2-1 in 13, 12-0. Go Figure

I Watched Fox Baseball For Four Hours And All I Got Was This Crummy "L."

Catchers often end up managers. Catchers have to think a lot during the course of a game. Because of that catchers can make good managers, and good analysts, too.

The issue is when the former catcher/analyst says everything that he thinks. This is Joe Gerardi's problem. After a couple of innings he becomes unlistenable because he has only two modes: Joycean stream of consciousness or catatonic silence. At one point yesterday, the catcher came out to talk to the pitcher and Gerardi was stone silent for about 30 seconds. I think Steve Albert deliberately didn't prod Gerardi with a "what is he saying to him in a situation like this?" line because Albert needed a break from listening to Gerardi as well.

As for the game. When you lose 2-1 in 13 innings there's always going to be regrets, at bats/situations both before and during the extra innings, that sealed the team's fate.

Two stand out for me. Bottom 7 . . . Posada leads off with a double. This is a free run -- we can score without getting any more hits. (I haven't looked up the numbers but my observations suggest that the 2007 Yankees are doing a terrible job of collecting free runs.) And we don't get this one either. Strikeout strikeout pickoff.

PICKOFF?!!?!!!???!!?!!!??

Off second? Where exactly was Crazy Legs Posada going? For all this talents and wonderful contributions over the years, Posada has always been a terrible baserunner. Not just slow, but with horrendous instincts/judgment as well.

There went that chance.

The one that really sticks with Me is in the bottom of the 13th, with us down a run. First and third, one out. Melky up.

Gerardi immediately talked about how the safety squeeze would work well here. Melky can handle the bat, Cairo's fast enough to score on a safety squeeze, and if they pitch out there's no risk since it's a safety squeeze.

I have to agree. Melky had struck out four times already. And striking out isn't even the worst that could happen -- he could hit into a game-ending double play, and then Jeter, leading the world in hitting with 2 outs and RISP wouldn't get up to bat.

To my way of thinking you do it on the first pitch.

They didn't. Not on the first pitch, or ever. Melky strikes out for the fifth time, Jeter hits a harmless grounder. Ballgame.

Now, since I'm the reasonable sort, I tried to think of reasons Joe didn't do it. I come with two possibilities, both of which seem pretty weak.

1. Joe, having already used everyone in the pen he felt good about using, decided to play for the win.

My problem with that argument is that you have to tie it or nothing else matters. There's no way of knowing -- if you hold your nose and put in . . . Villone, let's say, maybe he pitches three good innings. Plus, Anaheim had already used both of their good relievers. Scioscia's options were to use K-Rod for a third inning or roll the dice. In either case getting the game to the 14th (and esepcially beyond, if it comes to that) puts big pressure on Anaheim as well.

2. Joe felt that the Angels were looking for the squeeze, thus decreasing the play's chance of success.

Granted, K-Rod did pantomime a lot before throwing the first pitch to Melky, obviously attempting to get someone to give away the play. So it was on their minds. It would be hard for it not to be.

But, as Gerardi pointed out, all the ingredients were there for the safety squeeze: A fast enough guy on third and a good bunter at the plate. The night before, the suicide squeeze was used because Posada is very slow and if he doesn't leave the base until the ball's bunted it would have to be close to a perfect bunt. In this situation, with Cairo running all Melky has to do is get the bunt up the first base line a little and Cairo scores standing up.

But Torre, who squeezed the night before in the midst of a big inning . . . in the THIRD inning, when the beer vendor could have thrown on a Yankee uniform and gotten a hit, doesn't squeeze in the 13th inning needing one run to keep the game going, at home.

I'm so mystified I can almost believe that Melky missed the sign, except that there was no conference with the third base coach after the first pitch, as there surely would have been had a sign been missed.


The Bronx Bombers Reappear, Much To The Chagrin Of An New Old-Timer.

Saturday's tough loss had no carryover as the Yankees took Santana deep, repeatedly, en route to a 12-0 win to close out the first half.

It was encouraging to see no hangover from yesterday, and to see someone other than A Rod hitting it out (although A Rod snuck one over the left field wall, too, for a nice round 30 home runs at the break).

But iris mentioned to me that "Roger must be really pissed."

I laughed. Hm. 14 runs the day before he pitches. 4 quick runs the day after he pitches. The day he pitched we looked like the 2005/2006 Houston Astros.

I assured iris that Roger was not mad at all. That he was all about the team. Etc.

Then it was 7-0. "You know Roger is livid now." Noooooooooo, silly. Roger's all about the team, I assured her. He just ran into some good pitching by Lackey yesterday.

Then it was 10-0. They showed a shot of Andy Pettitte in the dugout. No Roger sitting next to him. What the . . . ? At first I thought maybe they let all the starters except Wang leave the team early for the All-Star break, but in that case Pettitte wouldn't have been on the bench.

I had to stop reassuring iris at that point.