Bronx & Beans

Well, it’s finally over.

After eight seasons of monster numbers and baffling behavior, the strange and unforgettable Manny Ramirez era in Boston has ended. His childish campaign to get traded this month finally paid off with a three-player deal that sends him to the Dodgers.

Manny’s out. Jason Bay is in.

A couple months ago, when Manny was chasing 500 home runs and giving fans high-fives during defensive plays, most Red Sox fans hoped the Manny era would never end. Now, I suspect most are glad it’s finally over.

Does it stink to lose a future Hall-of-Famer? Someone who protected David Ortiz in the lineup? A batter whom Yankee fans feared more than any other? What foolish questions - of course!

Will a mid-level All Star like Jason Bay replace all those RBIs, never mind force pitchers to throw Papi strikes? I’m not holding my breath.

Not to mention, the team also had to dump other young players in order to unload Manny.

Thanks, Manny! Every other team added depth the trade deadline. The Sox get thinner.

When news broke Sunday of the latest Manny Ramirez meltdown/flakeout/tantrum/hissy fit, he asked Boston to "just send me a letter" at the end of the season to say thanks for the memories and we'll see you around.

Bronx & Beans then asked our readers to send us their letters to Manny. Islander505 won the battle, hands down. Here's what he had to say:

A "letter" for Manny? How about some appropriate help from our friends at Sesame Street? Kermit says todays letter for Manny, is the letter "G"

"G" as in I am Grateful that you Got the letter "F" and Favre off the front pages, but..
"G" as in Good God
"G" as in Grow up
"G' as in Get Going.
"G" as in play Good baseball.
"G" as in you are Grating everyone's nerves.
"G" as in your talent is a Gift.
"G" as in Get a Grip
"G" as in focus on Going long rather than Going home.
"G" as in nobody likes a Gonad.

On the 11 p.m. SportCenter Wednesday night, baseball analyst Buster Olney lit up Manny Ramirez the way Manny usually lights up Yankees pitching. Here's his quote during a segment about whether Boston will trade Manny to the Marlins or elsewhere:

"The Red Sox front office is talking a look at the situation and their question is this: Can we convince him to play hard the last wo months? And from their perspective, when you see him go down the line Monday night in 5.7 seconds and go down the line in 5.17 seconds -- which is considered glacial in baseball -- during a no-hitter, they have to seriously ask themselves the question and they have, 'Have we lost him?'"

Did Olney just call RBI machine Ramirez an immovable-although-slightly-smaller-in-stature-these-days-because-of-global-warming block of frozen water? I think he did!

After three tough days, we enjoyed watching William Morris Agency hero Alex Rodriguez smash a clutch 7th inning solo home run to cement a 10-2 lead for the Yankees.

It seems the Bombers could have used that hit in the ninth inning Tuesday. Or during Monday night's loss. Or Sunday night when the Yankes had Jon Lester on the ropes.

No mind. Some more numbers to support the case for another MVP award in November.

Did you notice who DID hammer out some clutch hits during this series? Old 'Cowboy Up' buddy Kevin Millar, former clown prince of the Red Sox, who I believe is NOT with the William Morris Agency.






So acute were the Yankees' flashbacks after Millar's burly performance - the jovial fella entered today hitting .362 (17-for-47) with six homers and nine RBIs against them this year - that reliever Edwar Ramirez today fired some cheese behind Millar's head in the 7th.

The umpire, not knowing the Yankees are above such thuggish behavior as intentionally throwing at a hitter, tossed Ramirez.

-- Dennehy

IRegular Bronx & Beans readers know our penchant here for making strong friendly wagers with our fandom and then posting the thoroughly embarrasing results after the fact.

Although the Yankees have lost their last two games by a total score of 22-6, Tuesday has been a banner day. It's payout day, the day where those pesky Beans must make do with donning the Yankees jerseys since their BoSox lost the series in Fenway this past weekend.

We'll get things started with Bean Whittle, then hit you with some Bean Dennehy footage. It's quite a fun trip through the office.

P.S. Two series left and we've got some serious friendly wagers in place for those. Let's just say they involve mustached all-timers and karaoke.

Be wery wery qwiet, we're hunting Whittle.

Here, let me help you with that."

Dejection.

It's a sad, sad world.

"I'll make a brand new start of it in ol' New York!"

