Yankees dwarf Giants in ratings
Posted by: Josh Thomson - Posted in Misc on Oct 26, 2009 
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The Game 6 rainout seemingly put New York fans in a bind, pitting Game 6 between the Yankees and Angels on FOX directly opposite the Giants and Cardinals on NBC. It turned out the Yankees won the overnight-ratings game in a landslide.
Yankees-Angels drew a 26.4 rating and 40 share in the New York market. The Giants-Cardinals numbers paled in comparison: a 9.3 rating and 16 share. Consider that the Giants last NBC Sunday Night game (Week 2 at Dallas) reached a 19.3 rating locally.
The Yankees also beat the Giants nationally, although it was a much narrower victory. The Yankees drew an 11.4 national rating; the Giants drew a 10.4.
Erica-
Here’s my WS roster entry:
1. Posada
2. Teixeira
3. Cano
4. Rodriguez
5. Jeter
6. Damon
7. Cabrera
8. Swisher
9. Matsui
10.Gardner
11.Molina
12.Hairston
13.Hinske
14.Sabathia
15.Burnett
16.Pettitte
17.Gaudin
18.Rivera
19.Hughes
20.Chamberlain
21.Robertson
22.Coke
23.Marte
24.Aceves
25.Bruney
Thank you.
Sorry repost
Bronx Bombers Girl
October 26th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Good Afternoon All…
Like everyone else, I have been on cloud 9 all day after last night’s win. Nothing better than being with family (all Yankee fans) eating @ restaurant, running to restaurant bar for updates @ beginning of the game, listening to Sterling on the ride home and catching the last 3 innings @ home. It has been a busy day so far so I have only been able to skim thru the comments for now but love all the insight everyone has been discussing.
Will definitely come back on later to catch up and read more in depth.
Erica – always OPPC here is my GTWSR (Thanks again 4 doing these…it is fun!)
1. Derek Jeter
2. Johnny Damon
3. Mark Teixeira
4. Alex Rodriguez
5. Jorge Posada
6. Hideki Matsui
7. Robinson Cano
8. Nick Swisher
9. Melky Cabrera
10. CC Sabathia
11. AJ Burnett
12. Andy Pettite
13. Chad Gaudin
14. Jose Molina
15. Francisco Cervelli
16. Brett Gardner
17. Jerry Hairston Jr.
18. Eric Hinske
19. Mariano Rivera
20. Alfredo Aceves
21. Joba Chamberlain
22. Phil Coke
23. Phil Hughes
24. Damaso Marte
25. David Robertson
Thank you Erica!
P.S. As a small sidebar, I also like Ramiro Pena. I know that he is young but there is something about the kid that I think will benefit our boys. Granted he is still wet behing the ears but I like that he is a switch hitter, had a .317 OBP, 33 hits, 10 RBI’s.
repost from previous thread. seems like every time I comment, there is a new thread that just came up.
“He said that the phillies have the advantage over yankees at every position except for third base.”
If you are a Phillies fan, you could make the case that you are better at every position except third base and catcher. You would be wrong thinking Rollins is better than Jeter, but you could make the case.
If you are a Yankee fan, you could make the case that the Yanks are better at every position except right field, and maybe center.
But there are legit arguments just about everywhere. It is going to be a very tight series, probably decided by mistakes and decisions.
However, if CC doesn’t pitch well, I think the Yankees still have a chance; if Cliff Lee gets knocked around, it’s lights out for the Phillies.
repost:
Nick,
Teach a man to fish…..
on the BB, hit the BB button then the select mode, use the trac ball to highlight text then BB key again copy, go to where you want and paste.
GreenBeret7
October 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
people that I’ve never ***net*** Erica
Not only never used a net on her, but, never met her, either.
*****
You wouldn’t stand a chance of netting me!!!
..Can we sign Lackey to be our game 5 starter before the series starts?
“Boston Dave
I’m now hearing the Phils have a better BP.
Because Phil and Joba struggled and the Phils weren’t as bad against the Dodgers is the reasoning.
To many predictions are made based on small sample size sometimes.”
————
very true. but that’s the problem.
in a 7 game series, a bad bullpen can pitch great and a great bullpen can pitch poorly.
there is really just one constant – Mariano Rivera.
but Ryan Madsen is really good and I remember him shutting down the yanks earlier this year.
The Phillies played in the WS last year so most of their pitchers have experience whereas the Yanks pen doesn’t have any WS experience short of Mariano.
Don’t get me wrong… I’ll take the Yanks pen any day.
But in a short series, anything can happen and you’re only as good as your last game or two.
That means what Hughes did in the regular season doesn’t mean much. It also means Damaso Marte could be a HUGE piece against that left handed Phillies lineup.
The formula doesn’t change. Get good starting pitching, add a pinch of clutch hitting, no more mental mistakes on the bases or in the field, and try to work counts and wear down the opponents starters.
“Can we sign Lackey to be our game 5 starter before the series starts?”
No. He’s not attractive enough.
I looked up the Yanks starting line up against Lee. Every Yankee has really decent numbers except Johnny Damon and Cano.
