Pregame notes: “You worry about today’s game today”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Oct 01, 2011 
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Freddy Garcia will start tomorrow’s rescheduled Game 2, and it sounds like there was never much chance of CC Sabathia getting the ball. In fact, Joe Girardi hasn’t committed to Sabathia pitching on Monday. It’s still possible, he said, the he’ll wait until Tuesday to pitch his ace again.
“You’re asking a guy to pitch on Sunday and Thursday, and he threw on Friday,” Girardi said. “To me, it’s too much… You don’t want to send a guy out there if he’s not physically as good as he can be. I’m not saying that any starting pitcher is going to be 100 percent, but if you have a couple games that you can choose from and he can be 95 percent one day and 80 percent the other day, I’m going to take him at the 95 percent.”
Right now, Girardi expects Sabathia to be his Monday starter, but he won’t set that in stone until Sabathia checks in Sunday and confirms that he feels strong enough to pitch the next day.
As for Tuesday’s Game 4, it’s obvious that A.J. Burnett is the leading candidate to start for the Yankees, but Girardi said he hasn’t discussed it with Burnett. For now, Burnett is available as a long man, and if the Yankees get into a crazy situation tonight, Burnett will be available to pitch multiple innings.
“I think you worry about today’s game today,” Girardi said. “You worry about tomorrow’s game tomorrow. That’s what you do.”
How much has this series changed now that Sabathia and Justin Verlander are, essentially, pitching only once.
“It can potentially change a lot, but I don’t think we’re ever going to know,” Girardi said. “That’s for people to sit around and talk about. You’ve got two aces going, a 1-1 game, and now they’re conceivably only going to pitch once each. It changes the complexion of it, but none of us really know if it would have changed the outcome.”
Here’s Girardi’s press conference.
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• Girardi quickly dismissed any notion that Alex Rodriguez might be bothered by playing four games in a row. He said the fact Rodriguez sat out the regular-season finale is a non-issue. “If it wasn’t New York and it wasn’t Alex this wouldn’t have been such a big deal that a guy was a little cranky,” Girardi said. “He played on turf a couple of days. I think you probably could have askd about 10 of our players in Tampa on Wednesday if any of their knees were a little cranky from playing on the turf and you probably would have gotten about seven yeses. Because it’s Alex, it’s a big deal.”
• Rodriguez actually did early work in the field yesterday and today. When I got to the park this afternoon he was taking grounders at third.
• Same thing for Russell Martin. Even with four days in a row and a day game after a night game, Martin is still expected to start every game behind the plate. “He’s ready to go,” Girardi said.
• The closest Girardi would come to confirming Burnett as his fourth starter was to say he’s a “great candidate” to start that game. “He’s pitched well against this team this year,” Girardi said.
• If not Burnett, Phil Hughes is the obvious alternative. “He’s an option,” Girardi said. “He’s not really stretched out over the last two weeks, but I can’t tell you exactly what’s going to happen in the next couple games with the rain in the forecast. ”
• Girardi said he never put a real plan together because he was quickly convinced last night’s game was not going to continue, but he probably would have used Burnett had the game resumed after the rain delay. “That’s probably what I would have done,” Girardi said. “I didn’t even think about that, because when I came in, I looked at the radar and it didn’t look too good. I heard TBS say there was a window and I was wondering where that window was.”
• Girardi said it’s not up to him, but his hope is that MLB will postpone the start of tonight’s game if there’s rain in the forecast for the first few innings. He’d rather not burn out a starting pitcher in another delay.
• The Tigers have not changed anything about their lineup. They’d have to lose a player to do so, so they’re going with their vLHP lineup against the right-handed Ivan Nova.
• Andy Pettitte is here, but there’s no ceremonial first pitch tonight, so the thinking seems to be that he could be throwing out the first pitch tomorrow. Could the Yankees have Mariano Rivera throw to Jorge Posada before Game 1, then have Pettitte throw to Derek Jeter before Game 2?
Associated Press photos
Go Bombers!!
“I think you worry about today’s game today,” Girardi said. “You worry about tomorrow’s game tomorrow. That’s what you do.”
Sage advice. Girardi is using the word “worry” interchangeably with “take care of”, of course!
So envious of the weather at the other games .
I think the ideal “first pitch” tomorrow is to have Pettitte make his pick-off move to first base.
At least, something’s finally going right for the Red Sox. They have been guaranteed to have no more rainouts this year.
luis October 1st, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Against All Odds October 1st, 2011 at 5:49 pm
They could be brought up in 13. A lot of that depends on what they do this off season.
==========
That’s true as well, but i don’t think the yanks are going to be very active this offseason, there isn’t anything reaaly interesting out there in this free agent class aside from CJ Wilson, and i think the years and dollars he is going to command are not worth it….The FO probably will try the same strategy as last off season IMO.
GreenBeret7 October 1st, 2011 at 5:53 pm
I think the ideal “first pitch” tomorrow is to have Pettitte make his pick-off move to first base.
Is Utley still sporting the Gordon Gekko look?
Trisha,
To be clear, i never liked the potential signing of Lee, because i thought that it was for to many years, and that meant that it would block the youth movement ( i am a prospect hugger after all ) and hurt the financial flexibility of the team going forward.
But a snub is a snub, so i hate him even more for that, so i want him to see the WS on the TV
Pete’ s funny.
” The first rule the new manager of the Red Sox should have is run to first base no matter what. Don’t sort of move forward glacially like David Ortiz. Don’t half jog like Adrian Gonzalez. Don’t go half speed because you know you’re out anyway like Carl Crawford. Run. If Dustin Pedroia can run to first like what’s left of his hair is on fire, so can everybody else. ”
GB – Hi. Just got back in.
Pete certainly had his thing about Alex, and the opposite for Giambi. It wouldn’t be the first time a writer had his/her favorites. But, you have to admit, he comes up with some interesting items, and gets discussion going.
If MLB set them up for another rain delay, that would really mess with both Girardi and Leyland. These guys have only so many starters. I’d much prefer a DH tomorrow to a messed up game tonight.
Uck, is everyone else’s font in italics?
Bronx Jeers broke the blog.
Against all odds,
I read your post from the previous post, good point…
Luis, I wouldn’t mind spanking the Phils!
Joe In LI, if there is another all night game stoppage tonight, baseball will almost have to allow these two teams a one time option to rework there rosters to add a pitcher if the want. anything less would compromise the “integrity” of the games to be played.
And because I wanted to emphasize the point, I put it in italics!
Me neither!
Well St. Joe isn’t in town tonight so we’ll have to rely on a “lesser” being if decisions have to be made. Selig’s definitely a lesser being!
Light drizzle by me right now. Not ideal baseball weather but definitely playable if it’s the same in the Bronx.
Didn’t work. I thought if I put “” it might stop the italics.
GB, roster change was mentioned last night
CB September 30th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Also – via RAB – Davidoff is saying that due to the cancellation the teams can change their rosters for the ALDS in response.
So if they want the yanks can add Noesi or Colon for Ayala, etc.
http://twitter.com/#!/KenDavid.....1923026944
rework ***their*** rosters
LGY, are you going tonight?
GB
Don’t be silly. Integrity of the game isn’t important unless PEDs are involved.
P October 1st, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Anybody else find it a coincidence that Arod and Jeter both broke up with their celeb girlfriends at the same time, just before the post season ?
I also heard Arod and Jeter are good friends again.
**********
It was reported today that the information is bad information and rosters cannot be changed.
trisha,
Yes.
