Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Oct 27, 2009 
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The Yankees and Phillies took different routes to reach the World Series this year, with one team making waves at the trade deadline and the other essentially standing pat. Chad Jennings takes a look at some key decisions that got these two teams into the Fall Classic.
George Steinbrenner is expected to make a rare appearance at the Stadium for Game 1 tomorrow night, marking only his second visit to the new ballpark for a game (he was also here on Opening Day). Josh Thomson’s notebook also has news on some options for the Yankees rotation and another win – this one in the TV ratings – for the Yankees.
If you’re interested in reading a little more about the two sluggers in the series, Scott Lauber from our sister paper in Wilmington, Del., has a nice piece about Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez.
By the way, for those who missed it (or those who just want to re-live it again), check out this post from late, late Sunday night that has a look at some scenes from inside the Yankees ALCS celebration. Back with much more later today.
It is nice that George will be there. I know the Yankees will give him a win in Game 1 (2, 3 AND 4)! Go Yanks!
To counter the Yanks Jay Z move will the Phils be asking Will Smith to get jiggy with it one more time?
Let’s get all this rain out of the way now!
Great to here THE BOSS will be in the building!!
And AMEN..Fondo. Whats the latest forcast for tomorrow???
After I saw the post with the field being painted I started to think. I have painted my house white with blue pinstripes. Have I gone over the line?
Why is Steinbrenner only coming to one game?
He didn’t even appear for any of the playoff games. Doesn’t he care anymore?
I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that neither Arod nor Howard will end up being much of a factor in this series. Rarely have two great sluggers been unstoppable coming into the WS and I would think that the game plan of both managers will be to “let anyone but ________ beat us”. I consider that a distinct advantage for the Yankees because the Yankees have proven they can win with Arod just being a threat but the Phillies need Howard to perform in order to win.
adrian mckinty
October 27th, 2009 at 7:57 am
To counter the Yanks Jay Z move will the Phils be asking Will Smith to get jiggy with it one more time?
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LOL
Ghost, I think it all depends on who else steps it up. Alex or Howard will not be pitched to in certain situations, but if the players preceeding or following them are mashing the ball, then that game plan can go out the window.
Alex has shown he will take a walk if they don’t pitch to him. If Posada or Matsui have their bats going, they aren’t going to keep giving him a free pass.
Same with Howard and who is batting after him. I don’t know if Howard will take a walk as readily as Alex does, but its up to them to stay in their game. Alex hasn’t been swinging at garbage pitches, Howard has been been better with striking out less than before.
adrian
Actually he is going to sing the opening to Fresh Prince of Belair.
Jessica are you serious? The man is old, it is believed that he has memory problems. They aren’t going to parade him around.
yeah, in addition to memory problems the guys isn’t all that mobile and has fainting spells…and jessica, he did care enough to go get us CC, AJ and Tex so how bout backing off a bit? I know it’s been a rocky road with George, but I love the guy and am more than willing to let him age in peace. It will be a great thing to see him at the park!
No way they pitch to arod with posada behind him. If posada even makes contact it’s likely to be a double play ball and that’s been the story his entire career. As his molinesque postseason stats demonstrate. Please bench him for cc and aj and pitch with pettite.
on the pitching rotation discussion (I missed most of it yesterday) I would say just pitch Gaudin…I look at it this way…pitching him basically puts 1 game “at risk” while pitching AJ and Pettitte on short rest puts uncertainty or risk into 2 games. Regardless, we obviously should find the way that allows CC to pitch 3 times (if necessary)
Can you imagine if yanks had had a healthy Wang this season? They would have been sick. Aj could have been your number four guy in postseason.
Who is this moron on WFAN. He said the Phillies will win, because no one can slow down the Phillies line up. UM Vincente did.
Yes, CC has really pitched poorly with Posada catching him this post-season, hasn’t he?
Still the same moronic catching debate even though its been blown out of the water this post-season.
AJ Burnett is who is he. It isn’t because of Jorge Posada or any of the myriad of catchers he’s had in his career.
All one has to do is look up his career numbers and see that its a fact.
Instead, folks who know nothing about catching blame Posada for every Burnett, and every other pitcher on the staffs, mistakes.
jennifer October 27th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Who is this moron on WFAN. He said the Phillies will win, because no one can slow down the Phillies line up. UM Vincente did.
Mitch Williams from MLBNETWORK lol! I’m dying over here!
I hope the Yanks add Hinske . They have enough pitchers. It would appear we need another strong bat to PH. I hope he stayed sharp however he could have done so. (i don’t believe the comment on George caring was made by a serious yankee fan, i wouldnt even respond to it. )
Joe just needs to hit and run more often with Posada as well as Cano. That will turn rally killing DPs into productive at bats. I was very surprised he didn’t do so against Saunders in game 6. I was especially surprised when I read the stat that they swung and missed only once then entire night against Saunders.
“Who is this moron on WFAN. He said the Phillies will win, because no one can slow down the Phillies line up. UM Vincente did.”
There’s too many on the Fan to choose from.
