The Red Sox lead the Yankees 16-11 as they play in the top of the ninth inning. This may be the worst game I’ve ever seen. Phil Coke and Ramon Ramirez are the only pitchers who haven’t allowed a run today. There’s been plenty of action, everything from a grand slam to a catcher’s interference. This game might still be exciting if the second base umpire hadn’t blow a call on an Ellsbury stolen base attempt in the bottom of the eighth. Posada made a throw on a pitch out that sailed away from the bag, but Cano made a great catch and swipe tag to catch Ellsbury, but the ump didn’t see it. That led to four more runs. So instead of Jeter on second representing the tying run, he’s of no consequence in the ninth.
It’s warm today in the east. I hope this is not a sign of things to come when it heats up for good.
Update: It’s finally over. I think the game came very close to setting the record for time for a nine-inning game, and they didn’t even play the bottom of the ninth.
Karma for Knoblach’s phantom tag? Or all the times Jeter’s gotten the call for putting his glove within 5 inches of runners? That call wouldn’t have made a difference if the reliever could have gotten some outs.
Yeah that one play at 2nd made all the difference. Because the vaunted Yankee bullpen was fixing to shut down Boston.
After two days of watching that Yank pen, this is what I think: If the Sox were down 4 in the 9th with Green, Green, Green, Green and Giddon (who amazingly stayed awake the whole game) coming up, Giddon would hit a walkoff. That’s how bad it is.
Making it even worse, we had to put up with Buck and McCarver, who both seemed more interested in the NFL draft and hockey.
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Really fascinating listening to the comments-the ump blew the calll at second base. Period. The runs all scored after that blown call. Stop blathering about things that happened in years past and your own mastubatory dreams about the bullpen. Crappy way for the game to be decided.
I agree that was a bad call. It used to be all the bad calls went against the Red Sox, so this is regression to mean.
Since the Yankees did not score in the 9th, how could that call have decided the outcome?.
And even if they scored a run or 2, the Red Sox own Mariano, they are in his head.
I thought it was a great game, and really exposed the Yankees big weakness which is their pen, especially with Bruney out.
With Wang out, CC and Teixeira not earning their salary yet, Jeter looking real slow in the field and on the bases, a shaky pen, and Jobas velocity down 2-3 mph from last year, the Yankees better hope A-Rod comes back with some juice in his bat.
Fallacy of the pre-determined outcome. That bad call affected everything that happened after it. Baseball is about situations and decisions. That call is made correctly, everything changes after. Mariano Rivera’s record against the Red Sox is stellar, its just not is good as a against everybody else. All that said., Yanks win tomorrow thats the split you would expect going into the weekend.
“Crappy way for the game to be decided.”
It’s crappy that you’re too dumb to realize one play doesn’t decide a game.
Yankee fans are the pre-2004 red sox fans. Wine and complain.
David,
I too don’t agree it was a bad game, especially from the point of view of a fan. I was there and it was as a up and down as games get.
at 16 -11, there are many things which could have affected the outcome, how about Posada’s error (catcher interference)… that affected the outcome.
Umpires’ calls are a part of the game, just like errors.
Giraldi shouldn’t be buying green bananas.
I agree that was a bad call. It used to be all the bad calls went against the Red Sox, so this is regression to mean.
Oh, is that regression to the mean? You’d better send your explanation to the folks at Baseball Prospectus (and for that matter, to Stats Inc), because they are under the impression that it’s something else entirely.
Skanks fans just can’t let it go. The call may have been blown but as a previous posted mentioned the Sox still would have won. Also it’s true how many calls Jeter gets just for being in the vicinity of the base.
“Oh, is that regression to the mean? You’d better send your explanation to the folks at Baseball Prospectus (and for that matter, to Stats Inc), because they are under the impression that it’s something else entirely.”
Well if you have a juicy conspiracy theory, let me know. BP and Stats don’t pay me anything. Certainly the Red Sox ownership have a good relationship with Bud Selig. You are suggesting the umpires have been given orders to favour the Sox?. Even if it were true, I suspected something of the same with the Yankees getting the calls before 2004. I hope neither scenario is true, but I would not rule it out. And we are regressing to the mean, even if it is not random variation at play.