Last night was one of the great games in Yankee playoff history. I thought about what to write about and I realized I was too happy and too emotional last night to clearly state the big parts of the game. Right now I'm a little more level headed but still I can't put into words the greatness and how much just happened in that game. For 9 innings we had a great game filled with lots of interesting developments. We had AJ Burnett throwing a very AJ Burnett game. He dominated the first 4 innings but then hid the skids in the 5th after hitting a batter and walking batters. A few wild pitches thrown into the mix and he had blown the 2-0 lead. He managed to settle in the 6th and ended with a pretty solid performance. For the Angels, Saunders looked a bit shaky in the early going. Cano had a 2 out RBI triple and Jeter had a solo shot to give the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead. Saunders found his stride for the second straight game against the Yankees and managed 7 strong innings with only 2 runs.
The funny thing was this game was supposed to be sloppy weather wise, but instead it was sloppy in terms of performance. Both teams were making errors left and right. Both teams failed to score with men in scoring position. There were wild pitches, hbp, meetings on the mound, and countless pitchers used. The game dragged on, Extra innings. Then the rain began. Then the game got intense. Alfredo Aceves was the first Yankee reliever to have any trouble. Previously JOba, Coke, Hughes, and Rivera had all done a great job of keeping the Angels at 2 following AJ's start. Aceves gave up a run on a Chone Figgins double, his first hit of the postseason. It looked like curtains for the Yankees who had failed to score in 8 innings. But the Yankees love the spotlight and love the comebacks. Arod led off and in typical A-rod of 09 fashion, came through in a tight spot. On an 0-2 pitch from closer Brian Fuentes, he nailed a fastball the opposite way just over the right field wall for a game tying solo HR. Just when you thought the Angels had taken this marathon game, the Yankees clawed back. Just when you thought at 12:15 you could go to bed, think again. Just when you thought Arod had done enough in the clutch to overcome his previous postseasons, he comes through AGAIN in a big way. He really has put all his problems behind him and is putting the team on his back.
Well the game continued and it was sloppy with the weather as the rain picked up. Innings continued to be played and people were wondering if it was going to ever end. Who would the Yankees pitch? Who was left? Who was going to be the hero, who wanted the pie? Well in the 13th inning after Dave Robertson avoided 2 threatening Angels innings, Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Freddy Guzman. I was wondering why he didn't previously pinch hit but all the same glad he got to hit last night. He came up and smoke a single. Garnder bunted him over to second. Cano was intentioanlly walked. And with 1 out and first and second, Melky Cabrera came up. He hit a sharp grounder to Izturis. Izturis had one play and that was Melky at first, but he tried to make too much and get the force at second trying for a double play. Instead he through it wide of Aybar and Hairston was allowed to score. A fortunate 2nd error and 3rd mental error for the Angels, a team that never allows mistakes made a big one.
Lot of notes on this game. First the play on Aybar earlier in the game, he was called for not stepping on second on a routine double play. Fortunately it did not cost them the game or their would be lots of problems with the call, but I saw that one with the naked eye and called it before the umpire did. I know it's the neighborhood play and nobody calls that, but you gotta touch the base. He never did and that's the rule. The fact that the announcers were saying it was BS for the angels was beyond me. How? THat's baseball. I know it isn't called often but just because it's the ALCS doesn't mean you are exempt from touching 2nd on a double play. Sorry Aybar complain all you want but on replay you never touched. Go back to basics and learn how to do it right.
Jeter also got called out on a double play hit right to Saunders when the replay showed he clearly beat the throw. Not complaining just saying anyone who thought the umps were siding with the Yankees last night, wrong.
