Today in The Journal News
-
-
- November
- 2
-
The Yankees are one win away from their 27th World Series title after beating the Phillies in a wild one last night. Chad Jennings has all the details, including plenty on Johnny Damon’s mad dash for third base in the ninth inning.
Alex Rodriguez has had a season full of changes and the biggest transformation of all is nearly complete, I wrote in my column. A-Rod has always wanted to be known as a “winner” and he’s doing everything he can to make that a reality.
A.J. Burnett will take the ball on short rest in tonight’s Game 5, and that decision by Joe Girardi isn’t as much of a sure thing as the one he made in tapping CC Sabathia for Game 4.
Nick Swisher has been rejuvenated after his breakout performance in Game 3, and the Yankees are hoping it carries over for as long as this series lasts.
Damaso Marte did the job again out of the pen last night, and his resurgence during the postseason has made him a valuable weapon. The notebook also has items on Melky Cabrera’s injury, another start for Jose Molina and another award for Derek Jeter.
Finally, check out a nice piece from Josh Thomson, who chronicled a full day for New York fans in the City of Brotherly Love.
This entry was posted
on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 am by Sam Borden.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Chad Jennings
I hope they close it out today.
Start chilling the champagne!
One last day is this majical journey – savior the final moments.
Me too, I don’t want them to have any life. Step on their necks today and get it done.
as much as I want them to get it done today, I want them to win it at home….I want the bronx to be rocking but I’ll take a world series clincher on the road….although I was disappointed when they won it on the road against the Padres
Dassit
yeah, my mistake.
Betsy, the Yankees are going with AJ tonight, they know more than the fans. I don’t think a baseball team virtually conceding a game in the World Series has any historic precedent and this team truly believes it can beat any team at any time with any opposing pitcher on the mound.
Save any criticism for the miniscule chance the Yankees don’t win the series, as bad as you think the Yankees pitching may be with AJ, Pettitte, and CC on 3 days rest for the remainder of the series the Phils have much bigger problems since their game 7 potential starter seems to have left the building and it’s unlikely Pedro will have anything (if he even starts) in a game 6.
Brad Lidge = Bill Buckner
I hope they take of business tonight. I’m curious to see how AJ looks tonight going on short rest.
Lets go Yankees!!! Close it out tonight and give AJ that pie he deserves!!!!!
yankees fans still getting killed on WIP610 philly
I love how all the interviews the players are going to treat this like any other game go out to battle. Glad they aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
jennifer
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
I love how all the interviews the players are going to treat this like any other game go out to battle. Glad they aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
*************
jennifer-I noticed that too. I think it’s great. They all seem to have a “we’re in a good position but haven’t won anything yet” attitude.
Courtesy of SG from Replacement Level blog (www.replacementlevel.com):
As of right now,
World Series Winning Odds
Yankees: 92.10%
Phillies: 7.90%
Harry- What do you mean Yankee fans are getting killed on Philly radio? Why?
The Yankees have also shown that the don’t have to count only on the HR’ Last night their clutch base running and timely hitting (all be it a bit late) shows they have the skills to get the job done either way.
AJ wants the ball on short rest, what does that say about his character? He just need to keep them in the game.
The Yankee offense in this post season always seems to find a way to come up in a big way. Different night, different guy.
Heard on the radio this morning that there were like 10,000 fans at Yankee Stadium last night. The person said there was a Philly fan there wearing a hat and a fur coat. They said everyone booed her every move! LOVE IT!
Wow wow wow. Last night I felt the Yanks were losing even when they had a lead. Then came the top of the 9th. Unbelievable!
Time to stock up on champagne.
If they win it today, who’s the series MVP???
Jeter has a lot of hits, but Damon has to be a favorite thus far. CC has been good, but doesn’t have a win. If AJ locks them down, he could win it (which would be amazing). Mo has shot, but has only pitched 3.2 innings. I don’t want to get ahead of myself (having watched the ‘04 ALCS!), but it’s fun to think about.
“Close it out tonight and give AJ that pie he deserves!!!!!”
Yeah!
What if AJ loses tonight and we have both Pettitte and CC again on 3 days rest. Why not start Gaudin tonight and have a fresh AJ and Pettitte for games 6 and 7.
I shook my sleeping girlfriend so hard when Arod got that hit, I think she thought there was an earthquake.
Mo throwing 13 pitches for 5 outs in the past 2 days. Priceless !!
Last night I felt the Yanks were losing even when they had a lead. Then came the top of the 9th. Unbelievable!
****************
How many times in this post season have they found a why to win. That’s a trait that the great teams have.
As for unbelievable, I think the players believe, the fans should too.
Should be, found a way to win, in above post.
People are discussing pitchers going on 3-days’ rest as if it renders them handicap, invalid and lost. While simultaneously pining for Chazz Gaudin to start a game against a great lineup. And, David Wells wrote a whole column about Kate Hudson for the NY Post. Oh my goodness gracious.
One problem w/ starting Gaudin is it is doubtful he can go far into the game. I think it is better to start AJ. His record shows he is effective on 3 days rest. Lee is a great pitcher, but there are no guarantees. If it goes to game 6 and you have to start Andy on short rest, you have Gaudin available to pick him up if needed.
Yeah I don’t get all the pining for Chad to start a game. He hasn’t started a game in over a month! Hasn’t pitched in over a week (and than it was only an inning). Why do you want to let them back in the series? AJ will be fine. He’s done it before. He was in a situation with the Yankees down a game and pitched great. You go with the horses that got you there.
What if AJ loses tonight and we have both Pettitte and CC again on 3 days rest. Why not start Gaudin tonight and have a fresh AJ and Pettitte for games 6 and 7.
___
and WHAT IF the yankees didnt make it to the WS. WHAT IF? Go for the kill. As the Phillies what happens when you dont put your best out there.
And if you are thinking of what ifs….
what if it goes 7, then you have cc AND aj available.
Jennifer,
You go with the horses that got you there.
*****************
That’s been a large part of Girardi’s thinking.
I also think lefties hit Gaudin pretty hard.
This is the reason we paid AJ the big bucks.
Hamels’: “I can’t wait for it to end” as in the epitaph for the Phillies season.
10 hours and 36 minutes until Game 5!!!!!!!
What a stunning turn of events. Yankees lose home field advantage and then rip it right back.
Thanks to Chad, Sam, and Josh for the updates and everything. Don’t let the haters get to you. It’s obvious you didn’t report on Melky because you didn’t have the information at the time.
Bill from NJ November 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
Hamels’: “I can’t wait for it to end” as in the epitaph for the Phillies season.