Jeter has .407 in 30 PAs
A-Rod has .333 in 20 PAs
Tex has .391 in 26 PAs
Posada has .286 in 22 PAs
Swisher has .333 in 24 PAs
Melky has .273 in 12 PAs
Matsui has .294 in 19 PAs
If you accuscore those numbers, you have the Yanks with a definite edge
And how obvious is it that I am bored out of mind at work today?
Laura
October 26th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
“Can we sign Lackey to be our game 5 starter before the series starts?”
No. He’s not attractive enough.
*****
Although… he DOES have the voice of a muppet so +1
Swisher and Werth are the same player, look at their stats. Swisher is actually less strike out prone, more patient, and with slightly more power. Werth hits for a higher average.
Erica…you have never seen Emmett Otter’s Jugband Christmas?
Wednesday could not get here soon enough.
52 hours and 22 minutes until Game 1!!!!!!
“but Ryan Madsen is really good and I remember him shutting down the yanks earlier this year.”
PHI has had issues with their bullpen. Lidge was shaky. Madsen had some issues as well. The bottom line when you have two teams who are this evenly matched is that whoever shows up and plays well wins. I’m betting my money that it’s the Yankees who prevail.
right on cue Erica
Vader
October 26th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Erica…you have never seen Emmett Otter’s Jugband Christmas?
*****
I may have seen it, but the mention of it here is sparking no recognition.
I have to check it out when I get home. I can’t YouTube at work
Ruiz is not better than posada..
Howard is better than Tex..
Utley is equal to if not slightly better than Cano..
Jeter is equal to if not slightly better than Rollins..
Victorino is better than melky..
Damon is equal to Ibanez.. (ibanez has had a great year)..
Werth is better than swisher..
A-rod >>>>> Feliz
Posada >>> Ruiz
Matsui >> Stairs
I think offensively the yanks are still the better team..
Laura, while I couldn’t agree with you more I’m perfectly happy ogling Robbie and Derek… I sorta used to have a thing for Moose too, in the ‘hot dad’ sense but that void was filled by Joe lol. Man, who says girls can’t make good baseball fans??… Now seriously, Selig doesnt really care about, ya know, rules or anything so can’t we just sign him???
Lackey = Beaker
Erica – always OPPC
October 26th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Laura
October 26th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
“Can we sign Lackey to be our game 5 starter before the series starts?”
No. He’s not attractive enough.
*****
Although… he DOES have the voice of a muppet so +1
************
LOL
You are also forgetting the Yankees have an insane winning percentage on Wednesdays!!!! LOL
Its their best day of the week
Vader
October 26th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Lackey = Beaker
******
No way. Maybe Bert or Kermit the Frog
Erica…it was a seasonal show, that was on yearly.
“Although… he DOES have the voice of a muppet so +1″
Really? I’ve never heard him talk. Which muppet?
Laura,
I’m betting Yanks too but Madson is really good.
He pitched in back-to-back-to-back games against the Yankees in late May.
His line?
2 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 4K
He is a beast and the only guy in the Phils pen I fear.
Is this how everyone sees this, potentially?
Gm 1 Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees Wed Oct. 28
Sabathia
Gm 2 Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees Thu Oct. 29
Burnett
Gm 3 New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies Sat Oct. 31
Pettitte
Gm 4 New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies Sun Nov. 1
Gaudin
Gm 5* New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies Mon Nov. 2
Sabathia
Gm 6* Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees Wed Nov. 4
Burnett
Gm 7* Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees
Pettitte
Ok…Kermit, but his voice kills me.
ANNOUNCEMENT
With my ipod on shuffle, I have just completed listening to all 1,343 songs in my library
Carry on with your day now-
I get ridiculously excited when that happens
“Now seriously, Selig doesnt really care about, ya know, rules or anything so can’t we just sign him???”
Unfortunately, we can’t sign everybody. I know it doesn’t seem like that’s true, but it is.
There is no way Howard is better than Tex. I put that as a push, but Tex plays a really pretty defensive side of 1st.
He is a switch hitter that is good from both sides. Howard is terrible against lefties. 1 dimensional players do not get the nod over amazing defensive switch hitting first baseman with power.
Also look at their stats. Rate stats Tex > Howard.
Tex > or Push against Howard
Utley > Cano
Jeter > Rollins
A-rod > Feliz
Posada > Ruiz
Ibanez push with Damon
Victorino > Melky
Werth push with swisher (look at their stats people! They are the same damn guy! Don’t be fooled by Werth’s postseason)
Blackaccord
October 26th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Ruiz is not better than posada..
Howard is better than Tex..
Utley is equal to if not slightly better than Cano..
Jeter is equal to if not slightly better than Rollins..
Victorino is better than melky..
Damon is equal to Ibanez.. (ibanez has had a great year)..
Werth is better than swisher..
A-rod >>>>> Feliz
Posada >>> Ruiz
Matsui >> Stairs
I think offensively the yanks are still the better team..
————————————————-
Are you basing 1st base on all around game or just offense?
Vader
October 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Ok…Kermit, but his voice kills me.
