Wrapping it up from Camden Yards
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 03, 2009 
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The Yankees are 12-3 against Baltimore with three games to go back in the Bronx. They have won 10 straight against the Birds for the first time since 1955.
Nick Swisher is 27 of 56 at Camden Yards in his career with 29 RBI over 27 games. “Can I stay here and play for the next time team that comes through?” he said. “I’ll DH if they want.”
With the Red Sox losing, the Yankees now lead the division by 7.5 games with 29 to play. They lead the Angels by 6.5 games in the race for home field. Of the 29 games left, only 14 are against contenders.
Meanwhile, Camden Yards has become essentially a second home park for the Yankees and Red Sox.
Baltimore averaged 31,556 fans for nine games against the Yankees and 39,083 for six games against Boston. In their other 53 home games, the Orioles have averaged only 21,443 fans. This used to be a great baseball town, too. For the sake of the people here, hopefully the rebuilding plan starts to work soon.
Thanks for reading tonight. Traveling to Toronto tomorrow morning but we’ll get some blog posts up.
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The Big G beat the Mets tonight with a two-run pinch single in the eighth inning. He has three RBI in two games for the Rockies. Colorado leads the NL wild card by a game.
If they remember to keep him from playing in the field, Jason will held the Rockies plenty down the stretch.
For what it’s worth, the win tonight and Angels’ loss gives the Yanks the best road record in the AL to go along with the best home record.
This team can beat anyone and it doesn’t matter where they play.
Pete,
Love your posts but you got it wrong. Bawlmer is and never was a great baseball town. It’s just like DC…a grimmy mid-atlantic market that is all about football and bandwagon everything else.
The O’s never drew for their good teams UNTIL the Colts left, and that was inflated due to the spillover from DC not having a team.
Further…don’t wish good things for Bawlmer fans. They are bitter, illiterate, jealous dirtbags.
I’ve been to many games there, and if the accents weren’t bad enough, they are just downright rude Red Sox-wannabes.
Look at the way they treat Mark Texiera, they are everything wrong with America…bitter…jealous…losers who take it on the successful.
I love seeing them in the toilet and hope they remain there. They deserve it.
29 games to go with a nice record of 85-48.
I feel really good right now, The Yankeeography was awesome as well.
Troy must have been mugged in Baltimore at some point in his life.
Remember the show Homicide with Daniel Baldwin? I used to love that show. Gritty, but not gutty like our BG.
Good luck to the Brettmeister in his rehab tomorrow.
I’ve probably attended 100 or so games in Baltimore, going back to the late 60′s. It was indeed a GREAT baseball town, until the mid-90′s. How sadly ironic that the majority owner, a lawyer who’s made gazillions representing labor unions, has gutted the team he owns by being a cheap sonofagun.
He talks about the treatment that Teixeira gets, but, glosses over Rodriguez’ treatment in NY. Burnett gets the same ridiculous treatment on here and Cano has gotten plenty of unnecessary grief because of “fan” stupidity. NYY fans have no place to talk about treatment towards their hometown athletes. Frm the early ’60s through the mid-’90s, Baltimore was a model franchise and a strong fanbase.
Sorry, that seemed kind of random. Homicide was a set in Baltimore.
Speaking of crazy towns, where is this Norfuk? I heard Suzyn talking about it. Some minor league affiliate is located there?
Congratulations on the SWEEP everyone!
Two SWEEPS in a row!
Cano is hustling much more this year than he did last year.. playing harder, not as lazy or unfocused. And as a result, his numbers are much better across the board.
Amazing how good he is when he hustles…
makes sense that the Red Sox would have more of their fans show up at Camden Yards. Tickets @Fenway are next to impossible to score; plus, who the hell wants to drive all the way to Boston, mASS?
it’s going to be a while before Camden Yards is packed w/O’s fans.
Norfolk, VA?
That’s near Virginia Beach I think
I bet Troy doesn’t like soft shell crabs either!
Do some of you realize that the Texas Rangers are 3.5 back in their division. The Angels might not walk away with that division.
Of course they pack Camden Yawd. It’s the only place not named Fenway Park that the Red Sox can win.
Careful with your spelling mel.
“The Big G beat the Mets tonight with a two-run pinch single in the eighth inning. He has three RBI in two games for the Rockies. Colorado leads the NL wild card by a game.
If they remember to keep him from playing in the field, Jason will held the Rockies plenty down the stretch. ”
Agree Pete. So nice to see this guy back in action. A Class act and stand up guy. One of the most respected guys in the game.
but how do you really feel about the fine folks of Baltimore, Troy?
