Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Missed This One

Day games during the week aren’t doable for me – especially not when I’m in promotion mode for my new book – so I didn’t get to watch CC being CC and all the other heroics. Sounds like it was a fun game though with very few, if any, nervous moments. Well, there was Chavez’s brain cramp – I can’t blame these guys for forgetting how many outs there are or even what city they’re in, not when it’s such a long season – but fortunately everybody had a laugh about it.

I do wonder if A-Rod will end up being a May-Not-Help-Us-In-The-Postseason player, like Tex and Gardner (yes, Brett can pinch run, but I don’t get using him for defensive purposes). Doesn’t it seem as if Alex is always hurt or coming back from being hurt or trying to find his old swing? He didn’t foul that ball off his foot on purpose, obviously, but it’s always something nowadays. I do wish he could string together a stretch of innings where he gives us some pop in the lineup.

And now four games in Toronto. The Rogers Centre isn’t as claustrophobic as the Trop, but turf is turf. Ugh.

 

Eric Chavez Is Hot

Photo: Michael Zagaris/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Yes, this is a girly post. Deal with it.

I have a crush on Chavez and I can’t help it. (I still love Mo the best, and that’s a whole different matter.) I think “Chavy” looks much better without the facial hair but I did get a chuckle out of this old pic of him in a hot tub.

Anyhow, he’s been tremendous for the Yankees and today was no exception. Tex hit an absolute bomb to tie the game, but it was Chavez’s bomb that put us ahead for good.

I didn’t watch the whole finale against the Tigers – I think it was the sixth when I turned on the TV – so I only saw the replays of the controversy that sent Girardi into a tizzy. I can see why he would want to play the game under protest, but we all know those protests hardly ever amount to anything except showing the players that managers support them and their efforts.

Overall, it looked like the Yankees were on the bad end of a lot of calls – foul balls, close plays at bases, strike zone – but they won. Soriano made it an adventure but he came back strong to get the job done. Kuroda was his usual efficient self and what I’ve come to admire about him is his consistency. He gives us innings and rarely gives up a lot of runs. What more can you ask for?

So. We split the series against a team that had been on fire. I feel better about things.

P.S. Here’s a funny link to Girardi’s tizzy. http://bit.ly/NOyBHY

 

 

The Slide Is Getting Ever More Slippery

 

Remember when the Yankees had a huge lead in the division? Me too. It was bound to shrink over the course of the season, but I don’t like the way things are going right now. It’s one thing to get beaten by Verlander. Porcello is another story. He was vulnerable and yet the Yanks couldn’t break through against him. What’s more, Hughes….Well, what’s the point. He makes progress, then he regresses. I can only shrug my shoulders. I think the offense misses A-Rod. No, he wasn’t hitting with power like he used to, but he was getting on base and represented a presence in the lineup that made pitchers uncomfortable. Playing the Tigers feels like the ALDS all over again.

Fortunately, Chavez has a pulse. He’s been so terrific. He even figured into the play that actually made me laugh during that abysmal loss tonight. In case anyone missed it, go on Deadspin. I wouldn’t have laughed if Eppley had been hurt, obviously, but it was funny!

 

CC Looms Large

Photo: AP/Kathy Willens

 

I laughed when Girardi went out to the mound in the ninth. Supposedly, the skipper wanted to give his ace a “pep talk,” but more likely he wanted to be talked out of pulling him in favor of Soriano. CC stared him down and stayed in to finish up, and the Yankees beat the Mariners is a tidy game. Our ace was truly ace-like. In the early going, I really thought he might throw a no-hitter; he was that dominant.

Other things I loved about the win:

  • Jeter’s hustle on a comebacker that resulted in a double.
  • Tex’s free swinging, which suggested that his wrist is fine.
  • Martin not only catching CC for the first time this season but getting his hits too.
  • Chavez’s fan-aided homer.

Here’s what I didn’t love:

  • Chavez’s “stiff” leg/foot/something.

Nothing against Jayson Nix and our newly acquired Casey McGehee, but Chavez has played a brilliant third base and I’d hate to lose him to an injury. Hate.

I’ll end on a happy note. The Yanks are back to winning. Yay.

 

What A Cliffhanger!

