Admittedly all I saw was the Sportscenter version of this game (40 seconds of highlights/comments, and the outfield view of the pitch - no overhead). I'll take your word that it looked worse (further outside) from above, as it always does from that angle.

I wonder if this was his first attempt at using this ridiculous survey, or if some had actually been handed out (and possibly even returned to him) previously.

OK, well, this clearly isn't the first instance of an outside pitch (to either a righty or a lefty) being called a strike. That's the one area of the plate where pitchers are routinely given a little extra latitude, regardless of the umpire.

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double post...move right along

Had Lawrie not walked himself following the 3-1 pitch, he maaaaaay have gotten the benefit of the borderline call on the 3-2 pitch and rightfully earned a walk. Not happening after you run out of the batter's box and are 4 steps to first base before the umpire calls the pitch, though.

Yeah, that's a true statement ("true Yankee" once proven, not until). That's what 40yrs of being brainwashed by Steinbrenner attitude will do for you. Here's my take on a few free agent signings over the last 15-20yrs that I think sum up the NYY fans/media:

Well, A-Rod is an asshole. I think you may even be over-crediting him as being accepted. Surely his contributions to the Yankees winning the WS in '09 is the best indication that he could be considered "accepted", but he's still got some room to grow. He's no one's favorite Yankee, that's for sure.

I'm not about to start defending all Yankees fans here (because there are tens of thousands of them who I'd like to see on a sinking ship without lifeboats), but as a lifelong Yankee fan my interpretation of this has always been cheering for them to make them think to themselves "I wonder how much louder the cheering…

Great call on the mirror - that really stands out in the blurry pic.

Does the Bonneville have a more slanted nose and taillights that wrap around a little more? That's the only counter-argument I can offer...

This was the first car that came to my mind when I saw the blurry image...I think the nose is a little too sharply sloped for an Olds, but would fit this guy.

The 3rd/Willis options probably saved me (during my commuting days) a cool grand per year in RFK (f.k.a. Triboro) bridge tolls, as that one nabs you in both directions. The Willis Ave bridge construction finished at some point last year, too - pretty smooth/easy now.

I have a Mustang GT in Manhattan, and even with it being 10yrs old it still turns heads because, well, it's bright red, sounds awesome, and isn't a hideous yellow cab.

Hoboken IS tough. The resident/non-resident parking is something that only residents can figure out, the roads are extremely narrow and are so cluttered with street parking you can't really see anything while looking both ways at stop signs, and there is no such thing as a parking garage there.

1) Willis Ave bridge (to the Bronx) is still free, as is the 3rd Ave bridge coming into Manhattan (from the Bronx); and

Their state education is very, very bad. The high population of "old people who don't have school-age children" love voting down school budgets in combination with no state income tax (thereby creating a lower than average tax base) means that the education system suffers.

These people are redefining "oblivious", as I didn't know it was possible to not notice a crying toddler 2 feet to one's left.

Well, yeah. Published? The line is blurry!

How this got printed as such boggles my mind...