So imagine my surprise when the count to Jose Lopez hit 1-2 and some girl a few rows down yelled out “I’m going to start the wave!”

If you are over the age of 8 or so you should never do the wave at a close Major League baseball game. If you are accompanying someone of the proper age to do the wave, you should probably encourage them not to and teach them proper ballpark etiquette. I suggest taking them to a minor league game where anything goes for things like the wave and tossing beach balls around. Basically, if you are not a small child do not do the wave.

Seriously, don’t do it. It’s rude and interferes with people who are actually at the baseball game to watch the baseball game. Yes we actually exist, I know it’s amazing. I’ll give you that there are certain times when it’s not a crime against humanity to do the wave (you can read about all that over here if you’re confused and need guidance), but I promise you that Mariano Rivera closing out a game at Yankee Stadium is never one of those times.

And so, if you try to do the wave and block my view when Mariano is pitching, especially on a two strike count, don’t act surprised/offended/upset when I yell at you to cease blocking my view. Because I am watching the game. Funny how that works.

Tonight the Reds series starts and pitching for Cincinnati is Edison Volquez who has been very good so far this year. I don’t really believe the Yankees will put much up against him but we’ll see. It would be great to get a 10 game winning streak going like the one they put together last year.

Another question mark game for me in this series is Sunday, which is a Pettitte/Johnny Cueto matchup. Cueto has the potential to be a very excellent pitcher and started off well but then started walking too many people and he uses too many pitches so he doesn’t last as long in games as you’d like. If the Yankees are patient they can probably smack him around.

Getting either pitcher out quick would be wonderful, though, as the Reds don’t have a good bullpen. However their lineup has a lot of power in it so if Mussina/Giese/Pettitte slip up it could cost the Yankees dearly.

…

Jason Giambi’s mustache is the source of his power, but everyone already knew that.

Curt Schilling is done throwing baseballs for the season and maybe forever. Too bad this gives him more time to talk.

Tino Martinez and Davey Johnson will be managing the Futures Game during All Star Weekend, both keeping up a New York theme and exciting me because I do love the Tino.

Moose had some really good movement on the ball tonight and was placing it well, even though he did walk three guys (which normally leads to MUSSINA MELTDOWN). It would be great if he could keep this up, I’m a little worried about starting so many rookies (and an old guy with ligament damage and a bleeding forearm!) in the playoffs.

Here are some bad things from tonight:

• Joba pitching two innings. This means they assume they can get 7 or 8 innings out of Andy on Friday which makes me nervous. The seventh inning would have been a perfect time to plunk Farnsworth in, especially since he has been doing okay lately.
• Edwar coming into pitch even though he pitched two innings yesterday. It was only for one out, but COME ON. There are other relievers to pick from, Joe!
• FOUR OUT MARIANO SAVES MAKE LEO ANGRY!!!!

Over at the NY Times Yankee blog, Tyler Kepner writes that Bobby Abreu is making the Yankees forget Gary Sheffield. I have been trying to forget Gary Sheffield since before he was traded, personally.

In news that is making me upset, Andy Pettitte is thinking about retirement.

“I’m not real sure what I’m going to do,” said Pettitte, who is 13-8 with a 3.78 ERA. “It’s kind of strange, because for sure I didn’t expect my arm to respond the way it has this year. That’s the whole reason I wanted the option, so I didn’t feel obligated if I was hurting this year to come back.

“I want to sit down with my family, my wife and my oldest boy and see what they think. I’m really not even thinking about it now.”

Come back for just one more year, Andy, please. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.

In any case it’s good to see Beckett picking up a loss from the team because as far as I’m concerned he has been public enemy #1 since 2003. Even if Farnsworth did try to blow the game (it’s what he’s best at) and Mariano had to pitch a 4 out save.

Let’s just hope Clemens has more gas left in the tank than Mussina did, because I don’t think we have any young pitchers left who are ready to help out in a pinch.

Article Roundup

In case you were unsure, it pretty much sucks to be a Baltimore Orioles fan.

The Daily News is now stealing my nicknames and calling Ian Kennedy Mini -Mussina. He even has a knucklecurve.

The world still seems to be in awe of Joba. Let’s hope it keeps up.

The New York Times spent way too much time writing this article.

From the Times’ Bat blog, “Yankees Win, Lose All Sense of Reason”. Read it and you’ll understand.

Sadly, the world just won’t let us forget that Steinbrenner signed Sheffield instead of letting Vlad Guerrero come to New York. Thanks, it doesn’t hurt enough to think about that every time we lose miserably to the Angels.