That quote really shows a lot of heart. The Yanks believe in themselves and have played with heart all season.
Erica
your PBF is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!
I was there and it was a great game to watch – especially in enemy territory. Let’s end it tonight.
Josh, thanks for quoting me for the article. Really enjoyed speaking to you. Nice job!
Erica-your pretend boyfriend was awesome last night!
m,
Who was your pick for possible MVP?
I can’t believe Hamels would actually say something like that.
Damon is making everything interesting in left, but he was great in the 9th last night. The guy is a gamer who rises to the occasion. If the series were tied 2-2 with Lee going tonight it would be a totally different story.
Lee will be on his game tonight. The Yankees will need to squeak out a few more dribblers and bloops and AJ will need to be sharp.
Magic number is one…
GTLU will be a bit more challenging with Cabrera likely out. Even with a lefty pitching, I think Gardner has to play since I don’t want to see Hairston in center.
Today is the same situation as the ALCS, but let’s win today. I don’t like suspense.
I love the way this team never gives up, and can win in a variety of ways.
The other question for GTLU is Molina or Posada? I am still thinking Molina starts.
Yankees approach should be to jump on the fastball when Lee throws it early in the count. He located that pitch well in Game 1 and they didn’t have good swings on it, but the Yankees also took a number of fastballs early in the count that they could have done something with. Lee is not the type of guy to wait around on and expect to get himself into trouble.
Hopefully the offense can make some adjustments for tonight’s game.
Today’s game calls for lots of second guessing..
1) AJ in short rest instead of Gaudin…
2) Not pitching AJ in the stadium…
3) Molina-Posada debate..
All year this team has picked each other up. If someone doesn’t get the job done, more often than not the next person will.
Erica, you must be on cloud 9 this morning!
So pumped about the way the Yankees have been playing in the series so far and look forward to getting 1 more win…
Question, were all of Joe’s comments on most likely going with Molina tonight before or after the Melky injury? I know Melky is a back-end hitter, but his bat has to be considered more reliable than Gardner’s (at this point in the post season anyway) and if he’s out tonight with the strain then our lineup will be even weaker on the back end against a very good pitcher. I’ve been supportive of Girardi’s decisions with the lineup so far this post season and have no reason to second guess his call at this point, but I’m curious what others think and if Chad/Sam/Josh have any insite as to whether Melky’s status may affect that decision.
if aj dominates tonight, mvp will be between him and johnny.
Does anyone know Hairston’s stats vs Cliff Lee?
tex’s friend
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 am
if aj dominates tonight, mvp will be between him and johnny.
————————————-
If AJ pitches a shutout or 1 run ball and the yanks win, he’s the MVP hands down… Not even a question about it..
Upstate Kate & Erin-
I know!!! I am so proud of him
Even the worst of the Johnny haters were in awe last night. It was such a happy moment. I am still smiling
funny about hamels….
i was on the couch with my wife when the annoucers said what cole said. i told her that if he has said that to ozzie, he would have told him to go home and start the offseason now.
sure enough, 30 seconds later, he said the exact same thing.
no room for that attitude.
KF
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 am
Does anyone know Hairston’s stats vs Cliff Lee?
———————-
1 for 6 with a HR..
5-9 tonight could be swish, cano, gardner, molina, aj.
i bet they still hit the ball.
Does anyone know if the stadium will be open tonight for the game?
Wonderful game that had to be won. It was the pivital game of the series, lose it and the teams are tied at 2/2, making the remainder a best of 3 series. Win it and we are at 3/1, only having to win 1 out 3….vastly different.
With pitchers, velocity and location tell you what you need to know about how they are pitching. CC on 3 days rest, was hitting 94 when he need to to, but still left too many pitches up in the zone, hence a difficult night for him.
Joba looked good (well other than the HR). He had some swagger when he came in and after his first few pitches was hitting 96 on the gun. You can tell he was amped up so to speak in that he had trouble controling his slider- several wide or in the dirt. Hitting 96 was a good sign because it shows that with regular work, the arm strength is still there. Don’t think he will be available today though after working 2 days in a row.
Mo got the 3 outs he needed, but threw only 1 pitch that touched 90…all others were 89 or less. I know we will see him tonight if we have a lead, but I think fatique may be a factor. He could be vulnerable.
If Burnett can give us 6, I think we see Marte/Hughes in the 7th and 8th, then Mo in the 9th.
Close it out tonight in Phillie or wait till we get back to the Bronx ? Sooner the better.
not to make excuses for him, I know he has had a rough season, but Cole Hamels is a new dad. I am guessing he is exhausted.
Start Gardner in CF despite the left-handed factor, since Melky’s hamstring has him on ice. Gardner is not going to get overpowered by Lee, and he can slap a ball the other way for a hit or bunt in a necessary situation, and if he gets on provides some options at the bottom of the order, especially if Molina is going to (unfortunately) start for AJ. Not the ideal scenario for Gardner’s first start of the postseason, but this is why he is on the roster.
Blackaccord,
Thanks, I think that will factor factor into Girardi’s decision. It’s quite a small sample size and probably not to relavent. Gardner doesn’t hit lefties well and likely would be over matched.
waiting for gaudin.
has there ever been a pitcher talked about so much who may not throw a pitch in the world series?
NY5 November 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 am
Does anyone know if the stadium will be open tonight for the game?
An announcement was made yesterday that it would be
randy l.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:44 am
waiting for gaudin.
********
LOL
Did anyone see if Johnny glanced back at Feliz so as to see if he was in arms length??
Imagine how tragic it would have been if he had just swiped at him when he left second and got tagged out ?!?!?
Not trying to be a naysayer, but it seems like Johnny had no idea how close the ball was to him at the time.
Maybe he was just looking at the 3rd base coach.
“Why not start Gaudin tonight and have a fresh AJ and Pettitte for games 6 and 7.”
Because Gaudin…sucks
I’d rather have Sabathia on short rest in game 7 than Andy on regular rest. CC, A.J. and Andy got you here, it’s a smart idea to ride them to the end. They can handle 3 days rest, they are all veterans who have been healthy all year long.
SG at Replacment Level blog ran a simulation with Gaudin facing Lee like 1000 times or something and the Yanks only win ~32 % of the time. Gaudin vs Lee is a really really bad matchup for the Yankees. Gaudin is awful against lefties and the Phillies have Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez – all extremely good left-handed hitters.
# randy l. November 2nd, 2009 at 9:44 am
waiting for gaudin.
has there ever been a pitcher talked about so much who may not throw a pitch in the world series?
What if on the blog lives.
