A fifth decision
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Oct 12, 2009 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
It doesn’t fit exactly with the previous post, but I got an email about it and it seems worth discussing.
Are you still comfortable with Phil Hughes in the eighth inning, or should the Yankees consider moving Joba Chamberlain into that role?
Here’s Girardi on why he pulled Hughes last night, giving the ball to Mariano Rivera for the final four outs: “Mo is more experienced this time of year,” Girardi said. “I know Joe Mauer is a great hitter, but Mo is more experienced in that situation and that’s why we did it and he has been doing it since 1996. When I saw him burst on the secne, I was behind home plate and I just thought it was time to go to Mo.”
Of course Girardi isn’t going to knock Hughes — and I’m not sure Hughes deserves negative comments at this point — but his numbers weren’t great in the ALDS (five hits and a walk in two innings). Who would you want on the mound in the eighth inning of a one-run game? I think I’d stick with Hughes, but that’s just me.
I’d still stick with Hughes. While Hughes might get hit, he throws strikes. Joba’s no guarantee to do so and walks are killer.
Hughes
I would stick with Hughes for now……Joba hasn’t done anywhere close to enough to be trusted with that job. Mo is the best there ever was, so Joe needn’t even explain why he brought him in.
I really do not think the pressure is getting to Phil – I really think he’s a mentally strong kid. However, he’s struggling a bit right now and the Yanks need to get him righted.
Hughes has been getting it done for months. No change.
The Yankees held a wonderful party in the hotel after the game…what struck me (besides the Dom Perignon) was how much this group actually likes each other, how the families like each other. I have never seen wives taking group pictures, players sitting together going over the game, watching the Philly-Rockies game, including everyone, at least not in THIS decade. Sing alongs at the piano…can you imagine…SING ALONGS at the piano!! Joe Girardi has built something very special in that clubhouse. By the way, if you read Page 6..(and what are you doing reading Page 6?) the stories of discord are “hooey!” Pure fiction.
Sing alongs? LOL
I’d stick with Hughes. I don’t trust Joba.
I don’t think Girardi will toy with the formula much at this point. Obviously, this sets up a potential “bust factor”, where Hughes could implode and then Girardi would put someone else into the role…ultimately costing the Yankees. That said, I think Hughes has matured beyond many expectations in the 8th inning role, and he has never looked like a guy who folds much under pressure. I would stick with him.
Do they name an ALDS mvp?
Who do you think it is?
Hughes needs to improve his fastball command in the next round also he needs to use his curve a little more so hitters aren’t sitting on his fastball so much.
Should Girardi ever need explain his thinking behind putting Rivera in the game?
No ALDS MVP, just the league championship series and WS MVP.
i see a lot less “late movement” with hughes. I am thinking this week should give hughes some added juice.
Alex hand down – if the ALDS MVP existed
Hughes will be fine in the 8th inning role.
that being said, he didn’t throw 1 curveball last night, and I think that is a cause for concern. He has a great fastball, but his curveball keeps people off balance.
jonathan,
agree. Hughes may be a little fatigued at this point. Would explain where the late life has gone and velo.
Hughes’ featured late life or “disappearing” FB was the thing that jumped at you the first time I saw him pitch in Trenton. He should be his old/young self again after the four day break.
Another thing, I can seem to find a schedule for to ALCS (not the time, the days)
Game 1 and 2 are Friday and Sat in the Bronx, right? So does that mean that Game 3 is on Monday in Anaheim?
My dad lives in LA and is thats the case, then I am going to try to get him to fly me out for the day, go to the game and fly right back haha.
Chad:
I agree with you. Hughes was tremendous during the Regular Season in the 8th Inning Role.
Granted, it is now the Post Season and the stakes are so much higher.
However, I would be willing to indulge young “Master Phil” for his performance in the ALDS and attribute it to nerves and inexperience in the Post Season.
So far, it is a luxury and an indulgence that hasn’t hurt us or “cost” us any Games.
There’s no need to automatically over react or to cry and complain that we “must” put Joba in the 8th Inning Role “immediately” (Aren’t some of these “bridge jumpers” amazing in their haste and impulsiveness, Chad?!?)
One last thought / question: Maybe Phil Hughes was flat last night due to the number of pitches he threw in Games #1 & #2 of the ALDS. Didn’t he throw 20-25 pitches in each Game?
If somebody could clarify that for me, (his pitch count) I’d really appreciate it.
Hughes without a doubt.
*cant
im not even remotely concerned about hughes…not even one iota of concern..hughes has not got hit hard..mostly singles by singles hitters…not worried at all.
Just FTR, I trust Joba too. But Hughes is best suited to the eighth right now. If he pitched the day before, though, and threw a lot of pitches, I’d have no qualms bringing Joba in.
How hard are you looking, Dr. Cox?
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09
Right now you stick with Hughes in the 8th especially because he has been great this year doing it. But a couple of more rocky outings like game 2 and 3 in the alcs then Girardi would be forced to make a switch.
Amazing to see how many people flipped on Joba because he struggled in august and september. He has a 1.50 career era out of the bullpen. Some people didn’t even want Joba to even pitch the 7th. Girardi knows what Chamberlain can do out of the bullpen which is why after only one outing in tampa he put Joba in the 7th and has showed a lot of condfidence in him.
Huuuuuuuuughes.
Definitely Hughes in the 8th still.
Uhhh this shouldn’t even be questioned. Joba has pitched less than three innings in relief this season and hasn’t looked especially good. I’ll take Hughes in a heartbeat.
What?
I thought Girardi was a militant and didn’t let anyone in the clubhouse have fun?
A Sixth Decision:
Whether or not to buy new sets of goggles.
I’m sure champagne does a number on those seals.
Plus the blue is sort of lame.
Nick,
wasn’t looking at all actually. just wanted someone else to do the work for me.
hey, im on my day off from work.
I’m curious if the Phillies win do they head straight to LA or go back home for only 1 or days?
Neither
Cokey for the lefties and MO for the righties. MO can get more than 3 outs this time of year.
So the Yankees had a little party at the hotel last night?
Let me guess, Swisher was playing DJ…or trying to play DJ shall I say.
Drob
DT – OPPC member
October 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
The Yankees need to get the Red Sox scouting report on Chone Figgins.
He always seems to kill the Yankees.
His recent 3 game series against Boston was “Damon-like”.
0 for 12 with 6 strike outs.
******
So the question was premised on a lie.
Good to know.
Haha, you got me.
Thanks though, Nick
Stick with Hughes in 8th. He’s got 5 days off this week.
Pitching Joba in the 7th seems to motivate him.
That said, I also have a tremendous amount of trust in Dave Robertson.
If a starter can only go 5 (Gaudin, for instance), having Robertson, Coke, Joba, Phil, Mo to wrap it up is great. You keep Ace for extra innings if you don’t need him to mop up for Gaudin.
Although I’m not against CC starting on short rest and only employing 3 starters in the series.
as with my last trip to Cleveland, If I make it to Anaheim I will be making a sign giving a shout out to the lohud blog.
as with my last trip to Cleveland, If I make it to Anaheim I will be making a sign giving a shout out to the lohud blog.
Hughes. He has a few days to work out a mechanical issue. He has been too good to have doubts now. It’s all about locating the fastball on both sides of the plate.
I imagine Philly flies back to Philly for a day, then leave for LA on Wednesday afternoon.
This might be the best pitcure ever
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/bl.....mlb,195316
Hughes will be fine. Why are people acting like he’s never been there before? Remember him saving our bacon rescuing Clemens awful start against the Indians 07? He threw something like 3.2 scoreless inheriting a no out jam to boot.
