Out On The Town and Then Yankees Baseball In Barcelona

Andrew here with a quick post from Barcelona. Here´s the plan tonight:

1. Mersella (an absinthe bar near La Ramblas)
2. La Bolsa (a stock market bar where the prices rise or fall based on demand)
3. Nevermind (a grungy skater bar with amazing liter-sized mimosas)
4. Sports Bar (you get the picture, but here for the Yankees game which will start at 1 AM local time)

Should be a fun night! If you, dear NYaT readers, have any other bars/places to go out in Barcelona, please let me know.

Let´s go Yankees!

Ladies and Gentlemen...

I arrived in Barcelona to this message from the flight crew over the loud speaker:

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. For those who are curious, the Yankees beat Pedro Martinez last night 3-1.

A huge applause went up from the Delta flight and all was right in the world. That was a great way to start my trip

Off to Barcelona With Final Thoughts

When I went to book a vacation months back, I wanted to avoid going away during the World Series. I had no clue if the Yankees would be in it or not, but I figured it wasn't worth taking the chance. So I booked the flight to leave on October 29th figuring that would work fine.

It ends up the Yankees did make it, but the World Series was a lot later than I expected. I am (very sadly) going to miss Game 2, but I have mapped out every "American" bar by my hotel in Barcelona and plan to saddle up next to the bar in my Don Mattingly shirt and, even if I am the only American there, root like heck for the Yankees.

I will miss writing on the blog (and tweeting) for a few days. But fear not, I've asked Ben, Jay, and Ari to handle the load for a few days. I do have a few final thoughts on tonight:

-I just read that Jose Molina AND Jerry Hairston, Jr. are starting tonight. This really makes no sense to me. Why not start Posada and Gardner here? Posada seems like a logical choice vs. Pedro and the increased OF defense would be better than any slight improvement in bat Hairston may give. Seems to me like another case of overmanaging. Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite them.

-Brian Bruney should not throw another pitch this season. I'm serious about that.

-A.J. Burnett has been a better pitcher at home. But if he loses his control again in the first inning, the crowd may get a little anxious. When you pay $500 for standing room, this can happen.

-Pedro should get some great treatment tonight. I'm excited to see the highlights of that. The Yankees need to hit him hard and make this his last start (AKA making him their Daddy).

-I would love to see what happens the first time Pedro throws one up and in

-Jimmy Rollins will make one really big play in this series. It may be huge gaffe or it may be a huge hit, but with all eyes on him following his Phillies-in-5 prediction, he's going to be in the middle of something.

-A-Rod needs to prove it once again in the World Series. That's the harsh reality of life. If he hits like he did last night the rest of the World Series and they lose, he's going to get pounded for just getting big hits against the Angels and Twins.

-Phil Hughes can't act like a kid, yelling at the umpire and skipping out on the media. That's not fair to his teammates and not the type of guy who deserves the responsibility of the set-up role. Say what you want about Joba, but he always seems to face the media afterwards and never seems to blame the ump.

-Lastly, you could tell Jeter want this. Badly. 3-4 against Lee in Game 1 is impressive.

Let's go Yankees! I'll catch you from Barcelona!



-Andrew

Some Encouraging Words

Sent along by Jay from his girlfriend, Elissa (who happens to be a Mets fan):

Look at the picture on the right. This is the starting pitcher you're going up against...unless you are an 80 year old overweight man, Pedro can't hurt you.  That should make you feel a little better ;-)

Thanks Elissa! If that's not encouragement enough, how about a little "Who's Your Daddy?" for Pedro:

It's Only One Game...

It's one of those things you need to tell yourselves as Yankees fans: it's only one game. I heard a lot of people panic yesterday (as well as complain about the crowd in Game 1 of the World Series, which is a whole 'nother issue). We've lost the first game of the series before and went on to win the series. The Yankees lost the first game in the 1996 playoffs when John Burkett pitched a complete game against them, but the Yankees won the next three to win that series. They lost Game 1 of the 2000 ALDS (to Gil Heredia), the 2000 ALCS, the 2001 ALDS, the 2003 ALDS, and the 2003 ALCS. They won all those series. But the series this reminds me most of was the 1996 Fall Classic.

In the 1996 World Series, the Yankees were facing an Atlanta Braves team that was the defending world champions and looking to repeat. The Braves had a power-hitting lefty first baseman and featured multiple former Cy Young award winners on their pitching staff. Yet they came into the Bronx for Game 1 seemingly as the underdogs (maybe because of their erratic closer that sometimes got hanging sliders hit out of the ballpark...?). The Yankees threw their ace lefty on the mound. And the Braves blew the Yankees out of the house that game. They made it look easy.

About as easy as the Cliff Lee catch shown to the right (picture from Twitpic). John Smoltz and Cliff Lee both pitched as well as you could want in Game 1 so even if the opposing lefty (Andy Pettitte in 1996 or CC Sabathia last night) had been a little tighter, they may still not have won. Last night, the Yankees bats--outside of Derek Jeter--went silent. A-Rod didn't look like the guy who had crushed pitching throughout the playoffs, Nick Swisher, Mark Teixeira, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano and others who had struggled at times in the ALCS, went back to struggling again. The Yankees need to get a better effort all around, but if they don't pick up the hitting, they're not going to win squat.

Cliff Lee pitched brilliantly. You have to tip your cap to him. He had the first 10 K, 0 BB game in the World Series since the first World Series in 1903.

Sabathia's obvious problem was two pitches to Chase Utley that he left over the plate. Chase Utley is one of the best hitters in baseball (probably one of the more underrated all-aroudn players in all of baseball) and you cannot give him two fat fastballs. The other players to hit two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees? According to Jesse Spector it was Andruw Jones in 1996 (there's that year again), Greg Vaughn in 1998, and Davey Lopes in 1978. The Yankees won all three series.

But Sabathia's bigger problem was that he wasn't getting ahead of hitters or putting them away. The first inning was a microcosm of his game in that way. He got out of trouble that inning, but he threw way too many pitches and let too many guys get on base. The hefty lefty wasn't locating well at times and didn't seem comfortable out there until after Chase Utley hit his first home run.

Sabathia leaving early opened the floor gates to the ineffective bullpen. Phil Hughes was once again awful and has seemed to have lost his regular season mojo. Brian Bruney is not a good baseball player and the fact that he is even on the roster has to be classified as "overmanaging". This was not mop-up duty, Joe; there was no reason to bring in Bruney with the game still within reach. Brian Bruney right now can't be relied on for more than just cleaning up a blow-out; last night he contributed to one. Damaso Marte was the one bright spot for the Yankees out of the bullpen, but--correctly--Joe Girardi only uses him against lefties.