KF,
I don’t think Girardi will put anyone other than melky or gardner in CF.. If he was thinking of playing Hairston, it should be only for RF and not CF..
Start Gardner in CF despite the left-handed factor, since Melky’s hamstring has him on ice. Gardner is not going to get overpowered by Lee, and he can slap a ball the other way for a hit or bunt in a necessary situation, and if he gets on provides some options at the bottom of the order, especially if Molina is going to (unfortunately) start for AJ. Not the ideal scenario for Gardner’s first start of the postseason, but this is why he is on the roster.
___
I agree. because everyone else did SOOOOO well against Lee. You have to go gardner if melky cannot play.
If melky is out, do they consider replacing him on the roster with cicso?
Lets GO AJ !! Time to seal the deal !
KF, if you want to watch a Yankee game on TV and pay someone $9 per beer while doing so, please just drop by my place.
You have to go with Posada tonight. He makes this lineup so much better.
Without Posada tonight, Cano is hitting 5th. He is in a terrible slump right now and don’t you all remember how poor he was in the 5 spot this year? Girardi tried it for awhile and Cano was just miserable there.
Posada MUST start tonight.
KF,
I think I went told Trisha CC or Mo. But finally went with CC. I still like my pick of Yankees in at least 4 games, though.
I’m just really enjoying these games (wins).
I really thought that Girardi would go with Posada. But now I’m thinking maybe he goes with Hairston (righty) and Molina.
Word of caution, though. AJ handcuffed the Angels in game 2 thanks in part to a lot of first pitch strikes, but they made adjustments & jumped on his first pitch offerings in the first inning of Game 5. Look for Philly follow the same game plan.
AJ & “the catcher” just need to make adjustments before it’s too late.
“waiting for gaudin.”
Hilarious. So is the Start Gaudin movement. Oooooh I’m counting chickens. There appear to be 27.
For anyone who wants Chad Gaudin to start tonight – please take a look at what lefty hitters have done against him.
Gaudin’s best pitch – his only true out pitch – is his big breaking slider. That pitch moves away from righties but in to lefties. The big limit on Gaudin’s career so far has been his inability to develop a pitch that will get lefty hitters out.
Career vs. lefty batters:
.293 .389 .433 .822
Career vs. righty batters:
.249 .318 .409 .728
Gaudin would likely have a great deal of difficulty with this Phillies line up in particular – especially at that ball park – because of their lefty hitting power and switch hitters.
And then on top of that he has marginal to poor command and hasn’t thrown at all since Oct 20. He’s thrown 1 total inning since Oct 3.
The yankees chances of winning this game today are higher with AJ on 3 days rest than Gaudin – especially Gaudin under these circumstances.
You cannot just decrease your chances of winning one game in the world series – even up 3-1 – because it may increase your chances of winning a future game 6 or 7.
This is especially true with AJ Burnett. AJ has a huge arm and is very strong. At the same time he’s wildly inconsistent. If he pitches poorly today it isn’t because he’s on short rest. It’s because he’ll likely be to high strung for the game and/or his mechanics will be out of whack leading him to have poor command.
Win today and there’s no need for Andy or CC to throw again on short rest.
If Hamels was a Yankee and had made that statement I believe he would be trade bait next year. So much for playing with heart.
It’s nice to wrap it up at the Stadium but waste not – want not. Might as well do it in Philly.
The Yankees want to win it sooner than later knowing there’s a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
So will the LoHud servers implode like Brad Lidge tonight if the Yankees win the World Series?
I think with AJ not at full rest, it will help him not overthrow the curveball. I think he is going to be NASTY tonight.
Get Yer Damn hands Off Of her! November 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
Did anyone see if Johnny glanced back at Feliz so as to see if he was in arms length??
Imagine how tragic it would have been if he had just swiped at him when he left second and got tagged out ?!?!?
Not trying to be a naysayer, but it seems like Johnny had no idea how close the ball was to him at the time.
Maybe he was just looking at the 3rd base coach.
—
I think you’re just used to seeing Derek Jeter keep guys on after they’ve stolen second with the ball in his glove just waiting for them to step off. Feliz wasn’t paying attention and by the time he realizes Damon’s off he’s out of reach.
ditmars1929
I was just responding to another post about whether the Stadium was open. Rebecca did mention in an earlier post she had gone and had a great experience.
I know, KF, I was just yanking your chain for fun!
Seriously though, I get a kick out of how the Steinbrenners make this out to be some completely altruistic favor to the fan, but (and yeah, call me cynical) in reality, they’re just doing it for the money (concessions, parking, souvenirs, etc.). Still though, I bet it would be pretty fun if you went with a big group of friends.
” The Phillies will win it in 5 games .”
Gardner in CF
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 am
I think you’re just used to seeing Derek Jeter keep guys on after they’ve stolen second with the ball in his glove just waiting for them to step off. Feliz wasn’t paying attention and by the time he realizes Damon’s off he’s out of reach.
———–
Yeah, sounds about right.
Not to mention it was the third baseman he was in an unfamiliar position.
Last nigth, after the game, Jorge Posada and Joba Chamberlain hugged and Jorge gave Joba what appeared to be a little pep talk in his ear. Dying to know what he said. Any chance you can ask one of them? It looked like the Vet Jorge telling Joba that he threw his best stuff and should be proud, evne if the result was a homer to Feliz.
I almost don’t want to ask this. I don’t want to jinx anything. But…
If (IF) the Yankees win one of the next 3 games, what number will Joe Girardi be wearing next season?
I can’t imagine any real Yankee fan would want Gaudin to start tonight. Why do we need to concede the game? If Philly wins they’ll feel a little momentum. They’ll probably win anyway, but no reason in the world to concede game 5 just because Lee has been great. The anti-Yankee fan is rooting for Gaudin to start and lose and hope the roof falls in for the Yankees from there. A true Yankee fan knows that we have a good chance of winning with Burnett on the mound. We’ll see what Philly is made of tonight.
Jorge told Joba not to worry, the guys would pick him up, told him he did a good job, but also told him what he did wrong on that one pitch.
Jeff NJ November 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 am
I can’t imagine any real Yankee fan would want Gaudin to start tonight. Why do we need to concede the game? If Philly wins they’ll feel a little momentum. They’ll probably win anyway, but no reason in the world to concede game 5 just because Lee has been great. The anti-Yankee fan is rooting for Gaudin to start and lose and hope the roof falls in for the Yankees from there. A true Yankee fan knows that we have a good chance of winning with Burnett on the mound. We’ll see what Philly is made of tonight.
Well spoken or at least well written
Jon .. seen the samething last night !.
