Well, here we go. Took half a day off work to come home and watch the game on television.
I'm as excited as anyone about the new season. Even when the Devil Rays end up dead last... (did I say even when?) it's fun. I don't think you can beat the opening day feeling in any other sport. Knowing the marathon is ahead of you. Frustration, exhiliration, walk offs, strike outs, double plays. It's awesome. Even my losing baseball team last year came away winners 61 times. Not good at all for a baseball team, I know, but that's two months of winning days. You don't get that in any other sport.
Yankee Stadium, it is a great place to start. You might as well get your opening day jitters out of the way now. Kazmir is a great pitcher, but he needs a veteran to watch on opening day. Last year, in Baltimore, you could tell he was just too amped up for the day. You get the same feeling here, watching Kaz go 53 pitches in two innings. I mean, he walked Josh Phelps! In this lineup, Josh Phelps is like the pitcher...you gotta at least put him away.
In the 4th, he just walks Phelps again!
Do I dare get my hopes up? 3 runs in the top of the fifth. This is where the speed of the Rays goes up against the age of the Yankees. The age and experience the Yankees bring is unmistakable. They are fully confident of winning. Even giving up the lead, nobody is sweating. The Rays however, have scored two runs by sending runners. On other teams those runners may still be at third base.
Say what you will about the mouth of Elijah Dukes last year. He can definitely shut up naysayers with a home run like that. Now four runs in the inning. Not bad.
Kazmir has a 1-2-3 quick 5th. If it wasn't the Yankees, I might be slightly relaxing.
6th inning...that's why I don't relax. Kaz breaks down a little after 100 pitches and the Yankees have tied it up. Now it's a three inning game.
Well, that's the game. Yankees win, but not a bad showing by the Devil Rays. Of course good showings don't get you very far :)
Impressed with Elijah Dukes, good hitting and carries himself well. BJ Upton good speed and good hitting. He did misplay a ball in the 8th, but still a good day. Crawford...the usual Kazmir could have been sharper definitely and the game definitely would have swung a different way. Mariano Rivera....DANG! Yipes.
I think the Devil Rays have a lot of great potential. They played a good tough game. I guess experience won out. The Yankees outgunned and outlasted us. Hats off to them.
Not impressed with Pavano. Remember when he was so great in 2004 which led to a Yankee signing. We beat him then and he doesn't look that great now. Not impressed with Navarro and Zobrist. Each of these guys had two opportunities to bunt runners over and passed on them. Navarro replaced a sacrifice bunt with two double plays. Really nice.
