The Bright Side: Tex, Gardner, Health

The Yankees got beat last night.  A.J. Burnett couldn’t get me out and Chan Ho Park threw more batting practice.   The offense produced plenty of base-runners but only two hits in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

All this we know.  We also know that the New York media furnace will dissect, analyze, investigate and reiterate every minute detail of the loss.  Talking heads, writers, bloggers and fans will bash and berate the team ad nauseam and rightfully so.  Such is life in the Big Apple.

Forget it for a minute.  The loss is just that, one singular L.  In a week it will be a bitter memory.  In a month it will be forgotten.  Of course, some fans will want to re-open the wound wide.  There is too much negativity and heartbreak in the world to dwell on it.  Yankees fans must hope the team learns from it and responds so we can all move on.   What value can we extract from Saturday’s loss to the Dodgers? Obviously, there was very little but we must find something.

With that, Gotham Baseball debuts The Bright Side – a snapshot of positivity that Yankee fans can take from every loss.  Hopefully, this column will be few and far between.

Mark Teixeira: 1-5, HR (12), 3 RBI

Teixeira extended his hitting steak to eight games with a three-run shot in the first inning.  Yankees fans are absolutely justified in their frustration at Tex’s season-long slump but he has shown signs of life recently.  Keep in mind he is on pace for another 30-100-100 season.  Hardly ideal consider his paycheck and pedigree but there are ballplayers who would kill for a down year like that.

Brett Gardner: 2-3, BB

The hits just keep on coming for Gardner who saw his average and on-base percentage jump to .321 and .401, respectively.  Line drive, duck snort, shot in the hole, worm-burner, drag bunt – doesn’t matter.  His stellar season continues.  Gardner is among the American League leaders in runs, triples, steals, average and OBP.

A-Rod and Posada played another game without incident

Both sluggers are dealing with injury and have used the designated hitter spot as a crutch while returning to the lineup.  Without that benefit Saturday, Rodriguez played the entire game without incident and Posada pinch-hit on his day off.  A-Rod and Jorge are about as essential to the success of the Yankees as it gets.  No news is definitely great news when it comes to their health.

Anthony Federico covers all levels of the game for Baseball Digest and Gotham Baseball. He is the author of “Must Be Nice” – a novel about the glory of beer-league softball. Check out www.mustbenicebook.com for more info or follow him on Twitter @AntFeds

Anthony Federico

Anthony Federico covers all levels of the game for Baseball Digest and Gotham Baseball. He is the author of “Must Be Nice” – a loving look at the glory of beer-league softball. Check out www.mustbenicebook.com for more info or follow him on Twitter @AntFeds

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