I agree that we go out tonight with the big guns, AJ Joba Phil Mariano.
If Gardener plays then we need him and Johnny to attempt some squeeze plays and let the infield have it.
We need to put the pressure on them like we did last night.
We own this game and it is ours to lose.
Doreen
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 am
I almost don’t want to ask this. I don’t want to jinx anything. But…
If (IF) the Yankees win one of the next 3 games, what number will Joe Girardi be wearing next season?
*******
They were discussing that last Monday when the Yankees clinched the AL Title on Q104.3. I got angry. LOL
Now it feels like a little less of a jinx. But I still say that is a dilemma I am happy to let Girardi figure out for himself
If Gardner does get the start, do the Yanks activate Guzman as the late inning pinch runner?
KF – sorry I didn’t get to answer you last night. I just saw your post.
I was front and center in a christening yesterday (not my own, I was godmother to my new nephew) and didn’t get home until close to gametime. I was pretty tired. That said, I have found that I don’t really enjoy the games as much, nor do I really get to concentrate on them the way I want to, if I am doing a lot of posting. The combination of my day and that caused me to just put up a few posts. (I’m sure at least a few posters are happy about that decision!)
But I never doubted the win last night, and that’s the truth. I just felt confident that the Yanks would get the job done.
Tonight I am preparing for anything, only because we’re facing Lee. AJ was stunning last time out, but I also remember the stat that says his road pitching is not as great as his home pitching. Will he be able to overcome that stat and have the game of his life? I think he’s capable of that also. It is going to be a great watch no matter what.
And then I’d be lying if I said forces conspiring to get this back to the ghosts at the Stadium would trouble me greatly…
Jon-Jorge was asked about that last night on YES:
http://web.yesnetwork.com/medi.....id=7113069
Jeff in NJ -
I don’t think it has anything to do with whether or not a person is a “true” Yankees fan. There is some room for debate on the subject of Gaudin – not much, I’ll agree, but there is room.
I think most Yankees fans, even some of the truest Yankees fans, went back and forth on it a little, and are coming down on the side of, even though it’s risky, you go with your best.
Erica,
But I still say that is a dilemma I am happy to let Girardi figure out for himself
Overall he’s done a damn good job figuring things out. One and done—- sure anyone could have done it.
The short rest rotation makes me feel a bit uneasy.
Every time I saw CC give up a hit last night it was like the words SHORT REST were flashing in red lights in my head.
Putting Gaudin out there tonight would be like a throw away game. No way he’s getting past all those lefties.
Still, if Cliff Lee can pitch like he did in the opener, who’s going to beat him?
I can’t recall ever seeing Andy on short rest.
I have a question: I know Posada is a poor base runner but on his single that drove in the the last two runs in the top of the ninth, what happened. It looked like he wasn’t running hard to 2nd base and was tagged out. Didn’t the Ist base coach try to hold him at first? Did he run through the hold up signal? Wasn’t he hustling? I know his hit was much more important but I am curious to what happened.
Thanks,
Comet
Bronx Jeers -
CC wasn’t particular sharp in Game 1, either and he wasn’t on short rest there. It could be the rest issue, or it could be that he maybe doesn’t match up as well with the Phillies. Didn’t he have trouble with them last season? Or am I misremembering?
I’m thinking Cliff Lee won’t be as sharp as he was in game 1 (though that may not mean so much!). Just gotta watch. I’m at a disadvantage tonight. My husband has to travel to Puerto Rico, so I’m not going to be able to hide in my closet and wait for him to tell me how tough innings have turned out.
I don’t know if I can do it, so I really hope Cliff Lee is hittable tonight. 
Random question…
but does anyone know when a parade would be held? probably not the day after they clinch it right? maybe 2 days after? i really want to go, but this thing called work may get in the way! would they have it in the morning? or afternoon? anyone have any ideas?
I think starting AJ tonight is the right move, b/c I wouldn’t want to start Gaudin, and I think AJ will be fine on short rest. However, you do have to consider that AJ pitches better at home, he even admitted to getting pumped up by the fans. And it is easier to have Molina in there when you have a DH.
Bronx – I remember seeing Andy on short rest- twice. Neither time was pretty.
Doreen
that is where your DVR comes in handy
I don’t know if that means it’s gotta be that way, but I remember the word being that Andy didn’t pitch well on short rest.
upstate kate -
Yes! I forgot. I haven’t used it that way yet. I tend not to use it when hubby’s here.
Okay. There’s my problem solved. Thanks. 
all around FOX has been horrible anyway. How bout either keep fox trax up or dont show it at all. how bout buck and mccarver at least try to call a non-bias broadcast.
andy doesnt pitch well on short rest, but who cares. win tonight and he won’t have to. lose tonight, and he will be on a short leash in game 6.
The short rest question is a tough one, but is there really any sense in giving up a game?
Putting Gaudin out there is doing what the Phillies fans do… wave the white flag, surrender.
AJ might actually benefit from going on short rest. Some games he is too amped up and over throws. That is not to say this is a guaranteed move to make, but no team should look to give away any games in the World Series. You keep the pressure on even if its a little risky.
The Yankees have made it tough throughout this whole series. The Phillies are way off balance and losing confidence in themselves. Why give them anything that they can build on?
Cliff Lee may very well win tonight, but last I saw his record showed that he actually lost some games. The pressure is on him and the Phillies tonight as it is an elimination game. Something they are not used to this post season.
Trisha,
Congratulations on being a godmother to your nephew.
You said tonight “you were prepared for anything”. I think that’s the way Girardi feels and he’s done a pretty decent job to date.
Cliff Lee is an excellent pitcher, but it’s hard to duplicate his past performance. The Yankee offense is patient and scrappy.
Unlike AJ he didn’t have the desire to pitch on 3 days rest. If Lee is not as sharp, I believe Erica had posted that several players had pretty good #’s against him.
tex’s friend– i completely agree tim and joe buck are awful and incredibly biased towards the phillies. i think they may have cried when the yanks pulled it out last night. and tim mccarver is losing it… how about after they pinch hit matsui for joba and later in the inning tim says… “well they can bring joba back out for another inning!” i almost threw somethign at the tv! idiots!
Pettitte will be fine if he has to start on 3 days rest
To be quite honest I think it ends tonight
Erica,
Is there a video of Johnny’s presser after the game? I missed him in his muscle shirt, apparently. Gotta see that, if you don’t mind. (-;
“I don’t think it has anything to do with whether or not a person is a “true” Yankees fan. There is some room for debate on the subject of Gaudin – not much, I’ll agree, but there is room.
