World Series Game 3: Yankees at Phillies

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Andy Pettitte P
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (2-0, 2.37 postseason ERA)

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Pedro Feliz 3B
Carlos Ruiz C
Cole Hamels P
Pitching: LHP Cole Hamels (1-1, 6.75 postseason ERA)

World Series Vet: Andy Pettitte makes his 11th career World Series start as a Yankee passing Waite Hoyt and Red Ruffing. The only one ahead of him is the Chairman of the Board, Whitey Ford.
World Series MVP: Cole Hamels won the MVP last year, but he has a 6.75 ERA in the postseason this year. That may wake the Yankees bats up.
A-Slump: A-Rod is 0-8 with six strikeouts in his first two World Series games. No need to get on him yet, its just two games.
CC on 3: Girardi announced Sabathia will pitch Game 4 tommorow. Burnett and Pettitte are also prepping to pitch on short rest as well.

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More From Game 2

The Yankees tied the series at 1-1 yesterday thanks to the pitching performance of A.J. Burnett and the home runs by Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui. A few notes on the game:

• Joe Girardi must not trust anyone in the bullpen if he went to Mo in Game 2 for a six out save. Rivera is 39, it's the World Series, he does have the off-day tommorow, but I'm assuming he's only available for a 1 inning save Saturday. Hopefully he isn't getting burnt out. I don't think so, but it's something to look for if Rivera happens to struggle like he almost did yesterday.


• The umpires got two calls wrong yesterday. They ruled Johny Damon out and Posada out on a double play by Ryan Howard, however, Howard caught the ball on a short hop rather than on the fly as the umpire ruled. The other play was a double play in the eighth inning where replays showed Chase Utley was safe by literally inches. The ball was inches from landing in Teixeira's glove when Utley's foot hit the bag.


• We can all be critical of the umpires but they do a great job and get the calls right most of the time. These two calls came down to a matter of inches, and if you want to criticize the umpires and demand more instant replay in baseball, go right ahead Buster Olney. But the fact is not every call is going to be right. They don't get every call right in football, even with instant replay. They don't get every call right in basketball, and you don't hear them demanding instant replay for every close play in the NBA. The MLB needs to be careful what they do in expanding replay, because they can possibly ruin the game by making it longer than it is.


• Ok, that was a long rant, but there is one more thing I want to touch upon. Pedro Martinez was good, but Burnett was better. Pedro loves when the crowd hates him and part of his circus act is to get people riled up. Well, he did not dissapoint in the postgame interview. He said that Yankee fans "really want to root for him," and that if he played for the Yankees he'd be "king of this town." Well Pedro, you don't play for the Yankees, so you will never be king of this town. Besides, to be a king you have to be able to be called a man, and according to Pedro that is not possible unless I eat rice and beans with him.
• Saturday is the battle of lefties as last year's World Series MVP Cole Hamels goes against a World Series veteran Andy Pettitte. Should be a good one.

See Ya

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Time of the Season

WP: Burnett

LP: Martinez

S: Rivera

PLAYER OF THE GAME: AJ Burnett. Burnett threw seven innings striking out nine in the biggest game of his career and the Yankees season.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira's fourth inning home run. Got things started for the Yankees, and hopefully Texieira out of a slump.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Hideki Matsui's sixth inning home run to put the Yankees up 2-1. That's all they needed as they won 3-1.

I'm going to bed...game notes and more tommorow.

[photo from Daily News]

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World Series Game 2: Yankees vs Phillies

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jerry Hairston RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C
Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 4.42 ERA in postseason)

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth
Ibanez LF
Matt Stairs DH
Pedro Feliz 3B
Carlos Ruiz C
Pitching: RHP Pedro Martinez (0-0, 0.00 ERA in postseason)
TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Power of the Pie: A.J. Burnett is pitching today. The last two home playoff games he pitched in ended in walk-offs. However in Game 5 vs the Angels he went 6 innings giving up 6 runs with a no decision.
Swishalish-less: Nick Swisher is on the bench and Jerry Hiarston Jr. will be taking his place. Swisher has been struggling to keep a .100 batting average and Hairston has good number's against that clown on the mound tonight.
Who's Your Daddy?: Speaking of that clown...Pedro Martinez makes his new Yankee Stadium debut. The old enemy is 11-11 against the Yankees in his career including a 1-2 record in the postseason. If you havn't heard the latest ridiculous remarks Pedro has made you can find it all here. Basically you can't call him a man until you have eaten rice and beans with him and he claims he is the most influential person to play at Yankee Stadium. There's a little more on the Zimmer incident in there too.
Empire State of Mind: So I just watched the Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes performance and I thought the player reactions were priceless. Jeter and Joba bobbing their heads was pretty funny and awesome to see,

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Yanks Down 0-1, My World Series Experience

Yesterday I put a perfect 9-0 record at the New Yankee Stadium on the line, but just like the Patriots my luck ran out in the most important game.

First, I made the decision to ask my roommate who happens to be a Red Sox fan to go to the game with me. He wore a Red Sox hat and Chase Utley shirt and took a lot of abuse from the fans there.

Unfortunately that was the only thing that made me happy at the game yesterday.

CC Sabathia struggled, but pitched well enough for a victory. However, Cliff Lee was better, going the distance with a complete game and striking out 10 batters, in a 6-1 victory.

Entering the STadium last night, you knew that this game was the main event to be at in New York, as it was jam-packed. Anyone who had a seat in the field level section had to go through metal detectors. This caused a pretty big traffic jam if you wanted to walk around the lower level.

The pre-game ceremonies were nothing spectacular, the usual suspects such as the big U.S. flag, Yogi Berra, and United States military personnel were there. There was also First Lady Michelle Obama, which hopefully is the only reason why they had metal detectors.

However, I was a bit dissappointed that they didn't have George Steinbrenner come out for the ceremonies or at least show him on the big TV during the game.

The Legends Suites finally looked full...untill after the first inning when it seemed like half of them left. It is just hard to have that playoff feel when the seats closest to the action have gaps of people in them.

Lastly, there were Phillies fans, but not an overwhelming amount like there was back in May. There will probably be just as many Yankee fans down the turnpike when we go there for game 3.

Overall, my World Series luck is running out. The first three World Series games I went to all ended on walk-off hits. The last two...complete game dominance by the opposing pitcher (last one before yesterday was 2003 game 6).

We will talk more about the Yankees problems in the game post for tonight. So check back before first pitch at 7:57 for lineups and notes on tonight's game, as well as our opinion on the idiotic remarks Pedro made yesterday.

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World Series Game 1: Phillies at Yankees

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (3-0, 1.19 ERA in postseason)

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Ben Francisco LF
Pedro Feliz 3B
Carlos Ruiz C

Pitching: LHP Cliff Lee (2-0, 0.74 ERA in postseason)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Aces Wild: CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee both have microscopic ERA's this postseason, so this first game is set up to be a classic pitcher's duel.

