Pregame notes: “You got to think about winning a game”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Oct 12, 2012 
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A decisive Game 5. Alex Rodriguez is healthy enough to play. The Yankees are choosing to keep him on the bench.
“I would have bet against that,” Joe Girardi said.
Yet, here we are.
“The man has a lot of pride and the man has accomplished a lot in his career,” Girardi said. “I’m sure it’s not easy. I mean, imagine if you’re in his shoes. Everyone wants to be in it. I always wanted to play, too. And I understood. It’s something we have to deal with.”
Girardi said he made the decision tonight. He slept on it, studied the video and the numbers, and decided he couldn’t trust Rodriguez’s at-bats against right handers. All of Rodriguez’s hits this series have come against lefties, and if you add the way he finished the regular season, he’s played his way out of the lineup.”
Two nights ago, Girardi pinch hit for Rodriguez in a one-run game. Last night, he did it again. Tonight, Rodriguez is on the bench hoping for an opportunity to take a swing against a left-hander. If there were a lefty starting for the Orioles, Girardi said, Rodriguez would have played.
“It’s been a struggle against the right handers,” Girardi said. “Chavy’s been a guy that we’ve played against a lot of right handers, and he’s been pretty successful for us. It’s a tough decision, there’s no doubt about it, because of what he’s meant to our club. But I just thought with the struggles that he’s having, I’m going to go with Chavy. (Rodriguez) said he’s ready to help when he needs to help, and let’s win today.”
Girardi said he talked to various people in the organization before making the decision — “They allow me to make the lineup,” he said — and Girardi referenced the time Joe Torre started Cecil Fielder over Tino Martinez. It’s not a bad comparison, but Martinez wasn’t a Hall of Famer with five years left on his contract.
Is Girardi worried about the long-term impact of such a decision.
“You can’t think about that now,” Girardi said. “You got to think about winning a game. This is not June. This is October. … If things become an issue, now is not the time to try to work it out. We’ve got all offseason, but I don’t think it’s going to be an issue.”
• Girardi said there’s nothing physically wrong with Rodriguez. Asked if he’s getting treatment for anything, Girardi said: “At this time of year, everyone has treatment.”
• If Rodriguez can sit, why not Curtis Granderson? “The big thing for Grandy is to swing at strikes,” Girardi said. “If he swings at strikes, he’s going to do damage. This was the only change I decided to make.”
• What about Nick Swisher? “Swish’s numbers don’t indicate his at-bats,” Girardi said. “I think Swish’s at-bats have been pretty good. He’s lined out, he’s hit balls hard, he hasn’t chased a lot of balls.”
• Couldn’t Brett Gardner have started in center field? “The thing about Brett is, he hasn’t played,” Girardi said. “He’s had three at-bats.”
• OK, so why not put Ichiro Suzuki in center field and use Raul Ibanez in left? “Then I have to come up with a DH,” Girardi said.
• Joba Chamberlain’s availability is still uncertain. “I don’t know,” Girardi said. “The one thing I can say about Joba is, he’s pitched through a lot in his career. If there’s any way he can get out there, I’m sure he’ll make himself available.”
• Girardi said the only pitcher who’s not available is Hiroki Kuroda. He would use Andy Pettitte if necessary, and he expects to have Dave Robertson and Rafael Soriano despite their recent workload. “I’ve got to talk to them, but I have to believe I’ll have them,” Girardi said.
• Right now Derek Jeter is in the lineup, and there’s every reason to think he’ll stay in the lineup. “I believe so,” Girardi said. “I’m not 100 percent though.”
• After being hesitant to do it all year, Girardi said he decided to stack Ichiro and Cano because he was going to have to put lefties back-to-back at some point, and he thought Ichiro and Cano were the best equipped to face left-handed relievers late in the game.
• How is Girardi feeling about a winner-take-all Game 5? “I feel good about it,” he said. “I feel good about CC on the mound. I feel good that we’re going to go out and play an excellent ballgame. Play 166 games and it comes down to one game, that’s baseball. Let’s go find a way.”
ORIOLES
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis RF
Matt Wieters C
Manny Machado 3B
Mark Reynolds 1B
Lew Ford DH
Robert Andino 2B
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. - Yankees Hit
3:00 p.m. - Gates Open to the Public
3:30 – 4:20 p.m. - Orioles Hit
4:50 p.m. - Lineups Announced
4:55 p.m. - Presentation of Colors: Navy Operational Support Center New York City
4:56 p.m. - National Anthem: James Moye
4:59 p.m. - Ceremonial First Pitch: David Cone
5:02 p.m. - Umpires and Managers to Home Plate
5:05 p.m. - Yankees Take the Field
5:07 p.m. - First Pitch
Associated Press photos
It’s never just a game. It’s life and death.
