Bronx & Beans

One final image, All Stars in the Bronx

2008-07-16T20:43:21Z

I have to admit, the 15-inning All Star Game marathon at the House (Almost) That Ruth Built was a classy affair.
The touching introduction of the Hall-of-Famers. The re-emergence of 'The Boss' in baseball's cathedral. Mariano Rivera's stirring jog from the bullpen to the mound.
Truly an avalanche of images that represent class, dignity, tradition and professionalism.
What do they call it? 'The Yankee Way'?
-- Dennehy

Second half predictions

2008-07-16T15:05:52Z

The second half is upon us. Time for some predictions. Sox: 1. Boston will win in the neighborhood of 95 games and take the AL East. They'll wrap it up on the next to last day of the season at Fenway against the Yanks. 2. Justin Masterson will solidify the bullpen with a wicked two-seam fastball and fashionable tilted brim. The move will allow the Sox to use Hideki Okajima in a more situational role. He's held lefties to a .588 OPS this year, but righties are OPS'ing .770. The Sox will likely also trade for another lefty reliever, maybe former farmhand Ron Mahay, but it might not pan out to expectations. But that's OK because down the stretch it's all about matchups, and combustible Craig Hansen will get to show his stuff as a ROOGY (.212 BA allowed). 3. The fifth spot in the rotation might be something of a Merry-Go-Round. A little Clay Buchholz, a little Bartolo Colon, maybe some Pawtucket/Portland call-ups. But that's OK because the Beckett/Dice/Lester/TimKnucks rotation will keep getting it done. 4. David Ortiz might struggle at first, but he'll be his regular clutch self by September. The Sox don't really need to pick up a bat for the stretch run because they have Ortiz coming back. Yanks: 1. The Pinstripers will win just a game or two less than the Bostons, and will be knee-deep in a tight wildcard race with the Rays and Tigers. Meanwhile, the Tigers will be battling the White Sox for the AL Central. Why is this relevant? Because the Rays play the Tigers in the last series of the year (it's in Detroit). I'm betting the WC race is still a three-dog fight on the last game of the year. 2. The Yanks bullpen will stay solid. Here's to You (Mr. Robertson) and Dan Giese will come back to earth a bit, but the JosFarnMo combo should be able to get it done in the late innings. The Yanks could use a lefty, though ... and when are they going to dump LaTroy Hawkins (7.50 road ERA)?? 3. Sidney Ponson will go back to being a beer-swilling trainwreck, Darrel Ranser will continue stinking it up, and the Yanks will pursue a series of stopgap pitching solutions. However, I'm too much of a wily veteran at this to assume the holes in the rotation will keep the Yanks down. If they could do it will Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small in 2005, they can do it with whoever this year. 4. The Yanks will go berserk looking for a bat for the stretch run and will probably end up overpaying for Raul Ibanez. Ultimately, it won't matter. Remember Aaron Guiel? Whittle and Dennehy = cool customers. Fernandez and LaMonica = concerned. --Whittle

FOX sucks!

2008-07-16T03:39:58Z

Are you serious, Fox? Honestly, you were just kidding with that brilliant programming decision, right? I didn't sit through your stupid Red Carpet All-Star parade, and eight innings of Tim McCarver and Joe Buck just to watch you guys drop the ball? The story all day here in New York was who would pitch the ninth inning for the American League. Buck and McCarver talked about it throughout the game, especially in the eighth inning when Papelbon blew a 2-2 tie. So when AL manager Terry Francona fulfilled his good guy image by bringing in Mariano Rivera to replace K-Rod with one out in the ninth, the Stadium crowd erupted. Fans all over New York started pumping their fists as "Enter Sandman" could be heard louder than ever on their televisions. As Rivera did his customary jog from the bullpen toward the mound, he was roughly 30 feet from the infield grass when Fox cut to . . . an Anheuser-Busch commercial. Damn you, InBev! Seriously, how do "the guys in the truck" make that move during what is widely accepted (at least in the tri-state area) as the best entrance in baseball? C'mon, Fox. You should be better than that. You've only been broadcasting sports for who knows how many years. After the investment we all made in the Rivera-Papelbon-Yankees-Red Sox-All-Star game-Yankee Stadium hoopla, we get no payout? We must really be in economic despair when we can't count on smart sports programming by a network that broadcasts the two biggest professional sports leagues. Now we're forced to scour YouTube for poor-quality recordings of his entrance. Thanks a lot, Fox. This is nearly as bad as your NASCAR debacle a few months back.

Gotta love the Bronx!

