OCTOBER
18, 2005 --
No
sooner did the New York Yankees get booted from the 2005 Major
League Baseball post-season, in five games, by the Los Angeles
Angels at Anaheim (LAAA?), the New York City media pounced
-- on the team, generally, at first, and then on Yankeee boss
George
Steinbrenner.
The New York Post, October 11, noted that the "$208M Yanks" did not
deliver and called the team "BRONX BUM$" (capital letters and dollar
sign in original)
over a photo of Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriquez.
New York Times sports columnist Selena Roberts called on Steinbrenner to fire
himself. Her colleague Dave Anderson suggested that Yankee manager Joe Torre
ought to quit to keep his self-respect.
And then the New York City press saw pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre's decision
to quit as evidence of tension between the Yankee boss and the manager. (This
writer recalls seeing an item, a few days earlier, suggesting that Stottlemyre
would like to work closer to his home in the state of Washington.)
LPR was outside Yankee Stadium, October 9, and got some photos of LAAA players,
and also photos of Alex Rodriguez and his Yankee teammates Bernie Williams
and Mariano Rivera.
Rodriguez and Williams acknowledged
fans shouting support from the usual distance.
The photos indicate that the Angels were relaxed and determined as they walked
into Yankee Stadium for the fourth game of the American League division playoff.
Mariano Rivera looked confident in the accompanying photo and he pitched well
in the Yankees' victory that night.
Rodriguez, in a second photo LPR snapped before the October 9 game, looked
concerned -- not relaxed, determined or confident.
An obvious lesson from the early departure of the Yankees from post-season
play is that a team, not money, wins games. (This is a lesson that politicians
might also ponder.)
LPR has no knowledge of difficulties between Steinbrenner and his manager --
recognizing, of course, that reports of such tension might help sell newspapers
The Boston Red Sox, winner of last year's World Series, also left post-play
at the division series level - losing in three games to the Chicago White Sox.
.
The Red Sox did not win one game and LPR is not aware of hints that Sox manager
Terry Francona might lose
his job.
Times sports columnist George Vecsey commented that "the nice thing about
the love story of Boston baseball is that it always comes around again, surviving
the
New England winter."
Columnist Vecsey gently noted that pitchers Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe left
Boston for other teams in 2005. He did not, however, suggest that the Red Sox
might have fared better had Lowe and Martinez stayed with the Red Sox.
Mr. Vecsey, having alluded to "Love Story" by Erich Segal, in his
October 8 column, LPR offers this variation on a phrase from the novel: free
agency means never having to tell fans you're sorry.
It should be also noted that neither Lowe nor Martinez was on a team that reached
this season's playoffs. Further indication that more money will not lead to
a World Series ring?
The sky over Yankee Stadium, October 11 was a gloomy gray. It seemed to LPR
that there were more media people than fans on hand to welcome the Yankees
back from California.
LPR got photos of Robinson Cano, Mike
Mussina -- losing pitcher the night before,
bench coach Joe Girardi and Al Leiter -- the only Yankee to talk with the media.
After the media questioned Leiter about the Yankees' defeat, LPR asked the
pitcher about the 2004 Republican National Convention cap he was wearing.
He said that he got it when he attended the convention as guest of Mayor Bloomberg.
It is not likely he will vote for the mayor, however; he drove away in a car
with New Jersey plates.
LPR wonders how much grayer will be the sky over the Stadium, the day after
the Yankees play their last game in "the House that [Babe] Ruth built"?
Thus far, LPR has seen no media notice that the Yankees have lost in post-season
play since they announced that they will play in a new ballpark.
LPR is, however, prepared to speculate that the Bambino's Curse has moved from
Boston to the Bronx because of the decision to abandon the field where the
Babe played.
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The
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim arrive at Yankee Stadium
on October 9.
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Angels
entering Yankee Stadium on October 9.
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The
fans outside of Yankee Stadium on October 9, waiting
for a glimpse of their favorite players.
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Gray
skies over Yankee Stadium October 11.
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Shana
posing outside of the Yankee Stadium Press Gate, October
11.
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