The problem is that the game has already started and was not a cancellation, but, a suspension of play.
Trisha,
I think is the thread that is on italics
LGY,
You are a lucky dog!!
pat October 1st, 2011 at 6:15 pm
GB
Don’t be silly. Integrity of the game isn’t important unless PEDs are involved.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Will it impact the “integrity” of Bud Selig?
Don’t throw eggs at me, please.
Nothing changes with the roster. The Yankees and Rays set their division series roster yesterday, and they can’t change it just because the schedule has changed. This is at least part of the reason for carrying someone like A.J. Burnett ahead of someone like Hector Noesi. The Yankees can’t change the roster just because they suddenly have to play four games in a row and need a fourth starter.
From Chad’s thread lead-in last night
There have been rain delays in playoff and WS games before. As I remember, in the ’75 Series, there were about 2 or 3 rain days before they could play Game 6 (the Carlton Fisk HR game) at Fenway. I’m guessing they don’t let them remake the rosters.
GreenBeret7 October 1st, 2011 at 6:18 pm
pat October 1st, 2011 at 6:15 pm
GB
Don’t be silly. Integrity of the game isn’t important unless PEDs are involved.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Will it impact the “integrity” of Bud Selig?
Don’t throw eggs at me, please.
=============================================
LMAO!!!
Think I’ll root for the Rays again tonight.
I know some posters want the chance to stick it to the Rangers but what better way than for them to be dropped on their antlers?
Davidoff’s tweet:
“If this game gets banged, teams can retool rosters for the new Game 1. Rule passed after 2006 NLCS Game 1 was rained out. #Tigers-#Yankees”
So, since the game was suspended and not rained out this rule is not in effect?
Integrity and Bud Selig in the same sentence?
As long as a cash register is ringing and Congress isn’t complaining, Bud’s good with anything.
@ Luis yep catching lightning in a bottle back to back yrs is a long shot.
Somewhere around the globe in October:
Ramiro Pena is still crying..
Terry Francona is throwing darts drunk
Andy Pet is wishing he had the ball tonight
Miguel Cairo wonders if somebody will want him on their team next year
Jose Reyes is doing scratch off lottery tickets
Roger Clemens is studying law
Barry Bonds is flying a kite
Barack Obama is listening to hip hop smoking a Marlboro Light
AJ Burnett is looking in a mirror repeating, “I’m Batman!”
Joe Girardi weather proofing and polishing his binder
.. and tonight’s NYY starting lineup is preparing to knock the crap out of the Detroit Tigers !
what’s up with the font?
Correct. It was an official start and Sabathia has an ERA of 4.50 and Verlander’s is 9.00. The issue will be if the restart gets shut down for the night after a few innings, both teams have burned their two top starters. at that point, they’ll have to allow a roster change, I’d think, involving players that have not appeared in the game at that point.
AJ Burnett is looking in a mirror repeating, “I’m Batman!”
So that’s why Robin has been around!
bleh font fix
Thanks, GB. I guess that make sense. So I guess every 2-3 years MLB has to adjust rules for various playoff rain situations.
test
Something that is really missing from this board, besides the old school quality posters is imaginative humor from posters like Pollyanna “Porkchop” Pough.
I miss Erica.
I guess Gekko will jack one tonight
Go Cards!
trying to fix blog…
Don’t know how this can be addressed, but Fenway Park has to change. It’s obscene that people were dancing and singing to “Sweet Caroline” when the season was going down the toilet. Fenway Park used to be a place where fans applauded when a batter hit a ground ball to the right side to move a runner to third. Now 75 percent of the people in the joint on a given night have no idea why that’s important.
Some fake list to alter text format
apples
pears
Mango
Pizza (bet you thought I was going to put another fruit here
For bold, use before the word(s) you want to appear in bold and then when you want to go back to regular text.
For italics, use before the words you want to appear in italics and then when you want to go back to regular text.
For blockquotes
place
at the end.
I give up.
P,
I think is the whole thread that is set for italics
Chase Utley…grease is the word, is the word, is the word……
the text/font screw up started after this post:
Bronx Jeers October 1st, 2011 at 6:02 pm
Pete’ s funny.
” The first rule the new manager of the Red Sox should have is run to first base no matter what. Don’t sort of move forward glacially like David Ortiz. Don’t half jog like Adrian Gonzalez. Don’t go half speed because you know you’re out anyway like Carl Crawford. Run. If Dustin Pedroia can run to first like what’s left of his hair is on fire, so can everybody else. ”
Bronx, did you use any HTML tags and forget to close one or something ? It started after you said “pete’s funny”
How’s this for imaginitive, GB?
You’re a Halliday
Ooh you’re a Halliday , such a Halliday
Ooh you’re a Halliday , such a Halliday
It’s something I thinks worthwhile
If the Card’s don’t make you smile
If not then you’re throwing balls
Throwing balls, throwing balls
Baseball’s a funny game
Don’t believe that it’s all the same
Lohse has the Cards ahead
Something Phil fans all must dread
Millions of eyes can see
That the Cards scored three
If it stays that way ’til nine
It’s all fine, it’s all fine
de de de de de de de de de de de de de
de de de de de de de de de de de de de
Yet Millions of eyes can see
That the Cards scored three
If it stays that way ’til nine
It’s all fine, it’s all fine
Ooh you’re a Halliday , ev’ry day , such a Halliday
Now it’s my turn to say , and I say you’re a Halliday
It’s something I thinks worthwhile
If the Card’s don’t make you smile
If not then you’re throwing balls
Throwing balls, throwing balls
de de de de de de de de de de de de de de
let’s not worry about game four maybe we’ll get lucky and win it in 3 games
• HOWARD JUST SMASHED THAT ONE !
Hung a change up…..crap
Cards choking.
Crap. St Louis doesn’t know how to pitch to the blow hard Howard.
I can’t stand the Phillies.
Phi fans should thank me for my jinxing song!
How was that for timing?
Well, it ain’t over ’til it’s over, and I did say I wouldn’t mind the Yanks spanking the Phils again.
DAMN!!!
BIIIIIG pose from Howard on that blast
“let’s not worry about game four maybe we’ll get lucky and win it in 3 games
”
Give that man a cigar!!!
This comes from not having a clue as to when to change the pitcher.
Is Pujols hurt?, he doesn’t seem ok
You have to admit that the philliy fans love their baseball team, that stadium is on fire .. so loud ! Reminds me of the old yankee stadium. I’ve never heard the new stadium sound like that. (that loud)
Howard deserves each and every ball he gets in his ribs, and then some.
luis October 1st, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Is Pujols hurt?, he doesn’t seem ok
————-
I asked myself that same thing.. he looks like he is limping right ?
Pat,
I thought the exact same thing….i guess he gets drilled next at bat
P October 1st, 2011 at 6:42 pm
You have to admit that the philliy fans love their baseball team, that stadium is on fire .. so loud ! Reminds me of the old yankee stadium. I’ve never heard the new stadium sound like that. (that loud)
+++++++++
Too bad you are deft. I’m so sorry for you.
wow, just wow.. he hung another one !
Rauuuuuuul!
Ryan Howard hitting .253
Raul Ibanez hitting .245
We’ll take those jokers apart.
P,
Yes, he was limping or not running hard to first base his last at bat….This last Homer is on the manager, Lohse should have been taken out right after the hit
Yogi,
I think you meant “deaf” nice try at insulting me.. do you even know what “deft” means ? The way you used it is actually a compliment..
so really.. I am sorry for you being brain dead and dumb.
