Torre: “We still have work.”
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- September
- 18
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That win for Mike Mussina was No. 249 in his career. He has won at least 10 games 16 years in a row.
The only other pitchers in history to do that are Greg Maddux (19 times), Cy Young (19), Steve Carlton (18), Don Sutton (17), Warren Spahn (17) and Nolan Ryan (16).
Joe Torre’s best comment of the night: “We still have work. We cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in what people will assume is a foregone conclusion. We need to play baseball.”
Here’s Torre’s postgame:
Yanks are 44-21 since the All-Star break, 22-9 at home.
AL East
Boston 90-62
New York 87-64 -2.5
AL Wildcard
New York 87-64
Detroit 83-69 -4.5
It’s hard to believe the Yankees were once 21-29. Now they’re two out in the loss column in the division and five up in the loss column in the wildcard with 11 games left. If they finished with the best record in baseball and another division title, it wouldn’t be a surprise at this point.
Toronto is the obstacle. They have Halladay, McGowan, Burnett and Marcum lined to start this weekend.
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Wow, Pete! Nice work, as usual.
Pedal to the metal. I love this attitude. They haven’t won anything…..yet.
We can beat Toronto on the offensive end. Work their pitchers, get into their pen, and this time, Melky will catch the ball hit off of Kennedy!
Anyway. No matter what else happens this year,
This is the birth of a dynasty.
You heard it here first.
Ummm…That starting 4 for Toronto is going to be extremely tough…RATS!!!
Those are at least the quality of starter we would be facing in the playoffs anyways, we should feel confident if we want to beat the Indians or Angels.
Also, Mussina pitched well tonight, but I don’t see him coming close to this performance against the Indians/Angels unless he is buddy buddy with the ump and Jupiter aligns with Mars. I’d rather see Hughes. I know he’s young, but he’s proved he belongs there just as much as Moose lately, and at this point in his career his pitches are just harder to hit.
Josh – I’d rather see Kennedy myself…
Halladay will be tough as usual. I expect 3 out of 4 from Toronto.
Call me naive but I still don’t think Boston fully chokes away that lead. They have games left on their side and decent pitching.
That being said, doesn’t this feel like Detroit/ Minnesota from last year? Tigers are the best team in baseball for 80% of the year and then in the final month they fall apart, Minny the Wild Card team takes them for the Division.
That would be great if that same scenario played out for the Yankees….well, except for the whole Detroit catching fire in the playoffs thing.
Kennedy would also be a good option, but I don’t even consider it a possibility with Torre as manager. I love Torre, don’t get me wrong, but to earn his “trust” to get playoff game requires jumping through invisible “comfort” hoops.
i’m not counting my chickens before they’ve hatched…but i sure like making boston fans sweat…haha
the thing that i feel the best about is the 5 game lead (in the loss col.) over the tigers…i feel like we’re “in” the playoffs now…i was nervous when the lead was cut to 3 in the losses.
Global – I’d say we have our best chance against Halladay and Marcum, actually. McGowan and Burnett have been overpowering lately…
Looks like Pete is on the Optimism bandwagon ! it sure took you awhile friend…but enjoy the ride…. 96-66 !!!
From the previous thread:
VOIII,
As I indicated earlier, the Sox Fan hopes for the best, and expects the worst. Yankee Fan expects the best and won’t accept the worst.
I’ve coached baseball for over 30 years and the first thing that you try to teach your players is to respect your opponent and if you are successful, act as if you’ve been there before. Programs (at any level) that are not used to success, or don’t know how to handle it, usually don’t handle adversity well either.
I think we’re seeing the difference in the two programs here in “crunch time�, which is when management REALLY earns their keep. That is one reason that I fall on the side of Joe Torre being able to write his own ticket and manage for as long as he wants. He’s instilled a mind-set and stuck with it. It’s clearly in play, and is THE reason the Sox are playing not to lose and the Yankees are not “settling� for anything less than the top spot.
The Yankees have always been in the Sox’ heads and 2004 did not remove any bit of it.
Anyone notice Lackey has a 1 hitter through six against a pretty good hitting team in Tampa? Hope he uses it up in the regular season….
Bobcat, Very well said. I am starting to come around on Torre, even though his BP management drives me crazy. I was all for Torre being let go, however I don’t see an acceptable replacement out there right now. Having Torre bring all these youngsters up as a second father will be worth the Bullpen juggling act.
BTW, the Yankees now have a better record than the Mets. lolz.
Toronto’s front 4 don’t scare me. If they’re so hot, why’s their squad only a game over .500? They’re a complacent team that never sustains anything and having played well against Boston they’ll be ready to lie down for us.
Gotta love the way Boston’s bullpen is going weak in the knees at just the right time. Hard to imagine Gagne or Okajima getting their feet under them now w/ only a week to go. I also think that having their last 6 at home will be a disadvantage w/ all the heat that’ll be pouring down in Choketown.
VOIII,
I have no problem with how Torre manages his bullpen. All he has EVER asked of his RP is to be aggressive in the zone and throw strikes.
