Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Oct 20, 2009 
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Joe Girardi made a few debatable decisions and the Yankees missed a chance to put a stranglehold on the ALCS, losing in extra innings to the Angels yesterday. Chad Jennings has the story.
As much heat as Girardi is getting, none of it would have mattered if the Yankees hitters weren’t so putrid with runners in scoring position. Strange as it sounds, I wrote in my column, the Yankees can’t succeed if the only hits they get are the biggest ones.
Now the pressure on CC Sabathia is even greater, with the Yankees ace starting today’s Game 4 on short rest. The notebook also has items on Rays starter Scott Kazmir and other assorted news.
No love for Joe G today.
Lots of culprits yesterday, though, not just that last move. Angels are a tough team.
I have a thought about Dave Robertson. I believe, contrary to others, that Robertson does indeed have Joe’s “trust.” Look at the situations he’s been in. I think he’s the “secret weapon” – a second closer, if you will. Which makes yesterday’s move doubly head-scratching. Robertson most certainly could have faced one more hitter, finished the inning, and possibly started another. But Girardi said “all hands on deck,” and I guess he meant for EVERY GAME.
Today’s a new day. I’m avoiding all sports media today, in the interests of my own mental health!!!
Good articles, Sam.
Girardi’s handling of the bullpen all post season has been driving me nuts. Now on top of CC going on short rest, he used every pitcher yesterday with the exception of Gaudin. Who knows who will be available? What happens if CC can’t go deep into the game like he usually can.
The hitting has just been horrendous. Without Jeter and A-Rod the post season, we would have been swept. I’ll excuse Tex because he’s saved at least 10 throwing errors in the two series as well.
We can’t sweep everything (though it would be nice), we can’t expect to win every game (even the 1998 team lost in the post season, too), and yeah it’s only our first loss, but if this team can’t turn it around and start working together and stop relying on two guys to drive in runs, we’re toast.
Can anyone tell me what Damon said that had M all fired up? I avoided the post-game show and I probably won’t even be reading the newspaper articles this morning…….I want to put this game behind me and quickly, too.
Everyone needs to look at themselves in the mirror. I’m tired of Joe’s overmanaging – let the players play. His removing Swish/Matsui for pinch runners is ridiculous (not that Swisher is doing anything, but still)……..and he did the same thing on Saturday. Joe ends up looking like a stooge with the resulting lineup. The Robertson decision will go down in lore if the Yankees lose this series – Joe simply does not understand that it is better to have the better pitcher on the mound, under any circumstances. His reliance on “the book” is scary. I realize he won 103 games with this crew, but it’s not going to be that way next year. I’m really not sure I want this guy managing the team……
At least it was a close game that could have gone either way, and it was unrealistic to think the Angels would not win a game.
I am w/ you Doreen. I usually start my day w/ a small helping of ESPN or the mlb channel as I get ready for work…not today, just didn’t want to hear it. So is it back to chili and CC cookies?
There is no love for Girardi today because he over managed and acted like a mother hen.
He is getting carried away with making moves and its come back to bite him.
That said, if the Yankees don’t hit, it’s their own fault. Tex is looking like garbage – ironic, since he hit well in the post-season last year – at the plate and almost everyone in the lineup has followed suit. I’m sorry, but you can not win a WS with the way they are hitting – you may not even be able to advancer. The pitchers are under a ridiculous amount of pressure to be perfect ……..
It’s impossible to figure out what Girardi is doing with the pen, except to conclude like his predecessor beginning with the 2004 ALCS he is over managing and treating every game like game seven of the W.S.
If he was willing to go to Mariano he should have started the inning. Coke is in and out so fast you hardly know he’s been in there and the Aceves moves was brainless no matter what their so called charts told them. when you are in a tie game in the late innings you have to assume extra innings which means getting more length out of each reliever.
I don’t know how Robertson could resist walking by after the game and whispering “nice move skip”.
However those worrying about fatigue are nuts. They had Sunday off and they have tomorrow off.
Joe made a mistake last night for the first time in the postseason (in my opinion). For the most part he’s done a good job of managing the bullpen but last night there was no rationale for taking Robertson out, especially when the bullpen is almost used up. It troubles me more than anything that Girardi and Eiland refuse to acknowledge their mistake and claim that their report on Kendrick favored Aceves which is just silly.
Regardless, the Yankees are still in a good spot right now. And to be completely honest, it’s very very difficult for the away team to win an extra innings game. Even if Robertson stays in and gets that last out, it is still somewhat unlikely that the Yankees win the game.
