Aided by comebacks, Yanks on roll
NEW YORK - All it takes is a little winning for a team to show it has a little personality.
Of course, when you are losing, any team would resemble Oscar the Grouch and reside with their head in the trashcan.
So now, we some rather interesting things as whipped cream pies, championship wrestling belts and even kangaroo court.
For the most button down team in sports, this represents an incredible change. Perhaps these guys are actually having some fun out there.
Hey, when you have won nine games in a row (10 of 11 after Saturday’s comeback win against Philadelphia) the way they have lately, you should be having fun. It is not as if you are going to see this stuff when the team is on a streak when they lose four in a row.
At least for now, the Yankees have brought some joy back to the game. Of course, at the end of the day the winning ultimately matters.
AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia and Nick Swisher are all key members of baseball's new "Fun Bunch". You never know what is going to happen next.
For those that may not know, here is how the following breaks down:
A whipped cream pie in the face (started by Burnett) is given by whichever player produces a walk off hit to win a game. Recently award winners include Melky Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon.
The championship belt (started by Johnny Damon) is given to the player who is the MVP of the game. Over the last eight games, there have been many of those.
Kangaroo court (started by several teammates with Xavier Nady tracking all wrongdoing) brings all the minor infractions each player has noticed and brings it to a court of Yankee law. Alex Rodriguez, who was fined for being late to the season, committed the most egregious of all.
A-Rod did not appeal.
It may seem like a bunch of garbage, but for rich millionaires, this helps make the game become what they grew up loving. For too long, it appeared the Yankees gave the impression of businessmen masquerading in baseball uniforms. It would leave them soul-less and short on real emotion.
You sometimes get the impression they were zombies out there.
Whether that had an intangible effect on their ability to go out and play effectively is always for debate. Over time, many teams alluded to the fact that their atmosphere provides an environment easier to play in. The thinking is that a loose clubhouse is a happy clubhouse. Having a happy clubhouse eventually translating into victories night after night.
Whatever works is fine by me. Just get it done.
And the Yankees have been getting it done, to the tune of nine games in a row. It is a stunning turn around. Each night brings a new hero. The starting staff has started to turn around with Sabathia leading the group and the offense has taken off since Alex Rodriguez came back to the lineup.
Ok, so I may have underestimated the team’s ability without A-Rod. If you would have told me that Cody Ransom was going to resemble that of a Single-A player as opposed to a barely serviceable major leaguer, than I would have changed my mind. All of that gifted athletic ability was rendered useless whenever a curveball was thrown in the zone.
Seeing Angel Berroa made me want to cry.
In many ways, the team could not wait for Rodriguez to come back. It is not a coincidence that Mark Teixeira is reflecting the player the Yankees thought they were getting back in December. All it took was for number 13 to return to the lineup.
Suddenly, Teixeira no longer resembles the bum I was calling him two weeks ago. A strikeout looking machine he is not.
All it took was for the $300 million man to take pressure of the $180 million man.
While Swisher may be struggling now after a hot start, most of the lineup has shown a looseness at the plate, and that has allowed to team to come up with key hits in situations with runners in scoring position.
For the Yankees, things are looking up. We can only hope that the rest of the season continues to be as fun as the recent winning has brought us.
It had better not be a pie in the sky.
NEW YORK - All it takes is a little winning for a team to show it has a little personality.
Of course, when you are losing, any team would resemble Oscar the Grouch and reside with their head in the trashcan.
So now, we some rather interesting things as whipped cream pies, championship wrestling belts and even kangaroo court.
For the most button down team in sports, this represents an incredible change. Perhaps these guys are actually having some fun out there.
Hey, when you have won nine games in a row (10 of 11 after Saturday’s comeback win against Philadelphia) the way they have lately, you should be having fun. It is not as if you are going to see this stuff when the team is on a streak when they lose four in a row.
At least for now, the Yankees have brought some joy back to the game. Of course, at the end of the day the winning ultimately matters.
AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia and Nick Swisher are all key members of baseball's new "Fun Bunch". You never know what is going to happen next.
For those that may not know, here is how the following breaks down:
A whipped cream pie in the face (started by Burnett) is given by whichever player produces a walk off hit to win a game. Recently award winners include Melky Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon.
The championship belt (started by Johnny Damon) is given to the player who is the MVP of the game. Over the last eight games, there have been many of those.
Kangaroo court (started by several teammates with Xavier Nady tracking all wrongdoing) brings all the minor infractions each player has noticed and brings it to a court of Yankee law. Alex Rodriguez, who was fined for being late to the season, committed the most egregious of all.
A-Rod did not appeal.
It may seem like a bunch of garbage, but for rich millionaires, this helps make the game become what they grew up loving. For too long, it appeared the Yankees gave the impression of businessmen masquerading in baseball uniforms. It would leave them soul-less and short on real emotion.
You sometimes get the impression they were zombies out there.
Whether that had an intangible effect on their ability to go out and play effectively is always for debate. Over time, many teams alluded to the fact that their atmosphere provides an environment easier to play in. The thinking is that a loose clubhouse is a happy clubhouse. Having a happy clubhouse eventually translating into victories night after night.
Whatever works is fine by me. Just get it done.
And the Yankees have been getting it done, to the tune of nine games in a row. It is a stunning turn around. Each night brings a new hero. The starting staff has started to turn around with Sabathia leading the group and the offense has taken off since Alex Rodriguez came back to the lineup.
Ok, so I may have underestimated the team’s ability without A-Rod. If you would have told me that Cody Ransom was going to resemble that of a Single-A player as opposed to a barely serviceable major leaguer, than I would have changed my mind. All of that gifted athletic ability was rendered useless whenever a curveball was thrown in the zone.
Seeing Angel Berroa made me want to cry.
In many ways, the team could not wait for Rodriguez to come back. It is not a coincidence that Mark Teixeira is reflecting the player the Yankees thought they were getting back in December. All it took was for number 13 to return to the lineup.
Suddenly, Teixeira no longer resembles the bum I was calling him two weeks ago. A strikeout looking machine he is not.
All it took was for the $300 million man to take pressure of the $180 million man.
While Swisher may be struggling now after a hot start, most of the lineup has shown a looseness at the plate, and that has allowed to team to come up with key hits in situations with runners in scoring position.
For the Yankees, things are looking up. We can only hope that the rest of the season continues to be as fun as the recent winning has brought us.
It had better not be a pie in the sky.
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