Sabathia and Verlander, take two
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Podcast on Oct 03, 2011 
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Justin Verlander had no luck convincing Jim Leyland to let him pitch on Sunday.
“It went along the lines of, ‘Hey, Skip, I can go on Sunday,’” Verlander said. “‘No, you’re going on Monday.’ ‘Okay.’”
CC Sabathia had no more success convincing Joe Girardi.
“There was no conversation,” Sabathia said. “He told me I was pitching today. I think everybody knows, of course, if he would have asked me, I would have tried to persuade him to have me pitch today. But he just said flat out, ‘You are pitching on Monday.’ That’s what it is.”
So the rematch will happen tonight in Detroit, a Game 1 scenario pushed to Game 3 because of rain.
When this division series started, it was the matchup of Sabathia and Verlander that stood out. With two of the top five pitchers in the American League going head-to-head, it seemed entirely possible that this series could hinge on which ace pitched the best. Now their impact is limited to one game, and it’s a big one.
“They’re all big games at this point in the season,” Sabathia said. “So I’ll try to go out and get off to a good start, pound the strike zone and hopefully pitch well… I felt like my fastball command was a lot better (on Friday). That’s something I had been struggling with the last month of the season. It was only two innings, but it was definitely a lot better than it had been.”
Neither Sabathia nor Verlander can seal the series, but they can put one team on the verge of clinching. Whoever wins tonight needs just one more victory to advance, and each team is pitching its very best.
“I think it’s going to be a big game no matter what, whether it’s Game 1 at Yankee Stadium or Game 3 in Detroit,” Verlander said. “Obviously there will probably be a little bit more publicity now for Game 3 because of what occurred and all the news that encompassed it with me and CC facing off again. Either way you look at it, it’s going to be a swing game.”
Said Sabathia: “I know the game plan. We went over it a couple of days ago. I’ll just try to go out and execute.”
Here’s Sabathia.
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Associated Press photos
Triple ? absolutely right. One of the things in the equation is not to be afraid to take a chance with the right talent. Just realize it might work out.
I will be on the edge of my seat. This game will define the series.
it’s a true marquee matchup – series tied at 1-1…both team’s best pitchers on the mound trying to not put it all on the shoulders of tomorrow night’s less than average starters…
What would make the game threads more tolerable would be for Chad to police the blog like Pete used to and start booting people. These are not Yankee fans that are doing it. They are fans of other teams that come here for the intent of disrupting the blog
C.’s fastball command was beastly. He was dominant. More of the same tonight, C.
Team CC!!
re-post
yankeefeminista October 3rd, 2011 at 11:54 am
The booing was minimal. You hear a few stray boos on television, but most people don’t boo and are supportive of even the polarizing ARod.
Also, I just watched the replay, and you can barely see the rain on it. I had moved down to 100 level, right behind the plate for the last AB’s and the rain was a big factor in the AB’s. Really not great conditions for hitters. Still, had Joe gone for his A pen as he should have, we may have only needed to manufacture one more run once the score was 4-3, and would have approached the 9th totally differently. No excuse having Ayala in there. Woke up this morning and it was the first thought that came to me. Mind boggling.
Who do people want hitting behind Cano?
You can’t just say drop Alex in the order without providing a better solution.
I’d rather get rain soaked and suckered for the $45 parking fee (and no, I didn’t get mine back from Friday’s postponement) than be in these IGTs….. I have no idea what the mood was in here last night, but people were miffed on the Ayala thing all over the Stadium. The conversations in the elevator and as people were filtering out were all about that move….even into the garage where I was parked….Looking for C to just be C tonight and get us back the lead in this thing…
Just gotta win one game in Detroit……either tonight or tomorrow but obviously tonight is huge.
I expect Alex to look for fastballs and start early to get to them tonight…….he’s no dummy…..he knows he’s late ……bes always been a good guesser…..don’t write him off just yet.
yup, no doubt about it, this is the yankee season right here tonight with sabathia pitching.
sabathia has done it before in the post season, so there’s no reason he can’t do it again.
i’m not expecting much from the offense against verlander, but they should be able to scratch out a few runs against him.
hopefully that’s all they will need.
Name the player. Swisher, Tex. If there are runners on second and third, first base open, Cano is being walked. Where has Arod kept the bat in Cano’s hands this series? Because they didn’t walk him with runners on first and second in the ninth yesterday?
LGY
Jeter
Swisher
Cano
Granderson
Alex
Tex
Posada
Martin
Gardner
Let Martin Catch !
Arod and Tex need to step it up, but pretty much everybody not named Jorge or Robbie need to step it up.. so you can’t just boo Arod without boo’ing the other weak bats.
Martin has swung at the first pitch in almost every at bat ! Inexcusable ! I don’t care how good he can catch, we need offense if we expect to win, and i am using Montero.. what’s the harm ? You can always replace him with Martin if he struggles.. and if then if you need a BUC, you can use Jorge if you absolutely have to..
But Clueless Joe doesn’t think outside the box like that at all. I HATE JOE GIRARDI and MARK TEIXEIRA
err I mean Let MONTERO CATCH !
blake made an interesting case for Granderson batting behind Cano but realistically I don’t know that Uncle Joe is going to do that.
I think tonight we see the same line up as last night.
“Who do people want hitting behind Cano?”
I asked that yesterday. Crickets. Knowing something is wrong is easier than fixing it.
Tex is probably the answer but more a matter of process of elimination.
It’s not just injuries, either Rodriguez is in decline. Last postseason, it took to the 5th game of the Texas series until I saw him drive a 90+ mph fastball above the belt. Both the Twins and Rangers were beating him with that pitch consistently. That’s how I’d pitch him. Above the belt. It can even be out over the plate, but it needs to be above the belt. Between the thighs and belt he can still get to.
Randy,
From earlier…..yea it pains me but I think Madden might be the best game manager in baseball right now……his players play hard for him and he doesn’t get bogged down in a lot of the stuff that’s limits most managers.
Different pitcher on the mound, but disappointed that Tex didn’t try to take advantage of the shift, as he did in Game 1…
“You can’t just say drop Alex in the order without providing a better solution.”
he didn’t play for most of august and september. pick any one of those lineups when he wasn’t even playing though the first five hitters.
girardi has all kinds of choices .
but it’s a non issue.
unless alex gets hurt, girardi will hit him clean up whether he can hit or not.
Granderson isn’t a 2 hitter…..he’s their best power bat right now. He should hit behind Cano against RHP
It’s ironic because, game 4 2006 ALDS aside, Torre moved him out of the cleanup spot 3 years in a row. Arod didn’t hit cleanup once in the 2004-2006 postseason.
99% chance it’s the same lineup as last night.
blake, that’s worth trying. But you know they never would.
Tex can only protect Cano vs. lefties. He did subvert the shift in Game 1 though. Good to see he is starting to think that way. Too bad we don’t still have Matsui. His triple slash vs. Verlander was something to behold. I’ll tell you one thing. Jorge has hit Verlander well in the past… Just saying.
LGY October 3rd, 2011 at 11:57 am
Who do people want hitting behind Cano?
*********************
Clone him. Then he can protect himself.
I sort of agree with you blake. He might be the best option.
“I expect Alex to look for fastballs and start early to get to them tonight”
If Verlander is thinking that too, does he go first pitch fastball?
Got to say, I feel for Alex.
Mark’s post season numbers
3 HR 12 RBI 209 BA 315 OBP 327 Slugging and 643 OPS in over a 100 at bats. It is not a small sample size anymore.
Yet Alex is the one that continues to get crap from the fans
It was a miracle when Joe moved Teix from 3 to 5 vs rhp at about game 160. So yeah, make that 99.99999% chance of the no lineup change.
blake,
That’s interesting but Girardi but I highly doubt Girardi would ever go for it.
Cano and Granderson are their best hitters (they wont let Montero play) so they should hit 3/4. Swisher is a high OBP guy so hit him 2nd. Let Alex and Tex hit 5th and 6th
P,
Shouldn’t you be in school?