*deaf* sp…
You have to admit that the philliy fans love their baseball team, that stadium is on fire
————————————————-
Like when they could barely fill their stadium in the late 90′s?
That is why the Phillies are going to be hell to beat.
And we have no lefty to counter them except CC. In 09 we had CC, Andy, Cokey, and Marte.
La Russa pulled a Girardi here. Someone should have been warming up after the 2nd guy got on base and you have to pull him after the Howard homerun. That was like watching AJ on the mound every 5th day.
The cards had their chance. Probably gone now with doc on the mound.
You knew it was going to be ugly up in boston – but the long knives have come out very quickly.
Tito’s gone. Theo could be on his way out.
The immediate problem with the club is the composition of their roster and their evaluation of talent. So this season was much more on Theo than Tito.
That said – what’s really unclear in all of this is whether or not the rot stops with Theo. The GM you can change. You can get rid of.
But the real question over there is what the role of ownership has been in all of this. You look at that roster and the decisions that have been made – it’s not unreasonable to think that Larry Lucchino’s fingerprints are all over that situation. Even Tito’s press conference – the way he focused on ownership and their lack of support was interesting.
The manager and GM you can get rid of. Owners – can’t do anything about that.
luis, yeah that is when I noticed it too. He’s pretty banged up, but no way he isn’t going to play.
Tarp back on the field in the Bronx. Gonna be a long night
Deft at what?
P, there is no insulting of you, you do all the work yourself. Everyone laughs as the stupid things you post.
So, I don’t bother to insult you. You are just an immature little fraud who has such little intelligence that you don’t even register.
Nice job Tony…..
Hey they are putting the tarp on at YS…..who could have predicted it would rain tonight?
I am glad the Yankees got the late games and now they get screwed with rain both games. Tarp is on the field. Unreal….
Triple Short of a Cycle October 1st, 2011 at 6:46 pm
You have to admit that the philliy fans love their baseball team, that stadium is on fire
————————————————-
Like when they could barely fill their stadium in the late 90?s?
——————————
I am talking about now silly.
test
test
“Hey they are putting the tarp on at YS…..who could have predicted it would rain tonight?”
Tarp is on the field 2 hours before game-time… dooomed…..!!!!!!!
test (sorry)
I hope Joe and Nova learned a lesson from that Howard at-bat:
don’t pitch to Cabrera.
Those 3 runs loom large with Halladay on the mound…bad managing by Tony
Yogi, if “P” is 15 years old, I’m jack the ripper.
Has all the earmarks of West Coast Sux Fan.
there was nothing derogatory I said.. all I said is philly fans love their team and that “I’ve” never heard the new yankee stadium get as loud.
if that was so offensive to you.. for you to insult me Yogi, than you really need to get happy pills.. figures an immature loser like you has to ruin the good vibe this blog has had all day !
Take Holliday out of the equation and the Cardinals are a mediocre team, probably not even on the level of the Angels or Blue Jays. The Phillies should win this series but it’s nice knowing that even if the Yankees get knocked out the AL will be represented by a worthy team capable of knocking them out in the WS should they get there.
“Those 3 runs loom large with Halladay on the mound…bad managing by Tony”
Yep
The manager and GM you can get rid of. Owners – can’t do anything about that.”
Owners and John Lackey who can’t do anything about
I don’t know much about computers, but how can a single post turn the whole thread to italics??
I said this last night – but the Yanks need to seriously consider starting the game tonight with a reliever and seeing if they can get 3-4 innings out of him.
If it’s going to be raining on and off throughout they could easily lose Nova as well.
If there’s no legitimate rain free window and it’s going to rain heavier than what some have hoped for – they should save Nova’s bullets.
Start the game with Hughes or even Robertson if need be and see how it looks in terms of rain.
trisha – true pinstriped blue says:
October 1, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Ryan Howard hitting .253
Raul Ibanez hitting .245
We’ll take those jokers apart.
=======
BA isn’t everything, Sis…
They also have 53 homers combined.
I think my name looks cooler in italics .
Red Robin !
No ?
CB October 1st, 2011 at 6:47 pm
The cards had their chance. Probably gone now with doc on the mound.
———
Yeah, game over for the Cardinals.
It’s also outrageous that they’re letting the Yankees get rained on two nights in a row. MLB cannot let these teams play a double header because these delays are on their heads. However, if our games do get pushed back, it could be an advantage against other teams that have to sit and wait for us..
Anyone think that if Bronx Jeers uses the sign to remove italics this thing might go back? I’m hating the italics!!
Trisha, I agree. But don’t worry, he’ll log in to one of his alternate ID’s and post about his “son”.
Yeah, that was so ridiculously transparent it isn’t funy.
trisha – true pinstriped blue October 1st, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Yogi, if “P” is 15 years old, I’m jack the ripper.
Has all the earmarks of West Coast Sux Fan.
———————————–
Now the psycho lady who psycho babbles all day long and hides herself from life on the outside (agoraphobic probably ) has to jump in.
Whatever Trisha.. go find a boyfriend you clown.
It looks like we’re all really stressing our points…
We’ll still take those jokers apart!
(I would have used italics for the word “still” but you see the problem…)
but the long knives have come out very quickly.
CB – now, how many people here do you think what that refers to?
Personally, I don’t think John Henry knows or cares a fig about baseball. All he knows/cares about is $$$, IMO. And, he knows his revenues from the Red Sox have nosedived the past two years, from what I’ve read.
Lucchino signed off on the signings, and the allocation of dollars, or not, to their organization. He’s enough of a baseball man (in contrast to Randy Levine) to know better. He may also be better than Theo in office politics, so, especially given how much money he’s made for Henry and Werner, he will be safe.
Theo, on the other hand? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his next business address is in Chicago. Addison Street, I think it is.
GB – tarp back on the field, huh? Sounds wonderful. Just wonderful.
CB October 1st, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I said this last night – but the Yanks need to seriously consider starting the game tonight with a reliever and seeing if they can get 3-4 innings out of him.
If it’s going to be raining on and off throughout they could easily lose Nova as well.
If there’s no legitimate rain free window and it’s going to rain heavier than what some have hoped for – they should save Nova’s bullets.
Start the game with Hughes or even Robertson if need be and see how it looks in terms of rain.
———-
CB, you just know that would never happen. Love it or hate it, Girardi is a pretty traditional baseball man. He will stay the course and start Nova, although your hypothetical is perfectly reasonable.
Start AJ…..then you don’t have to in game 4.
YESKimJones Kimberly Jones
It’s 6:40 p.m. Tarp on field. Tigers BP ends early. Dear Mother Nature, Uncle. Signed, All of us
Cosigned, rb
Seems to me we’ve seen that leaving of a pitcher in too long. At least the Rays/Rangers game will start soon.
I live north of the Stadium and if they had started this game at 5pm they would have gotten it in. The sun actually came out and you could see some blue sky.
Game starting at 8:30 and it will probably piss rain.
CB, my money is on LaRussa sneaking out of town on a Greyhound bus and heading up I55 to Chicago’s Southside. Epstein heads to the Chicago Northside and Francona heading for St. Louis. That would be a team that fits Francona’s style well.
Now now, daddy “love” told you to behave. I’d hate to have to find him in your drawer and tell him to punch you out, Pee.
Must be nice to play in a domed stadium, instead of in an inundated tuna can like Fenway Field or Yankee Stadium.
