Empyreal Environs

Game 47: May 27, 2005
Red Sox (25-22), 3
Yankees (27-21), 6
L: Tim Wakefield (4-4)
W: Randy Johnson (5-3)
H: Tanyon Sturtze (8)
H: Buddy Groom (2)
H: Tom Gordon (12)
S: Mariano Rivera (12)

What won’t a Yankee take a curtain call for? Singles up the middle? A close force out at second? It seemed that every time one of the New York players did something even remotely warranting adulation, they sought it out like preschoolers angling for gold stars. I think that might be the key to Torre’s managerial excellence; he has a chart with all his players listed and spaces to place scratch and sniff stickers saying “Data Way!”, “Ham it Up!”, or “Eggspertly Done!”

Flush from his success at the Hall of Fame Game, Dale Sveum seemed to think that his arm was blessed with the unerring ability to judge when wave home runners. Maybe instead of Mark Bellhorn lumbering around the bases he seem to believe it was Lou Brock. The 6th inning was as brutal a scene I’ve seen in a while, including the drill scene from Marathon Man. Terry Francona didn’t throw Sveum under the bus, saying “You know what? They made plays. I don’t think we made outs. They made plays.” Sure, they made plays, but why give them the opportunity to do so? Is it safe? Most assuredly and on many levels, no, not safe at all.

If there is any consolation to be had from this match-up it is that Edgar Renteria did well against Johnson, and that the lanky lefty didn’t seem to have his usual dominating fastball, at least according to Joe Castiglione and Jerry Trupiano. To them, the radar gun seemed to be overstating velocity. Maybe the stadium radar can be recalibrated with the help of Derek Jeter’s personal radar technician?