Chavezzing in the Rain

Eric Chavez has always been a special player. Gifted with great hands and a technically sound fielder he also could hit back in the dAy's when he played for Oakland. As he comes back to play 3rd tonight we see him playing well, trying to earn a spot at the pipe until our clean up hitter gets back to being an RBI lothario. AJ is taking the hill which means we should be in the game until the 5th inning. You're a #2 starter AJ maybe you could at least pitch like a #3? Cause sometimes you pitch like the other #2.

AJ The Butcher

If he sold meat, he might be the most valuable guy on the team. I say that because AJ Burnett continues to be a butcher, hacking his way through innings until he hits bone where he believes the only way out is right down the pike. Come on AJ. Throw the freaking changeup will ya? And to boot, the attitude. Come on man, you know everyone's watching you so stop the theatrics, the eyerolls, the sourpuss Mr. Macho angry face you make anytime Joe comes to get you. You should be an ace, not slapping bacon.

The Greatest

If Babe Ruth were here today what would you tell him? Well hold that thought just a minute because he is here, in the modern form of Mariano Rivera. The man is such a great pitcher it's beyond any current means of measurement and the guy's more of a class act that maybe anyone in all of sports. We ain't never seeing a guy like this again. So enjoy and thanks Mo.

C.C. For Yourself

With his record in pinstripes and his slide-stopping ability, he is a definite ACE and he just may go down as one of the greatest of all Yankee hurlers. As we await the return of Phil Hughes' stuff and Joba's presence we all need to be reminded that you can still buy W's if you spend your dollars just right. C.C. doesn't get enough credit in a league that resents the Universe's winning ways and yet he never balks at the press stand. Can we be grateful enough? I don't freaking think so.

And here's a call out to one of our favorite Yankees, our sure handed first baseman Mark Teixeira: Big guy, we need you. A-Rod is eating sushi with Cameron Diaz as his knee mends and we need that .240 average to creep towards the more respectable .280 mark before season's end. The power is there but the regularity ain't. Come on Tex!

And lastly congratulations to Robinson Cano for winning the Home Run Derby which has turned into a freak show crossed with a circus. But congrats anyway, Robbie you can slug with the best of them now.

Captain 3000

As if pre-written by the Baseball History Book, our beloved Captain not only hit his 3000th ball but did it with a shot of a homer and then he turns around and wins the game with a single in the 8th. Need we say more? Probably not but we will. This guy is so tremendous that he transcends, as they say, the sport. In this hyper-specialized world we live in where there's a type of dentist for every different tooth, here's a guy who isn't the greatest in any single category, but is one of the greats ever. While all the numbers crunchers complain of his fielding percentage averages and other assorted crapola, in the things that always seemed important to me: winning, effort and sportsmanship, he is the best.

We know where you went Joe DiMaggio...you went to shortstop.

2 More For #2 for 3,000

As the rain halts Derek's march towards 3,000 for one more night, we are sitting around finishing a case of Miller High Life and tossing Derek Facts around. Here are a few we thought most interesting (some more than others actually):

• When Derek was 12, he got Dave Winfield’s autograph in the Tiger Stadium parking lot. 
• In high school, he struck out just once his senior year.
• Derek established a post-season record for hits by a rookie in 1996, with 22.
• During Derek’s first year in the majors, he listened to Mariah Carey CDs as part of his pre-game routine. During his second year, he was dating Mariah. Derek has also been linked to Scarlett Johansson, former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, Jordana Brewster, Vanessa Minnillo, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel and Minka Kelly.

That's some lineup.