Joba tries to rebound, A-Rod rehabs
Not the greatest day ever. Or the greatest start to a game.
It’s impossible to know how Joba felt yesterday knowing his estranged mother was arrested in Nebraska for allegedly selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer.
And imagine how he felt today, seeing it as front-page news. His mother’s unfortunate — yes, Joba is a public figure. And the First Amendment is a fabric of our being and must be defended in nearly every case, even to the dismay of the Yankees manager. So, maybe this is a misguided mini-rant.
But somehow this seemed dirty, and so unnecessary. And we can’t help but feel bad for Joba.
Joba overcame a lot to get where he is. He’s going to have to keep overcoming. But, given his ugly first inning, and this 4-0 start by the Red Sox, you have to wonder if he didn’t take some family baggage to the mound with him tonight.
Give us a second to get off the soapbox.
And to provide a brief food update: Tried tofu for the first time today in the press dining room and liked it. Not as much as the macadamia nut cookies, unfortunately. Kay is back on Atkins, so his burger consumption is increasing. If that’s possible.
Okay, so the news on Posada could’ve been worse, but definitely could have been better. A Grade 2 strain of the right hamstring will keep him out 2-3 weeks, which is the optimistic timeline. A pessimistic timeline isn’t even worth getting into at the moment.
Posada will be missed, which is like saying water is wet. (I have to thank Kevin Brown for the little verbal nugget. Once, when we were in Anaheim and he was just dreadful, I asked him the genius question of whether he was hoping for a better start. He stared, made a sound like a tired cow and said, “That’s like saying water is wet.” I still laugh every single time I think of that. But we digress.)
If nothing else, 2008 proved Posada’s value to be invaluable. Posada is clearly disappointed and frustrated but is buoyed by the idea that he could be back in 15 days.
So, Alex is returning soon. Must confess: We got a kick out of hearing he fielded a ball to his left, did a pirouette and threw out the runner at first today in Tampa. You KNOW Alex has been dying to do a pirouette!
Anyway, we’ll probably see Alex on Friday or perhaps Saturday. Girardi said any day before May 15 would be okay. They need him even more now, and Alex surely realizes that.
The Yankees have closed to 4-3. Damon always seems to hit those kinds of home runs. Joba’s got to like that.
The Kimberly Jones Blog 
Great comeback from Joba! Now the Yankees need to score a couple of runs to get Joba off the hook. He pitched a helluva game tonight, forgetting the first inning. I don’t know why, but Molina seems to handle the staff better with pitch selection.
This loss is as much Joba?s fault as everybody else.
He did great after the first, but sadly the first does count.
Everybody knows Beckett is a very good pitcher. Three runs is a lot off him and Joba couldn?t match it.
i’m pretty sure you have one of the best jobs in the world, traveling with the yankees and hanging out with them. you’re my hero! 😉
sux about posada, that was devastating to hear today, but joba sure made things look brighter with 12k’s. not sure why he was pulled with two outs…he sure huge momentum going for him and the crowd was really getting into it – myself included from oklahoma city!
i was so happy to read about the paul o’neill questions! o’neill is one of my all time favorite yankees (i would vote for paul o’neill day and retiring his number!) and i’m always happy to hear his voice on the air during yankees games. my question for o’neill would be this…how would you handle having a little leaguer with that same intensity to be perfect in a very imperfect game? my eleven year old can wear his emotions on his sleeve at times, which is great when he’s pitching because he throws lights out, but not so great the other games when he doesn’t have that same outlet. throwing baseball equipment is his favorite, but doesn’t go over so well in the dugout so his thoughts would be appreciated!
UNFORTUNATELY – TOO LITTLE TO LATE FOR JOBA. POSADA IS GOING TO BE MISSED. LAST YEAR SHOWED US THAT JORGE IS ONE OF THE MOST IRREPLACABLE YANKEES. THANK GOD A-ROD WILL BE BACK FRIDAY. WE NEED HIS RANGE ON DEFENSE , ABILITY TO CATCH POP UPS, CLUTCH HITTING AND THE ABILITY TO THROW STRIKE ONE AND POUND THE STRIKE ZONE. HOW MANY RUNS PER GAME ARE WE AVERAGING? FRIDAY CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH!!! GET WELL SOON JORGE !!
HATS-ALL-FOLKS.COM
My food update!
I finally had one of those Lobel’s steak sandwiches at the game today. I enjoyed it, but wasn’t the life-changing experience that others have had. It reminded me of Roll N’ Roaster in Brooklyn. Kim, have you ever had one of their roast beef sandwiches? I bet Michael Kay has!
One of the things I enjoyed growing up was listening to Sterling and Kay on the radio during rain delays. It was one thing that grew me closer to the Yankees and their announcers. During rain nowadays, WCBS goes to news, but it was those key non-game action moments that truly made the Yankees my team.
Kim, your blog is the closest thing to rain delay theatre I’ve witnessed in years, at least concerning the Yankees. Thank you.