It’s not just hustle that got Cano turned around.
It all started last offseason when he hired a personal trainer and really worked his ass off getting himself into better shape and working on his swing.
His defense has been far far better as well. He’s been unreal this season at 2B.
His attitude is much different and he worked his ass off to get better. It has little to nothing to do with his “hustle.”
Norfolk is at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay, about 40 miles southeast of Richmond.
Baltimore named their football team after a poem.
That’s just wild.
I’m puzzled, how did so many Boston expats end up in the Baltimore/DC area?
Ex-New Yorkers are everywhere, but I don’t come across too many Boston expats on the road.
I don’t miss Giambi at all. Wasn’t a big fan when he was here, don’t care what he does unless he’s playing against the Yanks but wish him well in life.
Pete however does seem to have a little man crush or bromance. I know there’s a difference between those 2 things just not sure what it is and which applies.
Jason Giambi is fat, lazy, and a disgrace.
if he wasn’t drinking and partying, he was eating double cheeseburgers with supersized order of fries.
He never took care of himself, and was constantly unreliable.
I won’t even go into the PEDs and lying.
So he was friendly to the press. Big deal.
Anyone feel we may be peaking too soon?
We can’t possibly continue playing this well for the next 2 months into November. The bats are going to cool off eventually. Hughes has yet to allow a run as a setup man (Coke allowed his inherited run to score in Chi town), MO has converted like 30 straight saves, Andy has been one of the best pitchers in baseball post ASB, etc.
How much longer can our luck be this good? I kind of want us to stumble a little bit then pick it up when we get to October. In 05-07, we were playing so well going in and we were flat once the playoffs started. Don’t want that to happen again.
pat,
I was!
Is it really pronounced that way? I thought it was Nor-folk. But the way she said it sounded FCC fineable.
And I totally agree, I respect Pete’s right to blog about whatever he feels like. But I’d rather hear about Bruce Springsteen than Giambi. Not a big fan of either one, but at least the Boss is crush-worthy.
Can we stop referring to him as The Big G? How about The Big Deflated?
Giambi was a stand up guy and always honest and accountable. He was the first player who had the guts to apologize for using steroids and was always a stand-up guy. He was a great clubhouse guy, nice to the writers, and seemed to really enjoy being a Yankee.
Wish he was still here in a bench roll…
On July 2nd, the Yanks were 12-16 against AL East foes.
They are now 33-20 on the season against division foes.
Do the math and they are now 21-4 against those four teams over a two-month span.
Giuseppe Franco
Great stat. Crazy how the Yanks turned it around so fast.
m
I pronounce it the FCC fineable way. It could be a regional thing.
The only roll Giambi was interested in begins with dinner, cinnamon, or deli.
He was an okay enough guy, but the last couple of years were brutal. I could put up with him sweating buckets just from stepping into the batter’s box and more often than not swinging from the ankles. But his glove! Oh, the horrors.
Guys like Swisher and Giambi are good fun and all. But if you don’t produce, it’s no fun at all. Thank goodness Swisher’s having a bounceback season. Comeback player of the year? Hey, didn’t Giambi win one of those?
D Town September 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 am
Giambi was a stand up guy and always honest and accountable. He was the first player who had the guts to apologize for using steroids and was always a stand-up guy.
======================================
Big deal. Bernie Madoff apologized and took responsibly, as well.
He still was a fat slob who didn’t take his job seriously, as he was always out of shape and couldn’t play first base.
Remember when everyone said we couldn’t beat good teams? lol
And people counted the White Sox among them LMAO
Comeback player of the year? Hey, didn’t Giambi win one of those?
==============================
It’s more like did he eat one of those.
Did Gambi actually say what he was apologizing for?
Kenny
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 am
Anyone feel we may be peaking too soon?
We can’t possibly continue playing this well for the next 2 months into November. The bats are going to cool off eventually. Hughes has yet to allow a run as a setup man (Coke allowed his inherited run to score in Chi town), MO has converted like 30 straight saves, Andy has been one of the best pitchers in baseball post ASB, etc.
How much longer can our luck be this good? I kind of want us to stumble a little bit then pick it up when we get to October. In 05-07, we were playing so well going in and we were flat once the playoffs started. Don’t want that to happen again.
————————————————————
That’s BS. Would you prefer that they close out the season with a 3-15 run like in 2000?
Conversely, the Red Sox were 22-9 against AL East foes on July 2nd and they now stand at 36-21 for the season.
That’s a 14-12 record during the same time span the Yanks went 21-4.
