Random thoughts before Game 4 …
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A few random thoughts on the series …
Hey, Derek Jeter, how to stick up for your manager. The Captain tried to play off the Steinbrenner threat like it was no big deal and is now 1 for 12 in the series. Two double plays, and a strikeout last night. He should be on the griddle A-Rod was on.
I don’t know about you, but I may purposely never watch “Frank TV” in protest of all the commercials on TBS. Doesn’t anybody in television understand the idea of overkill?
Phil Hughes became a man last night. The Franchise put the Yankees on his back for a few innings and afterward was poised as can be while talking about it. He gets it. That’s the best way I can put it. I think he wins 15 games next season.
Once Brian Cashman figures out A-Rod, Abreu, Posada and Rivera, he needs to trade Kyle Farnsworth. This guy is getting huge money for a set-up man and he was parked on the bench with a five-run lead in the eighth inning. And you know what? Torre had no choice. Farnsworth would have put two guys on and forced Mo into the game.
There can be no trading Johnny Damon. However, he should be informed to show up in Tampa in shape. His 2008 season needs to start in April or May, not July.
Somebody needs to explain to me why Don Mattingly get the loudest cheers of anybody. I know he is a member of the Hall of Very Good, but why does he get more love than Jeter, A-Rod or Mo?
Dan Graziano of the Star-Ledger had a good line about Paul Byrd. He looked the girl from the Blair Witch Project. “I’ve … never … been … so … scared.”
Chien-Ming Wang was quite pleased when told he would be pitching tonight.
Finally, get somebody in a limo, go to Westchester and get Bernie Williams to throw out the first pitch tonight. I know there are people with the Yankees who read this blog. Make that happen and the crowd will explode. Oh, and have Torre catch the pitch.
Check back later for the lineups and any news.
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on Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 11:34 am by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
Why the Fans Love Donnie Baseball
Because many of them, like me, grew up with the dreadful 1980s and early 1990s New York Yankees, and Don Mattingly was the homegrown star on a team of underachievers.
Peter, Were you a Yankee fan in the 80s? He’s Donnie-freaking-baseball. He was the only thing we had to cheer for in those dark days. He is an icon in that stadium. To Yankee fans he’s a HALL OF FAMER, not hall of “very good”.
Totally agree with the Frank TV thing. SOmeone told me last night and I have no idea if it is true or not that TBD/MLB would only make money in the Division Series if they went to 5 games and would break even at 4. Thus have lost money since 3 of the series were sweeps. Maybe if they had sold some of the commercials rather than do in house promos they woudl make some money.
Jeter – People I was sitting with last night were none to happy with the Captain and at least in my section it seems the tide was turning a bit. IN addition to having a horrible series none to happy with the fact that he went out to dinner with Kenny ofton while in Cleveland especially after his backing of Sheff’s comments.
Farmsworth – All you needed to know was that he was the only one booed during player introductions.
Damon – couldnt agree more he brings a betetr defense to left field as well as an energy at the top of the order the question is what do you do with Matsui DH?? ok then what do you do with Giambi??
Pete question for you left field loge looks like a press box how is it decided who gets shipped to left field and who gets to stay int he what looks like much smaller regular press box
The crowd gets the chance to cheer for Jeter and Arod every plate appearance/great defensive play they make throughout the year…they rarely get the chance to publicly express their gratitude toward Mattingly–the man who was the face of the franchise and at times the best player in baseball through is run in the Bronx.
Why has no one mentioned the possibility of Pettitte giving us an inning tonight if Joba isn’t available. He is the pitcher I’d most like to see in the 7th tonight as a bridge to Mo for 6 outs (if the Wanger can’t get there himself AND the Yanks are leading of course).
You forgot about the hit that should have been an error.
And how about some major props to Mussina, he went out of his way to speak with the media and stand up for Joe. He didn’t have to. He could have walked by and not said anything.
Don Mattingly was a constant through the bad years. He never left here or begged to be traded, no matter how bad things got. He is a Yankee for life.
Chien-Ming Wang is happy, because he has a great shot at redemption. Redemption is a powerful motivational tool, and I expect him to be on his game tonight.
Becuase Pettitte would pitch game 5.
re: donald arthur mattingly
as i was growing up, don mattingly was the one consistently positive thing about the yankees. you could always count on donnie baseball to give it his all. he was a symbol of what baseball was supposed to be. i’m sure that much of my appreciation of the guy is wrapped up in nostalgic sentimentality, but the guy was my childhood idol.
i like the fact that the fans make a point to show don some love. they get to cheer for jeter and rodriguez throughout the game (and hopefully for years to come).
that’s just my take on it, though.
AS MOST OF YOU ALREADY SAID, PETE WAKE UP!
US FANS IDENTIFY WITH MATTINGLY AND THE PAIN OF 80′S AND EARLY 90′S
Bernie throwing out the 1st pitch would be sublime, but I doubt he would do it. From what I understand, I don’t think he’s accepted the fact that he’s done; throwing out a first pitch is something a retired player does. I also doubt he’s very happy with the Yankees since this spring.
I agree though, it would be cool.
Farnsworth has gone through an inning without giving up a run before. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Also, you want to bring back Damon even though you think he showed up to Spring Training out of shape? That’s crazy! Only Babe Ruth-type superstar should be able to get away with doing that once, and Johnny Damon is no Babe Ruth.
Hey Bronx Bomber… are you SERIOUS? why would Pettite EVER give us an inning of relief tonight?!?!? Who would pitch in Game 5???? Tonight is clearly Wang and Mussina in relief if necessary and Game 5 is Petitte with Mussina in releif if he isn’t used tonight. DUH
Pettittes throw day is today and one inning won’t effect his availabilty for a game 5 (on full rest). He’s done it several times this year already…as recent as a few weeks ago at Fenway.
We have to get to a game 5 before we can win it….no moose, fransworth or Vizcy tonight in the 7th to protect a tight lead…only Wang, Joba, or Pettitte. Joe knows this…
Pete obviously doesn’t know about the Yanks of the 80’s.
a couple of things, If paul byrd was pitching for the yankees and torre went to him over cc. Half of new york would be having a heart attack, the other half would having a stroke.
Second: Don Mattingly is god and for always, will be god
third: Instead of bernie throwing out the 1st pitch, he should play the national anthem with his guitar
1 TICKET TIER 13
FACE VALUE
BOJI23@YAHOO.COM
Get on Jeter?
Are you out of your mind?
If there is one guy who gets the big hit tonight and Wed its him.
Wedge making an all time classic blunder here by pitching his 4th best SP.
I love it.
Even still, they would bash CC on 3 days rest.
Pete,
Regarding our feelings for Mattingly, with all due respect, you grew up in Massachussetts, right? I wouldn’t expect you to understand.
Peter how dare you say Jeter should be on the same griddle A-Rod is on. There is no comparison. Unlike A-Rod, who has had four postseasons to get it done here and did it only when everyone else was getting it donw (through Game 3 of the 2004 A.L.C.S.), Jeter has got it done. So what he’s 1 for 12? Did you know that Cano and Damon have driven in 9 of the 12 runs/ 75% of the runs the Yanks have scored this series on 4 swings across 3 games? Yet you point at Jeter. Jeter was the 2000 World Series M.V.P. and has been part of four World Champions and two A.L. Champions. He’s nicknamed “Capt’n Clutch” cuz that’s what he is. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. A-Rod certainly does. He ran his mouth through his agent all year about how he’ll opt out for a new contract then 0 for 6 with 3 popouts and 3 strikeouts
choked. Big deal A-Rod got two hits last night. That’s the least he could do for his postseason choking. He wasn’t anywhere near a catalyst last night. His second hit was cheap and he still hasn’t driven in a run. He still popped up and struck out in his other at-bats. He also faced a bum (Westbrook). I should hope he gets a hit off a bum.
Back to Jeter. You make me laugh, you say Jeter should be on the same griddle A-Rod is on, yet the guy who should be on the griddle with A-Rod is Johnny Damon. So what he hit a three-run homerun last night? That’s the least he could do for not showing up in shape in spring training a year after getting a 4-year $52M contract and posting awful regular season numbers for a leadoff man which .270 BA and .351 OBP are esp. for $13M. It’s plain as day that you like Damon personally and you’re letting that get in the way of reporting. That’s rich: get on Jeter but don’t trade Damon a guy too lazy to show up in shape in spring training when Jeter ALWAYS has.
Talk about misdirected anger. I hope Jeter is shown your comments. He doesn’t have to “stick up” for Torre. Why should Torre be stuck up for? Oh wait I forgot your tiresome mantra no one else can manage the Yanks save Torre and he can do no wrong. Torre deserves to be let go if the Yanks get eliminated in the first round for the third straight year and fourth time in six years. It will have ben seven seasons since a World Championship, that’s more than enough time for Torre to set things straight. He’s the common thread in the losing, no one thinks of Jeter, Rivera, Posada, or Pettitte. He should’ve been fired after 2004, 2005, or 2006. The goodwill is over and seven years is reasonable. Even if the Yanks went to the World Series and lost, Torre should be let go cuz three straight World Series losses, ENOUGH WITH THE LOSING!!! Someone has to be held accountable. B.t.w. it’s none of Jeter’s business as what’s he gonna do, order Steinbrenner not to fire Torre? Threaten to ask for a trade if not ask for one? You’re kidding. It’s not professional to comment on the business between Steinbrenner and Torre. Torre knew quotes from Steinbrenner came with the job, you should get a clue, too.
learntowrite…I nevr lerned 2 tipe to goood, soo ey hop thaht u dohnt git 2 mhad att mee ???
C’mon Pete, Ya gotta be kiddin’ about Mattingly right?