True that was a long relief role but give him another inning or so to make sure his mechanics are back, if he still looks shaky than maybe you have to look at something else.
These 4 days off should be enough for them to figure it out.
I think both teams having the same exact down time is great. This way there are no excuses.
hughes all the way, to tell u the truth im about ready to give up on joba
Yanks off until Wednesday at 1pm when workouts will resume at The Stadium.
96 hours and 56 minutes until Game 1!!!!!
“This might be the best pitcure ever
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/bl…..mlb,195316”
Classic.
Dr. Cox, despite the inherent deception in the exchange, I’m glad to help. I had that window open already as I contemplate my own potential travel plans.
But now I wonder if you were really working on your novel that night in Union Square.
Erica – always OPPC
October 12th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
This might be the best pitcure ever
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/bl…..mlb,195316
=====
Hilarious!
Added bonus: commenter references Clair Quilty and Humbert Humbert.
Mini Rant Alert-
I hate people who aren’t fans of something who knock people who are. Case in point- this really stupid woman I work with posted something on her facebook that said “Enough about the Yankees. Who cares”
Well, for starters I care. A lot. And all of you do. I understand she may not, but there are millions of people out there who went to bed happy last night. And if you don’t understand that, you should really just shut up.
Thank you
Stay with Hughes. Dont upset the chemistry this late.
The LoHud Yankees Blog: your one-stop shop for baseball discussion and Facebook frustration.
Nick in SF
October 12th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
The LoHud Yankees Blog: your one-stop shop for baseball discussion and Facebook frustration.
****
And I manage to do both inside a five minute window!
Hughes. He’ll do better in the next round.
is it official Punto owns hughes lol
Five Iron from Fenway,
If you’re out there, did you see Urena got invited to Instructs?
That’s encouraging. Hope he makes the most of it.
This sounds like an espn discussion. Hughes is the 8th inning man no matter what.
Does anyone else believe this series with the twinks may have chosen the mvp. jeter was a force in the yanks advance. then again mauer was too i suppose.
Hughes should stay in the 8th. Have faith, people. He’s done the job all year in this role.
I would use CC in Game 4. In the playoffs, you go with your best. CC on 3 days rest is better than a fully rested Chad Gaudin.
Hughes has earned the role and while he has kept me on the edge of the seat during ALDS, I think he deserves another crack at the role in the ALCS. If we see repeat performances in the first couple of games, you have to consider Joba in that role.
There is very little room for error in the playoffs and the margin shrinks even more so against a team like Anaheim.
I think part of the decision with Mo too is because he is so good against lefties. With a great lefty like Joe Mauer up and Mo’s cutter, he was the better choice to face him. I would go the same way they did it in the first round with Mo ready to get a tough lefty towards the end of the 8th if things get tight. Not that the Angels have that many straight up lefties. Obviously, with a few back to backs, they’ll have to be a little more judicious in terms of extending him beyond the 9th. And you are probably not going to be able to go to both Hughes and Chamberlain in each of the seven games so you can alternate as needed.
Hughes in the 8th. Joba hasn’t exactly been lights out either, so I don’t see why you would switch things up now.
Nick,
You heading down to Anaheim for a game?
My uncle has season tickets, will definitely be at at least one of those games.
I’d love to be there, but I just don’t have the scratch right now.
RE: Mo
When you have days off between games, you can rely more heavily on Mo. Its these back to back games that will be a bit more precarious even if Mo insists he’s ready to go.
Stick with Hughes. His velocity was fine; his command was off and it was probably due to the extra rest.
“Does anyone else believe this series with the twinks may have chosen the mvp. jeter was a force in the yanks advance. then again mauer was too i suppose.”
Ballots were due from the writers the day after the regular season ended.
Mad Prince: it’s pretty unlikely, but there’s some chance. I’m hoping a buddy of mine down there will come upon an extra ticket.
“hughes all the way, to tell u the truth im about ready to give up on joba”
lol?
Yankees are doing sing a longs at the piano?
Is this figuartively…
Or are they literally doing sing a longs at the piano?
Who plays the keyboard?… and then are there 4 players in the vocal group? Will Bernie Williams Jam?
Please lohud…get some more on this!
Joba will be the next Yankee closer if he doesn’t get traded for a big time starting pitcher.
Mark my words.
“Hughes in the 8th. Joba hasn’t exactly been lights out either, so I don’t see why you would switch things up now.”
Joba gave us less hits than Hughes did. Nonetheless, I’d stick with Hughes.
BTW, I just read this on YesNetwork.com. Did you guys know that Posada’s nickname around the team is Sato? Swisher referred to him by that name. I wonder what Sato means. Is that Japanese for Jorge?
the problem with hughes in the 8th is it probably means joba has already pitched the 7th & unless mo comes in who else do we have robertson?
at least if hughes pitches the 7th & gets into trouble we can pull him fast & go with joba or robertson
Erica
I hate people who aren’t fans of something who knock people who are. Case in point- this really stupid woman I work with posted something on her facebook that said “Enough about the Yankees. Who cares”
________________________________________________________________
I feel sorry for people who don’t like baseball. They don’t know what they’re missing out on.
ALCS X-Factors:
AJ Burnett
Robinson Cano
Johnny Damon
AJ needs to repeat his performance in NY last Friday but cut the number of walks in half.
Robinson Cano needs to hit the ball and set the precedent for the bottom half of the lineup.
Damon has got to figure out how to get on base and set the table with Jetes for Tex and ARod.
The bullpen will be just fine and I believe CC and Andy will be at the height of their games when their time comes.
joba hasn’t given up any runs but if you look back to his stuff when he was a reliever a couple years ago, there’s a massive difference in stuff. he doesn’t have the fall off the table slider anymore. and his absolute max fastball is 95, not 99. something happened to joba and i don’t know what it is. i think hughes has FAR better stuff at this point.
Laura
Sado. Someone (Sterling?) used to mispronounce “Posada” as Posado and Jeter shortened it to just Sado as a joke and it stuck.
“joba hasn’t given up any runs but if you look back to his stuff when he was a reliever a couple years ago, there’s a massive difference in stuff. he doesn’t have the fall off the table slider anymore. and his absolute max fastball is 95, not 99. something happened to joba and i don’t know what it is. i think hughes has FAR better stuff at this point.”
joba has hit 97 in the playoffs..and he has thrown some very good sliders…nice try though!
You keep Hughes in the 8th dont start changing roles. But it doesn’t really matter which one pitches the 7th or 8th. The yankees need them both to pitch well in order to win. They will be your late inning bridge to get to Mariano.
Joba pitched very well in the alds, Hughes was a little shakey in game 2 and 3 but he will be fine no need to panic.
Hughes… without a 2nd thought. He has done it all season, & Joba is consistently inconsistent (tho using him in abbreviated BP appearances seems to limit the damage compared to having him start).
Not related… can someone plz explain the superstition behind why the team left the host city the following day after their win?
The issue is more fatigue with Hughes than anything else–this is uncharted territory for a young starter who has been pitching as a set up man for three months.
He didn’t throw his curve because he was burned on it in game 2.
Leave him in, with a short leash. I thank my lucky stars as a fan of the Yankees that it is Joe G, not Joe T, making this decision.
I was in LA last week the night the Dodgers beat the Cards, and talking to a crazy Dodger fan there even they say that Scott Proctor should sue Joe T for managerial malpractice.
I stick with Hughes. He has been doing it almost all year, he has been great. A hiccup vs the Twins isn’t enough to make this kind of change.
