I took a time out from the basketball game last night to watch the top of the ninth of the Royals/Red Sox game, as Jon Lester (cancer survivor) had yet to give up a hit. I couldn't call my brother or either of my sisters (crazy Sox fan, the lot of them) for fear of jinxing it and suffering their wrath. I still get abuse for causing Pedro's meltdown against the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs, because I called my sister from Germany to ask why the hell Jimy Williams had left Pedro in.

Anyway, watching the end of no-hitters is one of my favorite things about baseball. I love the strangled cheering of the fans and the way that the announcers try to obliquely mention what's going on without coming out and saying it. Most of all, I love the catcher running out to lift up the pitcher in celebration after it's over. Though this happens after the last pitch of the World Series, I somehow like it more during no-hitters, as the celebration is focused totally on one man. (Although, now that Varitek has caught 4 of them, maybe he should be getting lifted up himself).

Anyway, this is just a long intro to a link to another great Joe Posnanski column. His KC Star article about the game is also quite good.

I still hope to see a major league no-hitter live before I go off to the big diamond in the sky.

I've always loved this picture:



Catchers may have done the leaping thing before Yogi Berra did it to Don Larsen after his perfect game, but even if had happened before, that is the one I will always remember.

I saw Hideo Nomo throw a no hitter for the Red Sox against the Orioles at Camden Yards. I just went along with some friends and wasn't especially concerned with the proceedings until about the 6th inning where I realized what was happening.

Gyuri wrote:

QUOTE:
I still get abuse for causing Pedro's meltdown against the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs, because I called my sister from Germany to ask why the hell Jimy Williams had left Pedro in.

That was you??! Bastard.

I'm happy for Lester. I wish I had watched that instead of "Locked Up Abroad: Nepal".

Dear Yankee bullpen: There's really no point throwing at people's heads when you're already down 10-0.

Reason #1 why Luke Scott could be really really good: The ability to get completely around on a 96 MPH fastball below the knees and put it in the upper deck of Yankee Stadium. This could be fun.

sorry jefe.

Note to everyone who hates the Yankees: Meltdown starts here.

I cannot believe what I am seeing (some live, some off tape): we are (in the words of my very close friend) really quite bad.

In my words, we are fucking dreadful... WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU CRETINS PLAYING AT????

that said, it was on the cards: one pitcher, two crocks, 3 chickens, and a bullpen which wont get used because our fielding is stunningly bad (actually, that is one of the good things).

Hitting: Jeter is Jeter, Matsui is creaking, Damon is streaking, Posada is crunchy, and apart from the INJURED A-Rod, we have Giambi who is pretending to be a hitting version of Tim Robbins.

Having said all that, the sub 3rd baseman Gonzales, looks good (as a shortstop), and I fear thats all. Laugh it up while you can...

5th isnt to be sneezed at

Gero,

I wouldn't worry too much yet, they're only 5 games under .500 and have much of the season left to play. There was teeth-gnashing (or unmitigated joy, depending on your perspective) last year they were 8 games under .500 on May 29, but they rallied to get the wild card. Same thing in 2005, when they were 8 games under .500 on May 6. That time they rallied to win the division.

I'll believe the Yankees are well and truly screwed when they are mathematically eliminated, and not a second before. . .rising-from-the-dead, zombie bastards that they are.

QUOTE:
But Citifield, rapidly rising behind center field of Shea, looks like it could be absolutely gorgeous. They've extended it behind home plate off the curve of the stadium to build a replica (in orangish brick, not stone) of Ebbets Field's exterior. It looks AWESOME.

jefe - I know way too much about Citi Field (association with the architect). It does sound like it will be fantastic. The only thing to make it better would be closing La Guardia.

I agree about the excitement of no-hitters. The closest I came was a game at the start of the 94 season. Pedro - pitching I think his first game at the Big O (having come in a trade for Delino DeShields the previous November) - went 7 1/3 perfect innings. Then Reggie Sanders came to bat. Pedro - whose control in those days might charitably be described as erratic - dinged him.

Now, if you were hit by a pitch by a guy who was five outs from immortality, what would you do?

Well, if you're Sanders, you charge the mound.

"Why are they fighting"? My wife asked.

"I haven't the faintest fucking idea," I said, truthfully. I mean, really, what kind of ego do you have to have to assume in that situation that the pitch was deliberate?

The next season, of course, Pedro became only the second man in history to throw nine perfect innings and not get a perfect game. The man is phenomenal.

That was the quiz question on last nights baseball in the UK on Channel 5.

Why Reggie Sanders charged the mound?

I didn't realise that the questions were that sophisticated.

The question might be sophisticated, but the answer isn't:

a) he's an egomaniacal moron
b) he's an egomaniacal moron
c) etc...

Minor League player traded for bats.

I'll be at Fenway Saturday week watching the Wonderful Sox play Seattle. I'm sure you're all jealous.