It's been a while: This is the first World Series Game in the Bronx since Game 6 of the 2003 Series. The Yankees are also looking for their first Fall Classic win since Game 3 of that 2003 Series.

Take one: It's important for the Yankees to win the games at Yankee Stadium, particularly Game 1. This is for two reasons: 1) CC is on the mound 2) If you lose Game 1, you turn Game 2 into almost a must-win as you go to Philly for Game 3.

Enjoy the game everyone

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Game 1 Pre-Game Festivities

We are less than 48 hours away from beginning the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Wednesday. Today there were some releases on what to expect for Wednesday.

• First, the game is scheduled to start at 7:57 pm ET, as it has been during the ALCS.


• Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes will be performing "Empire State of Mind" before the game. The song is off Jay-Z's latest album and is Derek Jeter's batting intro music.


• George Steinbrenner will be in the House that He Built for Game 1. Joe Girardi said in the postgame last night that they were out to win this one for him.


• It is still unknown who is throwing out the first pitch. I don't know if the Boss is in any condition to do it, but hey, you never know. My money is on either Yogi Berra or Reggie Jackson. Although they have been bringing the 90's dynasty Yankees back lately for first pitches.

In other MLB News:

• Mark McGwire, yes the steroid user, will be the Cardinals hitting coach next year. I wonder what secret methods he has stored for them...


• The Yankees beat the Giants in the ratings yesterday as well. The Giants also couldn't beat the Cardinals. Thank God the Yankees won.

That's it we'll see what we got for tommorow.

See Ya!

[photo courtesy LoHud Blog]

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Yankees Win AL Pennant

Like I'm going to get any homework and sleep done now...might as well do the postgame recap.

WP: Pettitte
LP: Saunders
S: Rivera

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Andy Pettitte gets the nod in this one. 6.1 IP giving up 1 run and striking out 6.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Johnny Damon's two-run single in the bottom of the fourth to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Scott Kazmir's throwing error in the eighth inning, scoring Robinson Cano, giving the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The Angels had just brought the game within 1 run, but Kazmir blew up in the fourth, erasing any hope the Angels had to make a comeback.

GAME NOTES:

• Andy Pettitte earned his 16th career postseason win, and fifth elimination game win, making him the winningest pitcher in each category.



• The Yankees clinched their 40th pennant today. An MLB record, obviously.



• CC Sabathia was named the ALCS MVP.

Game 1 of the 2009 World Series is Wednesday. It will be CC Sabathia vs Cliff Lee at Yankee Stadium. I have the privelege of attending this game...with a Red Sox fan rooting for the Phillies. Should be fun.

See Ya!

[photo courtesy espn.com]

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Start Spreadin The News...

Yankees beat Angels 5-2. BRING ON THE PHILLIES!!!!


Postgame post will be up later tonight or tommorow morning.

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ALCS Game 6: Angels at Yankees

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (1-0, 2.84 ERA in postseason)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Juan Rivera LF
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: LHP Joe Saunders (0-0, 2.57 ERA in postseason)

TIME/TV: 8:20 p.m., FOX

Forty: The Yankees are trying to clinch the fortieth American League Championship in their illustrious history tonight.

Weather: There are clear skies in the forecast tonight, so we will have baseball in the Bronx.

History on the line for Pettitte: If Pettitte gets the win tonight, it will be his 16th postseason victory, which will be more than any other pitcher in the history of baseball,

Follow on Twitter @jgeant and @kayssuccessors to keep up with the action.

Enjoy the game everyone.

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GAME 6 Postponed

Game 6 of the ALCS has been postponed to Sunday at 8 p.m. due to inclement weather. It was raining off and on in the Bronx and the forecast was just not good enough to try and play in. Tickets for Game 6 will be honored tommorow night. Now, how does this affect the Yankees?

Well, Andy Pettitte will start Game 6, and Sabathia Game 7 (which would be Monday) if the series goes seven games and the Yankees win, they will unable to align Sabathia to pitch 3 games like they did in the ALCS. But we'll worry about that should the time come.

The Angels now have the option of possibly pitching Jered Weaver, who is a much better option than Joe Saunders. The Angels can also now have John Lackey pitch on 3-days rest for Game 7 should there be one.

This obviously helps the Angels a little more than the Yankees because they are able to have their ace Lackey go against Sabathia should there be a game 7.

On another note, there are so many off days during the postseason this year, and they knew the forecast called for rain ahead of time, so I just don't understand why they didn't decide to play an afternoon game today. If they played at 1 0r 2 they could have easily got the game in.

That could be it for today, we will let you know if there are any more updates.

See Ya!

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We're going back to NY

This game is too depressing to write too much about, so I'm going to keep it short, and in the always easy-to-read bullet form.

Bad:

• Yankees lost 7-6(duh).
• AJ Burnett gave up four runs in the first innings, but he did pitch better until he ran out of gas in the seventh.
• The offense couldn't do anything until the seventh, and couldn't get a hit with RISP in the ninth.
• Joba, Marte, and Hughes did not have it today.

Good:

• The offense scored 6 runs in the 7th inning to take the lead.
• Burnett pitched well from the second inning through the 6th inning
• We still have a 3-2 lead. We would need to lose two games at home in order to lose the series.
  
• We have CC Sabathia going in Game 7, if necessary.
• We have CC Sabathia going in Game 7, if necessary.
• We have CC Sabathia going in Game 7, if necessary.

SEE YA!

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GAME 5 ALCS: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C
Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 2.19 ERA in postseason)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Maicer Izturis 2B
Juan Rivera LF
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS
Pitching: RHP John Lackey (1-1, 1.38 ERA in postseason)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

For the Pennant: The Yankees can clinch their 40th pennant tonight, and their first since 2003 with a win. To do that, A.J. Burnett will take the mound for the Yankees while the offense will face John Lackey.
A-Mazing: Alex Rodriguez has driven in 11 RBI this postseason, and at least one in ever game. The franchise record is held by Scott Brosius (98) and Bernie Williams (96).
They've been here before: Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and Andy Pettitte were all on teh 2004 team (that's as far as I'll go explaining what happened). They know nothing has been won and have probably been itching to get back to this point the last six years.

As always Jim will be tweeting @jgeant and I may or may not be tweeting @KaysSuccessors. I've been slacking off on my tweeting since school started and I hate doing it from my phone because it kills my battery and I don't get good service in my room.

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That's the Way (I Like It)

Yankees 10
Angels 1

WP: Sabathia
LP: Kazmir




PLAYERS OF THE GAME: This was close so I'm going to have to give it to two players. CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez. Both continued their October dominance, as Sabathia gave the Yankees 8 innings allowing only 1 run on three days rest. As for A-Rod, he was 3-4, a triple shy of the cycle, with 3 runs and 2 RBI.