David Robertson wasn't great either but got a bit unlucky. Although he seemed to have a hard time locating pitches, he got hosed on a couple of calls. Check out this pitch-by-pitch for his walk to Jayson Werth from Brooks Baseball:

Um...ump, where was pitch 2 and 3? I don't meant to pick on the umpires, but a couple of strike calls against the Yankees and balls called for their pitchers, and especially the check swing strike call against Robinson Cano were not good calls. The veteran crew did a little bit of a better job, but there's still work to do.

There's also still work to do for the Yankees. Like in 1996, they face another former Cy Young award winner in Game 2. But unlike Greg Maddux that season, Pedro is past his prime. The Yankees need to show him who his daddy truly is and send this series back to Philadelphia tied at one. The Yankees showed in 1996 that it is possible to win all three games in the visiting ballpark after dropping two at home. But I don't think the Yankees want to take that chance again. It's on to A.J. Burnett for Game 2.

WoWo's Predictions

I didn't get a chance to post this earlier but here is my Series preview...

Both teams enter this series pretty evenly matched. The Phillies took care of both the Rockies and Dodgers pretty easily, relying on their big bats, the arm of Cliff Lee, and a somewhat rejuvenated Brad Lidge. They will continue to rely on these factors as they look to repeat as World Champs. The Yankees easily handled the Twins and finally conquered their longtime thorn-in-the-side, the Angels. With clutch hitting from Alex Rodriguez, dominant starting pitching from CC Sabathia, and the nearly perfect pitching from Mariano Rivera (plus a little help from the umpires), the Yankees also look like a team ready to reclaim the title for the City of New York. Before making my final prediction, here is breakdown of both teams in the major categories:

Starting Pitching:
Both teams flaunt dominant left-handed aces in Lee and Sabathia. Behind Lee will be Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels, and potentially both J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton. Hamels, last year's postseason star, has not come close to replicating his success this year while Martinez, once the greatest pitcher in the league, will try to prove that he's nobody's daddy. Happ was a surprise for the Phils this year and has pitched well both as a starter and out of the bullpen. For the Yanks, the enigmatic A.J. Burnett and gutsy postseason veteran Andy Pettitte will follow Sabathia. Journeyman Chad Gaudin may get the ball for a start depending on the status of the series.
Edge Goes To: Even. While the Phillies have more depth in their rotation, the Yankees feature better pitching ability (Burnett) and postseason experience (Pettitte). Each team's advantage in this category makes the matchup even. However, both teams must get ace-like performances from their aces for this match-up to remain even.

Bullpen:
The Phillies bullpen, one of their biggest strengths last year, took a big step backwards this year. For most of the year, Brad Lidge looked like a shell of the pitcher we saw last year (he blew a game to the Yankees in the Bronx earlier this year) and had a couple of stints on the DL. He has been solid closing games this postseason but if history tells us anything, Lidge can lose it very quickly and when he does, he doesn't usually get it back. Should J.A. Happ remain in the bullpen, he will be a big addition that Manager Charlie Manuel can call on. The Yankee bullpen, which turned around when Phil Hughes assumed the role of setup man, has been shaky at times this postseason. Hughes and Alfredo Aceves, two staples of the bullpen, have not performed up to their ability (although Hughes believes he has corrected a mechanical flaw that resulted in his poor performances). Joba Chamberlain's return to the bullpen has been met with mixed the results. The Yankee lefties have performed well, as has David Robertson. However, the Yankees still have the most important player in this entire series and that is Mariano Rivera. He has been dominant again this postseason (with exception of giving up his first postseason run at home since 2000) and his presence cannot be quantified.
Edge Goes To: Yankees. Rivera's mere presence pushes the Yankees ahead in this category.

Offense:
Both teams feature big time offenses, with the Yankees and Phillies ranking 1 and 2 in home runs, respectively. Right now, the Phillies offense is clicking on all cylinders and they are receiving contributions from every member of their offense. Anyone in that lineup is capable of getting a big hit for them which makes them incredibly dangerous. Raul Ibanez will most likely serve as the DH while in New York, giving way in LF to Ben Francisco, whose defense down the stretch proved to very valuable. The Phillies could also keep Ibanez in LF and let Matt Stairs take his hacks at the short porch in right. For the Yankees, their offense has been erratic, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter excluded. However, we have seen signs over the past few days which indicate that the offense may be starting to find its groove again. They put together a big rally against the Angels in game 5 of the ALCS and scrapped four runs off of the Angels in game 6. Two of the keys to the Yankees offensive success in this series will be Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira. Teixeira did not hit much in either of the first two series and the Yankees will need him to provide more for them at the plate if they wish to match the 3-4 punch of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Johnny Damon, who has been swinging the bat better as of late, will also need to keep hitting. Finally, the Yankees will also need someone at the bottom of the lineup, be it Cano, Swisher, or Cabrera to start contributing if they wish to match the Phillies.
Edge Goes To: Even. Both teams are capable of bludgeoning each other with their bats. They will need to use home field advantage to their favor, as both teams love hitting at home. Phillies' may have an edge with the addition of the DH in New York and the Yankees' loss of the DH in Philadelphia.

Defense:
The Phillies feature solid defense at multiple positions on the field. In the outfield, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth will cover a lot of ground. Ben Francisco will fill in as a late-inning defensive replacement for the average Raul Ibanez in LF and is also a very good outfielder. In the infield, Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley are some of the better infielders in the NL, with the improved Ryan Howard making contributions at 1B. Carlos Ruiz is a bull behind the plate and makes up for his lack of hitting with his tough demeanor and his defense. For the Yankees, their outfield cannot compare to that of the Phillies. Johnny Damon does not cover a lot of ground and has no arm. Nick Swisher is average at best in RF and Melky Cabrera, who has a strong arm, is still best suited for the corners. Brett Gardner will fill in for Damon or Swisher in late innings, taking over in CF with Cabrera moving to LF/RF. Gardner covers a lot of territory with his speed. In the infield, Cano and Teixeira could be considered the best defensive right-side of the infield in the league. Teixeira grabs anything hit in his direction. Cano, who turns a double-play as good as anyone, has improved his range over the past couple of years and with a strong arm to boot, he can practically field anything. Derek Jeter has improved his defense at the ripe age of 35, due to the assistance of first-year infield coach Mick Kelleher, who has done a better job of positioning Jeter before the ball is put in play. Alex Rodriguez may not have the range he used to have before his hip injury, but he still has a strong arm. Behind the plate, Jorge Posada cannot compare to Ruiz. His arm is not what it used to be and he still lets a decent number of balls get away from him. Backing up Posada is the much more solid Jose Molina, who will probably see much less time in this series due Francisco Cervelli being dropped from the roster.
Edge: Phillies. Philadelphia's outfield defense is far superior to the New York's, as is their all around defense.

