THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Well Joe P Jr has outdone himself once again.  He actually transformed himself into a Yankee fan for the purpose of writing a song that is not only a tribute to the greatest team in sports history but the greatest fans in the sports world as well. 

Simply entitled "I'm A Yankee Fan", not so clever but straight and to the point Harry King belts out the convincing anthem to the Bronx Bomber fans.  The only problem is that if Joe transforms himself for more that 20 minutes at a time he may never be able to return to the RSN.  The song is really like Joe making a wish!

The song itself is like a cross between the Tractors and Moody Blues with a trace of Hootie in the vocals.  Joe has something here to be proud of.  Check out the sample on CD Baby and download it.  You won't be sorry.

SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER JOE PICKERING JR.

I'M A YANKEE FAN SONG (written by a Red Sox fan!)



My late Mom was the world's greatest Red Sox fan and she near worshipped the great hitting teams led by Ted Williams and followed the Red Sox on TV, radio, at Fenway for many decadeseven wrote a song about her. Those great Yankee teams of Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle and beyond always caused her deep pain. When I mentioned Bucky Dent..she "wanted him planted in cement!? Sure, she knew baseball was only a game but the Red Sox were her team. Though she was deeply disapponted by the Yankees winning nearly all the important games with the Sox, she never had any anything but respect for the Yankees. Why? She loved the game of baseball along with all the other sports bit baseball most. She admired quality play the fact was and is the Yankees over the longest period of time have been the best. She would have never used the derogatory terms assigned to the Yankees. It was not in her nature. One of the proudest moments of her life was to go to Yankee Stadium and watch the Yankees play and win the world series in the 1940's.

Maybe, that is why I have that grudging respect for them. Phil Speranza the owner of the oldest Yankee Fan site was somewhat surprised that I could write a song about the old Yankee Stadium. Why not? It was the greatest sports stadium in the world. Not, as pretty as Fenway but the greatest. One of the best if not the best quote I ever got for that song was from Phil. He called my Yankee Stadium an anthemn for an icon. Great great quote. But, let me tell you I am a Red Sox fan. I love my song called Baseball's Mortal Sin too. Guess which team that song is about? I have written many songs about the Red Sox and Yankees Rivalry including the song, "One Strike Away" and that is what Mike Mussina did...just one strike away from the first perfect game in Fenway's near 100 year history. My son Chris and I werer fortunate to witness the greatest pitched game that I ever saw and oh it was so so close. And, quite frankly it was not to be. Carl Everett singled over the head of Derek Jeter's head and one of the Yankee players said, "It felt like we lost the game." Well, they didn't. The Yankees won beating a former Yankee David Cone who pitched a beautiful two hitter and had at one time pitched a perfect game.

Thought I would share with you my very latest song. It is called," I'm a Yankee Fan" sung by Harry King who did a fantastic fast paced, exciting song about being a Yankee Fan.(Harry King has won grammies.) It actually took me months (not full time!) to write the song because I could never figure out how I celebrate Yankee fans and their very long successful history. If I started naming names of famous fans, I would get the Bronx Cheer. Who needs the Bronx cheer? So, I avoided that. I think of my Yankee Stadium song and the I'm a Yankee Fan song as two companion pieces. Anyway, I tried to write a song that would capture the thrill of being a Yankee fan and the pride that you folks have with the most successful sports franchise in the world. Here is the song lyric if you wish to read it:

I'M A YANKEE FAN!


DRUM ROLL! TRUMPETS! STRIKE UP THE BAND!
WHO'S THE GREATEST YANKEE FAN IN THE LAND?
ANY BOY OR GIRL, ANY WOMAN OR MAN
WHO CHEER AND SHOUT I'M A YANKEE FAN!


CALLS ITSELF THE BRONX BOMBER DYNASTY
THE NUMBER ONE SPORTS TEAM IN HISTORY
OUR WINNING TRADITION MAKES US STAND TALL
ALL YANKEE FANS BELONG IN BASEBALLS HALL

CHORUS

I'M A YANKEE FAN FOR ETERNITY
I'M WITH YOU CHEERING EVERY YANKEE
OUR TEAM'S WON MORE TITLES THAN ANYONE
WE'LL WIN MANY MORE CAUSE WE ARE NOT DONE

WE CHEER THEM ON IN THE SPRING THROUGH FALL
DREAM ALL WINTER OF THE FIRST DAY OF BASEBALL
WE LOVE OUR PINSTRIPES LIKE THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE
OUR YANKEES THEY'RE IN OUR BLOOD THEY'RE FAMILY TOO

BABE RUTH AND OUR TEAM BEGAN IN BALTIMORE
NINETEEN THIRTEEN WAS THE START OF YANKEE LORE
THANK YOU BALTIMORE WITHOUT YOU WE WOULDN'T BE
THANK YOU BOSTON THE BABE STARTED OUR DYNASTY

MOST RETIRED NUMBERS, MOST IN THE HALL OF FAME
LET'S CHEER! LET'S SHOUT EACH YANKEE NAME
WE LIVE FOR THAT WORLD SERIES WIN IN THE FALL


OH OUR YANKEES ARE THE YANKEES AFTER ALL!!