****
During the postgame the other night he was interviewed. I had my back to the TV when I heard him speaking.
I had to quickly turn around cause I genuinely thought they were interviewing a muppet! LOL
Is it ‘call in and talk about Yankee payroll day’? Every call is about that. boy oh boy.
Forget about the actual game. That’s not important. The payroll is though.
“His line? 2 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 4K
He is a beast and the only guy in the Phils pen I fear.”
Sounds like he’s due for a clunker.
Mitch Williams and Kruk are former Phillies. They are nothing but homers for the Phillies. So you know they are going to BS and kiss up to the Phillies.
repost
Laura/Shame Spencer
Did you ever see the famous Onion article from 2003 wabout the Yankees signing every player in baseball???
Funny stuff
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27656
Yankees vs Phillies – May 24, 25, 26, 2009 in the Bronx
AJ Burnett – 6IP, 8 hits, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7K, 3 HR
Andy Pettitte – 7IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5K, 2 HR
CC Sabathia – 8IP, 9 hits, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4K, 0 HR
Cole Hamels defeated CC.
Brett Myers defeated AJ.
J Happ was in line for the win with a solid outing over Andy in game 2 but the Yanks struck for 3 runs in the 9th off of Lidge (ARod 2run HR)
“Damon is equal to Ibanez.. (ibanez has had a great year)..”
Ibanez is supposedly injured. Rumor has it Utley is as well. Or at least that’s how they are explaining away those errors he made in the LAD series.
MaineYankee-
No worries. We are cool
Erica, that is funny! I don’t read the Onion enough.
the sad part about the Yanks vs Phils series earlier this season.
the only Yankee who was credited with a win was Jose Veras
This is going to be a killer series…if the Yankees play the way they have been playing, they will be a tough out.
The Yankees just need to keep on keeping on…
Didn’t Matt Stairs play in the AL fairly recently, and isn’t he one of those players that give the Yankees fits?
I hate the payroll comments. Mainly because the Yankees have had that payroll advantage all those years they did NOT get to the World Series and the same people said, “See you can’t buy a championship.”
What scares people, I think, is that the Yankees seem now to not be indiscriminately spending money, but really being careful about who they’re offering the money to – well, at least the last two season, they seemed to really be thinking ahead. That’s one of the reasons I’m kind of excited to see what they do in this off-season regarding the outfield, specifically, but I have no desire to think too much about that now.
“Teach a man to fish….”
Thanks, KF, it worked!
As for proverbs, I prefer this one:
Build a man a fire and he’s warm for the night. Set a man on fire and he’s warm for the rest of his life.
OMG ERICA!! I do remember that from way back when! Pre-Arod no less! Geez.. time does fly.
Now where it the GQ article about the Major League’s most attractive players?? (aka, Alyssa Milano’s Little Black Book)
Nick in SF in American Canyon October 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
“Teach a man to fish….”
Thanks, KF, it worked!
As for proverbs, I prefer this one:
Build a man a fire and he’s warm for the night. Set a man on fire and he’s warm for the rest of his life.
****************
LOL- I’ll have to use that.
Maineyankee,
I’m basing it on season stats.. Even though the phils have done will in the post season as well
Howard hits for power and average and is surprisingly fast for his size.. 45 hrs/141 rbis/108 runs /8 SB
Werth has power and speed.. 36 hrs/99 rbis/ 20 sb.. (swisher is not the same player werth is)..
ibanez has 34 homeruns, 93 rbis…
utley has 31 hrs, 93 rbis and 23 sb..
Their 3-4-5-6 hitters all had 30 + homeruns…
Game 1-Sabathia
Game 2-Burnett
Game 3-Pettitte
Game 4-Sabathai(on 3 days rest)
Game 5-Gaudin(inevitable)
Game 6-Burnett
Game 7-Sabathia(unless he is showing clear signs of overwork and decreased effectiveness and then Pettitte)
IMO, that May series means nothing…in the spring the pitching staff and team were learning the new Stadium and getting their feet wet.
As we can see the team has learned how to play and win at the Stadium.
Erica – always OPPC
October 26th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Vader
October 26th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Lackey = Beaker
******
No way. Maybe Bert or Kermit the Frog
————————————————————
Cole Hammels has a Kermit voice, and after the Yanks hammer him in his start, he’s going to be just as green and bumpy.
“Now where it the GQ article about the Major League’s most attractive players?? (aka, Alyssa Milano’s Little Black Book)”
I was very surprised when she ended up marrying a guy who was not a baseball player.
Com’on Cole keep pounding the corner…get them chace one outside.
Howard hits for power and average and is surprisingly fast for his size.. 45 hrs/141 rbis/108 runs /8 SB
Werth has power and speed.. 36 hrs/99 rbis/ 20 sb.. (swisher is not the same player werth is)..
ibanez has 34 homeruns, 93 rbis…
utley has 31 hrs, 93 rbis and 23 sb..
Their 3-4-5-6 hitters all had 30 + homeruns…
—
You are not really basing it on stats. You’re basing it on RBIs and runs and Hrs, which dont really tell you about the player.
