On the Yankees beat

What is it with the ESPN camera love-in of Big Papi? After he clobbed Villone's pitch, viewers were treated to the jog from third to home to the dugout to hugs and kisses. The camera kept us informed of every move he made whether it be on the bench or wiping his face...then the replay from every other camera.

How about Giambi's 10th inning homer? Or Posada's? Hah.

What is it with these networks -- starting these games after 8?

What is it about these two teams? They are built with a core of quality players. Boston in their cost cutting keep it under control (120 mil) is showing signs of weakness. They are getting a look at the results when worrying about the return by not spending to improve at the trading deadline. They both have the true desire to win and are loved by their fans. As prize fighters square off in the ring with their loyal supporting fans, they know no quit. But some fighters have a little better management team who assist their fighter with their resources to win.

No matter what happens from here, last night was the pinnacle for a Yankee loving Red Sox hating kinda guy! Watching Schilling have to watch his W disappear after all his struggle, to see the "NEW MARIANO" give up the save and beat up the clubhouse after he realized he had just celebrated the last out, yet given up the game, watching Terry Francona leave his lumbering slugger on second AND BUNT, to see him bring in his other Javy Lopez before Papelbon and know the media was going to give him the Grady Little torture this morning AND to see Mo snake out of trouble AND get Ortiz to end the affair, was unrelenting Yankee fan bliss! I am exhausted today yet smiling from ear to ear. Oh and to listen to Theo Epstein's dumb justifications before the game. Cash is also planning for the future and not mortgaging our young arms and just making some of the best baseball moves a guy can make while Theo is prancing around Boston preening himself for some other career move and sucking up to super models. Why didn't he try to get Roy Halladay or Johan Santana at the deadline when a second tier starter would have been enough as would a lefty out of the pen for god sake.

It is not "teams." It is the Yankees and their desire and tradition. We keep hearing about how the Red Sox pennant drive has been severely disabled by the injury to Veritek. Nobody cried for us when Matsui, Sheff, Cano, and the countless pitchers went on the D\L. The 2006 Yankees played through all these obstacles. Sure, "The Boss" helped with the money to get Abreu, but that wasn't till the end of July. For 2 months prior to that we were fielding a patch work lineup full of AAA players. The Yanks could have folded then, just as they could have folded last night when Ortiz got that bad hop double, or Posada had that pitch get through him. But the core players on this team refuse to quit, or allow those around them to quit. Their is still a lot of baseball yet to be played, but the 2006 Yankees already have shown their "mettle."

HOW CAN A PRO MANAGER NOT PINCH RUN FOR ORTIZ WITH NOONE OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH AT FENWAY? A SINGLE WINS THE GAME! YOU HAVE TO PLAY FOR THE WIN ESPECIALLY WITH THAT BULLPEN. THE BUNT MOVES UP 2 RUNNERS AND A SOFT FLY BALL PUTS THE GAME IN THE BOOKS! HE SHOULD BE DRAWN AND QUARTERED.