I think maybe we're having a little too much fun with this bet.

Bronx Fernandez approves of his work

Bean Dennehy is none too happy.

Bean Dennehy comes to grips with his fate.

"De-rek Je-ter! De-rek Je-ter! De-rek Je-ter!"

Let's go Yankees!

We know you watched the games and read the stories and columns from this little three-game series up there at Fenway Park.

Now that it's Monday morning and you're back at work talking smack to all the Beans in your office, get a little extra motivation by reliving the series with our photo gallery. Click the ticked-off Kevin Youkilis' face to see the whole album.

Hooray for Beantown. They avoided the sweep by those scrappy Yankees. And they did it by beating up Sidney Ponson. Congratulations.

At last check, Ponson went in the 18th round of the Newsday softball draft, in between last Sunday's travel section and Saturday's leftover bagel spreads.

But, you know, hey, that's cool. At least you didn't get swept, right? Tuesday will be joyous as Beans Dennehy and Whittle strut around the office in Yankees jerseys.

Crazy Manny sounded off on the 890 ESPN Radio in Boston on Sunday afternoon. After listening to the sound bite and reading the news stories a few times, I finally decided on my favorite quote:

"Enough is enough. I'm tired of them, they're tired of me. After 2008, just send me a letter or whatever, you don't even have to call my agent or anything."

That's just hilarious. So, dear Bronx and Beans readers, let's start crafting a letter to Manny. We're asking for your best paragraphs here, people, especially you Islander505. I know you've got something good in your arsenal. Email me at mark.lamonica@newsday.com with your best stuff and we'll concoct the letter and post it in Bronx and Beans on Thursday morning just as the trading deadline draws near.

Let's do this full disclosure thing first: I'm a Yankees fan AND I like Manny Ramirez.

Strange combination, I know, but so is Manny.

We're loving how the wheels are coming off in Boston again this weekend as the Yankees come into town, Joba buzzes Youkilis (again!), then Craig Hansen retaliates the next day by throwing the baseball like Nook LaLoosh and miraculously having one pitch end at A-Rod's left arm.

And on Sunday, before Sidney Ponson even started to warmup, Manny decides he wants to be traded . . . to Iraq!

He's ready to leave Boston again -- his annual mid-summer flakeout is in full effect -- and wants to be traded before the July 31 deadline.

Theo and the Beans would be silly to make that deal (unless they get a stud bat back or sign Barry Bonds). We all know this. But from the view here in the Bronx, it's always fun to watch the train wreck as it happens.

P.S. Manny will likely hit two bombs tonight off Ponson because he's angry and because, well, it's Sidney Ponson.

So how has this weekend gone so far?

That thug Joba got our blood boiling Friday night when he ONCE AGAIN threw high heat near Kevin Youkilis's head.

The sputtering Sox offense hasn't resembled the machine that devoured the league in '07 (and is getting almost nothing from the leadoff spot or the catchers). The bullpen seems to be regressing.

And Saturday's ugly 10-3 loss triggered flashbacks to the hideous lost weekend in 2006 when the Yankees won 5 games in 4 days.

(There was also the matter of watching LaMonica and Fernandez giggle like Robinson Cano over their first successful bet of the season).

A sweep tonight wouldn't be fatal for the Sox, but it wouldn't bode well, either. Which makes this one of those character-defining games, when the team's battle-tested veterans step forward, restore order and save the summer. Right, guys? Guys?!?

The problem, of course, is that those veterans are shouldering problems that transcend this recent slump. David Ortiz is trying to find his groove after nearly two months on the shelf. Old reliable Jason Varitek looks lost against good pitching, Curt Schilling is done for the year.

And, of course, our guy Manny Ramirez is once again picking the perfect time to flake out on his teammates. And this time he seems to have finally exhausted the patience of a loyal fanbase and generous ownership.

What a disappointing inning. And I don't just mean giving up four runs. More frustrating was the missed chance to assert themselves - the way Pedro used to do regularly against the Yanks, and the way even Bronson Arroyo did against A-Rod four years ago.

If Joba is going to be the tough guy against Youkilis, the heart of this team, then some Sox pitcher has to respond. And was there a better chance than against A-Rod with first base open? First base open? A little high, a little tight... Someone?

It took too long for the Sox to earn top dog status in the AL East. It's going to take some hard ball to keep it.