RadioKev, Girardi did that once (2008 I think). It was in KC. It backfired – I don’t think he’ll try that again.
Blake,
The problem for the Sox is that ownership and Lackey may be correlated.
Ownership and Crawford certainly are. Because it was ownership – and their anger at Boras which probably precluded them from making a legitimate run at Matt Holliday.
Remember that winter. The Sox were lauded to their rational market approach and understanding of opportunity when it presented itself.
They offerred Holliday 82M and when he rejected it – they didn’t bother to negotiate at all. The took their “take it or leave it” offer and directed it to their other top free agent target.
John Lackeye.
I really don’t think that whole strategy was Theo’s doing alone.
rb from LI October 1st, 2011 at 6:54 pm
YESKimJones Kimberly Jones
It’s 6:40 p.m. Tarp on field. Tigers BP ends early. Dear Mother Nature, Uncle. Signed, All of us
Cosigned, rb
++++++++++
lol. I’ll sign on to that.
Hughes to start the game? I had the same thought last night. Save Nova for another day.
Poor poor managing by Tony there
It is the playoffs. You have to identify key moments that could decide the game and manage to win. Pitching to Ryan Howard with 2 on, 1 out with Kyle Loshe is AWFUL managing. You got through 5 innings 1 run with Loshe. Take it and go to your pen, as mediocre as it is.
TLR is the king of mix and match. He should have been able to do that the rest of this game.
You hope Girardi doesn’t make the same mistake. You MUST manage batter to batter and not let key moments in the game be decided by subpar players.
I can’t believe what I read about the SP not talking to the position players ……..that still goes on? Beckett and co. drinking in the clubhouse? Tito took the blame and as all the Boston papers have said – let’s face it, he was fired. It’s mindboggling that Henry and co. wouldn’t support Tito after what he did there, but they can quit with their Evil Empire crap now because they look like the Emperor now.
Everyone must remember that John Henry and Selig are bed partners and have had an evil alliance along with Jeffrey Loria.
Just thought I’d remind you.
You can not start Hughes………he isn’t stretched out, even Joe admitted that.
blake October 1st, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Start AJ…..then you don’t have to in game 4.
==========
Now that’s a solution i can support!!
“Start AJ…..then you don’t have to in game 4.”
I dont’ think it’ll happen. But this would be the real upside gamble.
Just ask AJ to give them 4 innings tonight. That would minimize his presence in the series.
Though AJ is such a random disaster I think he’s sort of better early on before he loses some of his stuff.
CB, Theo isn’t a bad GM, but he hasn’t been all that either. He made the same type of mistakes that the Yankees did when they had a farm system and traded too much of it away for players that just weren’t worth it.
Not so sure that it’s all on the owner, either, as Henry has been so involved with his soccer team.
It’s stopped raining in the Bronx an according to weather.com it shouldn’t return until after midnight
Betsy, John Henry is an underhanded dirtbag. If you’re counting on him to ever be ethical or moral, you’ll be waiting a long time…like forever.
At weather.com it looks like it will clear up before game time.
RadioKev, you don’t remember Girardi starting a game in KC with the relievers and bringing in IPK later?
It’s an intriguing idea, but you can’t pitch Hughes and I wouldn’t use Robertson. Was Noesi added? You could start him…..but he’s a very iffy proposition. It really wouldn’t be fair to him.
Insult me all you want if that makes you feel better. I’m watching playoff baseball with my friends and family tonight.. and I am not letting either of you, the old grumpy man and the weird child-like woman bring me down.
consider yourself /ignored now.
GB7-
All reasonable thoughts. It’s going to be a crazy winter.
I don’t think LaRussa leaves St. Louis. The press’ reputation of being a soft touch, at least as far as their Cards, is not matched anywhere else. Certainly not in Chicago (I lived there for 9 years, so I know what of I speak.)
I think Tito will be a nice contrast to the bizarro world of Ozzie.
Red Sox ownership involved in the Lackey signing? Maybe – maybe that explains why Francona was frustrated, but at the same time, that’s such a ridiculous suggestion. What ownership in MLB would force their GM to acquire a starter on Lackey’s level?
Lackey was never good enough, even at his best, to command that type of interest. He’s never been the best pitcher in baseball, and his years leading up to free agency he was moving closer and closer to the middle of the pack. I’ll give Henry a (italics?)little (close hypothetical italics) more credit than that.
Beckett and Lester have been there for years and all of a sudden they stopped talking to position players most of which have been there for a while? Something doesn’t add up. I wonder if Tito pulls a Torre and writes a tell all book
Nova is starting. Garcia is going tomorrow. Try to wrap your minds around it. It’s the right thing to do.
trisha – true pinstriped blue October 1st, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Everyone must remember that John Henry and Selig are bed partners and have had an evil alliance along with Jeffrey Loria.
Just thought I’d remind you.
—————————————
There is your true Evil Empire
Trish, I prefer the John Henry of railroad fame to this John Henry…….
Betsy, you can if this game is gonna be stopped by a rain delay anyway. I’m not advocating it by any means, but if they think they can only get 2 innings in? Maybe.
Ugg. I am so sick of the “Big Game James” stuff. It isn’t true, as there have been plenty of others who are far better in big games than he has ever been.
I truly hope he gets pounded and has an early exit.
trish – didn’t John Boy make his money is hedge funds? Isn’t that the definition of …….
Switching to the AL game.
*******
Triple, Francona has far too much class for that, IMO
Betsy October 1st, 2011 at 7:00 pm
RadioKev, you don’t remember Girardi starting a game in KC with the relievers and bringing in IPK later?
It’s an intriguing idea, but you can’t pitch Hughes and I wouldn’t use Robertson. Was Noesi added? You could start him…..but he’s a very iffy proposition. It really wouldn’t be fair to him.
———
Now that a few of you have mentioned it, that does ring a bell. However, I don’t think Girardi would do that now. Hasn’t he changed his style a bit since 2008? This year he’s been very orthodox in his managing style.
Also it being a playoff game, I don’t think he’d take that type of gamble. Not with the NY media and ownership to contend with.
That’s something the Rays would try and pull.
“I’ll give Henry a (italics?)little (close hypothetical italics) more credit than that.”
Kev, I lol’d for real
If Theo leaves the Sox for the Cubs, could you imagine Cashman going to the Sox?? Mind blowing thought..
RB, I doubt they will start if they know they are only going two innings. They can’t take a week to play one game.
One positive is that MLB will have to look at such a situation coming up again, and come up with some manner of how to handle it rather than go through this again.
Cash isn’t going anywhere, except the bank with the raise he’s going to get.
It’s time to move on to the Rays game. This game is over….
Betsy,
“trish – didn’t John Boy make his money is hedge funds? Isn’t that the definition of …….”
You betcha. Loser didn’t even graduate college. He’s been playing around the edges since he was a pasty teenager.
one more time…
Triple Short of a Cycle October 1st, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Beckett and Lester have been there for years and all of a sudden they stopped talking to position players most of which have been there for a while? Something doesn’t add up. I wonder if Tito pulls a Torre and writes a tell all book
=================================
I hope he doesn’t, i would lose all the respect that i have for him
RB, yeah I guess that might work……….I really hate mother nature; she has it in for the northeast this year.
Kev, I admit I don’t think he’ll do that either…….that was just an early regular season game; this is more than that. This is where their lack of depth in SP is going to hurt them.
Too bad Ozzie went to the Marlins. Can you imagine Ozzie in beantown? I would have paid part of his salary and bought tickets to that show!