As the late great Bill Shankly, manager of Liverpool Football Club, once said:
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”
I’m sure that’s the way – wrongly or rightly – a lot of us are feeling right now.
All this means nothing if CC and the bullpen doesn’t pitch lights out !
Id rather have anyone else than Swisher. By far, he’s worse than Granderson. He has no remorse for letting down his teammates. At least Granderson may actually care.
Swisher is a soulless clown.
brianlopez22 October 12th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Against All Odds, brian cashman took over for Bob Watson in 1998.
How many years is that?
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He didn’t change the philosophy of the organization until 05/06.
bruce,
As George M Steinbrenner III once said, “Winning is second only to breathing.”
The MAJOR problem with Arod is the strikeouts. 0-12 is one thing… IF you get the balls in play. Anything can happen, A error, a sac fly, moving guys over, just a million different things. When you STRIKEOUT EVERY time up… there is virtually ZERO reason to play the guy. Arod has come up 12 times vs a righty and the ball has not left the BATTERS BOX… unless you count the catcher throwing back to the pitcher.
How about Jeter leads off with a single, Ichiro single, Cano HR. Wouldn’t that feel sooooooooooooo good?
well, and the offense score a run or two.
Forget A-Rod for now.
He’s out of the lineup.
Let’s hope his replacement produces.
We ARE facing Jason Hammel tonight, right? The guy with a 6 ERA and a 1.7 WHIP against the Yankees?
Just wanted to make sure that is the planet we are all still living on.
One of the problems with saying “oh you shouldn’t play bench players over starters in the playoffs” is that if you play Gardner over Granderson, you’re not playing a bench player. Gardner has been a productive starter in this league. He’s not physically unable to play, it is Girardi’s opinion that he shouldn’t play because he hasn’t had enough at bats.
And with Swisher, I mean he is useless in the playoffs. He tries to do too much, obviously puts loads of pressure on himself and chokes time after time. It’s very possible that a fill in would try to keep it more simple with their approach and do better.
For the “bench players suck in the playoffs and can’t possibly outplay a starter” crowd, how about Nix yesterday? 2 hits and almost a third when he had a double off the wall robbed by McClouth? How in the world was he able to hit like that in a playoff game being a bench player????? Unpossible
I would have taken Granderson out too. Ibanez in left, Ichiro in center, Nunez as DH.
Lets hit some early bombs and take this bad boy with ease? sound good everyone?
Granderson has looked more lost than A-Rod.
He hasn’t been able to hit the broadside of a barn with the broadside of a barn.
I hope that changes tonight.
I’d take a few walks or a bunt hit.
How many first inning runs would be enough to let Giro pull CC for ALCS game 1?
10? 12? 8? no number?
Granderson is useless. He’s played himself into a 3mil buyout instead of an option pick up next season. Should have been benched for Gardner. Lineup should have been this:
1 Jeter SS
2 Ichiro CF
3 Cano 2b
4 Tex 1b
5 Swisher RF
6 ARod 3b
7 Martin C
8 Ibanez DH
9 Gardner LF
There should have been a sign in Granderson’s locker: “Thanks for coming in today, you won’t be needed.”
Swisher will not be retained – silver lining.
Granderson may be dealt.
Arod may be bought out.
But at the very least, Swisher played himself off the Yankees this series. Hopefully Granderson’s 43 HR’s are worth something on the trade market. Trade him for Starling Marte.
Actually the lineup should have been this…
1 Jeter SS
2 Ichiro CF
3 Cano 2b
4 Tex 1b
5 Swisher RF
6 ARod 3b
7 Ibanez DH
8 Martin C
9 Gardner LF
Gardner has as many hits in his last 3 AB than Granderson has in his last 16.
Bret-
For a Damaso Marte cousin maybe.
You aren’t get a Starling version for Granderson.
Not a prayer.
quick someone sign Kate Hudson!
Just win, baby!
Bret The Hitman… Too many chair shots my friend…
Swisher is having good at bats. Granderson is losing his trade value by the milisecond. Yankees would have to pick up his 13mil option to trade him and right now i wouldn’t sign him for more than 8.5mil per with the way he’s hitting. and as far as an ARod buy out…ummm Here’s his contract for the next five years…13:$28M, 14:$25M, 15:$21M, 16:$20M, 17:$20M
Buy out?! Yeah i don’t think so. He’s your DH till 2017. There is no way the powers that be in the Yankee Organization would just decide to eat $114mil. Not Gunna Happen. Swis
storybook ending would be for the Yanks to jump out to a 9-0 lead and then Arod hit a meaningless pinch hit homer in the bottom of the 8th!