- Dennehy

Bean Dennehy is growing more furious as the inning goes on.

Here's his line after Melky Cabrera scores the go-ahead run:

"He bunts, he steals second and scores on that Sally hit!"

From the bar scene here at Jeremy's Ale House after two innings with the Yanks trailing 2-0:

- Why did the 6-7 Wakefield decide to pick today to make his knuckleball dance like Shakira?

- Why did A-Rod decide to boot that ball and allow two runs to score?

- We traded for Nady so he could hit that weak nubber? What kind of ball do they play in Pittsburgh?

- Why did it take so long for the bar to play some Bon Jovi?

Again, these are just early exaggerations. We're sure they'll et worse as the jack-splash-cokes get stronger.

Go Yanks!

We're taking the show on the road today as the Bronx invited the Beans down to
Nautical Mile in Freeport to watch the game in hostile territory.

If you're in the neighborhood, or just want to help us throw Bean Dennehy in the
canal after the game (win or lose, we're justified), come on down to Jeremy's Ale House on
Woodcleft Avenue. Google the directions if you need to.

When you get there, look for the three idiots at the bar yelling at the tv. And
bring a camera!

-- La Monica

The only run of the game was scored on that hit? By this guy? Guess that's what they call winning ugly. (Watch the Giambi RBI single)

The Sox offense is putrid through six innings, wasting, so far, a gutty effort by Josh Beckett.

Oh, and Manny? Could you please take a break from your annual flake-out and pick up a bat?

-- Dennehy

Jason Giambi just beat the shift with a screaming nubber/dribbler that barely reached the outfield grass where the shortstop normally would play.

It drove in a run with two out in the top of the third against God. Although I'm not in the office right now, I can hear Bean Dennehy screaming "Banjo hitter!" followed by "Freakin' punch and Judy garbage!"

The Yanks may win tonight, they may lose. But when Bean Dennehy sees this headline on the blog, it will be worth it. I know he's furious about that Stache Blast!

With the Yankees all primed to sweep the Sawx this weekend, I figure we make this interesting. So this goes out to Beans' Dennehy and Whittlebon...If the Red Sox win this three-game weekend series, La Monica and I will wear Sawx jerseys all day in the office on Tuesday. If the Yankees win the series, Dennehy, you'll be wearing my Jeter jersey to the afternoon news meetings. I'll let Mr. La Monica handle your attire Mr. Whittle.

Deal, fellas?

We can even do a photo gallery from Tuesday for our loyal readers. Hey is that Derek Jeter getting coffee in the cafeteria? Nope. Just Dennehy. What's Don Mattingly doing in the hallway? Oh wait...that's Whittle.

-- Fernandez

Three pitching matchups, three distinct story lines. There's the battle of the bullet throwers. There's the matchup of ageless wonders. Then there's the face-off between the heroic kid who beat cancer, won the World Series and pitched a no hitter ... and the fat guy who does everything he can to flush his natural ability down the toilet.

Friday: Josh Beckett versus Joba Chamberlain.

This should be a jim-dandy. Beckett hasn't been as dominant as he was last year, but he continues to put the Sox in a position to win games. Despite his ERA of 3.98 - 0.71 higher than last year - his WHIP is holding steady at about 1.15. Chamberlain, on the other hand, is making a believer out of a lot of people. While Goose Gossage thinks he belongs in the bullpen, Joba has thrown three straight quality starts, and has posted a 2.64 ERA as a starter. But he has yet to pitch 7 innings, something Beckett has done 10 times this year. EDGE: Sox.

Saturday: Tim Wakefield versus Andy Pettitte.

My Yankee fan friends (thankfully there aren't too many) like to talk about Andy Pettitte as if he was too pitchers: Bad Andy and Good Andy. Lately, he's been Good Andy, holding batters to an OPS of .529 over his last three starts. But Andy seems to have something hanging over him ... something on his shoulder, if you will. Can he match knuckles with Tim Wakefield, who is quietly having a terrific season (3.69 ERA, .218 BA allowed)? My guess is that Good Andy shows up ... Pettitte has a career record of 5-2 with an ERA of 3.70 in 14 appearances at Fenway. Pretty decent. EDGE: Yanks.