PLAY OF THE GAME: In the top of the eighth or ninth, Erick Aybar made an outstanding defensive play as he barehanded a high chopper by Jeter and threw him out. It was the best defensive play in the game in my opinion.


TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: A-Rod's 2-run home run. It seemed like it sucked the air out of any hope the Angels had left. Sabathia had given up only 1 hit at the time and the home run put the Yankees up 5-0.



GAME NOTES:

• 
  The Yankees did a better job with RISP today, answering all those critics.
• Nick Swisher was called out on an appeal play saying he left third abse too early while tagging up. Swisher has had a bunch of baserunning mistakes this season, but I missed this play and Jim texted me saying it was a make up call from him being called safe on the pickoff attempt at second earlier in the inning.
• With Matsui struggling and Molina catching Burnett on Thursday, I would not be surprised to see Posada be the DH for Thursday's game.
• The Yankees have been closer than this to the World Series before and still did not make it (I won't go any further than that). That said, they haven't won anything yet and need to win one more game to advance to the World Series.

Thursday

Yankees at Angels 7:57 PM ET

Burnett vs Lackey

See Ya!

[Photos courtesy of NY Daily News]

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Game 4 ALCS: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (2-0, 1.23 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Kendry Morales 1B
Mike Napoli C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: LHP Scott Kazmir (0-0, 7.50 ERA)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Get one out of the way: Even the most optimistic of Yankee fans couldn't have believed that the Yanks would go undefeated in the postseason, so a loss isn't entirely unexpected. I only wish that the Angels had actually won the game, instead of the Yankees losing it.

If the spit doesn't fit, you must acquit: An Angels fan blog posted a video that made it appear that Mariano Rivera spit on the baseball during last night's game. MLB actually took the claim seriously before deciding that it was an optical illusion, and there was no evidence that he spit on the ball. Expect a lot of signs and talk from Buck and McCarver when Mo enters the game.

Girardi using up bullpen phone minutes: After using all but one of his relievers on Saturday, Girardi went to the 'pen repeatedly yesterday. There is the decision that has been dissected all day, by everyone, including us, where Girardi took David Robertson after getting 2 outs on 11 pitches to bring in Alfredo Aceves. As we all know, Aceves lost the game after giving up a hit to Kendrick and a double to Jeff Mathis.

CC on 3: I'm going to give you the numbers that you will hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will beat to death all night long. CC Sabathia pitched on three-days rest 4 times last season going 2-1 with a 0.83 ERA, before running out of gas and getting hit hard in the playoffs. Since 1995, a starter has started on three-days rest 85 times going 20-34 with a 4.65 ERA in 458 1/3 innings.

Get 1 in LA: If you look at the rest of the series, I believe that the Yankees only really need to win one game in Los Angeles/Anaheim. While I would obviously love for them to finish this in 5 games, if the Yankees can come home up 3-2, they'll be in great shape. With Games 6 and 7 at Yankee Stadium and CC going in Game 7, on normal rest, I would feel comfortable as a Yankee fan.

I'm setting the over/under for the amount of times the fact that Sabathia is going on three-days rest is mentioned on the FOX telecast at 25, and I'm still going to go with an over.

You know the drill by now, follow at Twitter @jgeant and @KaysSuccessors.

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Say It Aint So (Joe)

Yankees 4 8 0
Angels 5 13 0

WP: Bulger
LP: Aceves (really should go to Girardi)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Howie Kendrick. He was 3-5 with 3 runs, including the game winner. He killed the Yankees today.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Jeff Mathis's game winning double off Aceves. No reason any other play should go up here.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Here it is. The reason you probably came to this site, to see us vent about this decision. Joe Girardi taking David Robertson out of the game for Alfredo Aceves. I was questioning it the minute he did it, and Girardi should take all the blame in this loss. Robertson easily got the first two batters out, but for some reason Girardi wants to take him out for Aceves to face Kendrick. Both pitchers are righties, and Kendrick is a righty so there is no matchup there. I don't know why Girardi would rather have a pitcher who relies on contact to get the final out of the inning than a power pitcher like Robertson. This move baffles me.

It was also not the only move that baffled me. Replacing Damaso Marte with Phil Coke seemed like a waste of a move. I had been saying it to myself for a while, that Girardi's overmanaging is going to cost us a game, and today it did. His overmanaging had been driving me crazy this whole postseason, but they kept winning, so you couldn't complain. But it's ok, everyone calm down. We play tommorow, we have CC going, we're up 2-1. No reason to panic.


GAME NOTES:

• All the Yankees runs came on solo home runs. They need to start hitting with RISP so they can just put away the teams they're facing.
• Mike Scioscia learned his lesson from Game 2 by intentionally walking A-Rod in the top of the 9th with Fuentes pitching. The move paid off as Hairston struck out next.
• Girardi pulled Pettitte after 95 pitches. Could he have kept going? Maybe. Expect a lot of criticism of Girardi's bullpen use by the media tommorow.
• Pettitte went 6.1 innings giving up 3 runs. That has been the worst start by a Yankee this postseason. Not bad, if they keep it up, they'll be in a good situation.

Tommorow

CC Sabathia goes up against Scott Kazmir tommorow. Sabathia is pitching on 3-days rest for the first time this year and first time in the playoffs. Kazmir has usually faired well against the Yankees. Should be a good one. The game starts at 7:57 ET on FOX.

See Ya!

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Game 3 ALCS: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (1-0, 1.42 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Juan Rivera LF
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli C
Erick Aybar SS
Pitching: RHP Jered Weaver (1-0, 1.23)
TIME/TV: 4:07 p.m., FOX


Sorry for the lateness of the post. The time of today's game was not conducive to either of our schedules.

Yankees up 1-0 on a leadoff home run by Derek Jeter.

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Yanks Run this Town

The radio station, Z100, in New York created a parody of the song Run this Town from Jay-Z's

Image by dq. via Flickr

newest album Blueprint 3 that changes the lyrics to talk about the Yankees. I remember the station doing this with Daft Punk's One More Time back in 2000 or 2001 and adjusting Matchbox Twenty's How Far We've Come to the Giants Super Bowl win over the Patriots. This time, however, the Yankees have adopted it as their official anthem for the playoffs.
The new chorus goes:

Winning games like it's not fair
The Yankees rule so we don't care
26 World Series rings
Time to pop some more champagne
Victory's within the mile
Almost there, don't give up now
Only thing that's on my mind
The Yanks gonna run this town tonight

While they say it won't be released until after the playoffs are over, there is a YouTube video out:


Jay-Z gets a lot of play around Yankee Stadium, as Derek Jeter's intro music is Empire State of Mind, while A-Rod comes out to Already Home.

