Torre announces lineup for Game 1
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- October
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Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Chien-Ming Wang RHP
Other position players
INF Wilson Betemit
1B Jason Giambi
OF-1B Shelley Duncan
C Jose Molina
OF-3B Bronson Sardinha
Other starting pitchers
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Roger Clemens
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Phil Hughes
Bullpen
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP Joba Chamberlain
RHP Luis Vizcaino
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
RHP Ross Ohlendorf
RHP Jose Veras
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on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 4:03 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
Ohlendorf and Veras will only get in for a blow-out.
If we can get a blowout. I’m hoping for it too though.
Can’t wait until Thursday!! I’m going though withdrawal here.
like the lineup as well, good move having posada protect arod instead of usual matsui in that place, also, if matsui’s drainage gives him a fresh start, like him in that spot after posada as well. watching the rockies/phillies game thinking we kill either of these “top two” lineups in the NL. Just gotta get to WS baby, we’ll be fine.
Very young roster this year. WOW
thats the lineup? a day early? and no Duncan at dh
I don’t like that.
Wonderful to get Po higher in the lineup. He’s clearly the second-best hitter this season, and having him in the #4 spot makes too much sense to have taken this long.
Slumpzilla could be lower still.
Perfect Roster.
No complaints from me whatsoever.
Is it strange to anyone else that we do not have a single lefty in the ‘pen? I am sure one of the guys have great splits, but it just jumps out at you.
This Yankee team looks awesome. The rest of the league must be shaking in its boots, the fact that we are using the farm to fill crucial roster spots leaves us more money for exceptional free agents, not chumps like Pavano and Jared Wright.
That being said, this is the most optimistic I’ve felt about a playoff series since 2001. We’re playing well and focused.
Nice roster. Wow, though, one lefty pitcher. Nice lineup, too. Guess Trot Nixon was wrong — it’s not the same old faces.
Why is Trot Nixon so bitter?
If Vizcaino is right, he is fully capable of getting lefties out with that slider of his, so not having a lefty reliever is small potatoes. No big deal.
There are no Lefties in the bullpen, this is certainly a cause for concern.
No lefty in the pen is a good thing. Having a Loogy in the pen did not work out. Give me a righty who can get both lefties and righties out any day. Torre had problems with making too many moves to use the Loogy anyway, so this helps Torre manage smarter.
Wow, all of these rookies made the team: Duncan, Sardinha, Hughes, Chamberlain, Ohlendorf, Veras
Pete, what’s Villone’s reaction to this? I can’t imagine he’s too happy.
i hope Britton apologized for killing Torre’s dog.
Britton is nothing special, but Jose Veras? really?
o/w, the roster is solid.
To add to my point, we’ve also seen Joba in big spots against lefties, remember his first game against the Red Sox. He faced J.D. Drew and got him on that slider in the dirt.
I can’t believe not one lefty in the bull pen!!! what happens when big Papi is at the plate next go around???
I really thought Duncan was going to get the start. I don’t think there is any way Matsui is going to hit C.C. with the slump he has been in but I hope I am wrong!!!
No Ian Kennedy? The most dominant young arm next to Joba?!
Phil over Ian because Phil can throw a 95mph fastball? That’s my theory.
No lefties in the bullpen is a plus. There are very few great lefties, and all late-inning outs should be taken by Viz, Joba, and Mo. Joba and Mo are better at getting *all* batters out than any “lefty specialist” out there.
Is Kennedy on the roster?
If Duncan had dh’d once CC Sabathia was out of the game we could have pinch hit Matsui he mighta missed only 2 at bats. Wanna get nuts I would have put Duncan in left and dh’d Molina or Jorge maybe even put Wilson Betemit at second and our bench woulda been stuffed. CC is that nasty against lefties.
Ian Kennedy is not physically ready to pitch, with his back injury. I expect that’s why he’s not on the roster.
Am glad to see Torre and co making a great Playoff roster decision.
Five rookies. Love it!
no way should matsui DH instead of shelley. he’s hit lefties VERY well this year and matsui is in a slump with a gimp knee. why even bring shelley if you’re not going to use him against a lefty? jeez
Having no lefty in the bullpen might become an issue but when your choices are Villone or Igawa for that spot I say give me Ross or Veras any day
Kennedy is rehabbing his back, but still throwing. He can pitch in the ALCS!
