ghost of miles

Really, a punk? A guy who's gotten two concussions in the past 6 months, including one in spring training this year? I think he's a pretty gutty player, and an enthusiastic one who's fun to watch. Given Jorge's age, I think Cervelli will be getting a lot of playing time this season. Price may have shut down NY last night, but watching the game today, I'm impressed again by what a daunting prospect it is for opposing teams to get through the entire NY order over the course of nine innings. Cano's off to a great start in the #5 slot too, and Granderson is already fulfilling expectations as well. (Also nice to see Tex's bat finally come alive today.)

Man, CC came so close to a no-hitter! 7 2/3 IP... Tex, A-Rod and Cano all made great plays in the 7th and 8th, but Tampa Bay finally got one off him. Great game today though for NY after last night's blow-out...and gotta say I've developed a real soft spot for Francisco Cervelli and his gung-ho attitude.

Yes, he was good through the first three innings and then quickly lost the thread. I still think he'll be a solid #4 starter over the whole of the season, though. Man, David Price sure has NY's number, doesn't he? One last note: I'm not sold at all on Girardi's platooning Marcus Thames in place of Brett Gardner (aka Gritty Gutty Brett Gardner, or GGBG, as they like to refer to him over at Pinstripe Alley) against lefties. If nothing else, Thames didn't catch a two-RBI double early on last night that Gardner surely would have. And Gardner hit .291 vs. lefties last year, better than his .264 vs. righties...so it's not like he's Curtis Granderson against southpaws. Plus he's a menace on the basepaths whenever he gets on. So I really hope Joe G. isn't planning on benching him every time NY faces a lefthander. P.S. Memo to Tex: please get a hit soon!

That was a great start from Lackey--glad that Pettite was pretty much able to keep up with him. (One wag said Lackey was pitching like he was still mad at Scioscia for pulling him in Game 5 of last year's ALCS.) Glad to see the NY bullpen (and esp. Park) doing much better in Games 2 and 3 of the series, and a fine start indeed for Mr. Granderson. Yes, Dave, the 2-3-4 hitters aren't doing squat so far, outside of a couple of A-Rod doubles and Mr. Johnson's numerous walks (hitless in 3 games, but with a .400 OBP!) At least it's a better beginning against the Bosox than we had last year...I still have a feeling that final series at Fenway this year will end up being rather meaningful for both teams.

New Tiger Woods Nike ad: Did you learn anything? ...not really sure this works. At least it left me feeling uncomfortable on some level, much too aware that I was viewing scripted brand contrition.

Here's a Night Lights show that draws on the book and an interview I did with Steven Isoardi (some outtakes on the program post page as well): One More You Wrote Through Us: Horace Tapscott

Oh man, what a heartbreaker--and Hayward's last two shots came so close to going in (I really thought that long 3 was going to make it for a sec--would've been a new "The Shot" for sure).

The most recent Night Lights show features an interview with Mark Miller: Herbie Nichols' Third World It also includes one of the Hi-Lo sides, "S'Wonderful."

Well, it's only one game--but as I just said in a PM to a board member, one worry at the back of my mind, "Who will be this year's Phil Hughes?", now that Hughes is back in the starting rotation, is already being borne out a bit. Hopefully Robertson can step into that role (and hopefully Chan Ho Park's outing tonight was an aberration). I'm afraid that Joba will be too much of an up-and-down headcase to be consistently effective out of the pen. Other notes: the Yankees' lineup certainly does have impressive depth. Everybody, Gardner included, is a threat in one way or another. Granderson, for all his work on batting against lefties, looked pretty bad against them tonight. And for a team allegedly having to make its way on pitching and defense this year, Boston sure smacked the ball around a lot.

I was thinking when that came on: God bless the man who invented the mute button. Eugene Polley?

Matthew, thanks for making this comment--I thought it was just me. They went on and on about Cano being a bit slow off the plate on that long single earlier, too. Boy, CC really looking shaky in the 5th and now in the 6th...Bosox have 2nd and 3rd with no outs. EDIT: now 5-4 and Bosox have a runner on 3rd with no outs. It's a ball game! Matthew, how long is Cliff Lee on the DL for? Cliff Lee is on the 15 day DL, plus a five game suspension. I have a feeling the Mariners will be lucky to see Lee before May. Typical Joe Morgan comment always starts with: "When I played the game..." What I really hate is when he and Miller go off about these small, picayune things, like Gardner throw or Cano's being slow off the plate, and go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, about it, just so they can let you know they understand inside baseball. If I'm Boston, I'd start getting worried about Beckett, he just doesn't look the same. I didn't realize it, but they mentioned that Beckett had a pretty bad April last year as well (in addition to CC). CC actually looked pretty good tonight, I thought, until the last part of the 5th, when the wheels started to come off. Speaking of the wheels coming off... the NY bullpen is doing about as good of a job as Boston's tonight. (Or at least Chan Ho Park=Ramirez.) Making for a very competitive game, anyway.

Matthew, thanks for making this comment--I thought it was just me. They went on and on about Cano being a bit slow off the plate on that long single earlier, too. Boy, CC really looking shaky in the 5th and now in the 6th...Bosox have 2nd and 3rd with no outs. EDIT: now 5-4 and Bosox have a runner on 3rd with no outs. It's a ball game! Matthew, how long is Cliff Lee on the DL for?

Best birthday wishes to you, Allen--good luck with the C melody, and really looking forward to the blues sets this year!

Admitting you have a problem is the first step in recovery... Forgive me, Father, I have sinned! Thanks so much for all you said, Matthew.

Joe Girardi's saying that Nick Johnson will start tonight--he was questionable after hitting a foul ball off himself the other day. (Oy, it's already begun!) I'm definitely gearing up to watch the game tonight, though I expect Boston to win this one--CC is generally a little weak out of the starting gate in April. Also wondering how soon it will be before Cervelli's catching A.J. Posada's what, 38, 39? He shouldn't catch more than 110-120 games max anyway. He and A.J. still weren't clicking in spring training, and Molina's gone now.

Herbie Nichols biographer Mark Miller joins me this week on Night Lights for Herbie Nichols' Third World. You can listen to the program live tonight on the following stations: Blue Lake Public Radio-Michigan at 10 p.m. EST KRML-Carmel, CA at 7 p.m. PST WVAS-Montgomery, AL at 10 p.m. CST KMBH-Brownsville, TX at 10 p.m. EST ...or listen to it archived online: Herbie Nichols' Third World I'll have more audio quotes from my interview with Mark up on Tuesday.

For better or for worse (probably for worse!), thought I'd post it here as well: The Year the Yankees Won the Pennant: Confessions of a Devoted Fan

Butler vs. Michigan State highlights.

Video: Obama vs. Kellogg Great fun!

Hoosier Hysteria for the Butler Bulldogs! I'm sure Duke will be the favorite to win Monday night--but man, what if Butler pulls it off?

...and now throwing Nick Kent's THE DARK STUFF into the mix...very good profiles of rock artists who lost the plot in one way or another (with some regaining it, many not).

Started both Jack Kerouac's BIG SUR and Henry Miller's THE AIR-CONDITIONED NIGHTMARE today. Good, upbeat vacation reading!

Wow! Thanks so much for posting this.

While we're waiting for Opening Day--a little musical tribute to the game I cooked up this week for Afterglow: Play Ball! The National Pastime in Popular Song

Here's Frank on The Jazz Session as well.