ghost of miles

Last week's Night Lights show, Jazz From Monterey: 1966, is now posted for online listening. It includes music from Joe Henderson (a quartet with Bobby Hutcherson), Randy Weston, Charles Lloyd, Don Ellis, Bola Sete, and Cannonball Adderley. Last year's program, Jazz From Monterey: 1958, Birth Of A Festival, is also available for online listening.

Want to beat this year's Yankees? Drag 'em into extra innings: 85-48 in nine-inning games 1-0 in shortened games 4-10 in extra innings

Yeah, I'm quite surprised he apparently blew an 8th inning 2 run lead today, his stuff is so overpowering. Well, if the Yanks can beat the Mariners again tonight, a 5 game lead with 14 to go looks pretty strong even with games against the Sox and Rays coming up. Bard's blown several games of late for Boston. Dan probably has a better sense of what might be going on, but there definitely seems to be concern in Red Sox Nation about Bard's recent performance. Re: tonight's NY game against the Mariners, don't count on it--so far Jason Vargas is absolutely handcuffing the batting order. I think we have one hit through five innings or some such.

Amazon listing with street date of November 1: Smile sessions

What is going on with Daniel Bard?

Turned out to be quite the milestone night, what with Wakefield getting win #200 and Mo notching save #600: Mo gets save #600 Kinda cool that Jeter, who had his own amazing milestone moment this season, was the one who applied the tag for the final out. Incredible to have watched these guys play for the past 16 years--I still wish Andy had stuck around for one more season. I also continue to thank the baseball gods that this proposed 1995 Steinbrenner trade fell through.

Happy birthday, Dan! Wishing you all the best--save for a Red Sox American League championship. (Hey, former GHF--do you have Mary Stallings' I WAITED FOR YOU? Excellent album, and she's backed by the Gene Harris Quartet... I think you might dig it.)

I know the Boston bullpen's been struggling of late, but unless they have the mother of all collapses and surrender 13 runs in the top of the 9th, Tim Wakefield will finally notch his 200th win--congratulations to him and to long-suffering Red Sox fans. And by no means does NY have the division sewn up--they face Boston three more times and they also play the highly-motivated Rays a bunch, while the Bosox have seven games with the Orioles. All it takes is NY going 6-10 and Boston going 10-6 (counting tonight's game) for a W-L tie, which would go to the Red Sox, since they won the season series against NY. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by last night's result (Phil Hughes giving up only one run, albeit against a weak-hitting Seattle offense, while the Yankees finally solved King Felix, for one game, at least). I think the AL playoffs are going to be one hell of a dogfight this year, that's for sure.

Well, I was happily wrong about yesterday's outcome, though NY's $12 million setup man nearly blew it in the 7th inning. Jsngry, sorry we were only able to take 1 of 3 from the Angels. NY fans, nice writeup from Joel Sherman of the Post about the Yankees' bench depth. This stat jumped out at me: Still concerned that the schedule's going to wear them down over these last several weeks, and that the rotation is extremely suspect beyond CC and Nova. Garcia has really struggled in his last two starts, Phil Hughes still can't put batters away, and A.J. Burnett is, well, A.J. Burnett. Hopefully there's a little gas left in Bartolo Colon's arm. Not optimistic about tonight's late start against Seattle, given that it's Hughes going up against King Felix.

Well, the Yankees are doing their best to match Boston loss for loss--even though they just took a one-run lead against the Angels, I'm not at all confident in the bullpen's ability to hold it, the way things have been going lately. At this rate, we will be seeing Detroit, Texas or L.A. representing the American League in the World Series, which might be a better thing for everybody who's an A.L. fan, given the way NY and Boston have been playing.

Yes, eight losses is eight losses, wherever it occurs, but it's still ridiculous to posit that it means the whole season's blown or some such. Lots of fans have a tendency to panic when their team starts off in mediocre fashion, but I'll again bring up the example of the 2009 Yankees, who were 15-17 out of the gate and ended up 103-59, winning the AL East by eight games. Coincidentally enough, Boston this year was 15-18 at one point--very similar to where NY stood about a month into the 2009 season. So while one shouldn't downplay a poor start, it's equally absurd to treat it like an abysmal harbinger of doom to come. The groove teams get into down the stretch is ultimately more important--which is one reason why I'm highly concerned that NY has lost three games in a row that it really should have won, failing to take advantage of Boston's current downturn. A 3.5, 4.5 or 5.5 game lead right now would be a rather daunting-looking margin for Boston; as it is, they're one series sweep away from overtaking us. Dave James, Marty and other Yankee fans, I'm a also a little concerned about Nick Swisher's elbow pain, Boone Logan's reported "dead arm" issue, and a rumor of Dave Robertson experiencing some recent shoulder discomfort. (We cannot afford to lose Dave Robertson.) Also concerned about the travel and lack of off-days, that the team is going to wear down over the next several weeks (or that said process has already started). On the bright side, Jesus Montero continues to shine, and Colon had his best start in awhile last night. CC tonight against the Angels, but we have to face Haren in return... Jsngry, I hope we can start to help your Rangers!

