The Yankees Need More Vitamin CC (AJ and Andy, too)

The Yankees would love to just pitch their top 3 pitchers in the World Series. They may just not be able to do so. The days off line up differently than the ALCS and that means that if the Yankees want to use only three starters, they're going to have to use all of them on short rest. And while that's worked for CC Sabathia, many people don't know if they can do it for A.J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte. I say, go for it: more CC, more AJ, more Andy.

There is a reason you wouldn't want to pitch Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte on short rest in the series. Sabathia has already thrown as many innings as last year and has thrown the most in baseball by a wide margin over the last 3 years. Pettitte had arm troubles at the end of the past two seasons and Girardi's quick hook with him may have to do with durability as much as performance. And A.J. Burnett is an excitable guy who may not be able to handle with getting his already shaky control under control on short rest.

I say go for it anyways. The Yankees alternatives are Chad Gaudin (who has pitched 2.1 innings in the past month), Joba Chamberlain (who has been moved to the bullpen and may not be stretched out enough any more), or Alfredo Aceves (who has had one start all season and the aftermath has been awful). If the Yankees have a rainout tonight they may need to use one of them. If Burnett and/or Pettitte are ineffective in their first start, they may want to use one of them. I think the Yankees just need to go with what has worked.

The Yankees starting pitching, a question mark coming into the playoffs, has been the best of the postseason. FanGraphs points out that out of the 59 innings pitched, 48 of them were thrown by Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera. The Yankees have a formula that has worked, and worked pretty much to perfection.

It's four wins to the title. Then the pitchers can rest all off-season. You need them to give you 6 solid innings and then turn it over to bullpen. I say you ask them to rear back, give whatever they have left, and if you get beat, at least you got beat with your best.

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The New York Times wonders if maybe the Yankees should use Sabathia on regular rest and then use him when needed as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen (since, as Baseball Musings points out, Howard doesn't hit lefties too well). Rob Neyer likes this idea, but thinks it's too radical and not necessary for the Yankees.