Pirates the previous 3 months.



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Quickcap Game 84

Yankees 6
Angels 10


I'm not too sure what exactly happened last night as the Yankees faltered against the Angels after having a 4-0 lead. This is the second straight 4-0 lead that Joba Chamberlain has given up. I still like him as a starter but he's gonna have to perform better than he has in recent outings. A bad game all around for the Bombers who lost for the first time in 9 games on the road. The lost puts the Yanks a game behind the Red Sox in the AL East.


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Yanks Keep Rollin'

Coming off the the holiday the Yankees find themselves 1 game behind the Boston Red Sox and have won 10 of their last 11. They are playing well all around again, much like their run back in May. The Yankees idlily would like to finish the first half strong and ahead of the Red Sox in the standings. At this rate, that shouldn't be a problem to accomplish.

Here are my thoughts on some of the things going on with the Yanks right now:

Phil Hughes:
This has been the biggest issue lately. What do you with the young 23 year old? I'm grown to liking the phrase "whatever helps the team" and in this case, Hughes is best in the bullpen. He's been lights out since getting there, so keep him there right now. Does he belong in the 8th inning? Well so far, he's done the job in the 8th as we've seen in recent days, so yea give him the ball in the 8th. He can let the ball go around 95, 96 and mixes it up well with a nasty curve. Reminds you of Joba Chamberlain in '07, just without all the flash. The need for Joba was in the 8th inning that season and this season, the need for Hughes is there as well. Let him rock there and see what happens, if he falters t hen you send him to the minors and stretch him out again, that simple.

Chein-Ming Wang:
Boy this guy can't catch a break. It looks like he's headed to the DL for the 2nd time this season just as he's starting to turn things around. It's a shame he's had such a down year but it's better this happens this year when the Yanks have so much depth in the rotation, rather than it happen when he's the top guy in the rotation (oh, wait that happened last year). Point is, this is going to be his down year no matter how you slice it. It's a good thing the Yanks spent all that money on CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, they're a combined 14-9, nothing spectatular, but better than the likes of Darrel Rasner and Sidney Ponson, the guys the Bombers threw out their last year in Wang's absence. Let Wang get his issues straight no, so when the strecth run comes, he's ready to go.

Alex Rodriguez:
Despite being out for the first 5 weeks of the season, Alex has pretty good numbers in terms of HR and RBI. It appears he has turned the page after having just an awful June. His production means the rest of the lineup will see better pitches to hit. Hideki Matsui has been the beneficial of A-Rod's recent surge. Robinson Cano has been hot also, but can't hit with runners in socring position. Alex has also played expectionally at 3rd base. He is the kind of player that can be hot for weeks and if this is one of those streaks, the AL East is trouble.






Mariano Rivera:
Congrats to him on recording his 500th save last week against the Mets. The best reliever in Major League history notches another milestone under his belt to further cement his place in baseball history. His class and professionalism, mixed with his dominance and consistency easily puts him in a class of his own. Though he has been shaky this season at times, he's still one of the game's best. His presence on the mound and in the lockerroom means so much, as always he is a key contributor in every run of Yankee success.


Time to take over the AL East and run away with it. Ok, that's a little premature but whenever the Yanks ride a streak like this it does get you excited. Good times in the Bronx.


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Happy 4th Of July!


Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone was able to enjoy their holiday and got to enjoy themselves.

It's been awhile since I last posted and I have to see if I can still do this. It's been hard this season to find time to write for the blog but I will try my best to update it as soon as I can.




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