Ringing in the new season

Angels 5 11 0
Yankees 7 13 0

WP: Pettitte (1-0)
LP: Santana (0-2)
S: Rivera (3)

Player of the Game: Nick Johnson. Despite the fact that he has the Stadium crew play Miley Cyrus as he walks to the plate (apparently it's his daughter's favorite song), the new DH went 2-3 with a homer and three runs scored.

Play of the Game: The Jeterian home run to right center field by the Captain in the third inning.

Turning Point of the Game: The infield single by Derek Jeter with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. The ball bounced off Ervin Santana's hip and a run scored to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

Notes

• The Yankees received their World Series rings prior to the game today. It was an emotional moment all around when Head Trainer Gene Monahan, who is currently away from the team to undergo treatment for cancer, came out of the dugout to get his ring. World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, now a member of the Angels was on hand, as was current Padres Jerry Harriston Jr, who flew cross country on a red eye.
  
• Prior to the ceremony, Derek Jeter and Joe Girardi presented the Boss, George Steinbrenner, with his World Series Ring. They continue to maintain the curtain of secrecy around the Boss, because as far as I know, they didn't show him on TV.
• Derek Jeter played a prank on his old buddy Matsui. Apparently, the gave a way fake rings to fans, so Jeter put a fake one in Matsui's box, because Hideki wouldn't have anyone to compare it to and wouldn't realize until afterward. Girardi gave Matsui the real ring when the teams came on the foul lines for pre-game introductions.
• And Chan Ho Park pitched out of the bullpen, and was able to control all of his bodily functions.

TOMORROW:
Yankees vs. Angels, 1:05 PM
Vazquez vs. Pineiro

SEE YA!

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Yanks in 2010? World Series or SEE YA!

So we've gone through our predictions for the individual Yankees in 2010. Now we're going to take a look at how the standings will look at the end of the season.


National League
East:
Phillies 97-65
Braves 89-73
Mets 80-82
Marlins 79-83
Nationals 69-93

Central:
Cardinals 94-68
Cubs 87-75
Brewers 84-78
Astros 80-82
Pirates 66-96

West:
Dodgers 95-67
Giants (WILD CARD) 91-71
Rockies 90-72
Diamondbacks 81-81
Padres 70-92

AMERICAN LEAGUE
EAST:
Yankees 101-61
Red Sox(Wild Card) 95-67
Orioles 86-76
Rays 85-77
Blue Jays 69-93

CENTRAL:
Twins 93-89
Tigers 91-71
White Sox 85-77
Indians 76-86
Royals 67-95

WEST:
Mariners 94-88
Rangers 88-74
Angels 82-80
A's 74-88

PLAYOFFS:
FIRST ROUND
Yankees over Twins (I'm thinking they sweep and clinch it on the frozen tundra of Target Field)
Red Sox over Mariners (Unless Papelbon blows it, again)
Phillies over Giants (Though Lincecum and Cain in a short series will be tough)
Dodgers over Cards (Setting up a rematch in the NLCS)

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Yankess over Red Sox (In 7 games, thus taking another 10 years off my life)
Dodgers over Phillies (In 6, because if it goes 7, I think Roy Halladay wills the Phillies to victory)

WORLD SERIES
Yankees over Dodgers
The Yanks will take home their 28th World Series title in 6 games, and Alex Rodriguez will take home MVP honors after channeling his inner Reggie Jackson and bombing 3 home runs in the clinching game. You heard it here first.

What do you think? Leave a comment and vote in the poll on the right.

(Props to @brmeyer for inspiring the headline)

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How do you think the Yankees will do in 2010?

Buster Olney has the Yankees facing off with the Colorado Rockies in the World Series this year - and losing.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I respectfully disagree with his opinion. (Translation: That's a load of crap, Buster!)

What do you think? Take a look at our poll on the right and tell us how you think the Bronx Bombers will fair this season.

The poll will close at 8 pm on April 4, so get your votes in before the first game!

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Hughes gets the nod; what to do with Joba?

So, as John reported earlier, this morning Joe Girardi announced that Phil Hughes is the fifth starter.