I had a feeling Kay was on Atkins, based on the things you said he was eating. It’s not just all meat, though, but I don’t see him as a fan of fish, or the good carbs like green veggies. But it works, if you do it the right way (I lost 25 lbs on it 5 years ago, and if I hadn’t gone back to my old eating habits, it would still be off). Tell him to drink a lot of water and stay away from diet soda.
~
On to Joba — already this morning on the radio, they’re saying he should be back in the bullpen based on that first inning. Uh, what about the 12 strikeouts that followed??? My God, you don’t relegate a guy with that kind of stuff to the 7th or 8th inning! Yes, he was electric as a reliever — but he has started quality stuff. Frankly, I think he needs a longer warmup before the first inning to take the edge off this stuff.
~
Kathy
I had a feeling Kay was on Atkins, based on the things you said he was eating. It’s not just all meat, though, but I don’t see him as a fan of fish, or the good carbs like green veggies. But it works, if you do it the right way (I lost 25 lbs on it 5 years ago, and if I hadn’t gone back to my old eating habits, it would still be off). Tell him to drink a lot of water and stay away from diet soda.
~
On to Joba — already this morning on the radio, they’re saying he should be back in the bullpen based on that first inning. Uh, what about the 12 strikeouts that followed??? My God, you don’t relegate a guy with that kind of stuff to the 7th or 8th inning! Yes, he was electric as a reliever — but he has started quality stuff. Frankly, I think he needs a longer warmup before the first inning to take the edge off this stuff.
~
Kathy
Joba came through, but the boys failed to back him up. Gerardi said it- they need to step it up. The talent is there. It was shown during spring training. Injuries, of course, have to get in the way. But Jeter even said it-they can’t wait until someone gets back; they have to produce now. How sick are you of this rain, Kim ? Look forward to checking out your chat later. I’m continuing to enjoy your blogs.
hi kim
what’s up,
there’s a article in the staten island advance to check out.
go to google
type in, when jeanine met jeter
have fun reading it.
What’s your favorite yankees gear?
What’s your favorite song?
Jeanine L
Staten Island, New York
joba should be in the bullpen and not a starter.
the yankees have to wake up the bats and score some runs.
“And the First Amendment is a fabric of our being and must be defended in nearly every case, even to the dismay of the Yankees manager. So, maybe this is a misguided mini-rant.”
Tsk, tsk, tsk. I expect better from you Kim. Anyone with a working brain that heard Joe’s answers on Sunday knows full well that the 1st Amendment has absolutely nothing to do with what he said. Don’t fall in with the rest of those slime merchants at the DN or Post with that 1st Amendment BS. Yes, it was misguided, please keep that nonsense out of this blog.
Hi Kim!
I finally realize who to blame for the Yankees failures? Brain Cashman is the one. Two weeks ago I thought it was Joe, but watching last nite game. I realized its not him. He was given the tools to do his job. As a Native New Yorker, I am ashame & embrassed for the way this team is playing and for the waste of money for building the new stadium thinking this team is going bring a CHAMPIONSHIP! As a die hard fan I am, I am no longer going to watch another game or go to any games. I do understand that we can’t win all the time, but the problem I see is that this team is not putting any efforts into it. They are playing like little league. The Yankees have lost the basic fundamental of baseball. Thanks for your time KIM.
You know why the newspaper coverage of Joba’s mom seems dirty? Because it smacks of classism. If he came from Greenwich and his mother was arrested for selling coke or oxycontin to the ladies who lunch, it wouldn’t be so nasty.
It is news. But people who don’t like Joba are just using this to embarrass him, without ever having to think about the realities of growing up with your mother addicted to drugs or alcohol. It turns my stomach.
Real sorry to see Posada on the DL. Bummer! Seems as if everyone on the team has to do their stint on DL before the team is togeher again. Let’s hope that as the month comes to a close that we will have back Posada, Nady, A-Rod, Marte, etc, back so we can finally have a full team. If the pitching can come through also, good. I look forward to my guy A-Rod’s return, though I am sure his first couple of weeks will be a little rusty for him since he has not played major league baseball for a while. I hope people will be patient with him and not expect home runs his first couple of days. But then again, with A-Rod, who knows? Keep up the good work Kim!
As to the comment about the newspaper article on Joba’s mom, that is a reason I do not buy either the NY Daily News or NY Post. I cannot take their coverage of NY baseball. Thank goodness for the blogs on yesnetwork.com. Here I feel I hear much better opinions and I can enjoy taking part in a more intelligent discussion.
Well Kim…another Red Sox game….another LOSS. You see this team day in and day out. I’m sure…even though you might not say it aloud…that you see this team just going through the motions so many times (like the 8th and 9th innings last night). You must see the lack of heart. I don’t doubt that the current Yankee players WANT to win, but they seem to fold against superior teams like the Red Sox, and almost look like they KNOW they can’t beat them once they get behind.
I like Joe Girardi, but a lot of this has to be a reflection on him. Maybe he’s just too young for these veteran players to identify with. Maybe a Jim Leyland kind of manager would command the respect and the attention of this team more. I don’t know all the answers. I just know what I see….or should I say DON’T see, and that is HEART. Maybe that’s something you can’t coach, but it seems to me that the manager should be able to convey the NEVER GIVE UP attitude. It’s sickening to watch these guys roll over to the Red Sox like they have this year.