Kennedy is still recovering from the back injury. He’s unavailable. They hope to have him back for the ALCS.
Kennedy was never expected to be on the roster at least until the ALCS, if he was ready by then.
Kennedy is out for the ALDS with his back injury. Keep up guys. He will throw and could be back for the ALCS.
Duncan hasn’t seen enough playing time to start, in my humble opinion. When he first came up he was awesome and I think it had a lot to do with being a regular player in AAA and then getting some regular playing time in NY. But lately, he’s been a sub, so he’s pretty rusty. Although he does give a good at-bat, I must say, even if he doesn’t get a hit all the time.
Roster looks great, glad to see Edwar and Britton aren’t on it, I just don’t trust them in any pressure spots. I hope Veras is only there for blowouts as well. I like Villone but we don’t need him taking up a roster spot.
Lineup looks good, nice job putting JoPo behind A-Rod.
james i agree..they should have had duncan in there and had matsui on the bench and could have been brought in for later innings…i guess Joe had to go with the experience like he likes to do…
interesting stat…over the past 7 post season ALDS series:
when the Yankees have lost the first game the have come back to win the series,
when the Yankees have won the first game the have lost the series!
so, if the lose tomorrow we shouldn’t be so sad!!!
“I can’t believe not one lefty in the bull pen!!! what happens when big Papi is at the plate next go around???”
you do realize they reset the roster before each series, right?
Five lefties in the lineup against C.C….interesting choice.
Doreen or Andrea
Can someone gimme a link or a brief synopsis on what Nixon had said. Thank you
As for the roster, it looks great. Posada shoulda been in that spot all season. This team doesn’t need a left hander out of the pen. They need people who can get outs. Lefty or righty. Villone never qualified as a specialists. O and Veras would also see inn. in an extra inning affair. I really like Russ, if he sticks in the pen he’s going to be very good. Veras gets me nervous but he’s proven to get the job done.
And with 3 baseball games going on today. Highlighted by the Red Sux v the Halos noone should be going through withdrawal. Nothing but good matchups across the board. Its playoff baseball, you can’t just watch it for the Yankees. And the Rockies sure look like the team to beat in the NL right now. They’re scary good. Noone expected them to be here and they’re playing care free baseball. And with Helton taking a backseat to Holliday expect big things from him. He’s playing pressure free (the way Arod should), triple in his first AB shows he’s been waiting for this for far too long.
Dont forget that if it goes to game 4 or game 5 Andy Pettite can come in for an inning or a key lefty and is better than any lefty option that they would otherwise have. I’m sure they factored that in. Dont like Veras, would have chosen Ramirez even though neither has been doing all that well recently. At least Ramirez doesnt walk people. Otherwise, some good choices and good lineup in my book
hmmm..thanks for the clarification, i do realize that
I like not having a lefty for the sake of having a lefty!
I doubt Matsui gets a hit, wish Duncan was in there. Having someone that the opposing team isn’t as familiar with helps too. Good having Posada behind A-Rod, talk about a headache for opposing pitchers.
Has Abreu gotten over his ‘if I try to hit against a good lefty I can’t hit for a while after that?’ funk he had at the beginning of the year? I’m trying to think of a dominating lefty in the second half he’s had to face.
I like the bullpen they picked. Hope Edwar doesn’t cry too hard but I have a feeling he can be very dominant next year.
At least Ramirez doesn’t walk people? Seriously?
wow, lots of rookies. i’m liking this lineup. no complaints at all!!
So whats the deal with kennedy? If we get to the second round, he will make the roster and veras will be bumped off. I dont get why the yanks couldnt just put kennedy into the pen in the first round. He is far better than veras. Veras has been knocked around the last month. And i wanted the big three of the future – hughes, chamberlain and kennedy to all have an oppurtunity to make an impact in the playoffs before they become the centerpieces of this organization.
