Traveling Through The Quad

For the second straight weekday, the MLB Division Series provided 4 games strung in a row. With the constant tension, looming elimination, close finishes, and overlapping action it was reminiscent of March Madness.

I couldn't just sit in front of the TV as I had to travel today so I caught bits and pieces in the afternoon. When I pulled up at the Savannah airport, the Giants and Reds were scoreless in the 3rd in their Game 5.

When I landed in Atlanta I had an hour to kill in Terminal D - not a lot of options, but hit Atlanta City Blues for some BBQ nachos. I couldn't stay for the end, but I did see Angel Pagan's game-sealing diving catch in the 8th.

I had to board the plane for Shreveport but the 2010 champion Giants sealed the deal, winning 3 straight on the road in Cincinnati and advancing to the NLCS.

It reminded me of what Rudy Tomjanovich said in 1995, when his Houston Rockets won their second straight NBA title as the #6 seed in the West.

"Never underestimate the heart of a champion."

I mean seriously. They lost closer Brian Wilson for the year. They lost top hitter Melky Cabrera to suspension. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum wasn't even near the shadow of himself (until they needed him the most in relief in Game 4). They dug deep and found the team unity and resiliency of two years ago.

I checked the phone when I landed in Shreveport and saw the Giants result, and the Cardinals and Nationals were tied 1-1 in the 8th. I hopped in the rental car, drove a mile to the hotel, checked in, and dashed up to the room - just in time to see Jayson Werth circling the bases after a walk-off home run.

So Game 5 in Washington Friday night, and it's a great pitching matchup: 21-game winner Gio Gonzalez for the Nats, and Adam Wainwright and his 0.77 career postseason ERA dealing for the Cards.

So double down that Rudy T quote for the defending champs from St. Louis. And what of the 2009 champion Yankees? Well, you gotta score runs to win.

Since erupting for 5 runs in the 9th inning of Game 1, the Bronx Bombers have bombed. In Games 2-4, they have 6 runs total in 34 innings. They've batted .192 as a team in those 3 games.

And while much has been made of A-Rod's struggles at the plate, and granted he's been terrible in key spots, but at least he's hit a few line drives. Robinson Cano is 2-for-18 (.111) and Curtis Granderson is damn-near an automatic out at 1-for-16 (.063) with 9 Ks.

On this night, the Yankees stranded runners in scoring position in the 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 8th before eventually succumbing due to non-support in the 13th.

Now they'll have to lace 'em up and ride CC Sabathia just 17 hours later. And he'll have to go the whole way after Rafael Soriano and David Robertson each pitched multiple innings two days in a row.

But this is why you have to win the division in a 162-game season. The Yankees didn't have to go through the Wild Card - they have one game at home with their top pitcher on the hill. It's a decided advantage that they earned, but anything is possible.

Due to the length of the Yankee debacle, I missed most of the nightcap between the Tigers and the A's. But unlike the Oakland Athletics' season, it was anticlimactic. They had the unfortunate assignment of going against this guy.

Justin Verlander's postseason resume is fairly undistinguished (4-3, 4.96 coming into the game), but seriously who would you rather put out there in one game with the season on the line? And he of course delivered in spectacular fashion with a complete game, 4-hit shutout and 11 Ks.

I didn't watch a second of the NFL game, but I understand there was some Matt Hasselbeck magic and the Titans upset the Steelers. I also didn't watch Arizona State roll Colorado, which was expected. I did stream the VP debate through the laptop, and that was about what I expected.

Now it's time for the Yankees to do the unexpected on Friday... score some runs.

Surreal in Seattle

Last night at Safeco Field could best be described as a parallel universe. There was Ichiro Suzuki taking his usual spot in his home ballpark in right field. Except he was wearing #31 and Yankee road grays, facing off against the only Major League team he'd ever played for.

So after 9 years with the Orix Blue Wave (Japan Pacific League) and 11 full seasons with the M's, 17 total All-Star Games, 17 Gold Gloves, 9 batting titles, and 4 MVPs, Ichiro at 38 now takes on a new challenge. It will be the only time in his career where he isn't the centerpiece of a team.

