Back at Yankee Stadium, where there is the best hot chocolate in the world. Of course, hot chocolate always tastes great at the Stadium because it always seems so cold here.
Thanks to the great responses to the Best Ballparks blog, more on that later in the week. And thanks for all the great responses to recent columns, including the column with Sharon Robinson, Jackieâs daughter, Don Newcombe, his incredible memories of Jackie, and Fred Wilpon, who used to pitch batting practice to the Dodgers.
Big Series this weekend, Red Sox and Yankees, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe was the first Boston writer to hit the Yankee Stadium beachhead, arriving at 3:10. Tom Verducci from Sports Illustrated is also here.
You canât start writing Yankees-Red Sox too early.
The Red Sox are off to a 7-4 start and Josh Beckett has been the difference for the Red Sox. No one in Boston is crying about that trade now. The Red Sox and Yankees both have issues. The Yankees starting pitching continues to be a mess and young Chase Wright gets the start tonight against the Indians. He is due to pitch Sunday against Dice-K, too.
Yankee pitching issues have been the underlying theme of Whereâs Kernan throughout the spring, deeply upsetting some Yankee fans, who evidently feel starting pitching in April is about as important a question as âPaper or plastic?ââ
It promises to be an interesting night, considering how far Wright has come in the last two years and if the lefty can keep up the excellent pitching. Amazing how he beat Phil Hughes to the punch, but the Yankees never wanted Hughes up here this time of year and that was evident in how he was used in spring training.
Over the last two years Wright is 22-7 with a 2.90 ERA. He had lost 21 of his previous 34 decisions so that shows you much he has improved. The secret to his success has been getting command of his fastball and throwing an excellent changeup.
Should be a fun debut tonight at the Stadium.
Oh, BTW, Go Knicks! Good luck in the playoffs. Isiah, you did another great job. Congrats.