CB October 1st, 2011 at 7:01 pm
GB7-
All reasonable thoughts. It’s going to be a crazy winter.
————————————————————————————————————————-
It could get crazy in the mid-west around November as teams start preparing for the Winter Cavelcade Of Stars Tour. I’ve read some grumblings from the Twin Cities, too about Smith and Gardenhire being on the hotseat. You thing anything is up, there. I can see Smith getting axed, but, I think Gardenhire is safe this year. Wonder if McPhail heads up there to help rebuild?
It’s nice to see Derek Holland starting to live up to his promise.
YM,
Not saying its ownership as the primary driver. Just saying that I can see their role being an active one in decision making either directly or by setting agenda and context. If they are part of the problem then it’s a much deeper rooted one.
Joe,
Henry ran funds. He’s one of the people that made money using – statistical arbitrage I believe. Definitely some type of quantitative market strategy along those lines.
Which is the context for how he’s tried to set up the Sox and their use of numbers.
wow, they are batting Damon 5th. I don’t think I have ever seen him bat anywhere but 1 or 2 with both the Redsox and Yanks.
say what you want about him, but I liked having him on our team.. he and Melky both had good energy for the team.
I’m one of the few, I think, but I have AJ’s back. I think he’s going to give the Yanks a great performance.
Yogi, I was just responding to somebody’s comment about starting Phil. By no means do i expect that to happen! I was only thinking that if it was a game that was going to be a start/stop/start situation, you don’t lose your “starter.” But I was being intentionally outlandish – it just didn’t come across.
trish – I asked that question, not Betsy.
I am SO insulted
I know, you were blinded by your feelings for the Sox.
Triple,
And they only started drinking beer in the clubhouse on September 8th or whatever date it was that they started this collapse?
It is never as one-sided as things appear. And Tito isn’t absolved of blame if he allowed those things to go on under his watch. What kind of leader is that?
If I were the Cardinals, I would have tried to plunk Halladay and knock him out of the series for good.
CB, I could see that. Henry seems the type to stick his nose in, make some orders, then disappear for a while. I think he could have ordered Theo to make some big splashes after that “bridge year” stuff.
Joe from LI, guarantee you pasty Henry was an inside trader. Only in those days they didn’t get caught. He conspired with Loria and Selig and disemboweled the Expos. Loria rewarded Henry with players.
Right down the middle like that and it will be hit hard.
I can see the error in the source code for this page that was inserted with the copied text, but I don’t know how to fix it via posting through this text entry box… at least it’s not bold.
I think the Rays are going up 2-0 tonight
“It is never as one-sided as things appear. And Tito isn’t absolved of blame if he allowed those things to go on under his watch. What kind of leader is that?”
I have to agree. Tito needed to use a stronger hand with those guys and apparently didn’t.
Trisha,
I am not one of AJ biggest fans, but i’ll root for him to do well…but i’ll take a couple of sedatives and some upset stomach medicine just in case…
It is never as one-sided as things appear. And Tito isn’t absolved of blame if he allowed those things to go on under his watch. What kind of leader is that?
————————————————-
If Tito says knock it off and they ignore him what is he supposed to do?
Epstein is no better a GM than Cashman is. Epstein still uses a checkbook. The difference is that Cashman has overdraft protection and Epstein has to beg for a bigger allowance after blowing his on monkey suits and guitar picks for him and Gammons.
A caller on WFAN today suggested Varitek as the new RS manager, if not next year then down the road. Intriguing, but definitely not next year.
Man, with some of the commentary from this Rays game, I am beginning to wonder if “P” is one of the announcers. They must spend all of two minutes to prep for the games.
CB,
I think the amount of control Theo has could be a real issue and reason if he leaves as well.
“trish – I asked that question, not Betsy.
I am SO insulted”
Sorry Joe, I didn’t separate the thoughts. I was laughing at Betsy saying she preferred the railroad John Henry, and then I went on to quote what you said and respond to it.
I know that was your question. I couldn’t be blinded enough by Sux hatred to go past something you say.
Epstein is no better a GM than Cashman is.
——————————————–
Not saying one is better then the other but Cash did come out and say he copied the Red Sox model of doing business
GB… true to some degree, though Cashman has been doing a better job with holding talent. At least lately.
“If Tito says knock it off and they ignore him what is he supposed to do?”
Call in the big guns. Or at least put them on notice.
CB,
I was saying this morning that if you are going to have to throw AJ anyway in the series…..then why not do it at home…..when rain is in the forecast….when you have 8 ABs and your opponent only has 7….and when their lineup is designed for a LHP. Seems to me better than starting him in a 9 inning game…..
Good job by Johnny!!!
CB – I remember that Henry was into quantitative analysis. However, it doesn’t look like it’s translating well. Certainly not with Lackey and Crawford. But, there’s more to running a baseball organization than signing FAs. The minor leagues and scouting and such.
Blake, it makes sense, but wouldn’t it be a better option to have him pitch in Comerica Park, where his mistakes might not so costly??
If tito allowed pitchers to drink in the clubhouse on their non pitching days,during games,he should of been fired.
You simply can’t allow the animals to run the zoo.
I wanna hear more about how Henry is evil and sunk the Expos!
EDIT:: might not be so costly??
I think Theo tries to be much cuter than Cashman. I feel like he just likes to be known as a clever GM.
This italics is killing my eyes.
Holland already in big trouble. Not that I like either team, but knocking the Rangers in the teeth is fun to watch.
Plus, if the Rangers get knocked out early that will make the ESPN predictions look really good.
Lots of John Henry hate on here. You’d think he was as bad as Peter Angelos reading these comments!
Bottom line is, heads will have to roll in Boston. No way ownership will tolerate a regime that allows beer drinking in the clubhouse without a cut of the concessions. You want a brew, Beckett? That’ll be $13.50!
I don’t know if we realize the enormity of the problems in beantown. What appeared to be a major league swoon by a team that was highly overrated turned into so much more than that.
Gammons said the other day that collapses like that have been known to change teams forever. Now we find that there are uglier problems behind it and the unholy trio decided to scapegoat Tito. While Tito deserved some accountability, a hard slap on the wrist with a promise to fix things might have been more appropriate.
The difference is that Cashman buys players that fit a team need. Epstein is following the GMSIII trail of shiny new toys. He had no real need for both gonzales and Crawford. He needed starting rotation depth. There is none in that system within 4 years. Cashman needed help there, too. He got lucky with both Colon and Garcia, but, he also knew he had Nova and Noesi waiting….and more emergency starters a bit further back.
Rays!!!
Trisha,
Don’t worry about Francona. First, the guy should have made things work – but he didn’t. He did let the team crumble, and that’s the simple truth. Second, the guy will be fine without the Red Sox. He’ll get a good deal elsewhere and carry on – I think the Red Sox will be the much bigger losers on that decision.
Didn’t the ’04 Sox do shots of Jack before those games they took from us? I guess Tito just trusted them to be more responsible without looking over their shoulders too much and things got out of hand..
GreenBeret7 October 1st, 2011 at 7:21 pm
The difference is that Cashman buys players that fit a team need. Epstein is following the GMSIII trail of shiny new toys. He had no real need for both gonzales and Crawford. He needed starting rotation depth. There is none in that system within 4 years. Cashman needed help there, too. He got lucky with both Colon and Garcia, but, he also knew he had Nova and Noesi waiting….and more emergency starters a bit further back.
