Dear Nick Swisher

Dear Mister Swisher,

Thank you. I think you are the only true, blue baseball player. You clearly play for the love of the game and have so much fun doing so. For that I thank you. You treat the "Bleacher Creatures" like they're your step-brother and have a great connection with the fans.

This season, you've been on a tear. All your stats are up this year from the averages. Your BA is up almost .50 points, slugging the same. Even your OBP is up about .3 You're more valuable than an average player is (WAR at 1.8, higher than the average 1.0). You should be an all star. You're better than a lot of players out there.

Why else do I like you? You have fun and aren't afraid to show it. I think thats why you didn't prosper in Chi-town. Ozzy held you down. Now, you're with Joey Braces and the Funtime Gang. I have a picture from the World Series celebration hanging up, and you are having so much fun. Your mouth is wide open and you're flying into the pile. It was a brilliant photo, but it describes you so well.

Mr. Swisher, if you ever read this letter, know one thing. I graduate high school next year. I want you at my graduation party. You seem like one of the best people to have a non-alcoholic beverage with. I just want to pick your brain and learn all about you (in the least creepy sense of that statement). So if you are reading this, send me a sign. Hold one up at the game on July 21. We'll be there. Or reply to this post. Or send me something on Twitter. Or something like that.

Your Friend,

Mike

PS TWITTER ME @BACK2BACKNYY

Once the Yankees let up two runs in the eighth, Mike and I turned off the game. We actually turned on two of our all-time favorite sports movies: Mighty Ducks 2 (D2) and Cool Runnings. The two of us have rather low-brow taste. They're goofy movies, but we have been known to stay up half the night watching them whenever they come on.

Mike went to see Toy Story 3 tonight with a friend. You should know that as a I child, Mike was obsessed with Toy Story. He had Toy Story everything. We're talking action figures, sheets, placemat, cup, posters and as he says "all that jazz." So nothing was going to get in Mike's way of seeing Toy Story 3 tonight.

I was reading a review of it that pointed out that the original Toy Story came out fifteen years ago, when Mike was two years old. That's the same year the Core Four came out of the farm system and started playing for the Yankees. So a good year for entertainment, a good year for the Yankees and a good year for us.

One other thing I wanted to point out, is the historical context of this weekend's Yankees/Mets series. While inter-league play only began in '97, the Yankees have been engaged in it since they played in the "City Series" against the Giants in 1910. Then, in 1946, the Yankees began playing the Giants and Dodgers in alternating years for the Mayor's Trophy. The proceeds were donated to charity.

In '63 the Mets got in on the game. The tradition went on until '97 with the birth of interleague play.

And of course, the two played each other in the 2000 World Series.

So this weeks series is just one piece of the history between the two teams.

The dreaded injury bug

We caught it my friends. And we just can't catch a break now. At this point, almost every player in our starting 9 (DH, not pitcher) has gone down. With the exception of Derek, Robbie and Gardy, everybody has gone down. The latest to fall is A-Rod, but a much more important loss to the team is Georgie.

Jorge Posada went down on May 17th against the Twinkies. He broke his foot after fouling a ball off of it. He was projected to miss 3-4 weeks.

Posada (Po for short) is the most crucial player the Yankees have on their team. He's the field general for the Yanks. Posada, even though he missed about 15 games this season, is still having a great season by his standards. His OBP is about .22 higher than his career average, and his BA is about the same. His slugging is up big time this year compared to his average (.577 to .482). Its incredible to see such numbers for an older player like Po.

I'd go as far as saying he is the reason for the Yankees success in the last decade. Posada leads the team in a major intangible: spirit. He's always supporting the team. He's a true team man. He may not be a hall of famer. He'll get his number retired.

I recently read that Posada will be named "Father of the Year" by the Father's Day Council. Good for him. He deserves it. His son has been diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a serious medical condition. Posada does everything in his power to help his son. He's a great person and deserves this award more than anyone.

It's absolutely necessary that Po gets back soon. He may not have the numbers like A-Rod, the paycheck of Tex or the notoriety of Jeter, but he is just as important as these players. So Jorge, if you ever read this, get well soon. I know you're playing, but get to full strength. You're a true leader, on and off the field for this team.

A shoutout to our new favorite Tweeter-@YankeeMegInPHL. She got us 30 followers tonight. It's really appreciated.

An open letter to AJ Burnett

Dear AJ Burnett,

Stop sucking so much. You are far and away the worst pitcher on the staff. Even Javier Vazquez is better than you. Well, heres the deal. Either suck all the time, or pitch well all the time. No more necessary prayers for you to pitch well. Just do it. We shouldn't have to ask you. You get paid way more than my 8.50 an hour. You make 565 times what I make in an hour PER PITCH. Pitch like you do.

