Today MyRye.com introduces a new column, Ethan's NY Sports Journal. Penned by Rye resident, Osborn Elementary graduate and incoming sixth grader Ethan Sears, the column will report on and analyze New York metro sports teams. In his inaugural column, Sears takes a look at the Yankees mixed performance this past week and looks ahead to the Sox series this weekend. Sears is a two time attendee of Sports Broadcasting Camps.
What do you think of Ethan's NY Sports Journal? Leave a comment below.
Saturday, July 31st – Yankees 5, Rays 4:
Today is the trade deadline and the Yankees get Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns, and Kerry Wood. Berkman starts at DH and when I hear that he will be the everyday DH and think about how that effects Jorge Posada, it makes no sense to me. Matt Garza starts for the Rays and it is the first outing for him since his no-hitter. Mark Texaira and Robinson Cano both homer as the Yankees beat the Rays. Texaira is really starting to come around and Cano is having an MVP type year.
Sunday, August 1st – Yankees 0, Rays 3.
Today I feel the pitching match-up is tilted a little in the Yankees favor as CC Sabathia starts for the Yanks and James Shields starts for Tampa. When I hear the Yankee lineup, my view changes. Alex Rodriguez takes the day off and Ramiro Pena starts at third, Austin Kearns plays left and Lance Berkman plays first while Texaira DH’s. Girardi is obviously trying to take pressure off of A-Rod by benching him. It means nothing to me that his next home run will be his 600th homer because it’s tainted anyway and since he used performance enhancing drugs, he won’t be elected to the Hall of Fame anyway. Outside of last post-season, he has never been able to handle pressure and now he can’t handle the pressure of hitting his 600th home run. I miss the game but at 4:30 I hear the Yankees are losing 3-0 in the 8th.
Monday, August 2nd: – Yankees 6, Jays 8.
I see the highlights on MLB Network’s Quick Pitch and the first thing that comes to mind is what the heck is Lance Berkman trying to do at first Base?! I can’t believe those poorly fielded balls weren’t charged as errors because he looked bad missing those plays. Just bad. Today the Yanks play their first of three with the Blue Jays in New York. AJ Burnett goes for the Yankees and Brandon Morrow for Toronto. This is a must game since the Yanks are only one game up on Tampa and they should beat a disappointing Minnesota Twins.
Tuesday, August 3rd - Yankees 2, Jays 8.
Last night is the kind of night that teams like the Orioles and the Cubs experience—but not the Yankees. One bad inning and the game is basically over. Then you come back and as soon as you get the tying run to the plate Kearns strikes out to end the inning. A disappointing outing for AJ Burnett. Kearns strikes out at his first at bat as a Yankee at Yankee Stadium. Joe Girardi was looking to tie it up instantly with Kearns versus Joe Torre’s theory of “take small bites”. Today is a must game as the Rays beat the Twins to tie the division. The Yanks start Dustin Mosely as the Jays counter with rising star Rickey Romero.
Wednesday, August 4th – Yankees 5, Jays 1.
After the first inning last night, the Yankees looked like the Orioles for the second night in a row. Rickey Romero after a shaky first looked like Johan Santana in more ways than one. Dustin Mosely didn’t look good to say the least and the Yanks are out of first after dropping two games in a row to a mediocre Blue Jays team. Today Phil Hughes goes for the Yanks as the Jays counter with Shaun Marcum. Alex Rodriguez still needs to realize that nobody cares—just hit your 600th home run!
Thursday, August 5th – Off
Finally! A-Rod finally hit his 600th homer and hopefully can get back to baseball. Here is the thing. It’s a tainted milestone and we all know that. He doesn’t deserve the Hall of Fame because without the help of performance enhancing drugs who knows where he would be. The Yankees did win by the score of 5-1 and are now tied with the Rays for first in the AL East.
Looking Ahead: Friday and the Weekend
Looking ahead to the series against Boston, it is make it or break it right now for the Red Sox. If they don’t win at least three out of four against the Yanks, they are done. We can win this series and we should win this series against an under-performing Boston team plagued by injuries.
First….I happen to love the name Ethan…a very good friend, whom I grew up with in Rye (Greg Manach, unfortunately, now deceased), named his son Ethan..I liked it then..I like it now….Back to the story-line….I like the fact you have opinions Ethan. One of them I’ll disagree with is the A-Rod Hall of Fame position….I understand he used performance enhancing drugs for a period in his career…Many of the leading players of the past decade or so did as well. Obviously, that fact alone does not make it alright…But, the use of drugs in sports has been pervasive throughout your lifetime as well as mine (64 years old)….there were different drugs when I was young..who’s to say they didn’t impact on the player’s ability to perform better?…I say, let them all in…Let them all in but Pete Rose…Not until he admits his gambling involvement….then, let him in too…Look, it’s sports. It’s fans paying to see results…Hits and runs..lots of runs ! Keep up the good work..I look forward to more articles..Go Yankees !! mike