My God, that game was nerve wracking. I was blacked out by FOX as usual, so I listened to John and Suzyn, who made things even more tense. John kept saying, “It is high, it is far, it is….caught” whenever the Yankees would go long but not long enough, and then he’d say, “It’s a fly ball deep to…it’s gone” whenever we did go long enough. It made me nuts.

It looked like Nova wouldn’t get any run support at all – I’m sorry but the RISP thing is a problem, no matter what Girardi says – until Ibanez came to our rescue and Chavez put us ahead. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we have a fabulous bench this year.

Errors by Jeter and A-Rod? What was that about?

I honestly don’t know if I can take a full season of Robertson’s Houdini shtick. He either walks people or strikes them out, and he needs to stop it.

Nice job by Rapada, Logan and Soriano to hold the Mets down and help break the losing streak. I feel a lot better about heading into tomorrow night against Dickey. At least we won’t get swept.

Hughes Fizzled In Summer Heat

Hm. What to make of Phil’s start today. He did a scary impersonation of the early-season Hughes by giving up all those homers and not going deep into the game. Yes, it was hot and yes, the Braves starter gave up the long ball too (Jeter!) and, yes, it’s only natural for pitchers to have bad outings.

Still, I hope we’re not seeing a setback in his development, just a minor blip. His body language was so negative though; he looked deeply discouraged – or maybe he was just hot, as I said.

The bullpen didn’t help and they’ve been great, so I think I’ll just write this loss off to….a crappy game.

The important thing is for Tex’s foot to feel better so he’s back for Round Two of the Subway Series. On the other hand, I love Chavez and am always happy when he gets in the lineup. I mean how lucky are we that our bench includes a guy like him?

Al Bello/Getty Images

Happy NOT Birthday To Me

Michael and I aren’t celebrating my birthday until Saturday night, so I was home tonight and saw most of the game. Losing the series to the O’s? Seriously? Where do I start with this rant?

With Chavez, I guess. It’s my fault he got hurt. I actually said, earlier in the day, “I’m so glad Chavez has been able to stay healthy.” Jinx. That’s what I am. I was upset when he had to leave the game because he’s been one of our best players lately and because our guys are dropping like flies.

Then there’s Nova. He wasn’t very Nova-esque.

But mostly I’m worried about the offense – or lack thereof. I know I’ve been saying, “They’ll come around. Everything’s fine.” And I do believe it’ll come around/be fine. But ever since that game in Texas when the hot bats were cooled off, there’s been a drought of runs, no matter who the opposing pitcher is.

Are they all in a stupor because the weather’s been cold? If so, how come the other team isn’t too cold to hit the ball?

Are they all suffering the creakiness of old age? I wouldn’t call Cano or Tex “old,” would you?

I never thought I’d see the day when not having Swisher’s bat in the lineup would make or break this team, but at the moment he’s sorely missed. Gardner too.

Slow starts are okay if a team gets hot eventually and goes on a tear, but slow starts put you in a big hole really fast. If I were the Yankees, I’d do everything humanly possible to take the series in KC.

 

 

Eduardo Scissorhands Didn't Make An Error!

Photo: Jim McIssac/Getty Images

I couldn’t resist. Sorry.

The truth is Nunez handled his outfield duties without incident, and I have to give him props for that…for now. I’d just really like to have both Gardner and Swisher back out there.

Meanwhile, the Yankees played a crisp game tonight against the red-hot O’s with a heartening performance by Kuroda, saving the bullpen. I only watched the game intermittently (I’ve got a work deadline this week, so my observations will be spotty), but I did see that great play at the plate with Martin flipping to Kuroda. (I have no evidence to back this up, but I think pitchers from the NL have better defensive skills than those in the AL.)

I love that Chavez is doing well in his limited role, and am so glad Cashman brought him back for the bench/DH role.

What else? Tell me what I missed….

 

 

Eduardo Scissorhands Didn’t Make An Error!

Photo: Jim McIssac/Getty Images

I couldn’t resist. Sorry.

The truth is Nunez handled his outfield duties without incident, and I have to give him props for that…for now. I’d just really like to have both Gardner and Swisher back out there.

Meanwhile, the Yankees played a crisp game tonight against the red-hot O’s with a heartening performance by Kuroda, saving the bullpen. I only watched the game intermittently (I’ve got a work deadline this week, so my observations will be spotty), but I did see that great play at the plate with Martin flipping to Kuroda. (I have no evidence to back this up, but I think pitchers from the NL have better defensive skills than those in the AL.)

