The LoHud Yankees Blog

I snapped this photo of a souvenir tent a block from Safeco Field that sold only Yankees merchandise. There were people browsing even five hours before the game.

The other photos are of Safeco itself, the view from the press box and the main rotunda entrance. The sculpture above is made up of hundreds of bats.

This park is one of the best places to visit and work.

The Yankees have a good stat in their notes I wanted to mention.

Remember when Mariano Rivera blew his first two saves in 2007? He has converted 103 of his 107 chances since then. The save is sort of a contrived statistic and often is meaningless. But still, that is pretty impressive.

Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if Jerry Hairston Jr. gets a start in center field today or tomorrow. Joe Girardi said he wants to give Melky Cabrera (6 of his last 44) a night off. With Brett Gardner not due back for another two weeks or so, Hairston would be the man.

Hairston started three games in center for the Reds this season and has been out there 117 times in his career. “It’s actually easier than left or right,” he said. “The angles are easier.”

Girardi was referring to Hairston as “Junior” during his post-game press conference on Thursday night and the Seattle reporters in the room were mightily confused. There is only one “Junior” in Seattle and it’s certainly not Jerry Hairston.

OK, back at 6 p.m, with the game post. Beautiful day here in Seattle and lots of Yankees fans out and about.

Johnny Damon collected his 600th hit with the Yankees when he went 2 for 4 on Wednesday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is one of only three players in history to collect 600 hits with three different teams, the first in 50 years. The others were Wee Willie Keeler (1892-1910) and Doc Cramer (1929-48).

Damon has the following career stats:

1,459 runs
2,389 hits
95 triples
205 homers
981 RBI
370 steals

Only one player in history has ever had 1,500 runs, 2,500 hits, 100 triples, 200 homers, 1,000 RBI and 400 steals. That is Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.

Johnny is an underrated player when you look at it. People think of him as the goofy dude who had the long hair. But he is putting together a historically significant career. A Hall of Famer? Probably not. But few players have been as consistently productive across the board as he has been over the years.

Mark Teixeira is building a case for MVP. He delivered the Yankees another win last night with a home run in the ninth inning.

Hideki Matsui’s comeback season at the plate as been a plus for the Yankees.

There also was a Yankees notebook with a story on Joba starting tomorrow and an update on A-Rod. For reasons unclear, it wasn’t on our web site. So drive to Westchester and buy a paper.

Chien-Ming Wang, as you know, is out for the season after having shoulder surgery. But he’s not standing on the sidelines.

In the wake of last weekend’s typhoon that hit southern Taiwan, Wang has donated $85,000 to the Red Cross. He also organized an auction of autographed items from Taiwanese players in the United States that helped raise an additional $1.3 million.

This blog has a lot of readers in Taiwan and I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of nice people from there. Here’s hoping that they and their families are doing OK after the storm.

Hitters often say that the last thing they want to do is try and hit a home run.

Then there’s Mark Teixeira. He came to the plate in the top of the ninth inning tonight looking to put a ball in the seats and did just that as the Yankees came from behind to win yet again.

“No doubt. I have one thing in mind there,” he said. “When you have a good pitcher out there, you hope he makes a mistake. If he doesn’t give you that one good pitch, maybe you can walk and start a big inning. But I had one thing in mind and he left a pitch over the middle of the plate.

Mark Lowe left a 1-1 change-up high in the strike zone and Teixeira hammered it. He has 30 homers and 86 RBI with 46 games left to play. Teixeira deftly turned aside questions about his MVP candidacy, saying to ask him again at the end of the season. But he has been the best player on the best team.

His teammates were watching the replay of Teixeira’s homer and howled in laughter at the little hop he did when he hit the ball. “II don’t know where that comes from,” he said. “It’s a happy hop. I’m probably one of the most boring players in baseball. That’s all I can do for excitement.”

A few other notes and observations:

• Brian Bruney’s return to form (5 scoreless innings in his last 4 outings) is huge for this team. As Joe Girardi said, it gives the bullpen more length.

• Tonight was Mariano’s 900th appearance. Only 21 pitchers have appeared in more games. He seems to be over his cranky shoulder as he dispatched of the Mariners on nine pitches.

• The Yankees are 30 games over .500 for the first time since ending the 2006 season with 97 wins.

• Phil Hughes was marveling at facing Ken Griffey Jr. “I play his Super Nintendo video game every day when we’re at home,” he said. “Pretty cool.”

