Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Oct 03, 2009 
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CC Sabathia’s shot at win No. 20 was over before it started and the Yankees got trounced by the Rays in St. Pete. Josh Thomson was on the scene. Check out Josh’s notebook as well for a variety of news items.
I know it’s hard not to be concerned after an ugly performance like this one – particularly when it’s the ace on the mound – but the Red Sox have had a number of nasty losses over the past few weeks (as Terry Francona made it clear he wasn’t interested in chasing the division title), and I don’t think any less of Boston’s chances come next week.
Everyone – players, coaches, managers – will tell you that this weekend is NOTHING like what Wednesday (or Thursday) will be like. If you’re worried, just focus on the fact that the real games are still a few days away.
I’m not worried in the least of what happened last night.
With the pressure off this weekend, I think its human nature not to perform at top level.
To be fair to everyone, the concern is over whether Sabathia will be back to his dominant self after such a poor performance. I don’t think anyone is panicking, they are just worried that he, once again, won’t be as great in the post season as he’s been in the regular season.
For me, the problem is that these 5 games series scare me since they allow for a larger role of random events. I wouldn’t be worried in a 7 game series, and indeed I feel like the Yankees biggest challenge will be navigating the randomness of only the best of 5.
I’m not worried at all. He probable had 20 on his mind, and didn’t pitch well like Jeter and Arod did. CC still has a great chance for cy young, and that game meant absolutely NOTHING!!!!
I’m with Fondo Motz. I didn’t get to watch the games last night nor to check in until the game was over, and I didn’t go through the posts, so I don’t know whether there was any panic on the forum – more likely aggravation than anything, though I don’t know for sure.
“the concern is over whether Sabathia will be back to his dominant self after such a poor performance.”
Whose concern? Again, was this what was put forth on the forum, or is it your concern that you are putting forth as a universal? I couldn’t care less that CC had a bad performance, nor about anyone else’s bad performance. If bad performances were the norm, I could understand someone thinking last night wasn’t a good sign. You have to be able to put the abberations aside and embrace the norm. JMO
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On another note, I personally am tickled pink that the Rockies continue to put a hurt on the Dodgers. Since I am a believer in karma, I think of this as the loyal Joe’s triumph over the telltale Joe’s. The only thing that could be sweeter to me is to have Arod, BATTING OUT OF THE 4 HOLE, hit the winning run – preferably a long, long walk off homer – in Game 7 of a Yankees-Dodgers world series.
If it can’t be that, and it turned out to be a Dodgers-Yanks WS, though I would prefer not to face them since I don’t even want them to get that far – I would want a 4 game Yankee sweep. And Arod can hit the winning homer in that one.
GO ROCKIES!!!
First off, last night meant nothing in the long term goals of this team, with the exception of someone getting hurt.
Seeing what happened to Tex was scary, but watching Swish dive for that ball in the first was also scary…you never know when someone might get hurt.
Lastly, the one thing that is worth noting is that, if this how CC is going to pitch to Posada it will be an interesting October.
Morning all.
I was one of the people in an initial panic at the start of the game. Not about CC. No, not at all about CC. Just getting a little anxious and antsy, because we’ve all been so inundated with the mantra that “the playoffs are a crapshoot” and “anything can happen,” and it’s getting to me. I realize these games are not important from a W/L standpoint, but still want to see the Yankees play good baseball.
As the game went on, I realized two things. One was, it was clearly “one of those nights;” everything they hit fell in, everything the Yankees hit found a position player, or fell just shy of going out of the park. Another is, they’ve had games like this along the way this season, and they’ve been one-game blips on the screen. This team has proved resilient. Also, it matters not that I am nervous, it only matters how this team sees itself, and indications are their eyes are on the prize and they won’t be distracted.
Also, I would characterize my nervousness as anticipation of an unknown, as opposed to not believing in the team.
However, I have a strong urge to DVR the playoffs, lock myself in a closet, and watch when it’s all over!
As far as the Teixeira incident goes, well, if it was intentional (ahem), I don’t expect the Yankees to do anything this season at all. They don’t have to, and why would the Yankees ever let themselves be distracted in that way. There’s always spring training, where Joe Maddon clearly runs his pre-season games like real-time, taking catchers out and curtailing their season and not seeing anything wrong with it.