The bottom line is, the players had many chances to put the game away and simply didn’t execute. I’m looking at you Nick Swisher.
I think tonight is almost a must win game. If the Angels even the series at 2-2 then the Yanks are looking at possibly going back to NY behind 3-2. Not good. Win tonight!!
I still put most of the blame for the loss on the offense, especially the bottom third of the order. They were almost painful to watch. My brother was listening to the game on the radio, and he said every time they failed to bring a run in with less than two outs Sterling would say “this is going to come back to haunt them” LOL Tough loss, but all they can do is come back and play their best today.
Joe’s over-managing isn’t going to change. That’s what he is. What could change is this offense. This offense has done it’s usually disappearing act when October rolls around.
I thought this group of Yankees was “different”. But they look like the typical Yankee offense in Octobers of recent years.
Lacking fundamentals-hello Nick Swisher make some contact to get the runner from 3rd in. ditto to Teixeira in game 1.
Can’t buy a hit with RISP unless it’s Jeter.
And no one knows how to bunt not named Gardner/Jeter. Awful.
Come on CC !!!!
Anyone else think it’s time that Melky or Swisher get replaced with Gardner?
Gardner can at least bunt his way on and get something started :rolleyes:
Patrick, he’s made a number of dumb moves through over managing the games, but got away with it.
Think about his putting in two pinch runners that produced nothing and left the lineup looking worse than a NL lineup.
There is blame for this loss to go around, but it is far easier to understand that the batters are having a tough time than to see a manager make so many moves that make absolutely no sense. Most of the people on MLB and the announcers on the game were dumbfounded when he pulled Robertson from the game.
Had Girardi not gone out to talk to Pettitte and Jorge before the Vlad impalement hit, it would have been more understandable. Vlad hasn’t been hitting well but with his wild swinging of the bat, sooner or later he will connect. What Girardi said during that should be equally upsetting because he was looking at Posada and not at Pettitte. Its the wrong move to make regardless of what was said, it was giving a bad impression to the batter and the Angels team. Having it work out as bad as it did made it that much worse.
Swisher is making me long for Eric Hinske, Melky needs to sit for Gardner. Cano should patent the weak grounder to second. He’d make a fortune.
Let’s not give AJ a loss already………….
Patrick, I agree with much of your post. I didn’t like that Joe didn’t elaborate on his explanation – where is the conviction he showed when he made that move? If he believed in that move, then he should have stuck by it.
I don’t think the Yankee are ever going to hit and I’m nervous about CC on 3 days rest. All I know is that Joe had better not pinch run for anyone – leave the lineup alone, for pete’s sake
It’s easy to criticize, especially after the fact. How many times have the Yankees ever lost after hitting 4 HR in a game.
Nonetheless, give the Angels credit. They were close to Rally Monkey extinction.
This has been great baseball the last three games–everything that an ALCS should be. Thankfully, I am listening to the WCBS feed on audio, and not Fox.
I think CC will have a good game and Kazmir will be mediocre. He’s relatively well rested and is not your average starter going on short rest (which is clearly a general recipe for disaster).
I’d like to see Gardner in for Melky. Melky’s arm has been a factor in a few plays, but Gardner’s speed in the outfield and on the bases should be an improvement over Melky given his offensive woes.
Oh NO! Betsy doesn’t want Girardi managing next year! Whatever will Joe do? Let’s see:
Win toughest division in baseball? Check
Best record in baseball? Check
Handle toughest media? Check
Have confidence of multimillion dollar franchise? Check
Develop weakest bullpen into strongest? Check
Manage Arod through surgery and steroids in positive fashion? Check
Deal with loss of number two pitcher and starting RF and other injuries? Check
But because a bipolar, menopausal, ms. Lonely hearts blogger thinks you are a coward and pathetic your job is on the line. Priceless
For every day life there is Reality. For everything else there is Betsy.
Joe G is learning. This is his first of many ALCS with the Yankees. Part of the learning process is living with intense second guessing from a tough media. He’ll be fine.
If he hadn’t gone out to Pettitte, and Vlad got the HR, he wouldn’t have looked so bad. They pitched Vlad inside, and he connected–OK, it happens sometimes. Vlad could have even hit a bouncer in the dirt–it happens.
Forget about hitting, and concentrate on pitching. It’s the playoffs.
just call me Mr. clutch
–” Patrick, he’s made a number of dumb moves through over managing the games, but got away with it.
Thats not fair !.. a wins a win.. Even if he “over-manages” Joe has the best record in baseball because he over manages . and we are also 5-1 in the post season because of his over managing.