——————————–
sums it up perfectly. Cashman definitely had some luck this offseason but he is spending his money much smarter than Epstein. CC is a legitimate ace. It’s alright to throw him a huge contract. Throwing a huge contract to Carl Crawford who is by no means a star player and will not age well is not smart.
He didn’t need Crawford I agree but Gonzalez they def needed.
Yanks – I agree.
What does it say about Tito that he let the prisoners run the asylum like that?
While he may be “classy”, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t administer his authority and allow guys to do what they want.
He had a reputation of being lax and too much of a player’s manager… and it looks like it came back to bite him.
The pitchers in the clique thing… ehh… seems more like an excuse than anything else. Just like people killed Willie Randolph because the Latin players always hung out together. Managers are not social workers – it is not their job to make sure all the players interact or like eachother.
Some things might be more on Theo, but Francona plays a large role as well for allowing guys to walk all over him. He is the man in charge and he should have demonstrated it. Hell, maybe something like that would have fired up the team.
Triple Short of a Cycle October 1st, 2011 at 7:24 pm
He didn’t need Crawford I agree but Gonzalez they def needed.
——–
Yeah, I agree. Gonzalez came at the cost of some serious depth though, which is what killed them.
Gonzalez was the team MVP until his injury, then he faded fast – and didn’t seem to do much for the club house.
Tito’s run in boston ran it’s course.
When you have been there for close to ten years & you are burnt out,stress on family,health problems related to managing in boston,wich isall well known,then you say in public that you couldn’t get through to the team,in addition to other things,a slap on the wrist,with a promise to do better isn’t going to happen.
Somebody had to take the fall & tito was the lowest on that pole.
In addition,he wanted out.
The bottom line is,if lester & becket pitched like aces til the end,they are in the playoffs.
They didn’t need anything else to happen.
Big Game Shields !
Triple,
They needed Beltre more than Gonzales, as the season has proven….Youkilis wasn’t physicaly able to man the hot corner…Vmart would have given them some flexibilty ( both at first and C positions )….They should have concentrated on getting pitching deph. But the flashy transactions became more appealing to them than fielding a better team
Just amazing how the Red Sucks have completely captured the obsession and fascination of the entire Yankee fan base.
People knock Cashman about Burnett, but, Burnett came up big in ’09 and in two of his PS starts. I don’t know how much value the Steinbrenners and Cashman put on titles, but, at least that one season, it paid off. Don’t forget that NYY didn’t have this motherlode of young pitching talent to use in NY or trade for other needs in ’09. The other option was worse than burnett…Derek Lowe. since then, there really hasn’t been many solid rotation help available. Toronto was never going to trade Halladay within the division and certainly not to NY. Lee, most likely had no intention of coming to NY. Pettitte retiring hurt more or as much as not getting Lee.
EDIT: depth
We didn’t “need” Teixieira in 2008.
Getting Tex caused Swisher to become a bench player until Nady went down. Did we really “need” Vazquez and the prospects he cost after winning the WS rather than handing spots to Joba and Hughes?
Did they really “need’ Lee this year when they already had a $170 million dollar ace?
Yankees and Sox expenditure is always excessive because they want to win the WS every year and anything less is a failure.
Impossible to find a single post on the thread without the words Sucks or Boston within its content.
Gonzalez was the team MVP until his injury, then he faded fast
——————————————————-
While he did slow down in the second half he didn’t exactly disappear.
He did hit 313 in Sep and had his second high OBP and third highest slugging month
Shame, just wrote you an entire post about Henry and the Expos dirt and it disappeared. Will try again!
I think Cashman has done a better job with looking at the total package of the player being looked at. With CC, he not only wanted him for the pitching talent, but for the leadership character. Same in the trade for Granderson. He saw the potential for Granderson, but also looked at the type of person he was.
Burnett’s signing made some sense in that a starter was needed, and even then Pettitte was no sure thing for going another season. Burnett also has never shied away from being responsible for his outings. While it is frustrating to see what he does, at least he owns it.
Radio Kev — agree about Tito.
“Didn’t the ’04 Sox do shots of Jack before those games they took from us? I guess Tito just trusted them to be more responsible without looking over their shoulders too much and things got out of hand..”
Good point about the Jack Daniels. He should have stopped that crap, though the roid twins Fat Ortiz and Trying-to-get-pregnant Manny already had the games well in hand.
The lack of pitching debth,the buchholz injury & lester & becket falling apart at the end is why the rs did not make the playoffs.
The bullpen is second.
The players have to be held accountable as much as possible.
They led the world in runs scored.
Swisher wasn’t “Swisher” when we got him. He was a total crap shoot by Cashman – hoping that his time in Chicago was a fluke.
He was insurance in case ownership did not OK going after Tex, which was a possibility.
Swisher got an opportunity when Nady went down and ran with it.
The Red sox were better off keeping Youkilis at first and Beltran at third and letting Martinez go, unless they wanted him as the catcher. Pitching killed them. Even if Lackey had turned around his ’10 season and Buchholz was healthy, there was no backup plans, except for a 45 year old knuckleballer with bad knees and a bad back. N ow, they have none of that.
The 6 Ps of any organization. Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
EA,
Well technically, if Vazquez showed up last year, he could have put us over the top in the division. Or he could have helped us in the post season.
Yogi,
Very good post
Because Swisher is not a first baseman by trade, strictly, and Giambi’s contract was done.
The Yankees did need Teixeira.
They needed Beltre more than Gonzales, as the season has proven
———————————————————–
Gonzalez numbers dwarf Beltre’s numbers. Beltre was coming off a contract year and was older then Gonzalez. Youkolis gets hurt every year no matter what position he plays.
RadioKev,
There were LOTS of stories about that 2004 Sox team. Francona needed to control his guys and he didn’t and he paid for it.
While it is on the players to act professional, if the manager allows them to act anyway they want, it should be no surprise when things spiraled out of control.
Tito was always praised for managing a clubhouse well because he “kept things in-house” and always “backed his players”. Well, looks protecting his players and not holding them accountable came back to hurt him.
EA, I don’t think Swisher was truly what the Yankees wanted covering 1st. With Teixeira it caused all kinds of additional headaches for Boston as it took the player they wanted, while it still filled a need for the Yankees.
Given how the pitching worked out this year, Lee wasn’t exactly needed, but they knew Pettitte was retiring. Colon and Garcia were lucky pick ups, but if they got Lee to sign one of them wouldn’t have been on the team. Cashman knows depth in positions is a smart thing. Not having what he feels are able replacements in the minors has him making those moves.
Villa Nova-Ya October 1st, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Swisher wasn’t “Swisher” when we got him. He was a total crap shoot by Cashman – hoping that his time in Chicago was a fluke.
He was insurance in case ownership did not OK going after Tex, which was a possibility.
Swisher got an opportunity when Nady went down and ran with it.
—————-
I’d disagree. That year with the White Sox was the worst year in his career, and since then he’s gone back to his usual performance.
is it raining as hard in the bronx as it is here in essex county nj?
I hate to say this, but after 3 other games, and it’s going on 8 o’clock and Yankees don’t even have first pitch until after 8:30, I’m done. I love my Yankees. But this is crazy.
4 guys that will be on my fantasy team next year
Eric Hosmer
Desmond Jennings
Bret Lawrie
Matt Moore
Some fun rainout facts: http://myweathercontent.myweat.....;story=192
Radio Kev -
But, you really didn’t know if his career had taken a down-turn for good.