Image by alexabboud via Flickr

According to Joel Sherman, this was Hughes's job to lose since February and he didn't lose it. This ends the spring of speculation about who will take the mound on April 17, the first time the Yankees need a fifth starter.

The next thing that gets talked about any time you mention Hughes or Joba Chamberlain (more on him later) is the innings limit.

Since Hughes has thrown more innings over the course of his career, he will have a higher innings limit than Joba did last year. Initial estimates put that limit at around 170 innings. Girardi said that they have not come up with the plan on how to work around that, but expressed that he would like to do it at the beginning of the season and not the end.

Hopefully Hughes can stay healthy and put up the kind of season we've all expected since that would-be no-hitter in Texas a few years ago. He's going to have a little less pressure on him as the number 5 starter in what is one of the best (and, in my humble opinion the absolute best) rotations in baseball.

Giving Hughes the chance to start this season is not only because the team thinks he gives them the best chance to win this season, but because he could very well slide into the number 3 spot in the rotation next year. Javier Vazquez and Andy Pettitte are free agents after the season so it is unclear whether they will be back. If they do not come back, Hughes will be ready, and without an innings limit.

Now, what does this mean for Joba Chamberlain? When asked if this meant Joba would go to the 8th inning, Girardi said "If he earns it." Ok Joe, say Joba earns it. Then he goes to the bullpen and pitches 80 innings, at the most. Then when Andy and Javy leave, you need two more starters but one of them can only pitch 130. So there's only a couple of options here with Joba.

1. The Yanks do what a lot of people (including the extremely loud guy on WFAN in the afternoons) want and say the Joba will be in the bullpen and is the successor to Mariano Rivera at closer. I've never been a B-Jobber, but it is an option.
2. They put him in the bullpen this year, and then stretch him out and go through the Joba Rules all over again next year. I really hope this isn't an option, because I don't know if I can go another 3 years listening about the Joba Rules.
3. This is the most jarring, but I think it's the best option: Girardi, Cashman, and the rest of the Yankee brain trust goes to Joba and says, "Look Joba, we want you to be a starter, but there isn't the room in the rotation this year. We're going to send you down to AAA so you can throw a lot of innings and work on a few things so you can be ready for next year. And after the minor league season is over, you can come back up here and help us win a World Series out of the bullpen." This has to be the best option. This is the first year Joba has no innings limit, and you're going to waste that in the bullpen? Do I think the Yankees have the cojones to do it? I don't know, only time will tell.
   

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Should it be retired: Number 51

Last week, I debated whether Paul O'Neill's jersey number 21 should be retired, and this week I'll go into Bernie Williams and number 51.

Image via Wikipedia

Bernie is an interesting case considering that, despite having not played since 2006, he has never officially retired. When he returned for the ceremonies prior to the closing ceremonies at the old Yankee Stadium, he said he "may never retire officially." Nevertheless, the number has not been reissued. There was a little bit of friction between Williams and the Yankees after the 2006 season; he thought he could still play, but the team only gave him a non-roster invite to Spring Training. I think that should be water under the bridge since he came back for the final game and then a few times last year.

So, let's get into it:

The case for retiring the number:

• Career Yankee
• 5-times All-Star
• 4 World Series Championships
• 6 Top-20 finishes in MVP voting (Highest was 7th in 1998)
• 4 Gold Gloves, 1 Silver Slugger
• Position on All-Time Lists: 6th in home runs, RBI's, runs, and games played, 5th in hits and extra-base hits, and 2nd in doubles.
• Everyday centerfielder for 13 seasons.
  

The case against retiring the number:

• Most likely will not be enshrined in the Hall of Fame
• Most of statistics came from a peak period, and he faded quickly at the end of his career.
• When compared to the other center fielders who have their numbers retired, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, Williams does not compare favorably. That, however, is a pretty unfair comparison.

I think it is pretty safe to say that the number 51 will hand in Monument Park some day.The bigger question is probably whether Williams gets a plaque as well. That is probably a closer debate, but I can see that happening as well.


In some actual news, the Yankees won their first spring training game today against the Pirates. The 2010 Yankees won in 2009 style with a 3-run walk-off homerun by Colin Curtis. They take on the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow in a rematch of the World Series.

