This is what I wrote on April 27, in a blog entry entitled: "Did Tom Verducci and Sports Illustrated jinx the Yankees' 'Core Four'", when I saw that SI cover featuring Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada:
If the Yankees' season goes up in flames any time soon, I know just who to blame - Tom Verducci and Sports Illustrated!Let's review what has happened so far:
Because as a firm believer in the SI Cover Jinx, I feel like this cover story about the Core Four is just asking for trouble - times four.
* First, Jorge Posada got hit in the knee the previous Wednesday by an errant pitch from Jeremy Guthrie, and missed a game over it. Then he left Monday's game early with a calf strain, and hasn't played since.
* Then Mariano Rivera felt stiffness on the left side of his body after Friday's game. He hasn't played since.
* Now, Andy Pettitte left Wednesday's game after five innings with elbow pain. He has inflammation in his elbow and might miss his next start.
Derek Jeter needs to be put in a plastic bubble or something until this thing blows over!
Thanks for nothing, Sports Illustrated! And Tom Verducci, didn't you do enough damage to the franchise with "The Yankee Years"? Why must you continue to torture us so?
On the other hand, I think that I have a solution for Javier Vazquez's problems. Since he's already walking around with a black cloud of doom around him, a la "Peanuts" character Pigpen, maybe being on the SI cover would change his luck - for the better. SI needs to make up for this Core Four disaster by putting Home Run Javy on the cover, and hoping that a reverse jinx will turn his season around!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
And yet, we win. Derek is fine, Mo will be back tomorrow, Jorge probably will be, and Andy wasn't scheduled to pitch against Boston in this series anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'd say, "Relax, Lisa"... except there was that SI cover in July 1987: "NEW YORK, NEW YORK." Over a picture of Darryl Strawberry, looking perplexed, it said, "The Mets are feuding"; while over a picture of Dan Mattingly, looking like he was enjoying himself at the plate, it said, "The Yanks are flying." It was right after that that Willie Randolph got hurt, Dave Winfield went into a nasty slump, and the pitching collapsed, while the Mets went on a hot streak and nearly won the NL East. (At least they no longer have to worry about losing the Division to the Cardinals. The Pennant, uh... )