I agree with TK_NYY 100%. I became a Yankee fan in 1984 when I was 8 and remember idolizing Mattingly. Had a poster of him in my room along with Larry Bird and Louis Lipps. He was the only thing to watch on those terrible 80’s teams other than maybe Winfield, Henderson and Righetti.
The guy won 9 Gold Gloves and had one of the most consistent stretches for a hitter in all of baseball from 1984-1989. During that period he was 6-time all-star, 3-time Silver Slugger and the AL MVP in 1985. He was a very bright light in the dark days of the franchise.
If not for injuries in the 90’s, he’d be a HOF’er. He retired a year before the Yankees won in 1996. Everyone holds him in very high esteem, including our boy Derek Jeter.
“Donnie Baseball” was special, something another great, Kirby Puckett (God rest his soul) could see when he gave him that very nickname.
Why can’t you see it Pete?
You have some explaining to do.
Homegrown…YOU make us all laugh,,,thanks for the comic relief.
Quite simple. Fans root for a very good player who gave his all and squeezed out every drop of his ability.
I’m not making any comparisons, and you can put your own list of players here of players with far better talent who squandered it. Obviously Derek, Mo, and Alex are not on that kind of list.
Another reason is probably because so many fans want Donnie to get a ring that people like Mo and Jeter already have.
Re Bernie: I would, but it’s a four hour drive from the Cuse and I have class till 3.30!
LET’S GO YANKEES!
WE *WILL* WIN TONIGHT!
I NOMINATE THIS POST, POST OF THE YEAR!!! I AGREED ON ALL POINTS INCLUDING IGNORING FRANK TV.
Anyone got tickets that they are lookin to sell at a reasonable price?? A pair of tickets…
Get Paul O’Neil to throw out the first pitch.
MATTINGLY IS A BUM, HES A CURSE FOR THIS ORGANIZATION, THE YEAR HE LEFT, THE YANKEES WON A WORLD SERIES, THE YEARS HE IS HERE, WE CANT EVEN GO DEEP IN THE POST-SEASON. WHY IS HE ON THE BENCH? IM ALL FOR GETTING RID OF TORRE IF GIRARDI BECOMES THE NEXT MANAGER. NOT MATTINGLY.
Pete — I used to cut high school on Yankee day games in the late 80’s, early 90’s just so I could watch Mattingly play.
We sucked in the 80’s, but Donnie Baseball stood for all that was good and all that was Yankee. That might sound like trite sentimental treacle for you, but us fans from back then he was everything.
There was nothing more crushing than losing in Seattle 1995 and knowing that was it for Mattingly.
Forgive me but you’re a Mass guy. I’m sure there were great players in Boston (outside of Ted Williams) who because they weren’t on the 2004 team have been forgotten and tossed aside.
Donnie will never be tossed aside by this fanbase. He’ll always be beloved. He was a tough, polished and humble player and in the lean years, that was all we had. He challenged for batting titles. He hit for power and average. He played impeccable defense. He was the captain to an entire generation of us.
Bronx Bomber -
Pettitte was throwing in the bullpen last night around the 8th inning, no way he’s brought in tonight – it’s an asinine suggestion anyways.
Dan LaGreca on ESPN 1050 had an interesting take on Mattingly. The fact he never went to a world series and only had one playoff series in his last year endears him to people. They can identify with him. Another factor is his decency. When the player’s strike wiped out the last month and a half only two Yankees sent checks to the clubhouse attendants that players usually give at the end of the year: Mattingly and Jim abbott. Plus let’s face it..Mattingly is white as is the majority of people in this country and at The Stadium.
Mattingly represents everything that’s right about baseball. Jeter does, too, but he’s been blessed with four titles.
Had Jeter had his career path without exceptional teammates or titles, fans might have the same emotional connection to him.
Jim Clark -
I don’t even know why you would ever think to bring race into the Mattingly discussion – makes no sense to me.
Hey Homegrown, calm down.
Jeter does need to step up though tonight, you have to admit that. I think he will.
For those of us who grew up in between the championships of the late 7o’s and the Yankee dynasty that started in the mid 90’s, they were pretty rough years as Yankee fans. But Mattingly was the one guy who thru it all played his heart out day in and day out and was for a few years the best player in the game. We idolized him. If you didn’t live through those years, you wouldn’t understand why we all think he walks on water.
Donnie Baseball, the hero I chose as a 7-year-old and have kept to this day, never let his fans down. He played hard, worked hard, talked about his love of his family, excelled on the field. At a time when Strawberry and Gooden were the idols of my grammar school classmates on Long Island, Donnie Baseball exuded everything that was good about baseball and about being a man, on a stretch of tough teams.
The few times Yanks fans can show him how much we appreciate that, we take the opportunity.
Go Yankees. Let’s win for Donnie.
Paul Byrd vs. The Chicago White Sox on September 1, 2007:
IP H R ER HR BB K
9.0 4 0 0. 0. 2. 3.
Donnie Baseball gets the love he gets because he was all we had when the Yankees were an underacheiving mess. He was a surefire Hall of Famee if he didn’t hurt his back. And you knew he would have been a playoff hero if he had made the playoffs more than once.
People talk with awe and wonder about how much better Mantle could have been if he didn’t get hurt as often as he did. Yankees fans (especially the ones who grew up in the 80s) see Don Mattingly the same way.
Jeter is my golden boy and can do no wrong . that being said .. yes he played like garbage last night . yes he hit into dp’s . yes he cost clemens his first run . but its jeter . el capitano . he’ll rebound .
i fully expect jeter , posada and a-rod to kill the ball tonight .
Fear Factor, what’s your point? The White Sox were one of the worst offenses in the major leagues this year. How about posting his numbers against the Yankees this season while you’re at it?
And Don Mattingly is one of the last connections to the old world of baseball – a guy staying with a team for his whole career. Not a rock star. Not a tabloid guy. Just a great baseball player, who got saddled with some pretty bad Yankee teams.
Homegrown, bravo!
Pete’s really proven how clueless he is about the Yankees over the past several months (and how much he likes to write “controversial” blog posts in order to try to drum up readership/comments), but a post that trashes Derek Jeter for what he views as “not defending Torre” and questions the fans’ loyalty to Don Mattingly makes me start to wonder if he should even be following this beat anymore. No one could possibly be this ignorant.
As David Justice said last night on the postgame show, “This is why you have a team. Derek’s not hitting, so his teammates can carry him. He’s certainly carried enough of them over the years.”
Get a clue, Pete, or go find yourself a gossip column to write. You’re starting to become an embarassment, both to your profession and your newspaper.
The 80s were not such “dark days,” in no small part because of Mattingly himself. I think the Yankees were actually the winningest (regular season) team of the 80s. I loved Mattingly too, but I cringe at the thought of him becoming manager of the Yankees with no experience and no evident skills at handling players or dealing with the media. He didn’t strike me as a manager while he was a player.
Pete: You write the most entertaining, thought-provoking and insightful Yankee blog! Witness all the posts. Thanks for a great season and let’s hope it’s not over! Go Yanks!
“Two double plays, and a strikeout last night. He should be on the griddle A-Rod was on.”
So your comparing one of the greatest clutch players ever to a guy who has never ever performed in the playoffs. Pete, this is a bit of an extreme comparison. Arod has zero rbis in his last 54 at bats in the post season. Jeter had one lousy game, which I am quited miffed about. Comparing playoff performance between these two is ludicrous. Jeter is as good as it gets, and AROD is as bad as it gets.
BJ
Nah you calm down.
Jeter doesn’t have to “step up”. His presence alone disrupts the opposition even when he isn’t hitting. Bases loaded, two outs, top or bottom of the ninth esp. the bottom, Jeter at the plate, Game 5 of the A.L.D.S. or Game 7 of the A.L.C.S. or World Series. I guarantee you the opposition dreads/fears Jeter more than if A-Rod was up.
Peter you are a low-class jerk for dissing Jeter and Mattingly and your blog is b s. ‘Last time I’m reading or posting on it, goodbye and good riddance to you (nevermind “vice versa”.)
Go back to covering college sports or the Mets, the team you’re a fan of. I always knew you were a Yankee hater.
Homegrown, I am as big a Yankee fan as you and I love Jeter. But do his past performances give him a an excuse to not do well now? What matters is now and I think even Jeter agrees that he needs to step it up. Jeter is no stranger to boo’s in yankee stadium.
“Homegrown, bravo!”
Two words I never imagined seeing together on this site.
Pete, you are right on about Jeter. And I love Jeter, but for many of us Yankee fans, he’s like the Kennedy era (and I’m a Dem) for too many Americans: we remember the beautiful iconic images and the overall good feelings and forget the whole, less than perfect, picture.
There are two things I’d like to see, going into next year: move Jeter down in the lineup. Putting him right in the middle of our high OPS guys will kill rallies as he gets older and slower and is clearly ground ball prone. Also re-sign AROD and have them flip positions defensively. I know this latter will probably never happen. But, moving Jeter down in the line-up may be inevitable. Nothing kills rallies more than GIDP’s. And the Yanks always have runners on base. With Cano’s improved patience, line-drive hitting to all fields potential, I move him up.
“Somebody needs to explain to me why Don Mattingly get the loudest cheers of anybody. I know he is a member of the Hall of Very Good, but why does he get more love than Jeter, A-Rod or Mo?”
You may be too young to appreciate what donnie baseball did for us fans during those barren years. He was the reason many of us went to the stadium for over a decade.
While you are certainly entitled to your opinions, the ‘hall of very good’ comment rubs me the wrong way. A ring or two might have been enough to get him into the hall. His offense was good and his defense resplendent.