And, still, I maintain, he was not the ideal first baseman. Can you honestly say you were happy the Yankees signed Nick Swisher to be their first baseman?
I love him now, and I know he was a good player with the A’s, but I was a little disappointed.
I wonder if this will stop the italics !
Villa Nova-Ya October 1st, 2011 at 7:42 pm
I hate to say this, but after 3 other games, and it’s going on 8 o’clock and Yankees don’t even have first pitch until after 8:30, I’m done. I love my Yankees. But this is crazy.
——
So your going to bed or what. I understand everyone’s frustrations, but I think people need to mellow out a bit. This series is going to get played sooner or later.
When the rs had becket,lester pitching like aces & buchholz a solid number 3,wake & lackey were needed for nothing more than eating innings.
They were very tough to beat.
Then buchholz got hurt & lackey could not fill the void,wake & others were terrible debth,then becket & lester fell apart.
trying more html code
Was Swisher really need with Nady here? Especially since he was tied up for 4 years at pretty decent money.
“need” is an arbitrary word. What Yankees/Sox fans consider “need” is what the outside world considers “excessive”.
The prevailing thought was that we needed Lee and should offer him whatever he wanted. The rest of the world was talking about how bad for baseball it was if we got him
It was no accident that Nunez was never included in any trade talks. Cashman knew that there were no options in the system and would get held up on the open market if he needed a replacement for Jeter or Rodriguez. Guess what? He needed Nunez for both. his defense was shakey, but, his offense usually sparked a rally. The defense will improve with the footwork.
Unknown -
I’ll stay up, but I can’t guarantee I’ll stay awake. Not a teenager anymore , ya know. LOL
I’m not frustrated because of the weather. I’m frustrated because it’s a little overload. Which I will say, I can alleviate by not watching all the games leading up to the Yankees game.
Villa Nova-Ya
————–
I agree, Swisher isn’t a first choice at 1B. I think the White Sox made too much out of one year, and they’re paying for it.
Villa Nova-Ya October 1st, 2011 at 7:47 pm
——
Ya I here ya. I wasn’t trying to be a smarty when I said that. I totally get where your coming from it does suck. GO YANKS
Why do they need to show Nolan Ryan 400 times a game? We get it he co owns the team
Unknown -
It was just a yucky Saturday with not much else to do.
Got stuck on the games (plus some college football) and all of a sudden I want a soap opera or a sit com – anything but sports!!!!
The Yanks got Swisher as a hedge for not getting Teixeira and also watching Nady struggle with the right handed pitchers and shaky defense. Nady went down and Swisher returned to his Oakland days. Perfect, he’s not, but, better than Nady has turned out to be and for a corner outfielder, puts up pretty decent numbers.
can we get rid of these italics before the game thread please
Radio Kev -
I’m happy the White Sox gave up on Swisher.
The rain is gone in YS we might get the game in after all
GB,
How good does Cashman look right now for holding onto Nunez, Nova, and Montero? Think of the holes we might have on this team, despite having Cliff Lee.
This is why you don’t just throw in your prospects at any demand. Cashman knew the value of his pieces, and he didn’t budge – for good reason.
Guys,
At least you guys have a choice….i have to go to a wedding, don’t have to be at the church but have to go to the party, so probably i’ll be missing the late innings…
“I’m not frustrated because of the weather. I’m frustrated because it’s a little overload. Which I will say, I can alleviate by not watching all the games leading up to the Yankees game.”
Same here. I want to tear myself away but I can’t seem to do it. I shouldn’t have bothered with the earlier games, and now I’m into the Rays game.
I think i’ll have to let the NL take care of itself for the most part and concentrate on the AL games.
Did anyone write to Chad about the italics?
What’s with the italics It’s like being out at sea.
That’s a good idea Trisha. Pick a league and stick with it. I can’t do this again.
I can see the Red Sox signing Wilson Betemit on the cheap and swapping Youk for a mid rotation starter from the A’s.
Guys,
Do the Phills have problems with their BP?, because they are collapsing as i write this..
Nova is going to kick ass.
I love this kid.
GreenBeret7 October 1st, 2011 at 7:37 pm
The Red sox were better off keeping Youkilis at first and Beltran at third and letting Martinez go, unless they wanted him as the catcher. Pitching killed them. Even if Lackey had turned around his ’10 season and Buchholz was healthy, there was no backup plans, except for a 45 year old knuckleballer with bad knees and a bad back. N ow, they have none of that.
The 6 Ps of any organization. Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This just in ……..
When Francona cleaned out his office before leaving yesterday, he left behind his copy of “For whom the balls roll” by Ernest Fenway.
luis October 1st, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Guys,
Do the Phills have problems with their BP?, because they are collapsing as i write this..
——–
Whoa, I assumed the game was over.
108 stitches October 1st, 2011 at 8:02 pm
From what i read in the press that last two days, it’s a very complex piece of literature!! LMAO
It takes too much energy to switch to the Yanks pregame since it’s on DTV and the TBS game is on Verizon. I can’t imagine interest in anything they have to say pregame.
Well, there’s that extra 2% in action in the OF.
It’s over but the Cards scored three runs and two men on base with one out at some point
“That’s a good idea Trisha. Pick a league and stick with it. I can’t do this again.”
Villa, seriously, neither can I. It’s too all-consuming and by the time our game rolls round, I’m baseball drained!
AT least the Yankees pregame is Yankees oriented.
And more likely to be optimistic about the Yankees.
I just remembered myself that I could watch YES. Told y’all I was done. LOL
“He didn’t need Crawford I agree but Gonzalez they def needed.”
Thing is that in adding Gonzalez it led to other moves such as moving Youkallis back to 3B….a position he probably can’t stay at long term. Youkallis is a big part of their offense….he provides balance and he gets big hits and gets on base all the time.
Their offense would have been better this year if they had had Beltre and Vmart than with Gonzalez and Crawford….primarily because Crawford was so bad…..whether that will continue we don’t know yet……but for now the trade off was a net loss for Boston….they got worse production and spent a lot more money
Interestingly enough I haven’t heard a lot of player support for Tito. Maybe I just missed it? Not that I don’t believe he was really appreciated by most of them but maybe they are hiding out because they think their necks could be on the organization chopping block.
The italics should be fixed with the next new blog post.
“Told y’all I was done. LOL”
I’m going to stick with the Rays and then switch over in time for our game.
jacksquat, good point. Thanks.
Gosh – I’m watching some game highlights on YES of the Brewers game and noticing the antics of the Brewers – like the claw and antler stuff of the Rangers.
Are the Yankees the only team that doesn’t have a schtick????? Seriously.
risha – true pinstriped blue October 1st, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Interestingly enough I haven’t heard a lot of player support for Tito. Maybe I just missed it? Not that I don’t believe he was really appreciated by most of them but maybe they are hiding out because they think their necks could be on the organization chopping block.
———–
Fans here in Boston are either ambivalent or pretty upset, I can tell you that.
Villa,
You got tired of other teams baseball, but when the Yankees game comes up you get your energy back!!
If you were wondering why all the rain.
FakePeteGammons Fake Peter Gammons
A league source told me all the rain in NY this week is the result of God crying since the #redsox were eliminated. This is Peter Gammons.
4 hours ago
“Are the Yankees the only team that doesn’t have a schtick????? Seriously.”
yea….there’s is winning
blake October 1st, 2011 at 8:12 pm
“Are the Yankees the only team that doesn’t have a schtick????? Seriously.”
yea….there’s is winning
——–
The pie! Helloooooooo!?