PittsburghYankeeFan,
I agree.
I loved the championships he helped us get, but the Joe Torre ship sailed LONG LONG ago for me.
He would have found some way to have utterly abused the bullpen if he was still in NY.
Unless the Twins DFA Punto, and the Angels pick up Punto, then I choose Hughes.
“Leave him in, with a short leash. I thank my lucky stars as a fan of the Yankees that it is Joe G, not Joe T, making this decision.”
————
LOL If Torre was managing both Hughes and Chamberlain would of been on the dl by now from being overworked.
“Sado. Someone (Sterling?) used to mispronounce “Posada” as Posado and Jeter shortened it to just Sado as a joke and it stuck.”
LOL! Oh, okay. It probably was Sterling.
Coke instead of Hughes? Ooooooook………
Hughes has earned his role. If he keeps getting knocked around then you play around with the BP, but you don’t need to firmly establish roles with the BP in the playoffs.
Mo’s the closer, that’s pretty much it.
Phil definitely gets my vote.
That pic of Alex is hilarious, but here’s a better one:
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty.....me_3_n.jpg
Just hope Hughes doesn’t cost us a key game next week with his slump.
As we saw from the Boston/LA series… Angels can come back on good bullpens late, just like we can. He needs to be on the top of his game.
why does everybody think they know why hughes is struggling?
if hughes comes in the 8th inning & gets bombed with no outs or 1 out who comes in?
if hughes pitches the 7th we still have joba to back him up
joba is a different beast in the pen where he can let it go & the role fits him well
more so than hughes
doesnt it feel backwards now instead of
ace
hughes
joba
mo
Hi, everyone!
Was out all day and only just now “tuning” in to the blog. Didn’t read any comments but did read the leads from Sam & Chad (& Josh?)
Hope everyone had a nice day. As for me, I did my best to jump-start our economy.
Yes. Pair AJ and Molina. It’s not really a problem, seems to work well, and well, the Angels are planning to run like H-E- double hockey sticks against Posada. How do I know this? Jorge Mota was interviewed on XM radio today. Game plan is to run, run and run some more. Also, game plan is Strike One against the Yankees.
Drop Marte. Won’t make a difference.
Interesting how Abreu (whom I loved as a Yankee and was sad to see go, though I understood both the economics and the “wall” issue), has become somewhat of a guru for the Angels. Listening to Mota, I got the impression that the Angels never thought to take pitches, work the count and not be such free swingers until Abreu came aboard. And here I thought Sciosa was the ultimate manager who I assumed had control of such things. Sigh. Between Abreu and Pavano – wow- the Yankees seem to let all these team leaders go. WHY?? (Sarcasm)
Hughes is fine in the 8th. He had some “iffy” innings. Okay. It was bound to happen. He’ll be fine. Joba in the 7th is good. Gaudin can start because they have the coverage in the BP.
NOW, for my burning question of the day: Does there have to be a “team or destiny” or a “Cinderella” team every year? The question arises because I was overexposed to XM radio today, where they kept asking whether the Angels are “the team of destiny?”
Now, I understand about Adenhart and certainly sympathize. But the Angels are a good team who has been to the playoffs before.
It seems to me that since the Twins are now out, and the Rockies will probably be out, there is no “feel good” team for the broadcasts to “root” for.
They can never root for the Yankees anymore, and yet, the man who helped to get them where they are today, Mr. Torre, was praised as an absolute genius on XM today. The guy actually said something to the effect of, yeah the players did their jobs, but it was really only Torre’s genius that made them sweep the Cards. Whatever.
I want to know what the “f” the Yankees have to do to get any credit whatsoever. In all the time I spent listening to XM today, the MOST they had to say about the Yankees sweep was well, of course, it was a mismatch, and the Twins made so many base running errors.
I guess it’s all part and parcel of the Yankees gig, but they NEVER get credit for playing good baseball. Yes, they spent money. But they’ve spent money in the past. Girardi has done a GREAT job with this team; this team has done a fantastic job. And yet, well, ho-hum they’re the Yankees.
I apologize for going on and on, but I haven’t been here all day and all my thoughts just came tumbling out.
NYY626 – truer words were never spoken.
Mad Prince – Torre would have stuck by Veras and Albie. He would never have given David Robertson a chance. And Phil Hughes would be booking what day he wanted to have that operation.
do we need hinske?
why not drop him & marte & add bruney & guzman
Being in the pen has ruined his curve…he never uses it. People that expect Phil to be great next year are going to be in for a surprise. He now has to get the feel back on his curve after abandoning it for months and he has to develop a change……..
Betsy,
Thanks for the info about the sing-a-long after the game, etc. Knowing that all is well behind the scenes adds to the joy.
I’m in total agreement about Page 6–I guess they feel they can’t sell papers unless they make up some sort of controversy. Meanwhile, over at Newsday,Baumbach reports, “After gathering enough quotes for my two postgame stories and successfully avoiding the champagne spraying yet again, I decided to leave the Yankees clubhouse and head upstairs to the press box to write.
As I walked down the cramped hallway to get to the stairway, a bunch of women were coming toward me. Clearly these were the Yankee players’ wives and girlfriends. So of course I did what anyone would do.
I stopped and looked for Kate Hudson.
She was last, after about 10 or 15 women. And as she passed by me, I did a double take and recognized the woman she walking with and talking to.
Yes, Minka Kelly.”
So much for the Page 6 catfight.
I like your suggestions bru
Wow, this guy is ………well, I’m speechless:
http://sports.espn.go.com/bost.....id=4552570
In a sense, what the Red Sox of 2003 to 2007 accomplished was even more impressive than the Joe Torre Yankees dynasty of 1996 to 2001, for while the Yankees were truly dominant, the Red Sox seemed only to reach their zenith when faced with permanent extinction. From 1996 to 2001, the Yankees played just six elimination games, and were 4-2. They lost Game 5 to Cleveland in the 1997 Division Series and Game 7 to Arizona in the 2001 World Series while beating the A’s both in Game 5 of the Division Series and in three straight after being down 2-0 in the Division Series a year later. The Red Sox, meanwhile, were 11-2 in elimination games from 2003 to 2007. Down 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004, the Sox famously did not lose a game the rest of the season, winning eight straight and the World Series. Three years later, they beat Cleveland and Colorado in seven straight games after being down to the Indians three games to one.
**This guy needs his press pass revoked. What a dope.
Erica -
That was a fabulous picture!! So funny. Between Kim looking a little, well soggy, Jeter not so sharp, and Alex peeking out? Classic!
marte will never be used because the trust is gone & coke did well
he has to go
do we add a pitcher or a position player?
i dont see hinske getting any ab
he cant play defense & whos bat comes out for his?
You linked a pro-Sox article from ESPNBoston.com?
I’m sure when ESPNNewYork is launched, there will be pro-Yankee articles like that coming out.
Who is Jorge Mota?
I hope Abreu goes 0-20. After his stupid comments about waiting for this chance to knock the Yankees off, I really don’t have any feelings for him. I don’t care if he’s god in Los Angeles. Actually, even before the comments, I never really thought about him. I don’t miss him.
Doreen,
That is a smart game plan from the Angels standpoint… abuse Posada on the basepaths. They may have evolved into more of a power/OBP team lately, but their speed game has killed us for years. There is no reason for them to go away from it.
Did anyone read/hear what Youk had to say about being eliminated?
Something to the effect of your body is happy and relieved, but your mind is a little disappointed.
Can you imagine Derek Jeter saying that????
