So where do I begin with the recap of this long, long game? Well before I get into my usual attempts to make you laugh with my anger or humor or whatever, I'll be serious for a moment. In the first inning there was yet another baseball tragedy as Angels ace Jered Weaver had to come out of the game in the first inning after only throwing twelve pitches due to a lower back injury. There is no word yet on his condition but I will be hoping for the best.

Despite losing Weaver in the first inning the Angels still managed to win this game 9-8 due to this game just being strange from beginning to end. Normally with a box score like this I'd define the game as ugly. I still think it was ugly but I just can't help but define it as strange. The game started off with some singles by Jeter and Granderson and then the Yankees scored off of an Erick Aybar error, an Ayberror if you will. Then Weaver had to be removed from the game. Again I really hope he's okay. Then the Yankees scored on another error by Bobby Cassevah. By the time the top of the inning was over, the Yankees were up 3-0 and Weaver was tragically out of the game. Everything seemed to be going the Yankees way before the rest of the game happened.

To say Phil Hughes did not have his best stuff tonight would be an understatement. The Phil Hughes we do not like to see pitch decided to rear his head today, in front of his family and friends no less. Hughes gave up eleven hits and seven earned runs, including the classic $5 Meatball Dinger Sub, while only striking out three and walking no one. I guess the lack of walks can be considered a positive. The strange thing is that Girardi left him out there for 5.1 innings tonight. Growing pains, perhaps? Hopefully he'll show us that smile again and won't waste another minute on his crying. Why did I just sing the lyrics to the classic TV show Growing Pains? Oh right, it's 1:15AM.

The Yankees were never out of this game despite giving up an early lead. Granderson and Evil Mark Teixeira would both contribute home runs for the Yankees. Ibanez, Swisher, and Russell Martin would contribute some more RBI's. Yeah, you read that right. Russell Martin. In total the Yankees came out of this game with eight runs and ten hits. On most nights that would be enough for them to win. Tonight was just not their night. With all the runs that Hughes gave up and the other earned run that Cody "questionable Binder decision" Eppley would give up, all the Angels needed was the walk-off home run from Mark Trumbo off Cory Wade to end this strange and long night of baseball.

Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher almost collided on a play in the outfield in the first inning. Thankfully they missed one another. Then later on in another inning they collided on a very similar play in the outfield. Thankfully they are both okay as we cannot afford to lose another outfielder. Swisher would later drop a ball while getting ready to make sure Aybar did not make it to second base on a pop out. He did. Defense was just not on anyone's side in this game tonight.

Tomorrow Andy Pettitte will face Dan Haren and Travis will try to compete in Game Thread War.

Comment of the Game: Rorschach44 for his description of Kim Jones

Phil Hughes

#65 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-5

Weight: 240

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jun 24, 1986

Jered Weaver

#36 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-7

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 04, 1982

ARE YOU READY, WEAVER?

I think of this scene every time I see or watch Jered Weaver pitch. I don't think anyone here has ever seen this movie. Just to warn everyone, I'mGivingYouARaise is in a confident and silly mood today. I have a good feeling about this game. I also have a good feeling about this game thread tonight. I have such a fantastic feeling that this game thread is going to be one of the best and funniest ever that I am challenging all other PSA Writers to a GAME THREAD WAR! I boast that my game thread will be the best of this week! DARE YOU ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE FELLOW WRITERS?

Lineups, the best game thread ever, and the beginning (and probably the end) of Game Thread War after the jump.

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Yesterday afternoon the Yankees defeated the Athletics and managed to complete a sweep of the series. Sweeps are always good. Hiroki Kuroda listened to Jedi and managed to not disappoint, pitching eight shutout innings. Eight shutout innings are always good. I'm sure people will spout "but it was against the A's" till their throat goes hoarse. These people being unable to speak is always good. The A's are a major league baseball team and if Kuroda did not have good stuff yesterday, they would have and should have hit him just like any team would.

Russell Martin was out of the lineup yesterday due to either a stiff neck or a stiff upper lip, which while normal for the British can be quite dangerous for those of French and French Canadian descent. It is unclear how long he will be out of the lineup for but Girardi is hopeful he will be back tonight against the Angels. I'm hopeful his mustache will be gone. More on this story as it tweetvelops, which is a perfectly cromulent word.

Derek Jeter continued to make HISTORY! WITH AN INTOLERABLE RADIO SHOW!! yesterday as he passed George "required by law to show the pine tar clip every time his name is mentioned" Brett on the all time MLB hit list with his leadoff single. Jeter is now 14th on the list until he gets thirty more hits and surpasses Cal Ripken Jr. Maybe by then I will be over making fun of the inane HISTORY! Kay bullshit.