Sunday: Jon Lester versus Sidney "I'm Such A Headcase That Texas Got Rid Of Me Even Though They Have No Good Starters PS Lefties Are Batting .327 Against Me" Ponson.

Uh, yeah, right. EDGE: Sox.

Hi, I'm Willie Bloomquist and my Seattle Mariners have the worst record in the American League and we're just waiting to see if the Padres can beat the Pirates and let us assume sole control of Major League Baseball's cellar.

I like to play centerfield in Seattle and, in extra innings, run down a flyball by Kevin Youkilis and then forget to catch it. Really, it's fun to see how if I just play like a 9-year-old late-inning replacement who gets playing time because the rules of Little League state that everyone who shows up to the game must play, I can affect the outcome of this one game and potentially the playoffs.

See, look at the top of my photo here. There's my glove. Now look at the bottom of the photo. There's the ball. See, I don't know how to catch routine pop-ups. But I know how to be the cause of three runs scoring as Boston winning 6-3.

Sincerely,
Willie Bloomquist.

- La Monica

The Bronx never hid our disdain for the time Kyle Farnsworth spent on the mound earlier in the season.

And we're not hiding from it now, especially since I'm about to link to our past blog posts about him right here.

The Beans used to put on Papelbon masks and dance the Riverdance whenever that bullpen door opened and dear ol' No. 48 came strolling through it.

But with Farnsworth completing his relief no-hitter on Tuesday night, it's only fair to throw him some praise. He's earned it. The dude hasn't given up a hit since June 22 against the Reds at the Stadium.

Since then: 10 appearances, 9 innings, 0 hits, 5 BB, 0 ER, 10 K. His ERA has dropped from 4.24 after June 22 to 3.35 after July 22.

Not a bad streak to be on heading into Fenway for a huge weekend showdown against Manny, Papi and the Youk.

- La Monica

(Newsday photo by Paul J. Bereswill)

It has to be eating away at the Beans as they watch the Yankees slowly chip away and surge toward their rightful place atop the American League East standings.

What was a 7.5-game deficit to the Rays on July 1 was a 6-game deficit to the Red Sox at the All-Star Break.

What was once a 6-game deficit to the Red Sox at the All-Star Break is now just 3.5 games to the Rays after Tuesday night's games.

Chip, chip, chip!

As DJ friend Pete used to say, "If the Red Sox don't have a 30-game lead by the end of May, they can kiss the division goodbye!"

A bit extreme, sure, but funny.

So get fired up, Bronx. We're heading to Beantown this weekend to make the comeback official. (Anyone remember that five-game sweep in August of 2006? I do!)

I have to admit, the 15-inning All Star Game marathon at the House (Almost) That Ruth Built was a classy affair.

The touching introduction of the Hall-of-Famers. The re-emergence of 'The Boss' in baseball's cathedral. Mariano Rivera's stirring jog from the bullpen to the mound.

Truly an avalanche of images that represent class, dignity, tradition and professionalism.

What do they call it? 'The Yankee Way'?


-- Dennehy

The second half is upon us. Time for some predictions.

Sox:

1. Boston will win in the neighborhood of 95 games and take the AL East. They'll wrap it up on the next to last day of the season at Fenway against the Yanks.

2. Justin Masterson will solidify the bullpen with a wicked two-seam fastball and fashionable tilted brim. The move will allow the Sox to use Hideki Okajima in a more situational role. He's held lefties to a .588 OPS this year, but righties are OPS'ing .770. The Sox will likely also trade for another lefty reliever, maybe former farmhand Ron Mahay, but it might not pan out to expectations. But that's OK because down the stretch it's all about matchups, and combustible Craig Hansen will get to show his stuff as a ROOGY (.212 BA allowed).

3. The fifth spot in the rotation might be something of a Merry-Go-Round. A little Clay Buchholz, a little Bartolo Colon, maybe some Pawtucket/Portland call-ups. But that's OK because the Beckett/Dice/Lester/TimKnucks rotation will keep getting it done.

4. David Ortiz might struggle at first, but he'll be his regular clutch self by September. The Sox don't really need to pick up a bat for the stretch run because they have Ortiz coming back.

Yanks:

1. The Pinstripers will win just a game or two less than the Bostons, and will be knee-deep in a tight wildcard race with the Rays and Tigers. Meanwhile, the Tigers will be battling the White Sox for the AL Central. Why is this relevant? Because the Rays play the Tigers in the last series of the year (it's in Detroit). I'm betting the WC race is still a three-dog fight on the last game of the year.