Not a good play there Holland. He played that almost as well as he can grow a moustache.
francona did what torre should have done when management asked him to come in and tell them why they should keep him.
he politely, keeping his good guy image intact, told them he wasn’t interested in going through the charade of them considering him.
he knew he was done in boston, and he didn’t let lucchino play out the little song and dance he wanted to play before firing francona
basically francona said” you can’t fire me, i quit”.
Oh my that ball was crushed. Matt Joyce.
Just wow!!!
Rangers kind of stink.
Gotta say seeing Ryan squirm in his seat is worth watching the Rays beat up the Rangers.
Oh, other teams have pie, too.
Winning isn’t a schtick.
I don’t want the Yankees to have a schtick – I’m happy they don’t have one.
Boy the Rays are starting to get a 2010 Giants feel to them…..it’s early in the playoffs but so far the parallel is a team that can’t hit…..suddenly hitting. Long way to go but they are taking it to the Rangers so far…..little surprising to me as I thought the Rangers would stomp them
Villa Nova-Ya October 1st, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Oh, other teams have pie, too.
Winning isn’t a schtick.
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>:O
No italics on my iPhone
“None greater than Gibson’s decision to allow Kennedy to face Fielder in the seventh inning. Gibson said his gut told him to either walk Fielder or call on relief pitcher Joe Paterson, who had struck out Fielder three times in four at-bats this season. But Kennedy, who amazingly hadn’t issued a single intentional walk all season, talked his manager out of it when Gibson visited the mound before the at bat. “We had a conversation,” Kennedy said. “He asked me what I thought. Obviously I wanted to go after him. We talked about walking him, but I’m not going to do that.” One hung curveball later and a fan in the right field bleachers had a new souvenir, the Brewers had a 4-0 lead and Kennedy had a trip to the showers. Afterwards, his arm wrapped in ice, he still insisted it was the right call. “I just hung a curveball,” he said. “If I make my pitch there he either rolls over it or swings and misses it. But I hung it right down into the middle of his swing.” Gibson, on the other hand, second-guessed himself. “It was my decision to let him do it that way and it didn’t work out,” the manager said. “He threw probably his worst pitch of the game and [Fielder] put a good swing on it and hit it out of the park.”
“I made a poor decision. And sometimes, you know, that’s how the game goes. There’s another game tomorrow. We’ll be optimistic. We’ll be upbeat. We’ll be prepared like we are every game and I’ll try to do a better job myself. That’s all you can do.” Gibson and Kennedy were also questioned about the decision to pitch to No. 8 hitter Jonathan Lucroy after Yuniesky Betancourt’s two-out triple in the sixth. Though Yovani Gallardo is among the better hitting pitchers in the league (.218 career average with nine home runs), he’s still a pitcher. Kennedy didn’t see it that way. “It was a guy who can’t really hit and Gallardo who can swing it a little bit, so there was no thought at all,” Kennedy said. Kennedy said he made the perfect pitch — and Gibson agreed — but Lucroy fought it off to drop a bloop single into left that scored Betancourt and gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.
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Looks like Ian Kennedy hasn’t changed.
of course I didn’t know they would actually throw Moore…and that he’d dominate like he did.
Rangers are done.
Now I wish the Sux have gotten in… this Rangers lineup would have beaten up Beckett-Lackey-Wakefield etc.
I heard on the radio today that Francona’s son is in Afghanistan and that that was likely weighing on him as well….I didn’t know that.
Just checking in to see a sea of italics….Yikes.
Phillies’ bullpen is not very good.
And yes, at the moment the Rays have that “team of destiny” feel to them, at least early on….
credit for the above:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoff.....s-go-wrong
CC-Shields
…
Nova-Price
Garcia-Hellickson
Burnett-Moore
Yikes.
Now I wish Boston wasn’t eliminated LOL
hows the weather at the stadium? they gonna start on time?
The Yankees can beat the Rays….they are a lot more familiar with that staff than Texas is.
Shields is basically only throwing change ups to Hamilton…..
“It was a guy who can’t really hit and Gallardo who can swing it a little bit, so there was no thought at all,” Kennedy said. ”
Ugh. He’ll never learn. Happy he’s in Arizona. Definitely has that “smoked too much weed in my younger day and now I’m fried and say whatever comes into my head, even though it may come across as arrogant or irresponsible” way about him.
“The Yankees can beat the Rays….they are a lot more familiar with that staff than Texas is.”
Not a question. I’m enjoying the heck out of what they’re doing to Texas, but I’m not afraid to face them.
Oops!
Nobody out.
Now I want to see Big James the Magician!
Is Big Game James having a Big Game yet?
I kind of get the impression he’s one of those guys who hardly ever if ever admits he was wrong. But I don’t really care about Kennedy, he no longer pitches for the Yankees.
Rangers finally making some noise. Bases loaded no outs
are we the only team that doesnt do some stupid shtick on a double, triple, or great play in the field towards the dugout?
If the Yanks can win the first 2 games I would start Burnett in game 3 and CC in game 4. Give him an extra day of rest and sacrifice Burnett against Verlander. CC to close it out and if AJ gives us a win then we are in great shape with CC and Nova at home in games 1 and 2 in ALCS.
Any thoughts?
Hits Andrus, two singles, hits beltre 3-1
Looks like the Rangers batters need shields…
Beltre was limping quite a bit from that RBI HBP.
Small game, just lost the strike zone
“I kind of get the impression he’s one of those guys who hardly ever if ever admits he was wrong. But I don’t really care about Kennedy, he no longer pitches for the Yankees.”
Yes, and yes.
agree yankeeray. said the same thing last night. but we gotta take this thing one game a time. today, today
YankeeRay – that’s not a bad scenario. Others might argue to go with CC for the kill.
I’d love to be up 2-0. My own opinion – go for the kill.
He is going to walk himself out of the game
Switching over to our game as soon as this inning is over.
GO YANKS!!!
I think we are going to change the Tigers name to Tina tonight!
Looks like Ian Kennedy hasn’t changed.
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I’m sure his success has only added to his arrogance. I hated his ‘tude while he was in NY.
Regardless, pitchers are never going to say, “yeah, let’s walk him.” If they do, they risk damaging their own self-confidence.
Shields is a good pitcher, but he can get rattled. That is why I question the “Big Game James” moniker. Even if he gets out of this inning with limited damage, he still had to pitch a lot to do so.
YankeeRay.
If the Yankees win tonight, I expect them to go to Detroit up 2-0.
Burnett pitched 1 game in Detroit this season. 7 innings 3 hits 2 earned runs.
I’d be okay with Burnett in game 3, as all the pressure will be on Verlander to save the series one more day.
anyone have the gameday link?
and Scoscia didn’t like a guy that can hit like that because……
Tied it up. Still waiting on this Big Game, James!
Jackson and Young also worse against righties. That means batters 1-2-3-7-9 all worse against the righty.
joe, you also take the chance that you can get lucky and close it out against Verl without CC so you could possibly start game 1 of alcs with CC. but again, im getting too far ahead of myself. today, today
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....de=gameday
You cannot let Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder beat you.
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Go Nova, Go Yamkees!!!!
You cannot let Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder beat you.
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Go Nova, Go Yankees!!!!
catcher power!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about the double post.
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What was Posada doing?
Just having Andy Pet in the stadium during the post season helps us win
Wow, what happened ?? Unreal.. now we got to waste our BP. with this trash.