Bench:
The Phillies feature much of the same bench as last year. Matt Stairs remains their big pinch-hit threat and although he had a down year, he did hit five pinch hit home runs. Greg Dobbs, Ben Francisco, Eric Bruntlett, Miguel Cairo, and Paul Bako round out a solid bench. For the Yankees, Eric Hinske was added back to the roster to provided left-handed power off the bench. Brett Gardner remains a speed threat, although he has not been as big a game changer as expected. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Jose Molina round out the bench. The Yankees have added an extra pitcher, which will give them only a four man bench at home. However, with Posada slated to catch AJ Burnett, this should be less of an issue.
Edge: Even.

Manager:
Charlie Manuel led his team to a World Series Championship last year and could be poised to do so again. He has his team on-board and knows his team very well. He has made good decisions so far this postseason (starting Pedro Martinez in game 2 of the NLCS, where he pitched brilliantly despite the loss) and I expect him to continue doing so. Joe Girardi has been criticized heavily for his perceived over managing of the Yankees so far this postseason. The addition of the games in Philadelphia may prompt Girardi to once again over manage his team, with the possibilities of pinch-hitting and double-switches increased. Girardi has won World Series as a player (including his big hit in the 1996 World Series). We have yet to see if Girardi can get the "big hit" as a manager, which at the right time may be making no move at all.
Edge: Phillies (Manuel). Experience and demeanor put Manuel over the top in this category.

Prediction:
Yankees in seven. The Yankees will need to use home field advantage to their benefit, as they have all of this postseason. Each team will each present each other's most difficult opponent yet and neither seem should be underestimated, as either team is capable of winning this series . However, I believe Rivera puts the Yankees over the top, especially if used for two inning saves in games being led by the Yankees after seven innings.

World Series Preview: Power vs. Power

The last step. Yankees vs. Phillies. World Series #40 for the Yankees searching for World Series championship #27. The Phillies are the defending World Champions and may be coming in better than they were last year. So who is going to take it all? Who is going to be the 2009 World Series Champion?

Let's take a look:

New York Yankees

They're going to win #27

• It's all set up. They have a new stadium, a new group of players, and a new attitude. It seems like this is their year. A-Rod is hitting in the playoffs, CC is pitching in the playoffs, Tex is playing great defense, and the rest of the "Dynasty Boys" (or "Core Four", if you will) are doing their part and hungry for another title. They're pitching, they're hitting and they're ready to dominate.

• Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia have been unstoppable. He reached base 12 times in his last 15 times to the plate in the ALCS. He's gotten over his postseason issues in a big way and no one wants to pitch to him...in any situation. CC has taken the ball three times and dominated all three times. Both are going to have to be big for the Yankees to win. Sabathia could potentially start 3 times in the World Series and needs to pitch like he's pitched the past 3 months.

• The Yankees have the better bullpen. Brad Lidge has found his touch but he is no Mariano Rivera. The Yankees set-up men struggled in the first two rounds but they have been much more reliable all season. 

• The Yankees have homefield advantage once again. The Yankees are 5-0 in the first two rounds in the new ballpark in the Bronx.

• The Yankees are kings of the comeback. They ended the ALDS and the ALCS that way. They have led in every game of the playoffs so far. You can never count them out which is big in the postseason.

Mystique and Aura didn't move across the street

• The Yankees don't have a fourth starter and we discussed the issues faced if they have to use one. If A.J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte are ineffective, they may have no choice. This would be extremely bad for the Yankees. 

• They really didn't hit in the playoffs outside of A-Rod and a few good games for others. Teixiera, Swisher, Melky, Damon and Cano all came out at the end of the Angels series but none of them are having great playoffs. Matsui looks like he's losing his strength before our eyes and Jorge Posada is a GIDP machine at times. If the Yankees can't hit around A-Rod, they're going to walk him every time.

• The bullpen has not been great and I don't think Joe Girardi really trusts anyone to get to Mo. That could be a problem

• Speaking of Girardi, his overmanaging has been documented all over the place. If he gets anxious on the bench he could make things a lot more difficult than they need to be. FanGraphs doesn't have as much of an issue with the bunt in general but a lot of other people have taken issue with Girardi
  

Philadelphia Phillies

The first repeat since the Big Red Machine

• This team matches up really, really well with the Yankees. They can hit, they can pitch, they have the comeback swagger. The one difference? The Phillies have already won one with this core group. That experience may help them out against a team that has not faced real adversity yet this postseason

• Cliff Lee has actually been better than Sabathia this playoffs and the Phillies have a much deeper staff with JA Happ and Joe Blanton ready to go if they need more starters. Hamels has not been good, but he was their best pitcher last season. 

• They have four 30 HR hitters who are capable of going deep at any point which is scary in these two parks. And they're impossible to matchup with as they have lefties and righties all throughout the lineup.

• They've already beat CC Sabathia in the playoffs (last season in the ALDS). Shane Victorino hit a grand slam, showing anyone can be the hero for them. Jimmy Rollins has been as well. Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz has been great this postseason. They can beat you a lot of ways.

• They have a superior defensive team which is important in these tight games. They can put Ibanez as the DH against lefties and have even better defense. They also are "fundamentally sound", whatever that means.
  

They are no "Little Red Machine"

• The Phillies bullpen problems have been masked. Ryan Madson was great in the regular season but has been hit in the playoffs. Brad Lidge had two blown saves in the regular season against the Yankees and 11 in total. He has been better this playoffs, but the competition has put runners on against him and he looks like he's about to break. That may spell trouble for the Phils.
  

• Pedro in Game 2 may be an all-time mistake. He could get lit up at Yankee Stadium. Cole Hamels has not been great either, but at least he's a lefty. If Pedro loses Game 2, it puts a lot of pressure on Hamels who has wilted under the pressure at times this year. FanGraphs gives a good scouting report on Pedro.
  

• Chase Utley is a great player, but he's had a case of the yips this postseason. If that continues in the World Series, the Phillies are in real trouble. The Yankees have pounced on other team's mistakes so far this playoffs. It's possible he is hurt, but he is really hurting the Phillies at times in the field
  

• Because Ryan Howard is not A-Rod and Cliff Lee is not CC Sabathia. Lee struggled in the American League this season and has not faced a full lineup. He faces a very full lineup tonight. Ryan Howard can be pitched to if you hit your spots. A-Rod cannot be pitched to right now.

Prediction: This is a really, really good matchup. I think this is going to go exactly like the ALCS, the Yankees win Game 1, win two more out of the next 4, and then come home and win Game 6 to clinch it in the Bronx. I'm going to go with my original prediction and say Yankees in 6.

A few other articles:

• My dad waited with others in the rain today for tickets and I have to say I'm pretty upset by what happened there. The Yankees need to issue an explanation. 
• RealClearSports writes about all the stories of redemption that could occur this World Series
  
• Ken Rosenthal writes how the Yankees have found a good balance of youth and veterans. It really is true, as you can see from looking at John Sickles list of where the Yankees came from. Sickles lists 12 Yankees as having come up through the farm system but it is really with Pettitte (who left and came back) and even Matsui had never played in the Major Leagues before he came to the Yankees. Joel Sherman reviews how some of those guys came through the system. The Yankees have truly defied their advanced age as the New York Times writes.
• Frankie Piliere gives four keys to the series to AOL FanHouse. Joel Sherman provides a scouting report as well. Jesse Spector has some key numbers for the World Series. FanGraphs says that the Yankees are good and FanGraphs again on the Phillies aim to repeat.
  