Technically, both starters are going on short rest.
If the Yanks can make Verlander work a little bit and “only” see him for 7 innings in a close game – no matter how you look at it, the advantage is the Yankees corner.
Mariano, Robertson, Soriano
or
(tired) Valverde, (tired) Benoit, Albuqueruqe
this game seems destined to be won by the bullpens, and it’s not even close as to who has the advantage there. It’s NY.
Get Verlander’s pitch count up and keep the game close.
My choice of socks yesterday was another questionable decision in a day full of them. I considered going with the same socks I wore Sat night but thought the offense would be OK regardless. That’s not a mistake I’ll be making twice.
yankeefeminista October 3rd, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Tex can only protect Cano vs. lefties. He did subvert the shift in Game 1 though. Good to see he is starting to think that way. Too bad we don’t still have Matsui. His triple slash vs. Verlander was something to behold. I’ll tell you one thing. Jorge has hit Verlander well in the past… Just saying.
///
Jorgito for cleanup?
.
Now, if we had junior catching, we could hit him behind Cano… or we could hit him behind Jorge…
///
GO C GO C GO C GO C!!! I love the way the media says we had an edge in not having to face Verlander twice, as if C would be a piece of cake for that over rated Tigers lineup….
GO C!
“If Verlander is thinking that too, does he go first pitch fastball?”
Probably initially but you’re going to see some fastballs with Verlander……you just have to guess right…..when he’s on you can’t cover everything…..you can’t cover 99 and the breaking stuff as well
Yep, Dave. Yankees have the big bullpen advantage today, if it gets that far. And Verlander did just pitch 3 days ago. I don’t see a complete game from him.
Bronx Jeers October 3rd, 2011 at 12:11 pm
My choice of socks yesterday was another questionable decision in a day full of them. I considered going with the same socks I wore Sat night but thought the offense would be OK regardless. That?s not a mistake I?ll be making twice.
************************
Cano, Granderson , and Montero are the only players they have that can play Verlander straight up and not cheat significantly to catch up to his fastball.
Verlander throws hard enough that I don’t care whether Arod is looking for it or not. IF it’s elevated. It’s above the belt and 95+, Arod doesn’t stand a chance. Mot the way he is now.
You can’t give Swish potentially one more AB than Granderson.
Jeter
Granderson
Cano
Alex
Tex
Swisher
Posada
Martin
Gardner
We will take this series home, 2-2, with Nova on the mound against Fister. Ordonez has had his last hit of the series.
Clone him. Then he can protect himself.
————————————————
Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.
Bronx Jeers October 3rd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Clone him. Then he can protect himself.
????????????????
Roads? Where we?re going we don?t need roads.
*************************
Nice.
Verlander threw fastballs 57% of the time this year. A hitter has to sit dead red and hope to recognize quickly and adjust to his other stuff.
Jeers, by all means, wear the Saturday sox.
And for those who were at all “3″ games and still can feel the cold. I recommend sambar (Southern Indian soup) to help take the chill off. The spicier the better.
“Yep, Dave. Yankees have the big bullpen advantage today, if it gets that far.”
————
I really think this game shapes up as a battle of the bullpens.
I also think we have every reason to believe that CC will step up tonight and match Verlander for the most part.
Asking Detroit’s bullpen to throw 2-3 scoreless innings tonight is no small order.
To all you Jorge haters out there: I hope you’ve noticed who actually came to play this series and who didn’t. Jorge’s doing a great job. Too bad the same can’t be said for A-rod, Tex, Jeter, Ayala and Binder Joe.
I predict the Yankees lose tonight, win with AJ on the mound, and win with Nova in game 5.
Of course, I think the Yankees will win tonight and lose with AJ on the mound and destroy the Tigers in game 5, but it’s always a good idea to make your predictions different than your anticipations.
“Get Verlander’s pitch count up and keep the game close.”
i’m on board with that.
just how the yanks used to beat pedro.
Niblick, you really need to stay out of here and go to the games. There’s plenty of Jorge love in the Stadium. If people were dumping on him in here, I was wonderfully oblivious to it.
///
Yankeefem, how about Jose Ramirez? Triple digits on fb and making strides with the slider? Did you see where my boy, Anderson Feliz was hitting shots all over the park? I’d kill to be at Instructs…is tyyanks attending?
I don’t want CC to match Verlander. I want CC to dominate, and Verlander to get rocked.
small sample size but –
Justin Verlander postseason career:
22 2/3 IP; 26h, EIGHTEEN runs scored (15 ER); 12 BB
I’ve heard. Verlander has “evolved” and those #s don’t mean too much at this point. We will see.
Verlander is amazing. But he did throw the most innings of his career this season – 251 – and hasn’t gone deep into games against the Yankees.
More often than not, he throws less than 7 innings against them.
Battle of the pens = advantage Yanks
The one advantage we do have tonight is our pen. Only Alburqueque can go from their A pen.
Valverde threw 33 pitches last night.
“just how the yanks used to beat pedro.”
————
good analogy
When Pedro was the best in the game, the Yanks still found ways to keep the game close and grind out a win.
Same idea tonight.
Don’t underestimate speed on the bases either. In these close games, a team like the Tigers who doesn’t steal bases is less of a threat than the Yanks who can both disrupt Verlander’s attention to the batter and keep the pressure on by stealing a base or two.
We’ve done a good job this year waiting Verlander out.
Yes, we did the same to Pedro. He had some great battles against Moose back in the day, and we always seemed to come away with a W.
The Yanks have the pen advantage……but Im sure both Benoit and Valverde will be available….especially benoit
Helped that Moose was going blow for blow with Pedro to keep the games close. We will do same with C. His stuff was unbelievable in Game 1.
jacksquat October 3rd, 2011 at 12:26 pm
I don’t want CC to match Verlander. I want CC to dominate, and Verlander to get rocked.
///
Now you’re talkin’. C doesn’t take a back seat to anyone.
Ledger_Yankees Rain has followed the Yankees to Detroit. Of course it has.
blake, if they want to make Valverde available after that many pitches, I would love to see him. I think we would have rocked him yesterday if he didn’t have the rain helping him out in the 9th.
Triple Short of a Cycle October 3rd, 2011 at 12:10 pm
P,
Shouldn’t you be in school?
=========================================
nope.. I am doing a 2 week intern type program for software engineers. It’s awesome, I don’t get paid, but I get experience working with really great programmers.
“Don’t underestimate speed on the bases either. In these close games, a team like the Tigers who doesn’t steal bases is less of a threat than the Yanks who can both disrupt Verlander’s attention to the batter and keep the pressure on by stealing a base or two.”
if gardner can get on base it would be a huge plus for wearing down verlander. i’d rather he just look like he’s going to steal and focus on bluffing to keep verlander throwing over. verlander doesn’t have to know he’s fosing on getting back to first and drawing throws. gardner can really mess with him if he wants to.
CC: xFIP 3.02 WAR 7.1
Verlander: xFIP 3.12 WAR 7.0
CC > Verlander
“The one advantage we do have tonight is our pen. Only Alburqueque can go from their A pen.”
———–
I don’t think that’s the only advantage, but it’s certainly a big one.
Other advantages:
- better hitters, more likely to drive up a pitch count and get to the pen. There are fewer “holes” in the lineup than Detroit. Of course Verlander can make great hitters look bad but on paper, the Yanks do have a more equipped offense.
- better speed on the bases – if Gardner can get on, it’s a huge advantage
- better defense (hopefully) – on paper the Yanks do have an advantage here
- experience (sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesn’t… but the Yanks have it)
Yankefem,
Cano ends it last night if he could see……I believe that. That was a tough AB in that rain.
Yankfem, going to be really odd to not be at tonight’s game.