What I have notice more and more with Hughes is he is starting to become more of a one or a one and half trick pony. In that he is falling in love with his fast ball and his cutter. While both pitches are plus, he needs to factor in his curve ball which is also a plus pitch in order to keep them honest. Even if he does not throw it for strikes it must be in his repertoire or else the Angels will sit and wait a pitch they can handle. The best example is what happen to Paplebon yesterday. All fastballs.
http://web.yesnetwork.com/medi.....id=7047671
The captain got drenched last night! Can anyone make out what Alex says to Derek? I just tried to listen to it 4x and I can’t make it out….
Doreen, Jon Heyman wrote a shlock piece on CNNSI.com about how the Angels are easily the best story in the post-season. Really? Not for me……….They may be a bunch of good guys, but so are the Yankees? I skimmed the article, then decided not to continue because ,as I said, it was pure schlock.
I’ll admit Hughes is making me a little nervous. I think these 4 days off could do him some good.
Marie, you’re welcome! I don’t know what Suzyn is referencing in terms of Page 6. That is, I don’t know if she means Page 6 wrote something gossipy and stupid about the Yankees. I hate gossip, I don’t care about celebrities and I wouldn’t touch page 6 if my life depended on it.
I want to know what songs they were singing, lol
Betsy Where did you find that?! That is why I love this team!
Doreen October 12th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Did anyone read/hear what Youk had to say about being eliminated?
Something to the effect of your body is happy and relieved, but your mind is a little disappointed.
Can you imagine Derek Jeter saying that????
________________________________________________________________
No. This is why Youkilis should never be mentioned in the same sentence at Jeter.
Considering the death they experienced early in the season, and how they rallied from like 10 games under .500 and overcame all their injuries (lost their top 3 starting pitchers and their top 2 reserve pitchers in the minors for an extended period of time, Vlad missed a bunch of games early, Shields was out for the year too)… they are a good story.
Not everyone is out to get the Yankees. The Angels had to overcome much more than we did. We were not even struggling that badly early on, it was just accentuated by the losses to Boston.
“I hope Abreu goes 0-20. After his stupid comments about waiting for this chance to knock the Yankees off, I really don’t have any feelings for him.”
Where did Abreu says these things? First I’ve heard of it. At any rate, Abreu was on record as being very disappointed that the Yankees didn’t even try to talk to him during the off season. When you look at his stats, I can see why. I totally support us not paying him the $17mil. But after the FA market dried up and he could be had for mere pennies, I would have signed him. I prefer him to Nady (even though he’s ridiculously gorgeous) and Swisher (even though he’s fun to have around).
Yanks 192
Yes it is a good game plan, though not very inspired.
Betsy,
I’m sorry. It’s Jose Mota. He’s a commentator/broadcaster for the Angels and is a former player for the Padres and Royals who was drafter by the White Sox.
we have hairston who can play anywhere,gardner & guzman to cover hinske
yes hinske has pop but i dont see jg pulling anybody for hinske unless he ph for gardner,hairston,guzman in the last inning but we lose speed & defense if the game gets tied
Well, with the way the team rallied around Adenheart after his death… that is a pretty good story.
Angels overcame A LOT of injuries this year… it was Met-like for them.
But unlike the Mets, the Angels have heart and rallied through their injuries rather than folded because of it.
Jen, you mean about the sing alongs? Suzyn’s blog on WFAN – here you go:
http://www.wfan.com/Three-Down.....ntRating=1
The Yankees held a wonderful party in the hotel after the game…what struck me (besides the Dom Perignon) was how much this group actually likes each other, how the families like each other. I have never seen wives taking group pictures, players sitting together going over the game, watching the Philly-Rockies game, including everyone, at least not in THIS decade. Sing alongs at the piano…can you imagine…SING ALONGS at the piano!! Joe Girardi has built something very special in that clubhouse. By the way, if you read Page 6..(and what are you doing reading Page 6?) the stories of discord are “hooey!” Pure fiction.
Laura,
He just said he wants to play the Yanks and has been looking forward to it all year.
Not nearly as inflammatory as people are making it out to be. So the guy uses it as motivation, who cares? Good for him. It’s turned him into a god in Los Angeles. Soscia even said they wouldn’t have made the playoffs if they didn’t sign him.
Kyle -
No way do I want to undervalue what the Angels have done this season. They suffered the loss of a teammate to a horrible death.
But the rest of it? Players on the dl? Happens to everyone.
They did rebound. They came back – because the guys who came back are talented guys.
My point is really that the Angels, the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Phillies and the Cardinals and really also the Twins and the Rockies are all good teams with playoff history – recent playoff history. There are no Tampa Bay Rays here.
So, there really is no “Cinderella” team – although the Rockies and the Twins had fantastic 2nd halves to get to the playoffs.
There is no “team of destiny.” It’s a fallacy to boost ratings and encourage non-baseball fans to watch and root for team they’d otherwise have no interest in.
All the teams involved in league championship played to get there and have been there before.
Laura, this is all I could find:
Twitter-Bobby Abreu 5 for 9, 4 runs, 4 walks, 1 RBI in ALDS. “I want the Yankees next,” he said. “Been waiting all year.” LAA just loves him.
about 1 hour ago from web
Abreu didn’t sign until February and we didn’t need him….Being disappointed is one thing, waiting for revenge is another. If he’s bitter, let him be bitter.
Also, the Angels make it sound like they sought out Abreu for his specific skills. Hello? They signed him to a bargain contract.
I love Abreu. I hated that the Yankees had a situation where you knew it was inevitable he was gone. Wall or no wall, I thought he was a great cog in the Yankees lineup, and I loved his exuberance. But I understood.
But aside from the Rays and the ANgels, there was no market for Abreu.
I finally have a chance to listen to the audio that Chad/Sam posted early this morning. Loved hearing HEY SADO’S IN HERE! LOL
I was under the impression that once the Yanks didn’t offer Abreu arbitration, they were not allowed to negotiate with him until some time in the spring.
Not sure when that date would have been or if I’m just imagining the whole thing.
Doreen, I don’t believe in Destiny either – it’s pure bunk. The Angels are a very good team and should be respected, but they’d better respect the Yankees because the Yankees have been the best team in baseball for months. I don’t believe in destiny or magic, just hard work and execution. The Yankees have had plenty of magical moments this year – the team never, ever, ever gives up. It’s hard not to like them…..but the are the Yankees, so no one does. Oh well. I just get warm fuzzy feelings thinking about how much these players love each other……
Betsy
It’s not necessarily bitter, Abreu’s statement.
Is it bad that I want the Rockies to lose simply because of where they play?????
Doreen, thanks!
Well, the Yanks will just have to keep the Angels off the bases. LOL I will be on vacation for the later games, so I will miss this blog tremendously
NYY626
October 12th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
http://web.yesnetwork.com/medi…..id=7047671
The captain got drenched last night! Can anyone make out what Alex says to Derek? I just tried to listen to it 4x and I can’t make it out….
***
It sounded like “Love you” to me. But wouldn’t that just be crazy?
Doreen
October 12th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Erica -
That was a fabulous picture!! So funny. Between Kim looking a little, well soggy, Jeter not so sharp, and Alex peeking out? Classic!
***
LOL… THanks. I am still laughing everytime I look at it.
Why in the world would anyone want Joba in the 8th? Because he got a few outs in an inning a week ago? He’s still throwing 95 (and not 99 like he used to), his slider still isn’t sharp, and his control is still shaky, the bullpen doesn’t change that. He escaped last night but he didn’t look much better than Hughes. I’m not worried about Phil.