I think most Yankees fans, even some of the truest Yankees fans, went back and forth on it a little, and are coming down on the side of, even though it’s risky, you go with your best.”
I agree with this…I’m of the opinion that AJ should start because he’s had success on short rest and I don’t think it’s reasonable to concede a WS game (not that starting Gaudin necessarily does that) but while people who bemoan every issue whether it be the lineup, who’s pitching, etc may have opinions contrary to mine and at times get on my nerves, their differing opinion or style as a fan does not make them any less of a “true” fan. I can’t even say for certain what a “true” fan is.
“I don’t know if that means it’s gotta be that way, but I remember the word being that Andy didn’t pitch well on short rest.”
That is the main issue in the Gaudin start/no start debate. If AJ goes out and doesn’t pitch well, or even worse, pitches great and they lose, the Yanks are left with Andy on short rest. That has been an issue for him in the past, and not a good thing for the Yanks. On the other hand the offense would be facing Pedro without his extra rest, and they just saw him a few days ago. I think they will hit him hard if they have to face him again.
Either way, I do think AJ starting tonight is the right call.
“Without Posada tonight, Cano is hitting 5th. He is in a terrible slump right now and don’t you all remember how poor he was in the 5 spot this year?”
Alex isn’t going to get many good pitches to hit with Cano batting behind and no matsui or posada.
Lee will throw one pitch off the plate after another to him. If Alex will swing at bat pitches so be it. Otherwise Lee is going to pitch around him whenever possible.
It’s a real problem for today’s game because they are going to struggle for runs against a tough pitcher. On top of that they will have one of the weakest line ups they’ve put out there in a while.
Teixeira is going to need to have a good game tonight. He really becomes critical given the line up behind Alex. Tex is going to need to drive in runs. Also, Tex getting on base will be one of the factors that help force Lee to give Alex better pitches to hit.
“The yankees chances of winning this game today are higher with AJ on 3 days rest than Gaudin – especially Gaudin under these circumstances.”
CB-
i think another factor is that with players who are in their first world series you want to give them a chance to do their thing with as little pressure as possible. teixeira, cano, hughes,and even alex are having their problems in the playoffs.
if gaudin pitches tonight and the yankees lose as they likely would, then aj is pitching a game 6 up 3-2 which is a much bigger game than a game 5 with the yankees up 3-1.
from burnett’s point of view it’s not a must win because it’ll be on pettitte and CC to win a game 6 or a game 7.
this game is actually the least pressure on aj. it’s all opportunity for him.he nails this baby and he may be world series MVP. he loses it and it’s not the end of the world because lee was pitching and he’s on 3 days rest .
this is a set up for good AJ to come out and let it rip. if he comes up big he’s a big hero. if he loses the baton gets passed to pettitte and sabathia.
the phillies are the ones who are deep doo doo because an AJ who goes into a game without much downside but a lot of upside possibilities could be the most dangerous kind of aj to face.
if this was a game 7 and it was all on him facing lee, it would be a totally differenet scenario. i think burnett would be facing all kinds of demons.
but no one thinks anyone can beat lee tonight. he’s not expected to.
i think that will motivate someone like aj who will have nothing to lose and everything to gain tonight.
he also has an opportunity to wear a better shirt than the gray cowboy one with the flowers on it that wore in interviews last night.
it just seems like a win/win situation for AJ.
they need to bring sterling into the booth tonight to call the last out.
Ballgame over. World Series over. yankees win. Theeeeeee YANKEES WINNNNN…
dont care for sterling, but i love hearing that line.
It’s not a marathon now. It’s a sprint. Three games to win one. You don’t concede any games to a dangerous opponent. Yes, it would be ideal to have a fourth starter. But 85% of AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte is better than Chad Gaudin who’s thrown 1 inning in the last month.
any word on Melky ?
Comet, I think Jorge ran too far beyond 1st base when the throw went to second he was probably going to be out even if he tried getting back to first.
In a case like that you figure the throw is going toward home plate to keep a run from scoring.
Plus, Jorge probably wanted to pad Mo’s stats a bit and give him the chance to get another post season save. lol.
I think more of the short rest question is in regards to Andy, if it goes to a game 6. But what is the alternative? Have Gaudin tonight, a rested AJ for game 6, and then either Andy or CC for 7? I would rather take a chance on our big 3 for each of the remaining games if necessary, then give a game away.
I think Girardi might even bat swisher after A-rod today instead of Cano..
Without Posada tonight, Cano is hitting 5th. He is in a terrible slump right now and don’t you all remember how poor he was in the 5 spot this year?”
___
swish will hit 5th most likely. i actually think joe should consider arod 3rd and tex 4th.
Those Philly fans are nutcases. I enjoyed watching that guy sitting in the 4th row behind the plate with a hood on and a towel over his head throw a tantrum everytime he thought there was a strike that was called a ball. If we happen to win on there turf tonight I think they might start killing each other.
It’s not a marathon now. It’s a sprint. Three games to win one. You don’t concede any games to a dangerous opponent. Yes, it would be ideal to have a fourth starter. But 85% of AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte is better than Chad Gaudin who’s thrown 1 inning in the last month.
___
in the perfect world, chien-ming wang would be healthy now and we would have that dominant starting 4.
Blackaccord
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:22 am
I think Girardi might even bat swisher after A-rod today instead of Cano..
*******************
That’s what I’m thinking too.
Per Mark Feinsand, the team does not expect Cabrera to play in Game 5.
KF -
I heard Cliff Lee offered to pitch on 3 days rest and Manuel said no. Manuel was asked last night what if Lee had demanded to pitch on 3 days rest, Manuel said his answer was still no. I wouldn’t question Cliff Lee’s heart here.
in the perfect world, chien-ming wang would be healthy now and we would have that dominant starting 4.
In a perfect baseball world, we would be 11-0 and just have enjoyed the Parade this past weekend
The Yanks should really be able to put together some better at bats this time around against Lee.
Then again, look for the weakest lineup we’ve seen all season.
How about they roll back the clock and put Johnny in CF and Hideki in RF.
Back in time!
OK maybe not.
CB,
I agree, with a potentially weak lineup tonight, Tex needs to step up. I’d say the same for Cano but I have no confidence in him right now. He doesn’t have the same impact bat that Teixeira does.
I really do think it’s imperative that Posada starts tonight, especially against a great pitcher like Lee. Cano, Swisher, Gardner, Molina, Burnett 5-9 is not very dangerous. That’s over half of the lineup made up of below average hitters or good hitters in slumps.
