The Yankees were built for this World Series
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Oct 19, 2011 
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A quick Google search for “World Series bullpens” shows why the Yankees should have been custom-built for this Fall Classic. From national publications to wire services to completely uninvolved cities, the focus leading into this World Series — the story of how the Cardinals and Rangers got here — is relief pitching.
Didn’t the Yankees spend their offseason building an unbeatable bullpen? Wasn’t that still a unquestioned strength even after injuries to Joba Chamberlain and Pedro Feliciano. Didn’t the Yankees have a bullpen to matchup against any other in the game?
In the division series, the Yankees relievers pitched 23.2 innings — counting Ivan Nova’s Game 1 appearance — and those pitchers allowed a .185 opponents batting average for a 0.93 WHIP. Those are better numbers than the Rangers relievers have this postseason, and only slightly worse than the Cardinals. Dave Robertson, Rafael Soriano, Boone Logan, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera combined for one run on four hits and no walks through 12.2 innings.
Know which team’s bullpen allowed the lowest opponents batting average this postseason? The Rays. The first team eliminated.
You really can’t predict baseball.
The Rangers and Cardinals played in postseason series in which relief pitching was key. The national narrative is right, those teams wouldn’t have gotten this far without their bullpens.
But that doesn’t mean bullpens make all the difference. Not always, anyway.
The Yankees’ division series didn’t hinge on the bullpen, it hinged on the Yankees needing a key hit in a big spot. Without that hit, all the scoreless eighth innings in the world weren’t going to make any difference.
The Yankees were equipped to follow the Rangers’ and Cardinals’ path to the World Series, but they didn’t go that route. They might have been built for this Fall Classic, but every game is different, and every series is different, and the Yankees are still waiting for that big hit.
Associated Press photo
A sac fly would do.
How depressing…
Bullpens can’t affect the game unless you can score enough runs to have or take a lead…..
Jeters fly ball should have went out.
It is all about having that magic dust .
Maybe some of the Wall Street bankers stole it this year .
How long until Mo decides to call it a career? The NYY might be wandering in the desert for many years unless Robertson is able to make the transition. Oh the pain without Mo.
The way the starting pitching has been, we would have KILLED had we advanced.
I hope Robertson can duplicate his season. He was unbelievable.
“Maybe some of the Wall Street bankers stole it this year .”
I’d like to take a look at Arod’s balance sheet and see how he is using his money. What about Jeter/CC? They make more than most Wall Street workers. Me thinks we need to monitor the Wall Street Baseball players?
Unfortunately their isn’t a recipe to duplicate Mo. Mo has taught a lot of pitchers his cutter but Mo has the gift that most only dream of. We have been spoiled.
there not their…duh!
Sabathia, Burnett, Swisher are all yankees that i know for sure Dip because i have seen them on numerous occasions. These guys guys have wives, kids, our role models to many… and when they are around those people they most likely elect not to chew. However, When they are at work… they decide to throw in a dip because it taste amazing, and it cools the nerves. Why would anyone judge them on that? Is it bad for you? yes. But, does it effect others around you like smoking? No. So lay off the ballplayers and let them play. They get paid to play not be role models. It’s ironic, because i promise you that we will see hundreds of beer commercials during this world series. So, it okay to show depict boozing as the cool thing to do but its not okay for players to throw a dip in? Makes a lot of sense.
DiVinci
Michelangelo
Mariano Rivera
Certain people’s achievements will never be replicated.
why should we be there? we didn’t have the hitting st louis or texas had.
we had the brand names but guys like freese and cruz did better jobs.
Bullpen composition is just half of the equation.
Bullpen usage being the other half.
Yes, the former was a strength… but was the latter? I would argue no.
i am sure the yanks think they don’t have much to do this winter.
as they did last winter.
The biggest game the Cardinals won was a 1-0 game on the road in an elimination game.
last winter the yanks got some of the parts they needed to win in chavez, garcia, colon,jones
the missing pieces.
where did they go wrong and who are the missing pieces now?
certainly many are depending on montero to be the missing link.
the yanks don’t feel as if they are that far off and won’t spend a boatload on wilson this winter.
George Steinbrenner used to say that owning the Yankees is like owning the Mona Lisa ……. there’s only one of them.
Put Mariano in that catagory.
This is like mud season in Vermont.
Is Rain present in St. Louis ?
[ echo ]
Is Rain present in St. Louis ?
the blog is in sleep mode…
“The Padres have internally discussed the possibility of acquiring John Lackey from the Red Sox if Boston takes on most of the right-hander’s salary, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Lackey pitched for the Angels when Padres manager Bud Black was the team’s pitching coach. ”
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
if this is true then Cashman has to find out if they would rather have AJ and hid year less commitment
[ echo ]
John Dennis from WEEI radio calling out Pete on twitter.
“The Padres have internally discussed the possibility of acquiring John Lackey from the Red Sox if Boston takes on most of the right-hander’s salary, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Lackey pitched for the Angels when Padres manager Bud Black was the team’s pitching coach. ”
—————————————————————–
Lackey for Rizzo and Kelly. Jed Hoyer strikes again
LGY,
What’d he say?
Blake
Dennis wants to know why Pete isn’t going further with the drinking in the dugout story after claiming he has a source to confirm it.
https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/johndennisweei
If Theo and Jed both get a new zip code, maybe Zambrano for Rizzo and Kelly will be Hoyer’s parting gift to the Padres.
Shouldn’t the headline have read:
Yanks aren’t built for the World Series.
LGY,
That’s easy….Pete is in rebuild the Sox image mode…….I mean he basically suggested that getting the score of an Alabama game is essentially the same thing as drinking beer on the dugout….
Seriously though if the Padres would consider taking Lackey……then they’d have to consider AJ as well……even though he doesn’t play for the Red Sox…..
I can’t believe this Hoyer to Chicago stuff actually has legs.
This guy is going to bail on San Diego after screwing them over in the A Gon trade? Classy.
So, here we are minutes before the WS is about to begin, and Theo is still with the Red Sox. Only it’s about to be announced that he will become president of the Chicago Cubs. And it’s rumored that Hoyer will leave the Padres to become the GM of the Cubs. This is some crazy stuff.
Hopefully, karma will come back to bite the Red Sox.
From time immemorial, ballplayers have been off limits to “properly raised girls. They cussed, they drank, they chased cheap women,they chewed tobacco and smoked, they gambled and generally caroused. The tradition lives on, in Boston publicly and other places, probably. Nothing has changed, except they have more money now.
Damn, I wish I were a ball player!
Yankees Fan ‘Bald Vinny’ Calls it Quits
Don’t put anything past Rehorn and his henchmen.
Don’t put anything past theo and his henchmen.
It might not have been Robertson who asked him to do that, but why couldn’t Pete have said that a pitcher asked him for a college game score because they had no tv or radio in the bullpen?
Hopefully, karma will come back to bite the Red Sox.
=====================
This was a pretty mighty bite .
SI_JonHeymanJon Heyman
Nothing definite, but most baseball people believe now that it will be hoyer, not byrnes, who goes to #cubs w/ theo. #padres
can toto be far behind?
You would think that Hoyer would prefer to stand on his own rather than be Theo’s yes man again…..of course he’s probably on his way to getting fired in SD anyway.
tito too.
They need to get new writers for this blog if its going to survive. Chad is a joke.
So were the Phillies. Get over it Yankee fans. Can you say “We are OLD”