Three Down...Eight To Go

Minneapolis, MN (WFAN)  -- In a relatively dry corner of the Yankees clubhouse last night, I asked Joe Girardi what he thought was the best part of the night? He said, without hesitation,"Alex and Jorge. With all that Alex has gone through and what Jorge went through this week...THAT was the best for me." At that very moment, we looked up, and Alex was pouring a bottle of champagne over the head of his catcher. Both were laughing, a sight that would have been impossible last year at this time.

Alex, who somehow has morphed into a two out RBI machine, said to me as I told him about the conversation with his manager, "I'm having a blast. I really am. It just is so......different." I think everyone in that clubhouse would agree.

There are many permutations of what could have happened on the Nick Punto play if the ball isn't in the hands of Derek Jeter.

Some of them:
Ball is thrown over the catcher's head, run scores.
Ball is cut off by the pitcher who drops the ball, run scores.
Ball goes past the third baseman, run scores.......I'll let you make up your own here....to all that don't understand what the Captain means to this team? Get your head out of the sabr-metric-books and watch a game once in a while!

The celebration on the field was pretty tasteful, considering they were not in their own "house." The champagne celebration in the clubhouse was more subdued than the first one, as if, it was only a step towards much bigger champagne celebrations. The Yankees held a wonderful party in the hotel after the game...what struck me (besides the Dom Perignon) was how much this group actually likes each other, how the families like each other. I have never seen wives taking group pictures, players sitting together going over the game, watching the Philly-Rockies game, including everyone, at least not in THIS decade. Sing alongs at the piano...can you imagine...SING ALONGS at the piano!! Joe Girardi has built something very special in that clubhouse. By the way, if you read Page 6..(and what are you doing reading Page 6?) the stories of discord are "hooey!" Pure fiction.

One last memory of the Dome? The ground crew digging up home plate and taking bits of the dirt with them. One member of the crew, whom I've seen for years, came over to me and said good bye. I said, "I'll see you in the new place"..his response..."No, we're not going....this is it for us." The head of the ground crew had been with the team since 1975....and he's been told they are getting new people next year. Progress? Not to them.

Joe Nathan went back out on the field long after the Yankees celebration and took some dirt from the mound. Many of the fans had not left, and he got a long and loud cheer. He said he was going to take the dirt and sprinkle it on the new mound next spring...that he's had some great times on that mound...just not in THIS series.

During the game I texted the Angels radio engineer...wondering if they were staying on the East Coast. His response..."We're packing up and heading to the airport....we should be home by about 2AM PST. SEE YOU IN A FEW DAYS!!!" Texting is a wonderful thing!!!

Don't want to miss the bus! Does an airport in Minnesota close down when it snows? Nah!