SIGNS OF LIFE

***YANKS BEAT UP ON TEXAS***
While it's been the Yanks pitching that has kept them in first place for most of the season, they showed yesterday that the heavy lumber they drag to the plate can rescue a bad outing by their ace, CC Sabathia. Five more dingers, including a grand slam by Francisco Cervelli, did in a struggling Rangers team, 12-5. That's the second time this season the Yanks have hit five homers in one game.
Of course, the big news was the break-out day by Derek Jeter. Four hits, including two homers, should quiet the "washed-up" comments for a while. On the Sports Reporters show yesterday, Mike Lupica made the comment that he may be the only sports writer in America who thought that Jeter was not done for. He looked like a genius some eight hours later, after 'Cap'n Crunch', as the NY papers called him, took the Rangers apart. It's very possible that Lupica, NY's biggest egotist, will insist on a throne instead of a chair, in his next appearance on the Sports Reporters.

***HERE AND THERE***
There will be a reality check this week in the AL Central, as Kansas City, sporting a .529 winning percentage, enters Yankee Stadium to give the Yankees a shot, and the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians host the Tampa Bay Rays. If the Roylas and the Indians really belong in the hunt, we'll have a pretty good idea by the weekend.
In the NL, the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates have a .500 record this late in the season for the first time in about 17 years. They're only 2 1/2 games out of first and invite the struggling Dodgers into Pittsburgh for a four game series.
The Florida Marlins have the 2nd best record in the NL and host the team with the best record, the Phillies, for three games starting today.

On the other hand, The Baltimore Orioles, who started the season like world-beaters, and now reside in the AL East basement, try to regain some pride by taking on the Seattle Mariners. No sure thing, since the Mariners do have a better record than the Orioles. Resident genius, Buck Showalter, has decided to shake up his lineup drastically, moving almost every one of his players around. Just remember Buck, they're still Orioles you're moving around. As a character in "Two and A Half Men" once said, "You can put a tuxedo on a goat...but it's still a goat." We'll wait and see how the goat is dressed after this week.

***THEY SAID IT***
"Justin Verlander, who just threw his second no-hitter, is only 28 years old. What’s he going to be like when he REALLY learns how to pitch?
(My friend Tony Alan Banks responds “A Yankee.”)" (Janice Hough)
"According to a new study, clouds help hitters while sunshine helps pitchers. If clouds helped hitters, wouldn't the Seattle Mariners' team batting average be over .800?" (Brad Dickson)
"They gouge you on parking. They gouge you on concessions. And then they don’t even run hard to first base on groundballs. Seriously, what type of business charges you $35 for parking, then doesn’t refund your parking fee if the game is postponed before it even begins?
Baseball does, at Yankee Stadium." (Norman Chad)
Let me qualify this by pointing out that MLB attendance totals are suspect. I’ve been to Dodgers games where they announce a crowd of 46,000 and I figure they must be double-counting fans with facelifts." (Norman Chad, again)
"Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen violated a league rule by tweeting twice after being ejected from a game. I'm wondering how many f-bombs Guillen dropped in 140 characters." (Cam Hutchinson)

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