I love that Chavez is doing well in his limited role, and am so glad Cashman brought him back for the bench/DH role.

What else? Tell me what I missed….

 

 

Having My Cake And Eating It

When I heard that the Yankees were deciding whether to sign Raul Ibanez or Eric Chavez, I wanted Chavez. When I heard that they had picked Ibanez, I was bummed. But when I heard they had also brought back Chavez, I was thrilled.

Now, considering that a surgically repaired Andruw Jones is also on the roster, we’re stocked with veterans that can DH and play defense if necessary. I like how things have fallen into place. (I’ve decided not to even think about the Mo thing – for now anyway.) On paper, the Yankees look ready to compete big time.

"Fat Camp?"

I meant to write about the following item the other day when I saw it on LoHud:

Cashman confirmed a report that Hughes is once again working with Athletes Performance to improve his conditioning this offseason. It was Hughes’ idea, not the Yankees, but the team is happy about it. “I think physical conditioning got him out of the gate slow when he showed up to spring training, but I don’t think it had anything to do with his season,” Cashman said. “We got him in shape. Him, Joba, we have a few guys on a yearly basis that we put into fat camp. I think (Hughes) was eight pounds over when he showed up for spring training, but we knocked it out, and he took care of it with the extra work in the spring.

Fat camp? Seriously, Brian? That’s what you call it when Hughes and Joba and other guys need to shed a few pounds? Does Allison Sweeney show up to host? Is there an audience? Are there weigh-ins? I’m thinking this is a YES reality show waiting to happen.

In other news, I was happy to read that Eric Chavez wants to keep playing. Yes, he gets injured a lot, but he’s no Nick Johnson. He actually plays, and when he does it usually goes well. I felt very comfortable having him sub for A-Rod at third. He can hit too.

And finally, Francona said today he doesn’t want to manage in 2012. Is that a face saver in case he gets passed over for any openings he interviews for? Or does he really want to take a breather? Apparently, he’s been contacted by FOX, ESPN and MLBN about booth duty. Judging by his FOX performance during the ALCS, Vin Scully has nothing to worry about.

“Fat Camp?”

I meant to write about the following item the other day when I saw it on LoHud:

Cashman confirmed a report that Hughes is once again working with Athletes Performance to improve his conditioning this offseason. It was Hughes’ idea, not the Yankees, but the team is happy about it. “I think physical conditioning got him out of the gate slow when he showed up to spring training, but I don’t think it had anything to do with his season,” Cashman said. “We got him in shape. Him, Joba, we have a few guys on a yearly basis that we put into fat camp. I think (Hughes) was eight pounds over when he showed up for spring training, but we knocked it out, and he took care of it with the extra work in the spring.

Fat camp? Seriously, Brian? That’s what you call it when Hughes and Joba and other guys need to shed a few pounds? Does Allison Sweeney show up to host? Is there an audience? Are there weigh-ins? I’m thinking this is a YES reality show waiting to happen.

In other news, I was happy to read that Eric Chavez wants to keep playing. Yes, he gets injured a lot, but he’s no Nick Johnson. He actually plays, and when he does it usually goes well. I felt very comfortable having him sub for A-Rod at third. He can hit too.

And finally, Francona said today he doesn’t want to manage in 2012. Is that a face saver in case he gets passed over for any openings he interviews for? Or does he really want to take a breather? Apparently, he’s been contacted by FOX, ESPN and MLBN about booth duty. Judging by his FOX performance during the ALCS, Vin Scully has nothing to worry about.

A Necessary Beat-Up

I almost felt sorry for the Mariners tonight. Losing 16 games in a row can’t be fun. Even Ichiro looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Photo: Getty Images

Nothing against Jeter’s triple, but ‘Ro did not play that ball well and I had the feeling he just wanted to say, “Whatever.”

So yes, I almost had sympathy for the Mariners. Almost.

Mostly, I was glad that the Yankees beat a team they needed to beat. And they did it with another impressive performance by Garcia, nice relief work by Logan and Garrison (welcome to the bigs, kid), homers by Tex and Jeter and a barrage of hits from others – including everybody’s favorite player, Nunie. I got my 10 runs and was a happy camper.