CC is a horse, he will be fine on 3 days rest. The times in the past when he had problems were when he was over used up to that point. Girardi has made sure CC has had plenty of rest leading up to the post season. I am hoping the Yankees have a blow out early to silence the rally monkey/thunder stix crowd.
There’s no must win game unless you’re down three games.
Now the pressure on CC Sabathia is even greater, with the Yankees ace starting today’s Game 4 on short rest. The notebook also has items on Rays starter Scott Kazmir and other assorted news.
RAYS starter Scott Kazmir? Give it up Sam. Just quit already. You’re the worst do you even have any idea what team we’re in a series with right now? wow
A lot good Guzman has done on the roster for us. We would have been much better off with Eric on the roster.
That said today is a new day we have our ACE on the mound. We’ll be fine. We win today we are up 3-1.
Fran- Chill out, he made a mistake.
Question: Would it be smarter to switch Cano and Matsushi in the order? Once Hideki was pinch-run for and Hairston (or Gardner, I forget which) was batting behind Alex, it was pretty clear that Alex wasn’t going to get another at bat the rest of the game. Especially after Game 1.
Fan-calm down, it was an honest mistake.
Tdubs
that is an interesting idea. Thanks
Imback- that was unnecessarily harsh
Can we say Guzman twisted his back getting out of bed and bring Eric on the roster.
Well, gosh, I’m just so tickled that people are playing baseball. Win or lose, it’s such a great game to watch. I root hard for the Yankees, but if they don’t win, that’s alrighty by me because I know they tried real hard.
Maybe you guys should just try to root, root, root but don’t boo them or say anything bad about them. Like with poor Joba last night, just look at the TV and say, “it’s alright Joba! You tried your hardest.”
And also try and be happy for the Angels. Didn’t they look so gosh darn happy to win? It’s hard to want to beat a team like that. I just wish they could both win.
And you know what? In my heart, they did just that…they both won.
U Kate. I can’t even come on the blog anymore because her manic depressive rants and ceaseless whining are just that: ceaseless. This isn’t a support group to get through life. It’s a baseball blog with a focus on Yankees. She offers no constructive analysis and is constantly knocking down the manager, players or posters for character and performance issues as if she has any idea what it’s like to perform in the major leagues. If she can call out girardi eighty times a day I can call her out once. I mean, she won’t be a “pathetic coward” and leave after the slightest but of criticism will she?
“Can we say Guzman twisted his back getting out of bed and bring Eric on the roster”
The only reason Guzman makes sense being on the roster is if Gardner is starting in CF some games.
Which myself and other assumed when rosters were announced and saw Guzman there.
Gardner starting in CF has yet to happen. And it goes down as another idiotic move by the LaRussa jr.
Girardi overmanaged for sure. However, the game was on the offense.
If Swisher could hit 2 SF or other guys could stop swinging at everything in the dirt, they have a 5 run lead and are coasting.
Instead, their offensive futility, a Yankee post-season staple since 2001, is in full form and the Angels capitalized on it.
Girardi is quick, too quick with bullpen hooks. Yet, doesn’t change the lineup and its the lineup that’s killing him right now.
The good news is, they can’t lose the series in Anaheim. At worst, they go home down 3-2.
However, if they don’t start to hit better than they are right now, and lay off the slow stuff in the dirt, unless guys pitch shutouts, wins are going to be tough to come by.
It’s far to assume that with two starts left CC will win at least one of them, that’s in line with his winning percentage. So then the focus returns to Andy and AJ having to probably win one of the two, and the Yanks scoring enough runs to keep the A’s from getting back in the game. As the last two games have shown the A’s are every bit as good at comebacks as the Yanks are.
Yankee fan since ’47! Girardi’s managerial style makes you want to puke. The scene with him going to his loose-leaf
notebook and then running out to make a pitching change looked like a scene from the Marx Brothers. All those knobs
on his head must have come from him bumping into walls.
I’ve told my buddies all year, he over-manages.
PS Melky, Damon, Swisher, “head case” Jaba, and add Girardi,
ship them all to Kansas City! That’s where “George” would have them ticketed for.
