The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Marcus Thames DH
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF

TWINS
Denard Span CF
Orlando Hudson 2B
Joe Mauer C
Delmon Young RF
Jim Thome DH
Michael Cuddyer 1B
Jason Kubel RF
Danny Valencia 3B
J.J. Hardy SS

GAME 1
Tonight, Target Field
LHP CC Sabathia (21-7, 3.18)
vs.
LHP Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62)
8:37 p.m., TBS

GAME 2
Thursday, Target Field
LHP Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28)
vs.
RHP Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75)
6:07 p.m., TBS

GAME 3
Saturday, Yankee Stadium
RHP Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19)
vs.
LHP Brian Duensing (10-3, 2.62)
8:37 p.m., TBS

GAME 4
Sunday, Yankee Stadium
LHP CC Sabathia (21-7, 3.18)
vs.
RHP Nick Blackburn (10-12, 5.42)
8:07 p.m., TBS

GAME 5
Tuesday, Target Field
LHP Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28)
vs.
LHP Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62)
8:07 or 8:37 p.m., TBS

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire: “You start trying to pitch around guys to get to another guy, you can get yourself in a lot of trouble. The more people you put on base with these hitters, the more runs you can give up. So it’s going to be entertaining working through their lineup. And hopefully, you know, keep the ball in the ballpark. That’s what they do. They can bang it out of the ballpark. A lot of great hitters. A lot of all-stars.”

Starting pitcher Francisco Liriano: “I know they have a good lineup, and I have to just go out there and try to do our best, you know, not try to do too much. Like I said before, it’s all about location. You go out there and pitch. You don’t even know what can happen. Anything can happen in baseball, so you just go out there and try to do your best.”

Catcher Joe Mauer: “I think it started real early in Spring Training. You know, I always say you look good on paper, but you still have to go out there and play the games. The things that we’ve overcome this year, you know, right at Spring Training, Joe Nathan going down, that was a big blow, but Jon Rauch held it down for quite some time. And acquiring guys like Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes definitely helped. And obviously Justin Morneau going down, you know, Cuddy (Michael Cuddyer) stepping in was huge. And it allows Jim Thome to get some more at-bats. We had to overcome a lot of adversity this year, and I think I am most proud of that.”

First baseman Michael Cuddyer: “The first couple of years (Sabathia) was 98, 99, with a devastating slider, but basically just went at you with 98 or 99. Still, unbelievable stuff. Still a great pitcher. But I think he is a better pitcher now. Obviously, one of the best pitchers in the game. Perennial Cy Young contender and possibly the Cy Young Award winner this year, and he knows what he’s doing this year. He knows where to pitch. He is more efficient with his pitches. He doesn’t care if he strikes you out as long as you get out. I think that’s the biggest difference between him him back in ’01 and ’02 compared to the way he is now.”

That’s a rather awesome picture of Target Field during the Twins home opener this season

Writing about CC Sabathia is pretty easy. He’s a good guy and all of those around him seem to go out of their way to say nice things about him. When I was writing about Sabathia yesterday, I decided to look back at the Baseball America archives. I remembered him being a big pitching prospect, but he broke into the big leagues right as I was finishing college. I didn’t follow the minor leagues as closely back then, and I wanted to make sure he was as significant a prospect as I remembered.

“He’s intelligent and coachable, a ferocious competitor, and at 6-foot-7 and upward of 260 pounds he can be an intimidating presence on the mound,” Baseball America wrote leading into the 2001 season. “He’s strong with durable mechanics. That he’s a lefthander and only 20 is icing on the cake. He has a chance to be a dominant No. 1 starter at the big league level… Sabathia has no glaring flaws.”

So, yes, Sabathia was one of those premier young pitching prospects at the beginning of the decade. He came up when the Indians rotation was still led by Bartolo Colon, but by his third year in the big leagues, Sabathia was Cleveland’s Opening Day starter. Through the next five years, he got better and better. He grew into the kind of pitcher Baseball America predicted way back when.

In that role of Yankees ace — a role that, as you might guess, comes with considerable pressure — Sabathia seems at ease. It was Kerry Wood — himself once a massive prospect and ace starting pitcher — who explained it best.

“This is what I was born to do,” Wood said. “This is where I was supposed to be. The whole nine yards. You’re at the top of the rotation, you feel like it’s your team, your town, your deal.”

