It was just a perfect weekend in Yankeeland, aside from the fact that Chan Ho Park is already on the disabled list. Three amazing starts from our three aces and a three game sweep over the Texas Rangers, who bobbled the ball around the infield like a Little League team. The Yankees are 9-3, tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the best record in baseball. Then, you look down toward the bottom of the American League East, and the Boston Red Sox are 5 games back. It's early, and it doesn't mean much, but it's nice to be off to this kind of start, the team's best since 2003.
C.C. Sabathia was outstanding on Friday night, and A.J. Burnett turned in another solid performance on Saturday. But today, Andy Pettitte was simply unbelievable. He has been the Yankees best and most consistent starter thus far. After a rocky start to the game, with Michael Kay analyzing every mechanical flaw in his delivery, he turned in an eight inning masterpiece. The Yanks' bullpen was unbelievably conserved this weekend and Joe Girardi still got his wish: Mariano Rivera picked up another save.
In addition to the pitching, I've got to say that I'm impressed with Jorge Posada after the first 12 games of the season. Sure, he likes to chuck the ball into center field once in a while on a stolen base attempt, but the fact that he is close to 40, still hitting the tar out of the ball, and catching some great games really says a lot. The Yankees have been very lucky to have him since 1995. Mariano Rivera is still lights out. I don't care if Trevor Hoffman has the most saves. He'll never even be in the same league as Rivera. His playoff numbers don't even compare. Hoffman choked in Game 3 of the 1998 World Series against Scott Brosius, then gave up a 2 run lead in extra innings during a 2007 one game playoff with the Colorado Rockies. He only saves so many games because the teams he plays on can't blow other teams out, so every game is a save situation.
Two points of negativity after this weekend. It wouldn't be an Inside Corner entry without something to complain about. First of all, someone needs to tell Nick Johnson that he is allowed to swing the piece of wood that he carries up to the plate with him. Remember those vintage Home Run Derby shows? "It's either a Home Run or an out here on Home Run Derby!" Well with Nick Johnson, it's either a walk or a strikeout. The guy just doesn't swing!
Second, someone needs to train Michael Kay on fly balls. Every time someone hits one the outfield, you can hear the volume in his voice like the ball's got a shot at going out, when the outfielder doesn't even have to move to catch it. How this guy emerged from a sportswriter to becoming the television voice of the franchise is completely beyond me. During a game last week, he called out Al Leiter for mistakenly saying that Joe Torre, not Joe Girardi, manages the Yankees. Maybe someone should have called him out when he talked about Derek Jeter's first pitch homer leading off Game 4 of the World Series. Kay insisted that he hit it off of Leiter, but that must have been difficult to do since Leiter pitched Game 5, which any idiot Yankee fan should remember thanks to Mr. Luis Sojo.
All in all, a fantastic weekend and all is right in Yankeeland. Even Mark Teixeira hit a home run! Let's hope the Yankees can keep it going out west, and we don't see another regular season implosion in Anaheim next weekend.
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