Tonight (later than usual due to this west coast hogwash) Phil Hughes will face off against Jered Weaver much like Nicolas Cage and John Travolta faced off against each other in the movie Face/Off. Actually I hope it's nothing like that since I despise that movie. Hughes grew up about 10 minutes away from Angel Stadium and his family and friends will be attending the game. Nothing like a little added excitement/pressure when you're going up against Weaver. Perhaps one day I'll take Hughes off my fantasy bench. Damn insane superstition.

Roy Halladay had to leave the Phillies-Cardinals game early yesterday due to shoulder soreness. It is unclear whether or not he will need an MRI. Since everyone else seems to need one this year, my money is on Halladay going for one as well.

CC Sabathia

#52 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-7

Weight: 290

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jul 21, 1980

Bartolo Colon

#21 / Pitcher / Oakland Athletics

Height: 5-11

Weight: 265

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 24, 1973

Lineups after the jump.

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On this damp, rainy, ugly night to play baseball, the Yankees team struggles continued as they were shut out by the Royals 6-0.

The Yankees manage to get runners on base. The Yankees fail to bring the runners on base in for runs. You've seen this story before. This story is as frustrating to read, type, or watch as listening to that little snot-nosed girl talk about what she's afraid of in that smoking ad on the radio. There's really not much more to be said on the matter. It's frustrating to watch but no one player is at fault. They had seven hits on the night. Alex Rodriguez had two of them, including a double. Martin had two of them, also including a double. Jeter, Chavez, and Severely Inflamed Bronchial Airways will round up the offense for tonight with their hits. Again I'm no doctor, but I cannot imagine playing in this weather will help Tex's condition any.

Hiroki Kuroda pitched 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and seven hits while striking out four and walking three. Kuroda did not get out of the first inning without giving up runs, a foul pole home run to Mike Moustakas to be clear. He might have if Raul Ibanez was any kind of competent outfielder. He's not and was not given an error. You've also seen this story before as well. It's frustrating, just like that little snot-nose girl on the radio. Get a Barbie doll or maybe take this free, useless Freddy Garcia off of our hands. To be fair, Freddy Garcia has pitched well coming out of the bullpen lately. To be unfair, he still should never be used in close games. Garcia gave up a two run home run as soon as he was put into the game. The other run was due to defensive catcher Russell Martin letting a ball go passed him with a runner on third. You've seen this story before. It's frustrating to watch. I really hate that little girl. I also do not like how the Yankees are playing defense lately.

Felipe Paulino shut the Yankees offense down for the second time this year. It's also the last time he'll shut us down this year since the Yankees do nott play the Royals again this year after this series is done. Paulino went 6.2 innings, allowing no earned runs and six hits while striking out eight and walking two. Very impressive. Collins and Crow would finish off the Yankees after Paulino left the game. Mike Moustakas hit his dinger off the foul pole while Jeff Francouer drove his to the back of the bullpen in left-center field. A good night for the Royals. A bad night for the Yankees.

Comment of the Game: BlackandGoldTSgt for realizing this was the wrong day to quit sniffing glue

Felipe Paulino

#59 / Pitcher / Kansas City Royals

Height: 6-2

Weight: 270

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 05, 1983

Hiroki Kuroda

#18 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 10, 1975

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Mood Music - Rain by The Seatbelts & Steve Conte

"If there is a hell, I'm sure this is how it smells. I wish this were a dream, but no it isn't!"

You've seen me post it or tweet it more times than you'd probably like to count, but here it is again. I miss Brett Gardner. I really miss Brett Gardner. I want Brett Gardner back in all his gritty gutty glory as soon as humanly possible. It really feels like it has been forever since I've seen him in left field making routine plays look as routine and harmless as they should look. How long has it actually bee...holy shit April 17th? I haven't seen Gardner play Yankee Baseball in over a month. Over a month without his patient bat at the bottom of the order. Over a month without him sliding into first trying to beat out a throw, even though I've repeatedly told him to cut that nonsense out. Over. A. Month.

Now that I've calmed down and taken a shower in between these paragraphs, my Old Spice Swagger smell is telling me to relax and remember that Brett Gardner will be back soon. Will he though, Old Spice? Gardner is scheduled for another MRI either Tuesday or Wednesday and if everything goes well he will head to Tampa later in the week to pick up a bat. To say that his recovery is my primary concern is clearly a vast understatement at this point. The Yankees really need him back. While Gardner-less for over a month, we have come to discover a glaring flaw in the Yankees so-called long term plans; the Yankees have absolutely no outfield depth at all. If this MRI on Tuesday or Wednesday shows that Gardner will need more time to recover, then the Yankees have a real problem.

