Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching the Boston Red Sox hosting the New York Yankees - the biggest rivalry in sports dating back to the early 1900s. It's always fun watching these two teams play each other - my only visit to the old Yankee Stadium was for a Yankees/Red Sox game with my friend Stephen back in 1992, and I had more fun watching the die-hard fans than I did watching the actual game. And then there was Roger Clemens, who went from the Red Sox to the Yankees via a stint with the Toronto Blue Jays. Every time Roger pitched at Fenway Park while wearing Yankee pinstripes, the fans would yell "RO-GERRR! RO-GERRR!," especially after Clemens had been involved in a bench-clearing fiasco when the Sox were visiting Yankee Stadium. In yesterday's game, I enjoyed watching my favorite Yankee have a great game. Yes, even I, the Yankee Hater, have a favorite Yankee. No, it's not Derek Jeter, and no way is it A-Rod; my favorite Yankee is Robinson Canó. Born in the Dominican baseball town of San Pedro de Macorís, Canó was named after baseball great Jackie Robinson. He earned the gold glove last year for his excellence at second base, and he has been consistent and dependable since he started with the Yankees in 2005. In yesterday's game, he went 3 for 5 with a double and a home run, and he had a few good defensive plays as well. The Yankees won that game 9-4, which made me feel bad for the slumping Red Sox, but at least it was a good game to watch.
Speaking of Dominican players, baseball enigma Manny Ramirez failed yet another drug test, and instead of facing the 100-game suspension that he would have received, he decided to abruptly retire. I don't have much to say regarding Manny's retirement; I never cared for him, never paid any attention to his antics, and didn't miss him when he was out during last year's 50-game suspension. He has made his choices and now has to live with his mistakes (as well as with the shunken and shriveled testicles that come with extensive steroid use). See ya, Manny, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!
Let's see...what's goig on today? Oh, the Nationals are playing the Mets in the rubber game of that series (Carlos Beltrán hit two home runs for the Mets yesterday - I guess he's OK playing right field this year and his knees are doing OK), and the red-hot Orioles, who split a double-header with the even redder-hotter Texas Rangers, will play each other again today too. Cole Hammels will pitch for the Phillies as they take on Derek Lowe and the Braves, and the Red Sox/Yankees series wraps up tonight with CC Sabathia pitching against Josh Beckett. It should be an interesting afternoon, though I wish the Red Sox and Yankees would wear their last names on the back of their jerseys. I know it's tradition and both teams have gone with their uniforms pretty much unchanged since the beginning of time, but some of us like knowing who is playing where, and we don't have everyone's numbers memorized. Something else I would like to change when I become commissioner!
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