Last night, I had some extremely annoying types in my section. Bronx thinks his socks cost us the game, I feel that these folks were dispersing the energy I was trying to direct to the diamond. They were standing up, reaching over the bar behind us and sharing beers with their talkative friends, calling people on cell phones and waving to them at some other location – this all when it was coming apart for Freddy, who had done such a good job of trying to wait out our offense and hold us in… There’s nothing you can do about this new culture of Yankee fan, though….
Valverde threw 35 pitches against the Yankees on May 2nd and blew them away on 10 pitches the next day.
He will be ready to go tonight. Leyland is not Girardi protecting relief pitchers in the playoffs for games that might not come.
Nobody puts CC in the corner.
blake, I agree with that. I don’t think there’s any doubt. Kept fouling off the ball the other way… was hoping he’d get a hold of something to drive, but it wasn’t to be…too bad Ordonez wasn’t still in when Andruw sent the ball to right….
LGY,
very true…
but I don’t care how you slice it, the Yanks have the advantage in the bullpen tonight
rr212, you uh, don’t want to get the big guy mad at you….
Pruf, very happy that J-Ram is getting that 3rd pitch up to speed and from all accounts he did top out at 100mph. Saw Feliz’s stats. Haven’t heard much on Sanchez. Our IFA’s Andujar and Romero are there. Can’t wait to get a look and would love to have a report on them. Unfortunately, tyanks has conflicts b/c games are during the week.
Sit in the bleachers. They are a bit rowdy, but they won’t be ordering latte’s at key points in the game.
While I was watching Cano batting last night with the rain coming down, I saw how bothered he was with the rain on his helmet. I think it is more about the drops down in front of the eyes that bugs the batters, as it can throw off their concentration.
I’ve talked to a couple of guys who also have played ball, and they agree that the dripping can throw you off.
My question is why don’t they design the helmet with a small gutter or dam that will direct most of the water off to the sides? I even thought it might help putting vasoline along the rim to help redirect the water off to the side, but that could cause trouble by making hands slippery.
It just seems like a small thing, but this isn’t the first game I saw where batters were uncomfortable due to the rain collection from their helmets falling in front of their eyes. Even Jeter was taking off his helmet and wiping it continually during one of his at bats. A small gutter wouldn’t affect weight to a point where it would be noticed, but could help stop the drip.
Actually, a pissed off C is good news for Yankees
. I’m sure he’s amused that he has no chance opposite the Great Righthander Verlander….
I thought Andrews ball wasthe gone off the bat…..or off the wall at least.
Niblick October 3rd, 2011 at 12:20 pm
To all you Jorge haters out there: I hope you’ve noticed who actually came to play this series and who didn’t. Jorge’s doing a great job. Too bad the same can’t be said for A-rod, Tex, Jeter, Ayala and Binder Joe.
====================================
I am so happy for Jorge.. he is dangerous at the plate still. Don’t forget he also was hitting good the few games before the post season.
LGY, Valverde had the rain advantage. He was ripe for the taking. He won’t get out alive if he comes in tonight. Book it.
Jorge just needed the AB’s in order to get in a rhythm instead of the inconsistent play of regular season.
Can’t wait for Arod to shut everyone the hell up. It’s amazing how everyone has short memories all of a sudden. Blaming everything on him because hes the easiest target is Childish
rr212 October 3rd, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Nobody puts CC in the corner.
***************************
Gotta love all of the ’80s movie references.
I don’t know why, but I’m taking them as good luck charms for tonight.
blake October 3rd, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Yankefem,
Cano ends it last night if he could see……I believe that. That was a tough AB in that rain.
____
No doubt in my mind either.
blake October 3rd, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I thought Andrews ball wasthe gone off the bat?..or off the wall at least.
**************************
blake, I did too.
Must win, IMO. I don’t have any faith in AJ – and not because I think the pressure gets to him. I don’t have faith because he can be rolling merrily along and the slightest bump in the road will set him off.
The Yankees can not afford to go into one of their deep freezes offensively again….but is Tex every going to have a big post-season? I keep hoping he will and he never does. I think Jeter will bounce back – I never worry about him. Alex? I feel for him – he’s just not right.
I’m still very down on Joe and feel like the team needs to take the game out of his hands – don’t let it come down to any decisions he needs to make.
We’ll be fresher tonight. Day after night game makes some of our older players drag. Especially Jete, Alex. I expect them both to have good AB’s tonight.
Not an 80′s reference, but Arod will be judged forever, and ever, and ever and ever……..
I think AJ will pitch a helluva game. But we still need C to dominate tonight.
Our can’t hit lineup and a brief description
Derek Jeter – not the clutch he used to be, but still can get it down sometimes.
Granderson – doesn’t have the best BA, but has come up clutch many many times
Cano – does his job consistently
Arod – cold,cold,cold; coming back after not playing for awhile
Tex – can’t take post-season pressure. doing what he always does = nothing.
Sado – Bat is strong right now, getting it done more than expected
Swisher – another MIA bat during post-season, but can get on base.
Martin – Has swung at the first pitch in every at bat but one – virtually a guaranteed out
Gardner – mr slap at it, really struggling lately.
WIth the results so far, you absolutely have to get the offense wherever you can. I would 100% put Montero in tonight. CC doesn’t need anyone to call a game, he calls it himself. Perfect time to put Montero in.. but Joe Girardi is so stupid he won’t.
If the Tigers win this game, they’ve won the series. There’s little chance of coming back from losing with our ace against their ace.
Blake, I saw your post on CC from earlier. The reason why CC is considered the underdog is that he really did not pitch well at all for the last month and a half of the season…… I’m always ready to take my chances with him, but he really got hit and so you can’t blame prognosticators for wondering what you’re going to get from him.
I still have a huge issue with the roster – why do we not have a real long man? If Joe was ever really considering Phil as long man, why did he not throw him that 2nd inning in Tampa? I get that AJ was going to be the long man, but the fact remains that Phil is just a substitute long man and he’s not stretched out. I admit they really had few options as Noesi was not good and Colon looked done…….but still they should have chosen one of them instead of Ayala.
Yesterday’s crowd didn’t seem to have the same feel to it as the Fri-Sat crowd then again Scherzer might have had something to do with that.
But one thing I did notice was that the seats were full at 1st pitch on Fri-Sat and yesterday seemed like any other game with scores of people dilly-dallying.
The
YankeesTigers are in big trouble withAJporcello on the mound in game 4.I know that many of the players have changed from this series to the 2006 series.
But I dread how similar it is looking.
My emotions are flying everywhere since last night’s loss. I’m more confident today then I was last night, but to say this game tonight is HUGE only halfway can describe how enormous the game is tonight.
Man I want a win so bad. Been watching the Yankees through many playoff games in the past, but I can honestly say this series has me more shook up than probably since the W.S. 1996 going to Atl down 2 games to nothing.
Yankees need a Jimmy “Frito” Leyritz moment tonight.
Saw some Chavez comments earlier – I like the guy and think he should be on the roster, no doubt. It’s not his fault Joe PH in the wrong spot.
Before they started the 6 man rotation stuff CC was just as good as Verlander this year.
Betsy October 3rd, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Must win, IMO. I don’t have any faith in AJ – and not because I think the pressure gets to him. I don’t have faith because he can be rolling merrily along and the slightest bump in the road will set him off.
The Yankees can not afford to go into one of their deep freezes offensively again….but is Tex every going to have a big post-season? I keep hoping he will and he never does. I think Jeter will bounce back – I never worry about him. Alex? I feel for him – he’s just not right.
I’m still very down on Joe and feel like the team needs to take the game out of his hands – don’t let it come down to any decisions he needs to make.
——————-
Um, Tex was key the ALDS victories over the Twins – a game-winning HR and a pivotal game-changing HR.
What you don’t understand is that when Arod struggles, there’s less of a need to throw strikes to Mark. So he presses and swings out of the zone. Arod is the key cog – he gets going, so will everyone else.
Problem is, Verlander is not a slump-buster.