I like the lineup and the roster. I even like that they picked veras over all the other srubs like villone and edwar. Good job choosing ohlendorf as well – VERY unTorre like but I bet it will pay off in the end. With the arms we have this yr, you cannot keep choosing age over beauty. I also like the great versatility – we can pinch hit giambi in late innings and replace him with a solid defensive player. We have a very speedy guy off the bench altho i wish it was gardner. We have an extremely solid and deep bullpen and bench including a great backup catcher in a post-season game (i think the last time that happened was posada backing girardi.) And we also have a critical superb starter that can be ready in case any of our starters decide they want to lose the game in the first inning. Besides not including kennedy, GREAT PICKS!
If Duncan isnt playing tomorrow, he prolly is not playing at all. I cant imagine why he is on the roster if he isnt starting in the OF or DHing against the big lefty. You look at Sabathias numbers against lefties and the fact that Matsui is DHing tells u Duncan will get no playing time. If he doesnt get in in a situation like this, when would he possibly be playing – late inning pnch hitter? Doubtful with Giambi on the bench.
This is a roster to like. Better all around with more options than last year’s. If need be, Kennedy and Villone can be added to the next round with Veras and Ohlendorf replaced.
Dave: Kennedy’s not healthy. That’s why.
“So whats the deal with kennedy? If we get to the second round, he will make the roster and veras will be bumped off. I dont get why the yanks couldnt just put kennedy into the pen in the first round. He is far better than veras.”
As has been posted on many sites and also in many previous day’s threads….Kennedy
is injured and can’t pitch!!!!!
“Five lefties in the lineup against C.C….interesting choice.”
what choice did they have? 4 lefties plus Shelley Duncan?
i love Duncan as much as anyone else, but he has had *33* big league ABs against LHP.
saying he “crushes” lefties is ridiculous at this point. we don’t really know anything about Shelley Duncan at this point. he has 33 ABs. he K’ed 10 times in those 33 ABs.
with the 5 lefties starting and Cleveland’s bullpen, the yankees will need Shelley at some point. i would guess he pinch hits in almost every game.
Some of the Yankees future has arrived and the experience can’t possibly hurt. The steady presence of the veterans will keep them in focus.
I don’t like Posada up so high. More specifically, I don’t like Matsui, Cano, and Melky (from the right side) consecutively against Rafael Perez. I wish Posada could split them up.
To those saying Ohlendorf and Veras will only pitch in a blowout, who would you bring in in the 6th inning if we’re down 3-1?
HE IS INJURED AND CANT PITCH TOMORROW BUT WILL BE READY FOR THE ALCS? Umm I remember Kennedy saying a week ago that he felt good and could pitch but the yanks wanted to be careful. Just throw him on the roster instead of veras or Duncan. I really cant imagine he is injured when he said a week ago he felt good and much of the media said he will be on the ALCS roster. But whatever … as long as veras is only in blow out games im fine with it. He hasnt been awful – its not like edwar is on the roster. And no one answered my second question … If Duncan isnt starting tomorrow, in what situation do they envision him playing? If he isnt going to play, leavge him off the roster – we could prolly use another guy in the pen just in case a game goes 12 plus innings and we have a game the next day.
wow, looks like a few days of line-up nit-picking is being let out now.
better today than tomorrow, i guess…
Ian Kennedy’s also getting married during this series, not that I imagine that was the reason for him not being on the roster.
Why anyone wants a career minor leaguer in the lineup over Hideki Matsui is beyond me. Since Doug M is already in, you’d have two automatic outs in the lineup with the addition of Duncan.
Now’s not the time to get too cute with the lineup. We already have to deal with one black hole, no need to add another.
“To those saying Ohlendorf and Veras will only pitch in a blowout, who would you bring in in the 6th inning if we’re down 3-1?”
Viz. In the playoffs, Joe manages differently. Trusted relievers come in much earlier and not just when it is tied or when they have a lead.
i just looked up the cleveland pen – i guess shelly could pinch hit against rafeal perez or arron fulz but sabathia is pretty much the most dominant against lefties of anyone on that team … they should really start duncan against sabathia or not have him on the roster at all. But i still like the roster and the starting lineup isnt bad – even if duncan replaced matsui, it wouldnt be that much of a difference. And career wise Matsui hits lefties pretty well.
wow, our RHP mid-relief better step it up, we got now LH reliever, but I’m glad we didn’t waste a spot there. Veras is going to be interesting, other than that my issue w/ this lineup is Cano is hitting better w/ RISP I’d put him in Matsui’s batting spot in the lineup.
