Yes, we Can-o!
In what possibly could qualify as a jinx, we mentioned Cano’s 14-game hitting streak to him tonight during our InnerView on Batting Practice Today presented by Audi. He didn’t want to talk about it. Please, baseball gods, let him get a hit in this game.
Cano was very, very impressive — and honest — when we spoke. He has matured, looks at last year as a lesson learned and is grateful to Kevin Long for working with him tirelessly, including in the Dominican during the offseason. (A lot of players love K-Long.) It was Cano who brought up the “lazy” tag – one he hates and knows he has to prove wrong. He’s well on his way.
Ate in the press dining room tonight and had chicken, potatoes and salad. Not bad. Cone’s drinking coffee, and I think Kenny ate with John and Suzyn earlier.
Miguel Cabrera looks like he can hit in his sleep.
The Tigers probably wouldn’t have released Sheffield if they’d somehow foreseen the abdominal injury to Marcus Thames. (Which would have been impossible.) Right after Sheffield got his 500th home run, Leyland called him, and Sheffield returned the call. They still have a good relationship. And the Tigers recently sent a representative to New York to present Sheffield with a crystal trophy recognizing the milestone.
A story in the Detroit News yesterday was so sad: Tinker Bell, a 6-pound Chihuahua, got caught up in 70 mph winds and blew away during storms Saturday. The News reported, “Witnesses last saw the dog airborne…” (Seriously, that’s what it said.)
Well, guess what? Tinker Bell was found! About three-quarters of a mile away from home. She’s back home with her 72-year-old owner. Hooray!
By the way, big start tonight for Hughes, eh? He wasn’t in the clubhouse yesterday, and starters almost never talk on the day of their start, so the media didn’t talk to Phil prior to his outing about the pressure to stop a four-game skid, about any nerves he might be feeling. We think the Yankees liked it that way.
One more thing worth mentioning. I just noticed some comments questioning Posada and his running to first after pinch-hitting last night. We learned today that Posada has a sore hamstring and said he didn’t want to pull it running. He first felt it while stretching — yes, stretching — prior to Sunday night’s game in Boston. Posada isn’t in the lineup tonight. He said he can hit and squat but feels it when he runs. He also said it is “no concern.” You can bet the Yankees will be keeping tabs on it, but Girardi said Posada is available to pinch hit tonight and could catch.
The Kimberly Jones Blog 
I never expect Posada to scorch his way down the line anyway but I know there were LOTS of people ready to shoot Posada and send him to the glue factory. Being a Yankee fan requires people to have patience and WAY too many people are jumping all over them.I look at it this way; all I want the Yankees to do is finish April with a .500 record, considering what has happened to the team so far.Once Arod, Wang and Bruney are back, I expect them to win 10 of 15 and go on a tear.
It is good to know Jorgie is injured and wasn’t loafing. It just didn’t seem like him.
I enjoy your work, Kim. Is it too early in our relationship to say, “I love you”? Maybe so. Sorry, just pretend you didn’t hear that.
Kim
Posted in the previous thread after seeing the Cano interview but worth saying again. It was great. He was so serious but let his personality come through when touching on a few of the topics. Sometimes it’s hard to remember these guys aren’t immune to the barbs jabbed at them but it came through hearing Robbie talk about being called lazy.
Thanks for that.
GO TINKER BELL!! that story was awesome !!
Nice post Kim, yours are always interesting to read.
Love that about Robbie Cano, one of my favorites. He got his hits tonight and finally we are scoring some runs. Hughes was great tonight.
Think i’ll plug in some of the other games on mlb.
Don
Hi Kim,
Just discovered you blog tapping on my laptop keyboard while watching YES Bonus Cam channel on DirecTV (love the extra camera!). I am elated to hear Tinkerbell “landed” softly and apparently uninjured.
CONGRATS and WELCOME BACK (!) to Hughes on his impressive return to the Yanks.
CONGRATS to Molina on his 1st homerun this season and a Grand Slam at that!
Bob
Kim,
Great job on the pre and post game shows.
I do have a question, though. How come we have to hear from Johnny Damon EVERY SINGLE NIGHT? I understand the media finds him entertaining, but he’s hardly the spokesperson for this team, and it gets rather annoying to hear from him after every single game, regardless of whether he’s done anything or not.
Besides, he’s always naked, and the weedwhacker he takes to his head is starting to scare my dogs…
ditto on the johnny damon comment/question! LOLOL every night i’m like “look! Kim has naked johnny on again!” 😉
Hi Kim!
It’s Allie. LOVE your blog! I love reading the short behind-the-scenes stories and updates– like today: “Cone’s drinking coffee, and I think Kenny ate with John and Suzyn earlier.” I also really enjoyed your breakdown of your usual Yankee interviewees and how truly nice they are.
Random question: Is Ken Singleton going to be calling a lot of games this year? I hope so- I love when he calls them!