21 players were used for the Yankees, only Pettitte, CC, Gaudin, and Cervelli were not. MOst all time in BAseball playoff history. Lets see what Monday brings for game 3 in warm Anaheim.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Game 2
The Yankees won game 1 in Angels fashion...huh? Yea that's right, the Yankees won game 1 playing a Mike Scioscia type baseball. 0 HRs, great defense, first to third on hits, and good pitching. The Angels on the other hand did not look like themselves. Nobody got on the bases and nobody was running. There were 3 errors in the field and the team looked lost. Maybe it was the cold or maybe it was CC Sabathia, either way the Yankees looked like a vastly superior team in Game 1 and look to continue that success tonight in game 2. Joe Torre always said game 2 was the important game and it's hard to argue with his logic. Tonight either AJ Burnett brings it and we cut off breathing circulation to the Angels or the Angels retake momentum and tie the series and head back to LA.
Burnett has been great lately and he is working with Jose Molina, his best catcher friend. Saunders will go for Anaheim and he has been pretty good his last 2 seasons and vs the Yankees. He however, has not pitched in 2 weeks. AJ has been great lately but also lead the MLB in walks. The Angels work walks and love to run the bases, something that ought to be troublesome for Burnett. Chone Figgins has struggled for the Angels lately and he is their tablesetter and without him they are not the same. We'll see how Burnett handles him, Figgins is 412 vs him in his career and led the MLB in walks, so that is something to keep an eye on, will they stop Figgins.
I suspect Burnett will have some struggles but will work innings and keep us in the game. maybe 5 hits and 3 walks through 6 giving up 4 ER. I say the pen shuts down the Angels and the Yankees will not quite hit Saunders but knock him out early. A 7th or 8th inning rally will get the Yankees back into it and we'll see another pie in the face game. 2nd in the playoffs, 2nd in game 2 of the playoffs and 16th for the season.
By The Numbers
4- straight playoff wins for the Yankees and the combined amount of earned runs from Yankee Starters in the playoffs.
2- Wins for CC in this postseason
7- RBIs for Alex Rodriguez in 4 postseason games.
0- HRs allowed by the Yankees in the playoffs
36- Mariano Rivera's postseason saves (most all time).
Burnett has been great lately and he is working with Jose Molina, his best catcher friend. Saunders will go for Anaheim and he has been pretty good his last 2 seasons and vs the Yankees. He however, has not pitched in 2 weeks. AJ has been great lately but also lead the MLB in walks. The Angels work walks and love to run the bases, something that ought to be troublesome for Burnett. Chone Figgins has struggled for the Angels lately and he is their tablesetter and without him they are not the same. We'll see how Burnett handles him, Figgins is 412 vs him in his career and led the MLB in walks, so that is something to keep an eye on, will they stop Figgins.
I suspect Burnett will have some struggles but will work innings and keep us in the game. maybe 5 hits and 3 walks through 6 giving up 4 ER. I say the pen shuts down the Angels and the Yankees will not quite hit Saunders but knock him out early. A 7th or 8th inning rally will get the Yankees back into it and we'll see another pie in the face game. 2nd in the playoffs, 2nd in game 2 of the playoffs and 16th for the season.
By The Numbers
4- straight playoff wins for the Yankees and the combined amount of earned runs from Yankee Starters in the playoffs.
2- Wins for CC in this postseason
7- RBIs for Alex Rodriguez in 4 postseason games.
0- HRs allowed by the Yankees in the playoffs
36- Mariano Rivera's postseason saves (most all time).
Friday, October 16, 2009
Not satisfied
I posted a little while ago and it was dry. I was distracted and it was a little far from game time I wasn't quite feeling it yet. Well now we are 40 minutes away and the Dodgers game just ended (dodgers won) so that means its time to focus on the Yankees for the sports world. I realized that I cannot wait for this game to begin and this is what the whole season is all about. I'm nervous, I'm excited. Each pitch will have significance and I won't miss one. I think this is the most significant playoff series the Yankees have had in 5 years since the 2004 ALCS vs the Sox. Because of that I think this is the most important series in my life for the Yankees. Clearly I was a fan in 2004 when I was 16, but I was so used to success and I was so young. Now I'm older and now I know what its like to not make the World Series or even the playoffs every year. This is our year. This is the best team we have put together in a decade. This is a team of destiny. We are the comeback kids, the miracle whippers, the magicians on the field, and the team that never quits, never fails, and most importantly, has fun. This is a great team to watch and I am hoping and praying like every other Yankees fan to see a win tonight and a win this series and hopefully a win in the World Series. I am wearing my heart on my sleeve tonight and I am very excited. LETS GO YANKEES, GIVE THE HALOS HELL.