SEE YA!

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Top Yankee Games of the Decade Part 2

Here is part two of our top 10 Yankees games of the decade.

5. October 13, 2001 Game 3 ALDS "The Flip": The Yankees found themselves down 0-2 in the best of 5 series going on the road to Oakland. So this was a must win game for them. No team had ever come back 0-2 on the road adding a little more pressure too. The game was a pitcher's duel but the Yankees struck first on Jorge Posada's solo home-run in the fifth for the only run of the game. Leading 1-0 in the 7th Mike Mussina faced Terrence Long with a runner on first and two outs. Long hit a double down the rightfield line. Shane Spencer fielded the ball and overthrew both cutoff men (Soriano and Martinez) on the relay to home plate. Jeremy Giambi was on his way home when out of nowhere Derek Jeter scooped the ball on the first base line. With all his momentum carrying him toward the dugout he quickly flipped the ball banckhanded to Posada, who tagged Giambi (who was not sliding) on the back of the leg for the final out of the inning.


The play saved the game and the Yankees season as they went on to win 1-0 and eventually came back to take the series in 5 games. The flip showed everyone what makes Jeter so great. Most teams don't run a third backup on a relay, but Jeter was standing at the pitchers mound waiting to make the necessary decision. A's third baseman Eric Chavez said, "you probably never see that play made again."


4. November 1, 2009 Game 4 World Series "The Double Steal": I'm sure everyone remembers this game as it is the most recent on the list. The Yankees were up 2-1 heading into the game with CC Sabathia pitching on three days rest. The Yankees got to Joe Blanton early taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But Sabathia gave up an RBI double to Chase Utley to pull the Phillies back within one run. With the game tied at two in the fifth, Jeter and Johnny Damon had back-to-back RBI singles to put them up 4-2. However, Sabathia's troubles against Utley continued as he hit a monster shot into rightfield tocut the score to 4-3. It was Sabathia's last pitch of the game as he went 6.2 innings giving up 3 runs and striking out 6.


In the bottom of the eighth Joba Chamberlain came out in relief and struck out the first two batters he faced. Joba was one pitch away from striking out the side when Feliz crushed the ball tying the game at 4-4 with a solo home run. The Phillies had all the momentum and called on Brad Lidge for the top of the ninth, who had yet to blow a lead or tie game in the postseason.


Like Joba, Lidge got the first two outs with ease. Then came Johnny Damon. Damon worked a tough at-bat reminiscent of Paul O'Neill's at-bat off Armando Benitez in 2000. On the ninth pitch Damon singled to left bringing up Mark Teixeira. With Teixeira up left-handed the Phillies had a lefty shift bringing third basemen Feliz to the shortstop position. On the first pitch Damon took off to steal second. The throw was low and in front of the bag. As Damon popped up he did something that caused every fan from Philadelphia to New York scream at their television...he started running to third.


Because of the shift nobody was there to cover third base. Lidge could have, but he just stood on the mound and watched. Damon caught Feliz offguard and easily made it to third base. Lidge proceeded to hit Teixeira, setting up A-Rod with a go-ahead two out double to put the Yankees ahead 6-4. The Yankees won 7-4 and the rest is history. If it were not for Damon's at-bat or his heads up, instinctual play of stealing two bases on one pitch, the game could have very well headed into extra innings with the Phillies having the home-field advantage.

To me it was this inning that decided the World Series. Because of the double steal the Yankees won this game. After they won it, it was only a matter of when the Yankees would win their 27th World Series title, not if.


So I expected to write way more than I originally planned, so the next games will appear on another post, probably later tonight.

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Top Yankee Games of the Decade (Part 1)

With the hot stove pretty cold right now and the end of the 00's decade coming to the end, we've compiled what we think are the top 10 Yankees games of this decade. Obviously we only chose games they won. Here is part 1 of our segment:

10. October 21, 2000 Game 1 World Series "Subway Series": In the first ever Subway World Series between the Yankees and Mets, the two teams started the series off with a thriller. In a scoreless game in the top of the 6th, Todd Zeile hit a fly ball off the top of the leftfield wall. David Justice threw it into Derek Jeter who fired a perfect strike to Jorge Posada to get Timo Perez out at home plate. Down 3-2 in the 9th Paul O'Neill worked a long at-bat off Armando Benitez into a walk. Luis Polonia would pinch run and score to tie the game at 3-3 on a Chuck Knoblauch sac fly. In the bottom of the 12th, Jose Vizcaino singled to left with the bases loaded giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the series. They would go on to win their third straight World Series in five games.