2. The Yanks bullpen will stay solid. Here's to You (Mr. Robertson) and Dan Giese will come back to earth a bit, but the JosFarnMo combo should be able to get it done in the late innings. The Yanks could use a lefty, though ... and when are they going to dump LaTroy Hawkins (7.50 road ERA)??

3. Sidney Ponson will go back to being a beer-swilling trainwreck, Darrel Ranser will continue stinking it up, and the Yanks will pursue a series of stopgap pitching solutions. However, I'm too much of a wily veteran at this to assume the holes in the rotation will keep the Yanks down. If they could do it will Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small in 2005, they can do it with whoever this year.

4. The Yanks will go berserk looking for a bat for the stretch run and will probably end up overpaying for Raul Ibanez. Ultimately, it won't matter. Remember Aaron Guiel?

Whittle and Dennehy = cool customers. Fernandez and LaMonica = concerned.

--Whittle

Are you serious, Fox?

Honestly, you were just kidding with that brilliant programming decision, right? I didn't sit through your stupid Red Carpet All-Star parade, and eight innings of Tim McCarver and Joe Buck just to watch you guys drop the ball?

The story all day here in New York was who would pitch the ninth inning for the American League. Buck and McCarver talked about it throughout the game, especially in the eighth inning when Papelbon blew a 2-2 tie.

So when AL manager Terry Francona fulfilled his good guy image by bringing in Mariano Rivera to replace K-Rod with one out in the ninth, the Stadium crowd erupted. Fans all over New York started pumping their fists as "Enter Sandman" could be heard louder than ever on their televisions.

As Rivera did his customary jog from the bullpen toward the mound, he was roughly 30 feet from the infield grass when Fox cut to . . . an Anheuser-Busch commercial. Damn you, InBev!

Seriously, how do "the guys in the truck" make that move during what is widely accepted (at least in the tri-state area) as the best entrance in baseball? C'mon, Fox. You should be better than that. You've only been broadcasting sports for who knows how many years.

After the investment we all made in the Rivera-Papelbon-Yankees-Red Sox-All-Star game-Yankee Stadium hoopla, we get no payout? We must really be in economic despair when we can't count on smart sports programming by a network that broadcasts the two biggest professional sports leagues.

Now we're forced to scour YouTube for poor-quality recordings of his entrance. Thanks a lot, Fox. This is nearly as bad as your NASCAR debacle a few months back.

Here's why you have to love Yankees fans:

Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer, just entered the All-Star Game to start the top of the eighth inning, score tied at 2.

The fans started booing ASAP. Then came the "Ma-ree-ah-no!" chants. Then came a single by Miguel Tejada. Before the ball even touched the grass in right field, the fans re-booed Paps. After catching their collective breath, fans switch to "Ov-er-rated!" chants. It was as if they flashed it on the scoreboard in case Yankees fans weren't sure which derisive chant to use.

Tejada then swiped second base on slow-to-the-plate Paps and took third on Dioner Navarro's woeful throw onto the Grand Concourse. More boos.

Tejada scores on a sacrifice fly, AL trailing 3-2 because of Paps. More boos. After a strikeout of David Wright to end the innings, boos rained down on Paps like D batteries on Albert (Joey) Belle.

The reason for all this venom toward Paps? Well, it wasn't just the Red Sox uniform. On Monday, Paps suggested he deserved to close the game in Yankee Stadium instead of Mariano Rivera.

The New York Daily News fueled the fire with its "Papel-bum" back page headline. Who says newspapers are dead? Paps was a bit, um, upset at that cover.

The televised pregame ceremonies of an All-Star Game are designed to be sappy and emotional as we celebrate the game's greats from the past and draw the links to today's studs.

And with this being the last year of Yankee Stadium, the House That Ruth Built and George Renovated, the tearjerking has been performance-enhanced.

Line up all those Hall of Famers on the dirt in the Bronx and play all those clips of baseball past at the Stadium. Nice, no doubt, but not the headlining act.

For me, the most emotional moment was George Steinbrenner -- "The Boss" -- being driven to the mound area to hand over the ceremonial baseballs for the first pitch. A metaphorical moment, too.

