Steve and the Tank! - Will Ronjon Root for the Yankees or Red Sox?

Will Ronjon Root for the Yankees or Red Sox?

From yesterday's post, you know that the Tank roots for the Yankees and Mets. How is that possible you ask? I am joined at the Stadium by Ronjon, my friend since kindergarten. As a amateur historian and computer geek, I dislike the term "back in the day" because it is historically imprecise and technically vague. What year, decade, or even century I ask? Therefore, Ronjon and I were in kindergarten in 1975. I'm keeping it real. (I don't care if I am 37. I want to live until 100 so I am a little over a third of the way there.) Like me, Ronjon grew up a Yankees fan but became a Red Sox fan during college in Boston. Noooooo! Our lifelong friendship was tested like never before and I probably took it too personally. I asked myself what I did to cause Ronjon to root for the Red Sox. As usually, I was over ANALytical and hard on myself and Ronjon which I apologized to him for. Times change and so do people but Ronjon is always welcome to root for the Yankees. I use the blog to work through my Issue of the Day/Year/Life/AfterLife/etc. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy. :-)

Anyhoo, reunion night continues as I am reunited with my Bleacher Creature brethren in the Right Field Bleachers.  When I tried to buy my ticket plan tickets earlier this year, Ticketmaster's servers rebooted eleven of my 20 games ended up in the Left Field instead of Right Field Bleachers.

Pedoria was hit by a pitch but caught stealing second. Big Papi thankfully flew out.

Damon grounded out to first. Jeter doubles.  The scoreboard in left field flashes Angels 8 - Mariners 2.  Yess! We have a chance to tie for the Wild Card if we win. Abreu pops up. A-Rod called out on strikes. Yankees 0 - Red Sox 0.

Police escorted two Red Sox fans to their seats and it's only the first inning.  The Yankees fans that were harassing them were ejected in the top of the second.

Drew and Varitek walk on eight consecutive balls.  Ron Guidry comes out to talk to Clemens. Coco Crisp grounds out to Giambi. No harm, no foul, thank God. Still scoreless after the top of the second.

Sir Paul McCartney is shown on the screen in right center field as Matsui comes to the plate. Our Japanese friends with the Matsui Godzilla sign are up.  Matsui struck out. Posada singles. Giambi pops up in foul territory near the Yankee dugout. Cano walked. Cabrera singled Posada home. "Tienes Leche?" "Got Milk?" the sign displays. The Melkman thankfully delivers. Yankees 1 - Red Sox 0. On a wild pitch to Damon, Cabrera advances to second. Damon works a full count. After fouling off a pitch, Damon singles home Posada and Cabrera. Yankees 3 - Red Sox 0. Jeter hits a nubber to the mound and Beckett throws it away. Jeter and Damon advance to second and third.  Abreu grounds out to end the inning. At the end of three, Yankees 3 - Red Sox 0.

As I went to the restroom, Ronjon reported that Kevin Bacon was shown on the big screen in right center.

Hinske walks to open the third. Lugo grounded out to Giambi. Pedroia bunted to Clemens and Hinske advances to third. Big Papi flews out to Damon on the warning track in left center. Whew!

A-Rod singled to left but thrown out after rounding the base too far. Darn it!  Matsui works a full count and hit a triple to left center past a diving Coco Crisp. Tardy Red Sox fans are booed as they get to their seats.  Better late than never I guess. :-)

Posada struck out. Giambi struck out to end the inning.

Kevin Bacon is shaking his head to the "Footloose" theme blasting over the speakers. The guy to my right "secretly" tells me that Clemens has a no hitter. OMG!

Cano grounds out. Cabrera hits an infield single to the second baseman as Beckett was late covering first. Nice. Damon flies out to shortstop. Cabrera is caught stealing as Jeter is at the plate. Yankees 3 - Red Sox 0 through four innings.