Tonight, the Yankees are Sabathia’s team. Derek Jeter will be there, and Alex Rodriguez will be hitting cleanup, and Mariano Rivera will be waiting in the bullpen, but tonight this is Sabathia’s team.

“I think a lot of people know me where I’m just kind of laid back,” Sabathia said. “I’m the same. I try to treat it no different than any other day I come to the field. You know, nothing special. Be ready to go at 6:30 when Dave (Eiland) comes to get me.”

Associated Press photo

Reporters are doing two very different things on the day before a playoff series. The beat writers are asking very specific questions about roster decisions and lineup choices. We’re wondering about the current whereabouts of a guy like Ivan Nova, who some other reporters in the room have never even heard of.

The national writers and columnists are here to do bigger picture stories. Nick Swisher was asked again about his mechanical adjustments. CC Sabathia was asked about his playoff success last season. Joe Girardi was asked about filling the gaps left by Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.

I’m going to assume most of you know that Swisher trusts Kevin Long and that Girardi loves Robinson Cano. For today’s blog, I’m going to focus more on the nuts and bolts, starting with the pitching staff.

“Our plans are to go with a three-man rotation,” Girardi said. “If we have to change that, with the roster that we have, it gives us the flexibility to do that. A.J. will pitch out of the bullpen, but if he needed to start a game, he will start a game for us unless he was used (out of the pen).”

As for the bullpen.

“We really liked the way (Mitre’s) sinker has been working lately and the way he has been throwing the ball. And we felt we needed another guy to give us distance in case the first scenario came up… If A.J. has to make a start, you don’t really have a guy that can give you distance if you get in an extra-inning game except for Moseley.”

• Despite starting on Sunday, Moseley is available to pitch immediately. Girardi said he can pitch tomorrow if necessary.

• Girardi said he has a lineup in mind, but he wants to sleep on it. Asked if that looming decision centers on his outfield, Girardi said, “Yes.” I have to believe that means he’s deciding between Brett Gardner and Austin Kearns against the lefty Francisco Liriano.

• The Yankees wanted Ramiro Pena over Eduardo Nunez because of Pena’s experience at second and third. “We felt Pena was the more experienced guy if you get in those situations,” Girardi said.

• The Yankees wanted Greg Golson over Nunez because of Nick Swisher’s recent knee problems. “He’s not banged up now, he feels good,” Girardi said. “But we felt that it was probably in our best interests to carry a defensive outfielder in case something happens in this series. (Golson) is also a guy that can pinch-run for you if you wanted.”

• Close to carrying Royce Ring? “He was definitely in the discussion,” Girardi said.

• Ring, Nunez, Nova and Jonathan Albaladejo have been sent to Tampa to keep working out and stay sharp in case the Yankees need them.

• Girardi on Andy Pettitte in Game 2: “We felt with all the left-handed hitters, we would try to throw four lefties at them in five games.”

• If the Yankees get to the ALCS, Burnett seems to be the front runner to be the fourth starter. “I hope we have the discussion,” Girardi said.

• Sabathia in response to a question about the unpredictability of the rotation beyond him: “I don’t see what you guys are saying about uncertainty. Andy Pettitte is the best pitcher in the playoffs in the history of baseball, so I think our rotation starts up pretty good against anybody.”

Associated Press photos of Jeter and Sabathia

The Yankees have arrived at Target Field. The workout just started here in Minnesota, and our own Sam Borden is playing the part of photographer. The clubhouse was open to the media for a little more than half an hour before the players took the field.

In that time, most of the focus was on what’s not going to happen in the Division Series. Javier Vazquez is not going to be on the roster, and A.J. Burnett is not lined up to make a start. Burnett will be in the bullpen while CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes fill the rotation.

“Those three have been our horses all year,” Burnett said. “It would be silly for Hughesy not to start.”

As you might expect, both Burnett and Vazquez said they were disappointed but not surprised. Burnett obviously could still play a role this postseason, especially beyond this series. We’ve seen in the past that some managers, when they’ve made decisions like this one, have lost the player. Some players feel slighted, not taken care of.

“Joe’s the best manager I ever played for,” Burnett said. “He’s done more for me this year probably than any manager has ever done. He cares about me as a person and as a player. I’ll be down in that pen and be ready to get one out or two outs or whatever I’ve got to do for him.”

• There might be more, but I saw three non-roster players still with the team here in Minneapolis: Vazquez, Chad Gaudin and Chad Moeller.