Junior walked in the bottom of the eighth inning as did Russell Branyan. But Hughes trusted his stuff and came back to strike out Jack Hannahan on a 3-2 pitch. It’s moments like those, I believe, that will help him become a great starter down the road. This experience has been great for Hughes, who is proving that, when healthy, he’s as good as his rep.

• This team has won 35 of 46. They’re a machine at this point.

Back it tomorrow. Thanks for staying up late.

YANKEES (72-43)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Hairston 3B
Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.14).

MARINERS (60-55)
Suzuki RF
Gutierrez CF
Lopez 2B
Griffey Jr, DH
Branyan 1B
Hannahan 3B
Johnson C
Wilson SS
Saunders LF

Pitching: LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-1, 3.86).

TIME/TV: 10:10 p.m., YES.

STATE OF THE ‘STRIPES: The beat(ing) goes on. The Yankees have won three straight, 10 of 11, 21 of 27 and 34 of 45. They are on a pace to win 101 games.

SCORELESS IN SEATTLE: The Mariners have scored three runs in their last 32 innings.

ANDY’S DANDY: Andy Pettitte has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the All-Star break. He has a 1.87 ERA and opponents are hitting .210 against him. His line:

33.2 innings
25 hits
8 runs
7 earned runs
9 walks
33 strikeouts
1 home run.

But he is only 1-1 in those five games.

PETTITTE PLATEAUS: Tonight will be Andy’s 450th career start. He is 224-133. He would become the 67th pitcher in history to win 225 games. Only two active pitchers have done it: Randy Johnson (303) and Jamie Moyer (256).

AND YOUR COFFEE STINKS, TOO: Pettitte is 1-5, 4.26 at Safeco Field in his career. He is 10-11, 4.58 against Seattle in his career. He has a losing record against only one other AL team, the Indians. However Pettitte did beat the Mariners on July 1 at the Stadium, allowing two runs over seven innings.

JOHNNY ROCKETS: Johnny Damon’s last 10 games: 17 of 43, 11 runs, 8 RBI, 11 extra-base hits, 5 strikeouts. That’s .395/.422/.884. He’s up to .289.

CANO’S STREAK: Robinson Cano has hit safely in 11 straight games at 21 of 49. He’s up to .318. He has eight extra-base hits in his streak.

THAT’S COLD: Melky Cabrera is 5 of 40 and Eric Hinske 1 of 13.

BACK ON TRACK: The team ERA of 4.29 is the lowest it has been all season. The Yankees are third in WHIP and second in K/9 in the AL.

CRUSHING KIDS: The Yankees have homered in 91 of their 115 games.

BRUNEY BATTLES BACK: Brian Bruney, the pride of Astoria, Ore., has not allowed a run in his last four innings. He has a lot of his family and friends at this series.

Back with more later.

UPDATE, 6:35 p.m.: Joba starts Sunday. He won’t pitch again until the Texas series back home.

UPDATE, 7:26 p.m.: A-Rod out of the lineup. Back spasms.

UPDATE, 7:34 p.m.: OK, Alex was in the lineup. Then he arrived at the ballpark and told Joe Girardi that he had back spasms that were related to his getting hit on the elbow on Wednesday.

I missed that day of med school, so I’m not sure how that exactly works. But A-Rod is out, Hairston is in and A-Rod said he hopes to play tomorrow. He said he felt pain in the center of his back when he got hit because his whole body went numb. “I sort of braced myself,” he said.

UPDATE, 7:58 p.m.: So here is how the pitching lines up:

Today at Seattle: Pettitte
Tomorow at Seattle: Mitre
Sunday at Seattle: Chamberlain
Monday at Oakland: Burnett
Tuesday at Oakland: Sabathia
Wednesday at Oakland: Gaudin
Thursday: off
Aug. 21 at Boston: Pettitte
Aug. 22 at Boston: Burnett
Aug. 23 at Boston: Sabathia
Aug. 24: off
Aug. 25 vs. Texas: Chamberlain

UPDATE, 10:12 p.m.: We are underway at spectacular Safeco Field. 64 degrees. Thanks for staying up late.

Jeter, by the way, is four hits away from tying Luis Aparicio for the most as a shortstop. Jeter has 2,669, Aparicio 2,673. Pretty amazing.

UPDATE, 10:25 p.m.: Single, single, double, all to right field. Poor start for Andy Pettitte.