I guess that’s how you build a 7.5 game lead in the division.
pat,
lol. Then I’m living in the right region. I’ll pronounce it the non-fineable way. I can’t imagine that rolling off my tongue.
Not sure if Teixeira just had the night off or if he was busy doing his other job:
http://punchball.blogspot.com/.....r-sub.html
Funny!
King James September 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 am
Remember when everyone said we couldn’t beat good teams? lol
And people counted the White Sox among them LMAO
————–
Pete was one of those people. Just take a look at what he said about the Yanks after the final game in LAA before the All Star Break.
A couple of us posters called him on it and Pete got a little testy as he usually does when someone challenges him.
Jeremy September 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 am
Do some of you realize that the Texas Rangers are 3.5 back in their division. The Angels might not walk away with that division.
=============================
Good point. They’ve got 7 games left with Texas.
Hell, the halos could end up with the wild card.
D Town
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 am
Giambi was a stand up guy and always honest and accountable. He was the first player who had the guts to apologize for using steroids and was always a stand-up guy. He was a great clubhouse guy, nice to the writers, and seemed to really enjoy being a Yankee.
Wish he was still here in a bench roll…
————————————————————
What exactly did he apologize for? He never said, other than “things”. He’s been less straight foreward than Rodriguez or Pettitte. It makes no difference to me, anyway, because HGH/Steroids have a minimal impact on the numbers, anyway. Corked bats and doctored baseballs have a bigger impact.
Other than the same color hair, I don’t think Teixeira and Jared share any resemblance at all.
Tunnel Man
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 am
Jeremy September 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 am
Do some of you realize that the Texas Rangers are 3.5 back in their division. The Angels might not walk away with that division.
=============================
Good point. They’ve got 7 games left with Texas.
Hell, the halos could end up with the wild card.
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They could also end up out of the playoffs if they aren’t careful. That pitching is still sketchy.
Angels are 5-9 in their last 14
Lost a series to Toronto on the road, Detroit at home, split with Oakland, lost a series in Seattle during that time.
I can’t believe I’m saying, but that photo of Tex makes Jarret look decent.
Tex looks best when he’s in street clothes/no cap and all smiles.
The last 2 teams I’d like to see get in are the Rays and Texas.
Unlikely, but there’s a month of baseball left. Will be interesting to see what kind of lineup Girardi puts up next Tue/Wed vs. Tampa.
“Will be interesting to see what kind of lineup Girardi puts up next Tue/Wed vs. Tampa.”
Hopefully
Gardner CF
Swisher RF
Hinske LF
Teixeria 1B
Matsui DH
Hairston 3B
Pena SS
Melky CF
Cervelli C
Bill,
Swishwer can’t play RF.
Swisher-LHP
While the East race has essentially been over for some time, I still enjoy seeing the Sox lose a game in the standings. A slow death.
The Rays and more importantly Texas gain a game in the WC race which I’m sure gets the Sox fans panties all in a knot.
Penny throws a gem of a game.
Good times…
One thing I’ve noticed is that Swisher’s defense has been considerably better the last month or so.
So has Damon’s defense for that matter. Seems like his peepers were giving him a lot of problems a couple of months back but those issues have now subsided.
Suzyn said that Bruney and ? were working with Swisher recently. He credited them for that outfield assist he had the other day (against Chicago?)
Not just Swisher’s throwing, but his overall defense seems to be better.
I don’t think Bruney helped him out with his fielding.
Then again, maybe Swisher should offer Bruney help with his pitching. Can’t hurt at this point.
Honesty points for Brad Penny:
Penny said he felt no nerves as he took the mound for the first time since Aug. 21. His explanations for his performances in Boston was an odd one.
“A lot of those foul balls to first base that they catch for outs are foul balls in Fenway because there’s no foul territory,” Penny said. “It’s an extended at-bat, and who knows what could happen? Plus it was the Yankees. There’s not a lineup better than the Yankees in baseball.”
http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290902122
m
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:52 am
Suzyn said that Bruney and ? were working with Swisher recently. He credited them for that outfield assist he had the other day (against Chicago?)
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The other one was pitching coach Dave Eiland that was working on Swisher’s throwing.
GB7,
Yes! That’s who I thought, but it was a little “too” obvious. Duh!
Wonder if Eiland could work with Damon, too?
That was brutal honesty by Penny. And possibly explains why, in addition to the green monstrosity, Boston does so well in that park.
The Yankees have always had good lineups. They’ve got a nice mixture of patience, good eyes, and power. Plus a lot of power switch hitters. Tex, Posada, Swish, and Cabrera.
This year’s squad doesn’t seem to be paralyzed by fear in clutch situations or when they get behind.