This is George Steinbrenner. Bigger than life. Louder than life. Almost mythical, to some degree. A man who lived by the sign on his desk, "Lead, follow or get out the way."

We all know he's not in possession of his full health anymore. No one besides his medical staff and family know the true situation.

But on the type of night he cherishes -- big, bold and Bronx in every way -- to witness Steinbrenner not be able to walk on the field under his own power was a mighty sight.

For me, born in 1975 (yeah, I'm kinda old), all I've known is Steinbrenner's Yankees. He earned his nickname "The Boss" and honed it over the years. He's been loud, over the top and boisterous. The argument can made that George Steinbrenner is every bit as big a figure as Babe Ruth, albeit in a different way. In the pantheon of New York sports history, Steinbrenner takes a back seat to very few people, if any.

No doubt he's done some sketchy things as owner of the Yankees, but he's done so much more good than we'll ever know about. He rarely lets his charitable work go noticed. And as a fan, you couldn't ask for a better owner. In an era where every owner in every sport pinches pennies, Steinbrenner goes after a championship every year.

Sure, it doesn't always work, but from a fan's point of view, where you control absolutely nothing about the teams you root for, what else can you possibly ask for from an owner?

I met George once after a game. I was on what baseball media folks call "Steinbrenner Watch." Basically, before the game, you stake out the players entrance. After the game, you find where his car is parked and wait out front of that entrance. All the while, you're just hoping he stops to talk or at least throws out an answer to the question you throw out in the air and hope provokes a response.

I asked what he felt about Kevin Brown's adventurous battle with a concrete wall in the Yankee Stadium clubhouse. He wasn't too happy. In fact, that was his quote. "I'm not happy."

That was Steinbrenner. George, to be precise, as Copy editor friend Henry once told me. "Deferential doesn't work with him. He's just George," Henry told me.

Even though he's ceded control to sons Hank and Hal, George is the true face of the Yankees. There will come a time when The Boss is no longer around, and it will be a sad day. With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the All-Star Game in the final year of Yankee Stadium, let's not lose sight of The Boss and his impact on the franchise, the city and the sport.

Time and time again, we hear LaMonica complain that the star-studded Bombers don't have any guys like Kevin Youkilis in the lineup. I guess this photo from today's parade explains it!

Apparently, he was able to enjoy today's parade of stars in Manhattan cradled in the arms of Boston's favorite dirt dog.

It's cute how Bean Dennehy took up the cause for his beloved BoSox and claimed that Papelbon deserves to close instead of Rivera.

The only good thing we can say about Paps is that he's smart enough to say that he needs a Pope-mobile for the All-Star parade. OK, that, and that he throws some serious cheese.

But as Dennehy took time out of his day to pump up his Beans, he failed to let people know what he was doing before he made it into the Bronx & Beans office.

P.S. This was Photoshopped by Bronx-in-training Dwyer. Look for more antics from him as he's expected to get the call-up to the major league blog level some time soon after the All-Star break.

Yeah, we know, Terry Francona will end up doing what all New Yorkers assume is "the right thing" tonight. He'll use local favorite Mariano Rivera to close the All-Star Game if the AL has the lead in the ninth.

Red Sox captain Jason Varitek has already said the right thing, suggesting the New York stage calls for Rivera. And even Jonathan Papelbon, who has every right to expect the ball in that situation, retreated from comments that he should handle the ninth.

History. Tradition. Honor. The Yankee way...Give me a break.

I don't question Rivera's greatness, the value of history or even the tradition of the stadium.

But why should any of those be Francona's first concern? This is a chance for Francona to show real faith in one of the guys who delivered him a World Series last year and, presumably, will be closing games for him for seasons to come.

Think of the challenge of closing out a lineup of All Stars, in Yankee Stadium, with a national audience, and everyone in the stadium going bananas, hoping you'll fail? Sounds like a pretty good test for a closer.

And how often do these chances come along? I know that Francona, one of baseball's good guys, doesn't like to make waves. But the Red Sox won the World Series. And for whatever it's worth, that allows them the luxury of calling the shots in the All Star Game. (And, in this case, send a message to their long-time rival - an organization that has long assumed its players are ordained by virtue of their uniform to rise above all others - that this rivalry is no longer one-sided.)

Don't bury Pedroia and Youkilis in the lineup behind Jeter and, ugh, A-Rod. And use your closer as a CLOSER!

