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06/15/2005: "Project Baseball: Part 17"
The Pirates come to the Bronx for their first game at Yankee Stadium since the 1960 World Series... with the season 39 percent done, I'm 57 percent of the way to my goal of seeing all 30 MLB teams in person this season. The schedule is about to catch up with me, though -- the next two games I have tickets for feature repeat visitors to New York, including one by the Phillies, who I'll be seeing for the fourth time this year when they make their second visit to Shea. So, this is it for adding new teams to the list until July 5, when the Orioles come back this way.
There are 13 teams left on the docket: the Blue Jays, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Rockies, Royals, Twins and White Sox.
The funny thing is that as much as I feel like I'm "ahead" of the curve right now, the whole thing is on a schedule (duh), and I know that the schedule doesn't call for the completion of Project Baseball until the very last day of the 2005 Major League Baseball season. I just hope it doesn't rain that day.
Anyway, on to the exciting interleague duel between the New York Yankees and those Come Hungry Pirates of Pittsburgh. (Yes, "Come Hungry" is the Pirates' slogan this year. Don't believe me? Check out their site)
June 14
Pirates at Yankees
Seats: Tier Reserved, Section 6 (left side of home plate)
Who I Went With: Caroline, Eric and Mike
Hot Dogs: 1.2 (Caroline estimated that she finished all but one-fifth of her late-inning dog before passing it off to me)
Beers: 2
Game Highlight: In the sixth inning, with the Yankees leading by seven runs on their way to a 9-0 win, the only question was whether Mike Mussina would hang on for the shutout. With a runner on first and two outs, Jason Bay launched a ball into the right-center field gap that I thought was going out, but instead hit off the base of the wall. Bernie Williams picked it up, fired it to the infield and Derek Jeter made a perfect relay throw to the plate to nail Matt Lawton by plenty at home plate. Mussina wound up with a five-hitter, the second shutout I've seen him pitch this season.
It Was Over When: Jason Giambi hit a two-run double on Kip Wells' 102nd and final pitch, capping a four-run rally in the fifth inning that turned a 3-0 game into a laugher.
Go To The Ballpark & See Something You've Never Seen Before: Yes, it was hot in the Bronx. Yes, the outcome was pretty well assured at the halfway point. But I couldn't believe the number of people who left after the sixth inning of a game that was moving along at a pretty good pace -- it ended at 10:01 PM. This was a game where the home team was winning, and at least 5,000 people didn't see fit to stick around for the last three innings. Of the announced attendance of 44,541, I'd say two-thirds weren't there at the end.
Season Totals (17 Games)
Teams Seen (17 of 30): Angels (1-0), Astros (0-1), Athletics (0-1), Braves (1-0), Cardinals (1-0), Diamondbacks (1-0), Devil Rays (1-0), Mariners (0-2), Marlins (1-0), Mets (3-3), Phillies (1-2), Pirates (0-1), Rangers (0-1), Red Sox (1-1), Reds (0-1), Tigers (0-1), Yankees (6-3)
Hot Dogs: 24.2
Beers: 13
Game Log
Home team in CAPS
April 5: YANKEES 4, Red Sox 3
April 6: Red Sox 7, YANKEES 3
April 13: METS 1, Astros 0 (11)
April 17: Marlins 5, METS 2
April 19: Devil Rays 6, YANKEES 2
April 27: Braves 8, METS 4
April 27: Angels 5, YANKEES 1
May 5: METS 7, Phillies 5
May 7: YANKEES 5, Athletics 0
May 10: YANKEES 7, Mariners 4
May 11: YANKEES 13, Mariners 9
May 15: Cardinals 4, METS 2
May 18: METS 10, Reds 6
May 25: YANKEES 4, Tigers 2
June 6: Diamondbacks 10, PHILLIES 8
June 7: PHILLIES 8, Rangers 5
June 14: YANKEES 9, Pirates 0
Games decided in the 8th inning or later: 4 of 17
Home Runs (44)
Bobby Abreu, Phillies (off Ron Mahay)
Garret Anderson, Angels (off Mike Mussina)
Rod Barajas, Rangers (off Jon Lieber)
Wilson Betemit, Braves (off Tom Glavine)
Bret Boone, Mariners (off Carl Pavano)
Hank Blalock, Rangers (off Jon Lieber)
Mike Cameron, Mets (off Matt Morris and Danny Graves)
Sean Casey, Reds (off Tom Glavine)
Jose Cruz Jr., Diamondbacks (off Geoff Geary)
Victor Diaz, Mets (off A.J. Burnett)
Steve Finley, Angels (off Mike Mussina)
Cliff Floyd, Mets (off Mike Hampton)
Jason Giambi, Yankees (off Hideo Nomo)
Ken Griffey Jr., Reds (off Manny Aybar)
Raul Ibanez, Mariners (off Carl Pavano)
Derek Jeter, Yankees (off Keith Foulke and Matt Thornton)
Andruw Jones, Braves (off Heath Bell)
John Mabry, Cardinals (off Aaron Heilman)
Tino Martinez, Yankees (off Tim Wakefield, Joe Blanton, Aaron Sele and Matt Thornton)
Hideki Matsui, Yankees (off Matt Clement, Kip Wells)
Doug Mientkiewicz, Mets (off Mike Hampton)
David Ortiz, Red Sox (off Carl Pavano)
Eddie Perez, Braves (off Tom Glavine)
Eduardo Perez, Devil Rays (2 off Randy Johnson)
Mike Piazza, Mets (off Tim Worrell)
Jorge Posada, Yankees (off J.J. Putz)
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees (off Tim Wakefield and Jarrod Washburn)
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies (off Mike DeJean)
Reggie Sanders, Cardinals (off Aaron Heilman)
Richie Sexson, Mariners (off Carl Pavano)
Gary Sheffield, Yankees (off Matt Thornton)
Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners (off Carl Pavano)
Jason Varitek, Red Sox (off Mariano Rivera)
Chris Woodward, Mets (off Eric Milton)
David Wright, Mets (off Danny Graves)
Michael Young, Rangers (off Rheal Cormier)
Three-Hit Games (17)
Garret Anderson, Angels (April 27)
Sean Casey, Reds (May 18 -- five hits)
Derek Jeter, Yankees (April 19)
Andruw Jones, Braves (April 27)
Kenny Lofton, Phillies (June 6, June 7)
Hideki Matsui, Yankees (April 5)
Kevin Millar, Red Sox (April 6)
Bill Mueller, Red Sox (April 5)
David Ortiz, Red Sox (April 6)
Mike Piazza, Mets (May 5 -- four hits, May 18 -- four hits)
Jorge Posada, Yankees (May 11)
Jose Reyes, Mets (May 18)
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies (June 6)
Gary Sheffield, Yankees (April 27)
Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners (May 11)
Three-RBI Games (16)
Garret Anderson, Angels (April 27)
Miguel Cabrera, Marlins (April 17)
Sean Casey, Reds (May 18 -- four RBI)
Shawn Green, Diamondbacks (June 6 -- four RBI)
Raul Ibanez, Mariners (May 11)
John Mabry, Cardinals (May 15)
Tino Martinez, Yankees (May 11)
Hideki Matsui, Yankees (May 11)
Eduardo Perez, Devil Rays (April 19)
Mike Piazza, Mets (May 5)
Placido Polanco, Phillies (June 7)
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees (May 7)
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies (May 5)
Richie Sexson, Mariners (May 11)
Chase Utley, Phillies (June 6)
Gary Sheffield, Yankees (May 11)
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