Howard: .279/.360/.571 (hits .200 vs lefties)
Werth: .268/.373/.506 (look familiar? mind blowage below)
Ibanez: .272/.347/.552 (alot of power in the first half, but a subpar offensive player outside of that)
Tex: .292/.383/.565 (higher OBP and good power, switch hitter)
Swisher: .249/.371/.498 (higher isoD and isoP than Werth, lower average) Same damn guy
Damon: .282/.365/.489 (less power, more on base than ibanez)
“Game 1-Sabathia
Game 2-Burnett
Game 3-Pettitte
Game 4-Sabathai(on 3 days rest)
Game 5-Gaudin(inevitable)
Game 6-Burnett
Game 7-Sabathia(unless he is showing clear signs of overwork and decreased effectiveness and then Pettitte)
”
I’d only pitch CC for Game 4 if we are facing elimination or up 3-0 and want to go in for the kill. Otherwise, I go with Gaudin.
There is no reason to throw Gaudin anywhere in the world series. Go for the kill. If Andy Pettitte and AJ Burnett can’t pitch 1 game in their life on 3 days rest, then what good are they? We win or lose this series with our best.
There is no letting up, if you are up 3-0 or down 0-3. CC for 3, Aj and Andy for 4
Hammels has become the 2009 version of Bucky Dent because of one post season.
If it’s inevitable that Gaudin will pitch in this series, wouldn’t you want him in a game 4 than a game 5?
And Howard is not better than Tex.
Can we all agree that there’s better pitching in the AL? Can you guys find any other explanation why NL Ibanez>>>AL Ibanez??
.207 .298 .356
Thats Ryan Howard’s line against lefties, and we are throwing 2 very good lefties and a righty with an insane breaking ball. The exact kind of pitchers Howard has trouble with.
If one is willing to pitch CC on short rest in game four, the presumption iis because one thinks that would give the Yanks the best chance to win the game.
Wouldn’t that be the prime directive regardless of the game W/L situation?
“Wouldn’t that be the prime directive regardless of the game W/L situation?”
Wow, Nick. Don’t tell me that you’re a Star Trek fan as well! Next thing, you’ll be telling the Phillies that resistance is futile.
P.S. Miles is so dead.
I’ve been hearing soundbites of Derek Jeter interviews from last night all day on TV and radio.
Did he just start saying “man” at the end of every sentence or did I just never notice before?
That’s a pet peeve of mine so he needs to stop that!
“And Howard is not better than Tex.”
No truer words have ever been spoken.
Has anyone read this article on Yahoo sports!? I have never read such a yankee hater being able to write for a major website, it makes my blood boil!!!!!!!!!!
NEW YORK – Everyone here wanted to talk about six years ago. Champagne corks whizzed like stray bullets, and beer flowed at Oktoberfest, Yankees-style, and New York was abuzz because its team was back in the World Series for the first time since 2003. Which was all well and good, certainly, if not off by a digit.
The right number is five, actually. Don’t ever think otherwise. The Yankees may not have been to a World Series since 2003, but they haven’t been the Yankees in the truest sense – fearsome and gruesome and awesome – since 2004. The franchise-changing loss to the Boston Red Sox wrought the reconstruction of the Yankees, and though never will they exorcise the embarrassment of blowing four straight ALCS games, the 5-2 victory against Los Angeles that delivered their 40th American League pennant Sunday night at least validates the process.
It was a long restoration, a five-year plan, the sort seen from another Evil Empire. And it took money that looks like it was delivered by TARP: $1,056,894,314 spent on players alone since the 2005 season, give or take a few million this year. And yet if it delivers that elusive 27th World Series ring, one the Yankees will have to snatch from defending champion Philadelphia, a billion might as well be a penny and five years a day, because all the struggle of turning the chokingest team in history into this – a mighty machine – took more than time and money.
Related Video Yanks win pennant Yanks win pennant
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Babe Ruth batted .313 in the Yankees’ first World Series appearance in 1921. Derek Jeter batted .346 in the Yankees’ last appearance in 2003.