RR, the Shining, right? LOL – it’s so true. I wish the hypocrites would sit on their hands and never cheer him again
rr212 October 3rd, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Not an 80??s reference, but Arod will be judged forever, and ever, and ever and ever?c?c..
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hmmmm…ok, here’s my 80′s movie reference for Alex:
He delivers the game winning hit tonight, and walks off the field with his first in the air, a la Bender from The Breakfast Club. Note: “Don’t You Forget About Me” is currently on the ipod, which is probably the only way I would have thought of that.
Blake, AJ is awful…..why have things changed because we’re in the post-season?
Girardi has to step up his game tonight. The Yanks have a great bullpen but you would never know it with the way he manages. He manages like someone who doesn’t trust his bullpen at all. I still can’t figure out why he is always the last person to realize that the pitcher might need some help and someone should be warming up just incase.
If you move Arod down who is batting 4th? It’s not like Tex or Swish hitting. But we should be used to this by now, besides 09′ most of these guys struggle in the play offs. Tex, Swish and Arod have to wake up and starting hitting.
My crystal ball tells me the game will swing (literally) on a Phil Coke appearance in the 7th inning.
Blake, I do not know when it was he started to go south, but I’m not going to blame it all on the 6 man thing – and I think it’s too easy to say that. I don’t have time to research when the Yankees went there and when CC started to struggle.
Jeers, Friday was a packed house and the place was similar to OYS. Saturday, there were a lot of empty seats. Sunday definitely Scherzer had an effect, but also likely Saturday attenders must have dumped off tickets to those who normally wouldn’t have attended. Not a great vibe until the end. Downstairs in 119 behind plate a huge crowd gathered to watch last two innings and was very vocal. Damn, I really thought we would still pull it out. Friggin rain!
does your crystal ball say Phil Coke will be pointing as a Yankee HR leaves the yard?
Betsy,
They haven’t…..but he’s not facing Verlander…..he’s facing Porcello and AJ can pitch well still at times. He finished up the year better….and he pitched pretty well against Texas last year under similar circumstances against a better offense. To be clear…..I don’t have a ton of faith in him either but I don’t think its anywhere close to an automatic loss……
jacksquat October 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Sit in the bleachers. They are a bit rowdy, but they won’t be ordering latte’s at key points in the game.
///
Sat out there in 2001 for As-Yanks in postseason, and there was too much going on in the seats. I don’t mean the chants, which are organized and great, but a lot of drunk people making spectacles of themselves. Distraction from what was happening on the field.
There’s just not much you can do about this kind of stuff. Last night, for a change I didn’t get entangled with this type of fan except to yell “sit down!” when the guy was in my way, which he did. But you get involved and your energy for what’s going on gets taken even further away. I was fortunate enough to be in a lab for a remote viewing experiment on occasion, so I have witnessed what concentration of energy can actually accomplish on a practical level. I decided I was not going to have mine even further compromised by these “Hi! I’m at the Yankees game!” types, who mean no harm but cause plenty…
Betsy October 3rd, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Saw some Chavez comments earlier – I like the guy and think he should be on the roster, no doubt. It’s not his fault Joe PH in the wrong spot.
——————
Who should’ve PH in that situation? A 21 year-old rookie?
So easy to be negative about the manager. Players are the ones that perform.
Blake, yeah he can, but let’s just say that AJ doesn’t get ANY, and I mean, any wiggle room. I want someone warming up the moment he takes the mound, lol.
No, it’s not an automatic loss- I refuse to even say that – but I do think tonight is a must win because tomorrow is a total crapshoot. I wish I knew which Yankees offense was going to show up.
Betsy,
He started struggling around about the time that he was on extra rest every start…..there was a 5 or 6 start stretch there in the middle of the summer where CC was unhittable…..he looked very good Friday night…..hopefully he carries it over.
upstate kate October 3rd, 2011 at 12:55 pm
does your crystal ball say Phil Coke will be pointing as a Yankee HR leaves the yard?
————————
Coke will be kicking the mound dirt and screaming unmentionables into his glove.
I think both tonight and tomorrow are both toss ups…..they just need to win one of them to get it back to NY for game 5.
blake, you may be right. But, if we lose this game, we cant expect Burnett to keep us in it in a win-or-go-home game.
“Cano ends it last night if he could see……I believe that. That was a tough AB in that rain.”
blake I was watching that inning with my buddies who play and they were all screaming that Girardi didn’t try to petition the umps to give them five or ten minutes for the heavy rain to move out (since you could still see blue skies in nearby areas). I don’t know that it would have helped, of course, but I understood where they were coming from. One of them told me that hitting in rain like that is incredibly difficult because not only do the drops themselves interfere with your ability to see the ball but the water that accumulates on the brim of your helmet is very distracting.
*attendees*
Blake, yeah, he did look great……CC can take a team on his back, so I hope he does that and quiets everyone who thinks the Tigers winning is a foregone conclusion
“No, it’s not an automatic loss- I refuse to even say that – but I do think tonight is a must win because tomorrow is a total crapshoot. I wish I knew which Yankees offense was going to show up.”
_______________________________________
Betsy,
I agree with the gist of what you’re saying but my take on it is a little different.
I think every postseason game with respect to this offense has become a total crapshoot.
I have far more confidence in Burnett to pitch a good game against the Tigers than I do for the Yankees offense to have a good game against Porcello. He’d fit right into the genre of pitchers who has managed to shut them down handedly in postseason play since 2004.
I could not be more down on this offense right now. Save Cano they were very unimpressive against Fister and looked absolutely horrendous yesterday against Scherzer. Its been the same old story since 2004 with the exception of the Matsui/Arod fueled 2009 aberration, which I’ve been saying for the past few days.
“I think both tonight and tomorrow are both toss ups”
sabathia is harder to toss in the air.
advantage sabathia
My question is why don’t they design the helmet with a small gutter or dam that will direct most of the water off to the sides?
——————————————————————————————————–
That’s a pretty good idea.
And speaking of ordering latte’s at key moments I think the Yanks need more coffee available. I’m not even sure where to go to get a cup.
Yankeefeminista,
I’m usually down there by the end of the game but I figured with SRO tix being sold there wouldn’t be a good spot available for those under 6’6″.
I sat in the bleachers for 2004 ALCS game 1 and we had to stand on our seats for the entire game. I doubt I could even physically do that now.
I can’t see whats going on in my crystal ball… its filled with all the smoke from my objective pipe. Thank god I have 3 boxes of chocolate chip cookies to get me through the afternoon.
randy, QFT.
It seems like C’s gotten better since he put the weight back on. Just sayin…
Shame Spencer October 3rd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I can?t see whats going on in my crystal ball? its filled with all the smoke from my objective pipe. Thank god I have 3 boxes of chocolate chip cookies to get me through the afternoon.
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J. Alfred Prufrock October 3rd, 2011 at 1:06 pm
It seems like C?s gotten better since he put the weight back on. Just sayin?
*********************
Never underestimate the power of Cap’n Crunch
Girardi has to have an extremely short leash with AJ tomorrow. He is usually ok for 3-4 innings and then it’s very obvious when the wheels are coming off. Girardi always gives him 2-3 more batters in those situations but he can’t do that tomorrow. The bullpen guys are there use them!!!
Jeers, it wasn’t bad. Normally, I can’t do it either and I am only 5’4 but I was in the front row of rooters. Just had to crane my neck a little and shift from left to right depending on who was standing up in front of us in the WC section. That was the biggest issue. The crowd was boisterous, committed and spoke as “one” and we should have won too. But C will *will* us there tonight.
Considering Girardi wasn’t even going to have AJ start, he should have a very short leash.
AJ is going to pitch just great.
Erin October 3rd, 2011 at 1:07 pm
J. Alfred Prufrock October 3rd, 2011 at 1:06 pm
It seems like C?s gotten better since he put the weight back on. Just sayin?
*********************
Never underestimate the power of Cap’n Crunch
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Maybe he eats breakfast at the Posada house?
