Desperation

"When I saw blood dripping though the sock and he's giving us
seven innings in Yankee Stadium, that was storybook," Boston first
baseman Kevin Millar said.

"We just did something that has never been done yet,"
Schilling said. "It ain't over yet. It ain't over by any stretch
against this team and this organization."
-Curt Schilling

The Red Sox made history by becoming the first Major League Baseball team to come back from a 3-0 deficit to force a game seven. Curt Schilling's performance was one for the ages. He came out and pitched with his a dislocated ankle tendon being held down by three sutures and basically dominated the game. He went seven strong innings giving up only four hits and one run and notched a Red Sox victory. The umpiring crew was working overtime by making two horrible calls and having meeting to overturn them and rightfully so. Alex Rodriguez proved what type of scum he was in eighth inning by slapping the ball (a very girlie slap at that) out of Bronson Arroyo's glove as he was trying to tag him out. Initially, Rodriguez was called safe, but it was eventually overturned. Fine, Alex did it, and they caught him, it should have ended there. But Rodriguez and Torre pleaded and carried on for way too long on something that was so blatantly done it was tasteless and ridiculous. Torre tried to say the baseline was obstructed, but it does not matter since A-Rod was not in it anyway. You tried to cheat, and you did not get away with it, so deal with it. Don't cry about it and carry on. The fans then threw debris on the field because there is no way A-Rod would pull a desperate move like that to try and win the game from the surging Red Sox. Whatever happened to trying to beat a team within the confines of rules like real men? For once in my lifetime the Yankees are not getting every call in the playoffs. Too bad. The Yankees are reeling and you can see it in the faces. They almost look helpless and their bats have gone into hibernation for the last three games. Game seven's pitching match up of Derek Lowe vs. Kevin Brown is not the marquee match up that everyone would like, but this one should be interesting. Can D-Blowe match his game four performance? The bottom line is that the Red Sox need their bats to wake up. They have not put up a substantial amount of runs, outside of the game they had gotten blown out, against suspect pitching. Tonight is going to be an intense game with a lot of emotion and hopefully A-Rod can refrain himself from flailing like a woman in fruitless effort to cheat the Yankees into the World Series. No class was exhibited by the A-Rod yesterday and I cannot think of one person (well maybe Giambi) less deserving of World Series title. And Yes, I would have said the same thing had A-Rod been on the Red Sox. The guy signs a contract that would take up about 25-30% of his team's payroll in Texas and wonders why the suck. I was truly disgusted by the crybaby display by Rodriguez.

"What he did was completely unprofessional, and really hurt his team," said Boston's Kevin Millar. "It was an unprofessional play and he knows that. He has to brush his teeth and look at himself in the mirror in the morning."

(Kevin's remark was based on the assumption that Alex brushes his teeth. I do however have my doubts on Alex's personal hygiene habits but I do think he frequently looks at himself in the mirror.)

The pressure is on the Yankees and not the Red Sox tonight. If the Red Sox lose, they were supposed too. The curse coupled with the fact the Yankees are their daddy was just to much for the Red Sox to take. They were down 3-0 so it was a cute little feat that they even got this far. However, the Yankees on the other hand with all their mystique, the highest payroll in the history of professional sports, and a 3-0 lead, which has never been relinquished in the history of major league, would be quite a story if they lost. Make no mistake, the Yankees have all the pressure in the world on their shoulders and Steinbrenner breathing down their back with the prospect of a Red Sox celebration on Yankee turn after coming back from a 3-0 deficit.

* * *

"I think it's safe to say that [there] will probably be somebody in place after the World Series," GM Omar Minaya said yesterday.

Reports continue to swirl that Willie Randolph is the favorite and all he has to do is do well in the interview. I've stated this before and I'll state it again. Why? If he is the right man, so be it, hire the guy. But outside of being a 3rd base coach for a long time, what makes him qualified? Sitting next too Joe Torre for a year? Torre sits on the bench and rarely moves. He writes the lineup card and sits down for nine innings. The only time he gets up is to call in Quantrill, Gordon, or Rivera from the bullpen. Nowhere have a read anything that actually backs up the reason Randolph is the favorite with any other credentials besides the fact that he was a 3rd base coach on the Yankees with the exception from this year. On top of that, he is reported to be mild mannered. Now, I'm not asking for Larry Bowa, but a guy with a bit a fire would be nice. I don't want Bobby V. back, but he was a happy medium of a fiery guy who was not a lunatic. So I ask, someone please tell me why Randolph is qualified for the job? Joe Torre certainly thinks he has what it takes.

"I certainly would like to see him get the opportunity. I think credential-wise, especially the fact that he's done it here in New York, certainly qualifies him as a viable candidate in my mind." said Joe Torre

Rudy was a hitting coach for over a decade and was a manager a long time ago. I consider the hitting coach to be much more important than a third base and he has a track record with some strong testimonials from his former players. People have mentioned that he was a hitting coach in a hitter’s park, so the results would be positive, but he has worked with a lot of young players that have went on to become accomplished hitters. The papers are my only sources of info on either of these guys and the case has been overwhelmingly in Jaramillo's favor. He supposedly nailed his interview but is not the frontrunner? Am I missing something?