Here...We....Go!
So the Yankees disposed of the Twins rather easily in a 3 game sweep. A great win for the Yankees and the first playoff series win in 5 years, almost sad to say but it's true. Now that brings on the real tests (sorry Minn). The Yankees will face the LA Angels in a best of 7 series beginning tonight at Yankee Stadium. The game might have some showers and could be delayed or postponed but either way the series kicks off at 7:57 in the Bronx. This should be a good one, but a nerve racking one as well. The Yankees have always had problems with the Angels and it is all Mike Scioscia's fault. Scioscia has been the manager of the Angels for quite some time now and he has done an excellent job of making them more than just a competitive team for 10 straight years. Their style of play is the Yankee nemesis. First to third on singles, stealing bases on the regular, hard nosed baseball, pitchers don't walk batters, batters take pitches, and a high energy strategy.
This series may be different than the last bunch. The Angels have won the previous two playoff series and had the last regular season sweep against the Yankees (right before the all star break) but the Yankees look like a completely ready to go team. The Yankees look like a team that is ready to roll and hasn't looked this good since the good ol Torre days in the late 90s. The Yankees look to be going to a 3 man rotation which should create some interest and might work well but it hinges on the 3 starters being successful. CC has handled limited rest in the past and singlehandedly put the Brewers on his back last year, I think he will be ok. AJ won't have to do any starts on 3 days rest but he and Andy will have 2 starts a piece and must be relied upon. The bullpen looks pretty sharp and with Joba finding his way into the 7th or 8th inning along with hughes, it could be unbeatable.
The key to this series is the Yankee offense being able to hit the Angel pitching, and the ability of the Yankee starters to keep the Angels off the base paths. The Angels have only a few hitters with 20 or more home runs and so they rely heavily on 2 out singles and lots and lots of running. They also have 4 extremely reliable and proficient starters who have had lots of success in their past vs the Yankees. Kazmir has always done well as a Ray vs the Yankees and Saunders shut the Yankees down the last series they played. Lackey is their most dependable starter and Weaver has pretty good stuff and has been pretty legit lately. The Yankee offense is clearly a juggernaut but I worry sometimes that they will hit the skids and fail to be themselves especially against a good pitching staff like the Angels. At least Rivera is phenominal and Fuentes has seen better days and can't beat the Yankees to save his life. Should be an ejoyable series and I hope for the best. I expect the Yankees to win in 6 or 7 but it will be certainly a hard fought battle. The main keys to the series, Posada and Molina's % throwing out runners, CC in his 3 starts, the bullpen battle, and the middle of the Yankee order. We know Jeter brings it and there is not so much pressure on Swisher and Melky, it comes down to Damon, Tex, Arod, and Matsui in the middle of the order. Have to be able to take advantage of the limited opportunities with runners in scoring position and get those clutch singles. Can't wait for tonight, let's go NYY!!!
This series may be different than the last bunch. The Angels have won the previous two playoff series and had the last regular season sweep against the Yankees (right before the all star break) but the Yankees look like a completely ready to go team. The Yankees look like a team that is ready to roll and hasn't looked this good since the good ol Torre days in the late 90s. The Yankees look to be going to a 3 man rotation which should create some interest and might work well but it hinges on the 3 starters being successful. CC has handled limited rest in the past and singlehandedly put the Brewers on his back last year, I think he will be ok. AJ won't have to do any starts on 3 days rest but he and Andy will have 2 starts a piece and must be relied upon. The bullpen looks pretty sharp and with Joba finding his way into the 7th or 8th inning along with hughes, it could be unbeatable.