Seriously Erin, if I gorge on chocolate chip cookies again today for no reason after the fiasco that was my Friday night (picture me sitting on my couch surrounded by empty boxes of chocolate chip cookies and crying into a Paul Oneill jersey in the fetal position) I will be very upset with the Yankees.
Its bad enough that during the playoffs I have no social life.. now I’m on the verge of gaining 15 pounds and having a heart attack. Sometimes I think to myself, “I need a new hobby,” but I love the Yankees too much to ever give up on them.
Randy,
Lol
Shame,
Yea I was actually hoping they’d stop play…….if Im Cano there Im telling the umpire I can’t see and then make them tell me I have to hit
he doesn’t have to pitch great, just better than Porcello, and I think he can do that
Shame Spencer October 3rd, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Seriously Erin, if I gorge on chocolate chip cookies again today for no reason after the fiasco that was my Friday night (picture me sitting on my couch surrounded by empty boxes of chocolate chip cookies and crying into a Paul Oneill jersey in the fetal position) I will be very upset with the Yankees.
///
Brent & Sam’s?
Shame-
Well, hopefully tonight your hard work will finally pay off.
upstate kate October 3rd, 2011 at 1:14 pm
he doesn’t have to pitch great, just better than Porcello, and I think he can do that
//
I think AJ’s going to take responsibility and pitch great. Just a hunch.
It’d be nice if C can give us some length so that we have at least one of “A” pen available for two tomorrow with the off day Wed.
Lackeys bad…….Crawford strikes out…….and don’t get me started about JD Drew……….Red Sox decline…….lost lost lost…….cost so much but they’re so bad…..Theo should resign……but whole believes he ever would
kate, I think AJ will pitch well, but he will definitely have a short leash. Like I said, if C can give us length and we have some A pen for tomorrow, we can use them for more than an inning in Game 4 b/c of the Wed. off day.
So Ayala should be unavailable right….
From RAB:
If you’re the type that pays attention to what the traditional media writes, you might think the Yankees are in poor position now. After all, there are just three games left, and Detroit plays two of them at home. Detroit also starts their ace and presumptive AL Cy Young Award winner, Justin Verlander, in the first of this fresh three-game set. Combine that with closer Jose Valverde’s prediction, that the Tigers would take the next two games, and you have a recipe for Yankees defeat.
That is, you’d have a recipe for defeat if the above paragraph wasn’t filled with tripe. Valverde’s statement means nothing. He’s teetered on the edge of defeat all season without actually experiencing it, and he could easily cause his team to lose one of those next two games. As for home field advantage, we’ve seen so many postseason instances where it has meant nothing. Yes, the home team does generally win more games than the away team. But when we narrow the field to the best four teams in the league, and we set the standard to a mere five-game series, that goes out the window. There’s no sense in quoting the odds for that type of sample.
(In fact, only two World Series participants in the last five years have swept the LDS: the Yankees in 2009 and the Rockies in 2007.)
In Justin Verlander the Yankees face one of their toughest challenges of the year. There is no doubt that Verlander will win — has already won — the 2011 AL Cy Young Award. His numbers stood out in every way, from his gaudy innings total to his minuscule ERA. But if we dig just a little deeper, we can see that his opponent tonight, CC Sabathia, hasn’t lagged far behind. So while the Yankees will face a tough challenge, so will the Tigers.
Verlander threw more innings, struck out more per nine, walked fewer per nine, and allowed fewer runs than CC Sabathia. Those surface numbers certainly make his Cy Young case. Sabathia did perform better than Verlander in one aspect: suppressing home runs. He allowed just 17, while Verlander allowed 24. Sabathia’s home run total is even more impressive when we look at that one game against the Rays, in which he allowed five solo shots. We can’t remove them from his record, since they did happen. But we can put that in perspective and note that he allowed just 12 homers in his other 32 starts.
Still, that isn’t the greatest difference between Sabathia and Verlander. That difference occurs when we examine the quality of opponents each faced. Sabathia faced the ninth most difficult hitters in the AL this season. That is, only nine pitchers in the AL faced tougher hitters than he did, as measured by overall opponents’ OPS. Unsurprisingly, seven of the eight pitchers ahead of him pitch in the AL East. Ivan Nova ranks 13th on that list, Bartolo Colon 14th, and A.J. Burnett 17th. Verlander’s name doesn’t appear until No. 39. His opponents combined for a 2011 OPS of .739, to CC’s .760. Verlander might have performed better, but CC turned in his impressive performance while facing tougher hitters.
I just don’t see why Giradi is catching so much heat or Chavez hitting for Gardner in that spot….It was the right call in that situation, it just didn’t have the result that we hoped for……It’s easy to rag on Giradi but most here to are 2nd guessing also don’t offer up why it was the wrong decision or offer a different option……..Pundits have united here in great numbers…..
# blake October 3rd, 2011 at 1:20 pm
So Ayala should be unavailable right….
——————-
Unless Scott Proctor used one of his spirit cleansing rituals to inhabit Ayala’s body..
blake-do you have a title for that little Boston poem??
Oh, and J. Alfred – Brent and Sams would be a delicacy. I usually stick with double stuffed Oreos or Chips Ahoy! I like Chips Ahoy! because it has an exclamation point after its name. Makes me feel like every time I say it, I should be super excited.
blake October 3rd, 2011 at 1:20 pm
So Ayala should be unavailable right….
——————————————————–
Girardi said he wouldn’t hesitate to use any of his relievers 3 days in a row!
Shame, there’s another brand better than B&S’s, has less sugar, tastes homemade. I loved Chips Ahoy as a child. I also loved those you slice frozen, but I think now they wouldn’t tast so good, lol.
Best is home made, with lots a walnuts to counter the sweetness of the chocolate.
AJ has the potential to give us 5 strong innings. The moment he loses the strike zone, Girardi should walk out, give AJ a big pat on the back, and take the ball away. Simple as that.
Betsy, I keep reading where you say that Phil Hughes is not stretched out. Is this your opinion, or did you read it somewhere? I don’t remember seeing that the Yankees were not going to use Hughes because he wasn’t stretched out enough. I only saw that they were going to use him in relief rather than start because of the back issue. And I remember reading that he was more likely to be used as a long or short man in the middle of the game because the last 3 innings are all sewn up.
I am curious because you say it all the time.
that’s sung to Sweet Caroline and one of those Mike n’ Mike guys wrote it, I think.
Pretty funny, but Sux are so yesterday to me now…
Yesterday….baseball was such an easy game in May…Hey, you could have fun with a Red Sox parody there…
Pat M. October 3rd, 2011 at 1:23 pm
I just don’t see why Giradi is catching so much heat or Chavez hitting for Gardner in that spot….It was the right call in that situation, it just didn’t have the result that we hoped for……It’s easy to rag on Giradi but most here to are 2nd guessing also don’t offer up why it was the wrong decision or offer a different option……..Pundits have united here in great numbers…..
—
People gave reasons. I gave reasons. Girardi said he was looking for a home run. Montero has a much better HR rate than Chavez. All of his HR’s were vs rhp. Yes, Montero’s sample size is somewhat small, but do you really think a home run every 15.x ab’s for Montero is that flukish? Chavez’s sample size is not small. Also, Chavez hit .229 in September.
mmmm…Chips Ahoy
Jeter was dreadful yesterday. Need some hits from that leadoff spot tonight.
Looked to me like he regressed a bit – was caught way out front and missed some hanging sliders – the same pitch he normally hooks down into the LF corner.
He will find it tough going against Verlander.
Girardi’s worst offenses were not pitching around Miggy and not bringing in Sori or DRob… let’s hope the lineup & C take the game into their own hands tonight…
J. Alfred Prufrock October 3rd, 2011 at 1:29 pm
that?s sung to Sweet Caroline and one of those Mike n? Mike guys wrote it, I think.
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oh, duh. You’d think I would have recognized that after having it stuck in my head for 2 straight days last week.