• Forbes writes that this World Series could be a ratings smash. Jesse Spector has some things to look for at the beginning of the game.
  
• The Philadelphia Inquirer is worried about the payroll disparity in this World Series. I wonder if they were so worried last season when the Phils payroll was higher than the Rays or just this year? Either way Hank and Hal have followed in the footsteps of their father, The Boss, as Mike Lupica writes. The Daily Beast lists the top earners in MLB.
  

Other People's Predictions

It has been a very odd season. So making predictions in the World Series is probably useless. But everyone, including us, tries to do so. Let's look at some of them.

Some of the Experts:

20 out of 22 ESPN experts take the Yankees to win it all. RealClearSports says that it will be the most exciting Series of a generation and calls it for the Phillies in 7 as does the Wilmington News Journal. Bob Klapisch says that it will be the finest Fall Classic in a decade and claims Yankees in 6.

The Big Lead and Jesse Spector take the Yankees in 6 as well as does Sam Borden who thinks it will be because of their pitching as does Ken Rosenthal. Keith Law says Yankees in 6 and Inside Edge says Phillies in 7

Sweeny Murti will just be conflicted, though Jon Heyman, while conflicted, picks the Yankees in 7


Here are some of our guest bloggers/writers predictions:

Dad - Yankees in 6. Philly is too good to lose in less than that but the Yankees clinch at home like the ALCS

Sarah - Yankees in 4 short games so I can enjoy my Barcelona vacation!

Malter - Yanks in 7. CC will save the day!

Calter - Yanks in 7. MVP: Texty

Ian - Yankees in 6. The Yankees bullpen (besides Mariano, of course) will turn things around this series. Besides Lee, I don't see any of the Phillies starters shutting down the Yankees offense. MVP: Derek Jeter

Bryan - Phillies in 6 because A-Rod should never win a title. And because home run hitting teams will benefit just as much as the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, and the Phillies actually have 3+ starters. If Hamels gets his head straight, it'll be less games. MVP: Ryan Howard


And a few longer ones

Paul - The “Amtrak” Series (or Turnpike Tussle, or I-95 series) has the makings of a classic. Yankees fans are crazy to overlook the Phillies; their hitting is very good. The Yanks have to hit more in this series to win; an obvious point. The teams are closely matched in many areas. The one quick reason of who I think wins rests on one mismatch – the bullpen. I’ve argued this point with Andrew so many times and I think it comes to light in this World Series. The Phillies pen is flat out awful, let’s admit it. The Yankees pen is solid although has been shaky this post-season.

Over the years it seems like there are unsung heroes made in the World Series, as some players who have lousy regular season stats (ex – Mark Lemke, Graham Lloyd). This year, although he doesn’t face many batters, Damaso Marte will step it up and be able to get Utley/Howard/Ibanez (Phil Coke scares me dearly). Another thing is I’ve always kept faith in Phil Hughes for years now and I was one who did not want them to trade in the Johan deal. He’s been off this postseason but I say give him one more chance to pitch in the 7th/8th; he can have a big series.

High level Game breakdown: Game 1 – Yanks score at least 5 runs off Cliff Lee and Sabathia cruises. Game 2 – Phillies win a slugfest as A.J. and Pedro blow up. Games 3-5 – Yanks take two out 3 because of their bullpen hold and they score many runs off Philly’s pen. Game 6 – A-rod hits a walk-off 2-run HR to win the W.S. with the yanks down by 1 run

As a Yankee fan, am I worried about the Phillies? Of course, they’re a great team. But it’s hard to see the Yanks losing this year. So there you have it, Yanks in 6, Mariano Rivera as MVP.


Ari - Remarkably similar teams playing in remarkably similar parks in remarkably similar climates. Both have powerful offenses and play capable defense. The Yanks outfield arms are substantially weaker, but Tex is stronger than Howard at first. The Phils are used to playing without a DH so that will certainly play in their favor at Citizens, however the yanks will have the edge at NYS, as they have a true DH in Godzilla. The Yanks also get to play 4 potential games in NYS to 3 in Citizens - this cannot be overlooked.


I think this truly comes down to the rotations, as it so often does in playoff baseball. The starters behind Cliff Lee are simply terrible. Hamels has not shown his 2008 form in 2008, and Joe Blanton cannot be taken seriously, and Pedro, really? Let's see how Lee fares against the patient and powerful Yankee lineup - he won't have the benefit of the pitchers spot as he did in the previous playoff rounds. The Yanks, on the other hand, finally seem to have a 1-2-3 to get them to the promise land. CC has been as advertised. Burnett is erratic, but is capable of throwing lights out, and Andy is nearly always dandy in the playoffs.

I think the combination of the Yankee's starters, DH in 4 of the 7 potential games, and Mariano gets them over the top here. The Phillies won't repeat. Yanks in 6. As Craig Carton would say, "MET FANNNNNs FOR THE YANKEEEEESSSSS!"

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.

Tonight's Pitching Matchup: World Series Game 1

Here we are, Game 1 of the World Series. Yankees vs. Phillies. CC Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee. Both are former Indians who once won Cy Youngs. Neither has lost this postseason. Each has 20 K to only 3 BB. Who will win the battle? Which team will be the victor. This could be a match-up that will be repeated 3 times this series. Let's see how they've performed:

C.C. Sabathia (3-0, 1.19 ERA, 20 K, 3 BB):

2009:



Phillies hitters vs. Sabathia (including 2008 postseason):

                    PA  AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   **OPS**   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
 Shane Victorino    10   9   5  1  0  1   5   1   0  .556  .600 1.000   1.600     0   0   1   0   0                
 Jimmy Rollins      14  13   5  3  1  0   1   1   0  .385  .429  .769   1.198     0   0   0   0   0                
 Raul Ibanez        43  40  11  2  1  2   9   2  10  .275  .326  .525    .851     0   0   0   1   2                
 Carlos Ruiz         5   5   2  0  0  0   0   0   0  .400  .400  .400    .800     0   0   0   0   0                
 Ryan Howard         9   9   3  1  0  0   1   0   4  .333  .333  .444    .777     0   0   0   0   0                
 Jayson Werth        8   8   2  2  0  0   0   0   3  .250  .250  .500    .750     0   0   0   0   0                
 Ben Francisco       6   5   1  1  0  0   0   1   0  .200  .333  .400    .733     0   0   0   0   0                
 Pedro Feliz         8   8   1  1  0  0   1   0   3  .125  .125  .250    .375     0   0   0   0   0                
 Matt Stairs         3   1   0  0  0  0   1   1   1  .000  .333  .000    .333     0   1   0   0   0                
 Chase Utley         6   5   0  0  0  0   0   1   3  .000  .167  .000    .167     0   0   0   0   0                
 Eric Bruntlett      3   3   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  .000  .000  .000    .000     0   0   0   0   0                
 Miguel Cairo        2   2   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  .000  .000  .000    .000     0   0   0   0   0                
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
 Total             118 109  30 11  2  3  18   7  26  .275  .322  .495    .817     0   1   1   1   2                