The key to this series is the Yankee offense being able to hit the Angel pitching, and the ability of the Yankee starters to keep the Angels off the base paths. The Angels have only a few hitters with 20 or more home runs and so they rely heavily on 2 out singles and lots and lots of running. They also have 4 extremely reliable and proficient starters who have had lots of success in their past vs the Yankees. Kazmir has always done well as a Ray vs the Yankees and Saunders shut the Yankees down the last series they played. Lackey is their most dependable starter and Weaver has pretty good stuff and has been pretty legit lately. The Yankee offense is clearly a juggernaut but I worry sometimes that they will hit the skids and fail to be themselves especially against a good pitching staff like the Angels. At least Rivera is phenominal and Fuentes has seen better days and can't beat the Yankees to save his life. Should be an ejoyable series and I hope for the best. I expect the Yankees to win in 6 or 7 but it will be certainly a hard fought battle. The main keys to the series, Posada and Molina's % throwing out runners, CC in his 3 starts, the bullpen battle, and the middle of the Yankee order. We know Jeter brings it and there is not so much pressure on Swisher and Melky, it comes down to Damon, Tex, Arod, and Matsui in the middle of the order. Have to be able to take advantage of the limited opportunities with runners in scoring position and get those clutch singles. Can't wait for tonight, let's go NYY!!!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Yankees Get Playoff Win #1
The Yankees got their first playoff victory in the New Yankee Stadium and their first victory under Joe Girardi. The Yankees looked very good tonight behind CC Sabathia. The Yankees won 7-2 over the Twins after falling behind 2-0 early. Sabathia struggled a little early on in the game but after giving up 2 runs in the 3rd found his own and did very well. after 3 innings Sabathia had a 64 pitch count and appeared to be on his way to another post season flop. However he rebounded with a big 4th 5th and 6th, throwing only 30 pitches and accumulating 4 strikeouts bringing his total to 8.
The Yankee offense was a little sluggish out of the gate, with only Jeter getting a hit on the first go round. However they responded in the third inning with a 2 run BOMB from Derek and tied the game at 2. Swisher had a clutch rbi double scoring Cano later, Arod had 2 clutch 2 out singles scoring 2 runs and Matsui had a nice 420 foot 2-run HR off Liriano. The Yankees showed why they had the best record in baseball and are considered the team to beat. They dominated offensively and mowed the Twins down despite one bad inning from Sabathia.
This win was an enormous win for the Yankees. We all know they are a fantastic team, but we didn't know how CC or the rest of the team would handle the new pressure of the playoffs. Last few post season appearances have been busts and I was afraid this would be as well. The Twins have been hot as hell lately and I was concerned they weren't going to cool down. Jeter got an extremely important 2 run home run in the 3rd to tie the game. Unlikely to hear that a 3rd inning home run could be so clutch, but it was more of a message than anything else. Jeter was saying to the team, "Guys, we are the same team we've been all year and this is how we do it. Don't be concerned, I got us going now somebody else keep us rolling." And then they did. Arod, Swisher, and Matsui all followed suit with big hits of their own. CC never looked back and the Yankees coasted.
The Yankees pitched Joba for a little bit who looked pretty solid. His velocity was up and he was effective and showed some good signs. Hughes pitched rather well as well and overall the pen was able to manage 2 1/3 innings of 0 runs, something that they needed to do. The Yankees throw AJ on Friday against Nick Blackburn and that game is also scheduled for a 6:07 start. Looking forward to game 2.
One more quick note....It was nice getting a win in game 1 and especially in this fashion. It was nice the Yankees didn't make any of us Yankee fans sweat during the win. We love our 8th and 9th inning comebacks but maybe it was nice saving that for later on in the series after we have some Ws under our belt. 1-0 Yankees in this best of 5 series.
The Yankee offense was a little sluggish out of the gate, with only Jeter getting a hit on the first go round. However they responded in the third inning with a 2 run BOMB from Derek and tied the game at 2. Swisher had a clutch rbi double scoring Cano later, Arod had 2 clutch 2 out singles scoring 2 runs and Matsui had a nice 420 foot 2-run HR off Liriano. The Yankees showed why they had the best record in baseball and are considered the team to beat. They dominated offensively and mowed the Twins down despite one bad inning from Sabathia.