BJ
Pete,
The reason Donnie always gets the loudest ovation is that he was the lone bright spot for the Yanks in the atrocious late 80’s early 90’s. I know thats what got me into baseball… watching Donnie play. I also think that it has alot to do with the fact that the best he ever did was make it to the division series and then the year after he retires the Yanks win it all. I still feel as though the fans just want that one ring “for Donnie” even though it’s as a coach and not a player. Hope that clears things up a bit.
Pete,
Not to beat a dead horse, but are you serious about Mattingly? And your Jeter comments were almost as bad. First, Jeter has stuck up for Torre both in public and behind closed doors with George on numerous occasions(assuming your brethren know what they’re talking about when they write those stories). He doesnt have to run to his defense every time the grumpy old man has something to say. What he does have to do is start playing better. Last night was a bad game by the Captain. But i think he’s built up a little good will in the bank with his previous performances, dont you?
I think its more than fair to point out how jeter gets a pass and Arod doesnt.
Homegrown: as michael kay would say: cee ya
Ken -
Did you not watch the playoffs last year, and see what happened to A-Rod when he got moved down in the order? That type of thing absolutely crushes a player’s confidence, especially when you’ve established yourself as the greatest number-2 hitter in the game. Very imaginative post but NEVER going to happen.
Jeter- If the effort is there, nobody should be on the griddle A-Rod was on including A-Rod. You can always control effort, you can’t always control results.
Frank TV- He has amused me on FOX football pregame and I probably would have checked it out but…. I’ve now discovered that Frank is probably best in small doses.
Phil- The past met the future and you had to like what you saw. I like using some of these young guys out of the pen because I don’t think it gives them a chance to think too much. No 4 days to contemplate it. They just go out and pitch without letting their thoughts get in the way of their talent. Even Igawa’s best performance this year was in relief.
Mattingly- The applause for Donnie is like the Miss Congeniality award in a beauty pageant. You didn’t get the crown but you get the love. People also cheer for what could have been. Here was a guy with so much talent, whose career was injury shortened, and he never got to be around for the run in the 90’s.
Bernie throwing out the 1st pitch would be awesome. You spend enough time at that stadium, you must know someone who could make that happen.
F E A R F A C T O R …yes, and the Yankees are the White Sox, right ? Ya wanna post his WORST starting pitching stats for the season, too ? (mental midgets surprise me with their ability to still be able to type)
I’d give anything to see Bernie toss pitch No. 1.
Homegrown, you are an angry person. Get lost.
One last thing and then I’m outta here:
Donna
The fact that Peter throws Jeter and Mattingly under the bus and is adamant about not trading Damon, a guy who didn’t show up to spring training in shape (who also bitched about lack of playing time and intimated wanting to be traded) a year after getting a 4-year $52M contract, shows how clueless he is.
No way in hell Jeter should have been on the same hotseat as A-Rod. Yes, Jeter has been god awful so far this series, but A-Rods struggles go back before this series. Jeter has been the only one hitting the last two post-seasons. Everyone knows he can hit in the playoffs in New York. The same could not have been said for A-Rod.
Does alex’s past postseason success with Seattle exclude him from criticism? The Answer is no. Hopefully jeter gets going with Byrd. I don’t blame him for having a tough series since Cleveland had their 2 aces going in the first two games.
Way too many Jeter apologists on this chat. I love the guy, but he’s not playing well, and hasn’t much of the season (at least to his level). He almost seems lazy in the field, and his awe shucks nonchalance is getting tiring. This team needs to get angry. Play with a chip on their shoulder. Instead, it seems like too many of them (Jeter included) say, well we gave it our best shot…
As to Donny Baseball, he was the man for the Yanks in the 80s, and deserved a better fate – but he doesn’t deserve bigger applause than Jeter, Mo, Torre, or even A-Rod. Comparable? Sure. Bigger? No.
Lastly, agree with a lot of what Ken said. Jeter-idolization is like the remembering the Kennedy era. Good analogy. And while I’m not sure about putting him at third, I agree with moving him down in the lineup if he continues his decline. Let’s see if he puts team-first the way A-Rod did when he moved to third base….
‘Last time I’m reading or posting on it, goodbye and good riddance to you (nevermind “vice versa�.)
Homegrown
Please let that be a promise and not just a threat!
MJL;
Please read what I wrote: I didn’t suggest moving him down now in the playoffs, and I think he could easily rebound tonight, I suggested that it may be inevitable *in the future*.
To apply your logic, when Jeter’s skills start to decline (they may be already, but I’m agnostic on that for now), must we keep batting him 2nd when he’s a 280 hitting singles hitter? i’m a jeter fan because he’s a yankee, not the other way around.
Guys, we all know what Jeter did in the past, but he has to produce now in order to win…we need to win tonight, we need to win now. we already know we won from 1996-2006, what is at stake is the 2007 Postseason and Jeter needs to show up.
If we need someone for the 7th tonight you know that wang dont have his stuff because if the sinker is working than to get to the 7th inning is a piece of cake for wang.
And about derek, last night he ground into 2 rally killing double plays and gave up a run on Hit(which was an error)If our offense didnt score the blame was on derek
As soon as I’m out, they pull me right back in lol.
Nah you get lost “we miss paulie”. I’m not an angry person. I am an intelligent person who doesn’t like his intelligence insulted by Peter, too bad you’re not with your curt one-two sentence comments which add nothing to the blog.
Jeter has stepped up so much, him having one bad series is no big deal. His 2000 World Series M.V.P. award and homerun 11/1/01 vs. AZ alone buys him a bad series. Two hits by A-Rod in a game where the Yanks scored 8 runs and he scores one of them and knocked in none of them does not buy him anything. A-Rod going 6 for 54 after last night, or a hit every 9 at-bats/ pathetic .111 BA since his Game 3 2004 A.L.C.S. homerun in a romp is a big deal. Last night was the least I expected from A-Rod the guy who wants 6 or more years at $35M/yr. He brought it all on himself with his running his mouth about wanting top $$$.
If the Yanks lose tonight or Wednesday and A-Rod leaves N.Y. after that, he will always be booed the most of all opposing players (even more than Manny and Big Papi) by Yankee fans cuz he was a choker who was all about the money thus a sucker with no heart. Deal with that impending fact if it happens.
That comment about Mattingly shows Pete doesn’t really know this team or its fans. That was revealing. Also, it’s not just a New York thing — Mattingly is loved by everyone. Every time a team comes into Yankees Stadium, there are players in their late 20s and they say Donnie was their favorite player growing up (it doesn’t matter where they grew up). Donnie was great, he was classy, and he played the game the right way (to use a cliche people love).
Homegrown, you just bark, you dont bite
Don Mattingly would have made the HOF if it wasn`t for his bad back.
Klev, you’re funny.
>
A-Rod didn’t “put the team first” by moving to third base. He moved to third base because it was the only way for him to get out of Texas. Period.
It’s amazing how clueless the 2004 bandwagon brigade really is when it comes to the players and the team.
Peter has never said he was a Yankee fan so I don’t know why people are getting on his case.
People don’t hurt people, opinions hurt people.
Joe Torre is not getting fired, his contract has ended.
Steinbrenner is on the brink, he wants to win badly. the decision will rest with the next Steinbrenner in line. The Yankees as an organization should go public, to provide an orderly transition, Put me in for Ten Thousand Shares.
Retired players always get a special reception, because, as others have noted, the bad moments fade and the good ones remain. Plus they’re done–they’re not going to win or lose the game that night.
Pete, if you see this–any word on the (Ian) Kennedy wedding?
Ken -
You’re right, I didn’t realize you were talking about next year. Still not gonna happen.
I think the talk of Jeter’s decline is a little exagerated. Other than hitting into a lot of double plays, he had a pretty typical Jeter season right across the board. Last season was the one that was out of the ordinary, not this one. Anyway, who cares. Pete made a couple of ridiculous comments just to get a lot of us all riled up and fighting with each other. And a lot of us (including myself) were dumb enough to take the bait. Time to get back to important matters. Win tonight and move on to Wednesday.
Absolutely correct about Mattingly. For those of us who were fans during the bad years, he was IT. And I used to go to every Spring Training game in Fort Lauderdale, so to me Donnie Baseball is the man. (I said man, not manager.)
And YEAH, get Bernie and have Suzyn sing the anthem.
Homegrown:
What a coward you are. I tried to e-mail you to explain something and, of course, it’s a made-up e-mail address. Shocking.
I did not throw Mattingly under a bus. I’m just wondering why a guy who hasn’t accomplished what Jeter, Mo, Posada did gets such a loud ovation? That’s all. I know he was a very good player. But so was Guidry and he doesn’t get that kind of ovation.
I love how people like you interpret a simple question as a slam.
Obviously it was a good question because so many people responded and with good points.
And you won’t leave the blog. You’ll post under some made up name. That’s what people like you do.
It has amazed me over the past two days how many quasi-legitimate news sources have reported it as Torre possibly being fired (WNBC, the Post). So frustrating.
Homegrown: Jeter has stepped up so much, him having one bad series is no big deal.
are you kidding me? What the hell does it matter what he did in 2000????????? Wouldn’t you like to win another world series? Wouldn’t Jeter??? This is NY and Jeter knows that. We want it here and we want it now….Jet needs to play better, end of story. The Yankees did not lose the past two years because of A-Rod. Did anyone watch Mo blow game 4 in 2004 against Boston? Did anyone hit in the Yankee lineup last year against the Tigers??? Have A-Rod’s post season number been miserable? Yes. But that doesn’t matter right now just as Jeters’s don’t matter either. What matters is what happens tonight
Pete, I really hope you read through these comments about Mattingly. He is probably the worst guy you could have picked on, and at least for me you will never have the same credibility that you have built up all year.
