A very pinstriped Halloween
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Oct 31, 2009 
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This is only the second time in baseball history that a World Series game will be played on Halloween (the first was during the 2001 Series, which was pushed back after 9/11), and so several Yankees were asked what they’d be doing tonight if they weren’t playing Game 3 of the World Series.
Andy Pettitte said that while his wife is here in Philly, his kids stayed home so they could go to the Halloween carnival at the family church. “My daughter is extremely upset that I am not going to be home,” Pettitte said. “My wife is flying up here to be with me, but my kids, they want to be home for Halloween and go around trick or treating and do the things that they normally do. I’m not going to mess with that with them if that’s what they want to do.”
Nick Swisher said “me and my lady, we were going to go to a costume party as inflatable sumo wrestlers,” according to MLB.com, which did a great story on what some Yankees would be doing. Check it out to see a lengthy scary story from Phil Coke, which explains why he will never jump out out of the hedges to scare kids.
Johnny Damon, not surprisingly, is also a big fan of Halloween. When I asked Johnny what his kids will be dressing up as, Damon ticked them off on his fingers: “I’ve got an Elvis, a puppy dog and a cat,” he said, before adding that his oldest daughter often likes to change costumes but will likely be going as a dancer from the Elvis era. 
Would Johnny be dressed up if he were home? Absolutely. Damon said a year ago he had a “great costume” when he and his wife and friends went as the heavy metal band Slipknot, who all wear masks and – coincidentally – appeared on the “Jimmy Kimmel Show” last night.
Damon is also, apparently, Phil Coke’s worst Halloween nightmare.
“I like to get out with the kids,” Damon said through a wide grin, “and hide behind the bushes, and scare kids who think it’s going to be an enjoyable treat.”
As a kid, there was no feeling quite like going trick or treating after the Yankees had won it all…
Here’s hoping that the Yankee Ghosts will be haunting the Phillies all night long.
I would give money to see a picture of Jeter dressed up like Prince.
so there’s a %70 chance of rain for game time… I am so sick of this
Andy’s pitching, so naturally its going to rain tonight.
— repost —
Trisha-
As much as we WANT to believe that YS is a “26th man,” according to all of the articles that I have read, it’s just not the case.
McCarver went to Philly U. as a “caddie” and where Buck gets it from, I haven’t a clue. Both are not pro Yankee for sure!
Nonetheless, YS has been too “corporate, too staid” for all of us to admit.
Maybe this will change if there’s a game 6 &/or 7.
9 hours and 8 minutes until Game 3!!!!!!!!
Remember, Anything Can Happen on Halloween!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLN8oqIG01k
Key game, the Yanks need to keep the Lee as much out of the equation as possible. Lee’s possible three starts and game 7 pitching can be negated by not losing to anyone else. While we have to win at least one here, winning two or three does seem critical also.
Any opinions?
Gary
Focus is on one game at a time. Focus on tonight, tonight, and tomorrow, tomorrow. Reading Pete Abe’s twitter, he noticed all the outside pitches that A.J. was getting called strikes and took issue with it. All I hope for is a fair HP umpire.
Huge mistake not playing Matsui tonight. He kills lefties and is the most clutch guy they have. Big mistake.
Correction:
All I hope for tonight is a fair HP umpire.
I will be interested to see the lineup, namely Matsui and Swisher or replacement.
I read in the Post just now that the NYY are preparing AJ as if he’s pitching game 5. I’m all on board with that (more importantly so is AJ;-), especially if you look back at 08 with the Jays, he did it 3 times and had an ERA around 1, his stuff was aces apparently.
My concern is game 6, we can’t expect Andy to go on 3 days rest, his numbers are just not good on short rest back when he was younger, so I wouldn’t expect that to improve with age. I know you cross that bridge when you get to it, but I wonder what they’re thinking for game 6?
(Frank, back atcha and off to do some house cleaning!)
Doreen, think back to the call in bottom of the 7th, when the Yankee rally was quelled when the first-base ump didn’t see that the ball bounced. The Yankees were poised at that point to break it open. McCarver and Buck acknowledged that the call was blown and FOX cut to commercial. At the top of the 8th, when the ump got the second part of the DP wrong and the Yankees got out of the inning, they were inconsolable. They were still carrying on about in into the top of the 9th!
Frank, I haven’t been to the Stadium so don’t know about crowd noise. I do know that when your team is losing 6-1 on a freezing cold and rainy night it might be hard to muster up energy to cheer. I also know that any time the crowd started to get noisy in the 2nd game (I know because I am watching it know, Buck was totally derisive in mentioning it. I think the quote was something to the effect of “And at 9:10, the crowd at Yankee Stadium came alive.”
