I still don't know how Yankee fans can live with themselves. If my team had umpires that made calls based on the fact that they wanted to hear a really loud cheer, ruining game after game, even knowing it made my team win, I'd say "Sorry, I can't be a part of this." The check-swing appeal is always a biggie with umps at Yankee Stadium. Because those base umps don't always get a chance to be a star. So when Posada goes appealin', they're ready to make that strike call--regardless of whether the batter swung--to hear the applause they never got as Little League outfielders. It's the worst when it ends a game that the visitors have a chance in, though. Today was a classic: Mo in the mound, tying run on, check swing, appeal, crowd roaring. Even though it appeared as if the guy held up, you could just sense the out call coming. And there it was.

This is why 2004 was such a miracle. The umps actually made the right calls--in Yankee Stadium--allowing the better team to win.

But what I'm really mad about, baseball-wise, today, is the whole Pat Neshek situation. This jerk is in the running for the final All-Star spot, as voted by the fans. Okajima, who I've been voting for at a constant rate for two days (one hour left, get him in there!), leads, but Neshek is trying desperately to get in, even going so far as using the fact that he was playing the Yanks to get Yankee fans to vote for him to keep the Red Sox player out. Bad enough, right? I mean, that's dead-to-me material right there, but, okay, whatever, had the situation been reversed, he probably would've played Sox fans against Yankee fans. Fine. Today, though, this crap-head comes into a tie game in the ninth, in big, scary Yankee Stadium (ooh, I think I deserve to be an All-Star, but even I can't tame the mighty beast of Yankee Stadium--and pitch to Jeter? No way! You can't teach class like that), and walks Jeter with two outs, then gives up a homer to Matsui. What an ass. This guy should just hop on the Yankee bus today and go wherever they're going, because that's where he belongs. My anti-rooting in the second half will be: The Yanks, whoever challenges us for the division, and Pat Neshek. [Update, 6:37 PM: Okajima IN! Sweet.] Same deal with Torii Hunter, who played like he put about 10 million dollars down on the Yanks today.

Again, this is why I shouldn't even bother to watch the Yanks. Anyway, the Twins ended up getting a run and leaving that tying run on second. And just in case you didn't know, Jeter was happy. How do I know? Because Yes cut to a shot of him immediately when that last out call was made. Had we not known he was happy with this play that had nothing to do with him (in fact, his misplay on a ball in the inning could've cost his team the game), how would we have gone on with our lives?

It was "come dressed as your favorite chair" day at Yankee Stadium. In what turned out to be an amazing coincidence on this beautiful summer afternoon, 15,000 of the announced 52,000 fans dressed as a blue stadium chair.

We have to win tonight to stay 12 up on those guys.