The thing that bothers me is not so much that it was a wrong move–those things happen-but that it was a borderline bizarre move
I couldn’t understand Girardi pulling Robertson in the 11th but pinch running for Matsui was a no brainer. If you don’t use Gardner in that situation — late innings, game tied — when do you use him? That same format worked several times in the recent past and it was obvious that Gardner was coming in when Matsui reached base. The error Girardi made, of course, was running on an 0-1 pitch. Everyone in the stadium knew that the Angels were going to pitch out — with an 0-1 count they would have been idiots not to. I know Girardi was trying to get Gardner to second so Posada could get him to third on a ground out to the right side, but it was so obvious that a pitch out was on. You can pick on Girardi for a few things but you can’t second guess a move that he’s been making with good results for most of the season. Pinch running for Matsui made complete sense in that situation. Increasing your chances of scoring the winning run in a tight game on the road is text book managing, not over managing. Yes, hindsight says that if Matsui is on first then Posada hits a two-run homer. You just can’t do that. Chances are that he pitches Posada much differently with a runner on first than he does with the bases empty.
Girardi’s “over managing” has been successful until last night. Most of the time he has a good reason to bring in a new pitcher. Bringing in Aceves over Robertson had no reasoning behind it. That’s why I’m annoyed at that move in particular. The other moves, yeah you can criticize them but usually there is some kind of logic behind them.
Hopefully last night’s result will give Girardi a little reality check. Yeah you have a ton of weapons on the bench and in the bullpen, that doesn’t mean you have to use them. The best players on the roster are going to win the series for you, it’s pointless to pull them out of the game if they are playing well.
I’m glad the Yanks are playing again tonight, we can get the bad taste of last night’s loss out of our mouths and hopefully go up 3-1. Then the Yanks have 3 shots at clinching, 2 in New York.
Mike, those “wins” could have very easily been losses, which is the larger point. Getting lucky is fine, but the trouble is those first two games, with him getting lucky made him think he is doing a great job micromanaging the team.
How do you like to be micro-managed? The only person who likes micro-management is the one doing the micro-managing. Everyone else bristles under it and starts to underperform.
Girardi just needs to back off a bit. This team didn’t win all those games this year because of his micro-managing the games. Mainly because he DIDN’T micro-manage those games. (With a couple of exceptions, and most of those didn’t turn out so well).
A good manager should know when to get out of the way.
A change needs to be made tonight to shake up the bottom of that line-up. You can’t have the bottom third of your order leaving 14 runners on base in a Postseason game. The only move that can be made though is with Gardner. Normally I’d say to sit Cabrera but in this instance, considering Melky has hit better than Swisher AND Cano, I say leave him in there. Bench Swisher, light a fire underneath him, and use his bat late in the game if need be.
Patrick, last season Girardi was overmanaging too many games. This year he was more restrained in his management of the games and it paid off. Girardi needs to back off a little in the post season, just as he did during the regular season this year.
Micro-managing creates a lot of tension. Being loose is what helped keep this team rolling all season long. Why destroy that with being a mother hen?
Yesterday’s game is over and done with.
Today is a new day and a another game. Go CC
Ok now that I have calmed down some after last night…
I was going to say more but Sam covered most of it. I have been on the “Girardi over-manages” side all season, but it is hard to argue with it after winning 103 games during the regular season and then being undefeated in the playoffs until last night. However, it came back to bite him in the end this time. However I agree with the point that he isn’t solely to blame for the loss, because the offense should get a lot of the blame. They really need to step it up and push across those small, early runs in the ballgame like they didn’t do last night. They need to get a run in from 3rd with less than 2 outs a lot more often and start getting more guys on base with less than 2 outs. The late-inning clutch hits have been awesome, but they need to start doing the little things more (I’m starting to hate that phrase…).
I think CC is going to pitch well tonight, but I would like to see the offense give him some early run support. Guys like Tex, Matsui and Cano need to step it up, Swish needs to get on base any way he can, and Melky needs to stop being a black hole at the plate. It’s also good to see Hughes using his curveball again, seemed like he was getting to reliant on his fastball, and is back to being dominant. I have feeling he might only be used on one or two batters tonight though, after his extended work last night (though he didn’t throw too many pitches).
I think it is going to be a good game tonight and lets go Yankees!!!
What is really ticking me off is that these games shouldn’t even be close. If Cano, Swisher & Cabrera weren’t just ‘giving’ at-bats away- none of them are giving me any confidence they are going to produce. I’m so sick of hearing the old quote (I’m sorry I can’t remember who to attribute it to), that Cano will someday win a batting title. I don’t know of anyone who’s won a batting title who can’t get a hit after the sixth inning.
All the anger towards girardi is rooted in a deeper psyche here. The people most upset are those that have never held positions of responsibility or authority and are venting their anger at their own managers onto Joe. Very interesting.