I think you can hear the song on the radio during the "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show," that is if you want to hear "Party in the USA" 100 times in 3.5 hours. And, no, I'm not going to link to it. If you want to listen to that, I respectfully ask that you stop reading this blog. (I'm just kidding, but really, how many times is enough for that song?)

And I just want to draw attention to the fact that I used "Run this Town" as one of my song title headlines over a month ago, so I think I should get some of the credit. No?

In actual baseball news:

• CC Sabathia is confirmed to be the Game 4 starter. In other breaking news, the sky is blue.
• There's a report out there that free-agent-to-be Matt Holliday prefers New York, with the Yankees as his first choice and the Mets as his second. The Mets will probably go hard after him to try and rebound after this horrible year, but we all know that if the Yanks want to pay for him, they will.
• The Phils are currently leading the Dodgers 8-0 so unless the collapse, they'll go up 2-1 in that series.

There might be a little trouble getting a Game Post up for tomorrow, because classes continue to get in the way of the important things in life. But we will do our best.

SEE YA!

UPDATE 10:50: I cannot believe I almost forgetting to mention this monstrosity from the 200 Mets. Bad blogging on my part.

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My ALCS Experience

Yesterday was my first postseason game I have been to since the Yankees lost Game 6 of the 2003 World Series. So I will give you a rundown of everything that went right and wrong in my first playoff experience in the New Yankee Stadium.

The Good: With the weather looming and everyone wondering whether this game will be played, and it was. As the game headed into the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings the fans were living and dying with every pitch. Also, the Stadium looked and felt like October with the red, white and blue flags draped over each level on the stadium. Although it seemed like fans left late (which I will get to) people went nuts over A-Rod's home run and Hairston scoring the game-winning run.

The Bad: 49,900+? I seriously doubted that attendence. Maybe because of the weather that is how many tickets were bought and people did not use them, but there were quite a few, particularly the Legends Suites where there were plenty of empty seats. It was kind of hard thinking this was a playoff game when the stadium didn't have every seat filled.

Then when the rain came around the 10th or 11th inning, fans took cover, or left. I stayed in my seat in section 333, out in the light rain that last twenty minutes. By the time the game-winning run scored half the upper deck was empty.

The Ugly: The New York City subway systems. Boy, was I losing my patience with them. They made me miss the top of the first and the pre game ceremonies. I had to wait about 30 minutes for the D train to show up because for reasons unknown the E train was stuck at the 34th street stop. What it was doing going uptown to the Bronx is also unknown. It was no surprise the D train hasn't won the Fourth Inning Subway Race at all this postseason. It was more frustrating than watching the Giants play the Saints right now (Losing 41-17 in third quarter).

The Great: Another win, another walk-off, another pie. At the end of the day, all that matters is the Yankees winning. A-Rod's laser into rightfield to tie it was unbelievable. When the Angels took a 3-2 lead it was dead silent. Although some had left during the late innings, the remainder went nuts after we tied and won the game. The crowd was lound when it needed to be. Fans were chanting "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!" on River Ave after the game. People were high-fiving each other on their way out of the Stadium.

I have tickets for one more game this postseason (Game 1 World Series) hopefully I get to go there, and hopefully my New Yankee Stadium record improves to 9-0.

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I Don't Want to Miss a Thing: Yanks win classic game

Angels 3 8 2
Yankees 4 13 3

WP: Robertson
LP: Santana

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Alex Rodriguez. He has gotten the Playoff (Rally) Monkey off his back and now is beating it to a pulp. (Don't come after me PETA.) He only had one hit, but it was a big one as it tied the game in the 11th inning after the Angels had gone ahead. After another right-center field home run to tie the game, it's almost to the point where we expect this from A-Rod.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Just another a great moment this postseason gave the Yankees and the fans the feeling that we were going to win this game.

PLAY OF THE GAME: While it may have been an anti-climactic way to end the game, the error that allowed Jerry Harriston, Jr. to score was obviously the most important play of the game.

GAME NOTES:

• I can only imagine the scene at Yankee Stadium after that game. I'm sure it was worth the pneumonia John probably caught after sitting in the cold for 5 straight hours.
• With a game like this, it's a huge lift for the Yankees and a bit of a downer for the Angels. But as the saying goes, momentum stops with the next games starting pitcher. So it's up to Andy to stay the course with a solid start on Monday (which is tomorrow now).
  
• The Yankees pitchers stranded 16 runners on base and the bullpen allowed 5 hits and only one run in 6.2 innings of work.
• If you take a step back from the excitement of this game, it was pretty sloppy defensively and both offenses wasted a lot of opportunities. The teams combined for 5 errors and 28 runners left on base. It's not exactly clean baseball but, in the Yankees case, a win is a win is a win.
• Even though it didn't matter in the outcome of the game, the Aybar play was the right call. I HATE the neighborhood play. There are ways to touch the base, protect yourself, and get rid of the ball. If Little Leaguers and High Schoolers can do it, why can't Major Leaguers?
  
• The game lasted 5 hours and 10 minutes. Just for something to compare that to, the Yankees-Red Sox 15 inning game lasted 5 hours and 33 minutes.
  
• Two thoughts from watching the YES Network post-game show: 1) Only Michael Kay could wear that hat and get away with it. 2) Great, now we get to listen to Mike Francesa yell at the people who call into his show on Sunday mornings, too.
  
• And I think this was probably the best pie from AJ. He had the element of surprise going for him because no one knew who he was going to pie. He could have gone for Melky or A-Rod, but decided to go for Harriston.
• Photo from ESPN.com
  

NEXT GAME:
Game 3 ALCS:
Yankees at Angels
Monday 4 PM ET (which means I will be sprinting back to my dorm from class)
Pettitte vs. Kazmir

SEE YA!

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YANKEES WIN! THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!

It would be an understatement to call this a great game. This is an All-Time Great Game. I'll start working on the game recap, so stay tuned.

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Game 2 ALCS; Angels at Yankees

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 1.50 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Maicer Izturis 2B
Mike Napoli C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: LHP Joe Saunders (0-0, 0.00)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

I wonder whether the weather will be nice: Since John is on his way to the game, I'm keeping a watch on the weather reports to keep him updated. He's had some pretty bad luck in the past with going to rained-out games. Off the top of my head, I remember him having to go back for Opening Day last year and missing a playoff game against Detroit because of a scheduling conflict after the game got pushed back a day. I, however, have never had a game rained out or had to go back another day, so maybe he should have brought me. But, alas, he's pulling the family card and going with his younger brother.

Bad spark plug: Chone Figgins, the Angels catalyst and lead-off hitter is hittless in four postseason games this year. If the Yankees pitchers can keep him off base, it will prevent him from stealing and getting the Halos's running game going.