I thought they sounded pretty noisy. But I wasn’t there. They’re certinaly noisy in the 7th, going crazy over AJ’s Ks!!!!!)
CR9 October 31st, 2009 at 10:59 am
Gary
Focus is on one game at a time. Focus on tonight, tonight, and tomorrow, tomorrow. Reading Pete Abe’s twitter, he noticed all the outside pitches that A.J. was getting called strikes and took issue with it. All I hope for is a fair HP umpire.
I believe if the ball is anywhere close to the corner you have to hack at it. Virtually all the umps have been calling it and it’s akin to the neighborhood play at second only at the plate.
I agree that’s why I said tonight was a key game.
Forget Pete Abe, he never liked the Yanks as far as I was concerned.
“Nonetheless, YS has been too “corporate, too staid” for all of us to admit.
Maybe this will change if there’s a game 6 &/or 7.”
IDK if I agree with that. I was there for Jeter’s breaking hit record. It was a horrible night weather wise.
People stayed through it and the crowd was very loud. It not the old Yankee stadium. The seats are too far recessed for that.
I was there for two playoff come from behind wins at the old place and that environment was as great as a sports event can provide.
Philadelphia has a new stadium too. The Vet was more “26th man” the Citizens Bank. Unfortunately new stadiums aren’t as unfriendly as the old places.
What’s the word on the weather tonight?
“Reading Pete Abe’s twitter, he noticed all the outside pitches that A.J. was getting called strikes and took issue with it. All I hope for is a fair HP umpire.”
Pete’s right. He was getting the corners. You know who else was, Pedro. Especially the low srike.
Furthermore, NYY BP got squeezed bad in the 8th in game one.
I don’t care who Pete likes, all I expect is the HP ump gives the same call both ways. In game two, he did.
MikeBoston October 31st, 2009 at 11:04 am
I read in the Post just now that the NYY are preparing AJ as if he’s pitching game 5. I’m all on board with that (more importantly so is AJ;-), especially if you look back at 08 with the Jays, he did it 3 times and had an ERA around 1, his stuff was aces apparently.
My concern is game 6, we can’t expect Andy to go on 3 days rest, his numbers are just not good on short rest back when he was younger, so I wouldn’t expect that to improve with age. I know you cross that bridge when you get to it, but I wonder what they’re thinking for game 6?
Impossible to say right now, too many variables and too early. First of all there has to be a game 6 and then it depends if it’s must win or they have the 1 out of two situation like they had against LA. Also what are the Phils doing with Lee. Never know maybe someone gets knocked out early or there is a laugher where you could take some one out early.
I wonder if that’s because the new stadiums are built for comfort and convenience?
I was at game 1 of the ALDS. When Jeter hit the homerun the stadium exploded. My coworker went to both World Series games so far and she said the 1st game was pretty dead ( not surprisingly), but during game 2 the crowd was insane. I don’t think the sound translates on TV.
I forgot to add we all know Andy is a battler, if Joe hands him the ball he will go out there and give the best he possibly can for as many innings as he can.
The reason YS was not loud was because the Yankees got embarrassed in game 1 and were down 1-0 early in game two with Pedro cruising through the Yankees lineup.
There are no fans in baseball that can cheer when there is nothing to cheer about. Would the idiots at fox rather Yankee fans chant who’s your daddy when Pedro was dominating? Yeah, that would make sense.
Guarantee if the Yankees embarrass the Phils like what they did to us in game 1 that stadium will be silent. Even if the Yankees jump out to an early lead you will not hear many fans.
Manuel also added this tidbit about Mo:
“We can hit Rivera,” Manuel said. “We can hit any closer.
We’ve proved that. He’s good. He’s one of the best closers in baseball, if not the best. He’s very good. But I’ve seen our team handle good pitching and, you know, we’re definitely capable of scoring runs late in the game.”
Really, you have proved you can hit Mariano? I must have missed that.
If AJ goes in game five and if there if there is then a game six, that means that it will be an elimination game — for us or for them.
It would have to be Andy on 3 days’ rest, I think. In this scenario, Girardi didn’t want Guadin to pitch in game 5, so I doubt he would want Gaudin in the game to either clinch the Series or stave off elimination.
Andy doesn’t have the best history on short rest when he’s done it lately, but… Novemeber baseball, let it all hang out!