9. July 1, 2004 "The Dive": Entering the game the Yankees were 7.5 games up on the Red Sox and had spot starter Brad Halsey going up against Pedro Martinez. So it wasn't very meaningful, but it was at the height of the rivalry played at full intensity. The Yankees got out to a quick 3-0 lead. But the Red Sox came back, tying the game in the 7th 3-3. From there is where things got crazy. The Yankees threatened with runners in scoring position in the 9th and 10th innings, but the Red Sox escaped the jams. Mariano Rivera got out of an 11th inning jam with a key double play that got a force out at home.

The following inning with runners on second and third Derek Jeter chased down a Trot Nixon pop up making the catch and his momentum took him flying face first into the stands. His face was bruised and cut up and he was taken out of the game but the cameras continously showed Nomar Garciaparra sitting in the dugout with a "sore wrist" while Jeter was going face first in the stands. In the top of the 13th, Manny Ramirez hit his second home run of the game and it looked life the Yankees effort was going to be all for naught. But then Ruben Sierra singled up the middle with two outs in the 13th and Miguel Cairo followed with a game-tying double. John Flaherty, the last man off the bench, was up and doubled off the right-field wall giving the Yankees a 5-4 victory in one of the most thrilling regular season games you will see.

8. October 11, 2003 Game 3 ALCS "Pedro vs Zim": There was plenty of hype entering this game with Clemens facing Pedro with the series tied 1-1. What happened next nobody could have predicted. In the top of the 4th with the game tied 2-2 Pedro Martinez hit Karim Garcia in the back. Garcia did not appreciate the pitch being so close to his head and had a few words for Pedro. Pedro was then seen yelling at Posada in the dugout each pointing at their heads. Garcia then slid hard into second on the next play. As the Red Sox came up Roger Clemens threw a pitch high over the plate to Manny Ramirez which he thought was too close inside, prompting him to confront Clemens with the bat in his hands. The benches cleared and players had to be separated.

Then off on the side bench coach Don Zimmer was seen barking at Pedro and charging at him. Pedro then sidestepped him, put his hands on Zim's face and threw him to the ground. The mayhem did not stop there. Later in the game Jeff Nelson got into an altercation with a Fenway groundskeeper. When the game was over, the Yankees had won 4-3, but it was what happened in the fourth inning that will be most remembered in the history books.

7. October 9, 2009 Game 2 ALDS "A-Rod's Redemption": Alex Rodriguez's career with the Yankees has been a roller coaster ride. He's admitted using steroids, been criticized for unclutch play in the playoffs, won two MVPs, but only one playoff series in his first 5 years as a Yankee. On this day A-Rod became a Yankee legend. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Yankees fans began to get that feeling of the previous three years...here we go again, win the first game lose the next three. And with the "unclutch" A-Rod at the plate, hope was dim. But on a 3-1 pitch A-Rod sent an "A-Bomb" into the right-center bullpen tying the game at 3-3. Yankees fans everywhere went into pandemonium and you began to get that feeling this is our year.

But the Twins still threatened to win the game. In the top of the 11th, David Robertson faced a bases loaded nobody out jam. He pulled off the Houdini act by getting a lineout, groundout to first, and a flyball without giving up any runs. In the bottom of the 11th, Mark Teixeira earned his pinstripes (and a pie in the face) by hitting a walk-off home run giving them a 2-0 series lead they wouldn't look back on.

6. October 17, 2009 Game 2 ALCS "A-Rod Does It Again": In the following series the Yankees found themselves in a situation similar in the previous round. A wild fifth inning for A.J. Burnett allowed the Angels to tie the game up 2-2. From that point on neither team could get a rally going and they were tied up until the top of the 11th. Alfredo Aceves had given up a RBI single to the hitless Chone Figgins, putting the Angels up 3-2. As it looked like the Yankees were going to head to Anaheim tied 1-1, A-Rod decided he wasn't done with his postseason heroics.