Betsy- Thanks
Stick with Hughes as the 8th inning man. There’s no point in messing what’s been successful for months because of one game and shake the confidence of Phil Hughes.
Girardi used Mo’s longtime experience as a gut move and if it came up again, he’d likely do the same.
Either Joba or Robertson will be the 7th inning men with a possibility of Phil Coke in certain situations.
Alfred Aceves is still in the mix.
well he got us next
if cc,burnett,pettitte do well we will win
if this is our year we win if it isnt we wont
that simple
the great thing is we are set up for years
a lf,dh & maybe a pitcher & we are ok
i would still like to get another stud pitcher
maybe webb
cc
webb
burnett
pettitte
hughes
joba
Doreen, I guess I don’t get why he’s been waiting all this time if he’s not bitter……..but, on the other hand, it’s not something I’m thinking about. I really have no regrets at letting him go – he wasn’t worth nearly that much $$$ and if we had signed him, we wouldn’t have Tex. I’m very happy with Swisher……
The Yanks could have had Abreu for a very reasonable price. They would be a much stronger team with him in RF than that complete joke of a ballplayer, Nick Swisher.
Does anyone really think Swisher would have the kind of AB that Abreu did against Papelbon yesterday? No way.
Bruney needs to be on roster
I reject the premise of this debate. I think that it’s ridiculous to have rigid roles in the postseason.
If the Game 1 or 3 starter is done after six innings and the Yankees have a small lead, I would give the ball to Joba Chamberlain. If he looks dominant in the 7th inning, I’d keep him in the game for the 8th. If Chamberlain throws two terrific innings, I’d have Mariano Rivera pitch the 9th. If the Yankees have a similar lead the next night and Joba were unavailable, then I would turn to Phil Hughes as the first pitcher out of the bullpen.
I think that Joe Girardi pulled the plug on Joba’s Friday night outing way too early. When Joba has his dominant stuff and locates his pitches, then there is nobody I would rather have out there to pitch crucial innings–except for Mariano.
Im not reading 136 posts before posting this. Ive watched and played baseball for 40 years. Sorry, but I don’t need the average jackass’s opinion. No offense.
Rivera was brought in because he eats lefthanded hitters alive. End of story. No other reason. Case closed.
CMB – I couldn’t possibly disagree more. Phil Hughes gets relegated to mop up behind Joba because of two shaky outings? I don’t think so.
Whoa, Robert, take a chill pill.
Swisher has 28 HR. He’s batting seventh. He cost $6 million and has a three year contract. He’s a better defender than Bobby in RF (and that isn’t saying much).
Abreu will likely get $9-10 million in arb next year, and the Yankees weren’t paying him $15 million for 09 on his option.
One AB does not make a contract or a player. Why the Swish hate?
Erica this one is great.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0.....?q=yankees
I have it on my desktop at work. I get mad, I shrink everything and look at it.
Doreen, LOL. No it’s not bad. Even Jeter said re: Anaheim, “at least it’ll be warm” or something like that.
Erica – always OPPC October 12th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
NYY626
October 12th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
http://web.yesnetwork.com/medi…..id=7047671
The captain got drenched last night! Can anyone make out what Alex says to Derek? I just tried to listen to it 4x and I can’t make it out….
***
It sounded like “Love you” to me. But wouldn’t that just be crazy?
_____________________________________________________________
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t loving the resurgence of the Jeter and Alex bromance.
Jen, the picture I posted above of AJ pouring champagne down Nick’s throat is on the Daylife photo grid, but what’s funny is that if you put the cursor over the photo, it says that AJ is an “unidentified” teammate. Poor AJ – how sad is that? LOL
robert
they couldnt offer him arbitration & by the time the deadline passed we already spent a ton
it is hard for a player to take an 11 million dollar paycut to stay with the same team after waiting out the arb process
he is mad because he gets paid peanuts
i would of loved to have him but our offense is fine
our pitching has to be better than theirs & right now i think cc,burnett & pettitte are better & we have a massive bullpen advantage where most of the games will be decided
I was just watching FX (Fox Cable), and a promo for ALCS Game 1 said coverage was starting at 7:30pm on Friday. I don’t know how set in stone that is considering NLCS Game 2 is scheduled to be played that night as well.
“The Yanks could have had Abreu for a very reasonable price. They would be a much stronger team with him in RF than that complete joke of a ballplayer, Nick Swisher.
Does anyone really think Swisher would have the kind of AB that Abreu did against Papelbon yesterday? No way.”
I try not to read the stupid comments on this site, but this one caught my eye and I had to respond. As much as it pains me.
The Yankees could not have had Abreu for “a reasonable price”. He wanted a minimum of 16M per season from the Yankees, as much as he made last year, and he wanted a 3 year deal to boot. In fact, he really wanted a raise, coming off what he considered a very good season. It would have cost over 40M to sign Abreau again. He just aint worth it. Not even close. He had to go, and find his value was nowhere near what he thought. He signed in desperation with the Angels for 5M for one year.
As for Swisher, he has MUCH MORE power than Abreu, and actually takes more pitches and works counts better than Abreu. Thats Abreu’s only good trait, and Swisher is better. In fact, he led major league baseball in pitches per AB for 2 straight seasons. He also brings an irreverance and off beat personality to this buttoned down team that is very valuable. He has been sensational for the Yankees, there is no way around it.
Thank God clueless people like you really have no impact on the running of this franchise, or it would be another 10 years at least before we won again.
I’d stick with Hughes. It could be that he wasn’t used much in the last couple of weeks. He needs to work on his cutter.
You have to go to Hughes in the eighth. He’s been doing it all year. No need to change now.
robert, you are discounting Swishers affect on the clubhouse which has been well regarded as the biggest asset in bringing this “team” together. Notice I said “team”, not “collection of players” which is what this team was last year. Not blaming that on Abreu, but I doubt very much that AJ and Damon could have loosened the stick that was up the old guard’s rear without the help of the Swishawk. I’d say the parting between the Yankees and Abreu was good for both.
KennyH123
October 12th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Im not reading 136 posts before posting this. Ive watched and played baseball for 40 years. Sorry, but I don’t need the average jackass’s opinion. No offense.
Rivera was brought in because he eats lefthanded hitters alive. End of story. No other reason. Case closed.
————————————————————
spot on
his cutter tails in
great call by jg
I don’t think it would be wise to “change horses” at this stage of the game. Hughes has been our go to 8th inning guy. It is what he has been doing for months now. I just think that the big stage of the post season is rattling him a little right now. If you pull him out now and show you have no confidence in him, what do you do with him and who do you replace him with? Does anyone really think Joba is ready to move back into the 8th inning set up roll? There are no other real alternatives. Hughes was one of the best (if not, the best) set up guys in the majors this year. Let’s let him do his job.
robert,
SWISHer would have struck out on 3 pitches…
Betsy
October 12th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
CMB – I couldn’t possibly disagree more. Phil Hughes gets relegated to mop up behind Joba because of two shaky outings? I don’t think so.
=====
Hell, no, that’s not happening.
This whole thing is a fake discussion any way. It’s not as if Girardi is playing this either/or game re Hughes and Chamberlain. This was manufactured to create a fun thread on one of many off days. It’s not a real weighted consideration, in Girardi’s mind.
Hughes has done nothing to indicate he’s folding in his eighth inning role. It’s obvious a little fatigue has set in – let’s see his movement/location after a four day respite.
On the other hand, the Yankees have a couple of 23 year old kids w/electric arms out of the bullpen, who can make hitters swing and miss. How great is that? Throw in D-Rob, and we’ve got a 6-inning game almost nightly.