(AP Photos)
Yankees’ 40
The Yankees will make their 40th appearance in the World Series, sporting a 26-13 record. Year Winner Opponent
2009 Yankees vs. Phillies
2003 Florida 4 Yankees 2
2001 Arizona 4 Yankees 3
2000 Yankees 4 N.Y. Mets 1
1999 Yankees 4 Atlanta 0
1998 Yankees 4 San Diego 0
1996 Yankees 4 Atlanta 2
1981 Los Angeles 4 Yankees 2
1978 Yankees 4 Los Angeles 2
1977 Yankees 4 Los Angeles 2
1976 Cincinnati 4 Yankees 0
1964 St.Louis 4 Yankees 3
1963 Los Angeles 4 Yankees 0
1962 Yankees 4 San Francisco 3
1961 Yankees 4 Cincinnati 1
1960 Pittsburgh 4 Yankees 3
1958 Yankees 4 Milwaukee 3
1957 Milwaukee 4 Yankees 3
1956 Yankees 4 Brooklyn 3
1955 Brooklyn 4 Yankees 3
1953 Yankees 4 Brooklyn 2
1952 Yankees 4 Brooklyn 3
1951 Yankees 4 New York 2
1950 Yankees 4 Philadelphia 0
1949 Yankees 4 Brooklyn 1
1947 Yankees 4 Brooklyn 3
1943 Yankees 4 St. Louis 1
1942 St. Louis 4 Yankees 1
1941 Yankees 4 Brooklyn 1
1939 Yankees 4 Cincinnati 0
1938 Yankees 4 Chicago 0
1937 Yankees 4 N.Y. Giants 1
1936 Yankees 4 N.Y. Giants 2
1932 Yankees 4 Chicago 0
1928 Yankees 4 St. Louis 0
1927 Yankees 4 Pittsburgh 0
1926 St. Louis 4 Yankees 3
1923 Yankees 4 N.Y. Giants 2
1922 N.Y. Giants 4 Yankees 0 (one tie)
1921 N.Y. Giants 5 Yankees 3
“Look around this clubhouse,” said CC Sabathia(notes), the series’ MVP, and he did, craning his neck side to side. Sabathia signed with the Yankees for $161 million this offseason because they paid him far more than any other team would, sure, and to play with the men he eyed: to his right was Derek Jeter(notes), to his left Alex Rodriguez(notes), behind him Jorge Posada(notes) and off in the corner Mariano Rivera(notes). They, along with Hideki Matsui, are the remains of 2004.
That’s it. Five pieces. The Captain, the best player this postseason, the catcher who caught the final strike Sunday and the closer who threw it to him and and the slugger who remains a constant threat. The others in pinstripes try to empathize and wonder what it was like and learn quickly not to bother, as 2004 is verboten, something they’ve tried to avenge five years’ running and accomplished only now.
They remain not just because they can play – and all five still can – but to keep around those who understand what 2004 stands for in Yankees lore: a low point, something plumbed in other eras, though never so much in one crushing blow. It destroyed the Yankees’ equilibrium, and while such a thing was bound to happen following championships in 1996, ’98, ’99 and 2000, to see it crumble so quickly was discomfiting.
No wonder, then, things are different. Only three others on this team – Robinson Cano(notes), Melky Cabrera(notes) and Phil Hughes(notes) – were even in the Yankees’ organization during 2004. Yes, the other 17 players plied their trades elsewhere. Joba Chamberlain(notes) was a chunky nonentity at Nebraska-Kearney, a Division II school. Alfredo Aceves(notes) was still playing in the Mexican League. Andy Pettitte(notes), who with a victory Sunday became the winningest pitcher in postseason history, had left the Yankees and gone to Houston.
And Johnny Damon(notes)? Well, he was the leading “Idiot” on that Red Sox team.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Rodriguez said, and for him especially. Gone is nearly every label affixed to him – gag artist, October flunky, fake Yankee – and in their place equal-and-opposite complimentary sobriquets. He is playoff hale and hearty, his postseason home runs finally the bona fide sort, and Sabathia unleashed the October ace he hid the last two seasons, and each of the nine players general manager Brian Cashman has given a long-term contract since ’04 – those two, plus Rivera, Posada, Damon, Matsui, Cano, Mark Teixeira(notes) and A.J. Burnett(notes) – contributed big.
Of course Cashman has the resources to devote $954.9 million to those nine, and that gives him the most distinct advantage in baseball. Don’t kid yourself otherwise. Don’t undersell the job Cashman has done, either, in recovering from crippling contracts to build a team that can win now.
Over the last five years, he has overhauled his roster, forced out the manager that took the Yankees to their last four championships and survived not only the wrath of triple the Steinbrenners any previous GM did. While George couldn’t keep his eyes peeled – “I tried to call the Boss and I think he was sleeping,” Reggie Jackson said – the new owners, George’s sons Hal and Hank, looked on with pride. They showed faith in Cashman. He delivered.
While part of his plan flopped – the Yankees’ farm system is again bereft, and that dream of building a pitching rotation from the inside ended up with Hughes and Chamberlain in the bullpen and Ian Kennedy(notes) AWOL – Cashman recovered by being resourceful. And that is taking the word at face: using the resources on hand to succeed. He flew to California to woo Sabathia, then jetted to Texas to rope Pettitte and brought Burnett in the fold for a rotation that complemented his lineup.
Pitching, as much as anything, brought the Yankees success in the late ’90s, and Cashman knew a return to that would lead to the postseason, which New York missed last season for the first time since 1995. Well, that and Angels miscues. Errors from Howie Kendrick(notes) and Scott Kazmir(notes) allowed two insurance runs in the eighth, and coupled with Pettitte’s 6 1/3 solid innings, Chamberlain’s two outs and Rivera’s final two innings, the Yankees were back where they believed they belong and partied accordingly.
“I don’t know how you rate happiness,” Jeter said, though having been in the Bronx since 1995, he ought to know it goes something like this:
Home in October: despondent.
First-round loss: miserable.
ALCS loss: dejected.
World Series loss: sad.
Pretty ring: Well, it’s about damn time.