Molina Time: As with Game 2 of the ALDS, Jose Molina gets the nod to catch AJ Burnett. The results were too good last time to warrant a chang, so Jorge sits again. But as was the case last time, Posada will be in there the second Burnett is done pitching. Plus, Molina will help keep the Angels in check on the bases.

Do you believe in magic?: The Yanks are trying to draw on some of the positive energy surround the 90's dynasty as Tino Martinez will throw out the first pitch tonight after David Cone did the honors last night.

Meeting of the Minds: There will apparently be a meeting between Girardi, Scioscia, and MLB officials at 7 to decide on the fate of the world. Or maybe just tonight's game.

Stay tuned for news on the state of the game. And if the game gets rained out, maybe I'll post John's text message. That is, if it's not just a string of curse words.

UPDATE 7:46: There will be baseball! Keep up with the game @jgeant on Twitter.

Enjoy the game and your Saturday night.

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Let It Rock: Yanks Take Game 1

Angels 1 4 3

Yankees 4 10 0


WP: Sabathia (2-0, postseason)
LP: Lackey (1-1, postseason)
S: Rivera (2, postseason)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: This one goes to Carsten Charles Sabathia. The lefty went 8 innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 7 in the frigid cold in the Bronx. After all the talk of Sabathia's postseason's struggles he has turned in back-to-back solid performances.

PLAY/TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: More like the non-play of the game, as Matsui popped a ball up between third and short and neither player caught it, letting Johnn Damon, who was running hard because there was two outs, score from second. That second run was all the Yankees would need with Sabathia on the mound.

GAME NOTES:

• The weather held up for today's game but tommorow's forecast looks bleak. I'm sure they'll do everything they can to play the game.
• The last thing we need in this round is more umpire controversy. Torii Hunter laid down a bunt in the sixth inning and was called out by first base umpire Laz Diaz. Hunter and Scioscia argued saying that Teixeira's foot came off the bag. Replays appeared to show Teixeira may have had his foot on the bag with the ball in his glove for a split second, but it really was too close to call. I say he deserves to be out because that's what you get for having your best player bunt.
• Jim sent me a text during the game which pretty much sums up the game. "Since when did the Angels become the Mets?"

Tommorow

Game 2

Burnett vs Saunders 7:57 pm ET FOX...Hopefully the weather holds up, as I am going.

See Ya!

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ALCS Game 1: Angels and Yankees

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (1-0, 1.37 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Juan Rivera LF
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: RHP John Lackey (1-0, 0.00)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Revenge is coming: The Yankees are looking to get back at the Angels for knocking them out of the playoffs in 2002 and 2005.

Weather Watch: It's gonna be a chilly night in the Bronx. Hopefully there are no delays or postponements that mess with the schedule, especially for John who is headed to Game 2, (hopefully) tomorrow.

CC for 3: Assuming the weather holds up, tonight will be the first of three starts for the Big Lefty.

Getting on the board: Winning Game 1 will be very important, to prevent falling into a hole, especially when they head to Los Angeles (or Anaheim, whatever you want to call it) for Games 3, 4, and 5.

As with the ALDS, follow updates on Twitter @jgeant, and maybe after John gets back from a Pep Rally @KaysSuccessors.

Oh, and definitely look on some commentary on Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. It's been a while since we had a little fun with them.

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Guzman Added, Hinske Dropped

Joe Girardi announced today that Freddy Guzman will be on the roster and that he will be replacing Eric Hinske's spot. Also A.J. Burnett was officially announced as the Game 2 starter and Andy Pettitte will pitch Game 3. Girardi continues to keep everyone on their feet as a Game 4 starter is still yet to be announced.

I really like this move out of Girardi. The Angels are a very fast team and the only way to beat them may be to make their greatest strength a strength of ours as well. Hinske would only have been used in a pinch-hitting situation, which is highly unlikely considering the Yankees lineup. With Guzman on the bench, that gives you him, Gardner (or Gardy as Girardi calls him), and even Jerry Hairston Jr. as possible pinch-runner options. This also leads me to believe Gardner will get a start in the ALCS too, now that they have an extra pinch runner.

As far as Burnett pitching Game 2, Molina will most likely catch him again although I do not think Girardi has made that official. Although you lose Posada's bat, Molina will be twice as important because if Burnett is walking guys, they will steal and Molina's arm is much better than Posada's.

Lastly, the one thing on everybody's mind before we begin the ALCS tommorow is the weather. Heavy rains are expected the entire weekend (it evened snowed today in Connecticut). Friday there appears to be a window in which the game can be played, but Saturday is very questionable. The Yankees would not want to have a rainout because it would allow them to use Sabathia three times in this series should it go to seven games. Also, with the games being broadcasted on FOX, if they cancel a game and it is replayed Sunday there will be a conflict with the football games. All I can say is hopefully the rain is light and they can play through it or else the entire ALCS schedule is going to have to be remodeled.

Also, those who have tickets for Games 1 and 2 must use their tickets for the game that they bought. So if Game 1 is pushed back to Saturday night, fans with tickets for Game 1 would go Saturday and fans with Game 2 tickets would go Sunday. I hace tickets for Game 2 and the easiest thing for my travel plans would be for them to play the game Saturday night. But the MLB loves screwing me over with playoff tickets so who knows.

Anyway that's all the news out of Yankeeland today. Seems like I wrote a lot so I'll try and find a picture of Freddy Guzman to make this post look better.

Now, back to writing a paper on the bioethics of human cloning!!! (Don't ask me why a journalism major is required to take 7 credits of science).

(Note from Jim: It may have snowed in Connecticut, but it hasn't snowed more than a couple of minutes yet in Syracuse, and none of it's stuck. Unfortunately, however, I haven't seen the sun in over a week.)
See Ya!

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Hey Boston, Stop Crying!

Ok, I meant to post this yesterday but was very busy. As everyone knows, Sunday was not the best day to be a New England sports fan. The Red Sox get eliminated, the Patriots lost to Josh McDaniels, and the Bruins lost as well. But Jesus effin Christ I can't believe what I hear out of the mouths of Boston fans these last few days. Going to school in Connecticut, I am right on the Mason-Dixon line of the New York-Boston rivalry and hear how these fans react everyday. Here are a couple of quotes I've heard:

"[Sunday] was one of the worst days of my life.I don't know how it gets any worse than that."

Cry me a freakin river. It's not like you were the only city to lose in three different sports on the same day. Plus only one of your teams season actually ended.

"Can you believe we haven't won anything since the Celtics won the Finals two years ago?"

This I don't understand. I figured out of all sports fans, the fans from Boston would be the most grateful for every championship they win. Over the last decade, these fans have gone from loveable losers to the point where they feel entitled to win everything. Two years without a championship holy freaking crap I don't know how anyone can go two full years without winning a championship.