Ps the guy “overmanaged” the team to 100 victories and a sweep of the hottest playoff team you morons. Why not enjoy the fact that the Yankees are playing in mid October and winning a series against a te that usually kills them? His management of bullpen has been stellar. Is Scioscia no longer a genius bc he left Fuentes in? If you guys actually Watched the game as opposed to learning what your supposed to think about it from the media in between commercials on Nancy graces interview with the ballon boy, you might see that.
10 hours and 34 minutes until Game 4!!!!!!!!!!!!
SJ44, I agree to a point that the offense has been poor from some quarters. The trouble is, while we are seeing the over manging from Girardi during the game we don’t know what he is doing with the rest of the club leading up to the game.
For all we know, given his propensity to overmanage the ingame stuff he is telling Cano he has to take so many pitches. Cano rarely just stands there watching a pitch go by, yet it almost looks as if he is not even getting ready to swing. Most times we rail on Cano for swinging early and often during his at bats, not so in these latest games.
“The good thing is we are still ahead in the series,” Aceves said. “We are 2-1 and we can come back tomorrow and win our third game.”
Well Alfredo, if you would do your job, maybe we have a chance to score the next inning.
Agree with SJ44- For some reason last night, not just Swisher, Teixeira and Melky, but the entire lineup couldn’t handle the offspeed pitching.
We were supposed to have the better bullpen, but who can you trust right now in the sixth and seventh innings?
Yes I’d like to see Melky sit but Joe won’t play Gardner against a lefty pitcher tonight even thoug Gardner hit lefties at a .280 clip.
Bobby Cox would never shuffle his lineup in the playoffs, going with the guys who got them there, even though they weren’t hitting a lick in the playoffs, and look how many WS they won [One- on a Glavine 1-0 shutout] in all those years they won the division!
they lost because Tex doesn’t know if he’s on foot or horse-back, at the plate. And because the bottom of the lineup is a blackhole.
Joe G is the scape goat. If this were St Louis it would be a non-story. And any media focus would be on the next game and the yankees lack of offense this post season.
The biggest mistake Girardi made is leaving Hinske off of the post season roster. There isn’t
a decent bat off of the bench.
I listened to the fan very briefly this morning. They had a clip of Damon saying “its the playoffs, you’re not going to hit with RISP”. They were ripping him apart for that.
Boogie Down
October 20th, 2009 at 9:28 am
The biggest mistake Girardi made is leaving Hinske off of the post season roster. There isn’t
a decent bat off of the bench.
****
You cannot blame that solely on Girardi. Cashman has the final say on rosters
“is management of bullpen has been stellar.”
That may have been true in regards to keeping the bullpen fresh during the regular season, but it’s not been the case thus far in the play-offs. On two occasions he spent every arm he had with the exception of Chad Gaudin and if it weren’t for the Teix walk off or the Isturiz error, he would have been ripped apart for his quick hooks. I’ll agree, a lot of the blame from last night must fall elsewhere – the offense – but you can’t exonerate Joe for these mistakes based on what he did in the regular season. They’re different animals.
if Tex doesn’t start hitting, it doesn’t matter what happens. Said going into the post season (with all the off days and cold weather) he was my main concern.
he is saving runs with his glove, but it’s not enough. This lineup doesn’t work without him
It’s kind of weird how this postseason, Arod is the guy who’s saving the Yankees’ collective butts. The rest of the team needs to step it up and stop hitting like little leaguers (except Jeter, Damon, and Posada). Arod cannot save the day every single game.
I’d like to see Gardner start today, but he won’t since he’s a lefty and Kazmir is pitching.
The bottom of the line-up isn’t hitting anything, and neither is Tex, but at least he’s contributing with the glove every game.
It was tough watching them lose, especially after getting out of that jam in the 10th.
It certainly looks as if Scioscia has gotten inside of Girardi’s head.
He played the last 2 games as if he were behind 2-0.
He got lucky in one, got beat in the other.
Maybe the luck has run out.
Today it would be good to win in spite of him.
GB7…you keep sending your updates, do you even watch the games? If you’re going to ridicule then at least offer an opinion other than they won 103 games in the regular season. Something is going on here,sorry we can’t all be as levelheaded and cool as you. Maybe you’ll wake up if they go home 3-2.
The one thing I can say about Girardi that I do like is that nothing ever goes unnoticed. He wont be asleep at the switch.