Sabathia career vs. the Phillies:



Sabathia 2009 vs. the Phillies:



Cliff Lee (2-0, 0.74 ERA, 20 K, 3 BB):

2009:



Yankees hitters vs. Lee:

                    PA  AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   **OPS**   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP G_miss YR_miss
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
 Alex Rodriguez     20  15   5  0  0  2   6   4   3  .333  .450  .733   1.183     0   1   0   0   0                
 Mark Teixeira      26  23   9  4  0  1   6   2   2  .391  .462  .696   1.158     0   0   0   1   1                
 Derek Jeter        30  27  11  3  0  0   5   3   3  .407  .467  .519    .986     0   0   0   0   0                
 Jorge Posada       22  21   6  2  0  2   5   0   2  .286  .273  .667    .940     0   1   0   0   3                
 Jose Molina        11  11   3  1  0  1   2   0   4  .273  .273  .636    .909     0   0   0   0   0                
 Nick Swisher       24  18   6  2  0  0   1   4   4  .333  .458  .444    .902     0   1   0   1   0                
 Melky Cabrera      12  11   3  0  0  1   1   1   1  .273  .333  .545    .878     0   0   0   0   0                
 Jerry Hairston      6   6   1  0  0  1   1   0   0  .167  .167  .667    .834     0   0   0   0   0                
 Brett Gardner       6   5   2  0  0  0   0   0   0  .400  .400  .400    .800     1   0   0   0   0                
 Hideki Matsui      19  17   5  2  0  0   0   2   4  .294  .368  .412    .780     0   0   0   0   0                
 Robinson Cano      19  18   4  0  0  0   1   1   3  .222  .263  .222    .485     0   0   0   0   0                
 Johnny Damon       23  22   2  0  0  0   0   1   3  .091  .130  .091    .221     0   0   0   0   0                
 Eric Hinske         6   6   0  0  0  0   0   0   3  .000  .000  .000    .000     0   0   0   0   0                
+-----------------+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+---------+---+---+---+---+---+------+-------+
 Total             224 200  57 14  0  8  28  18  32  .285  .345  .475    .820     1   3   0   2   4                

Lee career vs. the Yankees:



Lee 2009 vs. the Yankees:



Some more Sabathia/Lee news: Jon Heyman, Big League Stew, Buster Olney, Big League Stew again, and Jayson Stark all weigh in on this matchup

1950 Revisited

The Yankees and Phillies have only met once in the World Series. This occurred in 1950 when the Bronx Bombers swept the "Whiz Kids" from Philly. Let's take a look at what happened almost 60 years ago.

First we have the Daily News cover from that day (you can see Notre Dame disappointed even back then). Benjamin Kabak of River Ave Blues has more details about what it was like 59 years ago.

The New York Daily News points out that this was the last all-white Fall Classic. Rob Neyer points out that it may have been a much different series had it not been for the Korean War, a much-forgotten-about period in baseball history.

Big League Stew points out that the history of New York-Philly World Series goes back further because of the other teams that played in those cities and reviews each one. LoHud says that if Joe Girardi was the Yankee manager in 1950, he wouldn't have to worry about being seconded-guessed because no one made pitching changes.

Other fun World Series tidbits: The New York Times takes a historical look at the Yankees pieing tradition (H/T Sarah). The Yankees will at least break even and will probably turn a profit in 2009 because of the World Series run, Darren Rovell points out. Marc Carig has some reader's outrageous/outlandish World Series predictions. Lastly, some more great insight from Jayson Stark on the World Series matchups.

A Phillies Phan's Phantastic Phorecast

We are an equal opportunity blog here. So I figured it was OK to take a post from a Phillies fan. I also figured it was good to talk to him one more time before the series starts and the BBM trash-talking begins. Zack is a huge Phillies fan and wanted so badly to get me a World Series preview, he typed this whole thing up on his Blackberry. Here is Zack's guest post preview of the World Series--one which, I have to say, I was surprised by:

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 Yes, the Yankees are trying to win their first wold series since 2000. Yes, A-Rod is looking for his first championship. Yes, this is the biggest stage Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia have ever played on--and this is exactly why they were brought here.

But this is also the second straight appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. The Phillies are looking to be the first Philadelphia team to repeat since hockey's Flyers in 1975 and 1976. 

The offense of the Phillies will be key to the series. They led the National League in runs and had 5 position players in the Midseason Classic. The Phils do tend to disappear at times and have been known to follow up a 15-run slugfest by getting 2-hit against a no-name rookie (Andrew's side-note: this sounds like the Yankees, a lot). Vincente Padilla even shut them down in game 2 of the NLCS, going 7.1 innings, giving up only 4 hits and one run, while striking out 6.

Will the Phillies be able to get the shine off the Yankees' brass? The longball is a strength of this Phillies team as they had 4 players slug 30 or more this year: Ryan Howard (45 HR), Chase Utley (31 HR), Raul Ibanez (34 HR), and Jayson Werth (36 HR).

Will relying on the longball in two hitters parks lead to a repeat, or will the team pick up one of their infectious hitting days and get shut down? Let's hope its the former. It was last season when they hammered CC--who was then a Brewer--in game 2 of the Divison Series (he gave up 5 runs in 3.2 innings). 

This is a different year, however, and CC is now a Yankee. I love the Phillies, but I have to put my reputation above my allegiance. In a surprise, I'm going with the Yankees in 6.

A-Rod One Step Away from Redemption

I was asked by a co-worker when the season started how I thought Alex Rodriguez would do. I answered "MVP-quality season". I got a shocked "huh?". I mean A-Rod had just been exposed as a fraud by Joe Torre and furthermore by the steroids admission he was forced to give after finding he was on "The List". He looked like he still didn't get it when he was pictured driving away with his infamous cousin in Spring Training. Rodriguez vowed to be out of the spotlight and let his play do the talking. Amazingly, I believed him.

A-Rod has a history of performing well under controversy. The New York Post took a picture of him with a stripper and the home runs started flying. When his marriage went into the crapper, his play went up. When the Madonna rumors swirled, A-Rod batted over .400. So when he came into this season with a cloud of controversy, I knew he was due for a big season.

