Indians vs. Yankees - Game 1

Just got home from work, I'll be taking some notes here....a minor league attempt at a live blog. "Minor League." Kinda like the National League. All four AL teams finished at least four games ahead of the BEST NL club. And they did so against inferior competition. Quite sad. Anyways, I figured I'd give this a shot since I'm at home alone watching our first step toward a World Series title. I missed the beginning of the game, but listened in the car on the way home from work. We pick things up in the bottom of the 3rd with nobody out.

6:49 Asdrubal Cabrera goes YARD! I love this kid! What a great August call up. And what a great first batter of my live bloggin career. "You know, they say you can tell alot about a ball club from the first batter of the season." Who needs a trade deadline when you have farm system like this?
6:51 LeBron James is being interviewed with a Yankees hat on by Craig Seger. Some Clevelander. I swore off the Cavs a long time ago when Jerry Reinsdorf was paying my bills, but I was warming back up to my hometown team because LeBron is the real deal and the Bulls, while good, just aren't that exciting. Well, now he's saying he was a Bulls fan as a kid and he's a Cowboys fan too. What a prick. I'm done with King James...unless they trade him to Chicago, of course.
6:53 Chien-Ming Wang retires two in a row after the homer and around the Bron-Bron interview.
6:54 Ryan Garko is 2 for 2, he just dropped a bloop single in for a two out hit.
6:55 I'm already enjoying the TV broadcast on TBS more than the radio broadcast on ESPN 1000. Dusty Baker was on with John Miller, who I actually enjoy, but man does Dusty sound like an idiot. Every time I hear him talk I'm even more convinced that his time as a manager was over about half way through his tenure with the Cubbies, if not earlier.

6:56 Innning over. End of the 3rd, 4-1 Cleveland.

6:58 Frank TV looks, well, interesting, but that guy certainly does some decent impressions. Is that the same Frank as Frank Caliendo? AKA Sunday Night John on Mac, Jurko and Harry? If so, I will need to check that out.
6:59 C.C. Sabathia has settled in. Today, through a collaboration of sources, I have decided that he will now be known as Captain Cheeseburger Sabaconpants. Speaking of bacon, I need this Baconsalt (http://www.baconsalt.com/) and I'm going to order a ton of it. I'll be taking orders once I get it in if you'd like some.
7:01 Strike out number four for 'Baconpants, he also has four walks though, which is WAY above his season average of less than one walk for every six innings. Pitch count worries me, it means we may have to see JoBo at some point.
7:02 The announcers tell us that the Yankees will never allow anyone to throw a 7-8 pitch inning.
7:03 Robinson Cano goes yard....I guess they were right. Pitch 10 = gone. I heard a really loud "YEAH!" in the background as it cleared the wall. I thought you weren't allow to cheer in press boxes? I've been in the sports business for seven years and that is the number one rule in sports media, or so I've been told.

7:04 Bottom of the 4th, 4-2 Tribe. Lofton to lead off the Indians' half.

7:07 Kenny Lofton is still my all-time favorite Indian. If you feel compelled to drop $250+ on me for no good reason, or maybe your reason is that you love me and want me to be happy, I would suggest an authentic Kenny Lofton Indians jersey. I like the alternate home blue uniform and I take a size M. Thanks in advance. If early 90s throwbacks are available, just as well.
7:10 Ron Guidry (Yankess pitching coach) makes excuses for Chien-Ming Wang and says that the offense is so good that all he needs to do is keep it close. He may be right, but I hate NY Yankee arrogance. Its almost worse than MY yankee arrogance.
7:11 Third walk of the night for Wang, Gutierrez aboard for Blake with one out.
7:13 AJob makes a decent play and gets the lead runner. I will take this moment to tell you how much I hate AJob. Cano bailed him out on a crappy throw. They joke that it was the best sinker thrown today. Cute. They love him.
7:15 He put up "video game numbers this season." Still gushing over AJob. How about talking about Sizemore and how all the lovey ladies of Cleveland are in love with him? Frankly, I like to think I'm confident enough in my sexuality to tell you if a guy is attractive and I just don't see it with Grady.
7:16 A week or so ago Jennithird made me a deal that if the Indians get to the World Series, she will get a "Grady's Ladies" t-shirt. Or maybe it said, "Mrs. Sizemore," I can't remember. I don't know what I have to do if Boston gets there. I'm worried. I hate them almost as much as I hate the Yanks and I don't think I could spend money on the Sawx without dieing a little inside.

7:18 End of the 4th, still 4-2.