Not only did I hear it from Boston fans at my school, but read Monday's article by Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, who talks about how this generation's young fans never understood the pain Boston felt until now.

Or check out Bill Simmons' (ESPN's The Sports Guy) twitter account. Dubbing 10/11/09 as "Black Sunday."

Could there be a group of more pathetic fans in sports?

Now not all fans of Boston teams acted like this. I've witnessed some take defeat graciously, and some act like I would have and called for Papelbon's head instead of crying how they havn't won anything in two years.

But seriously "Red Sox Nation" get a bleeping grip, because you guys are the most successful city in sports this decade but you just take it all for granted.

See Ya!

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Yanks may use 3-man rotation for ALCS

As reported by Sam Borden from the LoHud Yankees Blog, Joe Girardi and the Yankees are "definitely considering" using only three starters for the ALCS against the Angles.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

If they do, the rotation would set up like this:

Game 1 (Friday, Oct 16 in NY): Sabathia
Game 2 (Saturday, Oct 17 in NY): Burnett
Game 3 (Monday, Oct 19 in LA): Pettitte
Game 4 (Tuesday, Oct 20 in LA: Sabathia (on short rest)
Game 5*: (Thursday, Oct 22 in LA): Burnett
Game 6*: (Saturday, Oct 24 in NY): Pettitte
Game 7*: (Sunday, Oct 25 in NY): Sabathia
*If necessary

Sabathia would be able to pitch 3 times in the event of a seven-game series. This would allow the Yankees to keep Joba in the bullpen, and not have to use Chad Gaudin in a pressure-packed situation. Joba hasn't started since September 30 when he gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 3.2 innings against the Royals. Gaudin hasn't pitched at all since October 3rd when he came in in relief against the Rays for 1.1 scoreless innings.

I think if you can get Sabathia three starts, and he feels comfortable with it, you have to do it. He hasn't had to go on short rest all season and he had a light workload in September, so he's well-rested.You already have Joba in bullpen mode, so leave him there, and they can fix all the problems with him in the off-season and Spring Training. I will put up with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver talking about him pitching on short rest a million times (assuming I haven't already muted the TV permanently by Game 4) to watch Sabathia get the ball again.

While helping the rotation, it also helps the bullpen. With Joba, Hughes, and Mo in the back end, and Coke (hopefully not Choke), Aceves, and Robertson in the middle innings, the bullpen will be solid.

While I don't know, because of superstition, if we will do a series preview, but we might do a scouting report-type post on the Angels. Either way, we will still provide news as it happens throughout the week.

SEE YA!

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The Curse of Peter Abraham?

In this day in age, whenever things begin to go awry for a team people begin coming up with names of curses because of the Curse of the Bambino and Curse of the Billy Goat. So, yesterday I thought of one after the Yankees had won Game 3. What about the curse of Pete Abraham?

In case you do not know, Peter Abraham had the most popular beat-writer blog on the Yankees at the LoHud Yankees Blog. It was and still is the best Yankee blog out there. It is where we get all our lineups and news about the Yankees and incase you didn't notice we attributed our lineups to Pete Abe's blog. About two weeks ago, he gave us fans the news that he was moving to the Boston Globe to cover the hated Red Sox.

His first assignment? Covering the ALDS between them and the Angels. As we all know the Red Sox got swept and the Yankees advanced. Pete Abe began covering the Yankees in 2006. As you know they were unable to get out of the first round in 06,07, and missed the playoffs in 2008. Before that, he covered the Mets, but it is the Mets so nobody really expected them to do well anyway. Now the Red Sox are unable to get out of the first round as the Yankees advance.

Coincidence or curse?

We can only wait and see if poor Pete can get out of the first round, if not, then he may be bad news for the teams he is sent to cover.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post is to be taken in a light matter and in no way do I actually believe this is a curse but just a funny coincidence I noticed. The fact that he switched from Yankees to Red Sox and the fact that there is always talk of curses with these two team made me think this would be a humorous post.

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Move Along: Yanks sweep Twins on way to ALCS

Yankees 4 7 0
Twins 1 7 0

WP: Pettitte
LP: Pavano
S: Rivera

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tough choice, but considering everything that's happened, I'll give it to Alex Rodriguez. He's finally shed his post-season choke artist stigma with 2 big home runs in back to back games.

PLAY OF THE GAME: HIP HIP Jorge Posada's go-ahead home run in the 7th inning, that just cleared the left-field wall.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: A-Rod's game-tying home run in the 7th inning. It was vintage A-Rod, going to right center for the bomb.

GAME NOTES:

• This win moves the Yankees into their 13th ALCS and their first since 2004 (known to me as "The Year that never happened").
  
• After the Angels completed their sweep of the Red Sox today, they will face the Yankees beginning on Friday.
  
• With four days between games, the Yankees will obviously look to stay sharp with batting practice and other workouts.
  
• With the long layoff, the rotation will also need to be set up. Pettitte would be in line to pitch Game 1 at the Stadium, possibly followed by Burnett in Game 2 and Sabathia in Game 3. I'm sure Girardi will have the rotation set by Tuesday or Wednesday.
  
• That was the final game at the Metrodome before they move into Target Field next season, and a fan decided that the bottom of the 9th would be the best time to run across the field one final time. Why anyone would think that's a good idea is beyond me, since the players have a right to defend themselves against a threat, which running on the field like that is. And 99.99999% of people who go to baseball games would get the living $^!% out of them.
• We'll be sure to pass along any news during the week. So stay tuned.
  

NEXT GAME:
Friday vs. the Angels
ALCS Game 1

SEE YA!

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ALDS Game 3: Yankees at Twins

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (14-8, 4.16 ERA regular season)

TWINS
Span CF
Cabrera SS
Mauer C
Cuddyer 1B
Kubel RF
Young LF
Harris 3B
Morales DH
Punto 2B

Pitching: RHP Carl Pavano (14-12, 5.10 ERA regular season)

TIME/TV: 7:07 p.m., TBS

UPDATE 7:13: Ok, sorry for the late post. I've been backed up with homework, my cellphone doesn't work, and I havn't eaten anything at all today, you get the picture. Anyway Yankees go down 1-2-3 in the first to Pavano. We all know what a win means.

UPDATE 9:13: Well, well, well. A-Rod goes oppo in the 7th inning of a Carl Pavano postseason shutout (if that isn't a sign of the apocalypse I don't know what is) then Jorge Posada goes oppo to left field. 2-1 Yankees 1 out bottom of the seventh. Looks like Girardi is going to pull Petitte for Joba right now.