You knew A-Rod was locked in when, in the final series of the season, needing 2 HR and 7 RBI for the 30 HR-100 RBI season he was looking for, A-Rod got that total in an inning. A 3-run home run and then a grand slam all in one inning. After the Tampa Bay Rays decided to walk Mark Teixeira to face A-Rod, it was the ultimate test. And he responded with a blast of a home run. His message: "you are not going to walk people to face me this October:"

He continued that message in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. In Game 2 of the ALDS, he hit a dramatic game-tying home-run against closer extraordinaire in the bottom of the 9th inning sending New Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. In the very next game, he hit another game-tying home run. He hit yet another in Game 2 of the ALCS, with the Yankees trailing and the Angels closer on the mound. He continued to rake throughout the ALCS.

Overall, his numbers this postseason are spectacular:



This postseason Rodriguez has seven extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and a 1.516 OPS. In his final 15 plate appearances in the ALCS, he reached base 12 times (.800 OBP). The Angels were so nervous to face A-Rod, they walked him any chance they got including putting him on as the game-tying run with no one on and two outs in the bottom of the 9th of Game 5 (the first time in Major League history this had happened).

So what changed for A-Rod? Who knows. Maybe it was, as Ian O'Connor suggests, an intervention in a Tampa diner. Jon Heyman lists Mark Teixeira, A-Rod's real estate agent, Dr. Marc Philippon, Kate Hudson, Guy Oseary, Brian Cashman or "Al" himself as possible reasons (picture from the SI article).

Maybe he was already there and we just didn't appreciate it. IIATMS showed that A-Rod and "Mr. October" looked pretty similar and FanGraphs breaks down the similarities of "Captain Clutch" and A-Rod. So maybe we took the small sample size of the past few postseasons and blew it out of proportion.

I think it was a combination of all of the above as well as A-Rod stopping his worrying about what everyone else was thinking and going out there, playing the game (and letting his game speak louder than his fake words), and having fun. He's one step away from putting the picture of him kissing the mirror, the interview with Katie Couric and the Selena Roberts book behind him. He's one step away from putting away all those critics who killed him the past two offseasons with the opt-out during the World Series and the steroids revelation. He's one step away from shutting up all the naysayers who said the Yankees would never win a World Series with A-Rod. A-rod is one step away from redemption.

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Chad Jennings says that it has gone from nightmare to dream for A-Rod. Buster Olney says that A-Rod's adjustments may finally be paying off. Howard Bryant says that A-Rod is letting his play speak for itself. Jim Caple writes about A-Rod finally reaching the biggest stage. Ken Davidoff wonders how A-Rod will finish up "what has been the most fascinating season in a fascinating career." The New York Post says that the postseason has been heaven so far for the Yankees slugger and Kevin Kernan writes about the change that occurred in 8 months for the former pariah to the current messiah.

World Series Roster Finalized

According to Sam Borden, the Yankees have finalized their World Series Roster. Eric Hinske and Brian Bruney have been added to the roster. Freddy Guzman and Francisco Cervelli have been dropped. As Sam notes, this most likely means that Jorge Posada will catch A.J. Burnett in his starts.

CC Sabathia Has Been the Ace Yankees Have Been Searching For

Lost amidst the the talk of A-Rod's playoff breakout, Joe Girardi's overmanaging, the umpiring, and the Dynasty Boys was the story of the ALCS MVP, CC Sabathia. Sabathia had been brought to New York to do one thing: be the ace the Yankees had been lacking for a long time. Chien-Ming Wang wasn't the answer. Neither was Randy Johnson, Javier Vazquez, and especially not Carl Pavano.

Sabathia came with question marks too: he was a great regular season performer and pitched great down the stretch, but wilted in the playoffs (Paul jokingly called him "Mr. August"). He's been everything and more for the Yankees, though, so far in the 2009 playoffs. He's taken the ball 3 times and the Yankees have won all 3 times. Let's take a look at why he's been so successful:

Sabathia, is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA with 20 K and 3 BB. The key for the hefty lefty is hitting his spots and he's done that extremely well so far this postseason. Joe Posnanski, writing for SI, put it perfectly after Game 1 of the ALCS: Sabathia has completed his transition from thrower to artist. While he was great throughout the regular season, you never saw him carve up the plate as he has so far this postseason. He has a bit of all the best Yankees of the Jeter Era: the motion and look of David Wells, the tough slider of Randy Johnson, the explosive fastball of Roger Clemens, the bulldog attitude of El Duque, the creativity of David Cone, the stopper confidence of Andy Pettitte, and even, at times, the fistpump of Joba Chamberlain.

The thing he doesn't seem to have on or off the mound? Fear. He never seemed to panic when he had a slow start to the season, repeatedly telling everyone who would listen that he would heat up when the weather did.  He did so going 11-2 in the second half with a 2.74 ERA. People were worried when his first-half K/9 rate was below his career average. Sabathia's second-half featured more punchouts (1.1 more K/9) and fewer walks than his first half. CC's worst start of the second half came in the last game of the season. While he viewed it as a tune-up start, many viewed this of a sign of his inability to pitch in October coming back (since the game was being played at the beginning of the month). Sabathia silenced his critics in Game 1 of the ALDS, swayed the crowd in Game 1 of the ALCS, and then put the final doubters to rest by pitching so well on 3 days rest in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Sabathia is reaching his innings total from last season, though this year he's doing it differently. Joe Girardi gave Sabathia extra rest towards the end of the season with the hopes of having him fresh for the playoffs. It has worked. While Sabathia looked gassed last season (and for good reason since he pitched every 3 days multiple times down the stretch, putting the Brewers on his back to make the playoffs) and was beat up by the Phillies in the NLDS. He put his team on his back at the end of this season as well, not losing a game in August or September and besides that October start (where he gave up 8 hits, 9 runs, 5 ER, and 5 BB) dominating down the stretch:



This season, he looks like he's ready to go another few more rounds. The Yankees will need CC to dominate in the World Series as well, but I have confidence in the Yankees ace--a feeling I have not had for a long time.

What They're Saying: Umpires, The Overmanager, and ALCS Recaps

If you were out of the country since the playoff started and just read the media coverage of the playoffs, you'd probably think the umpires were the reason we are about to watch the Yankees and Phillies in the World Series, while the Yankees are here despite Joe Girardi. While that has been overblown quite a bit, the umpiring has been quite awful this postseason and Joe Girardi has been a little, um, anxious. And other people played in a part in the ALCS besides Girardi and the umpires. Let's see what the media has been saying about it:

• Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN says yes to increased instant replay...for the World Series. Buster Olney agrees.
  

• ESPN.com looks at the men who will be calling the games in the World Series and Baseball Prospectus rates them.

• Joe Girardi was not treated kindly at times. Jon Heyman says that Girardi "seemed to suffer from temporary insanity or incompetence at times in the ALCS". Slate seems to agree and calls him The Overmanager. Keith Law says his #1 key for the Yankees is to "hog-tie Joe Girardi and leave him in a clubhouse locker". Almost makes you yearn for the days of this overrated guy.

• Rob Neyer takes them all to task and says that most teams would loved to be overmanaged to within 4 wins of a World Series title.