He is delusional!
gosh, jennifer, you could just say you disagree with me…
I know that both Pedro and A.J. were getting the calls. But I considered him a fair HP umpire because they were equal to both, and IMO, it was more beneficial to A.J. to have that wide strike zone.
All we can hope for tonight is the same.
Was Manual always such a talker? Why give anyone “bulletin board” material?
One of the many things I admire about the Yankees is that they always respect the other team…I guess I will have to say that is one of the things I don’t like about the Phillies.
.”I won’t say anything more about Hamels,, don’t want to be accused of going against my team.”
yankee 21-
on the contrary,i liked hearing your thoughts on hamels.
i don’t have the time to follow every team and really don’t know the philly’s team that well. watching them play is a crash course in who they are.
i was just surprised to see how mediocre hamels has been. he has really high pitch counts so the yankees really need to work on that. get in to the bullpen early when there’s three games in a row and it’s like body punching in a heavyweight fight.
eventually the phil’s bullpen could be worn down for a key moment or inning. in the same way it’s important for andy to pitch deep into the game. on paper i see an edge for the yankees in the match up because pettitte has a better chance to go deeper into the game.
manuel gave away his team’s hitting strategy against pettitte when he said he has lost his good stuff because of age and has to live on the corners. manuel said the phillies needed to be selective and not swing at balls off the plate.
this sounds like they will be taking some close pitches. what i’d do as a catcher is to stick a few pitches up and in to give them something else to think about or maybe a cutter at their ankles to make them move their feet .
anything to tick them off and keep them aggressive. when they’re like that they won’t be patiently taking pitches as manuel wants them to do.
in short, i’d tick them off. it’s hard to be ticked off and patient at the same time.
if posada and pettitte don’t want to play nasty head games like i would, simply throwing first pitch strikes wold probably work too to make being patient a penalty
“If AJ goes in game five and if there if there is then a game six, that means that it will be an elimination game — for us or for them.”
nick in sf-
good point.
girardi has said he’s trying win one game at a time and is trying not to get ahead of himself. i look at gaudin as a back up plan to a starter going on three days rest and needing some help.
he’s pitched so little it just would seem very odd to have gaudin start a game. of course , i didn’t think hairston would start in right field either. i still think the yankees were lucky to get away with that.
upstate kate
October 31st, 2009 at 11:28 am
One of the many things I admire about the Yankees is that they always respect the other team…I guess I will have to say that is one of the things I don’t like about the Phillies.
____
Yo hit the nail on the head, kate. There only so many times when you can disrespect a team before they flat out humiliate you. Philly has it coming.
Yeah, I’m looking at you Rollins.
“he’s pitched so little it just would seem very odd to have gaudin start a game
i didn’t think hairston would start in right field either”
I think you’re right with both. I think the right play is stick with the three man. They’re at the end of the road, it’s no time to mess with Gaudin. And thats not a knock on him, he hasn’t started a game in a month.
As for Swish, I think you ride him out. The reason I think that is there are at most 5 games left and the odds the A. he doesn’t improve and B. the alternative is better, both work in his favor.
I would have to think, at this point, with all the gum-flapping the Phillies have been doing, that there must be some Mets fans out there hoping the Phillies get pummelled, regardless of who the opponent is.
I agree w/ Nick about pitching Andy in a possible game 6 on 3 days rest.
Would anybody feel confident about Gaudin pitching a potential clinching game?
Or, (gulp) a potential elimination game?
DW
October 31st, 2009 at 10:34 am
I would give money to see a picture of Jeter dressed up like Prince.
*****************
Me too!
I think AJ will pitch Game 5 if the Yanks are facing elimination and will pitch Game 6 if they aren’t. It makes the most sense that way. If their back is up against the wall you have to start your best every night.
Nick I think you are joking and realize that I was talking about Charlie ‘brown’ manuel.
I think you have Gaudin ready to back up AJ or Andy if they have trouble pitching on 3 days rest. At this point I think you need to go w/ your best, no matter what the record is or who the opposing pitcher is.
“If AJ goes in game five and if there if there is then a game six, that means that it will be an elimination game — for us or for them.”
Let’s not leave out the possibility the the series at that point has already been won 4-1 but that they decide to play game 6 anyway in the spirit of “Brotherly Love”.
Doreen, I’m so tired of Gossage already. I wonder if he’s best friends with Jim Rice because they are charter members of the Bitter Ex-Players club. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but he needs to give this thing up because it makes him look like a jerk, trying to invalidate Mo’s success.
