SOMEWHERE "THE KID" IS SMILING..

On July 18, 1999 David Cone threw a perfect game for the Yankees. It was Yogi Berra Day and he and Don Larson threw out and caught the ceremonial first pitch. The number 8 (Yogi's number with the Yankees) was painted on the field on both the first and third base sides, forming an 88. After the game, David Cone discovered he threw 88 pitches to get that perfect game that day. Cone always felt It was a sign for sure it was meant to be. Tonight, number 8 once again was shinning down on a no-hitter - this time for the Mets.

Gary Carter, lost his battle with cancer this year. "The Kid", as he was known, was beloved by so many Mets fans and players. He spent 4 years as the Mets catcher and was remembered for his smile and positive attitude on and off the field. No one would have loved the Mets getting their first no-hitter in franchise history more than Carter. Well, Johan Santana got the no-hitter tonight by striking out 8 batters. In addition, the offense helped his cause by scoring 8 runs off 8 hits. Gary Carter wore number 8 during his time in Flushing Queens. Somewhere "The Kid" is smiling that great broad smile of his down on Citi Field.

Johan Santana is coming back this season after having not pitched the entire 2011 season due shoulder surgery in 2010. He just wanted to pitch well for his team. Tonight, he "no" doubt did just that. Johan was the perfect guy to acheive this more than anyone.

I am so happy for the Mets and their fans. It's never easy to root season after season for a team that has struggled for as long as the Mets have. But that's what fans do. 

Congratulations to Johan and the Mets. You have made the city of NY proud and Yankee fans, like myself, are so happy for your historic acheivement.

SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER TO BE LUCKY THAN GOOD

The Yankees left LA 1.5 games out of first, thanks to a win against the Angels and both the Rays and Orioles losing. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

The pitching last night was so-so at best. Nova pitched 6.2 innings, giving up 5 runs. The Yankees, for their part, scored 5 runs in the the 3rd and found one more in the 6th to edge out the Angels and avoid being swept. Soriano got the save - it wasn't pretty but it was still a save. Nova wasn't awful; but he didn't make it look easy. He looked liked he was struggling the entire time he was on the mound. Unlike some, I am not giving up on Nova. He is not the phenom everyone was calling him last year, but he is still a good pitcher and is navigating towards his role as a starter in his sophmore year in the majors. He will find his way.

It's now on to Detroit. I refuse to give up on this team or anyone on it. The Yankees can be frustrating and at times maddening; and at other times uplifting and exciting to watch. The one thing they are always is - MY team.

As usual, GO YANKEES!

PUJOLS HOT - YANKEES NOT

So much for the epic fail of Albert Pujols. "The Machine" apparently found his swing just in time for the Yankees to come to town. Albert went 2 for 4, one of which, was a 2 run homerun.

The Yankees, for their part, made life easy for the previously struggling Angels, by only scoring 1 run on 9 hits the entire game. Once again, the Yankees are back to failing to get hits with runners in scoring position. The two steps forward the team collectively took during their previous 5 wins over KC and Oakland, appear to have been followed by three steps back over these last two games in LA.

Through all this, there is one slightly bright spot, which is Baltimore and Tampa have also lost their last two. So, the Yankees remain in 3rd place and two and a half games out of first. However, right behind them is Toronto and Boston. The AL east is looking like a pretty tight race for first as we head into June.

Ivan Nova goes to the mound to tonight. The Yankees really need to try to salvage a win tonight before they head to Detroit. Hopefully, the Yankees can cool down Pujols and get hot again.

As usual, GO YANKEES!

LOOKING FOR PETTITTE MAGIC

Someone on Twitter last night asked if  it was possible to have a pitching rotation of Sabathia, Pettitte, Sabathia Pettitte with Kuroda thrown in.  I smiled.  Because I wondered if Andy thought that his coming back would make this big of an impact on the Yankees and their fans.  If he didn’t – he should now.

Expecting Andy to win every one of his games, the rest of the season is as unlikely as the above suggested rotation (obviously).  But as Yogi Berra said:

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.

Some of the mental aspect of the game is how the team and the fans perceive what you can do.  Everyone is looking for Andy to turn the page on the loss the Yankees suffered last night.  Yes, Phil Hughes struggled, but the Yankees offense did it’s best to counter the tattooing the Angels gave Phil.  Of course it wasn’t totally all Hughes.  Yes, he gave up 7 runs.  But Epply gave up the other (actually Phelps gave it up, but the run was charged to Epply).  Had that stupid run not be given up, the Yankees MAY have won that game last night.   Instead of an ugly loss, it would have been a not-so-pretty win.