This lineup (offensively and defensively) is the best we have trotted out in years.
Everyone stop bitchin’
“I don’t like Posada up so high. More specifically, I don’t like Matsui, Cano, and Melky (from the right side) consecutively against Rafael Perez. I wish Posada could split them up.”
someone needs to protect A-Rod against Sabathia.
if you put Matsui behind him, they just pitch around A-Rod.
it’s a lot of lefties at the bottom of the order, but in general i am in favor of giving more ABs to your better hitters. posada is the yankees second or third best hitter. he shouldn’t be hitting 6th.
It’s too bad that Matsui but not Duncan is the starting DH. Torre just trusts an injured veteran way more than a a healthy and powerful rookie.
It’s too bad that Matsui but not Duncan is the starting DH. Torre just trusts an injured veteran way more than a a healthy and powerful rookie.
“I really cant imagine he is injured when he said a week ago he felt good and much of the media said he will be on the ALCS roster.”
He has a strained back and has yet to throw off a mound since the injury. He has only thrown on flat ground. He is not ready to pitch off of a mound. After working out in Tampa, he might be ready for the ALCS, if needed.
If you need further information, try yankees.com or nydailynews.com
This lineup is perfect, I would not make any changes. They wouldn’t use Kennedy in the bullpen anyway, so it doesn’t make sense for him to take up a roster spot.
As longs as Farns and Veras only see action when we are up by 5 or more runs…this is a good roster…
matsui career 293 against lefties and 296 against righties. This yr – 274 against lefties and 290 against righties. not really a big deal.
Doug Mientkiewicz 267 vs lefties and 272 vs righties for career. This yr, 231 vs lefties and 286 vs righties.
Its a real tough call starting mienky or duncan but wang being the starter and mienky hitting everything recently, makes me think the yanks made the right decision.
What no Edwar Ramirez? That means it is up to Farnsworth to give up the big runs late in the game. I am not sure he can handle being the only terrible reliever. I guess Veras might be able to chip in runs allowed here and there.
what did Trot Nizon say?
dan, they wouldnt use kennedy out of the bullpen in the sixth inning of a close game over viz and farnsy? They sure as hell would. What i really liked in my head is kennedy in the sixth, chamberlain in the seventh and eighth and mo in the ninth. With that relief corps., the game would be over after the fifth if the yanks were up … How could u not like that in the post-season? Now, the game is over in the seventh if chamberlain of mo pitches two but with kennedy, the three of them would be like 12 automatic outs. How could u not love that?
In 7 of 9 appearances by Veras he’s given up exactly 0 runs. Not sure which Veras has been getting knocked around lately. And speaking of getting knocked around, has anyone seen Ramirez pitch lately? Secondly I just wanted to chime in and say that Viz/Joba pitching late innings against lefthanders far outways Villone/Igawa or whoever pitching critical innings late in the game. Who would you rather see facing Hafner with the Yanks up one run in the 8th inning runner on 2nd, Joba or Villone/Igawa?
I don’t have anything to add, I am just looking at the new name.
veras and farnsy should not pitch unless the run differential is five or more. With chamberlain and mo able to go two and hughes able to go two or more, there is no need for farnsy or veras to really pitch at all. I still trust viz and ohlendorf more than those two. Viz and ohlendorf will prolly be pitching in the sixth inning of close games and when chamberlain unavailable, I can see farnsy pitching in the seventh or eighth unfortunately. But veras prolly wont see much stressful action at all.
Dave, Kennedy has never pitched in relief how do you know he’d be lights out? Kennedy has pitched 19.1 innings and hasn’t pitched since September 13th, so even if he were healthly you don’t suppose he might be just a little bit rusty do you?
Better to carry no lefties than bad lefties I guess. I´m glad Ohlendorf made the final cut. I really liked him (he throws strikes!). I´m not sold on Veras, as he walks way too many batters. He was better down the stretch though, if he can throw strikes, he can prove to be valuable with his good stuff.