Who cares what the media says about the new YS? I think it ‘s been proven over the course of the year that the Yankees rather enjoy playing at home….no matter what the mediots say. In any case, the Yankees don’t need to carry their stadium with them – they are a very good team on the road and always have been.
lol Why are people still obsessed with what Pete is saying? AJ was brilliant – if Pete can’t see that, then he’s got a problem. The man is just trying to placate his new audience of Sox fans………..and this goes on every day. Why? Who cares what the big guy thinks about the Yankees? It’s clear he no longer cares to be objective……….
GB, I’ve only seen the original Brian’s Song; I refused to watch the Disney remake (Brian’s Song is a classic and I hated the fact that they felt it necessary to remake it, as if a new version could be any better). I never understood the point of the remake. It’s not like this was an action movie where now they could update the technology to make the action scenes more realistic. This was a movie based on character – what exactly did the producers want to improve upon?
Wow, Charlie Manuel is a jerk – outright disrespecting his opponent? How classless……If there is any justice in this world, Pettitte will sit his team on their fannies. Man, that ticks me off.
Playing Hideki in the outfield now would be an unmitigated disaster.
World Series game 3 is not the place to make your season debut in the field.
I know, Betsy – ridiculous, really…why fan flames. Just shut up and let your players do the talking. I mean, Andy’s won more WS than Manual’s been to (I assume – someone can check if they want). How about a little humility.
The MLB artlcie’s sidebar on “shortest distance between WS sites” forgot to include the 1906 WS, when the “Hitless Wonders” White Sox shocked the crosstown Cubs in six. (After the Cubs had gone 116-36 in the regular season!)
Mariano is one of the best closers? Really? Look, I think the Phillies attitude is probably a good one to take against Mo as those teams who have a defeatist attitude are already lost against Mo before they go to the plate. Still – this is a team people are supposed to love? They are obnoxious and arrogant and it starts with their manager. I can’t even read Jon Heyman this post-season as he must be their personal writer (in his last article, he calls them the phabulous Phillies……how cute, not).
If anything, that kind of trash talk fires up your opponent…I like the Yankee way, talk softly and carry a big bat.
hardwired October 31st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Playing Hideki in the outfield now would be an unmitigated disaster.
World Series game 3 is not the place to make your season debut in the field.
—————–
Absolutely agree. I don’t think Girardi would start him. What scares me is that JG will use him as a pinch hitter and they put him in the field, maybe as a double switch. Late game situation you want to tighten up defense, not weaken it.
If the Yankees win tonight, I would consider pitching Gaudin in game 4. I don’t necessarily think they are going to hit Blanton (or Hamels tonight – I’ve lost faith in their offense in the playoffs. It is what it is at this point), but Gaudin against Blanton is a better matchup than Gaudin against any of the Phillies other pitchers. Of course if we lose, I suppose we need to go to CC on short rest.
Either way, the Yankees are not in a good position – it would almost help them to get a rain out. If it’s 2-2, although I hate the idea, AJ has to game 5………..but then that would mean Andy in game 6 which I want to avoid. I suppose up 3-2, the Yankees could go Gaudin and hope for the best…but that would likely mean we’d go to a game 7. As it is, AJ would face Lee in game 5.
Peter is setting the stage for the next round of changes that the media will get on once they get replay implemented.
The first step was getting HR calls reviewable. They hammered over and over on the incorrect HR calls. Even though there weren’t that many of them, it was brought up as integrity of the game.
The second step is that now they want instant replay expanded. This, even though at the time of the HR replay talk it was said over and over that it was just for HR calls that they wanted to see it for.
Now the mantra is using replay for calls on the bag, foul or fair balls (even though this is nearly a non-issue), and trap/caught plays. They ignore the fact that this would require rules changes as it would mean having to cover bases awarded for all instances of what could happen.
The next phase after replay becomes a part of the game will be that “we have the technology” to get the strike zone calls right, for the integrity of the game. Never mind that the strike zone changes for the batter up at the plate.
What they claim is exactly what so many have followed them on. Get the calls right. Never mind that it takes away tools of the players and the managers. Player sell questionable calls, such as Hunter challenging Swisher leaving too early even though there was no way he could see it, or Howard catching the ball, even though it was trapped (though he really didn’t sell that call, the umpire didn’t see anything but giving them an out).
Managers argue some calls simply to create a breather at certain points in a game or to fire up their team at a critical point in the season or game.
The media wants to change the game to suit their view, regardless of what it will do to the game. Replay hasn’t really improved football calls all that much. Its all about putting on a show for TV.
