Armchair Weekend in Review (April 14-16, 2006)

by user JB82

Here we go again. But before we do, thanks for all the positive feedback from last week's inaugural edition of the AWIR. It gives me the strength to keep this going.

On to the proceedings...

Yankees deja vu

 * I guess somebody associated with the New York Yankees must've read my opinion of two days ago (April 8) after the Yanks lost again Saturday night. Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada went yard for the Bronx Bombers and limited another star pitcher - Bartolo Colon - to just two innings. By the way, the Yankees won 10-1. Centerfielder Johnny Damon told New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro that a 1-5 start "wouldn't have made anyone happy," and who am I to argue with him. (sic) –Armchair Weeknd in Review (April 7-9, 2006), April 10, 2006.


 * "It's deja vu all over again." –Yogi Berra

That's the feeling I got last weekend as the Yanks avoided the broom on the road yet again by pounding the Minnesota Twins, 9-2. The keys to this win was the same as last weekend: the longball and great starting pitching. Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez all went deep and Chien-Ming Wang pitched seven innings, giving up only one earned run (out of two) and seven hits. A solid performance, indeed.

Jackie Robinson Day
Knock Bud Selig all you want, but when he does give up the Major League Baseball commissioner's position, one of his positive legacies will be the setting aside of April 15 to commemorate Jackie Robinson's entry into the major leagues, thus breaking the "color barrier." I believe that it was a great move by Selig to do this. Moreover, he is to also be commended for retiring Robinson's number 42 throughout the league in 1997. For more on how MLB honored him on Saturday, click here.

I have been aware for as long as I can remember that Robinson's feat was an historic one. But, it wasn't until I was 13 that I read that he played in the minors. How I came about that, however, is another story for another time.

Odds and sods

 * It seemed that there was one point in Sunday's Washington Nationals-Florida Marlins game that the two teams weren't exactly changing Easter baskets (no offense given to my readers of other religions). You can blame Marlins pitcher Carlos Martinez for clearing both benches.


 * New York Knicks head coach Larry Brown has recently been - dare I say it - sidelined due to acid reflux. Furthermore, the Knicks took out an insurance policy on his five-year, $50 million contract in case Brown should have to step aside for medical reasons. With the way the Knicks' season has been, I wonder if mental health is included, if not a 55-gallon drum of Maalox.


 * No bones about it, Kobe Bryant has had an amazing season. Back in January, the Los Angeles Lakers star guard dropped 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. Now, he capped of a tremendous 2005-06 campaign by passing Elgin Baylor as the Lakers' all-time single season scorer and, at the same time, dropped 43 points and led them back to the postseason. This means that both L.A. teams will be in the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Coincidentally, that was the last time the Clippers' season was extended.

And finally...
Hope you had a great Easter/Passover weekend; we'll do this again next week. Until then, as always, let's all be good sports.

Date
Mon 04/17/06, 4:03 pm EST