Posada had a good night last night, he deserves the start today.
marie-
heres a clip of the video
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?.....id=2521705
marie
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:17 am
Erica,
Is there a video of Johnny’s presser after the game? I missed him in his muscle shirt, apparently. Gotta see that, if you don’t mind. (-;
******
Its on my DVR which probably doesn’t help you much. The YES website usually has a lot of that stuff up. Give it a look
And you are totally missing out on that tank top
“In a perfect baseball world, we would be 11-0 and just have enjoyed the Parade this past weekend
”
Even if they were 11-0 the earliest they could have won the series was last night…
“I think more of the short rest question is in regards to Andy, if it goes to a game 6. But what is the alternative? Have Gaudin tonight, a rested AJ for game 6, and then either Andy or CC for 7? I would rather take a chance on our big 3 for each of the remaining games if necessary, then give a game away.”
Chad Gaudin is in the bullpen as the long man in case AJ or Pettitte run out of gas.
#27 is staring us right in the face, and people actually want Chad Gaudin, a journeyman pitcher who’s thrown one inning all month, to take the mound in a WORLD SERIES CLINCHING GAME. That is unbelievable. That’s a loser mentality not suited for fans of a proud franchise. No one has ever won a World Series by conceding games.
There are only three games left people. Three games to win one game. The Yankees have 5 months to relax.
Empty the tank. Empty the damn tank.
What if AJ loses tonight and we have both Pettitte and CC again on 3 days rest. Why not start Gaudin tonight and have a fresh AJ and Pettitte for games 6 and 7.
———————————————
Watching MLB network and Reynolds was commenting on this very topic. He is 100% against using AJ tonight and says you have to pull him back and go with Gaudin. He insists that its a no brainer, and after thinking about it I tend to agree with him. Look at the lineup the Yankees plan on using tonight. You don’t have the DH, Gardner for Melky, Molina for Posada, and then the pitcher. I don’t think you waste Burnett against the Phils tonight vs. Cliff Lee on full rest and our B team lineup that Joe will have to use. Save him for Game 6 on full rest with our normal lineup with maybe minus Melky. I know Joe won’t do this because he has already annouced AJ for tonight, but I feel it is a safer play. I just don’t like our chance tonght either way so why waste AJ on short rest. You have to like the matchups in a Game 6 (fully rested Burnett vs. Pedro) and Game 7 (fully rested Andy w/ CC out of the pen vs. Hamels w/ Blanton out of theirs) if he were to use Gaudin instead.
Expect Francesa and Kay to debate this all day today.
Sorry, I don’t see anyone “pining” for Gaudin. It’s a matter of opinion. I would prefer to see AJ (and most especially Andy) on full rest, even figuring that a Gaudin/Lee matchup is a loss. That’s what it comes down to, not some need to see Gaudin in a game. I think it’s a mistake….
Doreen,
I had earlier heard otherwise. So much for hearsay
In any case I like Cliff Lee as a pitcher and had hoped the Yanks would have found a way of acquiring him this season.
I’m looking for a Yankee Classic in the making tonight
Patrick
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
“Why not start Gaudin tonight and have a fresh AJ and Pettitte for games 6 and 7.”
Because Gaudin…sucks
I’d rather have Sabathia on short rest in game 7 than Andy on regular rest. CC, A.J. and Andy got you here, it’s a smart idea to ride them to the end. They can handle 3 days rest, they are all veterans who have been healthy all year long.
SG at Replacment Level blog ran a simulation with Gaudin facing Lee like 1000 times or something and the Yanks only win ~32 % of the time. Gaudin vs Lee is a really really bad matchup for the Yankees. Gaudin is awful against lefties and the Phillies have Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez – all extremely good left-handed hitters.”
***********************************************************
first off….Has Gaudin “sucked” for us since we acquired him?
secondly it is true that Gaudin vs. Lee is advantage Phils.
however, it is also true that Lee on full rest vs. AJ on short rest is also advantage Phils. And when you consider that Joe at this point has to keep AJ working with Jose then it becomes even a bigger advantage to the Phils.
We’ve got a better chance to win this series at this point,with a 3-1 lead,throwing Gaudin vs. Lee and hoping that he can keep us close through six and trying to steal it late in their bullpen.If we lose then we come home with Burnett fully rested vs. Pedro(advantage Yanks) for game #6 and if needed a fully rested Pett vs. Hamels or Happ for game #7(again advantage Yanks) for a closeout game # 7.In this scenario our Bullpen becomes even stronger because CC could come out of the pen to get a big out in either or both games.
By going with AJ on short rest tonight Joe is backing himself into a corner and forced to go with Pett short and CC again in short rest if it goes 7 games and that actually increases the Phils chances in the series.It was obvious that CC was pitching with diminished “stuff” and location last night and gutted out a great effort. Is his stuff going to be better on three days rest possibly Thurs? Chances are it won’t be.
With a 3-1 lead in the series with games 6 & 7 at home there is no need to go all in right here. The smarter strategy is to go with Gaudin/Posada tonight and realize that your playing with “house $” tonight and your holding 3 aces in the hole if you need them for games 6&7 @ home.
What if AJ batted 8th, in front of Gardner? Not saying they’re automatic outs but an at-bat between Molina and Burnett could be viewed as going to waste.
if we had in 5-8:
Swisher
Cano
Molina
Burnett
Gardner
If Molina gets on, Burnett could bunt him to second and Gardner will certainly see some pitches with the top of our lineup behind him. At least he could do more with them than Burnett. And I think Gardner would be more effective in front of the top than Molina-Burnett, both at the plate and on base.
CB, AJ pitched the game of his life in game 2 – that was a bigger game than this is. He showed what he could do in that game……
This lineup is going to be awful against Lee – Molina, no Melky – but then again, this team has won before with things against them.
My hope throughout the day is that the injury to Melky forces Girardi to end the fallacy that is “AJ is better with Molina so he’s starting”. Hopefully Joe will really be grimacing if he’s filling out a lineup card that reads “#7 Gardner, #8 Molina, #9 Burnett” and he has to make the tough choice and put an end to Catcherball.
Again (and what feels like the millionth time I’ve mentioned this), Gaudin is TERRIBLE against lefties. Go look at his splits. CB just quoted them a few minutes ago. The Phillies have 5-6 very good to great left-handed hitters. If Gaudin starts there is a very high likelihood that he gets hammered.
Yanks get to Lee tonight.
Is anyone else disappointed they will not get to see Sergio Mitre and his “tight tushy” take the mound?!?!?!