Some may say there go the Yankees getting richer again, but the trade makes perfect sense for both sides. The Pinstripes pick up a declining hitter (career low .261 avg) but a first-class baserunner and outfielder. He is expected to fill the role of LF Brett Gardner who's out for the season with an elbow, so the bar is set moderately low. The Mariners pick up 4 prospects since the team is going nowhere anyway, and get something for their aging star in the last year of his contract.

Ichiro will bat in the bottom part of the lineup, play an unfamiliar LF and will sit against some lefties. Apparently he signed off on his new role before accepting the trade. And the timing was perfect as the Yankees realized they needed some tweaking after getting swept 4 straight in Oakland.

To make things even weirder this particular Monday evening, the winning pitcher in the Yanks 4-1 victory was Hiroki Kuroda, the 37-year old former star of the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese Central League.

After an inconsistent 4 years with the Dodgers and first month with New York, he is now pitching brilliantly.

On top of that, A-Rod flashed some old Seattle muscle (7 years with M's) with a mammoth home run late. And then finally, the final out off the bat of former Yankee Jesus Montero landed in Ichiro Suzuki's glove in RF.

There's always been sort of a mini-controversy as to how Ichiro Suzuki should be referred. The back of his jersey in Seattle said "Ichiro" instead of his proper surname. That issue is now off the table as neither the Yankees home nor road jerseys have names.

That fits for the Yankees' newest outfielder, who will just be blending in.

Plenty of Fight in the Yankees

The Yanks had been 0-for-8 against the Red Sox this season, but still had a 2.5 game lead in the AL East. Obviously the streak had to end some time, but I was intrigued that if the Yanks remained winless against their main rivals all season, 0-19, whether they could still win the division.

Well tonight the Bombers got off the mat and were inspired by some fighting spirit.

“The Greatest” Muhammad Ali was on-hand to throw out the first pitch.

And they were further bolstered by the presence of Butchie the Boxer (from Pulp Fiction), who wouldn’t take the dive.

They must have channeled those fists into their bats. 13 Runs, 18 Hits, 4 Home Runs.

The biggest was by The Amazing Melky Cabrera, whose 3-run bomb off of John Smoltz opened the floodgates in a rout over the Sox.

It is possible that the Pinstripes could lead the division by over 6 games by Monday. Every year the gloom-and-doomers call for the manager's head and they want to run A-Rod out of town. But it's a long season.

And along those lines, Boston could be in a virtual tie for 1st place come Monday. But right now they don't have that winning look. The Yankees certainly do.

Come On A-Rod, Join The Human Race

You can start by breathing, or, blinking, or playing a game of word association. Things you can do without thinking yourself to death.

The Associated Press conducted an interview with the infamous, unauthorized Alex Rodriguez biographer Selena Roberts, after obtaining a copy of the A-Rod book.

The book seems less to do with A-Rod's drug use and misdeeds than his fragile psyche. Those of us that have followed his career, especially since he was traded to the Yankees, are still waiting to meet the real A-Rod.

He clearly is the unusual superstar, that he cares too much about what people perceive of him. Or maybe he's over-compensating because he's an empty soul and not capable of caring. Either way, I'll play pop psychologist and call it "Pageant Syndrome." Like those contests where everything is practiced and choreographed so that the judges (in this case us) hear what the contestants and their handlers think they want to hear.

A-Rod's hired the world's most relentless agent and is surrounded by a PR team - so we don't know if anything coming out of his mouth is genuine. And that's just off the field.

When he's on the field, he's an automaton. Yankee fans haven't embraced him, not just because of his late-season spirals (although that's certainly part of it), but because he's a mechanical man with a robotic personality. New Yorkers want to see you sweat, bleed, get dirty, and they don't mind if you fail. Just so long as you go down fighting.

No wonder A-Rod is obsessed with Derek Jeter - a true Yankee that will be loved not only for what he's done, but what he represents. And Jeter doesn't have to try to please anyone to accomplish it. He just is. Alex can emulate all he wants, but he will never be the genuine article until his own personality emerges.

Go ahead A-Rod, throw your helmet when you're mad. Celebrate openly when you come through in the clutch. Dive into the stands to get an out for your pitcher and your teammates. Just be yourself already. If there's anyone in there.