Problems after the jump.

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With a 5-2 loss yesterday afternoon to the Reds, the Yankees lost their first interleague series of the year. I hate interleague and not just for this reason. There were concerns about Derek Jeter after he took a line drive to the wrist, but Jeter has dismissed the bruise as not being that serious. I sure hope he's right as the Yankees do not need another injury right now. Teixeira pinch-hit in the ninth inning yesterday, despite not being fully healed from his severely inflamed bronchial airways. Tex hopes to be in the lineup tonight against the Royals, despite not being fully healed from his severely inflamed bronchial airways. I find that needs repeating because I would think he should fully heal from his severely inflamed bronchial airways before going back to doing anything that requires heavy breathing, like playing baseball for example. I'm not his doctor though.

Speaking of injuries to the Yankees as well as the hearts of Gardner loving PSA writers, Brett Gardner will go for another MRI either Tuesday or Wednesday to see if he can go down to Tampa to pick up a bat again. Brett Gardner has been missed. The Yankees could really use his bat and his glove and his dashing good looks in the field again, and soon. Come back at 11AM for more Brett Gardner wankery.

A New York Yankee road jersey worn by relatively unknown former Yankee Babe Ruth sold for $4,415,658 yesterday at an auction. You know, $4.4 million dollars is a lot of money. In fact it apparently broke the record for money being spent on sports memorabilia of any kind. It's a good thing that road jersey didn't wind up in the backyard of a huge, growling dog due to some young, baseball loving kids.

Instead of the pitcher's duel I thought this might be, it turned out to be an ugly slugfest. The Yankees managed to out slug the Orioles and win the game 8-5.

Ivan Nova has trouble with his control tonight and the Orioles manage to capitalize on his mistakes. He gave up five earned runs and seven hits over 5.1 innings while striking out four and walking three. Jason Hammel did not fair much better against the Yankees offense as he gave up four earned runs and seven hits over five innings while striking out three and walking three. Tonight both offenses combined for twenty one hits. Again, not the pitchers duel I was expecting. Granderson and Teixeira hit two dingers and A-Rod's bat was still hot as he had three solid hits. Swisher, Ibanez, and Chavez would also add RBI's and Derek Jeter made history again tonight with a single.

The Orioles offense was certainly not quiet tonight either. Adam Jones contributed with an RBI double in the first inning. J.J. Hardy had three RBI's tonight including a two run home run against Nova in the 5th inning. The newest Oriole, Xavier Avery, had a double and a triple for his first major league hits. He also has a tongue twister of a name so I'm rooting for him.

Now for the bad news. Nova left in the 6th inning due to sprains on his right ankle and foot. The X-Rays came back negative so whether or not he misses a start remains to be seen. Clay Rapada was taken out of the game due to a viral infection. Most troubling is the news that David Robertson has had a sore ribcage since May 11th, which is why we've seen Soriano closing recently. D-Rob will go for an MRI Tuesday morning. I'm really tired of having to type that.

Comment Of The Game: A tie between long time listener and jetanumba2 for viciously answering WhatwouldJeterdo's question about Phelps.

Ivan Nova

#47 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jan 12, 1987

Jason Hammel

#39 / Pitcher / Baltimore Orioles

Height: 6-6

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 02, 1982

Tonight the Yankees are in Camden Yards for the second time this year to face the first place Orioles for a quick two-game series. Weather permitting, the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound while the O's make us face Jason Hammel. Hammel is clearly one of the reasons why the Orioles are in the position they are now. The Yankees may have defeated him in their previous encounter, but Hammel still managed to hold the Yankees offense to two earned runs and five hits over six innings. Those two runs were courtesy of an Eric Chavez dinger. With Nova on the mound tonight and CC facing Wei-Yin Chen tomorrow night, this two game series could see some awesome pitching duels. Here's hoping the rain doesn't interfere. Man, I've had a lot of Yankees/Orioles game threads to write this year.

Lineups, WWJD's MASN hate, and comments after the jump...

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It's finally tme for the 11th Episode of the Pinstripe Alley Podcast. My apologies for the delay, but it seems we're up and running again. Hopefully the issues we've been having have finally been resolved for good and you can go back to enjoy our soothing voices. This episode deals with the sadness of Mo, D-Rob as the closer, and plenty of other things Yankee related. I believe we insult the Red Sox a bit too. Here's hoping you enjoy.