I think the thing that the two things the Phillies bring to the table that the Yanks haven’t seen yet in the post season is a Dominating starter (Lee), and a pure power hitter (Howard). But there are outs in that lineup, just as the Yankees have some outs now. But the Yankees are a bigger home run threat from top to bottom.
I think it will come down to the pens & the back of the rotation starters. Figure that Lee and CC will be pitching duels, and Burnett’s game anything can happen. Hamels hasn’t been sharp, while Andy’s been great. I’m not worried about Pedro or Blanton at all. So the Phillies better line up Lee & Hamels to pitch 5 of the 7 games if they expect to win. As for this Lidge revival, I’ll bet dollars to donuts he blows a big game in the series. Our pen concerns me, but I think when the money is down they’ll pull through. And there’s always Mo.
If CC wins game 1,4, and 7, he will become the first pitcher to win 6 games in one postseason. That would be awesome.
jennifer
October 27th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Who is this moron on WFAN. He said the Phillies will win, because no one can slow down the Phillies line up. UM Vincente did.
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Not everyone who calls into WFAN has to be a yankee lover… Its just someone’s opinion.. Actually if you take away that one game, phillies have scored 4 or more runs in every game (just like the yankees have done in the post season)..Ofcourse the phillies haven’t faced pitchers like CC and AJ in the playoffs yet and the yanks haven’t faced a pitcher like Lee as well..
‘Why is Steinbrenner only coming to one game?
He didn’t even appear for any of the playoff games. Doesn’t he care anymore?’
George has bad Alzheimer’s. He probably won’t even know who wins.
You can add a hitter AND a pitcher to the WS Roster.
Just add Hinske for Guzman, who is a waste of a roster spot, and Bruney for Cervelli, another waste of a roster spot.
To tie up 2 roster spots on a third catcher and a pinch runner, who can neither run nor hit, is foolish.
It also means Girardi needs to end the personal catcher experiment because, as we have seen in the post-season, it doesn’t matter who catcher AJ. He is who he is as a pitcher.
The Yankees have to field their strongest team in every game of this series because the Phillies are a very tough team.
You do that with Posada in the lineup.
Ooooh. Sj44 graces us with his presence. Before you admit on being wrong about:
TRADING Arod
& Hughes
& Joba
& Cano
& Swisher
& girardis bullpen management
you’re kind of irrelevant.
Ps it’s not so much playcalling (cc is as good with miloina as posada) it’s the overall defense and strong arm/passed balls. Oh and Jose knows how many outs/strikes there are in inning.
Ghost,
Posada is a double play machine. Joe has to start the runner to try and break up the play. It doesn’t help that Posada runs like a turtle with broken legs.
What makes Posada the strongest offensive catcher? His ability to hit a hr every ten games? I’d rather have speed of cervelli to stay out if double plays and bunt etc. Ps doesn’t anyone else enjoy these dire warnings and pontifications by DB44 to girardi? Like the fact that DB44 has been wrong all season is just forgotten. Really delusional.
new thread
And if it doesn’t matter who the pitcher throws to, why not have the better defender catcher play bc as the stats show: posada CHOKES offensively in the postseason. Entire career. Below 240 avg. Horrible with risp. Double plays. And not even hot this postseason. He pads stats against the baltimores of league in reg. Season.
Posada had a rough game behind the plate in game 6 of the ALCS, but he is vastly superior to Cervelli and Molina offensively. There is no debate. Without the DH, Posada must be in the lineup because Matsui can’t play in the field.
Since you are completely wrong on my so called trade requests, Girardi’s bullpen management (which hasn’t been good in the post-season), and Molina’s defense (he’s had his own problems with pitches in the dirt with AJ) and your idiotic rants on Posada, you are the one that is completely irrelevent.
Then again, you already know that so I’m not telling you something you don’t already know.
Oh wow, you’d rather have Cisco starting post season games over Jorge. I really don’t know how to reply to that.
So now you say Posada pads his stats against bad teams. Is that your latest fact?
Prove it.
Why don’t you go back and look at the box scores this year and back up your claim.
You claim you are “relevent”. This is your chance to prove it.
Girardis BP gave up least runs in playoffs.
Are you saying that you never said the yanks should trade those guys bc they were either bull headed, flippant, came from upper class bacgrou ds, were unclutch etc? Now your a liar as well. What are posadas stats in postseason? God I can’t wait for your nephew to toss you to curb. You are a foish old man. Pathetic
It’s my opinion on cervelli. How would he do worse than Jorge at plate? Look at posadas stats over the last 13 years in playoffs. He is awful. He also cannot run, fields average, avg throwing arm, and is the worst baserunner in game bar none. Winning playoff games you need speed defense and grads up play. He brings none to table. And ge CANT hit in postseason.
And you are a 10 year old moron who is skipping school yet again.
What’s your point?
DB44 my point is you are not all knowing. You call people names and rely on the fact that your susceibe to xm radio and had a sibling that had a talented kid to pontificate on here. You have been wrong all season. Admit you are a blowhard whose family dislikes. The truth shall set you free.