Upstate Kate, I don’t agree. Sure, maybe the Yankees will get annoyed, but that is not going to help them hit the baseball. The only time billboard material can help a team is in football, where the game is all about emotion…..maybe basketball. The Yankees being annoyed at the Phillies is not going to help them swing the bat.
Goose and Rice are both bitter because it took so long for them to get into the HOF. They believed they should have been in right away, and look to denigrate the accomplishments of other players.
I just don’t understand why a player who fails in so many round before get elected into the Hall gets in later. They haven’t done anything to improve their stats.
I don’t know Betsy, I think listening to all the trash talk gave the Angels a little extra motivation sweep the sox.
NYY626- GO ANDY!!!
October 31st, 2009 at 11:14 am
I was at game 1 of the ALDS. When Jeter hit the homerun the stadium exploded.
I was at that game and confirm what NYY626 says. I sat in the Section 235 of the Bleachers and everyone in our section was into every pitch before and after Jeter’s homer.
I was at last Saturday’s Game 2 of the ALCS and the fans were into every pitch as well, even though it was freezing cold with rain & even snow.
I’ve been to 13 games at the new Stadium this year and have sat in at least 8 different locations. Overall, it’s not as loud as the old place was. But the reason is the design, not so much the fans. The seats angle further away
and the fans arent sitting right on top of the field anymore.Also, the new place is so open that the wind carries a lot of the sound away.
The rich folks sitting on the field aren’t going to make as much noise as the real fans sitting further back. But the majority of the new place is still packed every game with real Yankee fans and we do make our fair share of noise.
Phillies try to intimidate the opposition with their mouths and the threat of their fans.
Plays into the whole gritty gutty “blue collar” persona they like to perpetrate. The western suburbs of Philly and the NJ side of Metro Philly are as gritty, gutty and blue collar as Greenwich, CT.
Ever fan base has their neanderthals. Philly likes to celebrate theirs for some reason.
I know a lot of news outlets have reported that Manuel said the Rivera quote, but ESPN attributed it to Rollins.
“Yeah, we can hit Rivera,” Rollins said. “We can hit any closer. We’ve proved that. He’s good. He’s one of the best if not the best, but I’ve seen our team handle good pitching. We’re definitely capable of scoring runs late in the game.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=4608482
Are we sure that Manuel said that about Rivera? Definitely seems like more of a Rollins-type quote. I would like to think that Manuel has more class than that.
So, for the record, my Halloween costume tonight involves a Got Pie? t-shirt and a can of whipped cream. Should be great, no?
Abda
Without a doubt, the NFL replay has helped. There are at least 2 bad or questionable calls a game. Some of the referees will explain their decision in detail, and others will be lazy and say the “call is confirmed” rather than say “there is no conclusive evidence.”
Forget about the media, baseball would be greatly helped by replay (strike zones machines too). That would take the umpire element (the Angel Hernandezes, Tim McClellands) out of cheating the Yankees.
Putting aside the Yankees, there are bad calls every single game. There is no accountability for these umpires, they walk around like their **** dont stink, when in reality, all they are is the ****. That’s why they dont smell the stench. The quote the other night was unbelievable (maybe they did not get the same replay Fox showed all blown up) in which they said they got the Damon DP call correct. The only thing I’d be worried about is them still getting the calls wrong with replay.
Yeah Phillies are so blue collar.
Howard makes 15 million a year.
Lidge 11.5 million
Meyers 12
Utley 11
Yep keep trumpeting blue collar. It is like they are playing for free!! Those are paltry salaries! How do they get by?
BETSY ur opinion is invalid. You are the dumbest poster on this blog. How can someone watch so many games and still not have any aspect of a sports iq. Your telling us you have lost faith in this offense because CLIFF LEE dominated them really? I mean they did just put up like 9 on the angels. Its the playoffs team struggle with the bat. You need to stop worrying for once and get a life. Trust me the game will be a better watch. U are obsessed with aj and phil and say some of the dumbest things ever and act as if you know aj’s emotions or anything about him. Get a grip.
CR9, see, you have already bought into the hype the media has sold you.
Strike zone machines means removing the catcher from framing pitches. It gives a huge edge to the batters because it will never vary and therefore means they never have to adjust their approach to what is being called.
Its this type of mindless attitude that machines are better than people.
I see many times in football games where they are getting absurdly technical about the calls and replays done. Refs are becoming lazy knowing that their calls can be replayed. Replay is the TV show. And even with replay there are blown calls.
I don’t see anything wrong with saying they can hit Rivera, especially because they did. They hit him, they just didn’t beat him. Rivera is not impossible to beat and there is nothing wrong with a manager or player saying that.