Episode 11 Official Link

Mood Music - Back End by MF Doom

I like back ends and I cannot lie. You other fans just can't deny. That when a vet walks in with a really grizzled face and he gets a chump to chase, you get SPRUNG. Yeah he looks real old, but he might be in control. Deep in the count, he's staring. #46 he's still wearing. OH, ANDY! you're such a good pitcher. Can I get your picture? Some people tried to warn me, but that pickoff move makes me-me-me so...I'll let you decide whether I was going to type horny or happy. I think that's quite enough of that. Andy is Back, which is also the parody name of my insanity up above. He retired from baseball at the age of 38. Retiring at the age of 38 is definitely a feat I'd love to accomplish, but unless I win the lotto that's simply not going to happen. If it does somehow happen, I'm most certainly not coming out of retirement when I'm 39. A lot of people are already talking about how Andy did on his first day back in pinstripes and will look to see how well he pitches his next start. In other words, obvious facts are obvious.

What I would like to talk about in this IGYARticle is how long I possibly could've gone with my Andy is Back parody. What I will be talking about instead is how the back end of the rotation seems to be shaping up. With exercise and proper care, it seems to be firmer, tighter, and not as saggy and soggy as when Freddy Garcia was there. Freddy Garcia now mops in the bullpen, which for the most part he seems to be good at. David Phelps was given a chance to start while the Yankees not only awaited the return of Pettitte but awaited the outcome of our other back end starter, Phil Hughes. While Hughes' starts were not as bad as Garcia's, the lack of distance and the runs allowed stoked the fires of pen duty once again. He still might be destined for the pen. I could use a few more pens myself. Hughes has pitched very well his last two starts though, with Saturday easily nominated as his best start of the year. If he can continue this and if Andy can regain his former glory, our pitching staff might finally look like it use to. Well it should with Andy back on the mound.

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The Yankees decided to ruin Mother's Day for all the mothers out there by losing 6-2 to the Seattle Mariners. At least they were efficient and kept the score of every game 6-2. That's all there is to that story. Wait, no. It was also the return of super YES Network promoted, fan favorite pitcher Andy Pettitte. Pettitte shamefully didn't pick anyone off, so I view his comeback start as a complete failure and think it's time for David Wells to come out of retirement. Anyone with me? Show of hands? Never mind my silliness because while Andy Pettitte did not get the win, his line hides the fact that he pitched an impressive game for a soon-to-be 40 yr old coming back to the mound after a year of retirement. It's good that he doesn't require the microscope treatment since he's Andy Pettitte.

It really does not seem like Russell "still has a better line than Albert Pujols" Martin has had his thoughts on swinging the bat with a purpose lately. On Mother's Day his thoughts are with his Mom. I guess that makes sense. This probably is a pretty touching story and will probably move the hearts of many Russ fans out there. I'm a bit more concerned that not only is he a glaring hole in the lineup right now but that my thoughts continue to stray towards playing Stewart more. When those are your only options, I think it's time to get a new catcher. If only. Touching story about your mom though. (Fine, it is. I'm still bitter over Gardner)

Mark Teixeira was recently diagnosed with severely inflamed bronchial airways and apparently the healing process has not been going well. I've been in the emergency room more times than I would care to count and I know that the words "severely" and the word "inflamed" do not go well together. There's no word yet on what the next step for Teixeira is but I'm sure we'll keep you updated on this as soon as news hits. Hits. I'd like Teixeira to start doing that again as well.

Breaking news in the latest installment of Pinstripe Alley's new segment "HISTORY! WITH AN AMPERSAND!" With his single yesterday, Derek Jeter has passed Tony Gwynn and has tied Robin Yount for 16th on the MLB all-time hit list. We'll be back with full coverage when the Captain makes history again.

Non-Yankee news after the jump...

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Greetings, AA. For those of you who don't already know me, I'mGivingYouARaise, your resident hard-to-hate Yankees fan and writer or if you want to be a tad more realistic, a guy who types down words at the Yankees SBNation blog Pinstripe Alley. Even though I'm a Yankees fan, thanks to my job and my best friends who are Mets fans, I like to keep tabs on the Mets. All I will say is that I'm happy the Mets now know the euphoric joy of beating Papelchump.

Fan euphoria is kind of what this fanpost is about. My hobby is studying human reaction and one thing I like to specialize at in my articles at Pinstripe Alley are sports fan studies, because I feel that sports fans offer some of the greatest studies of emotional reaction than anything else. Please do not take this as arrogance, gloating, or anything like that, but since the Yankees constant success since the Dynasty Era, the dynamic of fan reaction has slightly changed for Yankees fans. The Yankees fans of this generation have no idea what it's like to lose, what it's like to have a team that suck for years and years, what it's like to see you team grow out of mediocrity and build towards excellence. It's why I hate spoiled rotten frontrunning douchebag Yankees fans.

