MLB 2009 Season

[Soulstation1]

Phillies win tonight, this series is over

[Quincy]

I know Charlie went with Pedro as Hammels pitches better at home, but MLB should thank him for creating such great theater. Phillies now have to go up against the SI cover jinx as Howard is on the latest.

[Dave James]

Illustrating once and for all how little faith Joe Girardi has in his set-up guys, the Yankees have once again turned to Mo and asked him for two innings. I just hope he can keep the pitch count down to a reaasonable level. He can't be the only guy in the pen.

Oh oh. While I'm typing this, Mo has walked Rollins and given up a seeing eye single to the Flyin' Hawaiian. Let's get a double play and get out of this.

Up over and out.

[ghost of miles]

Some quick thoughts on the bottom of the 7th:

(1) Why on earth was Jeter still trying to bunt with two strikes?

(2) WHAT on earth was that horrible call on Damon's alleged lineout? For those who constantly claim that the Yankees get all the breaks--an absolutely terrible call! The replay showed clearly that Howard caught the ball on a short hop... Yanks should have had the bases loaded with 1 out and Tex at the plate. Instead, inning over.

I haven't watched the playoffs this intensely in a few years... has there been a previous postseason with this many blown calls? Phils have two on and one out now in the 8th...that series of events in the bottom of the 7th could prove to be huge.

Edited October 30, 2009 by ghost of miles

[Chalupa]

Some quick thoughts on the bottom of the 7th:

(1) Why on earth was Jeter still trying to bunt with two strikes?

(2) WHAT on earth was that horrible call on Damon's alleged lineout? For those who constantly claim that the Yankees get all the breaks--an absolutely terrible call! The replay showed clearly that Howard caught the ball on a short hop... Yanks should have had the bases loaded with 1 out and Tex at the plate. Instead, inning over.

I haven't watched the playoffs this intensely in a few years... has there been a previous postseason with this many blown calls? Phils have two on and one out now in the 8th...that series of events in the bottom of the 7th could prove to be huge.

Only to have the same ump blow another call by calling Utley out at first when the replays clearly showed he was safe. Another make up call.

My questions are:

(1) Why did Chollie let Pedro pitch in the 7th when his pitch count was at 99 to start the inning? Especially after Matsui smacked that pop fly that went out the band box? 320ft. is not a home run.

(2) Jethro McCarver was right when he asked why didn't Chollie send the runners on the 3-2 to Utley. Why not?

This game is almost a complete reversal of last night. Although I think Lee pitched way better and Burnett(and Pedro) got the benefit of a w-i-d-e strike zone tonight.

[ghost of miles]

Whew--not the most overwhelming win, and potentially an expensive one, with a 39-year-old Mo throwing 39 pitches to save it. Hard to see NY getting through the rest of this series without having a reliable set-up man...they can't keep bringing Mo in to pitch as much as he did tonight. And he is not as unhittable as he used to be.

Thoughts on A-Rod: I fully expected him to slow down in the WS, given that he'd been on a tear since his double-home-run-inning season finale against Tampa Bay...inevitable that he'd cool down, but 6 Ks in 8 AB is pretty awful. I just hope he doesn't psyche himself out over it and goes into Game 3 looking simply to get a good, clean hit.

Pedro Martinez certainly has nothing to be ashamed of--very good performance tonight. Through the first several innings I was afraid that we were on our way to another "clunker" series, with the Yanks on the hapless end of it. With Pettitte on the mound next, I think we've got a fighting chance for Game 3 in Philly.

[Chalupa]

I think you guys definitely have the edge in the game 3 match up. Pettitte is money in the big games. Hamels has been small and weakish this entire season and I fully expect more of the same from him on Saturday.

[ghost of miles]

I think you guys definitely have the edge in the game 3 match up. Pettitte is money in the big games. Hamels has been small and weakish this entire season and I fully expect more of the same from him on Saturday.

Yes, although statistically Hamels has been a better pitcher at home. Plus Ryan Howard must be spitting-bat-splinters mad after whiffing 4 times tonight (and yes, Mo getting a lucky call on that last pitch, which was clearly outside...did you see/hear Fox going to Howard in the dugout afterwards and then quickly pulling away after he yelled "F*&#!"?) He'll be out for offensive blood at Citizens Bank Park.

