Rangers fans might not want to be throwing stones here

Hey, it's a clever sign... but remember something, Rangers fans:

You are the same team that had Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Pudge Rodriguez when he was VERY pudgy.

And A-Rod admitted he did the stuff while in Texas.
(Oh yeah, they traded for Jose Canseco as well.)

Best watch out while throwing those stones.
Your walls are made of glass.

Nobody focuses on the Giants like my dad

My dad (aka Poppy) can tell you anything you want to know about the Giants.
He can casually rattle off the 1954 Giants' roster...
He can give you a scouting report on the current team...
When new players come up from Fresno, he is anticipating their arrival...
When prospects are tearing up San Jose, he has his eye on them.

He is NOT a casual baseball fan. Far from it.

But he is unique.
He has Giants tunnel vision.
I used to think he only knew about the National League.

But he really only knows the Giants and whomever they are playing THAT DAY.

A case in point.
Today the Yankees clinched the Division Series as the Twins did a brilliant impersonation of the Polish Army circa 1939.

The Yankees of course are chocked full of Superstars and many played today.

A-Rod, Jeter, Teixeira, Cano and Rivera all played.

So did All Stars Swisher and Hughes.

And former All Stars Posada and Hughes.

They had a GALAXY of stars... and stormed into the ALCS with the biggest marquee names in the show.

I got an e mail from my dad tonight.

"The Yankees
I hardly know who most of the players are!!
Should I?"

No you shouldn't Poppy... not until they play the Giants in the World Series.
(And if that happens, nobody will be able to tell you more about the Yankees than my dad.)

I COMPLETELY understand why Ron Washington let Harrison pitch to A-Rod

I was listening to Sterling and Waldman call the Yankees-Rangers game tonight and they were perplexed why Ron Washington let lefty reliever Matt Harrison (not the Lower East Side filmmaker) pitch to A-Rod with the bases loaded, 1 out and a 2 run lead.

A-Rod hit a bases clearing double that gave the Yankees the lead and Washington lifted him for the next batter.

In practice and theory it seemed odd. Texas has something like 783 September call ups, and evidently every single one of them is a reliever that they can match up hitter to hitter in the late innings.

And Washington certainly wasn't shy to go to the hook tonight, a game that included an hour long rain delay.

But there are two factors that made me realize that this wasn't such a crazy idea.

THEY WERE WEARING DOWN THE PITCHING STAFF

They had played an extra inning game the night before where they had used 11 pitchers.
Plus with the hour rain delay, Harrison was already the 5th pitcher used last night. Maybe Washington was thinking "Man, if this goes extras, I may need a few arms. Might as well take a chance now.


MAYBE WASHINGTON WANTED TO SEE HOW HARRISON WOULD DO IN THIS SITUATION

Think about it. The whole lefty/righty match ups can be overrated. Some lefties can do well against right handed hitters and vice versa. Maybe Washington wanted to see how Harrison would do in a late inning pressure situation against a big right handed hitter.

Well, he got it. Bases loaded, 2 run lead with A-Rod up.
Only the pressure was only in the game.

The Rangers are up by about a week in the standings with 3 weeks to play. The A's and the Angels aren't going to catch them without a big losing streak. So why not use this unique moment to see what Harrison has got.

What's the worst that can happen?

Well a bases clearing double is pretty damn close to the worst thing that could happen, but how do you know what you have until you give a pitcher a shot?

I totally get it.
And Rivera's melt down took Washington off the hook.
He got to experiment AND beat the Yankees in dramatic fashion.

Not a bad night. Now in the future when Harrison is up against a big right handed batter... lift him.