• Vazquez on being left off the roster: “It’s nobody’s fault. It’s my fault.” Vazquez said he was only told that he won’t be on the Division Series roster. He’s still holding out some hope that he might eventually be active for a series.

• Hughes said he threw a bullpen on Sunday and he’ll throw another either tomorrow or Thursday. “I feel like that inning in Fenway helped,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

• The bubble players found out whether they made the roster on Saturday. Vazquez said Girardi called to give him the news.

• Brian Cashman is here. Butch Wynegar is also still here. Last I knew, he was fully expecting to go home after the Boston series.

• Girardi is addressing the media after the workout, so we should have more notes whenever the Yankees finish taking batting practice.

• Just to kind of set the scene right now: Alex Rodriguez just finished taking ground balls at third. Ramiro Pena was working on turning double plays at second, now he’s taking balls at third base. Curtis Granderson is in center and Brett Gardner is in left, both taking turns fielding bouncing balls in the outfield grass and throwing to a cutoff man behind second.

The Yankees just sent out a release with their official roster for the ALDS. Here’s the breakdown:

Pitchers: Sabathia, Pettitte, Hughes, Burnett, Mitre, Moseley, Logan, Robertson, Chamberlain, Wood, Rivera

Catchers: Posada, Cervelli

Infielders: Teixeira, Cano, Jeter, Rodriguez, Berkman, Pena

Outfielders: Swisher, Granderson, Gardner, Thames, Kearns, Golson

QUICK TAKE ON THE ROSTER: Hello from Minneapolis, where it’s sunny and warm outside. Chad here. One good thing about Sam and I taking different flights out here — we’re on the same flights going home — is that he was safely on the ground when the Yankees announced the roster. I landed and started update on my phone when I saw Sam had taken care of it. That Sam Borden, he’s a good man.

My thought on the roster: Not the way I would have put it together, but I’m not surprised by any of the choices, nor do I think any of them are bad. As I mentioned yesterday, I didn’t expect the Yankees to leave Ramiro Pena out of the mix, but Eduardo Nunez seemed like the most dynamic of the Nunez-Pena-Golson trio.

I thought they Yankees needed to find a way to get Nunez on the bench, if only because he’s the best base stealer of the bunch, and it seems to me that a stolen base is more likely to impact a game than a defensive replacement in the outfield or a defensive role player unlikely to get off the bench. Nunez was 5-for-5 stealing bases for the Yankees this season. Nunez was 0-for-2.

As for the bullpen, my only reason for not picking Dustin Moseley was a concern that he wouldn’t be available to pitch in Games 1 or 2. That might not be much of an issue with A.J. Burnett in the bullpen. If the Yankees need length either Wednesday or Thursday, Burnett could give it to them. Sergio Mitre or Chad Gaudin was a coin flip. Mitre has clearly better numbers, but Gaudin was used so much in September — in situations that seemed custom made for Mitre — that I assumed Gaudin was higher in the pecking order.

One other thing: Here’s the Yankees rotation announcement, copied and pasted directly out of my email inbox.

The Yankees rotation for the 2010 ALDS vs. Minnesota will be:

GM 1 – LHP CC Sabathia
GM 2 – LHP Andy Pettitte
GM 3 – RHP Phil Hughes

I assume that means the Yankees are going with only three starters, but they haven’t quite said so. Given Girardi’s tendency to leave all options open, it’s still worth asking whether he’s committed to Sabathia in Game 4.

Greetings from Minneapolis, where it’s actually reasonably warm right now. As Chad said in the last post, though, it’s definitely going to be cold at night. Hopefully the sweaters I packed will suffice.

We’ll be at the workout later this afternoon with plenty of updates. For now, here’s the release from MLB on the umpires for the Yankees-Twins series, as well as the other first-round series. (What a surprise! No Phil Cuzzi for Yanks-Twins this time around.)

—-

Major League Baseball has assigned the four umpiring crews that will work the American League and National League Division Series, which are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 6th and Thursday, October 7th. The four crew chiefs will be veterans Jerry Crawford, Dana DeMuth, John Hirschbeck and Tim Welke.

Crawford, a 34-year Major League Umpire, will work the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins, beginning on Wednesday at Target Field. Crawford’s crew will include Hunter Wendelstedt, Greg Gibson, Brian O’Nora, regular season crew chief Gary Darling and Chris Guccione.