It’s not a linear equation, not with the Yankees. To them, it is all or nothing, which is why in 2001 Luis Gonzalez devastated them, and in 2003 Josh Beckett(notes) did the same, but 2004 was worse: Not only did they lose, they blew it, and never had they ascended the mountain since.
Until Sunday, when inside their $1.5 billion stadium the Yankees worked through more than 100 bottles of bubbly in a celebration five years in the making. They did it among themselves, because the Yankees aren’t the sort to go spraying the crowd, as Tampa Bay did last year, or who celebrate in front of their fans, as the Phillies did last week. Vestiges of the old Yankee attitude – that they’re better than everyone – still exist and probably always will.
“It is really not a surprise that we are here,” Sabathia said, and, yeah, that’s a pretty good example, even if he was quick to add: “I hate to sound like that, but this is a really good team.”
It’s not bragging if it’s true, right? Sabathia signed here for a reason, and so did Teixeira and Burnett and all of the others since 2004: To a baseball player, being a Yankee remains the ultimate. For the money and the prestige and the challenge. Nowhere else is greatness an obligation.
Four more victories and it’s theirs. A championship in 2009 can’t erase what happened five years ago, though it can validate everything since: the money and time spent, the reconstruction executed and the pursuit of those beautiful gilded baubles that make everything so worth it.
“Did he just start saying “man” at the end of every sentence or did I just never notice before?”
I think you just didn’t notice before. Either that or you only listen to his interviews with Kim Jones.
Not sure if anyone else heard yet but Jay-Z and Alicia Keys will be performing Empire State of Mind @ Game 1 on Wed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33.....ent-music/
Did I read that right about the 12 pm start time on Wednesday? That’s 9 am here on the left coast! What is with this crazy schedule? Grrr…
This is my first post since the Yankee’s big win…still hyperventilating. Congrats everyone!!
Yanks are a bit better at pretty much everything, and should beat the Phillies in 6 or fewer games.
Jerkface,
I’m looking at overall stats.. I’m not picking OBP for one guy, ISOD for one guy, OBPS for another guy etc, trying to prove he is comparable to another person..
HRS, RBIs and SB are pretty good measure of how good a player is…
Andy is not going to make a start on 3 days rest, he hasn’t done it since coming back to the Yankees in 2007 and this is a bad time to experiment.
His ERA with 4 days rest in ’09 is 4.57, with 5 days rest it’s 3.63. His postseason starts so far have all been with extended rest.
CC and Burnett are fine with 3 days rest, they will pitch the same as with 4 days rest, at least for one start. Pitching 2X with 3 days rest may or may not be a problem.
It’s basically a decision for the Yankees whether to pitch CC, AJ and Andy in rotation until game 6 and then decide who makes the start or plug Gaudin in game 4 or game 5-I think it will depend on the results of games 1 and 2 unless Girardi already has made a decision.
Of course it depends on the series score, but I’d rather see Gaudin earlier in a series than later if at all. The later ones have greater consequence.
Jerkface
October 26th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
.207 .298 .356
Thats Ryan Howard’s line against lefties, and we are throwing 2 very good lefties and a righty with an insane breaking ball. The exact kind of pitchers Howard has trouble with.
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I agree Sabathia and Pettitte will be very tough on Howard. And Burnett is better against lefties than against righties. If he has his good curveball he will make Ryan Howard look foolish at the plate.
“Howard is better than Tex..”
Which Ryan Howard? I ask because Howard is two different players and this should influence how the yankees structure and align their rotation.
Ryan Howard is and has been an awful offensive player against left handed pitching.
This is Howard’s line against left handed pitching this year:
BA: .207 OBP: .298 Slg% .356 OPS: .653
This is his line against right handed pitchers:
BA: .319 OBP: .395 Slg% .691 OPS: 1.086
So this year Howard has basically been David Eckstein facing left handed pitching. As such, nearly all of his overall offensive value was generated facing right handers.
And this isn’t a an issue of small samples. For his career Howard has demonstrated massive platoon shifts. He’s around a 1.000 OPS player facing right handers and a .750 OPS player facing lefties.
The yankees have the opportunity to potentially nullify Howard as a weapon this series depending on who they align their rotation.
They could schedule it so that CC gets 3 starts and Andy 2.
And that’s probably what they should do.
Laura, it would be a gutless choke for the writers to dispatch Miles in such a fashion. I remain confident in my prediction (and spoier-free).
“Andy is not going to make a start on 3 days rest”
You’re right. The series won’t go 7 games.
Yankees in 6. Book it, Trisha!
“To a baseball player, being a Yankee remains the ultimate. For the money and the prestige and the challenge. Nowhere else is greatness an obligation.”
Maybe I’ve been a Yankee fan too long, but I don’t see anything wrong with this. When the Yankees say that anything short of a WS win is a failure, I agree. Why are you playing a competitive game if you don’t want to end up on top? What did BAL accomplish this year? How about HOU? You think TOR is pleased with how their season turned out? If you are a competitive player and you’re happy with your season even though your team didn’t win, you need to find a new job.