I love how some of you are planning to lose tonight, or want the throw away game tonight. AJ is just as likely to lose game 6 as he is tonight. While i agree that pettitte will be iffy on short rest, i also dont believe it will come to that. Yankees win 27 TONIGHT..
Jeff, that’s really obnoxious. Anyone that disagrees with you is not a true Yankee fan? Ugh…. and Andy on short rest is NOT an appealing option at all, esp. given how gassed he was.
“If Gaudin starts there is a very high likelihood that he gets hammered.”
I agree 100%. It’s like throwing a lamb to the wolves!
Allie/Erica,
Thanks for the video. That, in a nutshell, is why I prefer baseball over football any day of the week. Baseball players like Johnny are just so….yum. lol.
jeter
damon
teixeira
rodriguez
cano
swisher
gardner
molina
burnett
Bottom 3 ouch!
thanks JasonR, that was the rest of my thoughts. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough, no way do I want Gaudin starting tonight.
Cano could go 2 for 4 tonight.
He’s unpredictable.
Although I’d prefer his bat, I don’t want to see Hairston in center.
Doreen, IMO, there is plenty of room and it’s posts like Jeff’s that tick me off. No one has any right to question another poster’s fanhood because we disagree.
Obviously we haven’t won anything yet, but for discussion’s sake I want to know what you guys think about a possible MVP. It seems like there’s been such a spread of production from a handful of players, without one stand-out star. Here are my thoughts, tell me what you think:
1) If pitches extremely well tonight (7 innings, 2 runs or less) — he gets the MVP hands down.
2) A-Rod has only had 2 hits, but both were clutch hits. If he racks up another clutch hit tonight, as in a late inning, game-tying or game-winning hit, you have to think he gets the nod if Burnett doesn’t pitch lights-out. This could also be true for games later on in the series.
3) Damon has a solid 3 runs and 3 RBIs, and was basically the MVP last night, but he’s still under .300. If he gets a few hits to get his AVG up over .300 or if he gets a key RBI or run, he needs to get serious consideration.
4) Jeter leads both teams in AVG right now, but only has 1 RBI. He has been right in the middle of a few rallies, though, so if he gets involved, he should also be considered.
5) Finally, Rivera should be getting consideration also. Although he didn’t technically get the save on Saturday night, he’s pitched in all 3 of the Yankees wins, going 2 innings in Game 2. Considering how other closers in this postseason have struggled so much, Rivera’s presence at the back end of the bullpen is sometime underrated. He is truly the Yankees’ most valuable player. If he gets another save, especially if it’s a 2-inning outing, I don’t see why he shouldn’t get the MVP, unless Burnett proves otherwise.
I want to hear your thoughts on my thoughts.
Look, we have plenty of people to come in late and hit. It is important that AJ pitches well. That means Molina. The bottom of the lineup will be tricky, but so what! If AJ pitches well, Jeter-Damon-Tex-Arod and Swish can lay the beatdown on Lee.
The key for the Yanks is to keep the game close, get Lee out of the game by the 8th inning, and get into the pen. After last night the Phils have no closer.
champ809, no just no.
The bottom line is, the numbers say that the Yankees have a higher chance of winning with A.J. starting tonight than they do with Gaudin starting tonight. It’s really quite simple.
new post
Hey guys,
What’s a good rockin’ bar to watch the Yankees game in tonight in either Queens, Brooklyn or even Manhattan?
I’ve been watching the games at home with friends so far but would love to go out and possibly celebrate among other fans.
Got to go with AJ on short rest. His career numbers dont lie it seems as if he runs on adrenaline. CC AJ and Andy got us to this point no need to change. If the circumstances where different maybe Gaudin starts but he hasnt pitched in at least a week and probably just 1 inning in a month. Plus Gaudin usually doesnt fare that well against lefties and the Phillies lefties are dangerous. Johnny Damon what a heads up play. He knew Feliz is inexperienced at taking that throw and getting a tag down on the run. Good baserunners know exactly whats going on at all times. As far as Joba, Feliz did what he was supposed to do witth a 3-2 count sit fastball especially when Joba wasnt missing with the fastball and throwing it hard. Feliz sat fastball quickened his swing and did a great job of hitting. Not Jobas mistake just great hitting. Go for the kill!!!!!!! Number 27 awaits us!!!
Pettitte is better on 5 days rest than 4 and is an unknown on 3 days (he hasn’t pitched on 3 days in the last 3 years) but is a gamer and being ‘gassed’ at the end of a tough 6 inning outing has no bearing on him taking the ball in game 6.
The Yankee starters have spoken, they all want the ball on 3 days rest and win #27. There is no point in discussing this any further, you can second guess all you want if the Phillies come back somehow and win it but their pitching for games 6 and 7 is complete disarray, particularly since Lidge got lit up last night.
Avi,
My thoughts are similar to yours.
But overall you have to go with TOTAL impact. I say Damon or Rivera (because of the 2 inning save) coming into today, with AJ and A-Rod getting the chance to come up big.
KF, I totally trust Girardi. He’s made doubters look like monkeys, in my opinion. He and his braintrust know what’s best for that team and the best way to go. Always.
Again though, no matter what the series, AJ on the road would always inspire less confidence in me than AJ at home. There could be some wild cards in there, though, one being the confidence AJ could be taking into the game based on his last outing.
I’d be interested in knowing from other posters here, especially the ones who post during the game, whether they feel they are getting as much out of the game as if they didn’t post. I know that Fran has a blackberry and she finds it easy to watch and email (we do email during games) but didn’t think it was as easy when she was using her computer. I am on a laptop and just can’t do both well.
Maybe it was more that I was tired last night but I am really trying to drink in this experience and live the game in real time and I just can’t do it and post. Perhaps it is one of my many limitations.
(The downside to that is that it removes the wonderful dynamic of sharing the game experience with the gang here – and I mean that. Maybe the excitement of the potential game 4 will be such that I need to share it with everyone. I guess I’ll know more when it happens.)
Arno
Would you mind staying in for the game and go out celebrating if the opportunity arises after the game?
Champ, I agree with you…….
Also, I would be shocked if Molina doesn’t catch tonight….
ARNO-
Where would you be coming from?
Sometimes a “weaker” lineup can induce troubles for the opposition. While I am not a fan of the reduced lineup including Gardner and Molina and AJ, you just never know.
Gardner is a light hitter with poor average. That doesn’t mean he can’t get a hit. He might even get a walk. Molina doesn’t inspire confidence at the plate at all, yet he was the one to hit the last HR at the old stadium.
The point is they have to play the game. Anything can happen, even the best pitchers have had stinkers. Given the pressure of the situation I’d say that Cliff Lee, despite all his over confidence, is in a do or die game.