Tim Welke, a 27-year Major League Umpire, will oversee the American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays, beginning on Wednesday at Tropicana Field. Welke will be joined by Jim Wolf, Jerry Meals, Bill Miller, regular season crew chief Jeff Kellogg and Mike DiMuro.

Hirschbeck, a 27-year Major League Umpire, will lead the crew that will be on the field for the National League Division Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. Bruce Dreckman, Sam Holbrook, Ed Rapuano, regular season crew chief Gary Cederstrom and Rob Drake will comprise Hirschbeck’s crew.

DeMuth, a 27-year Major League Umpire, has been assigned to the National League Division Series featuring the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants, which is to begin on Thursday at AT&T Park. DeMuth’s crew will consist of Paul Nauert, Paul Emmel, Mike Winters, regular season crew chief Jerry Layne and Ed Hickox. Umpires for the League Championship Series and the 106th World Series will be announced when assignments have been made.

In the final month of the season, the Yankees played some of their worst baseball. They had a losing record in September, then played all three of their October games in the span of barely more than 24 hours. As a whole, the team was not good down the stretch, but some of the individual players got hot leading into the playoffs.

Hot at the right time

Alex Rodriguez
September: .309/.385/667
The American League’s Player of the Month had 26 RBI and nine home runs in September. Most importantly, he’s stayed healthy since coming off the disabled list.

Curtis Granderson
September: .278/.369/.622
Rodriguez led the Yankees in RBI in September, but Granderson was a close second with 23. He added two more in the weekend’s Red Sox series.

Kerry Wood
September: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP
Hard to imagine a trade deadline addition working out any better. Wood has moved into the eighth inning and he’s been positively dominant. His scoreless innings streak ended in Boston on Saturday, but even that came without Wood allowing a hit.

In the right direction

Lance Berkman
September: .303/.387/.394
No real power, but Berkman has hit since he came off the disabled list. He’s walked more than he’s struck out, included three walks and no strikeouts in this weekend’s Red Sox series.

Derek Jeter
September: .276/.369/.333
Given the way Jeter hit in the previous three months, his September was a step in the right direction. He went 4-for-10 over the weekend.

Joba Chamberlain
September: 2-0, 2.13 ERA, 0.95 WHIP
The bad outings always stand out for late-inning relievers, and Chamberlain had that appearance against the Rays when he let all three inherited runners score. Otherwise, he’s let just one inherited runner score since August 9.

Francisco Cervelli
September: .367/.548/.433
Not sure how much of a role Cervelli will play in the postseason, but he was terrific down the stretch. He played in 14 games and drew 11 walks in the last full month of the season.

Struggling down the stretch

Austin Kearns
September: .244/.380/.244
Kearns had 41 at-bats in September and struck out 18 times. He had four at-bats this weekend in Boston and struck out three times. In his last 22 games, Kearns hit .164 without an extra-base hit.

Jorge Posada
September: .207/.313/.379
Truth is, Posada, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner all had sub-par months of September, which helps explain the Yankees losing so much down the stretch. Posada followed a down month of September by going 0-for-8 this weekend in Boston.

Chad Gaudin
September: 1-1, 7.45 ERA, 1.76 WHIP
It’s easy to point out Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez in this spot, but I’m sure everyone is well aware of their struggles. Gaudin allowed a .317 batting average in September. Sergio Mitre allowed a .318 opponents batting average.

It’s October, and the Yankees — and the writers who cover them — are on their way to Minneapolis. My flight leaves in 10 minutes. The Yankees are leaving around noon. We’re all heading for lows in the 40s.

It could be much worse.

When the Yankees went on the road to play the Twins in last year’s Division Series, they were heading to the Metrodome, and it was a good thing. There was a roof and some sort of massive heating system, and it was much colder outside than it will be today.

“It’s going to be outside and last year it would have been real interesting that first game when it snowed,” Joe Girardi said. “I think the weather is supposed to be pretty good, but the ballpark plays a little bigger there now than it did before. That’s probably the biggest difference.”

When it opened this season, Target Field very quickly developed a reputation as one of the nicest stadiums in the American League. As long as the weather doesn’t get in the way — and it looks like it won’t — it should be a great place to open the playoffs. The Yankees would rather be at home, obviously, but this isn’t a bad alternative. The Yankees won two out of three in Minneapolis back in May.

The Yankees have a workout scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The clubhouse opens to the media at 5:20, and Girardi will address the media after the workout. That’s when we should get the manager’s take on his rotation and (hopefully) his final roster decisions.