When they are aggressive and/or don’t throw strikes, it’s not Torre’s fault. That is on the player. If that player performs well, the manager looks like a genius, otherwise an idiot. That boils down to roster management, which sits elsewhere. Cashman and his staff are still tweaking the bullpen, which is true of every team in baseball.
(Note: see Detroit, the Angels, the Red Sox)
That said, I would imagine that several of the elite arms that the Yankees have available next year will find their way to the bullpen, a la Joba, circa 07. You can play the game of roster management yourself; it could be as exciting for Yankee fans as this second half has been.
Something stinks in Beantown…….
Human growth hormone was sent to a “well known professional athlete in Massachusetts” in January 2002 and again in October 2003 following a doctor’s request, the documents said.
HGH in ‘03? probably Nomar. He was pretty ripped there for a while and became a victim of some pretty freakish injuries.
“Human growth hormone was sent to a “well known professional athlete in Massachusetts” in January 2002 and again in October 2003 following a doctor’s request, the documents said.”
this should come out soon
Dude. Guys.
Do you realize: Since the Optimism Era^tm^ began, we’ve done this:
Seattle September 4: Won. Scooter made his re-appearance and A-Rod hit a moon shot to the LEFT field upper deck.
Seattle September 5: Won. A-Rod had two home runs in the same inning
Kansas City September 7: Yankees win a close one, 3-2. Joba pitches more scoreless baseball as his father FINALLY gets to see him pitch live.
Kansas City September 8: Yankees win and A-Rod goes deep. Twice.
Kansas City September 9: Yankees win. They sweep the series.
Toronto September 11: Yankees win, Jason Giambi with a grand slam.
Toronto September 12: Mussina recovers from his SLUMP OF DOOM and pitches 5.2 scoreless innings, Yanks roll to seven straight.
Toronto September 13: Ian Kennedy one-hits the Jays through seven, and the one hit a ball that should have been caught. Yanks offense couldn’t win the game, but if that pitching performance is a sign of things to come, oh boy!
Boston September 14: Yankees stage what is probably their best come back win of the year, scoring 6 runs in the eighth to win 8-7.
Boston September 15: Okay, this one was a bonafide loss.
Boston September 16: Derek Jeter again proves why he bleeds more pinstripes than anyone on the planet. Mo proves why he has so much love for cardiologists. Yanks win 4-3.
Baltimore September 17: Hughes pitches well, Yanks hold on to win 8-5. Boston and Detroit lose.
Baltimore September 18: 12-0 Yanks. Boston and Detroit lose.
We’ve gone from 7 back to 2.5 back in the east. We are officially 9-2 in the Optimism Era, but should be 10-1.
What have I been saying?
OPTIMISM WORKS!
Blue Jays pitching is tough, Yanks pitching has to be tougher.
Well-known professional athlete in Massachusetts- Paul Pierce? HA!
Glad Theo made the deal for Gagne.
Becca
Love your posts. In our house we call it “being supportive” and not being a “fair weather fan”. Some days are easier than others but I’ve been letting the kids read some of your posts and it gets them psyched up. Thanks for the optimism and keep it going!
I have to admit, this year I was ready to give up on this team a dozen times! Really, they did play some bad baseball in the beginning of the year. Granted, the injuries.. but where would be now if they didn’t have such a slow start?
Oh well, I’m gonna smell the roses for a bit longer and relish in the fact that it’s totally possible to win the division. If that happens, I’m going to go so far as to say that they Yankee’s will be unstoppable all the way!
(Big hit for Melky tonight, he really needed it)
Blue Jays are nite (road) and day (home)
Home they’re 15 games about .500
On the road they’re 15 games _below_ .500
Look, three weeks ago, the sawks threw their best three at us and they lost.
Moreover, we’re throwing arguably our top three starters: Andy, Wanger, and Rocket (each with two extra days rest).
BRING IT ON, BABY!
Pat: Thank you! Wow, your kids? I am honored!
Feel free to check out ye olde blog for s’more.
The Yankees are doing a wonderful job of keeping the momentum going from the series against the Red Sox. They haven’t let their guard down like they did a bit earlier in the year. It’s impossible for me to have anything but a good feeling at this point. It speaks volumes about our team the way it has been able to overcome the adversity from earlier this year. The sky really is the limit for this team. And Rebecca’s right, this team is built to stay on top for years to come! Having the youngsters take in the pennant race has been one of my favorite things about this year. Only the young can say, they’re free to fly away!!
Exactly the right attitude. They haven’t won anything yet. Keep their heads down and mow through the schedule. If they keep playing tough all day like they have and not mail it in they may find something really good at the end of the rainbow.
Good win by the Yankees. Mussina has another solid start. Is that good or bad? I don’t know. Go Yankees!
It’s official…there are a lot of people sweating in Boston tonight.
Let’s not short change the Toronto rotation.
McGowan has been excellent for a couple of months, but the Yanks did beat him last week.
Don’t forget that AJ Burnett has been lights twice against the Yanks this season:
vs. NYY on 4/26/07: 7 IP, 0 ER
vs. NYY on 9/13/07: 8 IP, 1 ER
That converts to an 0.60 ERA in two starts vs. NYY in 2007.