With the rain begin to come down, A-Rod sent an 0-2 pitch from Brian Fuentes just over the rightfield wall, tying the game once again 3-3. It wouldn't be until the 13th inning when Jerry Hairston Jr. led off with a single. He moved to second on a bunt and two batters later Melky Cabrera hit a groundball to second when Maicer Izturis tried to turn two but threw the ball away from Erick Aybar sending Jerry Hairston home to win the game. It was the fifth longest game in ALCS history and was the second game of the postseason where the Yankees won in extra innings.

Check back either tommorow or later in the week for the rest of our countdown.

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The Balance of Power shifts in the division...but which one?

Well, obviously there was a lot of news coming out of Major League Baseball today. Enough even to prevent SportsCenter to not mention Monday Night Football in the first 15 minutes of the show, which is almost unfathomable. Let's take a look at the deals:

Image via Wikipedia

Halladay" style="border: medium none ; display: block;" width="300" height="377">Image via Wikipedia

First, the deal that most directly affects the Yankees. John Lackey signs a five year contract worth more than the $82.5 million A.J. Burnett got from the Yanks last year. This doesn't really scare me that much. Yes, Lackey is a workhorse who has had success in the playoffs, but besides that what is he? He went 11-8 in 2009 and 12-5 in 2008 while missing time with injury. Boston's rotation, as of right now, is Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Clay Buchholz. I think the Yankees rotation matches up favorably to that, but I do have a biased opinion.

Now the big news: the Roy Halladay trade. The three team deal between the Phillies, Blue Jays and Mariners is still pending, and it is still unclear what prospects are headed where but the basics: the Phillies get Halladay, the Mariners get Cliff Lee, and the Blue Jays get prospects from both teams.

Now for the Phillies, they get the guy they've wanted for months now, but they have to give up Lee, who was their ace from this postseason. I literally just got off the phone with a friend of mine who is a Phillies fan who had just heard of the trade. He had only heard that the Phillies got Halladay and I was the one to break the news that they had to give up Lee in the deal. After assuring him that I was not trying to get back at him for the Giants-Eagles game last night by joking around, he was considerably less excited about the trade. Now, Halladay is an upgrade over Lee, but they Phillies would have been a lock for a World Series appearance next season if they had both.

But I think that the attention should be going to the Mariners. They added a front-line starter in an off-season where they already signed Chone Figgins and have been linked to players such as Matt Holliday and Jayson Bay to add to their lineup. They have taken advantage of the Angels losing some big names over the past few years (like Teixeira and Lackey) and have made an aggressive push to make themselves competitive. I think this deal affects the AL West more than the NL East or the AL East.

Well it's finals week, so there may not be too many posts, especially if no big news comes out of Yankee-land because, you know, priorities.

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Jeter is SI's Sportsman of the Year

Yankees captain Derek Jeter has another award to add to his resume, as Sports Illustrated named him their 56th Sportsman of the Year. Jeter hit .334 while finishing third in the American League MVP voting after leading the Yankees to their 27th World Series as a franchise and his 5th individually. This year, he also won the Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron Awards, the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove at shortstop. Here's a quote by Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonald:

Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he's extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field.

So congratulations to Jeter, and though I'm sure he will try to deflect and focus on the team, he deserves it. The issue hits stands Wednesday.

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Heart of a Champion

So, a day after the 27th World Series Championship, the party keeps going on. Some memorable moments on a memorable night:

• As usual, we'll start with A-Rod. In March, the rest of the team stood by him (and were probably forced to stand by him) at his steroid press conference in Spring Training. It was a complete 180 to see Teixeira, Rivera, and Jeter jumping up and down with him on the mound to celebrate a World Series. And while Matsui may have been World Series MVP, Rodriguez was definitely the Postseason MVP.
• Speaking of Matsui, we may have just seen the best World Series performance ever in a series and probably the second best single-game performance (behind Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson). Godzilla turned in a .615 batting average, 3 home runs, 8 RBI's and a 1.385 slugging percentage. There are only two other players that have batted over .500 and hit at least 3 home runs in a World Series. Their names: Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.
• Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte all now have their 5th World Series Championship. I was a little concerned that Jeter might get stuck at 4 after appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated wearing his four World Series Rings prior to the 2001 season, but I can rest easy now.
• And, if you've watched SportsCenter at all today, you've heard this story about Joe Girardi. Apparently he helped a car crash victim at 2:30 AM. After all that champagne being sprayed every where, I'm not sure Giradi should have been driving, but apparently he drove through a DUI checkpoint, so I guess he was okay.

We started this blog way back on June 1st. That night, Joba Chamberlain threw 8 shutout innings in a gem against the Indians. Since then, the Yankees are 85-42, including the playoffs. That's a .670 winning percentage. The overall record on that date was 30-21, 9 games over .500. At the end of the season (including postseason) was 114-63, 51 games over .500. Almost 300 posts and over 3,000 visits later, the World Series trophy resides in the Bronx. We want to thank everyone for reading the blog this season. We will, of course, cover all the off-season and Hot Stove news as it comes and offer our views. But, for now, sit back, relax and enjoy the celebration, and smile at the fact that next April the Yanks will hoist a Championship flag and receive their rings (that's a picture of Jeter's ring from the 2000 World Series) in front of the Angels at the home opener.

The Ticker Tape Parade down the Canyon of Heroes will be 11 AM tomorrow in the City. There are 500 free tickets available for the Key to the City Ceremony in City Hall Plaza and you can try and get your hands on a couple of those here.

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World Series Game 6: Yankees vs Phillies

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
Brett Gardner CF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (3-0, 3.24 ERA in postseason)

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Pedro Feliz 3B
Ben Francisco LF
Carlos Ruiz C
Pitching: RHP Pedro Martinez (0-1, 2.08 ERA in postseason)

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


Champagne on Ice Part II: Well they couldn't get it done in Game 5, so now the Yankees have the chance to end the season with a championship in their new home in the Bronx as they lead the Philles 3-2.
Andy Dandy: Andy Pettitte is pitching on three days rest for the first time since 2006 with the Astros. The last time he pitched in the World Series on three days rest was Game 2 in 2003 against the Marlins when he went 8 2/3 innings, 1 unearned run on 6 hits. That was 6 years ago though.
The Little Boy And His Daddy: Pedro Martinez is now pitching for the Phillies season at Yankee Stadium. It would sure be something to beat Pedro once more...this time to win the World Series.

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World Series Game 5: Yankees at Phillies

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Brett Gardner CF
Jose Molina C
A.J. Burnett P
Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (1-0, 3.55 ERA in postseason)

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino
CFChase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Pedro Feliz 3B
Carlos Ruiz C
Cliff Lee P
Pitching: LHP Cliff Lee (3-0, 0.54 ERA in postseason)
TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Champagne On Ice: The Yankees are up 3-1 in the World Series and are on the brink of winning their 27th World Championship, their first since 2000 when they beat the Mets in 5 games.
Stealing the Show: Johnny Damon stole two bases last ninght in a play that will forever live in Philadelphia infamy. The play was only the 13th time someone has stolen two bases in one inning in a World Series game, the last coming from B.J. Upton last year.
A-Clutch: A-Rod only has two hits in the World Series, but they are pretty big hits. His first was a home-run that closed a 3-0 Phillies lead to 3-2. His second was the go-ahead double in the top of the 9th last night.

Enjoy the game and hopefully the next headline on this blog has will be World Champs.

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Smooth Criminal: Damon's steals spark Yanks to win

Yankees 7 9 1
Phillies 4 8 1

WP: Chamberlain
LP: Lidge
S: Rivea

Googie Man 11:59, 4 May 2006 . . Goog..." style="border: medium none ; display: block;" height="560" width="300">Image via Wikipedia

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Johnny Damon went 3-5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. One of those runs was the winning run off of a A-Rod double.

PLAY OF THE GAME: A-Rod's go-ahead double in the ninth inning off of Brad Lidge. Just another clutch postseason hit for A-Rod.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Damon's at-bat, and stolen base(s). With 2 outs, Damon got on and then stole second and third because of the shift on Teixeira.