@ Troy
You really have no clue do you? Baltimore was and STILL IS a great Baseball town. The problem now is that the Orioles are owned by a loser by the name of Peter Angelos. This guy is hated by many fans in Baltimore because he ran this franchise down the toilet. I am from Baltimore. Trust me… Fans want a winning team. They are embarrassed by this team…
I will give you words from a former Orioles player that I met and happened to set next to on a flight from BWI to Tampa about 8 years ago… he said “Angelos runs the team like a used car salesman… Baltimore will never have a good team as long as this guy owns them.” I won’t say his name… but it rhymes with “Willy Bipken”
“He’s got a lot more to go, he really does,” catcher Jorge Posada said. “He’s having probably the best season in his career. He’s doing a lot of things well, and he’s the guy we follow. He’s the guy we look up to.”
Posada marveled at the names Jeter has passed on the hits list — Ruth and DiMaggio, Mantle and Berra, Mattingly and Williams — but said Jeter had never discussed it with him. Yet because it is a Yankees record, and not merely a round number signifying individual greatness, Jeter said it would have extra meaning.
_____________________________________________________
Great article on Jeter by Kepner:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09.....f=baseball
m
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:08 am
GB7,
Yes! That’s who I thought, but it was a little “too” obvious. Duh!
“Wonder if Eiland could work with Damon, too?”
————————————————————
Eiland has done a pretty good job as a pitching coach, but, he’s not a magician or God.
Pedroia need not apply. He’s no magic person.
A request/suggestion: Let’s put a moritorium on discussions about the 2010 roster. The 2009 squad is poised to finally bring the crown to NY where it belongs – let’s have fun and relish the rest of the season!! We’ll have plenty of time in the winter to worry about whether to resign Damon, if Hughes should rejoin the rotation, non-tendering Wang, rushign A-jax up to the majors, and stuff like that. But lets enjoy our potential World Champion team!!
w/e….the Sawk averaged more fans in Bawlmer because of the times they visited.
They came to Bawlmer in late June and a weekend in July.
We came there during the 1st week of April, the only weekend was early in May, and then the 1st week of Septermber…thus this is NOT a clear stat.
There are LOTS of New England transplants all over.
You guys defending Bawlmer do NOT know what you are talking about.
You clearly have been suckered into the media hype about how “great a town” Bawlmer is….just like most fans buy the hype about how “great a ballpark” Fenway is.
The Orioles had contenders from the late 60s to the mid 80s AND THEIR ATTENDANCE stank.
Look it up on baseball almanac.
The Orioles NEVER drew until the late 80s AFTER the Colts left…why?
Because Bawlmer is a poorer, dirtier version of DC….it is a FOOTBALL town.
Even when the O’s drew in the 90s it was highly inflated due not only to no NFL team, but DC…one of the biggest markets….had no baseball team and like Bawlmer…jumped on the bandwagon.
Also…they loved Cal and his streak.
Bawlmer is NO BETTER a baseball town than Kansas City or Minnesota.
It is EXACTLY the same…a small, medicore market that is about football.
Period.
They ALWAYS have been Yankee Stadium south and always will be.
Bawlmer fans are immature, jealous, babies who just can’t stand the fact and live in total denial that they aren’t a big market like NY or DC but they are simply DC’s version of Newark.
They don’t matter…they are a rustbelt small market city.
Period.
I actually hate Bawlmer fans (the few who exist) more than Red Sawk fans becuase at least with Red Sawk fans (the non-pink hats) they are legit.
This is a big rivarly with Boston and an important MLB franchise.
Bawlmer is just a Boston wannabe…they act like the Yanks are a big rival…and they are to blame for their problems.
You saw how childish they are with Texiera and the “Severna Park Hates You.”
That perfectly illustrates the mentality of Orioles fans (the few who exist) immature babies who delude themselves into thinking somehow they are a big player in MLB.
Again, Bawlmer is no different than KC or Minnesota.
Bawler to DC=Newark to NY.
“Giambi was a stand up guy and always honest and accountable. He was the first player who had the guts to apologize for using steroids and was always a stand-up guy.”
Absurd. He only came clean to the Feds because he was afraid of legal repercussions beyond baseball. No press conference. No Q & A. He got off easy. G-Fraud was a cheat and a wimp who claimed his sudden weight loss was due to cutting out fast food. Honest?? Right. No guts at all. No mea culpa to this day. And he never would’ve gotten $140 mil without gaining 50lbs of steroid muscle and hitting homers because of it. He’s not the “good guy” of the steroid cheats. No such thing.