YF-
What are your bones telling you ?
G. Love October 12th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Shame,
Chavez is going to have a big night tonight and lead to us scoring runs.
Trust me, I’ve stayed at a Holiday Inn in Aruba once.
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Lol, look I’m right there with you.. but I posted the same thoughts along with many others in Game 3 and Chavez did absolutely squat with his ABs all game.
It’s also not like the disparity between Arod and Chavez’s defense is at Nunez/Jeter levels.
I dunno.. I just don’t think this is the greatest move, and I sorta envision Girardi calling Arod up in a big spot tonight which is kind of the worse possible scenario for the guy.
I said it the night of game 3 as well.. for all the fanfare surrounding Joe’s decision to PH for Arod, he could have just had him starting at 3B with Ibanez DHing all night and gotten similar (if not better/sooner) results.
Man… I hope Chavez really blows things up tonight. If he doesn’t I’ll hate this managerial decision worse than the batting 8th thing.
Irreverent Discourse October 12th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
We ARE facing Jason Hammel tonight, right? The guy with a 6 ERA and a 1.7 WHIP against the Yankees?
Just wanted to make sure that is the planet we are all still living on.
——————–
Remember when Max Scherzer ruined our season….?
It’s not about what planet we’re living on, it’s about what planet our hitters are living on that they’ve turned the O’s starting rotation into a group of Cy Young contenders!!!
theREALkevin – You mean unlikely events can still happen? Say it ain’t so!
If you want to rest the shoulders of the season on a bunch of scrub minimum wage bench players… that’s your prerogative.
I would rather root for the good players to just “show up” instead. I don’t have a lot of rooting interest or faith in bad players repeating their improbable performances.
Granderson and Swisher are just as likely to have a good night tonight as any other player in the lineup. It’s just way more likely for them to have it than a bench player.
The most likely outcome is that they all have bad nights and don’t hit. Stacking <30% probabilities is not exactly a recipe for success
Can we bench Cano too for Nix?
I figured….
@DKnobler
On that A-Rod pinch hit note, he’s actually 0 for 15, including a strikeout vs. Alan Embree in 1995 ALCS
@DKnobler
In 14 PH at-bats, A-Rod has hit ball out of infield just once: a 2002 fly ball off Jeff Nelson.
Another 1995 Cleveland Indian connection! Told youse! Uncanny!
I have tried to support Joe Girardi – and I am sorry for his loss – but I have done a complete 180 here – from the bottom of the 8th last night – to today – smh – - – -
Shame – The O’s pitchers have been pitching well all season, that has little to do with the Yankees other than their impact on those stats.
Like I just posted above, would you bet on Scherzer showing up and doing what he did again? I wouldn’t. Just like I wouldn’t bet on the Yankee offense (who averaged 5 runs per game) being held to their current 3 run per game average.
I don’t expect much out of Hammel tonight (who has not started a game in over a month), and the Yankee offense should really beat him into submission. The lineup the Yankees run out there won’t matter much at all.
But around here it will be “obviously sitting arod and blah and blah and…”
Hindsight and perspective around here are severely lacking.
What’s cool is that all this is gonna be settled in just a few hrs.
25+ million dollar player, and he is benched on an all hands on deck playoff game. This is exactly why I dislike A-Rod as a player. He has regressed so much over the last few years, he hasn’t been a dominant force in several years. He needs to be dumped, let him go to a last place team, and open a spot for a rookie. With his payroll we could have another good position player and pitcher. Heck, we could be under the luxury tax with his payroll gone!
When you guys write that the pitching has to be good…it has been outstanding. So, has the Baltimore pitching. Maybe what we need is a slugfest…?
I think last night in the 8th Joe got too sentimental and imagined Arod being the hero and getting redemption…..he thought it was a good situation where all he had to do was make contact and the go ahead run would score and maybe that’d get him going……problem was that that was a romantic thought….and not one based in reality on what’s happening with Alex right now……
Today Joe was forced back to reality…..
“But at the very least, Swisher played himself off the Yankees this series”
I wouldn’t be so sure, considering the complete lack of options to replace a 4 WAR outfielder.
Again – Snuka off the top buckle!!!
ID-
You must have missed the guy who was impersonating Hammel earlier in the playoffs.
By my reckoning that wasn’t a month ago.
Unless you’re using the Mayan calendar.