Oh well, I’ll use the fact that it’s Monday as my excuse. LOL
Or, use bittersweet chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet. They’re less sugary and a little richer tasting. Ghirardelli makes a product that is available in the baking aisle of supermarkets. 60% bittersweet, I think it is. I never use semi-sweet chips anymore.
Pat M. – hi there. Hope you and mrs. are well.
This wouldn’t be the LoHud Yankees’ blog without second guessing and moaning. It’s an armchair manager’s heaven, lol.
I’m looking forward to a classic pitching matchup. Of course, once the game starts, anything’s possible. At this point in the schedule, with only good teams playing, anything’s possible.
Later, have some heavy lifting to do.
J Alfred – I agree. My dad makes the best chocolate chip cookies and always uses walnuts. Super delicious. As a kid he would make them for me without the walnuts but as I got older I learned to appreciate their presence.
No Erin, its “mmmmm…Chips Ahoy!” You must exclaim Chips Ahoy! Their trademark forces you to do so.
I used to eat ELF cookies. They have one type thats called ELFudge cookies. For the longest time I just thought it was meant to encourage kids to learn Spanish. Now I realize the power of a good marketing strategy.
Jeter actually has very good numbers vs. Verlander. His AB’s in Game 1 were good, but he definitely scuffled in Game 2.
I really think that CC has to be lights out tonight for them to win. They were completely lost against Scherzer and if Verlander has his A stuff and command it’s going to be a long night. I hate to be this down about the lineup but after yesterday’s game it’s hard not to be. The guys who struggle every post seaon have continued that trend into this post season.
Chavez is hitting 252/294/339 since coming off the DL.
Erin,
Yea that’s from Mike and Mike
As far as o can tell Verlander has never pitched on less than 4 days rest…..now obviously he only threw 25 pitches but it was still a start and he’s had to prepare differently than normal…….we will see if that matters but Sabathia has a lot more experience pitching on short rest
I would also like to see how CCs numbers compare to Verlander if you take out the Boston starts.
Shame, Pruf, you are making me crave homemade Toll House cookies.
Shame- my bad
take 2:
mmmm….Chips Ahoy!
There were two decisions that bothered me a lot more than Chavez hitting 1) letting Garcia pitch to Cabrera in the 6th 2) Ayala in the 8th.
Pat M. – I think it was the justification of that move that got people all riled up. What did you think of the Ayala move, though? I like Uncle Joe a lot and support him quite a bit, but that one also had me scratching my head like many of the other more level headed posters on here.
When Phil returned to the rotation, he was used as a SP. If it wasn’t for the back issues, he would have remained a SP. How long before you are considered not stretched out? He had two 6 inning starts in September. His last long start was 3 weeks ago. How quickly do you lose your ability to pitch multiple innings?
JAP,
I had some very bad karma fans around me as well yesterday….Including the drunken guy who fell on the stairs after the first downpour, earning a loud round of applause.
Montero has 2 more HRs vs RHP than Chavez does in 110 less PAs.
I’m looking for a sign from this blog but I’m getting confusing signals. Seems to be black or white. Either CC will outpitch Verlander or if we lose tonight, we might as well pack our bags and go home. Are there no gray areas?
I think we all know and have learned that as Jeter goes so does the team. Without him coming up huge in one of these two games the Yankees chances of getting a win are terrible.
Robertson should be used as a weapon instead a set 8th inning role…..I’ve been saying that all year. From the 6th on it should be D Rob time and if a jam starts to brew he should be called on to try and snuff it out……..if one doesn’t arise then he can pitch the 8th but savings him for an 8thautomatic inning lead that may not happen is bad use of such a dynamic pitcher.
Brett Gardner’s SLG vs RHP is 28 points higher than Chavez.
Girardi made some odd decisions yesterday, but none of them cost them the game IMO.
They lost that game because the offense didn’t show up until the 9th inning.
# bruceb October 3rd, 2011 at 1:40 pm
I’m looking for a sign from this blog but I’m getting confusing signals. Seems to be black or white. Either CC will outpitch Verlander or if we lose tonight, we might as well pack our bags and go home. Are there no gray areas?
——-
Of course there has to be a gray area as “You Can’t Predict Baseball”, but in a realistic sense NO.
If Cabrera had really bad numbers against Garcia I could see letting him pitch to him and then bringing in someone to pitch to VMart. But Odonez and Cabrera own Garcia. It made no sense to let Garcia face the middle of the order considering how well they hit him. Cabrera better not get anything to hit for the rest of the series. Make VMart beat you.
Yes….there are grey areas…..tonights game is a toss up and so is tomorrows…..the Yanks just need one of them.
its not over til its over bruceb…don’t forget we have the secret weapon SuperNova if need be!
Are there no gray areas?
**********************
It’s a tricky gray area. #arresteddevelopment
yankeefeminista October 3rd, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Shame, Pruf, you are making me crave homemade Toll House cookies.
///
She started it! Shame, those sound good…
Villa, absolutely, the bittersweet are king. I don’t use milk chocolate…but I do use real, sweet butter…the dough is always either whole wheat pastry or WW pastry cut with spelt flour…truly rich and delicious…brown sugar, of course…
I have a recipe for ginger chocolate chip cookies that is the best ever. It has molasses and ginger, so you can pretend it is healthy
Pepperidge Farm Crispy Sausalito (milk chocolate chunks and macadamian nuts) or Crispy Chesepeake (dark chocolate and pecans) are the best supermarket bought chocolate chip cookies.
I think Girardi ‘s point was that he wanted someone to hit the ball hard. I can understand pinch hitting for Gardner because yesterday he took too many fastball right down the middle. But I don’t see why Chavez was the right guy in that situation. I would rather see Jones or Montero in that spot.
JM, did you see that SWB home sched I posted last night. I didn’t realize the so-called “home” games had already been determined. Mostly games in Syracuse and Rochester–ugh!–although at least we get a few in LHV.
Yep, I had some real doozies in my section as well, who stood at inopportune times and who during big AB’s had their backs to the game most of the time, so they could share pics with each other that they took of the Stadium . Oh, well. As soon as the rain came, I blew out of the section and headed downstairs to commune with my “peeps,” the diehards who remained and who never ever gave up. Please give me back Tier 1 at OYS where everyone knew to *never* stand up during play during a playoff game!;)
LGY…..28 points is your closing argument on this decision…..Chavez was the right call in my mind…..A veteran stick in that situation is why you signed him…….Bottom line as I pointed out last night, The Yanks let this game get away from them simply due to the fact that all those 3-2 counts they had and they came up empty…..That’s the stat line of importance LGY…..
speaking of Arrested Development, and wanting to scoop Erin for once:
AD is returning to TV
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.a.....d=ansent11
Does anyone think that Girardi might play Jones in LF today? I would like to see Montero and him in the lineup but that outfield might be too much for him handle.
I, too, am pretty sure the “Hughes isn’t stretched out” argument is overblown on here. I think he was kept out of last nights game specifically so he’d be available for AJs start. What quality he could give us will be debated but there’s no doubt in my mind Phil can pitch 3-4 innings right now.
I hope CC appreciates all the cookie eating we have done on his behalf.
JM October 3rd, 2011 at 1:38 pm
JAP,
I had some very bad karma fans around me as well yesterday….Including the drunken guy who fell on the stairs after the first downpour, earning a loud round of applause.
///
They messed up when they split up everyone’s section upon moving across the street. I would absolutely kill to be back with my peops in the Old Stadium. No one there had any trouble focusing on what mattered, nor would we tolerate any crap from newcomers. If someone transgressed, the whole section jumped on them.. we’d get in heated debates but it was all in the Yankee family… those were the days…
yankeefem,
yes, i saw that about the scranton sked. those poor kids. not going to get much of a chance to see them next year, unfortunately.
yes, we had the standing people in the 200s after the first rain delay. when we asked the girl and guy to sit down because we could not see, she said the seat was “too wet.” i said, wipe it down with napkins like we did. she said, no. then everyone started yelling at her. she didn’t sit but she did burst into tears which prompted me to say, what’s wrong with you? there is no crying in baseball. lol. they then fled but not before she cursed at me and my friend, the people across and the people behind us. it was kind of amusing in a sad way.
kate, I love anything with ginger. It is my go-to spice. We always bring ginger cookies to the Stadium. Great for warming up during a cold October ballgame, even in cookie form.