I think with the bullpen Girardi’s M.O. is that he trusts all his guys and will not hesitate to use any of them at any given moment. So while it may look like he is not “trusting” Robertson to get Kendrick out, it is really more about the trust he has in Aceves. I am not saying I agree with this, because I dont think Robertson should have been pullled in his first inning of work after he got 2 quick outs, but this is what we have to deal with as fans … Girardi is very much like Bobby V. … he likes to have his handprints all over these games … very much the polar opposite of Torre who is all about feel and instinct.
Hinske would not have made a difference last night. He can’t hit the offspeed stuff either, can’t run. and his defense is below par. Plus there would not have been a need for Hinske if Joba had pitched his 2/3rds of an inning without giving up a run.
The players lost the game. It’s Girardi’s job to put players in the best scenarios where they can succeed, and they have let him down.
It’s obvious the Angels have gone to school on weaknesses of Yankee hitters. and their failing to adjust.
This is a dead FB hitting team. Especially Teixiera and Swisher. Both have trouble hitting anything other then a FB.
Which is scary. You normally see that with rookie hitters.
Angels scouting report: Patient lineup, get ahead with a FB, with 2 strikes throw off-speed/breaking stuff in dirt
Can I please see an adjustment?
How many runs has the bullpen given up in the six playoff games?
Just call me Mr. Clutch
For all we know, given his propensity to overmanage the ingame stuff he is telling Cano he has to take so many pitches. Cano rarely just stands there watching a pitch go by, yet it almost looks as if he is not even getting ready to swing. Most times we rail on Cano for swinging early and often during his at bats, not so in these latest games.
Are you kidding me? Joe Girardi is to blame for the 0 for 18 with RISP and for the batters swinging at curveballs in the dirt. How would you explain AROD who hasn’t been cluth until this year?
also:
Joba Chambermain needs to be told, his off-season starts today. He did not do anything to get the yankees into the playoffs.
if i have one complaint about Girardi, then it might be he needs to ride the horses who got him here. Rivera, Hughes, Robertson, Coke, Aceves (in that order)
few people bring up that hughes was sent out for a 3rd inning. I don’t even remember the last time he went 2 innings, much less into a 3rd. If he was going to be pulled after one hit, rivera should have just started the inning.
also… and this is important.
NOTE TO YANKEES. FIND A WAY TO GET .211 JEFF MATHIS OUT!!!
Let’s not panic. This isn’t 2004. We have CC going tonight, and AJ in game 5. The Angels aren’t the RedSox, and aren’t going to beat us four straight for the pennant. Let’s take a deep breath, realize that we aren’t going to sweep the Angels, and get back to rooting for a win tonight!
Are you kidding me? Joe Girardi is to blame for the 0 for 18 with RISP and for the batters swinging at curveballs in the dirt. How would you explain AROD who hasn’t been cluth until this year?
___
He was clutch in 2007.
Robbie has been sulking this series. He was uncomfortable at home in the cold and rain. Everything he does rubs off on Melky. They kicked their godfather Abreu out of the club and one of them will be next.
Funny how the pressure outweighs the “looseness.”
NYY626 -GO ANDY
October 20th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I listened to the fan very briefly this morning. They had a clip of Damon saying “its the playoffs, you’re not going to hit with RISP”. They were ripping him apart for that.
****
Sounds like there was probably a lot more to that clip and his words were getting twisted around
Melky, Teixeira and Swisher are the biggest culprits of the unnecessary and undisciplined flailing at garbage offspeed pitches in the dirt. One of those 3 guys needs to have a good game tonight to lengthen the lineup. I’m hoping it is Teixeira, whose swings have been very un-Mark like so far in the playoffs. He is way over-aggressive and swinging at pitcher’s pitches even in good hitting counts.
The bottom of the lineup all year long has gone through stretches where they’ve tried to do too much at the plate, so seeing Swish and Melky looking bad is not a real shock. It’s up to the other guys in the lineup to get it done. Tonight would be a good night. Everyone in the lineup is familiar with Kazmir, there won’t be any shadows to contend with: the offense needs to step up.
disco stu
Have to disagree:
Joe doe not seem to trust anyone other than Mariano. Hughes looked uptight until Jeter made that error in gam 2, then he struck the next guy out. Girardi pulls him right there for Mariano.
If Kendrick is a fastball hitter why not have Robertson throw him off-speed. Just because you have an expanded bullpen doesn’t mean you have to use them all.
He has been hyper and Scioscia is cool as a cucumber. If that counts for something then he is getting outmanaged and could blow this series. He seems to be in panic mode and reverting back to his GI Joe ways.
Today’s game is pretty crucial.. A 3-1 lead with 2 to play at home is a big thing than being 2-2. Also, the managerial pressure is back on Girardi now and Scioscia is probably breathing easier.. The funny thing is that lots of things about last night’s game are being forgotten easily because of the D-rob/aceves switch which cost us the game..