I hope he reverts to the mean tonight and totally sucks though.
“SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Yankees Hit”
There’s the problem. They schedule their hitting for two hours before game time. They need to schedule their weak flailing for the pre-game and the actual hitting for when it counts.
MTU – Ha, Yahoo splits the postseason starts to a different section and I was obviously… not paying any attention.
If he wants to walk 4 guys again tonight, I’m cool with that.
Maybe Alex ate Joe’s pudding he was saving for lunch today.
I am sorry – and I apologize – I do – but you do not pinch hit for ARod in the bottom of the 8th with runners on second and third with one out and Ibanez just sitting there – BUT today you decide to take him out – - – -
Granderson’s trade value is based on the fact he’s a CF with back to back 40HR+ seasons. GM’s will dismiss this playoff series as a SSS. So Granderson’s trade value is not plummeting by a “millisecond”. His trade value is fully matured based on two whole seasons of work.
Swisher has not performed in the playoffs since he got here and we’re talking about a sizable sample of post-season at bats (100+???). He doesn’t deserve to be retained.
I agree Arod won’t be bought out but maybe we’re moving to that point faster than originally thought – at least I hope we are.
He is cooked.
Swisher has been having decent ABs….the results just haven’t been there….Alex and Granderson’s AB have been uncompetitive against same handed pitchers and that’s the difference.
Blake-
A little late for Joe to have a come to Jesus moment, No ?
Well. Maybe not.
Amazing what a guy will do when there’s a gun pointed to his head.
Definitely causes ya’ to focus AND be realistic.
“I am sorry – and I apologize – I do – but you do not pinch hit for ARod in the bottom of the 8th with runners on second and third with one out and Ibanez just sitting there – BUT today you decide to take him out – – – -”
yea bad decision….what else is there to say.
ESPN showing batting practice live from Yankee Stadium.
A-Rod has been in the cage for 30 minutes…and has yet to hit one.
let’s all hope ADud got “insulted” for not starting and demands to be traded in the off-season
MTU,
I think they should have hit for Alex last night in the 8th…..but I also really felt like he was going to come through when he was at the plate there……
I think Joe realizes that it’s going to be hard for them to win the whole thing without Alex and Granderson contributing and he’s been trying to walk a fine line between winning this series and getting those 2 going…..now he has no choice….he has to win today before worrying about the rest of the playoffs……
“Hindsight and perspective around here are severely lacking.”
I get perspective but hindsight is lacking? I always thought of it as a LoHud specialty.
CC has his work cut out for him because its not easy to dominate a team twice in a week. He can do it just not going to be easy.
If Alex was a lh or sh. Would he still have been benched?
I would trade him to the Dodgers for all of their bad contracts – Crawford, Beckett, etc.
ID – I agree with your overall point. That’s sort of why I don’t love this move..
If Alex is not here next year the Yankees are a 1 game over .500 team.
Blake-
When I worked I wish my boss would have consulted me about my choice of assignments even when I hadn’t been performing up to my ability.
That’s a pretty cool trick.
I’ll have to try that one in the next life.
“I would trade him to the Dodgers for all of their bad contracts – Crawford, Beckett, etc.”
the Dodgers have Hanley….they aren’t taking Arod….nobody is taking Arod unless the Yankees eat pretty much his entire contract and then that’s defeats the purpose.
Tar – “Hindsight” is supposed to have 20/20 vision, but the discrepancies between what a players “storyline” has been and their actual performance is what I was referring to.
“When I worked I wish my boss would have consulted me about my choice of assignments even when I hadn’t been performing up to my ability.”
ah but I’m sure you never underperformed.
If Alex is not here next year the Yankees are a 1 game over .500 team.
If he is, and still playing the way he is now, they’ll probably be a 10 game under .500 team.
A-Rod is gonna go see Dr. Purita this OS and he’ll return next year a
refurbished Centaur with an extended warranty.
Gutsy move by Joe. He had to do it. You gotta go down swinging. I would have sat Grandy too. He is lost up there. Gardner could bunt 4 times and make more happen.
Let’s hope that Yankees win today and then push the reset button a bit for the Tigers.
Blake-
You have to be kidding.
Me ?
Being self-employed is where it’s at but what would know about that ?
all we need is CC to throw a shut out and Raul to hit one homer
ARod has no-trade protection. He’s un-tradeable. Period. Only way to move him is if he requestes it (he won’t), and they eat 75 – 95% of the contract (they won’t) He’s here. We all have to deal. But I wouldn’t be shocked if next year he has a monster season.