This win was an enormous win for the Yankees. We all know they are a fantastic team, but we didn't know how CC or the rest of the team would handle the new pressure of the playoffs. Last few post season appearances have been busts and I was afraid this would be as well. The Twins have been hot as hell lately and I was concerned they weren't going to cool down. Jeter got an extremely important 2 run home run in the 3rd to tie the game. Unlikely to hear that a 3rd inning home run could be so clutch, but it was more of a message than anything else. Jeter was saying to the team, "Guys, we are the same team we've been all year and this is how we do it. Don't be concerned, I got us going now somebody else keep us rolling." And then they did. Arod, Swisher, and Matsui all followed suit with big hits of their own. CC never looked back and the Yankees coasted.
The Yankees pitched Joba for a little bit who looked pretty solid. His velocity was up and he was effective and showed some good signs. Hughes pitched rather well as well and overall the pen was able to manage 2 1/3 innings of 0 runs, something that they needed to do. The Yankees throw AJ on Friday against Nick Blackburn and that game is also scheduled for a 6:07 start. Looking forward to game 2.
One more quick note....It was nice getting a win in game 1 and especially in this fashion. It was nice the Yankees didn't make any of us Yankee fans sweat during the win. We love our 8th and 9th inning comebacks but maybe it was nice saving that for later on in the series after we have some Ws under our belt. 1-0 Yankees in this best of 5 series.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Hmmm...Twins
So the Minnesota Twins capped off their unbelievable run with a win on Tuesday night. Now they will face the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs that begin on Wednesday at 6pm in Yankee Stadium. the Twins are on fire, but are tired and without Justin Morneau and used their best starters in their last two games. They are also 0-7 against the Yankees this year, so this bodes well for the Yankees. I think the Yankees should dispose of the Twins, but you can never take a team for granted and especially not in a short series. CC will take the hill tomorrow against Duensing. Should be an interesting matchup and a good series in general, I think either sweep or Yankees in 4.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Yankees Conclude Regular Season--Playoff Baseball Now
The Yankees won their season finale, to bring them to 103-59 for the season. The Yankees did not need to win the game because they had the best record in MLB locked up, but it was good for their psyche to end on a win. Not just a win, but a dominating win. One that was highlighted by a 10 run inning accounting for all 10 runs they scored in the game. 7/10 runs scored were driven in by Alex Rodriguez, both on Home Runs. Damon led off with a double, Tex walked, and then Arod hit a 3 run bomb. The inning continued and then Damon came up with bases loaded and got a 2 run double. The Rays elected to intentionally walk Tex to face Arod with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Arod meanwhile came into the game with 28 home runs and 93 Rbi. After the home run earlier in the inning Arod was at 29 and 96, needing a home run and 4 rbi to reach 30 and 100 for the 12th straight season. Arod seemed to understand he needed to hit a Grand Slam to accomplish that feat as well as tie Mark McGwire for 8th on the all time home runs list with 583. Well Arod delivered with a second a-bomb in the inning and put the Rays away for the final time this season.
The Yankees went on to win 10-2 and got a good performance from starter AJ Burnett and Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the regular season. Now the interesting talks begin, the postseason. This is what it is all about. The stats, the wins, the comeback walk offs, the dominating performances, the nailbiters, the records (Jeter most Yankee hits, Yankees most HRs in a season, Melky Cycle, etc.) all mean jack shit if the Yankees can't go the distance. And when I say go the distance, I don't mean win in the first roun for the first time since 2004. I mean go all the way and win the World Series, because this team has known since July that they were destined for bigger and better things. This year is the year of the Yankees and they brought in guys just for this. CC, AJ, Tex, Swisher, they all know what it means to be a Yankee by now, but do they know this is where they earn their pinstripes? The 19 regular season wins from Sabathia will soon be forgotten if he throws another stinker in October. Tex is likely to finish top 3 in the MVP voting, and all things considered the best FA signing for the Yankees since I can remember, but again he better bring it this week.
