Torre meets with the media
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Podcast on Oct 04, 2007 
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The 10 traveling beat writers (8 papers, MLB.com and Sweeny Murti of WFAN) met with Joe Torre for about 12 minutes in his office.
The manager seemed relaxed as he was watching the Rockies-Phillies game.
A few highlights:
He would not reveal the Game 4 starter but said that Phil Hughes would be available in the bullpen tonight in long relief. So, yes, it’s Mike Mussina unless Chien-Ming Wang goes on short rest. … Torre spoke to George Steinbrenner yesterday. Big Stein will be in New York for Game 3. … Jason Giambi will be coming off the bench. He wants to keep Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui in the lineup and you get the feeling they don’t want to mess with Giambi playing first.
Here’s some audio. This is good, behind-the-scenes stuff if you’re a Yankees fan.
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Big G looming off of the bench…I hope his bat comes alive.
Wang on short rest is MUCH better than Hughes OR Mussina…AND…that would set up Andy to pitch a Game 5 if needed…..But when we sweep the Indians, all this becomes a Moot Point !
How do you know Wang is a “much better” option? I’d be curious to see his numbers on short rest.
Last year, when faced with the same dilemma, they passed on it because he was less effective on short rest. I don’t even know if he has pitched on short rest this year.
Hard to say something is a “much better” option when he hasn’t done it too much in his career. That’s the kind of dice rolling I’d stay away from in the post-season if I was the manager.
Seems to me whomever pitches better in the first two games will be the Game 5 pitcher, if it comes down to a Game 5. Its the advantage the off days give you.
Sinkerballers traditionally fare better than most on short rest because their pitches can gain more movement when they are tired.
Game time is 6:30ET correct with the TBS pregame stuff at 5:30ET right?
If you don’t have Shelley Duncan DH’ing against Sabathia, there’s no other scenario I could imagine starting him for… but Torre’s starting Matsui, a lefty? I don’t get it.
Cuz Wang is a much better pitcher than Mussina and zero postseason experience Hughes who might not even pitch in this series.
Seriously, let’s look at the three options:
Door #1: Wang, a two-time 19-game winner.
Door #2: Mussina, a hasbeen who sucked more than half the time this year. What guarantee is there that he won’t get injured in the game? He is 39 and since when did he perform great with way more than normal rest? If he gets hurt, yeah,
Wang has to come in not Hughes or anyone else cuz the season’s on the line.
Door #3: Hughes, a 22-year old kid who never threw an M.L.B. postseason pitch in his life.
I’ll take Door #1 thanks.
If the Yanks were down 1-2 in the A.L.D.S. you better beleive Wang not hasbeen Mussina or no experience Hughes should be starting Game 4, Pettitte Game 5. The Yanks have to have the best man out there to save their season and cross the bridge called Game 5 and the A.L.C.S. if/when they get to one then the other.
You want a repeat of last year’s A.L.D.S? I don’t.
Starting Mussina would be waving the white flag and ringing the dinner bell.
Wang on short rest > Mussina on normal rest, period, end of story, case closed.