We’re going to the game on Friday vs. the Angels. Can’t wait to see the new stadium!
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this blog!
Yay Tinkerbell! Poor dog, I can’t imagine what she went through. Good to hear she’s safe and sound. That’s a good story to hear about.
As for seeing Damon half-naked after the games, I’m sure its mostly the female reporters swarming him. If anything we should be hearing from Jeter after every game, the captain can speak for the team.
I also enjoy when Ken Singleton calls the games. It was great when there was any combination of Singleton, Kaat, and Murcer calling the games a few years ago on YES. There’s something special about the style of the veteran ballplayers who are also veteran broadcasters. They have a type of insight that the professional broadcasters like Kay can’t offer, but Kay is good in his own way. It would be cool for Kay and Singleton to alternate the play-by-play when they do games together to hear a bit of a different view of the game from Kay. Kim, do you have a favorite YES broadcaster or broadcast team? Who is the best to work with?
Congrats Yanks!! And congrats to Hughes. Huge game in his young career, and maybe a defining one. Here’s wishing…MANY MORE PHIL!!
I like Kenny in the booth too. Murcer was GREAT, and is missed. O’Neill is good when he’s there, and Cone adds insight. Kay yammers on too much sometimes….but he does have a good knowledge of the game. There’s just something about his face that irritates me. LOL!! Just kidding….all the YES announcers are good.
substitute Pedroia for Tinker Bell and Francona for the 72 yr old and that story could play well in Boston.
I love Ken Singleton and think he’s the best of all the YES announcers. David Cone is much better with him than with any of the others. O’Neil is awesome and I like Michael Kay too. The one I can’t stand is Flaherty, who really makes the games unwatchable with any type of volume because of his incessant babbling, 90% of which is repeating what Michael just said (“You’re exactly right, Michael, that was a nice little home run for Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees!”). I worry that he’ll be calling more games this year and forcing me to watch on mute.
Jeff, I agree that if there’s a spokesman for the team, it is/should be Derek Jeter. But really, why does the team need a spokesman? Talk to the pitcher and one or two guys who were key to the game. No one person should have to speak every day just for the sake of speaking (although if they do, it definitely should be DJ).
I think this really started getting noticeable to me the day they spoke to Damon after a game last year that he hadn’t even played!
Jeff, I agree that if there’s a spokesman for the team, it is/should be Derek Jeter. But really, why does the team need a spokesman? Talk to the pitcher and one or two guys who were key to the game. No one person should have to speak every day just for the sake of speaking (although if they do, it definitely should be DJ).
I think this really started getting noticeable to me the day they spoke to Damon after a game last year that he hadn’t even played!
Jeff, I agree that if there’s a spokesman for the team, it is/should be Derek Jeter. But really, why does the team need a spokesman? Talk to the pitcher and one or two guys who were key to the game. No one person should have to speak every day just for the sake of speaking (although if they do, it definitely should be DJ).
I think this really started getting noticeable to me the day they spoke to Damon after a game last year that he hadn’t even played!
Jeff, I agree that if there’s a spokesman for the team, it is/should be Derek Jeter. But really, why does the team need a spokesman? Talk to the pitcher and one or two guys who were key to the game. No one person should have to speak every day just for the sake of speaking (although if they do, it definitely should be DJ).
I think this really started getting noticeable to me the day they spoke to Damon after a game last year that he hadn’t even played!
Jeter doesn’t give anything in his interviews…just the same old cliche’s. Plus, he looks like…’Oh God, here we go again’.
“The one I can’t stand is Flaherty, who really makes the games unwatchable with any type of volume because of his incessant babbling, 90% of which is repeating what Michael just said…” Funny how different people have different tastes. I think Flaherty does a great job, but find Cone unlistenable. I also can’t stand listening to Michael Kay. If I hear him say one more time “He tries to pull an outside pitch and hits a grounder to…” I think I will puke. The best of the bunch is O’Neill. He puts Kay on the spot and lets him know when he says something stupid. Kenny Singleton is good as well, but he tends to make a lot of excuses when players make mistakes instead of objective analysis.
Since we are talking about announcers – I love Kenny, however, I really feel that Michael Kay with his loud “See Ya!” when the other team scores a homerun is obnoxious. I realize you have to call all the plays but I don’t think you have to be as enthusastic when the other team scores. John Sterling on the radio calls everything but he does not come across the same way that Kay does. Is Kay a Yankee fan or not? I listen to other announcers for other teams and they certainly don’t call the game the way he does. Do others out there feel the same way?
Hii Kim,
Hii Kim,
Hii Kim,
Hii Kim,
Hi Kim, Keep up the good ,work your insights give a human view of the clubhouse and your colleagues. Need to see more of YOU on these telecasts!
[quote]
substitute Pedroia for Tinker Bell and Francona for the 72 yr old and that story could play well in Boston.
[end quote]
Now THAT is funny!