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Don't stop believing: Yanks win in dramatic fashion

Twins 3 12 1
Yankees 4 7 0

WP: Robertson
LP: Mijares

PLAYERS OF THE GAME: Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. The two combined for four of the team's seven hits, and all four of the RBI's. Both homered, with A-Rod tying it in the 9th, and Teix winning it in the 11th.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Teixeira's game-winning walk-off home run in the 11th. 'Nuff said.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: After A-Rod's RBI single in the 6th, and this John and I exchanged text messages (no, not Teix Messages) saying, John: I like this A-Rod better. Me: Where was this for the past 6 years?

GAME NOTES:

• For the second game in a row, the Twins take the lead, and the Yanks come right back and tie it in the next inning. That is huge, as it doesn't let the other team get comfortable, and the Yanks are never out of it.
• The bullpen was not sharp tonight, there were 2 runs allowed, but also 9 hits and 2 walks.
  
• AJ was okay tonight, except for the 5 walks. If he eliminates the walks, his pitch count goes way down, and he throws another 2-3 innings, limiting the use for the bullpen.
• THIS TEAM WILL NOT LOSE!! This is the kind of stuff we saw in the 90's. Roberston, one of the lesser guys out of the pen, gets out of a bases loaded nobody-out jam, and the Yanks pull out a game where they were down 2 in the bottom of the ninth. Great things are coming.
  

NEXT GAME:
ALDS Game 3
Yankees at Twins
Pettitte vs Carl (The American Idle) Pavano

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MARK TEIXEIRA WINS IT!!!!

I don't know when the game recap will be done but everyone should go out and celebrate!!!!!

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ALDS Game 2: Twins at Yankees

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher LF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Molina C

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (13-9, 4.04 ERA regular season)

TWINS
Span RF
Cabrera SS
Mauer C
Kubel DH
Cuddyer 1B
Young LF
Gomez CF
Tolbert 3B
Punto 2B

Pitching: RHP Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.03 ERA regular season)

TIME/TV: 6:07 p.m., TBS

Lineups from LoHud Yankees Blog

Catch 43: Joe Molina has been the most talked about back-up catcher in the world right now. He will behind the plate tonight for AJ Burnett because the righty has much better numbers throwing to Molina than Posada. Posada may be pissed that he's being benched, which I don't think is a bad thing, but I think the thing that bugs him the most is that he knows it's the right move. I think he might also be thinking back to when he was doing this to current manager, Joe Girardi, and that he eventually replaced Girardi as the starter. But I don't think that's an issue with Molina, he might have to be worried if they're starting Cervelli over him, but not Molina. Also, I like Posada coming off the bench as a pinch hitter in the late innings, because I can think of at least two times where he hit go-ahead pinch-hit home runs.

Make it rain: There is rain in the forecast tonight, but not until 9 PM. At least it's not the snow they're expecting in Denver on Sunday.

Keep it at home: While the Yankees are up 1-0, this game is still important. If the Twins win, it will be tied 1-1 and the Twins will have taken home-field advantage for the series. While I believe the Yankees can go into the Metro Dome and win, it will be good to know that even if you can't you can come back home for Game 5 instead of going home to play golf.

The Teixecutioner: Arriving in my mailbox just in time for Game 2, I will be rocking The Teixecutioner T-shirt from Baldvinny.com tonight.

As with Game 1, we'll only have a few updates on the blog, but follow me @jgeant and John will most likely be on the blog Twitter @KaysSuccessors.

Enjoy the game everyone.

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Yankees Fans Still Make the Best Signs

Thought this was funny/




Photo Courtesy NY Daily News

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Let's Get it Started: Yanks take Game 1

Twins 2 10 1
Yankees 7 9 0

WP: Sabathia
LP: Duensing

Yankees lead series 1-0

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Derek Jeter. The captain proved why he is one of the best postseason players in MLB history. He pulled a home run down the left field to tie the game at 2 after CC had given the Twins a 2-run lead, but Jeter got the Yanks right back in the game.

PLAY OF THE GAME: The 5-4-3 around the horn double play that Robinson Cano turned so smoothly. Cano has gotten so good at that turn, it's almost like it doesn't even hit his glove.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Jeter's home run. After the Twins went up 2-0 there was some panic (at least John and I were panicking) but Jeter got all the momentum back with one swing.

GAME NOTES:

• CC got the playoff monkey off his back a little bit with 6.2 IP, 8 hits, and 2 runs (one earned) and 8 strikeouts. He wasn't economical with the pitches (113) but maybe the adrenaline was just pumping a little too much.
• There was a lot of good work out of the bullpen tonight, as Mo, Joba, Hughes, and Coke all got into the game. Mo struggled a little bit, but he had a 5-run lead and maybe wasn't in full Sandman mode.
  
• A-Rod also faced some of his playoff demons by going 2-4 with 2 RBI's. It was good that he took care of that in his first game, because it will give him a little bit of a break for a couple days.
• Jeter's home run was his 18th in the postseason, tying him for 3rd with Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle. Manny Ramirez and Bernie Williams are ahead of him in the list with 28 and 22, respectively.
• The Phillies beat the Rockies this afternoon, while the Dodgers just went up 2-1 against the Cardinals in the bottom of the 1st on a homer by Matt Kemp. The Red Sox and Angels open tomorrow.
  
• The wind was fierce tonight, John suggests that it was the ghosts from the old Stadium letting everyone aware of their presence.
  

NEXT GAME:
Friday, 6:07 PM
Yankee Stadium
TBS
A.J. Burnett vs. Nick Blackburn

With all the off-days in the playoffs, we'll have to find something to write about, so check back tomorrow, but until then...

SEE YA!

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Game 1 ALDS: Yankees vs Twins

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.37 regular season)

TWINS
Span CF
Cabrera SS
Mauer C
Cuddyer 1B
Kubel RF
Young LF
Harris DH
Tolbert 3B
Punto 2B

Pitching: LHP Brian Duensing (5-2, 3.64 ERA regular season)

TIME/TV: 6:07 p.m., TBS

The Hangover: The Twins enter Yankee Stadium roughly 20 hours after winning the AL Central. Their reward? CC Sabathia in the Bronx.

But Look At His Postseason Numbers: CC Sabthia is 2-3 with a 7.92 ERA in five playoff starts. He is also 9-4 with a 1.91 ERA against the Twins in his last 13 starts. So you can pretty much throw all trends out the window at this point and just expect the best pitcher in the AL since August to show up (at least that's what I'm doing).

Weather Report: No Ollie Williams today. Instead it is a blustery fall evening in the Bronx. With winds blowing out to...where else? Right Field. Expect some home runs to fly out tonight. My money is on Johnny Damon in the first inning for the first home run of the game.

Pressure Point: Alex Rodriguez arrives in October with probably the least amount of pressure than previous years. However, the moment he starts struggling he will be ridiculed and become the focus of attention. If he suceeds, he will be praised as a hero. Either way, all eyes will still be on A-Rod even if it seems like the pressure of previous years isn't there.