• The ALCS: Ken Davidoff recaps the clinching Game 6 and so does Shysterball. Baseball Musings looks at what went wrong for the Angels, while David Pinto congratulates the Yankees. Steven Goldman congratulates the Yankees as well with some great analysis with one very true fact: "at least there were no umpiring controversies in the last game".

• The biggest controversy at the end of the ALCS? That CC won the MVP over A-Rod. Please, people. There are more important things to worry about. I think that A-Rod and CC were both great. CC won two games for them; Alex, maybe one. That's why I give it to CC, though I would have been fine with Alex winning or them splitting. Who cares? It's a meaningless award! And A-Rod not winning gives him extra motivation in the World Series (you know he must have some sort of bonus if he wins the World Series MVP).  

• Big League Stew votes for the split of the MVP. Mark Feinsand says that A-Rod was great but not as great as CC. Dugout Central gets their panties in a bunch over A-Rod not winning.

A few other articles that I couldn't fit elsewhere: Rob Neyer breaks down Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu and asks if either or both are Hall of Fame worthy. Joe Posnanski breaks down his Top 10 Hitters Ever (A-Rod is not in the top-10 if you're curious, but Albert Pujols is). MLBTradeRumors is reviewing the trades of the past decade (there's surprisingly not really any Yankees ones on there, yet). Jonathan Papelbon is a weird motherfucker according to Deadspin. Lastly, a former Yankees prospect, Ross Ohlendorf, is headed for an internship in Washington. I know that the trade looked good at the time, but the Yankees could have sure used Ohlendorf in 2009.

Getting Pumped for Yankees-Phillies

First, on a side note, I wanted to thank Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News for featuring me in one of his Blogger Nine Innings, that was too cool! Also cool, Mark Feinsand, a reporter, being interviewed by a blogger. It all comes full circle

A bunch of stuff to get you fired up before the Yankees go win one for The Boss. Here's a picture to get you fired up. From the Sports Illustrated Photo Vault, it's a 23-year-old Don Zimmer throwing out Yogi Berra. Wow.

The next picture is the cover the New York Post today. Let's get to the stories (lots of fun stuff here) as we get pumped up with awesome old commercials for the World Series:

• As Ben pointed out last night, Jimmy Rollins picked the Phillies in 5 on Jay Leno last night. Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter were left to just laugh him away today.

• Jayson Stark does a great job comparing and contrasting the difference in these two franchises. The Yankees have played in 40 World Series; the Phillies in 32 World Series games. Derek Jeter has played in 132 postseason games in 14 seasons; the entire Phillies' franchise has played in 83 postseason games--in 127 seasons. Wow 

• "Rivalry Day" is set for Sunday in Philadelphia (via Baseball Musings): The Giants play the Eagles and the Yankees play the Phillies. There's a chance of a transit strike as well so that would just make it a swell time down in "The City of Brotherly Love"
  

• Jay-Z and Alicia Keys are going to sing "Empire State of Mind" and Keys will sing the National Anthem before Game 1 of the World Series. Not only is "Empire State of Mind" one of my favorite songs currently and Derek Jeter's at-bat song, but these lyrics should inspire Yankees fans: "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of/ There's nothin' you can't do/ Out of New York/ These streets will make you feel brand new/ Big lights will inspire you/ Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York"

• The Yankees are planning for a pep rally tomorrow afternoon in Times Square, according to the New York Post

• Why bet on a Philadelphia cheesesteak when you can get one for free? Grub Street has all the details for those Yankees in Philadelphia

• Slate looks at The Overmanager, Joe Girardi (H/T Jay) I feel like this iPhone app from U.S.S. Mariner is made for him.
  

• Baseball-Reference breaks down the regular season and post-season history between the Yanks and Phils. Wezen Ball has a funny smoking ad from the 1950s. Big League Stew points out that the New York-Philadelphia rivalry goes back a long, long time as evidenced by this New York Times article from 1854

• The average distance between World Series opponents in the past 20 years has been 1,040 miles, according to Darren Rovell. This year? 107 miles, the third shortest distance since 1988.

• According to the FOX Philly affiliate (say that 3 times fast), a women was arrested trying to trade sex for World Series tickets. Stay classy, Philly fans!

• Big League Stew is tickled by the thought of Pedro going in Game 2 and the Philadelphia Daily News breaks down the decision.

• Baseball Prospectus via ESPN tries to predict what roll the weather will have on the World Series and Tyler Kepner dissects the reasons why the World Series is ending so late

• The Yankees wives, one more time.
  

• And lastly two articles about how Mets fans are truly conflicted this World Series from the New York Times and SNY.tv
  

One last note: congrats are in order to David Appelman of FanGraphs who was named to the Huffington Post's list of the 100 ultimate game changers in new media. Bill Simmons, the person behind MLB.TV and the guy who led the acquisition of Stubhub are on there as well so we'll have a hard time picking a winner, but we use FanGraphs quite a bit here so we wanted to extend our congrats.

Charlie Manuel Hoping the Yankees Are Not, In Fact, Pedro's Daddy

Charlie Manuel seems like a nice guy. He's probably someones grandfather, or at least he looks like it. He's at least someone's uncle. But I'm pretty sure that no one gave Uncle Charlie the memo that the Yankees are Pedro's daddy.

Listen, Pedro has been great so far this playoffs for the Phillies. Like vintage Pedro great. But the teams he were facing were the same ones who couldn't hit John Smoltz or Brad Penny after the Yankees roughed them up in the American League. This is the Big Boys League. Pedro hasn't played in the Big Boys League in a long time.

Well how about success in the playoffs against the Yankees? That must be it, right? Wrong. According to MLB.com, Pedro is 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in six postseason appearances against the Yankees, and is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in his past five. And one of those appearances, pictured on the right, was the Grady Little debacle in the 2003 ALCS. Do we think Pedro, 6 years later is better equipped to deal with a better Yankees lineup? 

Ok, ok...so maybe Pedro doesn't pitch so well in the hitters friendly Citizens Bank Park? Wrong again! Martinez went 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in five regular season starts at Citizens Bank Park, compared with 3-1 with a 5.66 ERA in four starts on the road. I know it's a small sample size, but that doesn't bode well in the ballpark that was dubbed "Coors Field East".

Does Manuel think a righty in a cold Yankee Stadium (Pedro's last start which is supposedly the basis of this was in 80 degree weather) is better equipped to deal with the short porch in right than a lefty who pitched in cold weather guiding his team to the World Series last year? Does Manuel have that little faith in Cole Hamels that if he goes to Cliff Lee on short rest he only wants him to start once in the World Series? Does Charlie Manuel secretly hold a grudge against Pedro for single-handedly beating the Indians--a team he was the hitting coach for--in the 1999 ALDS and want to embarrass him on baseball's biggest stage like he embarrassed Manuel a decade before? Is this a publicity stunt on the level of Balloon Boy?