Meanwhile, the Mets as of this post are 5 games over .500 and only 1 game out of 1st place in the NL East. They are playing really well, they are an exciting team to watch, and I think they are exceeding the expectations placed on them at the beginning of the year. Of course, the majority of people out there are saying how it cannot last. Personally, I say screw that. I'm one of those people that think anything is possible in this sport. The Rays use to be an absolute joke and now they are really good and it really came out of nowhere.

That's why I'm here, really. I want to know what Mets fans think about the start to the season this year, because as a Yankees fan who has seen his team always have constant success like they have for the past 15-16 years now, I honestly do envy you at this time. I might be a spoiled Yankees fan, but I'm also a die-hard baseball fan and no matter what I enjoy watching the sport, win or lose. But Yankees fans of this era always expect to win. They always expect their team to make it to the postseason. As I said above, I grew up with a Yankees team that sucked but I still enjoyed going to the game, watching it on TV, watching my favorite players play. I will never forget the excitement I felt of my team coming out of the doldrums, and I want to know if that's how a lot of you feel right now and if you think that this Mets team is better than anyone gave them credit for.

• Do you think the Mets can claim 1st place in the NL East?
• Do you think this is just a fluke start and that the Mets will regress?
• If you feel they are in a decent rebuilding mode, what more do you think they need to fully make a run?
• Is this one of the most exciting starts to an Mets season you've witnessed?
• If not this season, do you feel the Mets can be contenders next season or the season after?

The questions I just asked will be in a front page article I'm planning to write for Pinstripe Alley. I will also link to this fanpost so the PSA members can see some of the responses, some of which I might quote for the article. If you decide to participate and help me out with my article, I greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much for your time, Amazin' Avenue

Mood Music - Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

With a lot of the Yankees news out there still focusing on Mariano Rivera's injury, the surgery and everything that is coming along with it, I figured that I'd contribute to the other part of the Mo saga which is the closer role now in the hands of Pinstripe Alley's favorite "8th inning guy" David Robertson. D-Rob is now the Yankees closer. When we last talked about this, it was not officially stated by Yankees Manager and Binder Host Symbiote Joe Girardi that Robertson was going to be the closer due to the fact that Pinstripe Alley's least favorite "7th inning guy" Rafael Soriano offered experience in the closer role via his time with his previous team, the Tampa Bay Rays, so he was considered a legitimate candidate over D-Rob. Some still think he's the better choice for the job.

Before last night, there were questions whether Soriano's closer experience would beat out Robertson's "being really freakin' awesome at relief pitching" skills. As we saw last night, Robertson had the skills to pay the bills as he recorded his first save since the Mo tragedy, and the Yankees won. Afterwards, Girardi officially stated that D-Rob was the closer. So here we are, in the beginning of the Houdini era of closing out Yankee games. I say the beginning because according to all the reports and tweets and direct quotes from the man himself, Mo is planning to pitch again in 2013. If everything goes well for Mariano, and we all hope it does, he will reclaim the closer role in 2013 and Enter Sandman will play on the Yankees loudspeakers once again. However, even with Mo scheduled to return for 2013, a lot of fans were getting use to the fact that Mo could not pitch forever, that 2012 might have been his last year anyway, and that David Robertson would most likely be next in line for the job. For the time being, the job is his and it actually offers Yankees fans something unique to look at, something that some of them have actually never really seen or experienced before. It could actually be a blessing in disguise.

IGYARticles make you want to Jump Jump...

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Greetings, Birdland. I'mGivingYouARaise and I am a writer or if you want to be a tad more realistic, a guy who types down words at the Yankees SBNation blog Pinstripe Alley. I am a life long Yankees fan and I have been since the 80's, around 1985. Before I move on with the main purpose of this fanpost, I just want to say that as a lifelong Yankees fan, I cannot thank you enough for the O's beating the Red Sox in September last year, getting the victory off of Papelchump, and finalizing the most historic collapse of the Red Sox 2011 season. Words cannot describe my euphoria from watching that, and I will always be grateful and thankful to the Orioles for that.

Fan euphoria is kind of what this fanpost is about. My hobby is studying human reaction and one thing I like to specialize at in my articles at Pinstripe Alley are sports fan studies, because I feel that sports fans offer some of the greatest studies of emotional reaction than anything else. Please do not take this as arrogance, gloating, or anything like that, but since the Yankees constant success since the Dynasty Era, the dynamic of fan reaction has slightly changed for Yankees fans. The Yankees fans of this generation have no idea what it's like to lose, what it's like to have a team that suck for years and years, what it's like to see you team grow out of mediocrity and build towards excellence.