Oh, by the way, I didn’t look yet. Did the Rockies win last night?
Just peeked. Yay, Rockies. Just shows to go ya, you can’t call the division winner in May.
Regardless that it was a meaningless game, sitting at the bar at Mohegan Sun last night listening to the RedSux fans bragging and gloating about their pitching depth was NOT fun.
That place is like a jerk magnet for every Sux “fan” who couldn’t name “their team’s” starting lineup on a bet.
And I’ve made a few of those bets.
Best way to get a RS fan to look stupid(er)? Ask him who last night’s starting pitcher was. They get that glazed-over look, then tug on their goatees. Usually that’s followed by an “A-Rod sucks!”.
Cause that’s all they’ve got.
(notice I’m referring to the masculine-haha-fan – the GirlSux fans are the most bitter, sloppy, unenlightened trash this side of the Roulette table)
It’s a good thing I won there, or I might have gotten realllly upset! LOL!
2 things:
(A) The Sox should be concerned with Beckett and his back spasms
(B)Rockies and Dodgers should get way more coverage. Go Rockies!
I do wonder why Molina.215 era (automatic out,and instant rally killer)was the DH,in a game CC wanted to win.
This wasn’t a must win,but CC should’ve been caught by Molina as usual.
The Rockies are the hottest team in the NL,those are the ones who can eat you up,in postseason.They owned the Cards this year.
Wait till the ALDS…1 other thing…the Tigers having to play for something on Sunday.
“(A) The Sox should be concerned with Beckett and his back spasms”
Doesn’t sound like they are. It read like he’d have pitched if the game had any meaning and his bullpen session the day before yesterday was apparently pain free.
One problem they may have is that Alex Gonzalez may have been lost last night on a HBP. He doesn’t swing much of a bat, but he did help to stabilize their infield defense.
“On another note, I personally am tickled pink that the Rockies continue to put a hurt on the Dodgers. Since I am a believer in karma, I think of this as the loyal Joe’s triumph over the telltale Joe’s”
yeah, joe torre didn’t impact this team at all with his influence from 1996-2007.
jeter ,pettitte, posada, and rivera all feel the same way you do and root against joe torre as a person and a manager.
go dodgers. go joe. go mattingly. go bowa.
and go manny.
the guy just cracks me up.
and as far as hitting the game winning homer against the dodgers, i gotta go with “hip hip jorge” to vindicate him against all the doubters and haters.
it wouldn’t surprise me to see alex have a great playoffs though and an mvp wouldn’t be out of the question.
Remeber that playing in Colorado,mean thin air,balls need to be specially treated in a humidor.
3 games in that stadium could be trouble for the Yankees,like the interleague games a couple of years ago.
NOBODY in the NL is rooting for the come back Rockies.Be careful who you wish for!!
yup trisha
Joe Girardi is a better manager then Joe Torre. He has to win at least 1 world series championship.
I’ll take Yanks over dodgers in 7. Suicide squeeze in the 9th. Jeter bunting…Gardner running.
“and as far as hitting the game winning homer against the dodgers, i gotta go with “hip hip jorge” to vindicate him against all the doubters and haters”
I got into a bit of a pissing contest with a Red Sox fan who claimed Varitek had better postseason numbers than Posada. I mocked him, laughed at him, belittled him….and now owe him $25 (Varitek has the same average, more homers, more rbi, and higher OPS in the postseason – I was stunned). Posada has not exactly been Mr. October I guess. I agree Randy, it would be great to see him crown his otherwise brilliant career with a great October.
The Rays are getting a bad reputation within the East division. They are cultivating it. They have talent, but play like a bunch of punks.
Think about how they play. Think about the Cervelli broken wrist in a ST game. The brawls they incite.
Pena swung into the ball that broke his fingers. It was a pitch that was in but not near his head. What do the punks do? They pitch toward Teixeira’s head.
The games this weekend mean nothing other than getting in some playing time to the Yankees, the Ray though are just punk enough to try to injure a Yankee player to hurt the post season.
Maddon is a creep. He encourages “tough play”, which is his way of saying pushing it to the edge of playing dirty.