2008-07-16T03:01:48Z

Here's why you have to love Yankees fans: Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer, just entered the All-Star Game to start the top of the eighth inning, score tied at 2. The fans started booing ASAP. Then came the "Ma-ree-ah-no!" chants. Then came a single by Miguel Tejada. Before the ball even touched the grass in right field, the fans re-booed Paps. After catching their collective breath, fans switch to "Ov-er-rated!" chants. It was as if they flashed it on the scoreboard in case Yankees fans weren't sure which derisive chant to use. Tejada then swiped second base on slow-to-the-plate Paps and took third on Dioner Navarro's woeful throw onto the Grand Concourse. More boos. Tejada scores on a sacrifice fly, AL trailing 3-2 because of Paps. More boos. After a strikeout of David Wright to end the innings, boos rained down on Paps like D batteries on Albert (Joey) Belle. The reason for all this venom toward Paps? Well, it wasn't just the Red Sox uniform. On Monday, Paps suggested he deserved to close the game in Yankee Stadium instead of Mariano Rivera. The New York Daily News fueled the fire with its "Papel-bum" back page headline. Who says newspapers are dead? Paps was a bit, um, upset at that cover.

Steinbrenner will always cast a mighty shadow

2008-07-16T00:36:23Z

The televised pregame ceremonies of an All-Star Game are designed to be sappy and emotional as we celebrate the game's greats from the past and draw the links to today's studs. And with this being the last year of Yankee Stadium, the House That Ruth Built and George Renovated, the tearjerking has been performance-enhanced. Line up all those Hall of Famers on the dirt in the Bronx and play all those clips of baseball past at the Stadium. Nice, no doubt, but not the headlining act. For me, the most emotional moment was George Steinbrenner -- "The Boss" -- being driven to the mound area to hand over the ceremonial baseballs for the first pitch. A metaphorical moment, too. This is George Steinbrenner. Bigger than life. Louder than life. Almost mythical, to some degree. A man who lived by the sign on his desk, "Lead, follow or get out the way." We all know he's not in possession of his full health anymore. No one besides his medical staff and family know the true situation. But on the type of night he cherishes -- big, bold and Bronx in every way -- to witness Steinbrenner not be able to walk on the field under his own power was a mighty sight. For me, born in 1975 (yeah, I'm kinda old), all I've known is Steinbrenner's Yankees. He earned his nickname "The Boss" and honed it over the years. He's been loud, over the top and boisterous. The argument can made that George Steinbrenner is every bit as big a figure as Babe Ruth, albeit in a different way. In the pantheon of New York sports history, Steinbrenner takes a back seat to very few people, if any. No doubt he's done some sketchy things as owner of the Yankees, but he's done so much more good than we'll ever know about. He rarely lets his charitable work go noticed. And as a fan, you couldn't ask for a better owner. In an era where every owner in every sport pinches pennies, Steinbrenner goes after a championship every year. Sure, it doesn't always work, but from a fan's point of view, where you control absolutely nothing about the teams you root for, what else can you possibly ask for from an owner? I met George once after a game. I was on what baseball media folks call "Steinbrenner Watch." Basically, before the game, you stake out the players entrance. After the game, you find where his car is parked and wait out front of that entrance. All the while, you're just hoping he stops to talk or at least throws out an answer to the question you throw out in the air and hope provokes a response. I asked what he felt about Kevin Brown's adventurous battle with a concrete wall in the Yankee Stadium clubhouse. He wasn't too happy. In fact, that was his quote. "I'm not happy." That was Steinbrenner. George, to be precise, as Copy editor friend Henry once told me. "Deferential doesn't work with him. He's just George," Henry told me. Even though he's ceded control to sons Hank and Hal, George is the true face of the Yankees. There will come a time when The Boss is no longer around, and it will be a sad day. With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the All-Star Game in the final year of Yankee Stadium, let's not lose sight of The Boss and his impact on the franchise, the city and the sport.

He's not saying 'Booooo'...

2008-07-16T00:08:32Z

Time and time again, we hear LaMonica complain that the star-studded Bombers don't have any guys like Kevin Youkilis in the lineup. I guess this photo from today's parade explains it!
Apparently, he was able to enjoy today's parade of stars in Manhattan cradled in the arms of Boston's favorite dirt dog.

Bean Dennehy, a Benedict Arnold

2008-07-15T23:11:14Z

It's cute how Bean Dennehy took up the cause for his beloved BoSox and claimed that Papelbon deserves to close instead of Rivera. The only good thing we can say about Paps is that he's smart enough to say that he needs a Pope-mobile for the All-Star parade. OK, that, and that he throws some serious cheese. But as Dennehy took time out of his day to pump up his Beans, he failed to let people know what he was doing before he made it into the Bronx & Beans office. P.S. This was Photoshopped by Bronx-in-training Dwyer. Look for more antics from him as he's expected to get the call-up to the major league blog level some time soon after the All-Star break.