7:20 I can't seem to find a single Indians t-shirt in the shop on their website that doesn't look like hell. Jersey me please. I'll trade you for a Cubbie alternate blue Mark Prior jersey! Ha. Talk about your bad decisions. However, Mark Prior's first game as a Cub was also the first Cubs game I ever went to, and he was the best pitcher in baseball when I bought it. Yeah, I'm making excuses now, aren't I?
7:21 Frank TV is, in fact, Frank Caliendo. I think I'll have to check it out. Love this guy. His impressions are flawless.
7:22 I really do like this announcing team, TBS did a nice job. Chip Caray, Tony Gwynn, and Bob Brenley...with Craig Seger doing the interviews. They are talking about the Yanks too much though. Seriously, Chip. Get a room.
7:23 NY has already made a switch, Doug Mientkiewicz comes out for Shelley Duncan, who apparently hit more homers in his first three days in the show than anyone in the history of baseball. Great. Single to right.
7:25 Pitch count already nearing 100 as the Cheeseburger walks his 5th of the game on four straight pitches. Two on, nobody out.
7:27 Conference on the mound as C.C. still can't throw a strike, now 1-0 to Jeets. I'll rant on him later, though I'm sure you've all heard from me how he is the most overrated shortstop EVER.
7:30 Crowd is starting to sound like the late 90s Jacobs' Field as the count goes full on Jeter. We hear again how patient the Yankees are. True tonight. 99th pitch of the night is a fly out to right. Runners hold.
7:32 Abreu hits an RBI double down the line, 4-3 Tribe. Intentional walk to AJob to load the bases.
7:33 Should have bet the over, it was set at 8.5 and we're already at 7.
7:34 Activity in the Tribe bullpen as Posada steps in.
7:35 I'm sick of the guy yelling "NO NO NO NO NO NO!" in the background with every pitch out of the zone as if the umpire needs help that it wasn't a strike. Keep the fans away from the microphones, especially the loud obnoxious New Yorkers. Thanks.
7:36 "Relentless patience by the Yankees." I should start tallying each time they mention it.
7:37 Straight heat, strike three. Two down. Matsui steps in.
7:38 Popped him up, Sabathia gets out of it only allowing one run. Thank God. 115 pitches for CC though, I think that'll do it for the night. I hope that our middle relief is as good as advertised.

7:38 4-3 Indians as we go to the bottom of the 5th.

7:40 MMMMMMM Papa John's. Haven't had it since college since there is no cheap, fast pizza in this city. I miss the garlic butter on my crust. Commercials make me hungry. Guess they're doing their job. Is everyone happy to read something non-soccer related for a change?
7:42 Leadoff walk. We need a couple runs here from Pronk and Vic.
7:44 Pronk, for those of you who don't know, is the nickname of the beloved DH for the Tribe, Travis Hafner. It's a combination of his two original nicknames, "Project" and "Donkey," which were given to him in his early years due to how immature he was as a hitter, but the tremendous work rate he has. Out number one. There is even a candy bar named after him in Cleveland. Haven't had it myself. Anyone know if its any good?
7:46 They're interviewing John Adams. He's the drummer in center field that has been at every game for 34 years. Apparently he threw out the first pitch tonight on behalf of all the fans. That's actually pretty cool. Nice PR move by the Tribe.
7:47 GONE! No doubter for Victor Martinez. If an every day player had to be the team MVP, as opposed to Sabathia or Carmona, it would be this guy. What a year! 6-3 Indians.
7:49 Back to the interview. John Adams works on computer systems for AT&T and apparently he HAS missed some games. He can't come to the day games because his boss isn't that leniant. Come on man, don't you know who your employee is?
7:52 RBI SINGLE FOR LOFTON! Chien-Ming Wang has finally been knocked out of the game. I also checked the spelling, and I guess I screwed that up earlier. I'll fix later.
7:55 A report from the roamer interview guy, Craig Seger, is completely inaudible. Nice work on the sound by TBS on that one. One flaw in an otherwise good broadcast though. Nice change of pace. Just glad its not Brent Musberger and his Ohio hating ass.
7:56 Stolen base for Lofton. Wow I love this guy!
7:57 Some dude named Ohlendorf is in the game for New York and he gives up a two out walk to Gutierrez. Two on, two out.
8:00 Two run double for Casey Blake. He crushed it down the line to the opposite field. 9-3 Tribe. Some great stats from Chip just there. Indians are 4 for 4 with runners in scoring position and have five 2-out RBI already tonight. But he said RBIs, which drives me up a wall. "Run Batted Ins." Moron.

8:03 Sizemore flies out to end the 5th. 9-3 Indians.

8:06 Rafael Perez in for Cleveland. Kid has thrown 60.2 innings and has a 1.78 ERA. He apparently throws hard to both righties and lefties according to Brenley. Wirey looking kid.
8:07 Flash to Eric Wedge, the Indians manager, he has a bit of a playoff beard going. When did Cleveland get an NHL team?
8:15 Fairly uninteresting inning as Perez just flat out dominates the Yankees. Shelley Duncan strikes out to end it.

8:15 Bottom of the 6th, 9-3 Indians.

8:16 I was going to do one more half inning before I head to Messner's for a beer or two, but I think I'm going to roll now so I can enjoy this and rub it in some people's faces. If I still have any readers left, I'd love to know what you think. If I get some good reviews, I may try this again for an entire game.

Have a good night and GO TRIBE!