HRS, RBIs and SB are pretty good measure of how good a player is…
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No, No, they are not. Do you think Ryan Howard is going to get a steal this world series?
I will gladly debate intangible merits of the players, and the tangible RATE stats (because you get more counting stats the more games you play), but I if you are coming in here telling me the phillies are better because of Hrs and RBIs, well I think you’re talking to the wrong crowd.
“Laura, it would be a gutless choke for the writers to dispatch Miles in such a fashion. I remain confident in my prediction (and spoier-free).”
I can see that I’m never going to hear the end of the gutless remark.
At any rate, I’ve been spoiler free as well. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Miles; that’s just my guess.
About the saying “man” at the end of every sentence. I’ve noticed a lot of the guys were doing thatm especially AJ and Swish. I think with people working in close proximity with each other for such extended periods of time, they just pick up on one another’s habits. Also, doing interviews is hard no matter how often you do them. I’m sure “man” is used as a transitional word inserted while they come up with their next thought. It’s better than saying “you know” IMHO.
Laura,
I agree, The Yankees just set the bar a little higher (well maybe a lot higher) Not everyone can measure up but the players that do can write their own ticket.
Also blackaccord, look at Ibanez’s second half. Injury and the league figuring him out brought him back to earth real hard.
“Swisher: .249/.371/.498 (higher isoD and isoP than Werth, lower average) Same damn guy”
from his start to his career to the 2nd half of last year, Werth HAD been a platoon player. Manuel said to Werth last season, “if you want to be a full time player, start hitting righties”.
“Howard is better than Tex..”
Which Ryan Howard? I ask because Howard is two different players and this should influence how the yankees structure and align their rotation.
Ryan Howard is and has been an awful offensive player against left handed pitching.
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The Ryan Howard who had 8 consecutive games with an RBI in the playoffs and is slugging .742 this post season.. Everyone knows that he has a poor BA against lefties, but he can still hit it out of the park.. He handled two good lefties in Kershaw and Wolf pretty well in the NLCS.. I don’t expect him to kill the yanks but he clearly is better than Tex at the plate.. I don’t find anything wrong with people picking Howard over Tex on a position by position comparison..
“Erica – always OPPC
October 26th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
You are also forgetting the Yankees have an insane winning percentage on Wednesdays!!!! LOL
Its their best day of the week ”
Right you are Erica !!!
The up to date daily Yankee tally. (Reg. Season and Post Season)
Mon. 11-9 (11-8 , 0-1)
Tue. 17-8 (16-8 , 1-0)
Wed. 20-6 (19-6 , 1-0)
Thu. 11-8 (11-7 , 0-1)
Fri. 19-8 (17-8 , 2-0)
Sat. 14-13 (13-13 , 1-0)
Sun. 18-9 (16-9 , 2-0)
“Injury and the league figuring him out brought him back to earth real hard.”
Word on the street is that his injury requires surgery and he opted to skip it because it would have meant the end of his season.
Hopefully Ryan Howard the Phillie will make like Ryan Howard the temp from The Office and self-implode when he comes to New York.
When will people finally realize that the “key to the series” garbage is just pure nonsense? It is bogus drivel drummed up by media folks with way too much time to kill. Someday people will figure out that it’s a waste of time trying to predict an unpredictable game.
The problem is the awful specificity of the declarations: “The Key to the Series is how well AJ Burnett pitches.” Really? Well, AJ didn’t pitch particularly great against the Angels, but they still won in 6. Why is the Phillies series different?
What was the “key” to the Arizona Diamondbacks 2001 World Series victory? Mariano throwing a wet baseball into center field? Anyone nail that prediction?
“I don’t find anything wrong with people picking Howard over Tex on a position by position comparison..”
Were you speaking strictly offense? ‘Cause when you add in defense, Tex most certainly gets the edge.
Laura, I was making fun of the fauxtroversy more than you. Though it was discussed before the game last night in your absence…
Great point, CB. I didn’t realized that Howard was such an extreme platoon hitter.
Just think of how many times Girardi turned Figgins around to the right side. That, plus having the lefty behind him in the lineup really killed the Angels. Those two guys were completely and utterly nullified. Girardi even did a good job of turning around Morales.
The only righties to pitch to Howard should be: AJ and Rivera.
“HRS, RBIs and SB are pretty good measure of how good a player is…”
If I had to choose any one stat to evaluate a player, those would be at the very bottom of my list. But of course one stat can never fully evaluate any player.
Amazing numbers to think about. NYY have won 67% of all of their WS that they’ve played. They’ve also won 25% of all WS played. They’ve won 37% of all AL titles and didn’t win their first until 1921, or 46% of all AL titles and 30% of all WS titles.
from his start to his career to the 2nd half of last year, Werth HAD been a platoon player. Manuel said to Werth last season, “if you want to be a full time player, start hitting righties”.
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Ok? Your point? As a full time player, Werth is the same guy as Swisher. Low average, high OBP, high power, lots of K’s. Werth actually strikes out more than Swisher.