2 Weeks ago I'd have told you this team was 100% going all the way, but some things came up and now as likely favorites as they are, their is cryptonite to their Superman skills. CC Sabathia pitched yesterday and has his worst start of the year. Yea you could chalk it up to one bad start and forget about it and remember the game meant nothing to the team, but I can't do that. It was the first chance in his nice career where he could achieve 20 wins, and you best believe that was on his mind. He pressed and was a little edgy and resulted in failure. This isn't anything new to CC, he has a 7+ era in the playoffs and again showed he does not have the big moment juice in him. Anyone else concerned for Wednesday's playoff opener? Also the Yankees don't really have a 4th starter. For the first round they won't need to use a 4th starter but in the next rounds, they will have to decide between Gaudin, Joba, or Mitre. I think Gaudin will likely be the starter and JOba will come out of the Pen, but it doesn't seem like that is the case or you would see Joba in the pen in the first round as well. Instead it appears as if he will be left off the roster for the first round. Either way we are putting a lot of stock in AJ and Andy to carry some serious loads. I have faith in Pettitte as he's come through in the playoffs countless times before, but it's been years for him and I hope his age has not caught up with him. I doubt this is the case, but one can only wonder when the last time he won a playoff game was and hope he is still the big game pitcher Andy Pettitte we once remembered.
The first round will feature the Sox and the Angels but the Yankees are yet to know their opponent for the first round. The Tigers and Twins are currently tied for the division lead and so will need to play a one game playoff on Tuesday to determine the winner. The Tigers are a little bit more intimidating on paper, with a very strong pitching staff, but they are cold lately and don't measure up with the Yankees well. The Twins on the other hand don't seem like a playoff team. They lost Morneau for the season and their pitching staff is inconsistent and average at best. However, they are the hotest team in the league bar none. They were about 7 games out for the division lead as of 3-4 weeks ago and have seemingly not lost in weeks. They continue to swing hot bats, get good starts from their pitchers, and the pen seems to hold the game each and every time. I can honestly say about 3 weeks ago I was nervous about the Tigers. Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson in a short series could be trouble, but given the play lately of both teams, I am praying the Tigers get a mircale W on Tuesday and we play them. Verlander pitched today so he wouldn't go until Friday and Edwin Jackson will pitch on Tuesday so he wouldn't go until Sunday. That means Porcello in game 1 and Porcello if the series gets dicey, I like those odds, a rookie in Yankee Stadium when it's rocking in rocktober. The Twins however threw Blackburn yesterday, Baker on Friday and Pavano today. They have Duensing as well. I don't see any pitcher being clearly better than any other, but Baker is likely their ace and I think we'll see him Tuesday and so that counts him and Pavano out for game 1.
Either way the playoffs should be interesting and exciting. I have high expectations for the Yankees and I don't see anything other than a ring satisfying my thirst. When it all comes to a close win or lose, I think I will shed a tear. This may sound weird and distrubing and maybe it is, but I have become so attached to this team. The length of this season with the early downs to the recent ups have excited me greatly. This team has accomplished so much and have been the most fun team to watch, beyond any other team in any other sport that I have seen. 103 wins, 15 walks offs, a cycle, a possible cy young, 2 possible mvps, record breaking hits and homers, a near perfect game, 9 wins in their last 10 games vs Boston, 34 straight saves, and some remarkable offensive & defensive plays. They have overcome injuries and adversity to become one of the best all around teams in baseball history. I will greatly miss watching this team, but hopefully they cap it off the right way. Let's hope for the best, and good luck to the rest of the league in the playoffs.
The Yankees went on to win 10-2 and got a good performance from starter AJ Burnett and Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the regular season. Now the interesting talks begin, the postseason. This is what it is all about. The stats, the wins, the comeback walk offs, the dominating performances, the nailbiters, the records (Jeter most Yankee hits, Yankees most HRs in a season, Melky Cycle, etc.) all mean jack shit if the Yankees can't go the distance. And when I say go the distance, I don't mean win in the first roun for the first time since 2004. I mean go all the way and win the World Series, because this team has known since July that they were destined for bigger and better things. This year is the year of the Yankees and they brought in guys just for this. CC, AJ, Tex, Swisher, they all know what it means to be a Yankee by now, but do they know this is where they earn their pinstripes? The 19 regular season wins from Sabathia will soon be forgotten if he throws another stinker in October. Tex is likely to finish top 3 in the MVP voting, and all things considered the best FA signing for the Yankees since I can remember, but again he better bring it this week.
