Sometime a song gets you with the introduction. The Smiths' "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" probably has my favorite beginning to any tune. But, of course, there are lots of great openers that scream to you that the song you are about to listen is going to be brilliant. What are your favorites?
This season's beginning has not been music to Yanks fans' ears. Sabathia and Wang stunk in their two starts and the Yanks have been outplayed by the formerly lowly Orioles. There are beginnings to good, even great songs that suck, so Yanks fans should not fear. For instance, a lot of classical music hits don't get going until 5 to 37 minutes into the song. The 1998 Yanks season famously began awfully with Yanks starters getting knocked around. And then the Yanks turned in the best season maybe ever. That's not to say we should want this crappy act to continue today in Baltimore. AJ Burnett, who signed a much-maligned contract in the off-season, is on the mound for the Bombers. Everyone knows his deal. He has amazing stuff, maybe has a two-cent brain, and is much better usually when he's pitching in a walk year. But baseball history is filled with new beginnings. That's the beauty part of this game. And maybe today will be a new beginning for both AJ and the Yanks.
Comment here on all the action.
God, the Smiths are a mother lode. Let’s stick with them for the moment – Death of a Disco Dancer (Dear Prudence via Morrissey), Bigmouth Strikes Again.
Non-Smiths – Where the Streets Have No Name is probably up there, as is Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same”. There are tons.
Go Orioles!
Early one mornin’ the sun was shinin’,
I was layin’ in bed
Wond’rin’ if she’d changed at all
If her hair was still red.
How are these unknown pitchers dominating the Yanks lineup?
Gardner breaking up the perfect game. Let’s hope he’s a distraction on the basepaths.
Now we are cooking. 1st and 2nd, Captain up with 1 out.
Strike that…2nd and 3rd 2 Outs and Damon up. Jeter nubber to pitcher.
Gardner steals 2nd, and then Molina promptly walks. Here’s the vaguely hot Jeter fouling off two straight pitches before grounding out, moving both runners up. Glad it wasn’t a double play, but the Yanks will need a hit to get a run in.
And the O’s get out of it as Damon could not come through.
The other news, the Mets gave up their lead, while the Sox are already down one.
And now the O’s came right back and put men on corners..
Brian Roberts brings in the first run of the game. C’mon AJ!
Has the Yanks led at all this season?
“How are these unknown pitchers dominating the Yanks lineup?”
Off the top of my head: 1. The Yanks are typically awful against unknown pitchers and 2. Once again, they can’t buy a freakin’ hit w/ RISP, just like last year.
Bases loaded for the cleanup hitter.
AJ walking Markakis and now starting Huff off with 2-0 count. Not a good sign.
1st Fist Pump of the season…waiting for it, waiting for it.
Overall could have been MUCH worse. Way to work out of it AJ.
Went 3-1 before striking Huff out with the bases loaded. Definitely makes the game exciting, I suppose..
BOO THAT!
1-1 on a Tex bomb. “Tex” Marks the spot.
Tesh smacking that one for a HR. Nice.
TEX! First HR as a Yank!
Meanwhile pavano got lit up in his first inning in cleveland, 5ER. Couldnt have happened to a better person…
And Cano with his third walk in 3 games…like what I am seeing from him so far this year
SWISHER! 3-1 lead! Atta Boy!
That’s my Swish! Get this man a starting job, please.
Now Swisher is joining in the fun.. =)
Ya, I was about to remark about Cano and walking. We’ll see how long that last, but for now I’m impressed.
So the Yanks take their first lead of the season.
Glad to see I am not the only one with a man crush on Swish. With that said Ransom does what he does best, down looking. 2 outs, top 4.
Simon at 74 pitches after 4, only 43 for strikes. Gradner did an okay job fouling off pitches and getting the count to 3-2, but flied out on the 7th pitch.
Sterling’s call was “A tex message sent to the bleachers”..
LOL I’d like to send Sterling a Text message. I am sure Suzyn thought that was ever so witty.
Hahaha, that’s awful.
Yanks threatening again with men on first and second, Swish at the plate.
Swish coming through again. Definitely would not mind more breathing room!
Bottom of this lineup is looking like the Sox’s from last year. Ransom, Gardner, Molina.
The E opens the gates.
Well, if they’re trying to prove me wrong, they should! Ransom walks on 6 pitches, and Gardner padding the lead by reaching on an error, but gets the RBI. Bases still loaded, one out!
To clarify, he picks up an RBI for the “would’ve been” ground out, but 2 runs score.
It’s 6-2 and men on 2nd and third.
Bass could have walked over and and touched the plate himself, instead he heaves it over Moeller’s glove. Molina hits a pop fly to 2nd base that falls because the IF is in. 7-2 Yankees.
Molina singles in a run and now it’s 7-2, men on corners, and Jeter up.
Hey, the Yanks might, knock on wood, just win a game!
Captain down 0-2 quickly with runners on the corners and one away.
masn tells it’s a fastball. but what KIND of fastball?
DJ > 643. Oof.
Captain Double Play. Ouch. Could’ve easily tacked on another run pretty much with anything.
AJ comes out after 5 1/3 innings. 7 hits, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 6 K’s.
Not super, but better than the previous two games. Not even a quality start.
He was at 98 pitches, 59 for strikes, which is a little bit on the low side.
Coke comes in, maybe to build some confidence in what should be a cleanup game.
Strikes out the two batters he faced. End of 6.
Nady doubles, followed by a Cano HR. If this is the Cano that we’ll getting this year, this is going to be a good year.
Another “beginnings” recollection:
Veras in.
Congrats on the win fellas. And Pavano’s 9 ER in 1 IP is icing on the cake.
Of course he’ll probably pitch a shutout at Yankee Stadium next week now.