All Things Bubba

July 25, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 7, Texas 4

Damon's back kept him from playing for the second night in a row, so Bubba started in CF again (third night in a row!). It was not a stellar night in the outfield for him. He dived for one ball but missed it. He could probably have gotten it if he'd gotten the right jump on it from the start.


I think the wind threw him off. It was blowing strongly in toward the plate, and a lot of balls were falling in shallower than expected. In any case, I seriously doubt any of the other Yankee outfielders would have gotten that one, either.

He did okay at the plate. No hits, but he moved the runner up in his first AB with a bunt in the 3rd. In the 4th, he worked a clutch, two-out walk on five pitches. He struck out on five pitches in the 6th, and flew out on a 1-0 count in the 9th. All in all, it was a decent night offensively.

Perhaps the most amusing moment of the game came when the "kiss cam" focused on A-Rod in the 6th inning. Usually, it focuses on a couple in the stands, and crowd exhorts them to kiss. A-Rod knew the drill, of course, being a former Ranger. When he noticed he was on camera, he leaned over, grabbed Andy Phillips, and kissed him on the top of the head.

When Rodriguez was shown on the giant video screen after the sixth inning, he reached over and playfully pecked teammate Andy Phillips on top of the head. The crowd, which has lustfully booed him this week, cheered after a smiling Rodriguez played along with the gag.

"That's the first kiss I've had in a long time. (The fans) loved it," said Rodriguez, whose struggles have led to plenty of boos at Yankee Stadium. He walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

"You better ask him how my hair tastes. It was funny," Phillips said. "I didn't know what he was doing, but that was fun. It's something I can tell my grandkids about."

LOL! You can see the video here. It was nice to see A-Rod relaxed and having fun.