1) Abreu’s base running blunder leading of the inning..
2) Swisher’s two ABs where he can’t get the run in..
3) Yanks leaving a village on the bases in the early innings..
4) Yanks still had 4 homeruns in the game.. Too bad it was solo homeruns but its still a good sign..
5) Mariano’s throw to 3rd which almost cost us the game there..(ofcourse he cleaned up his own mess)…
6) Marte threw 1 pitch to figgins… With Abreu leading off the next inning, can’t you trust Marte there?? If not, why is he in the roster?
One thing everyone needs to remember is that we needed to take a lead and hold it.That means every time we didn’t score we still needed to get at least 6 outs
Can’t Guzman play a decent LF
Why Marte/Coke for 2 hitters
Obviously why Aceves for Robertson
Why not let Mo hit?I realize you punt that half inning but he gives you the best chance in the bottom of it.
NOTE TO YANKEES. FIND A WAY TO GET .211 JEFF MATHIS OUT!!!
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don’t throw meat balls over the plate.. Even Molina would have hit the pitch that Aceves threw yesterday to Mathis..
whoooooaaaaa We’re HALF WAY THERE ! whoooaaa oohhh livin’ on a prayer ! 2 more wins needed !
This series now comes down to who wants it more. I heard Torii Hunter remark about how pumped up Mathis was before the game, the Yankees need to match that energy and excitement. They’ve been able to answer the bell all year when called upon, I don’t expect tonight to be any different. Yesterday was as good as the Angels can play and they barely won the game.
Also, the focus understandably is on the questionable (to say the least) decision to remove Robertson, but I’d like to take a moment to admire/acknowledge how good Robertson has been this postseason. There were plenty of doubters dogging him all year long and saying they “didn’t trust him”, even after his impressive regular season results, but I love what the guy has become in the majors and am glad he’s carried it over to the bigger October stage. He seems to have taken care of his control issues, and he has shown that he’s got tons of guts and knows how to get big outs. Hoping he’s part of the Yankees bullpen for years to come.
Blackaccord…good point about Joe’s “trust.” How do you remove Marte when you brought him here to face Abreu?
Joe is making so many moves,to impress Scioscia, I forgot that one.
Hate to say this but if Kay were doing the game, more fans,maybe even GB7, would be aware of his manic ways.
But, no, we are still up 2-1 so we are in the lead, that’s what counts. Wake up to the inner game.
Anyone who expected an easy series against the Angels was kidding himself. They are a resilient team and they are very tough at home.
I would love to know what Girardi said to Andy on the visit during Vladdy’s at bat. In the postgame Joe said that “Andy missed his spot”. Unless Andy missed by three feet, he got the wrong instructions. With two strikes against Vladdy, the next pitch should be in the next area code. Unless Vladdy hits the ball off the bounce, there should be no possible way that he can make contact.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KihPKUZni8Y
Mo throwing a “spitball” ??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KihPKUZni8Y
if the yankees keep getting good pitching, and TEX HITS. The yankees will be fine.
if Tex doesn’t hit, forget it. The rest is only window dressing.
it is unfortunate, because it is apparent Tex wants it more then anyone (given his excellence with the glove this post season). However, with all the off days and cold weather it is not really a suprise to me
but keep talking about Girardi, because he is the scape goat
LOL
It’s a good piece of tape but it’s BS
Swisher/Cano/Melky
That is why we lost.
That and Howie Kendrick
Erica – they played a little more of Damon’s interview besides that one line.. It certainly sounded like those were his exact words. He obviously shouldn’t have said it but I’m not going to crucify him for it. I’ve heard worse
In other news, Pete posted this pic on twitter and said “I guess Kate isnt enough for Alex”. I laughed.
http://twitpic.com/m74j7/full
Mo doesn’t throw a spitball. All you have to do is look at the rotation on his pitches. In slow mo (no-pun intended)they all have a rotation that puts a “dot” on the top of the ball (cutter/ slider spin). A spitball has very little spin. It “squirts” out of your fingers (like a watermelon seed) and tumbles, kind of like a forkball.
if this Yankees team cant hit with runners in scoring position, then they are not a championship team .. period
“Joe Torre is gone from New York, and the Yankees are better for it.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne.....;type=lgns
and yeah i saw that butt grab yesterday
Damon’s exact quote:
“We had our chances,” Damon said with a slight shake of the head Monday in the visiting locker room. “This is the postseason. You’re not going to hit with runners in scoring position the way you did in the regular season. Pitchers aren’t going to give in. … Hopefully, we can hit better with runners in scoring position [in Game 4]. But this is the playoffs. It’s going to be tough all the time.”