BJ was probably putting on an audition for a team he might think would trade for him. He knows his time with the Rays is nearing the end.
I can’t stand the Rays. There was a reason why they were bottom feeders for a long time, and why they will be there again.
I was just taking a look at the standings. While Detroit and Minnesota are pounding it out, Boston has a better record than both of them and will only be the Wild Card winner rather than a division champion.I think this system we have for determining the playoffs is very unfair.
Wouldn’t it be so much better for the spirit of competition if we get rid of the wild card and eliminate the divisions? Keep it Al and NL and just have the teams with the 4 best records go to the playoffs.
I have nothing against Joe Torre (except for the “midge” game and some of the things in his book). I loved him as manager of the Yankees, but felt it was time for a parting of the ways.
I simply don’t want a WS that will re-open the can of worms that was the, shall we say, discomfort surrounding Joe Torre’s end of tenure, and all the other little things that will distract from the game at hand. Other than that, a Dodgers/Yankees WS would be great. But I’ll take the thin air of Colorado before I’ll be able to handle the “drama” that will surround NY/LA. (Oh, not to mention the “Manny” variable.)
I’m hoping that since the Yankees at least had the experience of playing in Colorado at one time, they will at least have some idea as to how it affected them physically, if it comes to that.
But we’re putting the horse in front of the cart. No chicken counting yet – the eggs haven’t hatched!!!
Posada has a lot more innings in the post season than Veritek, so the lesser innings would probably help his stats look better.
I don’t trust the balls being equally fair at Colorado. They are doctored, and humidor time can vary causing some to play different than others.
Remember the series the Yankees played there? Every ball the Yankees hit that series sounded like they were hitting the ball with a wet newspaper. I have never heard baseballs being hit sound like that before or since.
Rockies Yankees WS? Ehh Not intriguing at all. At least on paper.
Give me the drama that would be LA/NY. thank you.
It was NO coincidence that Teix got hit, and the up and in aspect of it was the exclamation point. Maddon’s Rays are a fairly good example of what the right manager at the right time can accomplish. Torre would be another.
Pitching inside is something successful pitchers do. If you only own the outside, you get beat. Mussina finally gave in to claiming the inside and finally had his only 20 game season. When CC does it, it’s because he’s a pro and he’s doing his job. IMO, pretty much the same for AJ. Chamberlain is trying to emulate successful pitchers but isn’t one (yet), so from him it looks like headhunting. I guess I put Price in the Joba category, a kid trying to walk the walk while he talks the talk.
Put myself in Maddon’s shoes and maybe I go up and in on Teix too. As the Rays are about to go home and think about 2009 while the Yanks go on to the post season, Maddon needs to keep his guys focused and motivated to come back next season and play hard again.
IMO, decking Teix was a reminder, not so much of Pena, but of the fact that there is a next season coming up in a few months and that the Rays will be back at the Yankees’ throats.
“Posada has a lot more innings in the post season than Veritek, so the lesser innings would probably help his stats look better.”
I guess. Though Varitek having more homers and rbi in 100 or so fewer plate appearances doesn’t speak well.
I’m not worried about last night, but the pressure will be squarely on Sabathia and the Yankees on Wed because Verlander won’t go until game 2. It also means the Yankees need to win the series in 4 games or less with Verlander in game 5. Too soon to start biting my nails?
Wildcard is selig’s gift to the loser,otherwise known as the one coming on second,in their division.
Why don’t all the second place losers in get their divisions get the same chance>?
Agree Murphydog. This Yankees team under Girardi has seemingly determined the inside half is their’s. That’s a good thing. But it’s also led them to lead the AL in hitting batters. And it’s not eye for an eye stuff either. The Yankees have hit 40% more hitters than the number of Yankees hitter who have been hit. I like the approach, but I also understand it’s one that’s going to lend itself to getting thrown at from time to time.
Jeff NJ – There is a possibility that Minny will be the opponent.
Have the freaking Rays go play golf in a day. There are some great courses in Tampa.