COUPLET BELOW AND FADE

ALL YANKEES FANS BELONG IN BASEBALL'S HALL


ALL YANKEE FANS BELONG IN BASEBALL'S HALL!


REPEAT FADE


Joe Pickering Jr. Songwriter King of the Road Music Publisher Harry King Producer, arranger and singer. C 2011

PREVIEW AND/OR BUY I'M A YANKEE FAN AT CD BABY

TOMORROW PHIL SHOOTS BACK AND TELLS YOU WHAT HE THINKS!

YANKS SIGN PROCTOR AND GAMBLE . . .

Yanks take gamble on Proctor

Scott Proctor that is and they will take the "gamble" and have him report to Scranton Wilkes Barre after he was released by the Atlanta Braves.  You remember the deal - July 31, 2007, the Bombers send a worn out Scott Proctor to the Dodgers for one time prospect Wilson Betiment.  Well that deal didn't work out but The Yanks later sent Betiment to the Chisox for Nick Swisher.  In between Proctor had Tommy John surgery.

Cut with a knife

Freddy Garcia has been scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays because of a cut on a finger sustained in a kitchen accident four or five days ago.


A.J. Burnett will start in his place and manager Joe Girardi will be able delay the decision on who gets dropped from New York’s rotation. Girardi has been promising for several days that the team would go back to a five-man rotation after Sunday. Well that's one way to do it.

Just had to share

I don't know if you saw this but I just found it hilarious.


see more Celeb Look-A-Likes

PUTT PUTT

Colon

Bartollo Colon, could he be out of gas. He doesn’t exactly have that Jack Lalanne physique. There is no evidence of PED use there for sure. He has had bad outings back to back for the first time all summer. He pitched winter ball so that would make it very long season. As much as I would love to see him make a very long season with a little less than half to go not counting the post season.

Manager Joe Girardi made up a 1000 excuses for the portly righthander but Bartollo would have no part of them. Colon said through an interpreter. "That was my fault. I don't pitch good, and they hit me, and I lost the game." (just why does he “still” need an interpretor?)



The move to to send Ivan Nova to SWB to keep him starting doesn’t look so stupid now. And hopefully Hughes keeps pitching well. Maybe, just maybe it was a burp for Colon. Maybe next outing he comes back OK.

MURPHY'S LAW



Do the Freddy



Freddy Garcia pitched a gem, David Robinson pitched a light out 8th inning.  OK so this is the closest thing the Mets will get to a championship in a few years.  True you have to be happy with 2 of 3 but after taking the first two, well you know.  Ramiro Pena is suppose to be the sure handed fielder, it took him two errors to finally give away Sunday's extra inning matchup allowing Daniel Murphy to keep the inning alive.  But if we cscored 3 runs today the point would be moot.

With every SS error that is made pushes that big head further up Derek's butt.  Jason Bay gets the winning hit of the day. 

The Captain returns on the late Boss's birthday in Cleveland to resume his hunt for hit # 3000.

Mitrie Returns Home

Sergio Mitre didn't count out the possibility of reuniting with the Yankees in the future, he just didn't see it happening this year. Nor did he see himself starting against the mets this weekend.  After all, the Yankees had traded him in March for outfielder Chris Dickerson. 


It's funny sometimes how things can work out.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY . . .

The rain has washed out tonights contestforcing the infamous split admission Double Header!.. It will be Garcia and Gordon going for the Yanks.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

WE GOT PIE!

Well a nice come from behind win.  We played like a team and hopefully we look back at this game as the one that sent us on the road to #28 this October.

Who's Sori - ano now?

Maybe Cashman was right all along.  Maybe we should hope he takes the player option.  Maybe someone else will step up and fill Mo's shoes.

Seems like the Yankees signed damaged merchandise once again.  Rafael Soriano has been shut down indefinitely with a balky elbow.  So much for taking over for Mariano Rivera.

Soriano was sent for another MRI; and is out indefinitely, in case you didn't hear he is out indefinitely!  Rafael Soriano has been sent for another MRI examination as the reliever had to cut short a flat ground throwing session on Monday after feeling more soreness in his pitching elbow.  “I’m more concerned now,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I really thought that we would have him getting ready to possibly go out on a rehab assignment shortly and that doesn’t seem to be the case now.”  You think so Joe?
Soriano signed a three-year, $35 million contract to serve as Mariano Rivera’s primary setup man. With Soriano out, the Yankees have patched together their late-inning mix by asking more of Dave Robertson and Joba Chamberlain, as well as Luis Ayala. Since he contributed nothing I don't if we should view it as a loss if he goes under the knife ending his season.

