Welcome To 2010 Everyone!! First Things' First..I promised you.

I trust everyone in the BloggerHood is safe and home and doing well, and is ready to take on 2010 after partying away '09. You should be awake by now. C'mon.

OK? Good! Now the sarcasm can flow more freely. I guess this is fair warning because it seems anytime I start talking about the Yankees, even though I'm very fair, I just can't help myself and usually take a shot or two at'em. Don't wooorry Bomber fans. This isn't the posting you need to worry about. This one is nicey-nice.

THIS WHOLE METS-YANKEES-REDSOX THING I HAVE GOING ON:

It's really very simple. From birth I must have been encoded to be a Mets fan. There was never any doubt. How it happened? I have no idea. My PoP was a Yankees fan. Being what it was, he took me to an equal amount of Yankee games and Met games at Shea. So, one afternoon after school I was home doing homework. My Pop called home and told my sister to have me ready to go at 5pm or so, but for what I had no idea. I just knew we'd be outside. Later that night, in the bottom of the 9th inning, I watched Chris Chambliss' HR drop out of the sky and the Yankees won the ALCS of 1976. I was 9 yrs old. I'm sure you've seen the footage by now of that insane scene that ensued. Ladies and gentlemen, till this day that was the sickest, most incredible night I ever had at a ballgame.

I really didn't hate the Yankees yet, but they sure weren't my team. However I've always watched them just as intently as I do the Mets. I never missed a Reggie Jackson at-bat, how could you not love Munson and Guidry was class. But by 1977 and '78, I knew my future lay in antagonizing their fans because they had truly become "the Bronx Zoo". To me, The Yankees are like having that brother you don't always get along with, but never loose your sense of connectedness with. I appreciate their long storied and glorious history. I'm a baseball fan. I actually consider myself a better Yankee fan that half of these zeroes slithering around our city streets who call themselves Yankee fans. Because of the Chambliss game, I do have that one small spot for them in my heart. But I warn you, it's small. Anyway, as it stands today, I revel in Yankee folly. I love to antagonized the hell out of their fan base, because as a New Yorker, I know how to get under their skin better. It's just certain fans that earn my ire. Otherwise, honestly, I don't hate them. As a New Yorker, I'm damn glad to have 'em around. All that other nonsense about being cross town rivals is for another day.

By 1977 and '78 I came to understand the Red Sox were their biggest rival. I wanted them to win the '75 world series because as a Mets fan, I hated the REDS. I was leaning by this time. It happened very naturally. I ran home from school to watch the A.L. East one game playoff between the Yanks and Sox in the infamous Bucky "f'n" Dent game of 1978. Once the Sox went up on a Carl Yastrzemski homerun early in the game, I was hooked as a Red Sox fan ever since. YAZ always remained one of my most favorite players of all time! Oddly enough, so did Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench. That Big Red Machine was an insane team. I didn't like them, both those two players made an indelible impression on me though, just like Yaz.

There, that's it. I don't hate Bucky Dent like Bostonians. I didn't feel for Buckner what Bostonians felt, (Bostonians and greater New England, sorry folks) because after all I am a Mets fan. There is no internal conflict should the Mets and Sox face off. I compartmentalize. I don't claim 2004 means as much to me as it did to New Englanders, but DAMN! - that was sweet. I would never insult you fine N.Englanders that way. Outside of NY, I truley love New England and the enemy of my enemy is my friend! But, in respect to RedSoxNation, I really like them a lot! I've been going to Fenway one to three times a year, on average, since 1993. I do my best to represent theNATION when ever they come to NYC and keep SoxNation kickin' in Brooklyn. I wear my SOX stuff to Yankee Stadium all the time! When they find out I'm a NY'er just like them...LOL - You should hear their tones change! LOL!! It's a gas!

My PoP was a Yankee fan. My 19 yr old son is a Yankee fan. My wonderful wife is a Yankee fan. It makes for a fun time at the dinner table to say the least. I still take my son to as many Yankee games as I do dragging him to Mets games. At 19, the kid is an utter panic (that's a good thing) and I'm enjoying the hell out of going to games together.

There it is folks and here I am today. A die hard Mets fan who likes the Red Sox who, just as long as they're not playing the Mets or Sox, will go to Yankee Stadium and root for the Yanks....sometimes...it depends. Sometimes as the game plays out it's more fun to root against them just for fun. I hope this doesn't make me a METroSOXual. That doesn't even sound right (note to self...delete that now!) Here's another bone Yankee fans. The 1995 playoffs were again, some of the best times I've had in all of baseball. I was pulling for Donnie Baseball....OK?

I'm holding down the Brooklyn Chapter of SoxNation. Native Sox fans, I hope you approve.

http://theBrooklynTrolleyBlogger.mlblogs.com/

http://theBrooklynTrolleyBlogger.Blogspot.com/

NYY - Vasquez in, Melkey out. Hey SoxNation, remember him?