Jerkface,
I’m not here to pick an argument.. My post was in response to a post by Mark in Tampa earlier in the thread.. I never said the phillies are better overall than the yanks.. It was an overall position by position comparison offensively.. If I want to argue, I can go on about Tex not hitting in the postseason or Damon’s split against lefties etc..
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“He said that the phillies have the advantage over yankees at every position except for third base.”
If you are a Phillies fan, you could make the case that you are better at every position except third base and catcher. You would be wrong thinking Rollins is better than Jeter, but you could make the case.
If you are a Yankee fan, you could make the case that the Yanks are better at every position except right field, and maybe center.
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Laura
October 26th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
“I don’t find anything wrong with people picking Howard over Tex on a position by position comparison..”
Were you speaking strictly offense? ‘Cause when you add in defense, Tex most certainly gets the edge.
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It was purely offense.. Defensively there’s no comparison.. May be if Giambi was still in 1b..
“Laura, I was making fun of the fauxtroversy more than you. Though it was discussed before the game last night in your absence…”
I’m sure it was. I remain shocked by how upset people were. I was beginning to think that maybe I had killed someone and didn’t realize it. I’ve decided that I’ll be keeping my opinions of Mr. Burnett to myself from now on.
They just said on the wfan that Heyman is reporting that the Yanks are consideing going with a 3 man rotation again for the WS. That makes sense. Instead of wasting a game by using Gaudin. This means that all 3 of them would have to pitch on short rest the 2nd time in the series. CC and AJ can do it the question is can Andy.
“The yankees have the opportunity to potentially nullify Howard as a weapon this series depending on who they align their rotation.
They could schedule it so that CC gets 3 starts and Andy 2.
And that’s probably what they should do.”
CB-
If the goal is just to neutralize Ryan Howard, I agree.
And yet, the Phillies have overall actually been a little more potent against lefties than righties, with a .779 OPS vs righties and a .787 vs lefties.
That seems relatively marginal, but for whatever reason it has translated into a .644 winning percentage against lefties, vs. a .547 winning percentage against righties.
(That’s from baseball reference, and I don’t know their methodology for saying a win was against a righty or a lefty.)
So, despite the edge against Howard, the Phils don’t seem vulnerable to lefties, particulary.
I don’t think I’d let Howard drive my rotation decision.
does anyone know if joe buck does not like the yankees, or would you say he is indifferent? he used to be more negative years ago about New York. his call on the final out last night was kind of mellow.
If I want to argue, I can go on about Tex not hitting in the postseason or Damon’s split against lefties etc..
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You are using very simple stats to try and argue the merits of a complex set of players and it just doesnt work that way. How often is Howard going to be facing a lefty? Damon has a slight platoon split but still hits .269 with power vs lefties. he is melky cabrera vs lefties, tex vs righties. I’ll take that. Howard is garbage vs lefties.
Also if you want to get into postseason stats I suggest you don’t because if you looked up the phillies most of their big guns hit below .250 in the NLCS.
“does anyone know if joe buck does not like the yankees, or would you say he is indifferent? ”
Joe Buck hasn’t been the same since he lost Ratso Rizzo.
tom
October 26th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
does anyone know if joe buck does not like the yankees, or would you say he is indifferent? he used to be more negative years ago about New York. his call on the final out last night was kind of mellow.
************
I thought it was pretty obvious Buck was rooting for the Angels. Anytime the Yankees scored a run in this series the enthusiasm in his voice would drop. LOL
Speaking of Joe Buck-how is his show on HBO doing? I never hear anything about it.
So 7:30 start time…..what time does the gates open? Batting practice start?? Thanks!
new thread
“And yet, the Phillies have overall actually been a little more potent against lefties than righties, with a .779 OPS vs righties and a .787 vs lefties.”
Wave,
I know. I’ve seen those numbers. And I never said that the phillies were at a disadvantage as a team against lefties. Only Howard in particular.
Now that said, there seems to have been some phillies with fluky years against lefty pitching as they’ve been vulnerable to lefties in years past.
This year both Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley were better against left handed pitching than right handed pitching.
For their careers that has not been the case. Both have been better against righties. With Utley it’s not a huge drop off – with Ibanez it is considerable.
It was those unusual performances that helped give the phillies their overall production against lefties.
CB/Wave Your Hat,
interesting discourse.
continue…
CB-
Ibanez was better against lefties in both 2008 and 2009, so I’d argue you have to take him as he is now, not as he was throughout his career.
With respect to Utley, the bottom line is he’s real good either way.
Overall, the Phils scored about .140 funs per plate appearance this year against lefties, and about .125 per plate appearance against righties.
I don’t think you can conclude a whole lot from that, just that I’d let other considerations drive my decisions on the rotation rather than just to try to neutralize Howard.
not surprised. i had bowling league last night during the early innings.
every tv had the yankees on.
the side tv in the bar was the only one with the football game on…
Haven’t had a chance to read through the posts, have you seen this?
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....eries.html
vin October 26th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
“Andy is not going to make a start on 3 days rest”
You’re right. The series won’t go 7 games.
Yankees in 6. Book it, Trisha!
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Andy can still go game 6 on 3 days rest.