And again, who does Girardi go to after 6 or 7 innings? Pettite rarely goes beyond 7...you can't keep pulling 2-inning saves out of Mo, especially at age 39. Chamberlain's been erratic, Hughes has been consistent--consistently bad. That's a big ol' thermal exhaust portal on the Yankee death star.

Also--does Girardi go to CC for Game 4, or not? There'll definitely be a Game 5 now, though the Yankees will surely not want to be down 3-1 going into it...esp. if Lee is slated to start.

[Chalupa]

Oh and did you guys think Ibanez's double in the 2nd was fair?? I thought it was foul but I guess it must have left a mark on the line.

Who is the Yankees 4th starter??

[ghost of miles]

Oh and did you guys think Ibanez's double in the 2nd was fair?? I thought it was foul but I guess it must have left a mark on the line.

Who is the Yankees 4th starter??

I didn't see Ibanez' double--was still at work at that point and following things on Google's Game Day.

As for the 4th NY starter, search me--Chamberlain? Gaudin?

Edited October 30, 2009 by ghost of miles

[Dave James]

What goes around comes around. The replay video seemed to show that the Yankees got a bit of a break on the double play in the 8th. Good job from Mo, but you can't throw him two innings every game. Major concern about A-Rod. He's now 0-8 with six strikeouts in two games. Looks like the old, ineffective iteration could be back for an extended stay. If they can't get him unlocked, it's going to be awfully tough to win this Series.

I have no idea why you'd ask Jeter to bunt when he's two strikes in the hole. I know he has as many sacrifice bunts as anyone in the history of the Series,

but trying to lay one down in that situation just doesn't make sense. Another mystery we can lay at the feet of Uncle Joe's Three Ring Binder.

Up over and out.

[Dave James]

Oh and did you guys think Ibanez's double in the 2nd was fair?? I thought it was foul but I guess it must have left a mark on the line.

Who is the Yankees 4th starter??

I'm guessing Joba Chamberlain based on the fact that he didn't pitch in game one, even in situations where they would usually use him.

Up over and out.

[ghost of miles]

What goes around comes around. The replay video seemed to show that the Yankees got a bit of a break on the double play in the 8th.

Yeah, they did give it back to us with that call--I was still smarting over the inning-ender in the 7th when that one went down. But I really hate this karmic-cancellation business.

Good job from Mo, but you can't throw him two innings every game. Major concern about A-Rod. He's now 0-8 with six strikeouts in two games. Looks like the old, ineffective iteration could be back for an extended stay. If they can't get him unlocked, it's going to be awfully tough to win this Series.

I agree--as I said above, my biggest concern is that his newfound postseason confidence is going to vanish and that he's going to do a head job on himself. He was so patient, so cool in the AL playoffs, even when he was behind in the count...he's been looking a bit more desperate in those situations (to me, anyway) in the WS. I'd like to see him do well for his own sake, as well as the team's--they wouldn't be here if it weren't for his performance in the ALDS and ALCS, but if he has a terrible WS, the "Ms. October" moniker might get hung on him again. Again, I think he should come up simply looking to smoke a single or something in Game 3...that's what got him going against the Twins in Game 1. People had gotten to the point of expecting him to hit a HR every time up in the past 2 weeks, and I'm worried about the burden-of-expectation bugaboo coming to rest on his shoulders again. Thankfully, Tex and Matsui took care of business tonight.

I have no idea why you'd ask Jeter to bunt when he's two strikes in the hole. I know he has as many sacrifice bunts as anyone in the history of the Series,

but trying to lay one down in that situation just doesn't make sense. Another mystery we can lay at the feet of Uncle Joe's Three Ring Binder.

Up over and out.

McCarver and Buck seemed to be speculating that Jeter had decided to bunt on his own with two strikes, but I have no idea what, if any, basis they had for thinking that. Uncle Joe and his Three Ring Binder! Thanks for the much-needed laff. He's a decent guy, I liked him as a player, but his managerial approach continues to be an enigmatic source of consternation-- from my admittedly amateur armchair POV, anyway.

[ghost of miles]

Will Phillies start Lee on 3 days' rest?

[MartyJazz]

I have to think that Jeter decided to bunt on his own with two strikes. I don't think Girardi is dumb enough to stick with the bunt sign with Jeter, a .334 hitter during the regular season, who already has 4 hits in the two WS games. But that's got to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen Jeter do.