-If Eiland was the deciding factor in Joe’s replacing Robertson wih Aceves,the pitching coach needs to be replaced.He in my opinion has failed,the pitchers anyway.Yankees have more pitchers on the mound implode.es
-Joba was jerked around,Mitre was a joke,Marte and Coke are like a box chocolates ,you don’t know what you’ll get.
Aceves hasn’t been lights out since the one start Joe gave him in the rotation.He’s hot or cold.
-Melkey went ino retirement once he hit for the cycle.He’s frustrating to watch at the plate,swinging at the dirt.Damon and Matsui(like them both)but need to go to Younger 5 tool players.Yankees needs bats and defensive players
-Joe needs to get Scoscia out of his head,and play his own game.
-I know the ladies like to look at Damon,but you can look at him,when he comes to see the Yankees play.
-This game was lost,when Joe had Gardner to steal.He broadcast the steal and the Angels were ready and waiting.
Gardner caught and Posada hits a homer.
-Yankees fan witness from Joe,was that A-type personality he has shown often,go into over-managing mode.
“I would love to know what Girardi said to Andy on the visit during Vladdy’s at bat. In the postgame Joe said that “Andy missed his spot”. Unless Andy missed by three feet, he got the wrong instructions. With two strikes against Vladdy, the next pitch should be in the next area code. Unless Vladdy hits the ball off the bounce, there should be no possible way that he can make contact.”
What makes you think Girardi didn’t tell him exactly that? Andy pitched well yesterday — three runs over six innings should have been good enough to win — but that was the crucial moment in the game. Vlad is pretty much washed up and you really have to serve him something perfect for him to jack it out of the park anymore. Andy did a good job but throwing something hittable to Vlad is on him, not the manager. I’ll agree, though, that Girardi had no business coming out to the mound. Does he not think Andy and Posada knew what pitch to call? He just threw off his rhythm. Molina was driving me nuts in game two. He must have come out to the mound after every other pitch. That can’t be too helpful for a headcase like Burnett.
One thing that gives comfort that the Yankees will pull this out is that the Angels of 2009 are not the Angels teams that beat the Yankees a few years ago. This is not a poised team or a very smart one. They are always throwing to the wrong base or making base running blunders. Did anyone notice Aybar (I think) throwing to first to complete a double play in the early innings yesterday? Cano was already passed first base when he threw it — with a runner on third. Just a foolish play. I guess the media decided that a Mike S. coached team was fundamentally strong and didn’t bother to look at the actual players on the field.
The “pressure” is not on Sabathia tonight. Yankees are still up 2 games to 1. The pressure is clearly on Kazmir. If he loses ttonight, the Yankees need to win 1 of the next 3 games with 2 of them being played in the Bronx
If Joe didn’t have to placate AJ,with Molina Hinske would be on the roster.
Joe Buck and McCarver both said Roberson was better than Aceves and then Aceves gave up the run.
Look for Kazmir to blow sky high early, the Yankees to score early and often and CC to go 7 as the Yankees make a statement with a 7-2 win.
Did anyone see exactly why Al grabbed Jeter? Posada had just hit a Home run and Al moved Jeter out of the way by the seat of his pants so he could cheer the HR. That is what I saw and I am sticking to it.
“Did anyone see exactly why Al grabbed Jeter? Posada had just hit a Home run and Al moved Jeter out of the way by the seat of his pants so he could cheer the HR. That is what I saw and I am sticking to it.”
He was celebrating Posada’s home run. His “embrace” of Jeter was awkward because Jeter had his back turned to him and was two steps higher. It was a bit awkward from a “dude, what are you doing” standpoint but it was just something harmless in the excitement of the moment.
I just heard Skip Bayless condemn A-Rod for looking into the dugout when he hits an obvious homer. While ARod is obvious making that gesture, as he has done for at least the past year and a half, as a way of sharing the moment with this teammates, Bayless and the other “experts” on ESPN say it’s part of his desperate desire for attention and his way of showing up his teammates.
The guy is screwed by the media no matter what he does. Every single thing he does is put under a microscope, which is only capable of seeing the nefarious. ARod deserved a lot of the crap he takes and I’m pretty sure he’s a massive egomaniac, but who in professional sports isn’t. There’s just no way he’s as big of a jerk as the media makes him out to be.