Homegrown, I never said that I didnt appreciate what Jeter has done. That was neve in question.
But for you to say “Jeter has stepped up so much, him having one bad series is no big deal” is ludicrous. So, its o.k. if he hits into a few more DP’s tonight? It’s fine if he chooses this series to “have a bad series”so they lose tonight and its all over? I don’t think anyone has that kind of a hall pass.
Everyone needs to be help accountable, whether they have done well in the past is irrelevant tonight.
Peter, Homegrown is worth exactly 5 seconds of your time, and those seconds just expired.
This entire thread will be a moot point tonight when Jeter goes 4-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs.
Pete wasn’t bagging on Mattingly…just wondering why still the huge ovation. It seemed like a question, not a dig.
No offense but some of you need to work on reading comprehension. I am not saying Mattingly wasn’t a great player or isn’t deserving of the cheers. I’m simply asking why Mattingly means so much to you. I’m not picking on him. I like Donnie quite a bit, he’s a heck of a guy and really knows his stuff. I have a Don Mattingly v-grip bat in my trunk.
Simple, good basebal question. That’s all. I’ve been covering stuff since I was 17 and I’ve never seen a coach cheered louder than any player or manager. That’s all I was asking.
Calm down.
Re: Derek Jeter sticking up for Torre.
He never sticks up for anyone, other than some bland support for Giambi a couple of yrs ago.
Remember the Sheffield story this year. Well he didnt stand up for Torre then either which to me is unconscionable.
Derek worries Derek
Torre did a great job last night and hopefully the bats are awake.
so i was at the game yesterday and i just wanted to make a few comments- first, if you exclude the first three or four innings, it was a great game… when clemens left half of the crowd booed and half cheered… hughes looked REALLY REALLY good…i’m a huge jeter fan and even i was groaning at him… their shortstop isn’t that great and is giving us extra hits… mo looked dominant… and i read some of the comments from yesterday, and obviously i don’t know how the crowd sounded on tbs, but the crowd was huge and insane- everyone went wild after damon’s hr and cano’s hit and the floor was LITERALLY SHAKING! i got a little freaked for a second because the place was that thunderous, and i wasn’t the only one who felt it- if you read mark feinsand’s blog of the game he mentioned it too, so i don’t know if you couldn’t tell from tbs, but the stadium was in an uproar and it was pretty amazing.. and they won!
if you’re old enough to remember Mattingly playing, you’re old enough not to be so ga-ga over him.
as Kim pointed out that the stadium was “LITERALLY SHAKING” i sometime wonder if thats a good thing, dont you remember what happened in 1998 when we lost a beam…and thats when the stadium was empty. Hopefully nothing happens, but man, that would be insane.
Pete, I couldn’t agree with you more about Bernie.
I read in one of this morning’s papers however that Bernie actually WAS the Yankees’ first choice to throw out the ceremonial pitch but that he declined. Thus, Tino.
I know Joe has more important things on his mind right now but something tells me he’s the only one who could persuade Bernie to do it. Cashman certainly can’t. He squandered whatever good will and influence he might have possessed this off-season. Heck, I can’t forgive Cashman for it and his treatment of Bernie didn’t affect my life one iota.
I certainly can’t ask Bernie to demonstrate more magnanimity.
Perhaps, if Joe or someone else on the team is convinced it would make a difference, then perhaps he should make call. Still, I would much prefer they focus on tonight’s game.
If not Bernie, what about Daryl Strawberry or David Cone? Either would earn an uproarious ovation and ignite the crowd.
kim, TBS is horrible. They totally drowned out the sound. Notice they didn’t do that in Cleveland! But my dad was there last night and he said it was unbelieveable when Damon came back out to play left field. He said the place was going nuts. All TBS kept saying was “These Cleveland Indians have quieted this Bronx crowd once again.” I wanted to throw my shoe at the TV!!! I am glad I am going tonight just so I don’t have to listen to their lame commentary!
OK… I really don’t know where this whole Damon was out of shape thing started (especially with you since you blogged that he WAS in shape) It seems like you have been letting the other media to cloud your memory. Sure he got beat up a lot this year but he was in shape at camp. I direct you to this blog entry from March 1st:
This was our exchange with Johnny Damon:
Reporter: “Nice way to start with that home run.�
Damon: “It’s all down hill from here, buddy.�
Reporter 2: “You feel like you’re getting in better shape now?�
Damon: “I worked out heavy this offseason. That little pooch is gone now. The muscle is there, even more than last year. I spent money and built a gym at my house. That was huge. I’m stronger now.�
Reporter 1: Pooch?
Damon: “That pooch I had down there.� (points at stomach).
Later in the conversation …
Reporter 2: “Why did you want to add some bulk?
Damon: “To look good with the shirt off, wife still digs me. Simple as that.�
Reporter 1: “That was a concern?�
Damon: “No concern, but you have to have your sexiness at all times.�
and here is the link…
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/200.....sexy-back/
Donnie Baseball – Like many of you, I grew up during the “dark days” and worshipped Mattingly. I can still quote you Mattingly’s statistics. My favorite piece of weird baseball trivia is that Mattingly holds the record for grand slams in a season, 6 in ‘87, and those are the only 6 he hit in his career. I remember having to work the final game of the season in ‘84 (at Nathan’s Famous) and calling my dad from a pay phone every hour for updates on the batting race. Now that the nostalgia is over, as great as all those memories are, they don’t top being in the post-season every year (even as painful as it has been the last few seasons).
Frank TV – Here’s the weird part, the guy is actually a pretty good impressionist, he’s just not funny. That’s tough to pull off.
Mr. Abraham,
I sent you an email also, but I wanted to let you know that I love your blog. I am a diehard Yanks fan and grew up rooting for Donnie baseball, and I took no offense to your question. You merely posted a question to an observation you made, and people should not slam you for it. Thanks for your insights and frequent posting. Keep up the good work.
For those of you like Homegrown, take it easy. There is place for mature, organize arguing. You can argue that he is taking a slam at Mattingly, but you need to have some facts to support your arguments. Your only argument is that he is questioning why Mattingly gets cheered loudly so that indicates Mr. Abraham doesn’t like him? That’s pretty weak.
Besides, we have a critical game 4 tonight, how about we focus some energy on that?
Go Yankees!
It’s not that complicated, Peter. Mattingly has a near perfect narrative. Sure, he was a good and great player. But the bad back stopped him from ever entering a period of decline. He will always be Donnie Baseball. And fans will always wonder what might have been. And, as mentioned elsewhere, they feel he deserved to be part of that great Yankee run in the 90’s. The cheers won’t change that. But they’re meant to help.
Pete, I couldn’t agree with you more about Bernie.
I read in one of this morning’s papers however that Bernie actually WAS the Yankees’ first choice to throw out the ceremonial pitch last night, but that he declined. Thus, Tino.
I know Joe has more important things on his mind right now but something tells me he’s the only one who could persuade Bernie to do it. Cashman certainly can’t. He squandered whatever good will and influence he might have possessed this off-season. Heck, I can’t forgive Cashman for it and his treatment of Bernie didn’t affect my life one iota.
I certainly can’t ask Bernie to demonstrate more magnanimity.
Perhaps, if Joe or someone else on the team is convinced it would make a difference, he should make call. Still, I would much prefer the players focus on tonight’s game.
If not Bernie, what about Daryl Strawberry or David Cone? Either would earn an thunderous ovation and ignite the crowd.
Pete,
Donnie Baseball to most of has our hero growing up. I don’t know who your hero was growing up, but for some reason I’m pretty sure that no matter what your hero does, you will always cheer him. It’s not just that he has the rep as being a very good person, you can just ask Peter Gammons what he thinks of Donnie, he is the Capitain, whose career was kind of cut short due to a bad back, but never quit. I’m sure if you ask Paul O’Neill, Bernie, The King Jim Leyitz, or anyone that has played with him or against him, I’m sure you’ll get the answer your looking for.
I think that the most important point Pete made in his entire post is the one that everybody seems to be ignoring. To me, it’s absolutely huge that Paul Byrd appears to be terrified. What better state of mind could the opposing pitcher possibly be in? If he’s scared now, imagine what he’ll be like with 56,000 screaming fans tonight?
Hey guys — is it true about Jeter hanging out with Kenny Lofton in Cleveland during the playoffs? Where did you hear/see this?
I’m just curious, because as much I love the guy I am really starting to tire of his constant love for the other team’s players. I don’t think he should hate them or want to kill them, but he should be focused enough to want to beat them and keep the edge that being pals with opposing players softens. He’s always giving guys a pat on the back when they hit doubles and he talks to them at 2b. I’m really getting fed up with that.
Why is his desire to be liked by everyone who plays the game different than Alex’s? At least Alex is up front about it. Jeter really seems to get off on being Mr. Popularity and having dinner, if true, with an opposing player (whether or not he was teammate) during the playoffs wreaks of a certain kind of non chalance that doesn’t sit well with me.
and lets not forget what Kenny Lofton said about Joe Torre
We’ll knock Byrd out of the game by the 4th inning.
As for the crowd noise last night, it was insane. Everytime the Yankees got someone on base, the place was ready to explode. As cliche as it sounds, it was like the crowd was trying to put the team on it’s back.
When Damon hit the HR, that was the loudest I’ve heard the stadium since Tino’s and Brosius’ home runs in the World Series against AZ.
It’s a different kind of sound when the team does the unexpected and comes from behind. What was even louder was the Johnny Damon chants in the Left field side of the stadium as Damon came out to play defense after hitting the home run. It was deafening.