GAME NOTES:

• Well, I don't have to tell you, but I love saying it: The Yankees are one win away from winning the World Series.. They have 3 games to win 1 game. Their first chance will be tomorrow against Cliff Lee.
• I loved the Damon steal for several reasons. One, simply stealing second was a good play because it puts him in scoring position. Then, obviously taking third the way he did, in my opinion, took something away from Lidge's focus. He plunked Tex, gave up the double to A-Rod, then gave up the 2-run single and a half to Posada.
• A-Rod got plunked for the third time in two games in the first inning. Alex was heard telling the umpire, "That's the third time, it's kind of obvious." In contrast to Tim McCarver's opinion (which he felt the need to tells us many, many, many times), I believe it was intentional. I don't think Blanton was trying to injure him, but using it as an intentional walk, and saving three pitches. And then warning the dugouts is just bogus, especially if you aren't going to throw people out when the hit people (like Lidge with Tex in the 9th, but lucky for us they didn't toss him).
• AJ Burnett will go in Game 5 on three-day's rest against Cliff Lee. Lee will be trying to save the Phillies season and AJ will be looking to clinch a World Series title.
  

SEE YA!

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World Series Game 4: Yankees at Phillies

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
CC Sabathia P
Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (3-1, 1.57 ERA in postseason)

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
Joe Blanton P
Pitching: RHP Joe Blanton (0-0, 4.66 ERA in postseason)

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

Halfway There: The Yankees are up 2-1 in the series with only two more victories left to bring home a championship. They look to go up 3-1 today and turn to CC Sabathia.
Three Days Best: CC Sabathia is pitching on three days rest again today. Lookinga t his stats that doesn't seem to bother him. He is 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA when pitching on short rest in his career (including postseason). His latest being an 8 inning 1 run performance against the Angels in the ALCS.
A-Bomb: A-Rod hit his first World Series home run yesterday, which brought the Yankees within 3-2 at the time in the game. A-Rod was hitless in his last 10 at bats.
UPDATE:
A.J. Burnett has been announced as the Game 5 starter. He too, will be pitching on three days rest. This could potentially set up Pettitte going on three days rest of there is a Game 6, which I'm not too sure how he will do in that situation.

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Yanks take 2-1 lead with win on The Streets of Philadelphia

Yankees 8 8 1
Phillies 5 6 0

WP: Pettitte
LP: Hamels

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Alex Rodriguez broke out of his World Series slump by going 1-2 with 2 RBI's, a run scored and a home run. He was also plunked twice by Phillies pitching.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Andy Pettitte's RBI single to tie the game. How many times do you see an America League Pitcher get a hit in a key situation?

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: A-Rod's 2-run homer in the fourth inning that (after the umpires checked the replay) brought the Yankees within one run. It got the Yankees on the board, back into the game, and sparked the rest of the lineup.

GAME NOTES:

• Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte are really the only people you trust coming out of the bullpen besides Mariano right now. The two relievers threw two perfect innings against the meat of the Phillies line up.
  
• The Yankees took back home-field advantage with the win tonight. So if both teams hold serve at home, the Yanks will win in 7. I'm sure the Yankees would like to get it finished earlier than that, and quite frankly, I'm not sure if my nerves could handle a Game 7.
• Winning this 3rd game was important for a few reasons.

1. Obviously, it gives the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the series.
2. With CC on the mound in Game 4 against Joe Blanton, you feel confident about winning that game to go up 3-1.
3. With Cliff Lee going in Game 5, you don't necessarily feel confident about winning that game to wrap up the series.
   

• All-time, the Yankees are 2-0 in games that start on October 31st and end on November 1st. For the record, they are 1-0 in games on November 1st/2nd.
  
• Big day tomorrow for New York vs. Philly in sports. At 1 PM, the Giants face the Eagles in a battle for first place in the NFC East and then Game 4 starts at 7:57 PM.
  
• Make sure you push your clocks back so you don't miss that start time. In a few minutes here, it will go from 1:59 to 1:00 AM.

SEE YA!

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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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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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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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