If the Yankees can adjust their approach to him, unlike they did in the first game, they just might put him on the ropes early.
I just want to see AJ at least keep this game close. If it ends up being a coin toss loss for the Yankees it will still be wearing on the Phillies.
Andrew
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
My hope throughout the day is that the injury to Melky forces Girardi to end the fallacy that is “AJ is better with Molina so he’s starting”. Hopefully Joe will really be grimacing if he’s filling out a lineup card that reads “#7 Gardner, #8 Molina, #9 Burnett” and he has to make the tough choice and put an end to Catcherball.
=====
It’s a no brainer that Posada should start, but Joe’s not going to change it up now.
He’ll pull the usual routine – pinch hit Posada later on in the game. Posada is hitting something crazy like .365 off the bench with an OPS of, like, 1.333 or thereabouts.
Posada had a hit off Lee at the Stadium, and I expect the Yanks to do less flailing against him this time around.
“waiting for gaudin”
LOL!! From “Theatre of The Absurd”. How appropriate!!
Cashman: “Lets go”
Girardi: “We can’t”
Cashman: “Why not?”
Girardi: “We’re waiting for Gaudin!”
Cashman: “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”
new thread
Patrick
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:34 am
Again (and what feels like the millionth time I’ve mentioned this), Gaudin is TERRIBLE against lefties. Go look at his splits. CB just quoted them a few minutes ago. The Phillies have 5-6 very good to great left-handed hitters. If Gaudin starts there is a very high likelihood that he gets hammered.
=====
Hahaha, we’ve been having that discussion ad nauseum on another board.
Many people just zone out and don’t want to look at splits – it doesn’t enter their thinking. Same idiots who think Pedroia would be a better fit for the Yankees don’t realize how he’d be Mr. Pop Fly as a RHB with no pop in our Stadium.
Some of us have been trying to tell people that not only does Gaudin absolutely get smoked by LHB, but that the last thing you want to do is wake up Philly’s lefty hitters.
People want to “save” AJ for a Game he may well have a hand in making sure never gets played.
so what’s long’s plan of attack by the yankee offense against lee tonight .
one of lee’s weapons is his quick pitching.
i know that some people used to give me a hard time when i said that when hughes was a starter he drove me crazy when he would walk half way to hoboken to get the ball from the cacther and then walk back to the mound again.
lee throws the ball holds up the glove to get the ball while still on top of the mound and gets ready to throw again. this does a lot besides upsetting the hitters getting ready to hit.
the fielders are on their toes too ready to react. no one falls asleep out there on defense.
so what do the yankees do ? i don’t think they should just do nothing and just jump right in there like lambs to the slaughter.
i would say there’s two ways to go . either really slow down lee’s normal game or really speed up thealready fast typical game.
the way to slow lee down is the obvious stepping out, the slow walk to the plate, walking around after pitches, getting your donut stuck etc.
speeding up the game for lee and everyone could be done by when runners are on playing small ball and giving him and everyone on the field something more to think about.
infielders have a lot of variables to think about and small ball increases the number of things they have to think about. damon running to third last night is an example of that.
the catcher blew his coverage because damon surprised him.
if lee wants to play speed up ball, the yankees could make his fielders not be ready mentally for all possibilities.
that’s high risk though. if the yankees get a runner on and he steals or there is a hit and run and it back fires, it makes a short game even shorter.
they have to do something different though with lee.
this is where someone like billy martin would come in handy. he’d think of something legal or not legal
Patrick
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 am
champ809, no just no.
The bottom line is, the numbers say that the Yankees have a higher chance of winning with A.J. starting tonight than they do with Gaudin starting tonight. It’s really quite simple.
********************************************************
what #’s are those?
the issue isn’t that Gaudin is just as good as Burnett even on short rest because he isn’t. But Burnett on short rest against Lee is advantage Phils as i said and more so with Posada out and Molina in. ex. AJ can go out tonight and pitch lights out and we lose 2-1 with lee throwing another complete game.
the point which is not debatable is that AJ on full rest @ home vs. Pedro is a better matchup for us than AJ on short rest on the road vs. Lee on full rest.
Noone is saying throw away the game but Joe’s job at this point is to put his team in the best possible position to win the SERIES! and that is why 95% of the people who’ve actually played or been in the game will agree that the way it’s setup for us right now the better strategy is to throw Gaudin tonight-and try like hell to win tonight- but your worst case scenario is to come home with AJ/Pett at FULL STRENGTH and CC with an extra day of rest and a stronger lineup to close it out!
short rest, short rest…Burnett is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA on SHORT REST. You have got to be kidding me with this Gaudin business.
Burnett is dying to get out there and win the World Series. “I can’t wait,” he said. Tonight will be a thriller!
randy l.: “Burnett also has an opportunity to wear a better shirt than the gray cowboy one with the flowers on it that he wore in interviews last night.”
I salute you, sir.
here are the #’s with Gaudin that matter most to be
Entire Season TEAM W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV SVO IP H R ER HR HBP BB SO
As a Starter New York Yankees 1 0 3.19 6 6 0 0 0 0 31.0 28 11 11 4 3 15 23
vs Left-handed Batter New York Yankees 2 0 2.00 11 6 0 0 0 0 18.0 22 4 4 2 2 11 13
if he can give me 5-6 innings tonight with a 2.00era vs. the Phils lefties i’d jump all over that.
and as far as the matchups go he’s the kind of lefty that the Phils would struggle with as their lefties are poor hitters vs the slider. The key for him would be to get ahead with his fastball(he throws hard enough 94-96) and set ‘em up for the slider or in Utley’s case walk when need be and attack Howard/Werth and Ruiz(sounds crazy to put him here but he’s one of their more dangerous bats in the postseason) with the slider.
everyone thought that Manuel was “throwing away” game 4 by throwing Blanton with his 8.18era against us last night….how’d that work out? Blanton handcuffed us last night and gave his team a chance to win. Is it written on stone tablets that Gaudin can’t do the same for us?
Look at tonights expected lineup, for that reason alone he should start Gaudin.
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Tex 1B
A-Rod SS
Cano 2B
Swish RF
Gardner CF
Molina C
AJ P
Cano in the 5 hole.
I think I just threw up in my mouth.
You’re wasting AJ! Bring him back on full rest Game 6.
End of story.
CR9,
I might but I think I’d rather watch it out and when that final out is made start yelling and screaming
MR.OCTOBER,
Fresh Meadows, Queens. Not too many bars around here (I just moved here)
erica
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?.....id=2521705
enjoy!