I hope that the stadium is packed with the same mix of people tonight. It didn’t have the corportate “I’d rather talk on my cell phone and mingle” vibe that the stadium has had in playoff’s past.
Pat (with a capital P)
Damon also said that he wasn’t in playing shape because of the foot injury from 2006. He lifted weights in the offseason but wasn’t able to run because of his foot. He also said he came into camp over weight.
On Mattingly:
It’s not just that he was the best player on the bad teams, or the tragic-hero whose time ran out a year before the dynasty started. It was the way he carried himself: no posturing, no bravado, no excuses.
He was the same guy when he was the best player in the sport in the mid ’80’s as he was when he was hanging on in the mid ’90’s. He never, ever used his injuries as an excuse, and when he got his chance down the strech in ‘95, and in the ALDS, he tore the ass off the ball. You think the fans love him? Check with the guys who played with or against him. Find one who doesn’t feel the same way.
On Jeter:
He should be on the same griddle as Arod off of 3 shaky games? 3 games? Amazing.
Before the last Red Sox series the same traitorous snakes who are crapping on his shoes now wanted him benched. How’d that work out? Anyone who doesn’t believe the Captain will get it done should be ashamed of themselves.
One last thing — The Stadium really needs to stop with the little cheers and clapping chants that they play to get fans into the games.
During last night’s game, the fans had their own cheers and claps starting and the stadium PA would then butt in and overwhelm what was happening naturally in the stands.
If the stadium is dead, it’s one thing. Play the charge the song. Play “we will rock you”.
But at a game like last night’s, they should just sit back and let the crowd go where it wants. We didn’t need prodding or direction last night.
I’m tired of this overproduced fan experience that gets shoved down our throats some times. We’re Yankee fans, we don’t need to be told when to cheer. This isn’t Los Mets.
Yeah the Frank TV spots are overwhelming. But, I’ll tell you, I saw him here in Toledo during the summer and he is one funny dude. No need for profanity or hateful polictical jargon….just funny, funny stuff. Then, he came out in the lobby to shake hands after the show….not an hour later, immediately after the show. He, too is a guy who gets it, and I wish him the best of luck with his new show.
Jeter shouldn’t get any criticism for a terrible series? Ridiculous. He should never get booed, but he no one has a lifetime pass when it comes to performing in the playoffs.
If we lose the series, everyone who didn’t hit will be a part of the reason, and that includes Jeter and ARod. I think what Pete was getting at is the absurdity of roasting ARod for a lousy series when Jeter, who the Yankees pay even more than ARod, and is routinely called the best clutch hitter on the team, is having a worse series.
Maybe this kind of debate just goes to the silliness of branding particular players good or bad postseason hitters. Jeter is a great hitter in the playoffs, except when he isn’t. Same goes for ARod and just about every other good player who has been in the playoffs a lot.
Let’s just hope everyone hits from now on, and we don’t have to waste any more words on which players don’t come through in the playoffs.
The problem with Frank TV is that it doesn’t start until the end of November. Do you think anyone will even rember when it starts or know how to find it????
I like the 7:37 start time tonight better than 6pm. Yankee Stadium crowds at night always seem more intense and the sound always seems bigger than day games.
I can grunt and moan all you want about Jeter. But no way should he be booed or critisized ever. He is Derek freaking Jeter.
Derek Jeter ladies and gentleman. My idol since I was 11.
Pete,
I’m a big fan of your blog…However, not a good post. First of all you cover the Yankees and to not understand the Yankee Fan’s love for Donnie Baseball is puzzling to me…Donnie was far and away the best player in the game during his prime (Before the Back fell apart) He put up #s that would rival A-Rod if you take away expansion, Titleist Baseballs, etc…His work ethic is legendary…You would only appreciate his every day performance the way we appreciate Jeter, by watching him 100 plus games a year. I remember an allstar game (I believe it was 1986), when both dugouts (full of Allstars mind you) were watching his every at bat like a 13 year old girl watches Justin Timberlake. He was and will always be a fan favorite. Oh and the Cashman should trade Farnsworth thing, where have you been on that one? We the Fans have been calling for this all season. I don’t know if Farnsy is even tradeable anymore.
Anyone that grew up during the 80’s LOVES Donnie Baseball.
Who cares about D-Baseball. Old News. He won nothing.
Will the 3 days off help Wang since Guidry sometimes says that he is “too strong” and his sinker doenst sink? Will him being only on 3 days rest have less strength thus his sinker will sink more? Am I retarded for thinking this? Probably.
Miller,
Derek Freaking Jeter better step it up if he wants Torre back next year. He is the Captain, it is his job to be counted on in a big spot. Just because he’s your Idol does not give him a free pass.
Pete,
Part of the Donnie thing is that he is seen as a semi-tragic figure. Not only was he the best player on teams of also rans. If his back had not failed him you would be talking about him as a sure hall-of-famer. Add to that the Yanks win it all the year after he retires.
In my 40 years of watching the game he was one of the best hitters I ever saw. We never got to see him healthy at his peak but I think he would have been good for around 40 homers a year along with a .320 average.
Top all of that with he is considered a great guy with no off field issues. What’s not to love?
Pete…. on your random thoughts.
Forget Frank TV…. having to listen to Brenley, Carey, and Gwynn, makes Suzyn Waldman sound melodic.
Is there an unwritten rule in MLB Broadcasting that you MUST NEVER EVER sound excited by anything the Yankees do?
VOIII,
You obviously have not been reading Pete all year.
He’s been pro trade Farnsworth since spring training. Get with the program.
Haven’t we fans learned that you cannot boo your own team? Now people want to boo Jeter.
Wow.
Like he won’t come thru here. Jerks.
VOIII,
Im guessing you have forgotten all of his accomplishments in the post season, leading the Yankees to 4 world series, 6 pennants and 12 consecutive post season births????
You can go ahead and bash anyone on that team. But not Jeter. He can retire tomorrow if he wants and he will be a legend, what that man has meant to this team for so long is unreal. Like I said, I groan and moan just like you. But if he gets booed, lambashed or anything like that for having a post season, then that is pathetic.
The Frank TV commercials are god awful.
I’ll never watch the show just out of spite now.
TERRIBLE TBS CREW…its just PATHETIC!
Sara,
Do you honestly think TBS quiets The Stadium and not The Jake?????????
Jeremy, thanks for being one of the people here showing sense. I was getting worried.
pete,
as you can see you are lost and proved you are out of touch with the yankee fan and yankee history
may be time for you to go cover something else next season
Virgin,
TBS has been quieting the crowd in the entire post season. Even the Fenway games seemed dull when you know it was deafening in there.
I agree with Pete–the question of why Mattingly gets the loudest cheers is a good one for discussion–I think someone said it best above–we can cheer Alex and Derek and Jorge every game a couple of times, but we rarely get to cheer Donnie Baseball. His presence reminds many of why we love the Yankees (for me, I’m so old, Bucky Dent does that for me). It’s the crowds way of saying “Thanks for getting us hooked on baseball by your excellent play; we’ve had lots of fun with it.”
Now, as to Johnny Angel, I think he spent most of last off season healing and not staying in shape. I don’t think that’ll happen again. He’ll be back in fine shape for us next year. Question is, do I “keep” him on my fantasy team. I’ve got three guys to keep out of these guys (Damon, Giambi, Hughes, Chamberlain, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena, Josh Hamilton, Dice-K (as if!)). I have until March.
I for one would have never been a Yankee fan if it wasnt for Mattingly. Being in Southern California you have the Dodgers,Angels and Padres. That being said there was no player growing up that made me stop what I was doing to either listen or see him up to bat. Still to this day the sweetest swing Iv seen.
Like someone else mentioned,we all grew up watching some of those dreadful teams in the 80’s with Mattingly there to cheer for. He was one of the only possitives to come from the 80’s as a Yankee.When now we have plenty from the 90’s. Maybe thats the reason he is so special and cheered by all.
We all hoped he would win the W.S. as a player hopefully he’ll get one as a coach.
Hey “Homegrown” you sound like Jeter’s girlfriend. You say Arod should’ve gotten a hit because Westbrook is a bum? So the same doesnt apply to Jeter? And i guess the 6 earned runs they scored off of him dont count either (because he’s a bum) You are the typical fan that believes Jeter can do no wrong and Arod “can always do better” I’ll never forget when arod hit two homeruns in a game last year and then popped out his very next at bat. He was booed. “Homegrown” you’re that guy. And don’te forget, if Arod didn’t have the type of season he did, the Yankees probably wouldn’t even be in the playoff. Try being grateful for once.
Miller,
That was my point. It is not just going on in Yankee Stadium.
I am heading off to the stadium sporting my mission 27 tee shirt…. I can’t wait!
Re: Pettitte and his throw.
I see someone mentioned the possibility of Pettitte throwing an inning tonight because it’s his throw day. Actually, I think it was yesterday.
Plus, Pettitte and Wang were warming up in the bullpen when Rivera came into the game.
Wow. Everyone’s all lathered up now.
Jeter shouldn’t be skewered or booed for one series, because of his body of work. Just like Matsui and Damon shouldn’t be booed because of their slumps. They always come out of it.
Jeter is not perfect, but he is the Captain of the Yankees because he epitomizes Steinbrenner’s Yankees. There’s a lot that goes on in the clubhouse and behind closed doors that we and even Pete do not see.
I don’t follow the other teams, but I don’t think they criticize their captains like Jeter gets criticized. Who are the other captains? I know the captain of the Sox because he wears the “C” on his uni, but other than that you don’t hear about it.
I think what Jeter and Torre are trying to say is that what Steinbrenner said was not news, no matter how much the media tried to make it out to be.
