Game 80. Happy 4th! Jays @ Yanks, and MLB remembers Gehrig 70 years later.

By: Mike Sommer

I’ll be back at work tomorrow, but after tomorrow’s games, the season is half over.

The 4th…the “Boss”’s b-day (79) and today marks the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech. Today in ballparks across the country, MLB remembers the speech as it helps to try to find a cure for ALS—the disease that took Catfish Hunter as well as Gehrig.

If you remember the excellent book and TV movie, “Tuesdays with Morrie” then you know that Morrie Schwartz was also an ALS victim—as is and was untold others. 

I have a picnic to go to today as I am sure many of you do. Enjoy the day and relish (have to use that word as I prepare to watch the Coney Hot Dog Eating Contest!) the freedoms we enjoy in our great land.

It’s a tough one for the Yanks today as they go up against “Doc” Halladay. 

YANKEES (46-33, 2nd, 2 GB)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C (back after the thumb injury)
Matsui DH
Cabrera RF
Gardner CF

Pitching: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (1-6, 10.06).

A-Rod got a two-out single to drive in Damon (who walked and moved up on a fielder’s choice) in the 1st.

Wang gave two back in the 2nd, but Matsui tied it up in the bottom of the 2nd with a HR (12th of year, #124 in MLB).

In the 4th, Posada hit his 11th of the year, and #232 of his career. At 37, the guy is still one of the top catchers in baseball.

3-2 Yanks through five, Wang keeping up with Halladay so far.

Top 10 Yankee HR leaders:

Home Runs

Rank Player    HR    PA
1. Babe Ruth 659   9197
2. Mickey Mantle 536   9909
3. Lou Gehrig 493   9660
4. Joe DiMaggio 361   7671
5. Yogi Berra 358   8355
6. Bernie Williams 287   9053
7. Graig Nettles 250   6247
8. Jorge Posada 232   6067
9. Don Mattingly 222   7721
  Alex Rodriguez 222   3604

Gotta go. Picnic beckons. No, I won’t match Joey Chestnut, who won his 3rd straight Coney Island title by beating Kobayashi 68 hot dogs to  64 1/2 today.

In case you are wondering, Jeter has 215.

So far, so good for Wang. If they can get him going for the 2nd half, along with the improved bullpen due to Hughes and Aceves (and Coke has been good lately, too), it will boost the Yanks greatly in a division where between the Yanks, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Rays, 92 wins could mean 3rd and 86 wins 4th.

Later…

Sommer Frieze is a blog dedicated (mainly) to the Yankees. I'll touch on other things as well and the blog (as much as possible) will not only have Yankees news but also follow the Yanks' farm teams. Come visit at Sommer Frieze.

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