Pinch hitting for Gardner is not a problem.
Using a worse hitter to do so is.
Wow, you’re all blaming me for this but pat just pulled out the big guns with Pepperidge Farm. I’d slice a b*tch or three for one of those babies right now…
pat -
Agreed on the Pepperidge Farm offerings!
# upstate kate October 3rd, 2011 at 1:49 pm
I hope CC appreciates all the cookie eating we have done on his behalf.
—————
He’d better because my thighs sure don’t..
Kate, maybe if Shame’s dad cooked up a batch and dangled them in front of C, as a reward for a shutdown night, we could have our win and eat some, too….
Girardi is going to run the same 9 guys out there in the same order in the line up today.
I mean it’s fun to discuss and talk about, a lot of great points are made, but there is no way the line up is going to be any different than it has been the last 2 games.
I like many would change things up but we all know Girardi won’t.
Kate, very sorry but I did already know the AD news.
Shame, do you live in the city? Downtown at Balthazar, they make some killer chocolate chip cookies, with walnuts…Never enough of the latter for me, though, and also just a bit too sweet, but they are pretty fn good…
JM, Pruf, actually there are *16* games in LHV. I am liking that (if by default.)
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....le_930.pdf
Our poor kids though; they will be homeless. Tough break to add even more bus trips to the mix.
now I am going to have to BOO you Erin
“yes, we had the standing people in the 200s after the first rain delay. when we asked the girl and guy to sit down because we could not see, she said the seat was “too wet.” i said, wipe it down with napkins like we did. she said, no. then everyone started yelling at her. she didn’t sit but she did burst into tears which prompted me to say, what’s wrong with you? there is no crying in baseball. lol. they then fled but not before she cursed at me and my friend, the people across and the people behind us. it was kind of amusing in a sad way.”
LOL – This is ok but NO ONE BOO THE PLAYERS!!!!! The first person to boo a player on here gets to meet me under the Paul O’Neill banner. If you have any desire to boo a player, settle instead for making pansy female Yankee fans cry! (again.. just a joke people)
Jones had a really good swing against Valverde the clown yesterday. I definitely thought he had a hit off the wall or that ball would drop in. He did also because he keep looking back as he was walking back to the dug out. That stunk…
pat m-
it’s a long time between now and 8:37.
this is like a classic world series game when we were kids and there was a word series game between marichal and ford.
i’m building up so much nervous energy, i’m going out at 6pm and hit the crap out of some two irons to get ready for the big game.
“Today, we proved that we can compete. (Monday) is going to be a different story,” Benoit said. “We go home, we’re going to play in our home ballpark, which is a little bit more fair.”
—
Again what does this quote mean from a Tiger player. “A bit more fair”? I think they should just leave speaking to the media up to Leyland. Everything that comes out of a Tiger players mouth is not only confusing but just simply stupid.
Sorry for late responses. Erin,I like the reference. Betsy, I was thinking sandlot, but may have subconsciously went with the Shining. I am feeling very dark and Kubrick-y today.
.
Captain Clutch October 3rd, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Does anyone think that Girardi might play Jones in LF today? I would like to see Montero and him in the lineup but that outfield might be too much for him handle.
///
I wouldn’t think so, Clutch. That’s a pretty vast OF. Plus,Gardner SSS numbers vs. Verlander are very good. Another thing, if Gardner gets a hit, with that outfield the way it is, anything into the gaps there will park him on 3B…
Kate-
. I believe this will be the first time someone has booed me.
Erin
I bet LGY has wanted too many times when you scooped him
Benoit came out after the game and said it was a mistake for Yanks to pinch hit Chavez, that he knew exactly what to do with Chavez, as he has faced him many times over the years.
Maybe you put in Montero, a young stud, they dont have the book on him, and he comes through.
J Alfred – I work in the city but live in Jersey. I’m always doing my own personal Munch Mobile tours, however. My parents (my mother) were obsessed with Bobby Flays Throwdown for a while and made it a point to visit every local place he challenged. They found some really killer chocolate chip cookies in Brooklyn but I think it ended up costing them about $50 for a dozen of them!
yankeefeminista October 3rd, 2011 at 1:54 pm
JM, Pruf, actually there are *16* games in LHV. I am liking that (if by default.)
http://web.minorleaguebaseball…..le_930.pdf
Our poor kids though; they will be homeless. Tough break to add even more bus trips to the mix.
///
I have gone from indifference to the Mets to fullblown dislike. I’m booking Manny & Dellin starts to travel to.
Balthazar makes *great* cookies. I get them in Englewood. So does Morristown Health Food store. Pricey, but great homemade “healthy” cookies in their deli section. Ginger, chocolate chip, and Oatmeal raisin. Worth traveling for.
Erin – If I had my way it wouldnt be the last!
It’s both sad and awesome at the same time but Montero is already a better hitter than more than half the lineup.
Certainly against the power throwing right handers the Tigers trot out there. He’s one of the few players on this roster that doesn’t need to cheat or guess right to handle a legit fastball.
The Yankees were 0-7 with RISP yesterday. Montero should have gotten one of those at bats.
It’s painful to watch Miguel Cabrera flick his wrists and put the Yankees in a 2-0 hole knowing the Yankees have a player on the bench with those kind of tools.
Montero could be a big factor in these playoffs. Especially at Yankee Stadium where the short porch was made for him. Unfortunately, we now head to Comerica and his butt has yet to leave the bench.
Comerica is more fair for the Yankees……Cabrera can’t flick his wrists and mis-hit a ball out of there.
Shame Spencer October 3rd, 2011 at 1:50 pm
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if the Hud had a like button, I’d be clicking. I like your style.
Shame Spencer October 3rd, 2011 at 2:00 pm
J Alfred – I work in the city but live in Jersey. I’m always doing my own personal Munch Mobile tours, however. My parents (my mother) were obsessed with Bobby Flays Throwdown for a while and made it a point to visit every local place he challenged. They found some really killer chocolate chip cookies in Brooklyn but I think it ended up costing them about $50 for a dozen of them!
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Speaking of Bobby Flay, how about some chocolate cookies with a little jalapeno in them? Killah!
A little bit more fair Benoit?
Miguel Cabrera is easily the most dangerous hitter in baseball at Yankee Stadium.
YS is extremely beneficial to the Tigers offense.
LGY, reason we wanted the Jesus up earlier. It wouldn’t have been so heretical to play him. We. are. conservative. to. our. own. detriment. It is what it is.
Comerica would not contain Montero; he hits bombs.
Shame Spencer October 3rd, 2011 at 2:00 pm
J Alfred – I work in the city but live in Jersey. I’m always doing my own personal Munch Mobile tours, however. My parents (my mother) were obsessed with Bobby Flays Throwdown for a while and made it a point to visit every local place he challenged. They found some really killer chocolate chip cookies in Brooklyn but I think it ended up costing them about $50 for a dozen of them!
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You’re serious about your food, LOL. Me too. Got a friend who knows Flays pretty well. She’s been trying to open her own NYC place for a while. She’s also auditioned for cooking pilots and was great in the demos. She can cook, too. Has about 30 people over for any holiday to her place in East 70s. We’ve gone twice for Jewish holidays at her place (because we’re not and therefore have no commitments family wise). …She’s always telling me great places to eat in the city… Used to live there but have been in Jersey for a while, now… If you’re ever in Princeton, let me know. Great food in Princeton, I’ll point you in the right direction…
Erin
I bet LGY has wanted too many times when you scooped him
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I boo Erin all the time. She just can’t hear me over Hawk Harrelson’s screeching voice out in Chicago.