Penny Marshall is shown on the screen as the "Laverne and Shirley" theme is playing on the screen.

Varitek walks. Crisp strikes out swinging. Hinske flies out to Cabrera. Lugo grounds out to A-Rod.

Jeter struck out. Abreu hit an infield single in the area between the catcher, the pitcher, and first baseman. While the Cowbellman is cranking out a beat, A-Rod unfortunately grounds out into a double play to end the inning.

Disco Stu may not be Kevin Bacon or Sir Paul McCartney but he's got spirit. Ronjon and other fans think that Disco Stu's dancing is wrong. Hey, it's a free country.

Pedroia flies out to deep right center in front of Ronjon and me. Big Papi hits a monster shot in what appeared to be a foul ball but broke up Clemens no hitter in the top of the sixth.  Darn it! Lowell's ball goes off Clemens' glove, Cano recovers and gets the out. Youkilis walks. Drew singled to right and Pedroia advanced to third.  The infield meets at the mound with Pitching Coach "Louisiana Lightning" Ron Guidry. Varitek grounds out to Cano to thankfully end the threat. Yankees 3 - Red Sox 1.

Matsui flew out to Drew who almost dropped it. Posada singled to right center. Giambi singled to right center. Cano flew out to left.  Phillips pinch ran for Giambi as Beckett convenes what feels like his 50th meeting of the game at the mound. Cabrera hits an infield single to Lugo whose Jeteresque throw almost gets Cabrera out. Damon is up with the bases loaded. He grounds out and slides into first.

Jeter flew out. Abreu struck out. As Ronjon was fading from jetlag (just came in from Switzerland), he snores and says "I want some action". A split later, A-Rod hit a home run to left. Go A-Rod! Thanks Ronjon!  Welcome back to the Yankee family brother! I have closure on this issue! Yankees 4 - Red Sox 1. Javier Lopez is the new pitcher for the Red Sox. Matsui singled to left. Posada walked. Mike Timlin came in from the bullpen.

"She's going to get her boyfriend's @ss kicked," Ronjon astutely observes as a blonde Red Sox fan banters with some Yankees fans about five rows in front of us.

Phillips almost gets hit. A big sign in the upper deck reads "The Andy Man Can". Nice. The crowd cheers in the opposite deck as a fight breaks out.

Phillips pops up to Youkilis. At the end of seven, Yankees 4 - Red Sox 1.

Farnsworth is in to pitch to Big Papi who flies out on 3-2 to Cabrera.  Lowell singles to center. Youkilis hits a two run shot to left.  Yankees 4 - Red Sox 3. "We want Joba!" some fans chant but this is his rest day. Mariano started to warm up as Farnsworth pitched to Drew. Drew thankfully struck out. Varitek walked. So long Farnsworthless.

Ronjon smiles as Mariano's "Enter Sandman" blares over the speakers. Mariano gets Crisp to ground on three pitches thank God!

Take no chances. A tie in the Wild Card and drawing closer in the AL East is on the line.

Timlin is still pitching. Cano grounded out to Lugo. Cabrera poped up to Lowell. Damon flew out to center to end the eighth. Yankees 4 - Red Sox 3.

Hinske grounds out to Mariano. Lugo grounds out to A-Rod. Pedroia is out! Ballgame over. The Yankeeessss win!

With the Seattle 8-2 loss to Anaheim, the Yankees are now tied for the Wild Card with the Mariners. Only six games behind in the AL East with four head-to-head and 29 games left.

Posted by an excited Tank live from Yankee Stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx.

Postscript: The Yankees thankfully swept the series Thursday afternoon as I was editing this post thanks to a great pitching performance from Wang. Wang took a no-hitter into the seventh. As I write and post this, the Yankees are five games back in the AL East and own a half game lead in the Wild Card going into the Mariners playing at Cleveland tonight. Keep the faith!

Live! | MLB | Yankees Analysis (MLB)

Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:57:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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