2 Weeks ago I'd have told you this team was 100% going all the way, but some things came up and now as likely favorites as they are, their is cryptonite to their Superman skills. CC Sabathia pitched yesterday and has his worst start of the year. Yea you could chalk it up to one bad start and forget about it and remember the game meant nothing to the team, but I can't do that. It was the first chance in his nice career where he could achieve 20 wins, and you best believe that was on his mind. He pressed and was a little edgy and resulted in failure. This isn't anything new to CC, he has a 7+ era in the playoffs and again showed he does not have the big moment juice in him. Anyone else concerned for Wednesday's playoff opener? Also the Yankees don't really have a 4th starter. For the first round they won't need to use a 4th starter but in the next rounds, they will have to decide between Gaudin, Joba, or Mitre. I think Gaudin will likely be the starter and JOba will come out of the Pen, but it doesn't seem like that is the case or you would see Joba in the pen in the first round as well. Instead it appears as if he will be left off the roster for the first round. Either way we are putting a lot of stock in AJ and Andy to carry some serious loads. I have faith in Pettitte as he's come through in the playoffs countless times before, but it's been years for him and I hope his age has not caught up with him. I doubt this is the case, but one can only wonder when the last time he won a playoff game was and hope he is still the big game pitcher Andy Pettitte we once remembered.
The first round will feature the Sox and the Angels but the Yankees are yet to know their opponent for the first round. The Tigers and Twins are currently tied for the division lead and so will need to play a one game playoff on Tuesday to determine the winner. The Tigers are a little bit more intimidating on paper, with a very strong pitching staff, but they are cold lately and don't measure up with the Yankees well. The Twins on the other hand don't seem like a playoff team. They lost Morneau for the season and their pitching staff is inconsistent and average at best. However, they are the hotest team in the league bar none. They were about 7 games out for the division lead as of 3-4 weeks ago and have seemingly not lost in weeks. They continue to swing hot bats, get good starts from their pitchers, and the pen seems to hold the game each and every time. I can honestly say about 3 weeks ago I was nervous about the Tigers. Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson in a short series could be trouble, but given the play lately of both teams, I am praying the Tigers get a mircale W on Tuesday and we play them. Verlander pitched today so he wouldn't go until Friday and Edwin Jackson will pitch on Tuesday so he wouldn't go until Sunday. That means Porcello in game 1 and Porcello if the series gets dicey, I like those odds, a rookie in Yankee Stadium when it's rocking in rocktober. The Twins however threw Blackburn yesterday, Baker on Friday and Pavano today. They have Duensing as well. I don't see any pitcher being clearly better than any other, but Baker is likely their ace and I think we'll see him Tuesday and so that counts him and Pavano out for game 1.
Either way the playoffs should be interesting and exciting. I have high expectations for the Yankees and I don't see anything other than a ring satisfying my thirst. When it all comes to a close win or lose, I think I will shed a tear. This may sound weird and distrubing and maybe it is, but I have become so attached to this team. The length of this season with the early downs to the recent ups have excited me greatly. This team has accomplished so much and have been the most fun team to watch, beyond any other team in any other sport that I have seen. 103 wins, 15 walks offs, a cycle, a possible cy young, 2 possible mvps, record breaking hits and homers, a near perfect game, 9 wins in their last 10 games vs Boston, 34 straight saves, and some remarkable offensive & defensive plays. They have overcome injuries and adversity to become one of the best all around teams in baseball history. I will greatly miss watching this team, but hopefully they cap it off the right way. Let's hope for the best, and good luck to the rest of the league in the playoffs.
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