A kinder, gentler rivarly?

2008-07-15T19:21:46Z

Yeah, we know, Terry Francona will end up doing what all New Yorkers assume is "the right thing" tonight. He'll use local favorite Mariano Rivera to close the All-Star Game if the AL has the lead in the ninth.
Red Sox captain Jason Varitek has already said the right thing, suggesting the New York stage calls for Rivera. And even Jonathan Papelbon, who has every right to expect the ball in that situation, retreated from comments that he should handle the ninth.
History. Tradition. Honor. The Yankee way...Give me a break.
I don't question Rivera's greatness, the value of history or even the tradition of the stadium.
But why should any of those be Francona's first concern? This is a chance for Francona to show real faith in one of the guys who delivered him a World Series last year and, presumably, will be closing games for him for seasons to come.
Think of the challenge of closing out a lineup of All Stars, in Yankee Stadium, with a national audience, and everyone in the stadium going bananas, hoping you'll fail? Sounds like a pretty good test for a closer.
And how often do these chances come along? I know that Francona, one of baseball's good guys, doesn't like to make waves. But the Red Sox won the World Series. And for whatever it's worth, that allows them the luxury of calling the shots in the All Star Game. (And, in this case, send a message to their long-time rival - an organization that has long assumed its players are ordained by virtue of their uniform to rise above all others - that this rivalry is no longer one-sided.)
Don't bury Pedroia and Youkilis in the lineup behind Jeter and, ugh, A-Rod. And use your closer as a CLOSER!
If the guys in pinstripes were truly ordained, I guess Joe Torre would be calling the pitching changes tonight.
-- Dennehy

Bobby Abreu should grow a mustache

2008-07-15T15:50:23Z

That's all I'm saying. Whether you're a Yankees or a Red Sox fan...let's think about what's best for the game. -- Fernandez

Mariano vs. Paps: Who should close the All-Star Game?

2008-07-10T15:20:16Z

[Newsday / Kathy Kmonicek (Rivera); Getty Images (Papelbon)] There's a new rivalry within the rivalry brewing for Yankees and Red Sox fans. Who should pitch the ninth inning of the All-Star Game for the American League this year at Yankee Stadium? Yankees fans, of course, will say Mariano Rivera deserves it more, seeing how it's in his team's stadium and he's nearing the twilight of his career. And because he wears the pinstripes. Red Sox fans, of course, will say Jonathan Papelbon deserves it more, seeing how he's the new young stud in the playground and his team's manager, Terry Francona, is in charge this year after the Sox won the World Series in 2007. And he's got a "B" on his cap. It's an extremely interesting debate, with intriguing angles based on statistics, history, the calendar and the media. The statistics angle (through games on 7/9/08) Rivera: 4-3, 1.06 ERA, 23-for-23 in saves, 42.1 IP, 23 hits, 4 BB, 50 K Has allowed runs in 5 of 38 appearances. Papelbon: 3-3, 2.27 ERA, 27-for-31 in saves, 39.2 IP, 29 hits, 7 BB, 50 K Has allowed runs in 11 of 40 appearances. Edge: Rivera. The history angle This is the last year of Yankee Stadium, baseball's first true cathedral, which just so happens to be the main reason the All-Star Game is even in the Bronx this year. It's almost unfair to let anyone else pitch the ninth inning. Whether the AL is winning in the top of the ninth or getting blown out, fans at the Stadium and watching on television will stick around to watch the Sandman enter in his home stadium in his customary position. Surely, Francona can appreciate that. Even if the game is tied in the ninth, the home team manager almost always goes to his closer then, so Rivera or Papelbon would likely pitch this inning since there would never be a save opportunity. Some say Rivera starting the All-Star game would be a bigger deferential move by Francona. It would certainly alleviate his ninth inning woes. I say it's a cheap way out. Rivera belongs on the mound in the ninth inning (sometimes the eighth, too, but not in an All-Star Game). Edge: Rivera. The calendar angle Wednesday is the most boring sports day of the year, which leads us to . . . . . . The media angle With absolutely nothing else to talk or write about on Wednesday morning, do you really think the New York media will let Francona get away with Papelbon pitching the ninth inning instead of Rivera? Can anyone imagine Mike and the Mad Dog, Boomer and Carton, or Benigno and Roberts not going to town on Francona if that happens? ("I'm no Yankee fan, I think we all know that, but that's a bad job by Francona. I gotta kill him for it.") And that will turn this into a national story as everyone newspaper columnist, sports blogger, sports talk radio host, sports talk radio callers and TV personality weighs in on the topic. It's what we do best in the media: overkill! Francona is in a tight spot here. If he goes with Paps, the New York media will blow it way out of proportion and the fans will never let him forget it when he comes to the Bronx, no matter how many times he's praised Jeter and Torre in the past. If he goes with Rivera, he has to deal with the Boston media saying he didn't go with his own guy and that he's an appeaser. Plus, he has to live with Papelbon and the other 24 players on his team the rest of the season. And with the way this Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has been on steroids since 2003, no matter what Francona does on July 15 in the Bronx, there's no way anyone would let him forget it when the two teams end the season in Boston from Sept. 26-28. Not to mention if they meet again in October. Edge: Every other manager in baseball. - La Monica Vote: Who should close the All-Star for the AL?