Who knows Manuel's reasoning (I tried to listen but I really can't understand when he talks), but one thing is for certain: the New Yankee Stadium--like the Old Yankees Stadium--will be reigning down "Who's Your Daddy?" chants on Pedro Martinez on Thursday night.


And hey again, idiot Mets fans (yes, you), I know it'll be like your wife cheating on you, but you're welcome to watch along and see the Phillies and Pedro both lose at once. How sweet would that be for you?

Who Provides the Bridge to Mariano?

As we get ready for the World Series to start, there are still a few questions that the Yankees still have to answer. One of the biggest is who will be Mariano Rivera's set-up man (or men) when Joe Girardi goes to the bullpen? Let's take a look at the candidates (from the bottom up):

6. Brian Bruney

I already said why Brian Bruney in the bullpen is a bad idea. I still think it is. Who do you take off for him? The Phillies have the lefties (Ibanez/Chase Utley/Ryan Howard) necessary to keep the LOOGYs. They're not going to get rid of Gaudin because of his ability to be the long man. The only possibility is if David Robertson is hurt. But while Brian Bruney used to be the most reliable man in Girardi's bullpen, he's far from that now. I think Bruney only makes the roster if there is an injury.

5. Chad Gaudin

By the time the World Series starts, Gaudin will have only thrown 2.1 innings in a month. Not exactly fresh and ready. But this team may need a fourth starter, especially if their is a rainout, and Gaudin could (potentially) start for the Yankees. His experience in the NL may prove valuable, though the only two Phillies he has any real experience against are Raul Ibanez (who's hit him) and Pedro Feliz (who has not). He could be a valuable righty reliever with his propensity to get righties out with guys like Feliz and Jayson Werth in the lineup.

4. Phil Coke
4a. Damaso Marte

Phil Coke (.584 LH OPS against) and Damaso Marte (.494 LH OPS against) both can get out lefties. The lefties have been good this postseason. Both Marte and Coke have gotten 1.1 IP and neither have given up a run. Marte was not good in the division series but Girardi showed faith in him against both righties and lefties. Coke has been the better pitched all season long but is a rookie and Marte has experience pitching in the World Series with the White Sox.

3. Alfredo Aceves

"Ace" had 10 wins out of the bullpen and was one of their most reliable relievers all season long. The problem with Ace, as we've discussed, is he's not the same pitcher since the Yankees gave him a spot start in July. He may be hurt, but he doesn't look like the same pitcher. Can Girardi rely on him in a big situation? He's been going to him quite a bit so far, but the Mexican League find may have lost favor with Girardi after struggles this postseason

2. David Robertson

He had the highest K/9 innings of any pitcher in the American League (min. 40 innings) and only Jonathan Broxton had more in the Major Leagues. He hasn't given up a run yet this playoffs and his pitched out of huge spots. The one question mark here: health. The Yankees shut him down for a while in September because of arm troubles and one of Girardi's reasons for taking him out against the Angels (the debacle where Aceves came in) was that he seemed to have decreased velocity. The fact that Girardi didn't even warm him up again may not be a good sign about his health. But if he's healthy, he's really good...as long as he's not walking people.

1. Phil Hughes
1a. Joba Chamberlain

Some people feel that the Yankees season turned around in 2007 when Joba entered the bullpen. Some people feel that the Yankees season turned around in 2009 when Hughes entered the bullpen. I took a look at a comparison of the two of them and in the small sample size, Hughes had succeeded slightly more than Joba in the bullpen. In the playoffs, Joe Girardi seemed to have confidence in both, but went to Joba earlier, relying more on Hughes to be the bridge to Mariano. Then, in the final game, the Yankees went to Joba in the 7th...and then Mo in the 8th. So who does Joe go to in the World Series in the 7th and who in the 8th? I think he still goes to Joba in the 7th and Hughes in the 8th. Neither have been great this postseason, but I think they go back with what worked so well in the regular season.

Girardi could of course mix-and-match with their bullpen options: bringing in Coke and Marte just for lefties, Aceves for righties who struggle against offspeed pitches and Robertson for those who struggle against the hard stuff. This, of course, is an open invitation for Joe Girardi to overmanage once again, but it could be the best way to get through a tough Phillies lineup rather than relying on the conventional "roles".

There is one more option: go with Mariano Rivera as his own set-up man. Like the Yankees did in Game 6 of the ALCS, Girardi can choose to go to Rivera for 6 outs. He's gone to him for 4 or 5 outs on many occasions this season so this is not out of the realm of possibilities. With all the off days, Rivera could possibly pitch a little more than usual. It'll be interesting to see who Girardi goes to in a big spot in the World Series.

Who do you think Joe should go to? The poll is already up so vote on the right!

Trivia Tuesday: More Postseason Walk-Off Trivia

This year the Yankees have celebrated with walk-offs in the postseason and walk-offs in the regular season. One of those "walk-offs" in the regular season was when Luis Castillo dropped the ball to end the game.

In 1914, an error by the pitcher on a bunt attempt gave the Boston Braves the win in the game (and the series) against the Philadelphia Athletics. Since then, only four times have postseason games ended in errors. Can you name them? Put you answers in the comments below and I'll reveal the correct answer later tonight.

*hint* only two franchises since the Boston Braves have benefited from this (so each franchise had two walk-off wins via the error)

The Answers:

Car#  G# Date          Series G Pitcher           Tm   Opp Batter            Score       Inn RoB Out Cnt Pit  R Play Desc.
+-----+---+-------------+------+-+-----------------+---+----+-----------------+-----------+---+---+---+---+---+--+-------------------------+
   1   1 1914-10-12    WS     3 Joe Bush          PHA @BSN Herbie Moran      tied   4-4  b12 12-   0  -       1 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (throw to 3B)/Sacrifice Bunt; Mann Scores/unER/No RBI; Gilbert to 2B; Moran to 1B 
   2   1 1969-10-15    WS     4 Pete Richert      BAL @NYM J.C. Martin       tied   1-1  b10 12-   0  -       1 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (throw to 1B)/Sacrifice Bunt; Gaspar Scores/unER/No RBI; Weis to 2B; Martin to 1B 
   3   1 1986-10-25    WS     6 Bob Stanley       BOS @NYM Mookie Wilson     tied   5-5  b10 -2-   2 3-2   9  1 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E3 (Ground Ball); Knight Scores/unER 
   4   1 1996-10-02    ALDS   2 Mike Henneman     TEX @NYY Charlie Hayes     tied   4-4  b12 12-   0 0-0   1  1 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E5 (throw to 1B)/Sacrifice Bunt (Bunt to Weak 3B); Jeter Scores/No RBI/unER; Raines to 2B 
   5   1 2009-10-17    ALCS   2 Ervin Santana     LAA @NYY Melky Cabrera     tied   3-3  b13 12-   1 0-0   1  1 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E4 (throw)/attempted forceout (Ground Ball); Hairston Scores/unER/No RBI; Cano to 2B