If the guys in pinstripes were truly ordained, I guess Joe Torre would be calling the pitching changes tonight.

-- Dennehy

That's all I'm saying.

Whether you're a Yankees or a Red Sox fan...let's think about what's best for the game.

-- Fernandez

There's a new rivalry within the rivalry brewing for Yankees and Red Sox fans. Who should pitch the ninth inning of the All-Star Game for the American League this year at Yankee Stadium?

Yankees fans, of course, will say Mariano Rivera deserves it more, seeing how it's in his team's stadium and he's nearing the twilight of his career. And because he wears the pinstripes.

Red Sox fans, of course, will say Jonathan Papelbon deserves it more, seeing how he's the new young stud in the playground and his team's manager, Terry Francona, is in charge this year after the Sox won the World Series in 2007. And he's got a "B" on his cap.

It's an extremely interesting debate, with intriguing angles based on statistics, history, the calendar and the media.

The statistics angle (through games on 7/9/08)

Rivera: 4-3, 1.06 ERA, 23-for-23 in saves, 42.1 IP, 23 hits, 4 BB, 50 K
Has allowed runs in 5 of 38 appearances.

Papelbon: 3-3, 2.27 ERA, 27-for-31 in saves, 39.2 IP, 29 hits, 7 BB, 50 K
Has allowed runs in 11 of 40 appearances.

Edge: Rivera.

The history angle

This is the last year of Yankee Stadium, baseball's first true cathedral, which just so happens to be the main reason the All-Star Game is even in the Bronx this year. It's almost unfair to let anyone else pitch the ninth inning. Whether the AL is winning in the top of the ninth or getting blown out, fans at the Stadium and watching on television will stick around to watch the Sandman enter in his home stadium in his customary position. Surely, Francona can appreciate that.

Even if the game is tied in the ninth, the home team manager almost always goes to his closer then, so Rivera or Papelbon would likely pitch this inning since there would never be a save opportunity.

Some say Rivera starting the All-Star game would be a bigger deferential move by Francona. It would certainly alleviate his ninth inning woes. I say it's a cheap way out. Rivera belongs on the mound in the ninth inning (sometimes the eighth, too, but not in an All-Star Game).

Edge: Rivera.

The calendar angle

Wednesday is the most boring sports day of the year, which leads us to . . .

. . . The media angle

With absolutely nothing else to talk or write about on Wednesday morning, do you really think the New York media will let Francona get away with Papelbon pitching the ninth inning instead of Rivera?

Can anyone imagine Mike and the Mad Dog, Boomer and Carton, or Benigno and Roberts not going to town on Francona if that happens? ("I'm no Yankee fan, I think we all know that, but that's a bad job by Francona. I gotta kill him for it.")

And that will turn this into a national story as everyone newspaper columnist, sports blogger, sports talk radio host, sports talk radio callers and TV personality weighs in on the topic. It's what we do best in the media: overkill!

Francona is in a tight spot here. If he goes with Paps, the New York media will blow it way out of proportion and the fans will never let him forget it when he comes to the Bronx, no matter how many times he's praised Jeter and Torre in the past.

If he goes with Rivera, he has to deal with the Boston media saying he didn't go with his own guy and that he's an appeaser. Plus, he has to live with Papelbon and the other 24 players on his team the rest of the season.

And with the way this Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has been on steroids since 2003, no matter what Francona does on July 15 in the Bronx, there's no way anyone would let him forget it when the two teams end the season in Boston from Sept. 26-28. Not to mention if they meet again in October.

Edge: Every other manager in baseball.

- La Monica

While LaMonica was playing in the sand and Fernandez was watching The Godfather for the 85th time, the Sox just finished a sweep of a very capable Minnesota club.

Meanwhile, the Yankees edged the Rays and finished a two-game mini-sweep with help from Bobby Abreu's heroics. Maybe, just maybe, the Yankees are turning a corner. They've won four straight against two good teams and are back up to seven games over .500, their highwater mark for the year.

Hal is psyched.

It's gonna be a fun second half.

--Whittle

In addition to hammering Beans Whittle and Dennehy here on Bronx & Beans, I also host a weekly show about things to do on Long Island called ExploreTV.

During the July 3 taping of this week's show, it appears I got into some kind of mustache matrix. See, it was a sand