The Yankees finally opened up at their own ballpark this past weekend and played host to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, not to be confused with the Los Angeles Angels of Beverly Hills or the Los Angeles Angels of Compton.
Not only was this weekend big for the Yankees' home opener as well recognizing the contributions of Jackie Robinson, but this was also the unveiling of the Angels' new $250 million slugger Albert Pujols in front of an audience consisting more than ten people. After 11 seasons and 2 World Series championships for the St. Louis Cardinals without any steroid allegations, Pujols signed a 10-year deal for $254 million to move to the AL west and play with the Angels. Always reliable birth certificates from the Dominican Republic has him at 32 years of age, so the 35 year old will be playing out this contract till he's 45.
The Angels must have read Hank Steinbrenner's book on how to run a front office.
In the first game after the humongous flag in centerfield and the fighter jets flying overhead crap was done, Yankee new-comer pitcher Hiroki Kuroda shocked the entire sold out stadium crowd by throwing 8 innings of shutout baseball. Kei Igawa he was not.
The Yankees own mega-millions winner Alex Rodriguez and his $275 million-dollar contract out-shined Pujols with 3 hits including a mammoth homerun out towards monument park in centerfield. Curtis Granderson also lined a homer into the right field stands for his second of the young season. The game was basically over the the 1st inning when Nick Swisher's bases clearing double put the Yanks ahead 3-0 and Kuroda just mowed the Angels down from there.
Unlike Kuroda, Phil Hughes wasn't able to bounce back from his first mediocre start in Tampa and he was tagged for 6 runs in the Yankees' 7-1 loss in the second game. Hughes was slapped around for 8 hits including 2 homeruns in 3.1 innings while the offense had no answer for Angels starter C.J. Wilson, another part of the Angels spending spree this offseason. Although Hughes was able to throw with velocity, he seems prime to be sent back to the kid's table once Pettitte returns in May.
The rubbermatch of the series came down the first ESPN Sunday Night Baseball appearance for the Yankees this season and a 11-5 victory over the Angels. In honor of Jackie Robinson, aka MLB PR ploy to try to snare future black athletes from the assumption of basketball and football as the only meal tickets, players from all teams wore number 42 this day. The Yankees offense knocked out Angels starter, a journeyman pitcher, something Williams out rather early, taking a 5-1 lead. Derek Jeter added a cheap 3-run homer to the generous right field of Yankee Stadium to increase the lead to 8-1 as his hot hitting continues. Ivan Nova wasn't all that sharp as he gave up a few homers of his own, but was able to hold the Angels to 4 runs over his 6 innings of work.
To the Angels credit they scratched and clawed their way to stay in the game and things got real dicey in the seventh inning when they had bases loaded and the winning run standing at the plate. Of course, when there's a bases loaded situation, Yankees reliever David Robertson gets out of it automatically.
After tacking on another run to make it 9-5 Yankees, Raul Ibanez put the game away for good with a 2-run homer into the upperdeck that made it 11-5. The shot was only the third time in the stadium's brief history a homerun ball reached up there. The Yankees at 5-4 will roll out the red carpet for the usual-walkover Minnesota Twins who come into town next.
As for Albert Pujols; his weekend series added up to 4 hits and 2 RBIs, but still without a homerun for 2012.
Had he been hitting like this for the Yankees, the media and the fans would be burning him at the stake by now.....
Not only was this weekend big for the Yankees' home opener as well recognizing the contributions of Jackie Robinson, but this was also the unveiling of the Angels' new $250 million slugger Albert Pujols in front of an audience consisting more than ten people. After 11 seasons and 2 World Series championships for the St. Louis Cardinals without any steroid allegations, Pujols signed a 10-year deal for $254 million to move to the AL west and play with the Angels. Always reliable birth certificates from the Dominican Republic has him at 32 years of age, so the 35 year old will be playing out this contract till he's 45.
The Angels must have read Hank Steinbrenner's book on how to run a front office.
In the first game after the humongous flag in centerfield and the fighter jets flying overhead crap was done, Yankee new-comer pitcher Hiroki Kuroda shocked the entire sold out stadium crowd by throwing 8 innings of shutout baseball. Kei Igawa he was not.
The Yankees own mega-millions winner Alex Rodriguez and his $275 million-dollar contract out-shined Pujols with 3 hits including a mammoth homerun out towards monument park in centerfield. Curtis Granderson also lined a homer into the right field stands for his second of the young season. The game was basically over the the 1st inning when Nick Swisher's bases clearing double put the Yanks ahead 3-0 and Kuroda just mowed the Angels down from there.
Unlike Kuroda, Phil Hughes wasn't able to bounce back from his first mediocre start in Tampa and he was tagged for 6 runs in the Yankees' 7-1 loss in the second game. Hughes was slapped around for 8 hits including 2 homeruns in 3.1 innings while the offense had no answer for Angels starter C.J. Wilson, another part of the Angels spending spree this offseason. Although Hughes was able to throw with velocity, he seems prime to be sent back to the kid's table once Pettitte returns in May.
The rubbermatch of the series came down the first ESPN Sunday Night Baseball appearance for the Yankees this season and a 11-5 victory over the Angels. In honor of Jackie Robinson, aka MLB PR ploy to try to snare future black athletes from the assumption of basketball and football as the only meal tickets, players from all teams wore number 42 this day. The Yankees offense knocked out Angels starter, a journeyman pitcher, something Williams out rather early, taking a 5-1 lead. Derek Jeter added a cheap 3-run homer to the generous right field of Yankee Stadium to increase the lead to 8-1 as his hot hitting continues. Ivan Nova wasn't all that sharp as he gave up a few homers of his own, but was able to hold the Angels to 4 runs over his 6 innings of work.
To the Angels credit they scratched and clawed their way to stay in the game and things got real dicey in the seventh inning when they had bases loaded and the winning run standing at the plate. Of course, when there's a bases loaded situation, Yankees reliever David Robertson gets out of it automatically.
After tacking on another run to make it 9-5 Yankees, Raul Ibanez put the game away for good with a 2-run homer into the upperdeck that made it 11-5. The shot was only the third time in the stadium's brief history a homerun ball reached up there. The Yankees at 5-4 will roll out the red carpet for the usual-walkover Minnesota Twins who come into town next.
As for Albert Pujols; his weekend series added up to 4 hits and 2 RBIs, but still without a homerun for 2012.
Had he been hitting like this for the Yankees, the media and the fans would be burning him at the stake by now.....
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