If you have 5 minutes to spare and want to get pumped up for the game, watch this video It's a compilation of the Yankees season that YES showed after the final game on Sunday.

I know I don't want to be by my computer and be distracted from the game, but perhaps we may do a little live blogging in between innings.

UPDATE 5:34: Jim here: I will be tweeting during the game @jgeant, because I can do that from my cell phone. So you can follow my quips and comments about the game there and we'll get on the blog a little bit, too.

Enjoy the game.

UPDATE 6:19: After giving up a leadoff double to Denard Span, CC Sabathia came back and struck out Orlando Cabrera, Joe Mauer, and got Michael Cuddyer to fly out to center. Hopefully after that first at bat he's settled down. Now for the Yankees offense to go to work.

UPDATE 6:35: Not only did I, but apparently Jim also thought that ball by A-Rod was going to be out. We both pulled a Michael Kay on that one.

UPDATE 7:10: Ok, Sabathia is not getting that outside corner. Posada can't catch. And I think the entire Yankee Universe is now panicking. Let's get those two runs back NOW!

UPDATE 7:15: And that is why he is the modern day Mr. October. The Captain strikes again with a 2-run home run to tei the game and the crowd has not stopped chanting his name.

UPDATE 8:10: Sorry I missed Swisher's go-ahead RBI, but now A-Rod is getting in on this thing called the postseason with an RBI of his own. And now Matsui just hit one into Monument Park for a 6-2 lead. Things are looking good right now for the Yankees as long as CC keeps rolling.

UPDATE 8:41: CC Sabathia leaves the game after 6 2/3 innings giving up 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, and striking out 8. Phil Hughes enters the game with runners on second and third 2 outs. It'd be first and second if it weren't for Posada's awful defense. Orlando Cabrera up at the plate.

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The Minnesota Twins are Your 2009 ALDS Opponent

Wow. First of all what a game. Probably one of the all-time classic play-in games. Just when you thought the Tigers had the game wrapped up the Twins came charging back. But now the Twins are getting crunk in their locker room, just played 12 innings of nail-biting baseball, and have to sit three hours on a plane to New York to face CC Sabathia in about 19-20 hours. The Yankees are 8-0 against them this season and the last playoff series the Yankees won was against the Twins in 2004. The Twins are also 3-23 or something like that over the last 5-6 seasons against the Yankees (I need to fact check that so let me know if I'm wrong). So, basically the Yankees should be able to take advantage of this situation.

The pitching mathcup for tommorow is Brian Duensing vs CC Sabathia.

We'll be sure to have pre and post game notes for you all as we begin an exciting October and hopefully one that we will give us some good memories.

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Burnett to Start Game 2, Molina to Catch

Joe Girardi announced today that A.J. Burnett is the Game 2 starter and that Jose Molina will be catching him. He said the decision was his and he did not consult Burnett before he made it. Girardi intends to use Matsui as the DH in those games.

This is good news for all those who believe that Posada effects Burnett's performance. It is also bad news, because if it goes to a Game 5 you are either taking Posada's bat out of the lineup, or Matsui's if Posada DH's.

In other news, Brian Bruney has been left off the ALDS roster. From the looks of it, there seems to be two spots left for three people. Cervelli, Freddy Guzman, and Damaso Marte. The Yankees will have their final roster announced by tommorow morning the latest.

Right now, the Tigers lead the Twins 3-2 in the top of the 7th inning as I type this. The Tigers have the better pitching, but the Twins come in on a hot streak. The Yankees are 8-0 against the Twins this year, and 5-1 against the Tigers. I still don't know who I'd rather have. The Twins scare me less so probably them. But if they happen to win this game in dramatic fashin, such as a walk-off, they enter tommorow with a lot of momentum.

The gates open at 3 pm tommorow for the game, and the first pitch is at 6:07. Hopefully whoever we face, we win.

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MLB Releases TV Schedule for First Few Games

The Yankees do not know who they are playing or what day they are playing, but they know what time they will be playing. It's 99% sure that the Yankees will take the Wednesday game, but even if they do not, the starting time will be 6:07. This is good news for all the kids out there wanting to stay up to watch the games, but for adults and college students like me, I cannot get out of class to attend the game that I have tickets for. Ten years ago, I would have loved that it would be starting now, instead I'm pissed off. Basically the MLB has been screwing around with me and the playoffs my whole life.

But I have tickets for Game 2 of the ALCS which is a Saturday, so I luck out there.

Here are some of the other times of the games assuming the Yankees play on Wednesday:

Wednesday, October 7
2:37 p.m. Game 1 – Rockies at Phillies
6:07 p.m. Game 1 – Tigers/Twins at Yankees
9:37 p.m. Game 1 – Cardinals at Dodgers

Thursday, October 8
2:37 p.m Game 2 – Rockies at Phillies
6:07 p.m. Game 2 – Cardinals at Dodgers
9:37 p.m. Game 1 – Red Sox at Angels

Friday, October 9
6:07 p.m. Game 2 – Tigers/Twins at Yankees
9:37 p.m. Game 2 – Red Sox at Angels

Saturday, October 10
6:07 p.m. Game 3 – Dodgers at Cardinals
9:37 p.m. Game 3 – Phillies at Rockies

Here's the list of the entire playoff schedule.

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The Final Countdown

It was the final game of the season today and the Yankees went out with a win. Alex Rodriguez had a history-making day, hitting the Yankees 243rd home run of the season in the sixth inning, setting a new franchise record. He also hit his 18th career grand slam later in the same inning, and drove in a total of 7 RBI in the sixth inning, which is a new AL record and tied Mark McGwire on the all-time list. It was also the 13th consecutive season in which A-Rod had 30 HR and 100 RBI, despite missing the first month of the season due to a hip injury.

The game was not all A-Rod though, as A.J. Burnett pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, and striking out 3.

Joba Chamberlain made an interesting relief appearance in the seventh inning, striking out 1 batter as he retired the side.

Mariano Rivera closed the game for his 45th save on the season.

Because Mark Teixeira did not homer in this game, he and Carlos Pena tied for the AL home run lead with 39.

The Yankees finished the season 103-59, their best record since finishing 103-58 in 2002.

Now for the most interesting thing for Yankee fans. The Tigers won 5-3 and the Twins are up 13-4 in the 9th, so it's pretty safe to say they will win. This means there will be a one game playoff in Minnesota on Tuesday night. The winner will have to play the Yankees on what will most likely be Wednesday. This is good news for the Yankees basically because this forces Verlander to pitch either Game 2 or 3. We'll keep you updated on how the rest of that series turns out.

As for now, the regular season is now over, so we are saying See Ya until the playoffs.

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