You're berserk. Watching you pitch in 3 different games is like watching Clint Eastwood's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Your last three starts (not counting tonights dreadful game against my sister's love affair: The Phillies): 1-2, 13 runs allowed (11 earned), an ERA of nearly 5, with 4 hit batters! These are in "Low Pressure" games (.89 aLI, below the league average of 1). These are Joba "The Warrior" Chamberlain numbers. Not 16 million dollars per year numbers.

AJ. Step it up. We want more rings. We can't do it without you. Well, thats a lie. We can. But things would be alot easier for us if you would just pitch well.

Love,

Yankee Fans all over the world

PS. Tonight was ugly, and it sparked me to write this letter.

Liz is having an affair

The first of the World Series re-match just ended and Mike and I have turned on Psych. As an aside, Psych is on of the funniest shows on TV. It's about a private investigator who pretends to be psychic. I'm not selling it well, but it's hilarious. Here's the promo for the winter season.

Anyway, I've been looking forward to this series for about a week now. It's not just the World Series re-match thing. The Phillies are my National League team. I always had a soft spot for the Phills. The Phanatic is just so loveable.

And sense starting school in Philly, they've grown on me even more. Citizens Bank is a great ball field. And say what you will about Philadelphia fans, they're fun people to watch a ball game with. Unless the Phillies are losing. Or you run out onto the field.

But more than that, they're such a motley crew. Shane Victorino is one of less than ten Hawaiian players in the Majors. Cole Hamels married a reality TV star ( I hate using the word star for people who have been on Survivor.) Jayson Werth is the grandson and nephew of major leaguers. And Ryan Howard may just be the slowest runner in the Major Leagues.

I just adore them.

But there's never any question as to who I love more.

During the World Series, one of my friends asked me who I would be rooting for.

I responded, "Blood's thicker than water."

She gave me the strangest look. But to me it made total sense. The Yankees were/are an extension of the family. My allegiances are clear.

That being said I was not overjoyed when my dad and Mike spent the evening mercilessly mocking the Phillies. They're a fun team. Made of fun people. And they deserve our respect.

Mike's rebutal

Do I have a favorite Yankee? No. No I don't. Have I lost my mind? Well, yes, but I'm not the one to blame for that. I don't have a favorite Yankee. I have a series of equally favorited players.

Derek Jeter-Among the classiest players out there. He's clutch, he's a champion and within a year, he'll have 3000 hits, a great accomplishment.

Jorge Posada-Sure, he pees on his hands and yes, that is a little bit nasty. But he's a great player and a class act. I've never had a chance to talk to the man, but he just seems smart. He knows baseball. Is he a Hall Of Famer? Probabaly not. Will his number be retired? I sure hope so.

Mariano Rivera-Where would we be without Mo? I think we take him for granted as Yankee Fans. He's going to be the alltime saves leader (after Trevor Hoffman retires). Number 42 will go down in history as the Godliest relief pitcher of all time.

Nick Swisher-He has fun. Thats what baseball is all about. He clearly plays for the love of the game, not for the money or the fame. He's one of the most likeable guys on the Yanks.

Andy Pettite-Read Liz's post from Sunday

I equally like all of these players. They make the team what it is. They lead us (with the exception of Swish) to 23,24,25 and 26. And these 5 led us to number 27. And these 5 will lead us to infinity and beyond (a necessary plug to go see Toy Story 3 this weekend!)

Why I Love Andy Pettitte

Well, Jorgie juiced not one, but two.

Two grand slams in two days. I have nothing but respect for the man.

In my brother's first post, he said he was a "Posada guy." You'll notice he didn't refer to Posada as his "favorite." I point this out because of a conversation Mike and I had the other day.

Me: Mike, who is your favorite Yankee?

Mike: I don't have one.

Me: What?

Mike: I know who I don't like. (He grimaces). Scott Proctor (with detectable venom in his voice).

Yes, that's right. My brother insists he doesn't have a favorite player. This is a completely foreign concept to me. I'm a Pettite girl. And by that I mean Andy Pettitte is my favorite player.

Mike probably finds this a little odd mainly because Pettitte seems to go against what I stand for. If you asked my best friend to describe me she would say "Intensely loyal." Seriously, I've been known to blacklist people just for looking at my friends the wrong way.

And Pettitte left us for the Astros.

And anyone who knows me would describe me as a rule follower. My dad called me "the sheriff" when I was three.

And Pettitte admitted to steroid usage.

So why would he possibly be my favorite?

The honest answer is I have no idea. I think it has something to do with the crazy eyes he gets when he's pitching well. He pitched all three clinchers in the post-season. And the clincher in the '98 series.

But I've always just felt he was a good guy. He seems to genuinely love his kids and his team.