Meanwhile, the O's as of this post are currently tied with four other teams for the best record in the majors. Thanks to my job, I am lucky enough to get to watch a lot of baseball games and one thing I've definitely seen from the Orioles this year is the vast improvement in their starting pitching, which could be just the catalyst they need. Again, I am definitely no O's expert, so please correct me and yell at me if I'm wrong, but starting pitching has always been the main problem with the O's and now it seems that it's starting to come around. It reminds me of the early 90's Yankees team, around 1993 when everything seemed like it was starting to come together.

Of course, the majority of people out there are saying how it cannot last, how the Yankees and Red Sox will turn it around and the O's will wind up back in last place again. Personally, I say screw that. I'm one of those people that think anything is possible in this sport. The Rays use to be an absolute joke and now they are really good and it really came out of nowhere. I'm of the mind that, why can't it happen with the O's this year?

That's why I'm here, really. I want to know what Orioles fans think about the O's start to the season this year, because as a Yankees fan who has seen his team always have constant success like they have for the past 15-16 years now, I honestly do envy you at this time. I might be a spoiled Yankees fan, but I'm also a die-hard baseball fan and no matter what I enjoy watching the sport, win or lose. But Yankees fans of this era always expect to win. They always expect their team to make it to the postseason. As I said above, I grew up with a Yankees team that sucked but I still enjoyed going to the game, watching it on TV, watching my favorite players play. I will never forget the excitement I felt of my team coming out of the doldrums, and I want to know if that's how a lot of you feel right now.

• Do you think the O's can claim 1st place in the AL East?
• Do you think this is just a fluke start?
• If you feel they are in a decent rebuilding mode, what more do you think they need to fully make a run?
• Is this the most exciting start to an O's season you've witnessed?
• If not this season, do you feel the O's can be contenders next season or the season after?

The questions I just asked will be in a front page article I'm planning to write for Pinstripe Alley. I will also link to this fanpost so the PSA members can see some of the responses, some of which I might quote for the article. If you decide to participate and help me out with my article, I greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much for your time, Camden Chat.

I'm sure you've realized this by now, but the Yankees have an off day today to travel back to NYC after only traveling to KC for a series. I realized this last night as I was typing up the news, but having the Yankees fly to KC and then back again just seems sort of odd and inefficient. The same can be said next week, when after the Yankees face the Mariners, they fly to Baltimore for a 2 game series, then fly right to Toronto for a 2 game series, and then fly back to NYC for a six-game home stand against the Reds (interleague shudder) and the Royals. But hey, whatever.

Anyway, since there are no Yankees on tonight, feel free to talk about whatever your hearts desire. Cole Hamels was apparently suspended for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper and then admitting to doing it, so you can talk about that. The NY Rangers will continue their playoff hockey push against the Washington Capitals tonight. There are other baseball games on. You could build your potential Yankee dream team of players you'd love to see on the Yankees. We could have a nice discussion on the awesomeness that is Progressive Rock. What is your favorite breed of doggie? You can also discuss this hilarious article by Deadspin which asks the question, What If Every Pitcher in Baseball Were Mariano Rivera?

On a quick side note, I saw the Avengers last night. As both a huge comic book nerd and a movie critic, I really think the movie is perfect. Fantastic movie all around, and I recommend it highly. Also the latest Dark Knight Rises trailer has me just giddy with excitement. I cannot wait to see how Nolan ends his masterpiece. Not to mention the awesome Zimmer soundtrack to accompany the movie.

So yeah, discuss.

Pinstripe Alley was fortunate enough to be able to get a quick interview with former Yankee and current Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, and I was lucky enough to get to conduct said interview. To say that I loved watching Rickey Henderson play baseball growing up is an understatement. Along with Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield, Rickey was one of my favorite players to watch. He brought something to the game of baseball that has really never been seen before, and that might never be seen again. For those who don't know me, I love speed. I've always loved to run and be faster than all of my friends. I love to drive fast, and if you ask me what my favorite superpower is, it is super-speed. It's one of the main reasons I love watching Brett Gardner so much on the current team, but even he is no Rickey Henderson.

Rickey Henderson played for the Yankees from 1985-1989, and in that time, set the Yankees franchise record for most stolen bases with 326. Just to put that into perspective, Derek Jeter now holds the record after he surpassed that number in 2011. It took Derek Jeter fifteen years to surpass a record that Rickey Henderson set in four years with the Yankees, which should give you some kind of idea of how good Rickey Henderson was on the base paths. Rickey was a first ballot Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, still currently holding the record for career stolen bases with 1,406, runs scored with 2,295, unintentional walks with 2,219, and lead-off home runs with 81. It was an absolute pleasure to watch him play the game of baseball, both with the Yankees and the other teams he played with, and it was an absolute thrill to have the chance to conduct this quick ten minute phone interview with him. This interview is courtesy of the Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams program.