I’d say, if Hughes encounters the kind of showdown Cabrera offered at Yankee Stadium (which, I might add, ended in triumph for Hughes, with Cabrera trying to break his bat over his thigh, after K-ing), and throws a ton of pitches, and Joba is fresh on a consecutive game-day, it would be fine to let Joba pitch the eighth that day. I’d feel fine about D-Rob as well.
We’re blessed. We have first-rate options.
http://www.bronxbanterblog.com.....-of-jeter/
Nice article
Bodh, I agree……..fans are getting worked up over nothing…..Phil deserves to be and will be the 8th inning guy. I have zero, zero doubts about his mental toughness…….I don’t think “choke” is in this kid’s vocabulary. He’s just human, that’s all.
I wouldn’t start changing things around too much. Keep Hughes in the 8th.
On an unrelated topic, I have a pet peeve. I always wonder why everyone always says “Rivera has been doing it since 1996″
Rivera was awesome in the 1995 ALDS!!!! Why doesn’t anyone seem to remember his work in that seies?
KennyH123
you cant pay every player 16 million dollars
if he takes an 11 million dollar paycut after the arb deadline then i rather have him but not likely
if he went out of his way to say he wanted to remain a yankee & was willing to take less money than it is our fault but i doubt he did that
if we go trough arbitration with him we might not have other players like cc,tex,burnett
“Bodh, I agree……..fans are getting worked up over nothing…..Phil deserves to be and will be the 8th inning guy. I have zero, zero doubts about his mental toughness…….I don’t think “choke” is in this kid’s vocabulary. He’s just human, that’s all.”
You’re both dead on right.
This is the same kid who relieved Clemens in the 2007 ALDS in a elimination game and pitched 3 lights out innings.
These are the same type of fans that would’ve declared Mo done after 1997 ALDS or 2001 WS. Playoffs are the best playing the best. Hughes will get it done.
“Does anyone really think Swisher would have the kind of AB that Abreu did against Papelbon yesterday? No way.”
Obviously Swish is not the force Abreu is. Still, Swish had a very productive year.
And Paps had an off day. He’s usually not that bad.
I really thought he was just going to throw his usual wild stuff and Vlad was going to go crazy trying to hit it.
Then Paps grooved one. To the one batter who chases everything.
KennyH123
didnt mean that post to u
Swisher has a good eye, but a much longer swing. He’s more power focused than Abreu, and he’s also a switch hitter, but he doesn’t compare to Abreu as a hitter.
Abreu borders on brilliant in terms of his sense of the strike zone. He is also a much better contact hitter, and can hang in much longer, fouling off pitches. As a left-handed hitter, Abreu’s lighter power would still translate well this season at Yankee Stadium.
Abreu is what, five years older than Swish? And can’t play the outfield competently any more. His outfield play was crippling, although he’s gotten better at dealing with the wall – and Girardi should take a bow for helping him somewhat overcome this.
If we had had a DH spot open, it would have been worth hanging onto Abreu. He’s not a good hitter, he’s great.
But he would have had to play the outfield, and considering his age, and his declining defensive skills, it would not have worked out.
Swisher is still an adventure in RF, but he has really applied himself, working on his throws, and using a somewhat under rated athleticism to track down balls.
The thing about our weak COFs is, they at least TRY to make plays. It’s not like we have Adam Dunn out there. Both Damon and Swisher will give it their best shot.
I marvel at Abreu’s ability at the plate. He’s the calmest guy in the world with 2 strikes. In my household, we call him the Full Count.
I miss him, but I don’t see how we could have kept him – not as a fulltime position player.
Swisher is 8 years younger than Abreu.
Swish played good out there this series.
A couple of nice running catches. A sweet sliding catch. The heads up throws to Jeter. A nice throw to keep a runner at 3rd.
Not too shabby.
And the big double in game 1.
He contributed.
Betsy
October 12th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Bodh, I agree……..fans are getting worked up over nothing…..Phil deserves to be and will be the 8th inning guy. I have zero, zero doubts about his mental toughness…….I don’t think “choke” is in this kid’s vocabulary. He’s just human, that’s all.
=====
Yup. Ice water in the kid’s veins.
Bill Buckner, seriously, I actually shed a tear, man, when Hughes was shutting down the Indians in that game, with 50,000 people “Huuuuuuuuughessss” ing. It was emotional, not just because it was an elimination game, but because this kid was our homegrown stud, giving us a glimpse of glories to come.
I don’t care what naysaying losers say – Hughes has arrived. He’s a stud and he has already helped us in “big” games – not just that night in 2007 – but as we successfully pursued and won the AL East Division.
Tom in N.J.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Swisher is 8 years younger than Abreu.
=====
Well, that’s really significant. Huge gap in age, there.
Swisher was what the Yankees needed this year. He’s a good roll player who came off the bench when Nady went down and played very, very well.
Plus, he did make a few plays vs the Wins and had a big rbi double/
I would stick with Hughes too. I also think that Joe made the right decision to bring Mariano in to face Mauer. At least it worked out for us.
Wow, Jets full off fake punt. Time to watch football!
The Giambino.
Holy crap, Giambi does it again.
GIAMBIII
The Giambino
Good for Jason Giambi!
the giambino for the tie
Giambi going the other way to tie it up.
Where was that for the last 7 years?
I hope my father isn’t watching the game.
Well, well, look who got a big hit for the Rockies – The Big G! And to the opposite field! Why couldn’t he go the other way when he was here?
Who is that weird looking creature impersonating Jason Giambi?
Did he go the other way?
Lol.
Trying to watch 3 games at once, here. My Penguins, Jets, and the NL ALDS. Hey – Rockies have the lead.
Simply speaking, the stars did not align for the Yankees to re-sign Abreu. Abreu was a great player (hitter) for the Yankees. He fit seamlessly into their lineup. He was patient –
Giambi just drove in the tying run in Denver !
– and productive as a hitter. It was unfortunate that they couldn’t hold onto him. He was simply too expensive.
It’s hard to argue that the Yankees didn’t make the right move here. They ended up with Teixeira and Swisher. And Abreu ended up on a playoff team.
Wow! Rockies lead.
Swisher impressed me with is willingness to both see his defensive weaknesses and address them.
wow- bigtime turn of events in denver
And Giambi even scores from first!
Man, Lee looks down. Ryan Madson blows up. The Phillies’ bullpen will be the end of them.
Wow That Stache is Crazy
i love giambi. good for him.
Braylon Edwards’ Jets’ baptism.
Phils are having one of those playoff quicksand innings
Guys, who was the Giambi HR off of?
It was a base hit, Bod.
Giambi has an RBI single to left, not a HR.
People also forget that Swisher basically carried this offense for the first month of the season when AROD was out and Tex was abysmal at the plate.
Just to validate this with stats, in April
.312 AVG, .430 OBP, 1.144 OPS, 7 HR and 19 RBI
Oh, thanks. Thought he homered away.
Did Lee give up the lead?
Remember when the Rockies were debating whether to trade Huston Street? Might be the best decision they made this year.
I hate it when teams-Dolphins I’m looking at you-wear their awful 3rd jersey on national televised games. Nothing but a marketing ploy.
Madson, I believe, gave up the hit. The run may have been charged to Lee.
What’s the temperature in Denver? Those people look like they’re a football game, for Pete’s sake.
Denver’s unis last night took the cake, but I’m grateful they beat the Pats.
Thanks, Tom.
Just to validate this with stats, in April
.312 AVG, .430 OBP, 1.144 OPS, 7 HR and 19 RBI
====
Swish has done the job. Guy being a switch hitter is a huge plus.