As for Damon's line drive picked up by Howard, he clearly trapped it because he then threw immediately to 2nd base. If he had caught it clean, he simply has to step on first to double up Posada. The 1st base up is behind Howard and obviously didn't see it as clearly as the camera did.

[ghost of miles]

Ken Rosenthal: new Yankee Stadium crowds are tame, civil

I kind of noticed that myself--the crowds don't seem as loud as they did at the old Stadium.

Yankees right-hander A.J. Burnett pitched the game of his life, striking out nine, allowing only one run. The old stadium would have been rocking each time he reached two strikes. The new stadium barely registered acknowledgment.

I asked the three Phillies outfielders in Game 1 — Ben Francisco, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth — if they had heard any abuse from the fans.

"Crickets," one of the outfielders said, and I don't even know why I am granting him anonymity; it's not like revealing his identity would put him in any danger.

Even Pedro Martinez didn't seem to draw that much invective, at least in the later innings that I was able to watch--though there was great drama in seeing him pitch again against the Yankees in a big postseason game. Yeah, a few "who's your daddy" chants, as Rosenthal notes, but his departure was quieter than I would have expected:

Martinez exits

...I love his grin as he walks off! I actually have this weird kind of affection for Pedro at this point... like he's some recurring, likeable archvillain character in the Yankee narrative.

Edited October 30, 2009 by ghost of miles

[MartyJazz]

Ken Rosenthal: new Yankee Stadium crowds are tame, civil

I kind of noticed that myself--the crowds don't seem as loud as they did at the old Stadium.

Yankees right-hander A.J. Burnett pitched the game of his life, striking out nine, allowing only one run. The old stadium would have been rocking each time he reached two strikes. The new stadium barely registered acknowledgment.

I asked the three Phillies outfielders in Game 1 — Ben Francisco, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth — if they had heard any abuse from the fans.

"Crickets," one of the outfielders said, and I don't even know why I am granting him anonymity; it's not like revealing his identity would put him in any danger.

Even Pedro Martinez didn't seem to draw that much invective, at least in the later innings that I was able to watch--though there was great drama in seeing him pitch again against the Yankees in a big postseason game. Yeah, a few "who's your daddy" chants, as Rosenthal notes, but his departure was quieter than I would have expected:

Martinez exits

...I love his grin as he walks off! I actually have this weird kind of affection for Pedro at this point... like he's some recurring, likeable archvillain character in the Yankee narrative.

If Pedro was a Yankee, the crowd would absolutely love him.

[Dave James]

You know it is really too bad that Pedro never put on the pinstripes. There's just something about that combination that would've been amusing in many different ways. He was certainly available to any takers as recently as a couple of months ago. At this point, if you're a Yankee fan, you've got to feel pretty good about him as a fourth starter. Or, how about as a set up guy coming out of the pen. Man could they use him in that role right now.

Up over and out.

[Chalupa]

You know it is really too bad that Pedro never put on the pinstripes. There's just something about that combination that would've been amusing in many different ways. He was certainly available to any takers as recently as a couple of months ago. At this point, if you're a Yankee fan, you've got to feel pretty good about him as a fourth starter. Or, how about as a set up guy coming out of the pen. Man could they use him in that role right now.

Up over and out.

He's a FA as soon as the season ends so there's still a chance. He loves NYC.

[ghost of miles]

Pinstripe Alley on why the new NY stadium might sound quieter.

Also: Jeter says decision to attempt bunt w/2 strikes was his, and a stupid one.

Edited October 30, 2009 by ghost of miles

[Chalupa]

Oh well it was a fun World Series before Chollie got a severe case of brain lock. Congrats to the Yankees on their 27th championship.

Blanton named Game 4 starter over Lee

The right-hander is 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA in four career starts against the Yankees. He has allowed 22 hits, including five homers, and 12 walks in 22 innings.

Eric Hinske, 4 for 18 (.222) with two doubles and two homers against Blanton, could play right field for New York in Game 4 over slumping Nick Swisher (1 for 3 against Blanton).

Mark Teixeira is 9 for 27 with three homers off Blanton, and Alex Rodriguez is 4 for 7 with two homers.

