Game 70: Oh Atlanta

Historically, the Yankees have not been kind to the city of Atlanta. Yesterday I referenced Sherman's March to the Sea, in which General William Tecumseh Sherman and his Union Army laid waste to the Georgia country side from Atlanta to Savannah, essentially ending the Civil War - or the War of Northern Aggression as some would call it.

More recently, and in far less pressing matters, the New York Yankees have done quite well in the city of Atlanta. As we examined earlier today and will continue to do over the next few days, the Yankees have had great success in Atlanta in the post-season. But the Yankees have done well in Atlanta outside of October as well.

In two interleague series at Turner Field, the Yankees are 4-1, sweeping a two game set in 1998 by an aggregate score of 16-6, and taking two of three in 2000. One month later, Joe Torre led the American League All-Star Team to victory at The Ted. Once and future Yankee David Wells started the game, giving up two hits and striking out two over two scoreless innings. Bernie Williams started in centerfield in the AL's first post-Griffey All-Star Game. Jorge Posada played and went 0-2 and Mariano Rivera closed out the victory for the AL.

But that All-Star game belonged to another Yankee. In a season that saw the AL's big three shortstops, Jeter, A-Rod, and Nomar Garciaparra, at the height of their collective powers, Jeter won the starting nod. He responded by going 3 for 3 with a double, a run scored, and 2 RBI. He was named the game's MVP.

A couple quick notes from Pete Abe: Johnny Damon is out of the lineup again with his sore calf but is available off the bench and CC's bullpen was pushed back to tomorrow, but he received treatment today and feels good.

Tonight, the Yankees return to Atlanta for the first time in nine years. Chien-Ming Wang opposes phenom Tommy Hanson, ranked by Baseball America as the number four overall prospect and number two pitching prospect entering 2009. At a time when the Yankees are seemingly back on their heels, they get back to a city where they are 9-1 lifetime. Let's hope they use this series to call on some old Atlanta luck and fix what's gone awry the last two weeks.



Well you can drop me off on Peachtree
I got to feel that Georgia sun
And the women there in Atlanta
They make you awfully glad you come
I said watching them planes
I wish I was on one
I'm sittin' here thinking about my crazy dream
If I could only be there tonight
Oh Atlanta, Oh Atlanta. I said yeah yeah yeah Atlanta, got to get back to you

Off Night: Call It Stormy Monday

As we discussed last week, these off nights are a real pain in the balls. It's a Monday, what the hell else am I doing if I'm not watching the Yankees game? Unfortunately, this is the second of three consecutive Mondays during which there'll be no Yankee baseball. So what are our options?

There are four MLB games scheduled for tonight. The Mets and Cards will be on SNY at 7:10, so you can do some advance scouting before this weekend's Subway Series. For those outside the metro-NYC area, that game will also be broadcast on ESPN2. The mothership will have LSU vs. Texas in the College World Series, which I believe is now in its 43rd round.

The Cubs visit the Braves tonight in a make-up of a rainout from earlier this month. My cable system carries WGN and TBS, but unfortunately CSN has the Cubs' telecast and TBS doesn't carry the Braves any longer, so there'll be no advance scouting of the Braves for me. Of course if you sprung for MLB.tv or the Extra Innings package, you can watch this. They'll probably replay the final round of the U.S. Open somewhere too since virtually no one could watch it today.

There's a probably a bunch of shit on premium channels I don't get: Weeds, a re-run of Friday's Bill Maher, Carmela Soprano's new show, but I'm not watching any of that. Unfortunately Joe Buck Live doesn't return for another few weeks, so there will be no televised train wrecks tonight.

For those of you who want to venture out into the world, don't forget Bernie Williams plays two shows at The Iridium tonight. Alternatively, you could head to Home Depot and start buying enough lumber to construct a large wooden ark. Then tomorrow you can start rounding up the animals two by two.

A few quick news items:

• A.J. Burnett had his suspension reduced from six games to five and began serving yesterday. Thanks to the off day today Burnett won't miss a single start. That's the type of hard line discipline I like to see out of MLB.



• Don Fehr is stepping down as the head of the MLBPA. Good riddance. Take Orza with you and see if you both can convince Bud to retire too. I hope some sort of unrest amongst the players regarding Fehr's blind-eye PED policies was behind this.



• In music news, while the Yankees invade Atlanta, about 75 miles east in Athens the famed Georgia Theater burned to the ground Friday. No word as to whether General William Tecumseh Sherman was involved. The Georgia Theater had hosted many a good band in its time, and served as a launcing pad for Athens bands Widespread Panic and the Drive-By Truckers. Two of my favorite live albums were recorded there: Panic's Live in the Classic City and the Derek Trucks Band's Live at Georgia Theater.

That's all I got. It's still raining here in CT, and the radar says it's on and off in NYC as well. Summer's gotta get here eventually. Stormy Monday is one the most-covered blues tunes in history. YouTube has great versions by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, Bobby Blue Bland, and B.B. King. But we'll go with the original. Take it away Mr. T-Bone Walker...