What a great job Torre has done managing his guys who will more likely than not will be answering to someone else in April.
Thank God we didn’t find out, but I think the crowd would not have been on Alex’s back if he had an error or an 0-fer. They want Alex back.
Good for you Peter for sticking up for yourself…it seems Homegrown isn’t very popular on this blog anyway….I understood your point, problem is with typing and e-mails, you can never understand the “tone”….but I got it. and I appreciate everything you do and think of us when you are at the game and the joint is rocking and you take time to type something to update us??? I’m so impressed, really!
As a player, Donnie Baseball set the tone for a gritty, hard working player and nothing has changed in his work habits as a coach.
Anyone think the 3 days off for Wang is a good thing?
When i say that i mean because this ensures that he won’t be “too strong” and his sinker wont move in the 1st inning like it did in Cleveland?
I remember Guidry (and Pete pointing out) this on numerous occasions.
JT, You come on this mans very succesful blog and tell him to go cover something else? Why don’t you make like a fetus and HEAD OUT!
Oh and speaking of TBS commercials, the one plugging the Garmin Nav system is so GAY!
Pete
about Mattingly: you had to be a fan here in the ’80s-90s to appreciate him as you may have figured out from some posts here. There are Yankee fans who became fans in 96 and are clueless about Mattingly.
Fans appreciated O’Neill for his competitive grit, Bernie for his quiet grace and professionalism, Jeter for his clutch moments. Mattingly encompassed all of those qualities. You can look at the stats but they only tell some of the story. He didn’t make mental mistakes out there, didn’t embarass the team, show up opponents, and gave everything he had every time out there. I’d guess that he evoked the same respect from opposing ballplayers that Ripken did in Baltimore. He was the reason I’d stay at the Stadium till the bottom of the 9th even when they were in last place in September 1990.
TBS and Frank Caliendo: agree about the overkill. TBS might be even worse at it given the little animated promos they run for their programs on the bottom of the screen. I keep expecting to see Kyra Sedgwick from “the Closer” aiming her flashlight around, right before a crucial pitch.
I don’t mind Brenly and Gwynn but Caray is awful. Every time the yanks get a man on, he comes out with his scripted “And here come the Yankees”. What a tool.
love the idea of Bernie throwing out the first ptich. Or the earlier suggestion for Bernie to play the National Anthem!
Burn,
yeah…first he ignores the real reason for the game 1 loss (posada, wang, matsui) and again focuses on arods 0-2 w/ 2 walks, then he ignores jeters 1st inning error and 2 DP’s in game 3 until we all rip him and he feels obliged to mention it in a later post and now shows how lost he is with his mattingly observation.
anyone can do his job!!!!!
here are the lineups…big out there…damon sprained knee, on 15 day dl, torre said this, mo not available today… Not hard!!!
Donna — fair enough about A-rod moving to third to get out of Texas, but let’s be honest too: He was a better fielding shortstop than Jeter, and Jeter didn’t offer to move to centerfield or third base to let A-rod play his best position. All I’m saying now is that Jeter hasn’t been at the top of his game, and if he continues to decline, I’m very dubious he would accept being moved down in the lineup (next year or subsequently).
You question Mattingly, you guestion God. Do not question Donnie Baseball.
‘95 playoffs, Mattingly home run off Benes, Gary Thorne, “Hold on to the roof”. What a moment!
The fans were delirious but the players were just as excited. He was the “lost Yankee” during the lean years of the 80’s. All the other Yankees have been rewarded with championships but Mattingly fell short. So our ovations, this is how we reward him.
successful blog cause there is no competition!!!
set me up and lets go head to head!
From the perspective of this fan, who saw Joe Dimaggio play and in fact saw a game in ‘51 with Joe in center and a young rookie switchhitter in right, I think what’s special about Mattingly is this.
In Bill James book he described Mattingly as 100% ballplayer and 0% bullshit.
That’s why.
It’s not just about his performance, its his professionalism
You have to love ballplayers that go all out
“successful blog cause there is no competition!!!”
tell that to kat obrien and Mark Feinsand
SERIOUSLY! Why doesn’t Jeter get booed when he has been next to useless the entire series (bad throws, strikeouts, GIDPs, and the list goes on.)???????????????????
I tip my cap to all of the fans who DIDN’T boo A-Rod yesterday, however, then again, he did get two hits.
Oh, and don’t BOO Jeter either, or anyone for that matter. Support the team.
And maybe I am mistaken, but I believe I heard boos yesterday when Clemens got yanked. I can only hope that the boos were not for Clemens. That would just be absolutely retarded, immature, and completely out of line.
From the perspective of a fan who saw his first game in ‘48 and was at a game in ‘51 where Joe D played center and a young rookie switchhitter played right field in the same game, here’s what’s special about Mattingly regardless of era.
As Bill James said in his Abstract book, Mattingly is 100% ballplayer and 0% BS.
That’s why.
It’s because people like players that go all out, play the game right, and leave it all on the field AND dont make it all about themselves. I never saw Donnie admiring his homeruns.
No competition except for the 20-40 blogs he even ATTACHES to his own site so his readers can get even MORE info. Just stay away if you don’t like it here!
Pete, I think enough people weighed in on the Mattingly question. I’m intrigued by you mentioning Dan Graziano. Here’s a guy who covers the Mets, picked the Yankees to miss the playoffs this year, and never seems to miss an opportunity to knock the pinstripes in his columns. I mean, I feel like I’m reading Lupica with the anti-Yankee bias. I can’t imagine this guy is well received around the clubhouse.
Hey Pete –
Can you let us know when they announce the rotation from here on out is Wang, Pettitte, Hughes & Kennedy, with Moose in the pen and Clemens sitting in the whirlpool back in the clubhouse?
Think about it … I really can’t remember if Hughes was brought in during one of the last 2 Sox series, but Boston hasn’t seen Kennedy and Hughes (fully rehabbed at least) this year, have they?
I like our chances tonight. Wang going on 3 days could be a great thing. As we all know, Wang had not pitched in 8 days before his last start, so he was too strong and his sinker was up in the zone. Now that he is tired from short rest, his sinker should really be getting down. Plus being at home where he is great makes our edge better. Also we should crush Byrd. Alex will hit a homerun or 2 tonight and we will see a Sabathia v. Pettitte game 5. Very exciting.
Jeter gets a break because without him we haven’t won 4 world series. Arod earned himself a little slack this year, and i love his work ethic, but at some point this postseason he needs to make a positive impact on a game for us.
15 wins for Phil?
I’ll take the over.
Too bad we can`t have the Yankee Tv crew do the Home games in the playoffs
Bottom line, lest we forget, Joe Torre still can`t manage a BULLPEN.
I don’t believe Boston has seen Hughes and they definitely haven’t seen Kennedy.
admiring homeruns like manny ramirez does every single time he hits a ball to the outfield ? thats low class and i’m surprised he doesnt get plunked more often .
Say what you want about Manny, that guys is an absolute beast with a bat.
This guy doesn’t play for a month, walks out of bed and it’s like he never missed anytime.
Unbelievable.
Hey Peter….Donnie Baseball gets the loudest cheers because when the Yankees were not a very good team he gave us a reason to watch the Yankees in the mid 80’s to early 90’s. And I suspect most people who can afford tickets to the games today, watched Donnie Bassball as a youth. I can argue that it’s Mo not Jeter who has been the most important Yankee during the playoff run they have had.
Pete, I actually agree with you here. It is a rarity, trust me.
People, on this blog and in general, fly off the handle when someone simply asks a question. They immediately assume the worst etc.
As for the whole Jeter thing, this series and the playoffs aren’t over yet. I’ll judge his performance, and A-Rod’s for that matter, when they are over. Besides, what is more important: performance in game 1 & 2 or performance in games 4 & 5?
Just something I want to share:
THE JOBA RULES, AND WHY THEY EXIST.
When Joba Chamberlain was called up to the Yankees late this season, rumors and then confirmation came out about a set of guidelines that Brian Cashman and the Yankee front office had designed to make sure that Joe Torre didn’t abuse and tire out one of their prized prospects.
They were known in the media as: “The Joba Rules”.
Most people were amused by this, but the writing on the wall was clear: The Front Office could not and did not trust Torre with the bullpen. Torre isn’t a first or second year manager. He’s been with the Yankees for 12 years.
The Joba Rules were simple: If Joba pitched one inning, he got one day off. If he pitched two, he got two days off. He did not pitch more than two innings, and he had a set pitch count. He also didn’t come in halfway through an inning; he would start an inning. Simple enough, as the Yankees were grooming Joba to be a starting pitcher next year.
As Joba pitched through August and September with just ridiculous stuff, it became evident that he was something special and the rumblings started that he was not a starter; he was in fact the heir apparent to Mariano Riviera. They had even said that for the playoffs, the Joba rules would be relaxed because of the need to win games.
Game 2 and Game 3 of the ALDS has shown without a shadow of a doubt how inept Joe Torre’s bullpen management in and how even the most brilliant baseball minds (Cashman) can be undone by someone with great people skills but a 2 cent mind for pitching.
On Friday night, Chamberlain pitched two innings gave up a Yankee lead because of a literal infestation. He threw 25 pitches in 1.2 innings worth of work. Granted, because of the bugs and the fact that he gave up the lead in the game which the Yankees eventually lost, he was going to need some work to get his confidence back.
He got a day off yesterday, and it was all hands on deck for an elimination game tonight.
So what happens?
The Yankees have a six run lead and Phil Hughes, who has thrown 63 pitches, is unbelievable going into the seventh.
So… if you have a Young pitcher who has thrown 63 pitches going into the seventh inning, what do you do?