The interview after the jump...

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Last night the Yankees managed to split the 4-game series against the Royals with a 10-4 win. Not only did the offense come alive but Phil "and the count is 3 and 2" Hughes managed to pitch his best game of the year thus far. Today the Yankees have the day off to fly...back to NYC to face the Rays for a 3-game series. Apologies for the ellipses, but I just looked at the Yankees upcoming schedule for the next two weeks and the traveling is kinda odd.

Former and soon to be current Yankees pitcher, pickoff master, and postseason protector Andy Pettitte is supposedly another step closer to rejoining the Yankees. However, his latest outing draws concerns for whether or not he is ready to face major league hitting again. With Hughes coming off a decent start against the Royals, Pettitte's eventual return may be pushed back a bit to give him more time to get ready. More on that eventual story as it develops soon, I'm sure.

Brett Gardner, Yankees primary defensively awesome left fielder, has a Triple-A rehab stint next in line on his road to recovery. While Gardner is recovering in SWB, I fully expect him to take extra good care of himself as he is surrounding by the same massive number of adoring fans that Andy Pettitte was. Come back soon, Gardner. Please.

Non-Yankees news after the jump...

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Greetings all. Now that we're ten episodes into doing this thing we like to call the Pinstripe Alley Podcast, my chained & caged co-hosts and I would like to hear back from you on how you think we are doing. Despite what you might think, or what we might say, we do want this podcast to succeed and we want as many people as possible to enjoy it. However we need to hear back from you, our listeners, on how you think we can improve. What improvements would you like to see? Are there any segments you really like or otherwise think we can do without? Are there segments or ideas we do not currently have that you would like to possibly see added on? Is the podcast too short or too long?

Also, due to the fact that we've constantly had bandwidth restrictions, I am going to assume that the podcast is doing well, as in a decent amount of people are listening. I apologize for those who cannot listen to the podcast or download it on iTunes. Due to this constant problem I have actually purchased more bandwidth, so hopefully it resets by Thursday. So bear with us for now but yeah, please let us know how we can improve our podcasting performance for you.

In last night's thread about Mo, I remarked how I was going to bed, how I would be sleeping with one eye open and gripping my pillow tight which is an obvious reference to the famous entrance music that plays loudly in Yankee Stadium whenever Mariano Rivera is coming into the game. What's ironic is that I was actually up till 5AM. Perhaps it was the beasts under my bed, in my closet and in my head that kept me awake. Truth be told, it was just one of those nights that I had a lot of thoughts running through my head all at once that just made it hard for me to pass out. I hate those nights, especially if I have to be up early the next day. Thankfully, I didn't. However, here we are the next day and like last night the beasts, or thoughts, in my head are still there. For the sake of this article and this blog, I'll describe just the Yankees related thoughts, although I'm sure many of you would be curious to hear about the other thoughts I think about while in bed. You know who you are!

So yeah, it's now the day after.. The same information is still there about Mo, whether or not he will pitch again this season or ever again. For a while, we will most likely be playing the waiting game, and as we all know the waiting game sucks and we should go play Hungry Hungry Hippo instead. As I thought about that very old Simpsons reference last night when I was thinking of writing this, I knew that many people here would not get it or know where the reference came from because they were too young (they also might not be classic Simpsons fans, but I just refuse to believe that anyone who grew up in that era is not). So after a while of just taking all of the depressing news about Mariano Rivera in, what it reminded me of was another sad Yankee moment in my own lifetime regarding another player I grew up loving. Don Mattingly.

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Depressing. Before this game even started it was depressing due to the lingering worrying about Mariano Rivera and his injury while catching fly balls in the outfield. Pre-diagnosed as a twisted right knee, Yankee fans still sit and wait for an update from his MRI to not hear the words "Torn ACL" or anything but "He'll only be out for a few days." However, the game was not much better as the Yankees lost to the Royals 4-3, giving the Royals their first home game win of the season and adding to our now 3-game losing streak.

Update: Torn ACL. I'm seriously at a loss for words. I don't think I've ever personally been more depressed about an injury. More on this here.