There are just some lines in baseball that should not be crossed IMO, and throwing at a great player on a playoff bound team two days before the end of the season (which the Rays did) is one of them. That reflects on the manager more than anything. There was just no reason for it. On top of taking out Cervelli in ST, it is just bush league. What is Joe Maddon thinking? By all accounts people seem to think he’s a good guy. Is he just letting Pena’s emotion rule the clubhouse?
Sorry I’m perseverating on this, but can we all imagine if Tex’s shoulder or wrist were broken by the pitch? OK–hit him in the butt to get it out of your system, but wrist/head/shoulder is just plain wrong.
“The Rays are getting a bad reputation within the East division. They are cultivating it. They have talent, but play like a bunch of punks”
yup. The Rays were my team last year (after NYY was emliminated) they are now changing this via their bush league actions.
side note: Joe Maddon didn’t show me anything this year. Mailing it in with a 12-game losing streak, and finishing with a damm near .500 record. With the talent they have, that sucks
“Why don’t all the second place losers in get their divisions get the same chance>?”
They do. All they have to do is have the best record among 2nd place teams.
Stupid point anyway. Anyone here whining the three times the Yankees were the Wild Card? Fact is, in 15 years of the Wild Card, which has been very good for baseball, the AL Wild Card has had a better record than at least one division winner 11 times. Nothing wrong with getting the best teams in the playoffs.
Rex
October 3rd, 2009 at 10:23 am
“Posada has a lot more innings in the post season than Veritek, so the lesser innings would probably help his stats look better.”
I guess. Though Varitek having more homers and rbi in 100 or so fewer plate appearances doesn’t speak well.
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And who has the better power today? LOL.
Good point, but I’m still expecting Detroit. Minnesota faces Greinke today. By the way, how can Greinke be considered the Cy Young when he has not beaten the Yankees once this year? Guess it’s the unbalanced schedules fault, which is a joke.
“What is Joe Maddon thinking?”
thinking about what he’s going to do with his hair next. He’s an ***hole.
Doreen:
I’m not too worried about any Left Coast drama. As much as Torre’s departure stirred up resentment of the manner in which the end came, it was a high wire act for a few years running and something needed to change. Had Torre been the Yankee manager in ’08, he would have been dodging hitmen. In a way he was spared the final indignity.
Now, almost two years out it seems that they made if not the right decision, at least a very good one. I see Torre’s departure as only one of many changes over the last two years, including getting Girardi and CC and AJ and Teix. In short, they’ve moved on and realized there was life after Torre. I wouldn’t mind beating him after a good series
Whether the Yankees end up playing the Tigers or the Twins, the fact that those 2 are battling it out to the last day is good for the Yankees. I hope they end up tied tomorrow and have to play a play-in game on Tuesday.
Rex, the problem is so many batters are leaning over the plate to a point where you can practically throw a strike and have it hit a batter.
The Yankees do it too. Posada is right at the front of the batters box and leans in.
Price throwing at a player like he did last night was uncalled for. I’m sorry but there is no excuse for it. None. There was intent on that pitch to go after him, and it was right toward the head area. The Yankees will retaliate, next year.
Yes, the Yankees have been hitting more batters this year. Some is due to poor control, some due to batters leaning far too much, some in retaliation.
The Rays are a talented team, but they are punks and punks eventually get their rear ends beat. Maddon is setting his guys up to the team that no one likes except for the few fans with the cowbells.
“On top of taking out Cervelli in ST, it is just bush league. What is Joe Maddon thinking?”
Can’t blame Maddon for the Cervelli thing. That was just a fringe guy trying to make the team playing hard. That stuff happens.
I don’t really have a problem with Price throwing at Teixeira if he does it right. Up at the head is not right. I can imagine Maddon having Price hit him in the rump or back, but I can’t imagine him having throw at his head.
I hope it’s Detroit.
Here’s why: I am so not in the mood for the “Little Engine that Could” crap that’s bound to be the storyline if the Twins make it – never mind that their ownership is sitting on an empire and never spends a dime on the team, which writers somehow turn into a virtue.
The David and Goliath thing is a dreadful cliche and a bore, tailor made for people like Bondy, who live a totally bourgeois existence in their little exclusive cul-de-sacs but love to play socialist when it comes to the Yankees.
If we happen to lose a game – it will be unbearable to listen to.
