Saturday Post-Game

Belatedly, here are some notes about Saturday’s game — that’s what you get for having a girlfriend whose friend was having a house warming on Staten Island, keeping you away from your computer on a Saturday night…anyway, here are some thoughts on yesterday’s 5-2 Yankee win over the Tigers:

*Kyle Farnsworth blew through the heart of the Tigers’ order like a hot knife through butter, striking out Magglio Ordonez and Gary Sheffield with some high heat. He went to Sheff’s strength…and won. After the game Joe Torre verbally lifted Kyle out of the doghouse.

*Roger Clemens’ 2-1-1 double play on a strike out/tag out of Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge was something the Rocket called “Instinct”. Whatever it was, this play in the top of the third was one of many ways that Clemens let batters reach base but kept them from scoring. The Rocket gave up ten hits but just two earned runs in six innings. He struck out eight batters (including several important ones when he needed them) and did not issue a walk. This is why you sign a 45-year old Hall of Famer — he may not have the stuff he had a decade ago, but he hasn’t forgotten how to battle.

*While standing in Joe Torre’s office after the game I noticed a scorecard with Joba Chamberlain’s named crossed out from the “available” players list. So far the Yankee brass are sticking to their guns by not pitching this wonderful talent two days in a row.

Starter or future closer? Let the debates begin.

*Two of Roger’s boys (Kevin or Kyle or Kobe or Karson or Kirk or Kane or Kirby or Kaleb or Keith) were running around the locker room yesterday, hanging out with uncle Andy while the media waited for Dad.

*Friday night I had the pleasure of booing Gary Sheffield from the stands at Yankee Stadium…today I was at work in the locker room and got to ask Sheff first-hand about the crowd’s reaction to him. When asked whether the crowd bothered him he answered, “Did it look like it bothered me?” — referring to his 3-for-5 afternoon. Then I asked if he felt his three years in the Bronx were tarnished and he said that people booed because he was “special”.

“Special?” I asked.

“Only special people can get that kind of reaction from 60,000 people. It just means I am special.”

Hey, whatever helps you sleep, bro.