PS….Alex is not the savior. He doesn’t bring HEART to this team, and that is what they lack. They have the ability…even with Posada gone. I can’t stand the idea that the Red Sox are chuckling all the way to the airport.
Kim, really like the blog, keep it up. I did hear something this morning though that I’m sure you have since learned:
Evidently Joba’s mother was arrested back in February and someone in the media just learned of it yesterday. While I do agree with you that the papers shouldn’t have her splashed all over the front/back pages, this really shouldn’t have been an issue for Joba since he already knew about it, and I would assume has dealt with it in his own way.
I would pressume this information is pretty solid since it came from WFAN, and like I said, I’m sure you have learned of this since. But you of all people should know that it is not a journalist’s responsibility to worry about the pysche of a professional athlete. It is certainly cheap journalism, and I know that there are more pressing issues that should have been addressed, especially on the front/back pages, but this should not have been an issue for Joba last night. If it was, he may want to reconsider his career choice.
I am not so sure about that mbrandes. The team sure does want him back. Let’s hope that he can bring some runs as well.
Yeah…they want him back. My point is that he isn’t the answer to their woes, nor HAS he been the answer since he got here (have you seen the Yanks in a WS since he’s been here? Didn’t think so). At this point in time, the best he’ll do is make up for Posada’s missing bat.
Hey…don’t get me wrong…there isn’t a bigger Yankee fan around than I am. But it’s time to call it like it IS.
Hi Kim!! HUGE fan of yours. But…”PLAYER OF THE GAME”?????? Are you kidding me?? How in the world can you make a pitcher that gave up 4 runs in the first inning..”PLAYER OF THE GAME”? That is a complete embarrassment! DO NOT GLORIFY a pitcher that lost the game!!! Don’t ignore the fact that Joba lost the game. And he left the game with a fist pump???? LOL. The only reason the remaining fans left in the stadium were cheering when he got pulled was because the rest of the Yankees were playing so damn bad!!!! Great!….. He threw 12 strikeouts. And if he wouldn’t have given up “4 RUNS” in the 1ST INNING, that stood, and lasted the ENTIRE game, RESULTING in a LOSS…..maybe “PLAYER OF THE GAME”. Was it given to him because of the drama that just recently happened with his mother? I hope that isn’t the reason. But I honestly cannot think of how he ended up being “PLAYER OF THE GAME”. The Yankees cannot buy a run right now for whatever reason. We leave so many runners on base it is almost illegal. They need a boot somewhere to spark some kind of motivation. The Red Sox were getting hits and actually hitting runners home both meetings this year against us. This Bullpen is an absolute JOKE!!!! We spent so much on 2 starting pitchers, that are a stories all by them self…..but we have “ZERO” that we can count on in the bullpen. It’s actually pretty damn funny, watching Girardi rotate the entire bullpen through a game all the time. I know you didn’t pick Joba, but someone needs to talk to Michael Kay, Ken Singleton and Flash…..because they are making themselves look like a bunch of baboons picking the pitcher that actually LOST THE DAMN GAME as ………”The PLAYER OF THE GAME”. WHAT A JOKE!
Unfortunately, we cannot forget about Jobas 1st inning because it is what LOST THE GAME. THE 1st INNING!!! LOL.
Well, I don’t want to get into a debate about A-Rod. I am tired of that. Let’s just wish him the best when he gets back and that he can really help this team, and that the Yankees can as a team win some more games in the future…like tonight!!!
Kim, Joba’s mother’s arrest happened months ago although it only hit the NY papers this week. All this hype about Joba giving Yankee fans something to cheer about last night is totally ridiculous. The man put the Yanks in a 4 zip hole before getting an out. If Joba had shut them down and pitched seven innings, that would have been something to cheer about. He got 12 strikeouts but lost the game. He lost the game folks and didn’t make it through 6 innings because he threw so many pitches in the disastrous 1st. Keep the 12 strikeouts & a loss and give me 27 groundball outs and a win anytime.
Disgusted Yankee fan.
Another thing, how could Joba be named Player of the Game?! This defies belief. Are the YES folks on drugs?
Disgusted fan.
Kim,
Yes, Joba’s first inning left a lot to be desired, but he did come back. All those fans (I don’t think they were Yankee fans) who complained about his performance whether it be his pitching and how he reacted to his strikeouts, have to think about how he must have felt. I am sure he was frustrated, and having to deal with the incident about his Mother. Whether or not he was that close to her, she is still his mother and to have that news all over the papers (for the Red Sox players I may add to see), had to be very upsetting to him and I am sure that this had to be on his mind when he went out to the mound. Yes, he gave up those 4 runs, but he did come back, unfortunately to get a loss. Let’s give this kid a break! Think about all the ups and downs we all have in our lives and how we handle them. Thanks for listening because I am tired of them knocking Joba and of course A-Rod. Give me a break!
Yankees will reign again!!!!!
Barbara