UPDATE, 10:34 p.m.: Looks like a home run for Jorge, no? Umpires going to check it out.

UPDATE, 10:36 p.m.: Nope, double. Angle I saw in the press box looked like it cleared the line. Guess not.

UPDATE, 10:54 p.m.: Andy got right in a hurry. Three hits then six straight outs, four by strikeout.

UPDATE, 11:27 p.m.: Wild game in Texas. Clay Buchholz, as a pinch runner, got thrown out at the plate. But Victor Martinez’s two-run double just gave Boston a 5-4 lead in the ninth. Boston has scored again. Three runs in the ninth so far. Epic failure for Texas if they lose this one.

UPDATE, 11:34 p.m.: Yankees just invented a run there. Melky infield single, wild pitch, Jeter single that went under the gloves of the third baseman and shortstop. But it’s 2-2.

Intangibles!

UPDATE, 11:48 p.m.: Andy Pettitte has whiffed eight of the last 16 batters he has faced. Yankees owe him a few runs at this point.

UPDATE, 11:57 p.m.: Andy has 10 Ks, his most since Aug. 21, 2006 at Cincinnati. Most K’s of an AL team since 2003.

UPDATE, 12:00 a.m.: Yankees owe their starter at least one run here.

UPDATE, 12:09 a.m.: Pettitte done after six innings and 111 pitches. He has a 2.04 ERA in six starts since the break and one win to show for it.

UPDATE, 12:16 a.m.: Girardi said before the game that Bruney was back in the reliable category. Big spot for him here.

UPDATE, 12:29 a.m.: Phil Franchise in for the eighth inning. Shorter hair, still nasty.

UPDATE, 12:32 a.m.: Junior giving Hughes a good AB, fouling off heaters.

UPDATE, 12:35 a.m.: Griffey walks, giving Branyan a shot.

UPDATE, 12:41 a.m.: Phil danced with the devil a bit there but whiffed Hannahan to end the inning. He has 44 K’s in 33.1 innings of relief.

UPDATE, 12:43 a.m.: Wow, Tex murdered that pitch. 3-2 Yankees and Mo warming.

UPDATE, 1:01 a.m.: Nice win for the Yankees here if Mo can finish it off. Tex is making a nice case for MVP. 30 homers and 86 RBI with 46 games to go.

Back in a bit with some clubhouse reaction.

The Red Sox have acquired SS Alex Gonzalez and his .554 OPS. Being the shortstop of the Red Sox is like being one of the security officers beaming down to the planet with Captain Kirk. You’re only going to be around for so long.

Meanwhile:

• Mike and The Mad Dog busted up a year ago today. Mike continues on WFAN and remains a good listen. Not sure what Chris does these days.

• Received an e-mail today from the Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. A major in the 7th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade wanted to say that reading about the Yankees brightened up his day. Sir, I think I can safely speak for everybody here when I say stay safe and come back home.

• I love dogs and Mike Vick is a heinous criminal. But he got caught and did his time. Football is what he does for a living and a man should be allowed to make a living. If the Eagles want to sign him, that’s their business. Frankly, I wish the Patriots had.

• Did I really make a Star Trek reference? I think I did.

• The Mets just sent out an e-mail that that said “Mets unveil enhancements to Citi Field.” The list did not include, “Plan to field competitive team run by professionals.”

• Good piece by Sweeny Murti today on Mariano Rivera.

That’s it for now. I’ll get the game post on line around 6 p.m. or so. Yankees-Mariners at 10:10 again tonight.

It’s not official yet, but it sounds like the Yankees could put Joba back into the rotation rather than use Mitre and Gaudin on consecutive days. CC’s long start certainly helped the bullpen last night.

I’m not going to pretend I understand the science and physics of how and why a baseball carries, because I don’t. There’s a reason I was a journalism major.

But Alan M. Nathan from the University of Illinois Dept. of Physics certainly does understand and he did a study of the new Yankee Stadium.

To boil down his findings: The ball doesn’t carry any better at Yankee Stadium than anywhere else, in fact it doesn’t carry well at all compared to other parks. The fences are just too darn close.

One of our loyal readers, CB, tipped me off to this. He saw the report on Dave Pinto’s Baseball Musings site. So thanks to those guys.

Here’s the spot I did with SNY’s The Wheelhouse before the game yesterday. Thanks to those guys for having me on.