Oh yeah, Roy Halladay ALWAYS given the Yanks problems. He’s 10-4, 3.10 ERA lifetime against them.
I know the Yanks are playing well, but don’t get over confident and short change the TOR rotation.
Yanks can get to their pen, but their starting pitching is very strong.
A lot of people are saying that this team reminds them of ‘96.
This is like a ‘96 + ‘78 hybird.
This is why I love baseball; if there’s one sport for a history major this is it!
Things are going nicely so far this week….keep the pedal to the metal.
A couple observations:
1) Arod. Please stop pressing. Your at-bats look horribly familiar. WE WILL NEED YOU.
2) I’m getting huge kicks out of the Indian cheerleading. “Go Hafner!” “What a shot by Garko!” “Another Indian blast!!” …. uhm….we all realize those can potentially be Pettitte or Clemens pitches flying into the seats in a couple of weeks, right? I know, I know…we have to root for Cleveland this week to knock out Detroit; I’m on the same page with that. But there’s actually some people who WANT to play them. The only thing favorable about a Cleveland matchup is that their closer is sorta shaky. Fact is, I think the best match-up for NY is Boston! Too bad we can’t play them in the 1st round.
Becca I’m curious: Why are people saying that this team reminds them of ‘96? I don’t see it at all.
Miggy sighting! 3-for-6 for Cards. Bottom of the 13th, pitcher Joel Pineiro pinch running for Pujols. God, I hate the National league. Remember Kelly Stinnett? He’s with the Cards, too.
Darrin: It’s the mix of veterans and up-and-coming youth. Remember, in ‘96 we had Pettitte, Jeter, Rivera…maybe Posada? Now we’ve got Phil/Joba/Ian, Robby, Melky, etc.
It’s not a team that’s supposed to win, but they go out, they have fun and we’ve taken a 14.5 game lead and made it 2.5.
This team’s got what it takes.
Oh. Personally, I don’t see the comparisons because the teams played two completely different style of baseball, but OK.
It’s interesting that the “youngsters” of the ‘96 team are now the grizzled veterans.
Going to a National League game must be like being buried alive. Took the 10th & 11th Cardinal pitchers to finally put a merciful end to the game. Phillies won in the 14th. There will be some happy Yankee fans with a little extra spring in their step tomorrow. And there will be a lot of not so happy Mets fans wandering around New York like zombies.
My first thought when I woke up this morning was, “The Yankees are only 3 and half back”. Talk about some deep subliminal thoughts. I wonder what my first thought will be when I get up tomorrow?
Yankees now are only 2 games back in the loss column to all three teams ahead of them and WHEN they pass BoSux for the division lead, it is quite possible that they will hold the number one seed for the AL. ( 96-66, say it with me )…setting up ( hopefully ) an opening series against the Indians as the 3 seed and then on to take on the winner of the LAA/BOS series. and WHEN that happens, we really can’t lose…..If BOS falls to LAA, then their season’s collapse will be complete and we will have the chance to finally PUT ONE to LAA and show THEM what it’s like to go home ( instead of the other way around ) and if BOS makes it to the ALCS, such sweet victory it will be to totally dominate that series and send them home with a SWEEP ! #27 in 2007….ON OUR WAY !!!…Good Night, ALL !
Becca–27 in 07! Nothing beats Optimism! …..and another 9-2 is coming up to finish off the season ! 96-66, this is so AWESOME !
This time of year, I usually never get caught up in campaigning for why a Yankee should win an individual award. It’s always about winning the World Series at this point. But Joe Torre has to, HAS TO, be Manager of the Year in the AL.
Who else could it be? Terry Francona for not blowing a 14.5 game lead? Jim Leyland for getting the defending AL champs close to the playoffs? Ozzie Guillen for keeping us entertained?
Only Scioscia and Wedge can even be considered, but how can you argue that those teams went through what the Yankees went through this year?
Wedge will get it. Mr. T gets no love, not even from his own fans.
They know if they sweep Toronto they will likely be right at the lead in the Division with one week to play. 50-50 that they do, hopefully 3-1. 2-2 is OK, since it is likely that the WC is still there.
Where is BB in Baseball tonight? Man, that Gagne trade was great for Boston.
with all those starting arms how is Toronto so average?
How is Toronto not a better team? They 3 starters as good as any in the American League.
This team will be one to keep an eye on next year.
Winfield…didn’t see your last post but totally agree. Thinking back on the season, I guess Halladay and Burnett had injuries and McGowan emerged this year.
Really believe this is a team to look out for in the coming years.
Boston is now in a disarray mode. Francona has been managing NOT to lose with just 10 more games to right his ship. They’re primed for an early playoff exit.
VOIII – “I am starting to come around on Torre” LOL: after 12 full season, 4 WS, 6 AL penants, 12 straight trips to the playoffs, 10 straight AL east crowns and the creation of a dignified and respected approach to the game. Wow I sure admire your standards. How do you feel about the Grand Canyon? Are you warming up to that yet?
Maddux has done it 20 times, not 19 times. And his streak is still alive.