Jorge Head Still Clearing

Happier Times

Here is tonights line up and as you see Posada is still absent. 

Derek Jeter SS



Curtis Granderson CF


Mark Teixeira 1B


Alex Rodriguez 3B


Robinson Cano 2B


Nick Swisher RF


Andruw Jones DH


Russell Martin C


Brett Gardner LF




Don't hang his spikes up quite yet.  What if Jones gets hot?

Happy Birthday Yogi Berra!!!

Yogi Berra turns 86 years young today.

Happy BtBirthday

Still a very famous face of the franchise, Yogi Berra, the fans and the New York Yankees are bonded for eternity.  Just as popular today with the Yankees as he was during his playing days, maybe more.  Yogi Berra is New York, and he is a Yankee for life.

CAPTAIN CRUNCHES TWO

Finally showing some spunk.  Look for the team to follow.

It has a long way to go before I am happy with Jeter's ABs but he took a step in the right direction Sunday as the Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 12-5.  The Yankees leave the Longhorn State taking two of three from Texas.  "Everybody needs a day like this, regardless if you're swinging well or you're not swinging well," Jeter said. "I just want to be comfortable. ... It's pretty difficult to hit when you're sitting around trying to think of too many things, and I found myself thinking of things early on."

Under a microscope all season as he started slowly following a 2010 drop-off, the 36-year-old Jeter also had three RBIs and his first stolen base of the year while raising his batting average from .256 to .276. 

Andruw Jones is playing LF like he is wearing cement shoes. No pop in his bat. Unless he doubles up on the Geritol he'll be gone this month. 

Buddy Can You Spare A Hit?

The starting pitching has been good beyond expectations.  Now if the bats will wake up, we can be OK.  To add insult to injury Eric Chavez broke a bone in his foot today as well so it scramble time to find a replacement for the super sub. 

I think I like it better when we lose the first game and sweep the rest of the series.  This Detroit Series was da pits. 

It off to the scene of last fall's crime as the Bombers go into Texas to take on the first place Rangers over the weekend.  This time they won't have Cliff Lee on their side as he signed with the Phillies.

Derek Sanderson Jeter was rested today due to some hip stiffness.  He does not look comfortable out there at all, but look for Jeter to rise to the occasion. 

ROTATION OF THE YANKEE NATION

If you were to take a photo of the Yankees starting rotation now you would no doubt need a wide angle lens. . . .  Phil Hughes had a setback on his rehab program and is seeing one doctor after another. . . . Teixeira hurt the shoulder when he dove for a ball Tuesday, and he aggravated the injury on another dive Wednesday. He was replaced by Eric Chavez late in the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said no tests were planned at this time, so it sounds like this is a day-to-day thing.

MY FAVORITE MARTIN....BUT NOT BUCK'S

Muscle from Russell

Russell Martin went deep twice tonight but didn't get a chance to park the next one due to the fact the the Oriole pitcher drilled him in the upper back.

AJ Burrnet was ready to storm the field with his team behind in defnese of his favorite battery mate.  Oh yeah, the Yankees beat the Birds 15-3. 

The HBP in Russell Martin's last AB may or not have been intentional, and nobody is sure if Buck Showalter issued the command.  But there may be retribution tomorrow or when the Yankees return to Kramdan Yards latter this season.

Orioles reliever Josh Rupe knows what it looked like. So did manager Buck Showalter. But Rupe said after Saturday's lopsided 15-3 loss to the Yankees that the pitch that hit New York catcher Russell Martin in the back was not intended to send any kind of message.

TEXAS TWO STEP?



Garcia 1-0

 For a while there it was looking like Deja Vu all over again, I was even looking for a place to hide Rafael Soriano.

Freddy Garcia looked great for his first start in pinstipes and his first start in 17 days in spring training.  Let's hope he doesn't need 17 games rest in between. 

The Yanks DLed Phil Hughes with a dead arm after days of swearing that he isn't hurt.  We can get fined on this one.  Funny in August our rotation could be CC, AJ, Bartollo, Garcia and Carlos Silva.

Note to Brian Cashman, keep you mouth shut.  Mr Torre is a league executive now he can get you in trouble. 

ON THE MARK

Happy Birthday to Mark Teixiera!  Now start hitting.

THE BOONE LOGAN EXPERIMENT IS OVER

Boone Logan once again came into a close game and began to put out fires with gasoline.  Hey Boone a lefty releif specialist is suppose to get out lefties.  There goes the last bit of saving grace from the Vasquez deal last season.  Got to be someone in SWB that can do that.  Makes you long for Bob Shirley.

OK Phil the season has started it is time to be up to speed.  I would love to tell my boss I am taking it light and not up to speed yet.  Got to be something there call the pitching guru ASAP.

Bartolo Colon says that his new role has him feeling like "a rookie" again, and the Yankees might have found a useful piece for their bullpen mix.  He pitched very well in the typical Fenway Park game.