The losing streak has been due to the Yankees offensive production as of late, which quite frankly has been offensive. Derek Jeter continued his incredible start to the year with a 4 for 5 day. Andruw Jones also contributed as well with 3 hits on the day. Teixiera contributed with two runs, one a single and one a sac fly, and Nunez also contributed with a sac fly which would account for the only Yankee runs tonight. Honestly, the Yankees had 13 hits for the evening, but alas left 10 men on base tonight.

Meanwhile, David Phelps made his first major league start tonight. He managed to go four innings, most likely due to his pitch count, allowing six hits, two earned runs while striking out five and walking none. Taking over for Garcia as a starter, it is certainly an improvement over his production. His progress going further will be interesting to watch, for however long it lasts. A bullpen of Rapada, D.J. Mitchell, Logan, and Soriano took the mound tonight after Phelps, and while Rapada and Mitchell gave up a run a piece, Logan and Soriano shut the Royals down.

More after the jump...

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Welcome to the 10th Episode of the Pinstripe Alley Podcast, ignoring the 9th Episode entirely because we tried to do it live and it failed miserably. However, we are back with a proper podcast and to make up for our, or as WWJD and LordDuggan say, MY failure, we have a special guest co-host to join us for this episode. Who, you're wondering? I'm not going to tell you because I want you to listen and find out.

Jason Hammel

#39 / Pitcher / Baltimore Orioles

Height: 6-6

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 02, 1982

Hiroki Kuroda

#18 / Pitcher / New York Yankees

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 10, 1975

The Yankees, coming from a series win against the Detroit Tigers, look to continue their season success against the Baltimore Orioles, who just took a series from the Oakland Athletics. In their first meeting earlier this year the Yankees swept the O's at Camden Yards, so here's hoping they can do that here in Yankee Stadium. Jason Hammel will take the mound for the Orioles tonight while the Yankees send out Hiroki Kuroda. Currently Baltimore is tied with Tampa Bay for 1st place in the American League East, with the Yankees only 1.5 games behind both of them.

go yankees go you are #1

Lineups, Ibanez in the OF contempt, and more comments after the jump...

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Mood Music - The Battle Of Evermore by Led Zeppelin

In the midst of all the rotation talks and all that happy nonsense, I thought I might bring up a different topic which I, I'mGivingYouARaise, find appropriate to talk about today. Why today, you might ask? Well, a NYC radio station by the name 98.7 KISS FM is no longer there. The famous NYC R&B station, around even before I was born, is now the new FM home of ESPN Radio, which was previously 1050 AM, a station that on September 1st will become ESPN Deportes New York, an all Spanish New York radio sports station. I think it's pretty obvious to all native New Yorkers that FM stations come in a lot better than AM stations. Lord knows that when I'm driving through Manhattan listening to Sterling and Waldman, I don't love the random static when I'm trying to hear the game. Okay sure, it helps to drown the both of them out, but still I want my Yankees like I want my women, to be clear and precise and not having me guessing what just happened. That also means you, Ibanez in the OF!!

As you may or may not know, the WCBS contract with the Yankees Radio Network, driven by Jeep, will end after this season and it's pretty obvious that ESPN Radio wants a piece of that sweet Yankees Radio Network nectar. This move to FM radio might help them secure their pinstriped ambrosia, since the Yankees would now have a much clearer radio station in NYC, which would fit with the Yankees mantra of excellence, producing a quality product, and to always be better than the Mets. Ultimately though, what does this mean for the likes of Sterling and Waldman? Should they stay with WCBS? Is there another option we haven't considered? Also, how does this whole broadcasting thing work?

I'mGivingYouAnExplanation after the jump...

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Sad news today for the Yankees as former Yankees player Bill "Moose" Skowron has passed away at 81 years old. "Moose" was signed by the Yankees in 1950 from Purdue University. On April 13th, 1954, he played his first game for the Yankees and was platooned at 1st base for the Yankees along with Joe Collins until becoming the regular first baseman in 1958.

"Moose" was a Yankee from 1954 until 1962 and was part of the Yankees dynasty of that era, winning seven American League pennants and four World Series from 1955-1962. With a powerful right handed bat, "Moose" hit in some of the best Yankee lineups in history along with other Yankees greats and legends such as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, and Roger Maris and was a five time All-Star with the Yankees from 1957 to 1961.

After his tenure with the Yankees, Skowron was traded to the Dodgers, with whom he won another World Series Championship with in 1963, sweeping the Yankees. He also went on to play for the Washington Senators, California Angels, and Chicago White Sox. In June of 1980, he was inducted into the National Polish-American Hall of Fame.

There will be a moment of silence held before tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers. His time as a New York Yankee and a baseball player will always be fondly remembered by the teammates he played with and the fans that had the privilege of watching him play. Rest In Peace, "Moose."