[vajerzy]

I thought this too- but Cliff Lee has never pitched on 3 days rest and he's not comfortable doing it- so I think that whatever Cliff Lee wants- he should get.

[Chalupa]

I thought this too- but Cliff Lee has never pitched on 3 days rest and he's not comfortable doing it- so I think that whatever Cliff Lee wants- he should get.

He said in an interview before the WS that he could pitch on 3 days, if needed.

Lee: "I'm capable of pitching on 3 days rest."

I think you have to start him 3 times. The Phils starting pitching is lousy after Lee & Pedro.

[ghost of miles]

Confidence on the Phillies part, I guess, and not necessarily a bad decision if they at least split the first two games in Philadelphia... that would give you a good shot at a 3-2 series lead and Pedro for a Game 6 in NY. And surely they'd use Lee in some sort of relief form for a possible Game 7.

No word yet on whether CC's starting Game 4 for NY? If he doesn't, Phillies fans can rest assured that they'll get somebody perhaps as equally vulnerable on the NY side of the mound. When was the last time Chamberlain started a game? Or Gaudin, for that matter? Gaudin's hardly pitched, period...one inning against the Angels and that's all, correct?

Interesting analysis from a Pinstripe Alley commenter:

In 1996

Joe Torre considered using a three-man rotation but decided it would weaken the entire fence, not just one link. Since Game One in 96 was rained out and not played until Sunday, Pettite started against Smoltz in Game 1 and then Torre was OBLIGATED to start him on three-days rest in Game 5 because there was no off-day for travel from NY to Atlanta. It went Pettite, Key, Cone, Rogers, Pettite, Key. Torre’s intention was that if there was to be a Game 7 Cone should start it. The series went Sunday through Thursday, then an off day, with Jimmy Key Pitching on full rest in the clincher on Saturday October 26th 1996. Pettite was 24 at the time but Torre had no intention of using him on three-days rest. He simply wound up having to due to the weather. Sabathia is 29 now and can certainly start on three-days rest, but this means that Burnett and Pettite will have no choice but to pitch on three-days rest as well. I can see how that would have an effect on Pettite because he’s 37 (that alone is enough reason) and even if he’s not a hard thrower a short rest would undoubtedly signify a decrease in velocity for him and he gets a lot of fly ball outs on high fastballs and cutters because of the way he properly uses his off-speed pitches to set up the high fastball. He pitches higher in the strike zone than most people think (cutter and fastballs, usually in the high to low nineties, even 92) and if that velocity is decreased it may be easier for those hitters to get on top of those pitches. Even if it’s the pattern and the pitch that get the lazy fly ball out it’s not as easy to get with a drop-off in velocity. Burnett has a sinker which he almost never uses along with a rarely-see change up. Burnett was already losing 2-4 mph off his pitches in the third inning last night and that’s cause he throws only two pitches mainly, fastball and curve. If Burnett’s consistently in the low 90’s (90-92) I see that as a problem and if he goes on three-days rest he should use the sinker and pitch to contact more. His sinker comes in at about 92-93. Obvioiusly the idea is to have CC pitch in the 7th game if it comes down to one but if that negatively affects the other pitchers I have to question if it’s worth it. I suppose that now that we know that Cliff Lee won’t be starting Game 4 we could simply theorize that even a below standard CC should be enough to beat Joe Blanton cause he won’t shut us down like Lee might. We used to hit Blanton pretty hard when he was in the AL. He pitches to contact and throws strikes like Jon Lieber. The best thing that could happen is to pitch CC in Game 5 and Gaudin in Game 4 (Gaudin is not a slouch. He struck out thirteen in a game earlier in the year when he was with SD. He averaged about a strikeout an inning as a starter and long man with the Pads. He has a great slider) and then we get a couple of days of rain in New York so Burnett can pitch Game 6 and CC in Game 7 on normal rest. My main concerns are Burnett and Pettite on short rest. It’s risky.

Edited October 31, 2009 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

I thought this too- but Cliff Lee has never pitched on 3 days rest and he's not comfortable doing it- so I think that whatever Cliff Lee wants- he should get.

He said in an interview before the WS that he could pitch on 3 days, if needed.

Lee: "I'm capable of pitching on 3 days rest."

I think you have to start him 3 times. The Phils starting pitching is lousy after Lee & Pedro.

I predict a good start from Hamels tonight. Hope I'm wrong, of course...