Sox destroy Twins; Yankees eek by Rays

2008-07-09T22:07:46Z

While LaMonica was playing in the sand and Fernandez was watching The Godfather for the 85th time, the Sox just finished a sweep of a very capable Minnesota club. Meanwhile, the Yankees edged the Rays and finished a two-game mini-sweep with help from Bobby Abreu's heroics. Maybe, just maybe, the Yankees are turning a corner. They've won four straight against two good teams and are back up to seven games over .500, their highwater mark for the year. Hal is psyched. It's gonna be a fun second half. --Whittle

The Jason Giambi Sand 'Stache

2008-07-09T16:56:20Z

In addition to hammering Beans Whittle and Dennehy here on Bronx & Beans, I also host a weekly show about things to do on Long Island called ExploreTV. During the July 3 taping of this week's show, it appears I got into some kind of mustache matrix. See, it was a sand castle competition in Montauk, I was up against some serious competition and Jason Giambi had six RBIs the night before. I think you know where I'm going with this. Yep, I carved out the world's first Jason Giambi Sand 'Stache. Below is the raw footage of my explanation to the judging panel, along with a few shots of my work. It's quite historic. (If you want to watch the show in its 5-minute entirety, click here.) Just keep that in mind this afternoon when the first 20,000 fans at Yankee Stadium "Support the 'Stache."

You want some more Paps?

2008-07-08T17:29:23Z

Yeah, Punchy Gardner really tattooed that one. I'm sure Papelbon dreads the idea of facing THAT guy for the next decade. And with the hit, the phenom bumped his on-base percentage to .208. Not bad for a leadoff guy!
As for Papelbon, he'll get another shot in Yankee Stadium soon enough. He'll be the logical choice for AL manager Terry Francona to close out the All Star Game in the Bronx.
Because, no, Francona is NOT obligated to use Yankees closer Mariano Rivera for this "historic" game. The All Star Game isn't about good will anymore - these days it counts, right? And, sure, Rivera's still a dominant closer (87 saves the last 3 seasons, to Papelbon's 98). But Mo's had his time. And who would you rather close a postseason game right now?
To the victors go the spoils, Tito. Close the game with Papelbon on the mound, Varitek behind the plate. (Well, at least Papelbon deserves it). Will the Yankees have a problem with that? Well, win the World Series.
In the meantime, the Yanks need to get to work on the Rays tonight. Most Sox fans will be rooting for them. They might be the most expensive group of spoilers ever assembled.
---Dennehy

Welcome to the rivalry, Brett

2008-07-08T12:44:55Z

And with a funky little 27-hopper Sunday night off "Paps" (as my New England friends Whittlebon and Dennehy say), Brett Gardner pulled a Michael Corleone and got mixed up in the family business. With two outs in the 10th inning and the score tied at 4, Gardner got just enough of the eighth pitch he saw from Jonathan "Sollozzo" Papelbon and as the ball bounced off a diving Alex "McCluskey" Cora, the Yankees picked up the 5-4 win against the Sawx. Welcome to the rivalry, Brett. Let's just hope now the Yankees don't send him away (minor leagues, trade, Sicily) for a year until things cool down. As Gardner injects life into this ball club, I hope they don't package him in a deal for a 37-year-old, fading righthanded National League reliever. It's good to see a Yankee rookie get the game-winner. In fact, it's good to see any Yankee get a game-winner. Finally, someone stepping up. And if the Yankees do decide to make a trade for a pitcher. How about this: He's having a down year, makes a lot of money, his team is in last place and even though he didn't pitch lights out against the Yankees, he had good stuff.........Roy Oswalt. All he needs is a change of location. He's got Reggie's number. Tellin' ya, it's meant to be. -- Fernandez

Make Whittle's head bobble

2008-07-07T18:22:37Z

Bean Whittle has been getting a bit uppity with his Red Sox fervor/Yankees hatred around the Bronx & Beans office lately. So it's time to check him. Sorry, Bean Whittle, but what's right is right. Click the pic and make Bean Whittle's head bobble to the hip-hop remix of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," compliments of XMbaseball.com.