Yes, after having been on a roll for the past couple of weeks, NY may finally be succumbing to schedule-induced fatigue. They looked terrible the past two games against Baltimore; couldn't hit the O's pen for a lick, for one thing. They're very, very lucky that Boston struggled against Toronto as well, but at the same time they missed a great opportunity to bolster their division lead. Of course, I'm with you on the Tigers and don't necessarily think that potentially facing Verlander twice in the first round is a great reward for winning the AL East. As for the playoffs in general, I can't really see a clear favorite in the American League--could just as easily be Texas or Detroit as it could NY or Boston.

Pinstripe Alley blogger comment on the starting pitchers in today's Baltimore-New York game: So far A.J. is winning the battle of mediocrity today.

We re-aired The John Coltrane Songbook last week and it remains archived for online listening.

Here's an update on Josh Beckett's sprain (surgery won't be required, expected to miss at least one start), plus this tweet:

He hit two HRs to opposite field--the first 399 feet, the second 396 feet, home runs in just about any right-centerfield in the American League. And yes, what you said about the lack of time for everybody to dissect his strengths and weaknesses is true, but the fact remains that this kid has a lot of raw hitting talent. Biggest question for the Yankees is whether or not he can be at least adequate as a catcher at MLB level, because Tex has first base locked up, and A-Rod may be moving towards much more of a DH role over the next several years. Anyway, here's a rundown of Montero's two HR at-bats yesterday. Dave James: yes, if we had Lee this year we'd be looking sweet against Boston in the playoffs with two ace lefties in our rotation (though C.C. hasn't exactly been dominating against the Bosox this year). Still, there's no guarantee that Lee would have stayed with NY, and he's 33, and he would have been locking up $25 million of payroll a year for the next seven seasons if he had stayed. Worst-case scenario would have been that we would have given up Montero to rent Lee for half a season. Given how poorly NY played over the last two months of 2010, I'm not even sure that having Lee could have saved us, though we might have gotten to the World Series. Conversely, btw, this year the team seems to be getting stronger as it heads into the season's homestretch.

Jesus Montero may be Yankees' best option for playoff DH this October. So, so glad we're finally getting to see this kid hit at MLB level--and so, so glad that the trade to Seattle last year for Cliff Lee fell through, no matter how good a year Lee's having with the Phillies.

Thank you Jesus! Montero's 2 HRs carry Yanks to Labor Day win

Up for Labor Day: Workin': the Work Song in Jazz and Popular Music Another program of Labor Day interest, via Afterglow: Popular Song On the Picket Line: Social-Significance Songs From the 1930s and 40s

Thanks for the heads-up, Lon--just pre-ordered it along with the new Sonny Rollins Road Shows release.

Stonefaced Yankee employee unimpressed by Wise's catch

I've followed most of Nova's starts, and outside of that recent White Sox game, he's pitched very, very well, no matter how many runs the Yankees were scoring. (Unlike, say, the 2010 Phil Hughes, whose pitching declined badly as the season progressed and who was indeed the beneficiary of the Yankees' offense, picking up W's in games where he pitched badly.) And hey: David Robertson IS The Man After Mo. Coming to a baseball stadium near you in 2013.

We re-aired Returning The Call: More From The Unsung Hardbop Heroes Of Chicago this past week and it remains archived for online listening.

Dave James and fellow Yankee fans: thank the baseball gods for Ivan Nova, eh? He's looking like a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. And great to see Brett Gardner again making his quiet but dramatic contributions to the team, what with the two great plays in left field tonight that kept things from getting totally out of hand in the first inning, and then the two-run homer later on. Neither Tex nor A-Rod in the lineup tonight, but with Nova throwing a great game, not too many runs were needed. (And A-Rod as a presence in the lineup is starting to seem like a dusty memory...)

Damn, Mo, way to just about give me cardiac arrest. Nothing like loading the bases in the bottom of the 9th in order to face the best hitter in the American League!