Stop being ignant. You know what Youklis may have said is true. It’s 100% true. Jeter not saying it is cause it might have been something that would have put into question his drive and determination.
“But aside from the Rays and the ANgels, there was no market for Abreu.”
Not true. Both the Mets and the Cubs could have used his services. In fact, I bet the Cubs are kicking themselves for signing Bradley instead of Abreu.
Anyone know how Pena & Bruney are doing down in Tampa?
I’m assuming they’re playing in some games, staying sharp?
Just curious.
How can anyone root for Giambi ?? As a steroid guy, I cant stand the sight of him.
MLB.com says that a player leaped over Utley. He’ll get kudos for it tomorrow in the papers, but that is a very dangerous play that could have seriously hurt the both of them.
Laura -
The only contract offers, I believe were from the Rays and the Angels. That is what I’ve been hearing on radio this week. And that is what I recall. the Cubs adn Mets could have used him, but I don’t believe they made any overtures to him.
sadf =
Are you talkin’ ta me?
“Denver’s unis last night took the cake, but I’m grateful they beat the Pats.”
_________________________
Denver surprised me, to be honest I thought they would be 0-5 or 1-5. I thought the Chargers(in their division) we’re going to take the division, but San Diego isn’t doing good at all. Very surprising.
Over the past couple of days, I’ve seen Brad Lidge, Ryan Franklin, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Madson, and now Huston Street try to close playoff games.
Thanks goodness for Mariano Rivera. We are truly fortunate to see greatness on a regular basis.
You know what ? Watching these other teams closers …. Nathan, Paplebom, Street, Lidge … They arent any good.
Laura =
Other teams were interested but quickly moved their interest elsewhere since Abreu was looking for a lot more than they were willing to offer. He took a real cut to finally go to the Angels.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3899641
“The Cubs and Mets could have used him, but I don’t believe they made any overtures to him.”
True, but they should have. At one point, Abreu was holding firm on a multi year, double digit million salary. By the time he came to realize what his current market value was, those teams had probably moved on.
Ken =
It’s not that they aren’t very good – it’s just that they’re not Mo.
Houston Street is not a very good closer. Hes probably worse than Nathan. Yankees have the big edge as a closer. Fuentes sucks too. Who closes for the Dodgers ?
Wow @ Philies for coming back. Howard looking very A-Rod like there.
Isn’t it amazing how many comeback wins, especially in the last innings, have happened already in the postseason?
Broxton
and people wanted to give up ajax and mccalister for huston street! ha
Damn I wanted the Rockies to win. I think the Phillies would pose a greater threat than the Rockies if they face off against the Rockies. The Rockies dont scare me.
Boy, Huston Street sucks…………and we wanted this guy? He gave up 3 runs to the Phillies with 2 outs to blow the lead for the Rockies.
We should get on our knees and thank God at least once a day for Mariano Rivera.
Doreen,
Well said!
All I have to say is we have taken Mariano for granted all these years, if that’s even possible. Enjoy him now because when he retires, we’ll have to wait many, many years to see anyone else come close to his standard.
Wow, huston street = fail
PHI is still not out of the woods. Their closer sucks too and may give the lead right back.
Guys, Mariano is truly amazing. Tom Kelly had it right – he should be banned. The rest of the league doesn’t have a chance.
If it isn’t a unanimous HOF vote, there should be an investigation.
The best thing about this is now we’ll have a chance to see the immortal Brad Lidge try to close a game for the 2nd day in a row in frigid temperatures.
Miguel Cairo is with PHI? I had no idea.
I feel badly for the Rockies fans – imagine their sense of anticipation? Yankees fans are totally spoiled – this is what fans of every other team go through. When Mo blows a game, there is literally a sense of shock, like it’s just impossible to believe. The man is a wonder……He’s performed the hardest job in baseball, the most pressurized and intense job, for well over a decade…….and he’s not lost a step. Remarkable.
Laura, years from now, when the Yanks have a big name closer, we will all say, “Yeah, he’s pretty good – but he’s not Mariano.”
Nathan looked like he was quivering on the mound. He has no intestinal fortitude like the great Mariano.
Ken, I agree with you on Giambi. I never understood why Yankee fans like Giambi. He got a MONSTER contract from the Yankees pretty much based on his steroid use and aside from his first year as a Yankee was never even close to the same player he was as a juiced up Athletic. He consistenly hit freaking 100 points lower than he did with the A’s. 100 points in average. That is ridiculous.
He was the symbol for everything wrong with the Yankees post 2001. Overpaid, terrible defender, slow, aging and unathletic.
Wanna talk about stealing from the Yankees, talk about Giambi. 126 million based on being a cheater. At least Pavano only cost 40 million and at least AROD is still the same beast he was off the juice.
“Nathan looked like he was quivering on the mound. He has no intestinal fortitude like the great Mariano.”
He was scared to death; you could tell by how he kept blowing air out of his mouth.
Tuck91NYG,
Denver is looking good, that coach is turning them around. they get credit. They play in a weak division. San Diego is the only other decent team, but they’re playing weak, that D can’t block to save their lives, o-line can’t help the QB. & I don’t like his mouth, but Rivers is a very good QB. He keeps them in the game, & he gets no help from his team. The broncos are for real, & have a nice shot.
Now getting back to baseball, I would defiantly stick with Hughes
If I had to rank the top 3 closers Id say,
1) Mariano 2) Pappelbom 3) K-Rod 4) Lidge 5) Soria
“Wanna talk about stealing from the Yankees, talk about Giambi. 126 million based on being a cheater. At least Pavano only cost 40 million and at least AROD is still the same beast he was off the juice.”
You can’t compare Giambi to Pavano. At least Giambi actually played in games. How many pitches did Pavano throw while wearing pinstripes? I’m no fan of the Giambi years, but he gave us more than Pavano ever did.
m
Cairo is in the game. If the Rox score a run and the Phils bat again, maybe…
Jon Grudin ( Chucky ) is a know it all jerk…..I hope he’s has a 1 year deal with ESPN….Both him and studio chump Chris Carter have downgraded the quality and integrity of ESPN Football coverage…..
I almost felt bad for Nathan. Almost
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.....id=7035401
“Guys, Mariano is truly amazing. Tom Kelly had it right – he should be banned. The rest of the league doesn’t have a chance.
If it isn’t a unanimous HOF vote, there should be an investigation.”
Rivera won’t even come close to a unanimous vote, even though he will make it fairly easily on the first ballot. There will be older voters who won’t vote him in because he was strictly a relief pitcher. Even if he was the best ever.
If Tom Seaver or Willie Mays or even Cal Ripken couldn’t get 100%, then it’ll never happen.
Laura using that logic you would be supporting that ass-hat Roger Clemens. A steroid user is a cheater and they have no place in the game. Thats the reason I cant root for Rodriguez. He destroyed his credibility in my eyes and ruined his reputation in the process. with no HgH test I worry a lot of these players are still using. Baseball was better in the 70s.
Laura,
But at least Pavano only cost 40 million. Basically every team in baseball has thrown away 40 million at some point on a bad free agent signing. 126 million though. I do not think so.
I would honestly take Pavano and his waste of 40 million over Giambi’s albatross contract. Pavano’s contract never hindered the Yankees in anyway. Giambi’s most certainly did. Not to mention, because of his steroid use Giambi was certainly not the healthiest player.
Hey Ken –
Did you watch baseball this year? That list seems appropriate for 2008, maybe…. Yikes!
1.) Mariano
2.) Nathan
3.) Broxton
..that’s just me.