She’s always telling me great places to eat in the city
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Never thought to pass this along to your lohud comrades? Dish Prufrock
Also, I haven’t weighed in but yes, why was Girardi agreeable to our hitting in pouring rain in the ninth? We should have tried to delay. The rain lessened soon thereafter.
yankeefeminista October 3rd, 2011 at 2:03 pm
LGY, reason we wanted the Jesus up earlier. It wouldn’t have been so heretical to play him. We. are. conservative. to. our. own. detriment. It is what it is.
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Yankeefem, this.
There’s no point in pining for Montero, now, because their neglect of him because of being smitten with Cervelli has brought us to this point. Earlier summoning would have meant more familiarity with the staff and confidence from the manager to put him in there, but now they can claim he doesn’t know the pitchers & he’s too green… my ideal lineup had Montero behind the plate and Jorge Dh’ing, for the offense. They could have worked out a 60/40 split with Martin had they brought him forth earlier… now, their self-fulfilling prophecy has some weight, but they created this… I just don’t discuss it any more because it’s water under the proverbial bridge…
LGY October 3rd, 2011 at 2:07 pm
She’s always telling me great places to eat in the city
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Never thought to pass this along to your lohud comrades? Dish Prufrock
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Dude, what are you looking for? Much depends on desires, $$$, neighborhoods you’ll agree to go to, etc..
It is what it is at this point.
The Yanks will just have to overcome Girardi behind some CC domination and a pounding of Porcello.
Then I guess Jesus will get his shot vs the Rangers or Rays.
Kate- no doubt. I still fear he’s plotting something
Randy I ( The Original Tin Cup )……You carding low 70′s yet ????
Yogi Mantle October 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
While I was watching Cano batting last night with the rain coming down, I saw how bothered he was with the rain on his helmet. I think it is more about the drops down in front of the eyes that bugs the batters, as it can throw off their concentration.
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Speaking of bugs…midges, to be exact, why can’t Girardi complain to the umps at that point about the rain. Stall a little, get the umps to confer about the rain, maybe they delay the game for Jeter, Grandy, esp Cano till it subsides?
“Miguel Cabrera is easily the most dangerous hitter in baseball at Yankee Stadium.”
Yes easily….
My NY cheap eats food contribution is a hole in the wall on Amsterdam on UWS for take out: Bombay Frankie’s roti rolls. Among other things, their shrimp methi malai frankie and spicy hot aloo fries are insane.
At this point Montero has only played one game since the Red Sox series………
Why didnt Girardi do that? Because he’s complacent.
LGY October 3rd, 2011 at 2:05 pm
I boo Erin all the time. She just can?t hear me over Hawk Harrelson?s screeching voice out in Chicago
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Ugh…..not Hawk!!!!!
I’d rather be booed than listen to him!!!
Miguel Cabrera is the most dangerous hitter in YS because he cares and desires.
Do you guys think this 6-man rotation stuff decreases our chance of resigning CC if he opts out? Something to think about.
mick October 3rd, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Yogi Mantle October 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
While I was watching Cano batting last night with the rain coming down, I saw how bothered he was with the rain on his helmet. I think it is more about the drops down in front of the eyes that bugs the batters, as it can throw off their concentration.
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Speaking of bugs…midges, to be exact, why can’t Girardi complain to the umps at that point about the rain. Stall a little, get the umps to confer about the rain, maybe they delay the game for Jeter, Grandy, esp Cano till it subsides?
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it was the last inning…game 1 already got suspended. they have to travel to detroit for game 3. there was no way they were taking a chance to have another game suspended with 3 more outs left. if it was the 6th or 7th inning…maybe, but definitely not that late.
Shame Spencer October 3rd, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Erin ? If I had my way it wouldnt be the last!
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Seems to me that the only time they’ll finally delay a game because of rain is if the conditions on the mound get tricky to point of dangerous.
It was just very strange how the rain showed up yesterday. Hard and quick and only when the Yankees were at bat. Also, you know they play forever in the rain until they finally decide to delay; it just didn’t last long enough to cause a delay.
The midges were a different story. Completely alien invasion of the field. Also, could have been very dangerous – Joba was infested and they’re lucky the wildness that this caused didn’t end up hurting a batter. The umpires AND Joe Torre were negligent there.
WHo was at yesterdays game?
Check out panoramic photos taken during Game 2. You can TAG yourself or friends and zoom in to see individual fans: http://atmlb.com/r7Tucw
cano is just as dangerous. garcia should’ve never pitched to cabrera that last time…
rr212 October 3rd, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Sorry for late responses. Erin,I like the reference.
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No problem.
The only one I could think of was Top Gun for Gardner. “I feel the need. The need for speed”
I mean, get on Girardi for Ayala, if you must; get on him on his choice to pinch hit for Gardner; but not the rain. I think that’s going just a stitch too far.
“Do you guys think this 6-man rotation stuff decreases our chance of resigning CC if he opts out? Something to think about.”
Why would it?
the *only* thing that decreases the chance of anyone re-signing here is another team outbidding us…
We won’t have a 6-man rotation next year, so why would it be an issue for C?
I wonder why the organization decided that the Yanks should win or lose without Montero. They said they would give him a chance to be the everyday DH in the play offs and he proved that he can hit but he still hasn’t been given a chance. I guess the only way to impress Girardi and Cash is to hit .330 with 10 homeruns in 50 at bats? This was a stupid decision by them.
1. I think Garcia made a pretty good pitch to Cabrera in the 6th, a pretty good splitter, almost in the dirt. The problem was that Cabrera is such a good hitter he was able to golf one in short CF. That’s what great hitters can do. I give Cabrera credit there. You can say they should have walked him, but you VMart after him. Tough lineup.
2. I don’t have any problem with the move to ph for Gardner in that spot; Bret hasn’t been tearing it up, exaclty. Montero might have been a consideration, but that would have left no BUC. Using Montero in that spot would have been a double gamble – one on him getting a big hit, pinch hitting (which is something he’s not done a lot of); and then gambling that Martin could stay in the game.
New Post: Grandreson nominated for Hank Aaron Award
edit: Granderson
First appearance here. Not a Yankee fan as such, but always liked the early Jeter, and
his teams.
The late Jeter, it seems to me, gets away with one terrible at-bat after another in big games.
His propensity to lose all discipline where inside pitches are concerned (the early Derek, probably back to Little League, was reinforced in bad habits by the occasional lucky dink and dunk singles and doubles fisted to right). Early game one, Fister throws him one eight inches inside. He swings and does nothing with it. Next pitch, even further inside, he gives an even lustier swing, same nothing. Last night, risp, another weak swing at pitch at least ten inches in! and weak grounder to third. It’s not just that he’s unproductive, it’s that he’s not even competitive when he’s in this groove (and he seems to be in it more often than not post-season).
Another tack – Selig and Co. and fair play. If you’re not gonna put out the tarp on for a brief deluge, for whatever “reasons” – with the kind of downpour Derek was forced to hit in mid- game yesterday, and Robbie in the ninth almost as bad, at least sit the teams in the dugout ’til the predicted storm cell passes. As you can see above, I don’t think Derek was “live” in that spot. But any basic sense of fair play would not have subjected him (or anyone, from either side) to that kind of obvious disadvantage.
Last: balls and strikes, especially American League high and outside to lefties, have been brutal last week. Got so bad in next to last Sox game against O’s in ninth inning – Markakis up – that Jerry Remy, whose side was getting advantage of calls, was making fun of umpire -
“heck, he might as well throw it another foot outside, just to see how far that plate extends toward the dugout.” Humans simply can’t do the job well, or even consistently. Braves may have lost playoffs on awful call of attempted steal of third by Bourne (sp?). Go electronic, Bud: if tradition is so vital, charge twenty-five cents for bleacher seats, pay “stars” at a rate that requires they get off-season jobs, like players in the forties and fifties:-).
Good luck, though I wouldn’t mind depressed Detroit getting a little temp sunshine from these games.