Hank Steinbrenner must be a Lakers fan...

[Roy Hobbs]

... because all he does is whine.

Regarding Chien-Ming Wang's foot injury, that will keep him out until September:

"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.

"Am I [mad] about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."

"This is always a concern of American League teams when their pitchers have to run the bases and they're not used to doing it," Steinbrenner said. "It's not just us. It's everybody. It probably should be a concern for National League owners, general managers and managers when their pitchers run the bases. Pitchers have enough to do without having to do that."

Mike Mussina chimed in:

"We don't hit, we don't run the bases," Mussina said. "You get four or five at-bats a year at most, and if you happen to get on base once or twice, you never know. We run in straight lines most of the time. Turning corners, you just don't do that."

Come on, guys.  It's running.  I'm not the world's most athletic guy, but I can manage to run 90 feet and then make a slight change in direction.  It's not that difficult.  This sounds like just another pathetic, whiny excuse from the Yankees organization.

I find myself being a much bigger fan of the National League at the moment.  Any word on whether the Padres will be employing their new "intentionally walk all the Yankees pitchers" strategy?

[Bankshot]

I actually agree with Steinbrenner.  I hate watching pitchers hit.  They stink at it anyway.  I don't think pitchers need to hit and risk injury.  They are already have to pitch I don't see any reason why they need to hit.  Bartolo Colon hurt his back last night swinging the bat.  A pitcher can get hurt more ways than just running the bases.  If a  pitcher gets hurt in a game, it should be while he is on the mound, not while standing in the batters box or running to first base.

[wdleehi]

The pitchers can't round the bases? 

[connerhenry43]

somoeone should also tell hank there is one reason and one reason only they started interleague play: so the yankees and mets could play each other. that is it.

it is sour grapes (from the yankees, shocking, i know) because it came after one of their guys got hurt, but he is right. pitchers hitting and then running is a waste of time. the sox got a guy hurt last night too because of dumb outdated nl rules. it is so idiotic, and if bud selig were still alive, they might think about changing this outdated rule.

[crownsy]

I actually agree with Steinbrenner.  I hate watching pitchers hit.  They stink at it anyway.  I don't think pitchers need to hit and risk injury.  They are already have to pitch I don't see any reason why they need to hit.  Bartolo Colon hurt his back last night swinging the bat.  A pitcher can get hurt more ways than just running the bases.  If a  pitcher gets hurt in a game, it should be while he is on the mound, not while standing in the batters box or running to first base.

american league pitchers stink at it. there's actualy quite a few national league pitchers who are very good hitters.

and colon's an idiot for swinging like he's in little league, those were the worst excuses for swings ive ever seen.

[Bankshot]

I actually agree with Steinbrenner.  I hate watching pitchers hit.  They stink at it anyway.  I don't think pitchers need to hit and risk injury.  They are already have to pitch I don't see any reason why they need to hit.  Bartolo Colon hurt his back last night swinging the bat.  A pitcher can get hurt more ways than just running the bases.  If a  pitcher gets hurt in a game, it should be while he is on the mound, not while standing in the batters box or running to first base.

american league pitchers stink at it. there's actualy quite a few national league pitchers who are very good hitters.

and colon's an idiot for swinging like he's in little league, those were the worst excuses for swings ive ever seen.

Yeah, those were horrible swings.  Even Remy said he was going to hurt himself, and he did. Looked like he was trying to hit a homerun with each swing.   That was really dumb.

[Robb]

Turning corners, you just don't do that.

That's the closest I've come to wetting my pants since I was in diapers.  God forbid a professional athlete be asked to change direction.  I wonder if Mussina has to have all of his hotel rooms pointed directly at the stadium.  An attendant will walk outside and see Mussina repeatedly walking into the wall.  "Gotta make sure he's walking toward the door, Jack."

Any word on whether the Padres will be employing their new "intentionally walk all the Yankees pitchers" strategy?

If it leads to the first basebrawl where a pitcher charges another pitcher, I'm so in.  That'd be like a goalie fight times a million.  You better hope someone can point Mike Mussina in the direction of the mound because he'll have some choice words with that fellow, for sure.

And I'm completely in favor of outlawing the DH.  It cost David Ortiz an MVP and it gives the NL an advantage in the WS.

[bdm860]

Even though I'm a Yankees fan, I agree with Roy on this one.  I'd rather pitchers hit all the time, get rid of the DH.  Like crownsy said, there are some National League pitchers who can hit, and you know what, if you practice at it and continually do it, you'll get good at it.  We should only have pitchers play one side of the field?  Maybe we should do that with all other positions too, that way the Yanks can put a good defensive player at first and just let Giambi hit all the time.  Wouldn't want a slugger like Giambi to get hurt trying to field a ground ball that may ricochet off a pebble or something.  So it's settled, lets have a group of guys who just plays offense, and the a group of guys who just plays defense.  Wait, I think they call that football...

Trust me, alot of Yankee fans think Hank's an idiot.

[Nerf MVP]

Aren't most of the rules from the 1800's? You'd think he was talking about cricket the way he puts it.

Moose isn't the first to complain about sharp turns and such. I think Derek Zoolander also struggled with left turns. Moose just has to learn to do the "little things", like take lefts and rights on the run the same way Jaime Moyer did.

[Redz]

Yep, time to get back to hating the Yankees.

I actually was trying to think what is more enjoyable: the Celts crushing the Lakers like they did last night or the Red Sox doing the same to the Yankees.  Of course, it would be hard to parallel the magnitude of the whooping the Celts gave the Lakers, but all things being equal I think I might actually enjoy seeing the Yankees spanked by the Sox at least as much.

Sure would be fun to find out.  Maybe the Sox can beat the pulp out of the Yankees in a clincher so we can see.  Oh wait, they kinda did.  Hmmmm...which was better?