CC gave an interview on nesn last week,after the Yankees smoked boston.
He (CC)said he doesn’t deserve the CY.CC isn’t expecting a CY. He further said IF he had a vote,he would vote Greinke.
“By the way, how can Greinke be considered the Cy Young when he has not beaten the Yankees once this year?”
Cy Young is awarded to the best pitcher. Greinke’s been it, hands down. Having a win against the Yankees isn’t part of the criteria.
“side note: Joe Maddon didn’t show me anything this year. Mailing it in with a 12-game losing streak, and finishing with a damm near .500 record. With the talent they have, that sucks”
Yeah, it sucks, but there’s only so much a manager can do. Their pitching faltered (maybe too many innings last year?), they traded Kazmir, Upton mailed it in and may be leaving, and there were a few key injuries (e.g., Pena). Navarro went from All Star to challenging Varitek for non-production at the catcher position and may be non-tendered. Not sure all that’s on Maddon. I suspect they will be all spit and vinegar again come ST.
vinny-b – I can’t help but be with you on the Rays. They were my team last year also, but what a difference a season makes.
Bod – the reason I would prefer Detroit is because I won’t feel bad for them when the Yanks beat them because they, to me, aren’t a likeable team. I’ll feel bad beating Minny because they are like the little engine that really tries but can never succeed. And then Ron Gardenhire just has that perpetual sad look on his face. It’s easier for me to watch Detroit go down. Anyway we need some payback from the Kenny Rogers pinetar shennanigans!
That said, I’m not so sure that Minny won’t pull it out. Boy are they playing like a team possessed!
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This is what I remember about Joe Torre. With his vengeful nature he made sure that Jeff Nelson was not renewed since Nellie complained to the press. (The kiss of death in the Torre era.) The team was never the same. He pitched Jeff Weaver in a critical spot in an important game in the world series, used Sheffield and Matsui when they hadn’t played most of the season, absolutely wore out the arms of his bullpen so they had nothing left to give, batted Arod in the 8 hole of a playoff game, and let Joba stand out in a field of midges and probably changed the course of that playoff series. Then – and probably most importantly to me – he threw his team under the bus in a Yankee “exposé”.
I want to see him and his team go down in flames.
murphydog -
Well, I hope it all wouldn’t get dug up again. But, they don’t just call games; they fill the air time, so you don’t know what you’ll get.
We have all come to terms (or should I say many Yankee fans have) with everything that’s happened in the last several years. It’s the broadcasters who are only marginally familiar with all things Yankees (and I wouldn’t really expect them to be otherwise) that will put their own spin onto things. Especially if the Yankees meet the Red Sox in the ALCS – how much drama can one be expected to handle?!
It would be especially nice to beat the Dodgers, though, I have to agree.
A couple of days ago, I took a look at the starting pitching performances in the 2008 playoffs to see whether there was any correlation between how well (or badly) SPs pitched in the postseason and how they pitched in the last few weeks of the RS. Conclusion: what the pitcher did in his last 3-4 starts before the playoffs had no predictive value whatsoever for the playoffs.
“The Rays are a talented team, but they are punks and punks eventually get their rear ends beat. Maddon is setting his guys up to the team that no one likes except for the few fans with the cowbells.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy that Price came up and that far in on Teix. But it’s kill or be killed in the AL East, and let’s not forget that the Rays are only a year or so away from being a monstrous joke. Maddon wants to be sure there’s no backslide and so he wants them hungry and tough, especially, against the almighty Yankees. He wants Teix and everybody else uncomfortable in the batters box even now, because Maddon will have the Rays in the hunt next year. If I were the skipper of the Rays, I’d sure be thinking like that.
There is line between being tough and being punks. Maddon just doesn’t step on the line he crosses it like a freight train.
The pitch to Teixeira last night is not how it should be done in any circumstance, let alone when you are well out of the race and facing a team going to the playoffs. The only team that pulled stuff like that is the Rays. That isn’t saying that other teams don’t look to compete in the last games, but there is a line drawn on looking to take out a player on a team going to the post season.
Frankly, I think the Rays behavior will have them battling far too hard all year because of their punk attitude and that will have them finishing out of it again.