Most people would assume the obvious, especially with a five run lead. Hughes pitches the seventh, Joba or perhaps someone like Kyle Farnsworth the eighth, and then Mariano the 9th.
Instead?
Torre sends Joba out for the seventh inning. And he mows everyone down. OK, great. Joba got his work in, he got his confidence back. Throw someone out there in the 8 and then Mariano in the 9th.
Instead?
HE SENDS JOBA OUT AGAIN, FOR HIS *FOURTH* INNING OF WORK IN THREE DAYS.
And of course, Joba over pitches, giving up a run, and ending the 8th throwing 38 pitches, makes his pitch count over 60 pitches in the last three days.
What does this mean?
Torre, who had no reason to keep Joba in for a second inning, who had no reason to pull Hughes, has now destroyed his bullpen’s lynchpin availability going into GAme 4 tomorrow.
Just remember this, when the Yankees are nursing a one run lead going into the 8th tomorrow. And if Torre sends Joba out in the 8th inning, or better yet, sends Mariano for 2 innings worth of work… well, it explains the ineptitude of one Joe Torre.
Cliff notes:
Hughes 7, Joba 8, Mo 9. There is no reason Joba should have gone 2 innings last night.
Rotation for Boston: Game 1.Hughes Game2.Kennedy Game3.Wang
Game4.Pettitte Sorry I couldn’t resist.
Pete-
I’m not surprised you’ve never seen managers and coaches cheered more than players, the way YFs cheer for Mattingly. I can’t really think of any other manager who would elicit that reaction.
I think if you polled Yanks fans age 20-40, at least 80% would name Mattingly as their favorite player. He really does embody “The True Yankee” to the fans, more than any other player.
Plus, to some extent he has been idolized. Jeter, Mo, and all are still playing, so they’ve shown their humanity. Mo blew the WS against Arizona a few years back, Jeter’s 1-12 this year, and so on. I’m not holding it against them, but they can still fall short. At this point, Mattingly can’t fall short. He is the perfect Yankee from the fans viewpoint.
I will suggest that precisely because Donnie Baseball is such a beloved figure in Yankees History that he should never, ever manage this team.
How will anyone deal with it if it doesn’t go well?
And how do you constructively criticize an icon?
“Homegrown” is the kind of Yankee fan that makes me sick and ashamed. Unrelenting towards A-Rod, completely unwilling to criticize Jeter’s horrendous performance, because he’s “gotten it done,” in the past. Right, and A-Rod hasn’t?. Nevermind that A-Rod has outperformed Jeter all season AND has performed well in the playoffs in the past. He carried the Yanks through the 2004 ALDS. But that’s forgotten by blind-as-a-bat idiots, who see Jeter as the “clutch” savior and A-Rod as the villain, even though A-Rod has been the savior all season.
“Homegrown:”
Go root for Boston.
“Torre, who had no reason to keep Joba in for a second inning, who had no reason to pull Hughes, has now destroyed his bullpen’s lynchpin availability going into GAme 4 tomorrow.
Just remember this, when the Yankees are nursing a one run lead going into the 8th tomorrow. And if Torre sends Joba out in the 8th inning, or better yet, sends Mariano for 2 innings worth of work… well, it explains the ineptitude of one Joe Torre.”
I’m assuming you wrote that wall of text. If so, don’t quit your day job.
Like Mariano Rivera has never pitched 2 IP in a playoff game….C’mon get your head out of the sand, he’s made a career of 2IP APP in October.
The Gameplan is simple. Yesterday Joba for 2/Mo for 1. Tonight it’s Joba for 1/ Mo for 2.
Guys like Farnsworth, Vizcaino, Ohlendorf cannot and willnot be trusted in an elimination game.
“He should be on the griddle A-Rod was on.”
Are you freakin’ serious, Peter?? Derek Jeter is one of the most clutch Post Season performers of all time! ARod, as talented as he is, a great performer, recognized by virtually every baseball expert as the best all-round MLB player — HAS NEVER equalled the exploits of Derek Jeter in crunch time! THAT’s why he’s on the hot seat…It’s all about the rings, baby!
Three ball games and you idiots put Derek Jeter on the hot seat? Probably the same Penny Arcade GMs who wanted to trade Melky and Cano in June. Give me a Break!
Tell me, who else would you want up with a post season game on the line???
Matty: The Joba rule you forgot is that if he warms up, he comes in the game…no dry runs. So, that’s why he even came in last nights game at all after the team scored 3 in the bottom 6th to go up 5. And that’s the point where Joe lost me and I agree with you. After a lights-out 7th up 5 runs, throw Viz or Farns out there for one and save joba to fight another day (today).
Just goes to show how little confidence Joe has in anyone in the pen other than Mo or Joba.
Hey Pete,
This is my first time writing a comment on your site. (I absolutely love this blog and check it all the time–thanks!)
Just wanted to comment about the Mattingly thing. You wrote:
“I know he is a member of the Hall of Very Good”
and then in your comment you wrote, “I am not saying Mattingly wasn’t a great player.”
To me, your snide comment about the HOVG *was* saying he wasn’t great. Like so many of the readers here, Donnie was the reason we chose to root for the Yankees–maybe even the reason we became baseball fans in the first place. It was unthinkable to me in 1987 that he wouldn’t be in the HOF.
But the HOF isn’t about being great. It’s about being very good for a very long period of time. Unfortunately, injuries killed any chance of that for Mattingly.
So, basically, that’s why I think people are upset.
Exactly. Joba warmed in the 6th, when Phil let on the leadoff hitter in a 2 run game. Once he warms, he has to come in. So he pitched the 7th. Once he did, they didnt want to go to someone else in the 8th, with only Mo available in case of trouble. What this tells you, is that Joe would rather have Mo available for 2 tonight than Joba for 2, because Mo is proven. It makes sense.
Got a great e-mail from Skip Shaw, one of Donnie’s business partners and a guy I correspond with regularly. This is the answer I was hoping to get:
For over a decade, Donnie was THE reason to go to Yankee Stadium. There was
not much else to cheer about. He played on mediocre teams but played as hard
as if he were on a perennial contender. I am a huge Yankee fan and love the
cast that have carried them since 1996, but that is the point…how successful
would Jeter have been without Posada, Mariano, O’Neill, Martinez, A-Rod,
Cone, Clemens, and all of the outstanding ballplayers who have been his
teammates? Donnie in my opinion – and apparently those of many others –
brought class, confidence, performance, and passion to the pinstripes as he
bridged the gap between the championship teams of the late 70’s and the
group that has been so successful beginning in ’96. Donnie was the face of
the Yankees for 12 years and represented then and represents now all that is
good about baseball and the Yankees. I have known him for almost three years
now as my partner and my friend and I can tell you there is no façade, no
veneer with Donnie – what you see is what you get – a professional who loves
the games, works as hard as anyone, whether as a player, a hitting coach or
a bench coach, and loves New York and the Yankees. That is why he was
selected to Captain the club through the dark days of the eighties and the
early nineties, and why he still gets the ovation as he walks to the first
base line on opening day or to commence a post season series. We are very
fortunate to have the current group of professionals represented by Derek,
and Jorge and Mariano, and they continue to build the legacy of this team on
a strong foundation and Donnie Baseball was a key element of maintaining
that foundation during his playing career. At least, that’s my opinion….
All the best,
Skip
Charlie, well put.
Latham Joe, you’re wrong.
Ok, here’s a question I’d be curious to know what people think:
Regardless of whether or not you think Joe T should be critized for using Joba the way he did in Games 2 & 3, Chamberlain has pitched alot (relative to his usual workload). The question is this:
*Do you think Torre should call Joba’s number tonight w/ a one or two run lead or a tied game in the 7th inning?*
*What about the 8th inning?*
http://www.waswatching.com/arc.....e_gam.html
Joba’s pitched 60+ pitches in the past three days.
If he pitches tonight and has good stuff, fine, but that means he’s thrown 80+ pitches in four days going into game five. INSANITY.
We’ve already established that the Joba rules have been flushed for the playoffs, so what’s the problem with keeping Joba warm during the 7th and then bringing him in the 8th?
Damn Pete, that (awesome) post by you is going to overshadow my question re: Joba & Game 4… that is, unless you weigh in on the question (see my last post).
Thanks and good stuff with the text from Skip Shaw.
i’m baffled on the donnie comments, my post name says it all…donnie is yankee baseball, this comment from joba is similar to how donniebaseball played;
Q: What would you like to say to Yankee fans?
A: I’m gonna wear it on my sleeve. I’m gonna give it everything I got, day in and day out.
*Global Warming*
“Like Mariano Rivera has never pitched 2 IP in a playoff game….C’mon get your head out of the sand, he’s made a career of 2IP APP in October.”
Yeah, but Mo’s pitched two innings on Friday, another inning last night, and you want another 2 inning appearance THAT IS COMPLETELY NOT NECESSARY AND COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED?
that should be *criticized* not critized
Pete, Mattingly is an alltime great Yankee, pure and simple. Many people seem to forget the postseason drought from 81-95. Mattingly was the face of the franchise in those lean years, as well as one of the top players in the game. When he finally appeared in the postseason, he hit like a man possessed.
Although I want Arod back, i agree with Homegrown on the Jeter/Arod treatment.
I also wholeheartedly disagree with you about Damon. Yes, I tip my hat to him for last night. But he was not signed to be a platooning leftfielder, a first baseman or a DH. He was signed to play centerfield. He is a BUST!
Torre deserves some breathing room for now, BUT…….
If Joba pitches to more than one or two batters tonight, JT should be “relieved” immediately. I cringed watching the kid labor in that eigth inning. Farnsworth HAS to, HAS to pitch in that game. Otherwise take him off the roster for the ALCS.
