Two crazy, sleep-deprived days defined my Friday and Saturday. I'm not in California, so most of my Sunday was spent playing catch-up.
The Yankees resume their series against the Angels ahead two games to none. CC Sabathia took over the game, and the town, Friday night, while Jerry Hairston made his first postseason game a memorable one to end Saturday's marathon. And with Sabathia named the Yankees' official starter for Game 4, the team will be in position for a shocking sweep if Andy Pettitte outduels Jered Weaver this afternoon.
It takes four to win a series and the Yankees have won two, but if you're not a believer in karma, the Yankees have been great sellers. They've gotten it done every which way, and everyone has bought into the philosophy of winning.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Whew!
Nothing like an insane amount of activity to keep me from blogging. Well, not exactly. I've been feeding the YES Blog with enough material to supply an encyclopedia. To sum up, the Yankees swept the Twins in three games to reach their first League Championship Series in 2004.
I remember '04 and flying two and from New York and Boston. At Fenway Park I was three Mariano Rivera outs from covering a World Series and making travel arrangements to St. Louis. No need to rehash the few things that happened to squash those plans.
I'm not traveling this year - though a Philadelphia excursion remains a slight possibility - but there's been plenty of action. Game 1 was the start of Alex Rodriguez's rebirth. People won't leave him alone until he continues to scorch opposing pitching en route to his first World Series ring, but the Yankees may not win that series at all if not for A-Rod.
A-Rod played hero again in Game 2, as did Mark Teixeira when his walk-off home run ended one of the greatest postseason games I've ever witnessed. Alas, Teixeira's heroics aren't possible if not for David Robertson's yeoman effort in the top of the 11th. The kid earned his stars and stripes that night, believe me.
It's been a couple of days of quiet since the Yankees sealed Game 3 and learned that the Angels, their longtime nemesis, stand in the way of their first World Series since 2003. We'll find out more when the team works out Wednesday and Thursday, but Joe Girardi is leaning towards starting CC Sabathia in Games 1, 4 and if necessary 7. He'll also have to decide on a roster and whether to stick with three catchers and/or replace Damaso Marte (horrendous in Game 2) with Brian Bruney or Freddy Guzman.
I'm still covering MMA. Days before Benson Henderson put on one of 2009's top individual performances by defeating Donald Cerrone, he spoke with me about how he became "Smooth" and how he manages his hair. Ryan Bader also returns to the Octagon October 24 when he faces Eric Schafer at UFC 104. In a Q&A done for FightMagazine.com, Bader talks about his love for guns, Bader TV and a bright future for Kimbo Slice.
Yesterday I interviewed Frankie Edgar for my first feature for TapouT Magazine. "The Answer" is a moniker that is wholly appropriate for one of the UFC's rising lightweights, one despite his impressive roll call of wins is still evolving and still waiting in line for a title shot. Provided he gets past Kurt Pellegrino December 5 at the TUF 10 Finale, from my view he deserves a crack at the winner of the B.J. Penn-Diego Sanchez lightweight title fight one week later at UFC 107.
Matt Hamill and Jon Jones will officially headline the TUF 10 card. There are a lot of fights I cannot wait to see - Lesnar v. Carwin & Penn v. Sanchez are two of them - but this one is going to be great. I've done interviews with both "The Hammer" and "Bones," and their respective camps. This is far and away Jones' toughest challenge, and a bout that Hamill needs to win badly. Jones is 22 years old and if it won't be the end of the world if he loses. Hamill, however, is 33 and the clock on his chances at a light-heavyweight title shot will freeze if he ends up on the short end of this one.
I'm told, by the way, that "Hamill: The Movie" is in its last week of shooting.
I remember '04 and flying two and from New York and Boston. At Fenway Park I was three Mariano Rivera outs from covering a World Series and making travel arrangements to St. Louis. No need to rehash the few things that happened to squash those plans.
I'm not traveling this year - though a Philadelphia excursion remains a slight possibility - but there's been plenty of action. Game 1 was the start of Alex Rodriguez's rebirth. People won't leave him alone until he continues to scorch opposing pitching en route to his first World Series ring, but the Yankees may not win that series at all if not for A-Rod.
A-Rod played hero again in Game 2, as did Mark Teixeira when his walk-off home run ended one of the greatest postseason games I've ever witnessed. Alas, Teixeira's heroics aren't possible if not for David Robertson's yeoman effort in the top of the 11th. The kid earned his stars and stripes that night, believe me.
It's been a couple of days of quiet since the Yankees sealed Game 3 and learned that the Angels, their longtime nemesis, stand in the way of their first World Series since 2003. We'll find out more when the team works out Wednesday and Thursday, but Joe Girardi is leaning towards starting CC Sabathia in Games 1, 4 and if necessary 7. He'll also have to decide on a roster and whether to stick with three catchers and/or replace Damaso Marte (horrendous in Game 2) with Brian Bruney or Freddy Guzman.
I'm still covering MMA. Days before Benson Henderson put on one of 2009's top individual performances by defeating Donald Cerrone, he spoke with me about how he became "Smooth" and how he manages his hair. Ryan Bader also returns to the Octagon October 24 when he faces Eric Schafer at UFC 104. In a Q&A done for FightMagazine.com, Bader talks about his love for guns, Bader TV and a bright future for Kimbo Slice.
Yesterday I interviewed Frankie Edgar for my first feature for TapouT Magazine. "The Answer" is a moniker that is wholly appropriate for one of the UFC's rising lightweights, one despite his impressive roll call of wins is still evolving and still waiting in line for a title shot. Provided he gets past Kurt Pellegrino December 5 at the TUF 10 Finale, from my view he deserves a crack at the winner of the B.J. Penn-Diego Sanchez lightweight title fight one week later at UFC 107.
Matt Hamill and Jon Jones will officially headline the TUF 10 card. There are a lot of fights I cannot wait to see - Lesnar v. Carwin & Penn v. Sanchez are two of them - but this one is going to be great. I've done interviews with both "The Hammer" and "Bones," and their respective camps. This is far and away Jones' toughest challenge, and a bout that Hamill needs to win badly. Jones is 22 years old and if it won't be the end of the world if he loses. Hamill, however, is 33 and the clock on his chances at a light-heavyweight title shot will freeze if he ends up on the short end of this one.
I'm told, by the way, that "Hamill: The Movie" is in its last week of shooting.
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