Lose Granderson, Sign Swisher, extend Cano. See if Ichiro wants a 1 year deal. Nice solid outfield of Ichiro, Gardner, Swisher with Dickerson on the Bench.
Passing on Cespedes makes me more upset each and everyday. Hard to believe that outside of Cano, this team doesn’t have another decent contact hitter with power. SMH.
Here’s hoping we can score and early today. If the O’s get an early lead it could get very ugly real fast.
Ahh ok ID I get it now. Thanks
MTU – I guess if you become the top person in your field and sign a guaranteed contract… you could certainly find yourself in that position some day?
I know we would all just give the money back after our performance dipped at work… right? :p
blake October 12th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
all we need is CC to throw a shut out and Raul to hit one homer
————
Basically the game plan.
A big part of me expects this team to put up like 9-11 runs tonight.. but another part is curled up in a dark corner crying for my mother.
bruceb says:
October 12, 2012 at 3:04 pm
If Alex is not here next year the Yankees are a 1 game over .500 team.
If he is, and still playing the way he is now, they’ll probably be a 10 game under .500 team.
————-
They were 24 over when he was hitting like this. And he’s not going to hit .125 next year.
ID-
There was never a chance I was gonna do either one.
So no worries there.
I’m devoutly mediocre.
But I have been lucky for the most part. I will say that.
“A big part of me expects this team to put up like 9-11 runs tonight.. but another part is curled up in a dark corner crying for my mother.”
what would you quantify as “big” like 5-10%?
At any moment during this game either offense is capable of breaking out – 3run HR or bunching hits.
You would think that based on tonight’s pitchers, the odds of this happening would favor the Yankees.
If CC has a bad inning, this offense will grind bats to dust.
Shame-
Can I join you in your corner if we lose.
Misery loves company.
honestly I think Alex needs to get away from K Long this winter…..watch some tape of the way he used to hit and go back to that…..just reset himself back to default. He’s so spread out and so hunched over that he can’t get his swing started…..he looks so uncomfortable…..he looks like Jeter trying to hit without the toe tap to be honest.
shame – I really expected that breakout yesterday, after the extra inning win “waking them up”. It seems though, that all of this superstition is just that…
This team has had it’s back against the wall since the beginning of September. They have bent but not broken. When you hear “battle-tested”, today is the game they are talking about you winning.
It should be good, I just hope that the game is played by the players on the field and some freaky nonsense doesn’t derail the game.
Also, I would like the strikezone to not be 6 inches off the right side of the plate for ONE GAME this series. JUST ONE.
I’m out of here, I think bits of paint on my ceiling are starting to chip and crack from all the worrying going on here. Betsy would be proud.
Good luck in your viewings tonight and remember… it’s just a game, have a little fun with it.
MTU – Better lucky than good
Your 2012 Orioles.
Catch you all tomorrow.
I guess I’m looking forward to the game, my couch and cracking open 2 cold ones and a box of Wheat Thins.
BUT, if I decide instead decide to log off now and head out early to actually GO to the game, should I bring my remote so I can still throw it while I’m there?
A bird, which an Oriole is, can only stay in continuous flight for just so long.
Perhaps tonight is the night when it is forced to come down to Earth and just land with a thud.
Bushwhacking ‘em works too !
Arod hasn’t hit rhp since his little hot period in the first half of September.
9/15 – 10/3 vs rhp
Arod: .189 .250 .208
Chavez: .240 .387 .600
And as this article states, all of Arod’s hits in this postseason have been vs lhp.
Some people need to stop playing favorites, stop posting false and/or misleading stats, and be more objective.
I would have sat Granderson too, as I don’t buy his “only 3 ab’s” argument for Gardner. You should have bought Dickerson then.
“BUT, if I decide instead decide to log off now and head out early to actually GO to the game, should I bring my remote so I can still throw it while I’m there?”
One of Mankinds great unanswered questions.
You have to know if you hear the tree in the Forest thing first though to get it right.
7-3 Yanks
The team has actually done quite well when their backs have been against the wall this year.
Pathetic that Girardi is trying to scapegoat ARod for this team’s offensive struggles
blake October 12th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
“A big part of me expects this team to put up like 9-11 runs tonight.. but another part is curled up in a dark corner crying for my mother.”
what would you quantify as “big” like 5-10%?
——————-
Lol.. I think I’m at a solid 40% being sure we’ll win 60% crying in a corner because WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO ME?!
But yeah… my confidence right now is based on the fact that we haven’t lost yet.
Tim Lincecum Sprayed In Eye With Champagne, Says ‘Now I Know What Chicks Feel Like’
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:O
New thread —->