
The last thing I wanted to see in tonight’s first inning was Jeter getting drilled. Not that it won’t happen periodically throughout the season. He does lean in and pitchers pitch in, so it’s not unusual for his hand/wrist/arm to be vulnerable. I just figured it wouldn’t be in the season opener in Houston. But there were other reasons to hide my eyes.
CC’s early innings were ugly. The defense went awry behind him. Nobody looked good at the plate, except (surprisingly) Teixeira. By contrast, Houston – this was the Astros we were playing, right? – looked like World Series champions and it was a little like David kicking Goliath around. But that’s baseball. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. I kept thinking….maybe this game is an April Fool’s joke or maybe the Yankees are still in spring training mode. And then I reminded myself it’s a loooong season and they won’t win every game.
Earlier in the day came the news that the Yanks had DFA-ed Nunez. Startling, considering how much they’d relied on him the past couple of years. It was shocking enough that he didn’t make the cut for opening day, but to literally cut him loose? I didn’t see that one coming and I’m sure he didn’t either. But they did give him chances to claim the shortstop job and he never did. I hope he makes it elsewhere.
On to the next….and the next. Let’s go Yankees.