Yankee fans should have seen this coming. Melkey has been playing himself right out of town. He's good defensively and has a good arm. But his offensive skills were negligible and his progression was moving like the blob. He was too much of a clown in the dugout, especially teaming up with Robbie Cano for a real goofy time. Joe Girardi and Cashman shared a brain when they demoted Melkey to the farm in 2008. He was having too good a time and not really producing. He had his moments, but it didn't add up to quality playing time. Getting Granderson was basically the little push out the door. Who knows? Maybe Melkey will be better suited for the National League in Atlanta.

Moving Melkey for Javier Vasquez was a damn good move in my humble opinion. Sure Vasquez fizzled out after a great start of the season for the Bombers in 2004. He made the All-Star game with a very good 10-2 record (I think, but 10 wins is correct), going into the break. His second half was miserable. It turned out is arm was hurting and he didn't tell anyone.

His work in Chicago wasn't exactly stellar either. But I am willing to say it seems like he's an improved pitcher since 2004. He has nice strikeout totals and good BB/K ratio. He's serviceable. Most importantly, he is insurance against the Yanks continuing mishandling of Hughes and Joba, and a hedge because nobody is certain what Pettitte will have left. He will be facing other team's 3 or 4 starter depending on how the Yanks play it. So I'd say that's a good position to put him in to succeed for Javier's second stint in the Bronx.

Javier Vasquez. Is it giving you a sour taste in your mouth Yankee fans? Did this trade jar some bad memories for you?

C'mon SoxNation, this is your opening to jump in. Let me take you back; Back into time. The year was 2004 in typically crisp October. Game 7 of the ALCS, Bronx, and Joe Torre is in a quandary. It's the biggest game of the year against their hated rivals and Saint Joe has little pitching options for the game. The choice is between Kevin Brown (LOL) and Javier Vasquez. Vasquez must have fell out of favor for not being forth-coming during the second half of the season about his arm trouble. So, Joe Torre went with Kevin Brown. Boy did the SAWKS light him up. Papa Joe comes out to yank Brown, and calls upon Javier Vasquez to keep the Yankees in the game. Johnny Damon hits a grand slam off Vasquez. Yankees never had a chance that night. RedSoxNation was headed to the World Series. The Red Sox danced on the famed Yankee Stadium grass that night. Big Papi was the DJ spinnin' monster jams that series. The lifting of THE CURSE has as much to do with Kevin Brown and JAVIER VASQUEZ as any other reason.

Nation? I hope you'll give me props for holding down the fort down here in Brooklyn. I enjoyed that game and night incredibly. I won't say as much as you Beantowners because that wouldn't be right coming from a Mets fan. But I am Sox fan since the mid 70's too. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Outside the Mets my favorite player in life was Yaz. I must admit though, between my Mets and the Sox, there is no conflict should they play in a World Series (again).

Hot Stove baby! Warm up!

4x4 Yanks-Red Sox

The Starting Front Four of the Red Sox vs. the Yankees:
(eh..hem - allow me SoxNation)


Evil Empire

vs.

RedSoxNation

C.C. Sabathia
Josh Beckett

A.J. Burnett
John Lackey

Javier Vasquez
Jon Lester

Andy Pettitte
Dice-K Matsuzaka


The ACE - Both are aces. I give the edge to Beckett. Two rings to one. Both won rings with their present team. Beckett closed out the Yankees in 2003 with the Marlins. C.C. wasn't enough to get the Brewers to a W.S. Make your own call when he was in Cleveland. Fugeddabou'th stats. I think it's fair.

Two Spot - Burnett, when he's on, he's really on. When he's off, he's befuddling to watch. He's been a headcase with respect to his catchers, but NYC seems agreeable enough with him. Lackey is a bulldog and more consistent on a game to game basis. I watched A.J. throw his arms in the air after surrendering a HR and yelling aloud "Why did I throw that pitch?!", somewhat showing up his catcher Posada. We all watched Lackey yelling at his manager, "This is my game skip!" in the ALCS. What say you?
EDGE? It's close, almost a wash. It's Lackey by a nose.

Three Spot - Let's not waist too much time with this. Vasquez didn't do too well here, literally, since he went to the All-Star game for the Bombers in his first stint. Foolishly, they wanted Randy Johnson instead. He has improved somewhat since then. He has nice strikeout numbers since those days. But currently he's a really good aquisition for the Bombers, giving up Melkey and a bag of balls.
....(say this fast, for effect)> LesterIsBetterNuff'Ced!!!
Edge - Jon Lester.

Four Spot - Dice-K? Hmmmm. Tough call. Versus all Andy Pettitte has done, key word here being "has", it's Andy. C'mon SoxNation it's true, today. But what does Andy really have left. At least we think there is still a promising future for Dice-K. Don't we? Last year was a nice Swan Song for Andy. Is there anything left? Perhaps. Now-Now Yankee fans, if I pit Andy against Jon Lester instead of Vasquez, Andy looses to Lester. There's way too much ahead of Lester and Andy's career is in the rear view mirror. So, does it matter?

The Verdict - three rounds to one.....TheNATION has a better starting rotation than theEMPIRE. The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger has spoken.


P.S. What comes after the four spot is another matter. The Sox have Buchholz, while the Highlanders continue to mismanage Joba and Hughes, and seem about ready to delete Wang. Is Wakefield still able to flutter a knuckler or is he retired for good?

The Hot Stove is a-burnin' folks.