I would´ve liked Duncan in the starting lineup, what´s the point of having him on the roster if you don´t use him against the tough lefties. But Torre apparently elected to go with experience. Hopefully Matsui will prove we wrong.
raymag,
The scary part of veras is that when he is off, he is horrible. Also, his control has been a problem – 7 walks in nine innings – not what u want to see from a reliever who does give up hits. And I feel like veras doesnt pitch as well when the game is close usually.
RollEZ –
It’s in one of the first two clips. I don’t remember exactly where, but it’s before the 5:00 mark. I didn’t watch any of the other clips and I kind of flipped around the beginnings of the first two. I’d had more than my fill.
“Red Sox Celebration Link”:http://www.outincenterfield.com/blog/2007/09/glorious.html
this is a cashman roster
thank god we dont have to see edwar or villone
I agree that Duncan would have been better in the starting lineup. Sure, he’s a rookie, we get it. Still, he’s righthanded and it would force Torre to split up the lefty combo of Matsui and Cano. The Yanks will get a rally going tomorrow only to have Matsui and Cano struggle against CC. I hope I’m dead wrong.
Raymag,
Batters are 1 for 10 against kennedy in the first inning – thas why i think he would be ok out of the pen. Hughes has been horrible in the first inning and he is pitching in relief this series. How do i know he will still be good when he comes back? Have u seen him pitch? Hes got lights out stuff. I know he isnt pitched in quite a while but neither has clemens and he is starting game three for us. You hafta put our best pitchers on the roster and if he was healthy, he would be in the pen for us.
Looking at the lineup, from Matsui on down I see nothing but easy outs for a tough lefty like CC. We could be looking at a complete game shut-out unless Jeter or ARod smacks one.
I’m pretty sure that Ramirez’s fate was sealed not only last week, but also earlier in the year when he had the disaster at the Stadium against the D-Rays. Crying after a game in the summer wouldn’t speak very highly of his ability to control his emotions in the playoffs.
Dave, Roger and Ian two different situtations.
Ian would only be pitching in long relief not one inning.
Hughes won’t pitch in any of the first 3 games, they are going to have Moose on a short leash, first sign of trouble Hughes will be in. They also think they have fix Hughes 1st inning problem.
Kenndey or Hughes was going to make the roster, not both Hughes and Kennedy. and I don’t think Kennedy was making it over Hughes.
Joba and Viz can’t pitch every time (unless the starters are amazing)…. we’re gonna have to assume Farnsworth and Veras might see some action in close games. Just gotta live with…. it’s not like Cleveland has a great bullpen either. Expect to see all the relievers in there.
so what did Trot Nixon say?? I still havent seen/heard it.
Kennedy is hurt. if he wasn’t, he’d be on the roster and Ohlendorf or Veras wouldn’t. and so would Hughes.
i don’t get this argument.
A couple of probably irrelevant questions but I’ll spring them out there for comment;
1. Why does Torre announce the line-up 1 day in advance of game, what does he hope to gain through this public disclosure other than avoiding the question?
2. Did the Indians also post their line-up?
Is it just me or does anyone else feel what is the value gained from the Yankees standpoint giving Cleveland information ahead of when it is required?
Agreed – wait til the last minute to post the lineup. he can tell the players but keep it private.
I agree with the roster and the lineup, and I’m excited about it…
Luigi-
I believe this was Cashmans roster decision. My guess is if Torre had his way Villone would be in and Ramirez,Veras and ohlendorf out.
I heard that Matsui got his knee drained this week. It wouldnt of hurt to have Duncan take the d.h. spot for a day to get Matsui one more day of rest.
Mind you, it’s not perfect. But with the choices we had, they made the right decisions, IMO.
And maybe his new found confidence or whatever it is will help Farnsworth to actually be aggressive and effective.
“Is it just me or does anyone else feel what is the value gained from the Yankees standpoint giving Cleveland information ahead of when it is required?”
in theory yes, but i’m pretty sure 99% of the people here could have guessed the lineup, no?
i would have had guessed it exactly.
i’d call it a non-issue.
BR,
Im not sure where you are getting this information.
You say Kennedy and Hughes couldnt both be on the post-season roster. I have heard kennedy will prolly be on the ALCS roster with Hughes. Kennedy and Hughes wont both be pitching in long relief. One of them will be pitching one inning or maybe two. Hughes has been very good in the first inning the last couple of games – i agree with that. Hughes doesnt just have to be saved in case Moose stinks … he may not pitch the first three games but what if wang, pettitte or clemens has to be yanked in the first couple of innings? He wont go in for them? Im curious as to where u heard all this stuff.