It looks like Eric Chavez is back with the team. Can we all clasp hands and form a prayer circle so that he stays healthy for more than an hour?

Photo: AP

And Soriano is due back any minute. I know people are down on him, but it wouldn’t hurt our pen to have someone other than Robertson/Ayala/Logan/Wade. If he pitches effectively, we’ll be in much better shape down the stretch. I just hope there’s no drama with the guy this time around.

(courtesy: dailynews.com)

Ugh. Just Ugh.

I could only listen to the game on my MLB At Bat app for the first five innings, since I was stuck doing this.

Apparently, I didn’t miss much. CC was outdueled by Shields and our mini-comeback, which I did get home in time to see, didn’t go far enough….against Kyle Farnsworth? Really? That’s so sad!

I realize that Shields is having a great season, but our offense was totally anemic, particularly without Granderson for the whole game (never mind A-Rod). I look forward to having Eric Chavez re-joining the team. Rafael Soriano? Not so much.

John and Suzyn were talking to the Daily News’ Mark Feinsand about the likelihood of Robertson holding on to the 8th inning spot when Soriano comes back. If Soriano had trouble wrapping his head around going from closer to set-up man, how will he handle being demoted to a 7th inning guy? And if Girardi does hand Soriano the 8th inning job again, what will that do to Robertson’s morale?

The Yankees might need a good shrink going forward.

Photo: AP

I’m Baaaack

Well, not “back” as in: “all the way back.” But I got home from the hospital this afternoon and was able to watch tonight’s Yankees-Rangers game. Was it a coincidence that I was watching and we won? Or did I exert some sort of super power over our boys? I guess we’ll find out if we win Game 2 in this series tomorrow night. What I do know is that Nova was fantastic, Granderson is a home run machine and Jeter may be advancing in age but he can field his position with the best of them. Oh, and Mo is still a god.

The other piece of good news is that Chavez doesn’t have a newly broken toe and will be playing again sooner rather than later. Yay.

And finally I wanted to say thanks to all of you who wished me well and took the time to comment in my absence. Much appreciated. Seriously. You guys are the best. I’m probably not up to blogging full time yet, but this is a start anyway.

xxoo

I'm Baaaack

Well, not “back” as in: “all the way back.” But I got home from the hospital this afternoon and was able to watch tonight’s Yankees-Rangers game. Was it a coincidence that I was watching and we won? Or did I exert some sort of super power over our boys? I guess we’ll find out if we win Game 2 in this series tomorrow night. What I do know is that Nova was fantastic, Granderson is a home run machine and Jeter may be advancing in age but he can field his position with the best of them. Oh, and Mo is still a god.

The other piece of good news is that Chavez doesn’t have a newly broken toe and will be playing again sooner rather than later. Yay.

And finally I wanted to say thanks to all of you who wished me well and took the time to comment in my absence. Much appreciated. Seriously. You guys are the best. I’m probably not up to blogging full time yet, but this is a start anyway.

xxoo

Robbie has a sore paw

(courtesy: dog-paw-print.com)

The Yankees cruised to victory over the Jays this afternoon, thanks to effective pitching by Nova into the seventh inning, nice relief jobs by Robertson, Logan, Soriano and Mo (10th save – wow), and a timely shot by Granderson.

One thing did bother me though: Gardner was picked off again. Is he getting bad jumps? Running on bad pitches/counts? What? We all know he’s fast, so what’s up with the failed steal attempts?

More alarming, of course, was seeing Chavez pinch hit for Cano in the bottom of the eighth. I said out loud, to no one in particular, “Please don’t let Robbie be hurt. He’s been our best, most consistent hitter this season.” Luckily, the injury (“bruised pad” – it does sound like he’s a dog, right?) doesn’t seem to be serious. Still, I’m sure he’ll be rested for at least a day or two, which means that the others will have to step up.

Speaking of stepping up, that’s what you guys will have to do for awhile. As of tomorrow, Monday, I’ll be on medical leave from this blog. I’m having surgery (don’t panic – I intend to survive) and will be in the hospital for a few days, then at  home recuperating. I may not be up to writing posts for awhile, so what I’d love is for you guys to leave comments for each other about whatever’s going on in Yankeeville. It’ll be fun for me to read your dialogue, so don’t stop while I’m away. Just promise you’ll take good care of the Yanks in my absence, okay?

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About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.