How can you feel bad for Nathan? The guy has no intestinal fortitude. If you cant pitch in NY, what good are you? Im glad hes not on the Yanks.
If I am a sportswriter, my Phillies / Rockies article tomorrow opens with “Huston, We Have a Papelbon”.
JasonR-
“There will be older voters who won’t vote him in because he was strictly a relief pitcher.”
———————————–
I think that’s a ridiculous statement. Unless some of the voters are left over from the days of Cy Young and Jack Chesbro (when the relief pitcher was a rarity!), I don’t think the fact that he doesn’t start games hurts him in the least!
Someone has to come into a ballgame when the starter is finished, and Mariano happens to be the best of all time in that role.
Lord Ken you need some fiber or something.
Very good, Carlo…
“That’s the reason I cant root for Rodriguez. ”
So when he hit that bomb off of Nathan, you were calmly sitting in your seat, quiet as a church mouse?
If you don’t root for Alex, you don’t root for the Yankees. As you’ve seen this past series, we need him.
Ive seen Nathan blow too many big games. I dont care what his stats say.
Don’t feel bad for Nathan………..the guy’s a hotdog..
Good. Now PHI can knock off LAD and we can knock of PHI.
At least Giambi tried hard and was well-liked in the clubhouse. No one expected him to do much last season but he played first base regularly and put up pretty good stats offensively. And he had a few big hits with the Yankees.
Pavano? He literally did not have a single good moment in his Yankee career. And the team hated him. I much prefer Giambi.
Laura Im worried about the Phillies. They have an offense that is basically an American League Lineup. I wouldnt be so sure we should be rooting for the Phillies.
I’m not looking past the Angels by any stretch, but the Phillies scare me, a lot.
“I think that’s a ridiculous statement. Unless some of the voters are left over from the days of Cy Young and Jack Chesbro (when the relief pitcher was a rarity!), I don’t think the fact that he doesn’t start games hurts him in the least! ”
Hey, I’m not saying I agree with it, but that’s what’s going to happen. There are also going to be voters who won’t vote for Rivera just to preserve the fact that no one has ever gotten a unanimous vote. That’s how the Hall of Fame works. He’ll be an easy first ballot Hall of Famer, but there’s no chance he gets 100%.
“Laura Im worried about the Phillies. They have an offense that is basically an American League Lineup. I wouldnt be so sure we should be rooting for the Phillies.”
PHI will be tough for sure. However, I prefer that battle against the media nightmare that would ensue should LAD make it to the WS with us. The whole Torre/Manny thing would be too annoying to bare.
Ken-
Which games? Yea, I know he failed in game 2, but Mariano failed in Gm. 7 of a World Series, and 2 games in a row in clinching games of the ALCS.
Doesn’t really make anyone think less of him…
All of your points are hollow. Still would LOVE to know how you put “Pappelbom” #2 and Lidge #4…
Stupid scheduling. Now we won’t have baseball for days.
Ken, if you can not root for a former steroid user you may as well not even watch the Yankees with current players like Pettitte, AROD, and who knows who else, let alone watch baseball in general. I bet you are and have rooted for a ton of former and current steroid users
I can not stand Giambi because he got 126 million for his steroid use and then was nowhere close to the player without it. He basically lied and cheated his way to 126 million.
On Arod, he was great this year. And unless he is the dumbest guy in the world, there is no way he was on the juice. Based on his production this year I really believe he was never on the juice with the Yankees and frankly never needed it.
I would kill for the chance to face Joseph and the Dodgers in the WS for two reasons:
1 – because they don’t worry me at all
2 – because Joe could use a little payback for The Yankee Years
I’m with you that he won’t get 100%… But I don’t think his title as a relief pitcher will contribute to that. The whole “won’t vote on the 1st ballot” thing, sure, I know that’s present.
I mean if Ripken Jr., Gwynn, Gibson, Mays, Aaron, etc. etc. can’t get 100%, then forget it…
—-
Separate debate: who in the next 10-20 years do you see coming closest to 100%?
I would say that Greg Maddux has to be at the top of that list, along with Griffey Jr., Pedro Martinez, and Mariano.
“Stupid scheduling. Now we won’t have baseball for days.”
FOX is the anti-Christ.
Ive decided I cant worry about the NL series at this point. Let them battle it out. If its LA, we have to deal with the whole Torree scenario. It will be a PR disaster if we lose. However losing to Philly would also be rough. You have a strong anti NY sentiment in Philly. Rollins always has taken a swipe at the Yankees. If we lose to them you have loud mouthed fans shoving it in our faces.
Doreen,
You go, girl! Why is it so hard to say, “I think the Yankees will win because they’re the best team.”? Is that too boring? Did you read my post this morning? The guy on the radio actually said he thinks the Angels are going to win it because they’re playing for Adenhart. Like other players don’t play for loved ones? Swisher plays for his grandparents. Alex plays for Kate.
I feel bad. I walked in and heard cheering when I turned on the TV, so I figured they were winning. And they were, with Utley at the plate. And it went downhill from there.
Hughes will be fine. No one can possibly say put Joba in there based on 3 outings when Phil’s been doing it for half the season. Joba’s more likely to put guys on base, too. Robertson’s the only one that’s as good or better than Hughes.
Why do they cover the lockers but not the carpet? Do they just change the carpet and charge the visiting club?
RS,
I completely understand your sentiment on Giambi at least trying, but his contract was far more of a detriment than Pavano’s. Not to mention I would say Giambi is a even bigger scumbag than Pavano. Pavano is a woose and an idiot (car accident) but Giambi lied and cheated his way to 126 million dollars.
Giambi got paid $20 million a season for the Yankees to be a worse version of Adam Dunn in 6 of his 7 years here.
If you could go back in time you would honestly sign Giambi over Pavano if you had a choice?
Imagine what the Yankees could have done with $126 million.
I wonder if TBS’s postgame coverage will be any better tonight ?
“Separate debate: who in the next 10-20 years do you see coming closest to 100%?”
It’ll be Maddux easily. I think he’ll be in the 96-98% range.
Gosh I cant stand Charlie Manuel. He is so cocky.
I despise Charlie Manuel and his arrogance.
Houston Street is not a big time closer. We saw that tonight. Add him to the list of Mariano wanna-be’s along with Benitez, Hoffman, Fuentes, and Rodney.
Good lord Jim Tracy is embarrasing sitting there and talking about all the accomplishments of the Rockies. Where is the anger ?? He seems very soft.
Anyone have a time for Game 1 yet?
Joba-Phil-Mo works for me.
3-Man rotation!
CC will be rested by Friday, and if we make it past Halos, will have a few more days to rest.
Crazy as it sounds. If we go 3-Man the rest of the way, CC could end up with 5 wins in post season. WOW!
Remember Cabrera’s 10-pitch at bat? Hughes is the man!
another shakey 8th and i’d have to consider changing things up. until then, hughes it is…
[url=https://share.acrocomcontent.com/adc/src/POSTSEASON2a.pdf?nodeId=177fba0e-bcc0-43f0-ab2d-92dd45a7bdf3&key=mkxRKozLNP1hebiOqkz3Od28DDz6PYea6TI3bFqNLw%2B5JwbhHgSCALHCo06keEf2blKdISWTqE51%0AReahCyHVssTcBm8SBBrc6JNoqJbgrHogYrykwhRixDJuvYwDq9MilYHVfat5t2Cjdkv0QoSRyirq%0AoIh6Wo4BSMIvIorJDr63peUeStQWLGpTgUHbX3Bo]RESULTS[/url]
RESULTS
I’m like speed games