For fans of Giambi: why the love affair? If Torre is merely praying he will get a hold of one during one or maybe two at bats then he should be on the bench ready to pitch it late. Especially tonight. I would arguee that infield defense is more important early with Wang on the mound, than later with hard throwers like Joba KF or MO.
i just love how people slam torre for how he manages the bullpen. Just answer me one question, who do you pitch in the 8th inning? You play to win the game. The yankees dont have magic dust to put on any of those relievers arms, in plain english, they suck. Thats what it comes down to. After Joba and Mo, thats it. Last time i checked, Joe Torre didnt sign the crap we have out in the bullpen. He has to deal with crap in the pen. Joba in the 8th is a better option on a must win game than anyone else.
A few thoughts,
Pete: It’s a valid question, but I think now you see the depth of feeling we have for Mattingly. He’s NOT just a coach, he’s a former Yankee great who we will always see as a legend, even if the outside world disagrees.
Motown Yankee Fan: That’s no contest. Keep Hughes, Chamberlain, and Ramirez.
Jamie: I feel the same way about Wang; the short rest will be good for his sinker. I’m very confident that we’ll be heading back to Cleveland.
Now if we can just get over our recent road phobia and get a few hits off CC then we may just get out of this.
I was reading some of the Indians forums to found out the Indian’s fans opinion of pitching Byrd for Game 4, and a lot of them say that the Indians will probably keep Byrd of a very very short leash (a.k.a Joe with Clemens). The back-up plan if Byrd is pulled early? Youngster Aaron Laffey.
Here are Byrd’s 2007 stats and Laffey’s 2007 stats:
Byrd:
Wins 15
Loss 8
ERA 4.59
WHIP 1.39
K/9 4.12
IP 192.1
Laffey:
Wins 4
Loss 2
ERA 4.56
WHIP 1.34
K/9 4.56
IP 49.1
Sounds like they could be twins.
If Torre won’t bring Farnsworth or Vizcaino in for one inning with a 5-run lead, we’re in trouble.
Tonight is an elimination game. If we win, game 5 is an elimination game. There is no guarantee that we will win in a blowout in either game.
Last night’s lead should have been a blessing in that it let us use one of our lower-tier relievers. Instead, Torre ignored this advantage and continued to burn the second-most important reliever in the pen. When you consider the drop off from Joba to our third-most important reliever (Vizcaino?), that’s really saying a lot. Now we might need to use Farnsworth or Vizcaino in a much tighter game.
I’m fine with using Rivera for two innings tonight if necessary. That’s not a problem. But we’re playing back-to-back elimination games and we need all the flexibility we can get. Joba needs to be available for true crunch-time situations. If Wang goes sixth innings but is gassed, and we’re up by a run, we will have to go to someone a lot less reliable than Rivera or Joba.
Another thing, if it’s fine for Rivera to go over 1 inning, why not let Farnsworth or Vizcaino pitch the 8th and warm Rivera in case they put too many runners on?
And yet another weird thing is that Torre was willing to go to Ohlendorf in game 1 while down 3 runs. Granted, that wasn’t an elimination game, but in a best-of-5 series you have to treat every game like an elimination game. Why use one of your bottom-tier relievers when down 3, but not a mid-tier guy when you’re up 5?
PB in DC:
It depends on several factors. If Wang is really on, he should be able to start the 7th, batter-by-batter. It also depends on what part of their lineup is up. Also, I think Mo would be able to go 2 today. He just threw 10 pitches yesterday, a pop fly and 2 K’s of some of their best hitters.
TODAY’S YANKEES LINEUP (per Yes Network)
DAMON LF
JETER SS
ABREU RF
AROD 3B
POSADA C
MATSUI DH
CANO 2B
CABRERRA CF
MINKY 1B
I didnt catch the whole Indians lineup but Victor Martinez is at 1b, Kelly Shoppac is catching. That means no Garko, who has several hits this series.
migames, I understand the pen is uneven but Torre’s job is to get the best out of everyone in it. He can’t just say that Farnsworth, Vizcaino, Ohlendorf, and Veras are too crappy to use in any game where the Yankees are within 5 runs. If it’s Joba and Rivera in late innings every game, they will soon be pitching like those other four guys.
We don’t have a good pen. We have two great relievers and a bunch of unreliable relievers. We need to find every way possible to take the burden off the great relievers so they are available when we truly need them. It’s a challenge, no doubt, but it’s the kind of challenge Torre is paid $7 million to solve.
Migames
“Joba in the 8th is a better option on a must win game than anyone else.”
I have no problem with Joba in the 8th. It’s Joba in the 7th I have a problem with. Or Joba in the 8th after pitching the 7th.
And yes, I’ll bash Joe for having bullpen management issues. THAT WHY JOBA HAD RULES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Pete,
Nice answer from Skip…I think that covers it.
Miller,
I am not bashing Jeter. I just am not willing to overlook his poor perfomance in this series and last years poor captain-ship. He should have stepped up for A-Rod last year. He should be above petty differances, such as a quote in some article by A-Rod… He is not exempt from criticizm when he is wrong or under performing. His salary says so. I have not forgotten what Jeter has done in the past but he should not be cannonized just yet. Let him be a Captain….let him step up…Let him help his father figure Manager keep his job. Let him help A-Rod make the choice to stay in pinstripes. Is this a lot to put on his shoulders? hell yes, but he has earned that hardship.
Monument Park,
I am with the program and have been reading Pete all year. My point was that the Farnsworth stuff has been beaten to death. He is untradeable or he would be gone already.
Migames,
I think what the people who are knocking Torre over the use of Jaba are saying (and I agree)
He should not have taken Hughes out unless he was weakening. Which he was not. He threw 63 pitches. So the answer to your question is…
Hughes in the 7th.
If still strong Hughes in the 8th if not Jaba finishes the 8th.
Hughes in the Ninth or Rivera.
That way you have a rested Jaba for tonight.
Hughes on M&MD right now.
Pete:
I’d have to agree with everyone who said Donnie Baseball is well…Donnie Baseball but there’s one difference between him and Jeter and Yogi and Gator and Goose and O’Neill and The Babe. He is one of the few “Yankee Greats” who never won a World Series during his tenure…and now here he is in the middle of a H*ll of a season and a chance at the Series.
Peter,
What team do you pull for?
Pete,
I’m not sure how long you’ve followed Yankee baseball or if you’re a fan or just doing it for a job. But Don Mattingly was a fighter above and beyond anyone on this team or any of the recent World Series teams. He was a guy who came to play hard every single day despite having no team around him. What ARod did for the regular season this year, Mattingly did for his entire career. Carrying a bunch of losers on his back who weren’t producing.
Its a shame that he dragged the 1995 team to the playoffs, and then they won the following year.
He went with Joba in the 7th because Joba was warming up in the 6th already, and the last thing you want to do is warm somebody up, then sit them down, then warm them up again, then pitch them. That’s basically the equivalent of two innings of work, except you only get one inning of in-game results.
So Joba was pitching the 7th no matter what.
But I do agree that having him in the 8th was a bad move. You’re going to need to use Viz and the rest of the pen during the playoffs sometime other than in blowout losses, and last night’s 8-3 is about as big a blowout lead as you’re going to get.
Besides, here was the bottom line: If you pitch Joba two innings, you’re going to end up using Joba for two innings and Mo for one inning.
But if you pitch Joba for only the 7th, you’re worst case scenario is Joba for 1, Mo for 2 (assuming Viz/Farns can’t even get one out). Assuming Joba and Mo are about equally important, this worst case scenario is about equal to how it actually went down yesterday.
But consider the best case scenario: Joba for one, Viz/Farnsy for one, Mo for one. This is MUCH better than what actually happened, because then Joba pitches only 14 pitches and you have everyone available tonight.
Pete,
I wanted to take the time to thank you again for a great blog. I look here first for the latest news on the team. I don’t get to post much but really appreciate all you do.
Concerning the Mattingly question, as has been said many times today, Donnie WAS the Yankees when I became a fan in the early 80s. He showed such class and caring, especially for the kids who were fans (my son included, who got a Donnie autograph when he was 10). I loved him for his grit and being such a team player. I respect what he has meant to the game. That being said, I really don’t think he is the right one to manage the Yankees. At least not at this point.
I agree that Jeter needs to pick it up tonight, but I have a hard time with anyone really getting on him for all the times he’s carried the team. I do agree, though, with Donnie’s friend. It has always been a team thing on this run since 96. None of them would have made it without the others. I would also like to see Chuck Knoblauch get a little credit for what he did do when he first came here.
As far as Frnak TV. If I was watching at my own home, i would have put a shoe through the screen by now! Awful seeing it over and over and over and over……
Pete- I’m pretty sure everything Skip said was also said by the various commenters on this board. He said it pretty well, but it’s nothing that wasn’t echoed a number of times in the comments above.
Just wait until he’s introduced as the Yankees manager for the first time, whenever that happens. Or, even better- the first ceremony where he’s given his first WS ring, whenever that happens. The Stadium is going to go insane.
so what you are telling me tony is that sinker ball pitchers should rely less on velocity and more on movement?
Peter,
Are you a Red Sox fan?
I couldn’t agree more that Bernie Williams should’ve thrown out the first pitch tonight. Would’ve been a class move too.
If you want to overthink the pitching decisions on Torre, give him aCCe & Carmona instead of Wang & the ensemble of past their prime starters(ROGER CLEMENS IS IN GEORGE STEINBRENNER’S BOX). Who wins this series then? Coming from a Tribe fan, your problem like ours in the ’90s was lack of quality starters. Making the move for A Fraud over Josh Beckett will haunt you for years.