Some may say that at age 39 (almost 40) it isn’t fair to put the burden of getting wins after a loss.  But what people may forget, a few seasons ago that is exactly what Andy was known for.  What I also know from personal experience, the older you get, the better you are at taking on responsibility.   I am not saying that Andy will win, but he knows what they are looking at him to do and he is absolutely up to the challenge – both physically and definitely mentally.  The Yankees need a little magic and Pettitte is the magician.

As usual, GO YANKEES!

THE MILITARY AND THE BOYS OF SUMMER

On MLB's website is list of 30 major league baseball players who served in the US Military MLB 30 players who served.

As you read this, you will see some were drafted and some enlisted. The one that always sticks out is Bob Feller. Bob, while in the middle of his pitching career, enlisted in the military two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In a 1990 interview Youtube video of Bob Feller interview Bob tells how, although he lost four years of his playing career, he did not regret one moment he spent fighting the enemy in World War II. He goes on to say:

"I'm no hero. Heroes don't come back. Survivors return home. Heroes never come home. If anyone thinks I'm a hero, I'm not."

Well said by a great pitcher and an even greater man.

Major league baseball players (as in all professional sports) have served a role in every war from WWI to Vietnam. Everyone of those men played a part in helping protect the freedom we enjoy today.

Today, Memorial Day, we honor those men and woman who gave their lives so we can live ours. We should also say "thank you" to the millions who have served and those who still serve in our military. That includes our Boys of Summer - those still here and those we have lost since.

"Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is."

Robert Feller

YANKEE FANS WANT ACTION NOW

Go on twitter these last couple days and you will find three types of Yankee fans. Those who believe any minute the team will turn things around (the hopeful), those who have all but given up on a successful season (the disgusted) and those who want action now (the angry).

Now, the last group are the most vocal of the three. The first two groups will put tweets out like "It's only May people" or "Forget it the season is over" (I'm sure you can guess which is which). But the angry Yankee fans, they know this team is better than their record indicates (as if today 21-21 tied for last). After all, this team has a player with over 3,000 hits, one with over 600 home runs and one who has won the All-Star home run derby. How is it a team with the likes of Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Granderson, Swisher, etc not able to hit with runners in scoring position and score runs?

The suggestion from these very passionate fans (including myself) range from firing Joe Girardi, Kevin Long or Brian Cashman (and sometimes all three) to trading the entire farm team for one hot hitter. The reasons for the slump the team is going through also vary. Some feel the team has no heart to the Manager is micro managing and overthinking to the team just plain sucks. Ironically, none of these causes or solutions are incorrect. That's because no one weighing in really has the ability to make changes and opinions are never wrong. Extreme, maybe; debatable, yes but never wrong.

What the world outside Yankee Universe has to understand is that Yankee fans are passionate, fierce people. We can criticize our team, but GOD HELP YOU if you are a Boston fan and said the Yankees suck. Do that and you should fear for your life-seriously.

What is the solution? I sure as hell don't know. But as one the thousands and thousands of frustrated people who love the Bronx Bombers - Yankee fans want action now.

PETTITTE TURNS BACK TIME

On Friday night Andy Pettitte looked as if he had turned back time (Cher song running through your head now). On a beautiful, warm May night, he pitched an eight inning shutout. He didn't just look like 2010 Andy, he looked like Andy from 2002.

Pettitte turns 40 next month. Many wondered how he would pitch after sitting out all of the 2011 season. After his first so-so start on Mother's Day (which he now admits we was a little over excited and nervous), Andy came out with a vengence on Friday. Although the radar gun only hit 90 mph twice, it didn't matter. He fooled the hitters with his curveball, cutter and fourseamer, striking Joey Votto out three times. He looked, and was, locked into every pitch. It was amazing to watch.

Now, I don't profess to know how the rest of Andy's (or the Yankees for that matter) season will go. What I do know is Andy Pettitte, as I have said before, has the heart of a champion and the mental and physical toughness of a warrior (again no offense to Paul O'Neill). Those who know Andy, fans and teammates alike, are not all that surprises at his comeback so far. Because if you know anything about Andy, he doesn't go in half hearted. He is either all-in or not at all. He has said that if he didn't think he could comeback and pitch at a major league level, he wouldn't have comeback at all. That's Andy and that's why we love and root for him - yesterday, today and always.