To finish up my point about posting the lineups publicly (of course he lets the players know that is not the issue)..
This is going to be a tough, tough series. Although I’m predicting Yankees win in 5 games, it will be far from a cake walk. The Yankees need any edge they can muster.
The Yankees recent post-season performance has sucked, so there is no success basis for the team to rely on.
Torre as an in-game manager leaves a lot to be desired.
Keep your chips (lineup posting example) and don’t put them on the table, you have nothing to gain by it.
“The Yankees need any edge they can muster.”
but what is the “edge” they get by witholding the lineup. 8 of the 9 lineup spots are nailed down. everyone in the tri-state area knows the entire lineup. the only position up for debate was DH.
do you really think springing Shelley Duncan on the Indians at the last minute gives the yankees some sort of “edge”?
Boston Dave – I think they are referring to Nixon’s comments about Alex’s tremendous season, that he didn’t want to talk about it. It was in one of Pete’s articles from today, or a post yesterday.
hmmmm – there is no advantage to posting the roster early. its debtatable that cleveland could benefit, even in the slightest, from knowing early. so why not just wait? when in doubt, just play it safe.
thanks motown
Its sort of strange how everyone is writing matsui off! Hes not my favorite but he gets his share of clutch hits! No doubt about It.
Duncan has been interesting and entertaining to watch! But he lacks experience. I think he adds to the chemistry of the team. Which has clearly changed since the pre mid season duldrums. I see torre inserting him at the right time and giving a huge emotional lift. I’m glad he made the team for sure.
As for pitching, I wish they got rid of farnsworth along time ago. Who knows what kennedy would do, but I’d like to see it.
My prediction Arod goes big and the yanks crush the tribe! Go yanks!
hmmm, let’s agree to disagree. In the grand scheme of things it hopefully won’t matter a hill of beans.
Have a good day!
Matsui being in the lineup against C.C. is perfectly okay with me. It may be lefty on lefty, but that’s no big deal. It’s not like Matsui’s bat is going to be heavier for him or anything. It still weighs the same, so he won’t have any trouble swinging it!!
I was rooting for Edwar all season, but he definitely didn’t prove himself..
I hope he can bounce back next season though.
Trot Nixon’s comments are in Pete’s article in today’s paper. There is a link to it. Basically he said that the Yankees have a few new faces but it is “the usual bunch of suspects” and then he didn’t want to make any comments on A-rod’s year. He sounded bitter (I think it goes back to the slapping incident in 2004 and also the whole Boston-NY rivalry)
Kennedy’s probably not on the ALDS roster only partly because of his back, if that even has much to do with it. It might, but the ALDS is only a best-of-5 series, and his wedding date is real soon & they’d want him focused on the game. I’m guessing he’ll be available in the ALCS though.
re: Kennedy – I believe they said he was sent to Tampa to rehab; possibly inclusion in 2nd round. Is that not right?
Oh, and his wedding of course
Dave
Kennedy and Hughes would serve the same role of the roster, long man, there is no need for them both to be on it. It wastes a spot.Neither one of them is going to get into a game unless someones hurt or if the starter getting hit hard.
Every single reporter has said that the yankeees plan is to have Moose pitch game 4 and that he’ll be on a short leash, with Hughes ready to go just incase. If you ask me, when you have to plan that way you shouldn’t be using that starter to begin with.
Kyle Farnsworth in the bullpen and the Bruce Springsteen of baseball at first. Yankees win first two games by a combined score of 88-1 (Joba the Hutt gives up the run) and the Napless Naps forfeit the series.
It’s interesting to note that 5 of the 10 play-off pitchers were not on the opening day roster– as well as 4 of the 5 bench players. When was the last time that the Yanks went with so many young players in the playoffs? 1996? It bodes well if you ask me.
Maybe Joe is screwing with Clevland and will insert Duncan last minute. I don’t understand an injured Matsui at DH. What’s Duncan doing on the team if he’s not going to hit against a tough tough lefty like C?