Heartwarming Yanks-Sox Story To Get Your Tuesday Off To A Good Start

"Police arrested a Yankees fan Saturday after he allegedly stabbed a Red Sox fan in the neck over an argument about their baseball teams’ rivalry at a restaurant in Branford, Conn., police said.

Monte Freire, 43, of Nashua remains in critical condition after John Mayor, 45, of New Haven allegedly stabbed him with a knife at the Chowder Pot Restaurant around 10:45 p.m., according to a news release from the Branford Police Department.

“Unfortunately, witnesses were telling us the disturbances emanated from a dispute over certainly that: the Yankees and Red Sox,’’ Captain Geoffrey Morgan said in a phone interview.

Mayor is facing several charges, including assault in the first degree. In addition, he is being held on a $500,000 bond. His arraignment is set for today, pending his release from the hospital." (story via Boston.com)

Nice!!!  High five for you, John Mayor!  I'm sure that asshole deserved it because, let's face it, there really is no argument about who the better team is when it comes to the Yankees and the Red Sox.  So obviously Mayor won that argument and then punctuated his victory with a good old neck stabbing.  That's just great hustle right there.

A diehard fan like that should be rewarded.  Somebody get Hank and Hal on the phone to bail this dude out and hook him up with some field-level seats for Game 3.

It's stories like this that make me proud to be a Yankee fan.

The Horse Wins AL Player Of The Month For September

I guess that's what a .309/.385/.667 tripleslash with 9 homers and a league high 26 RBIs while also playing flawless defense at the hot corner gets you these days.

I'd like to say I'm surprised at this after how much time A-Rod missed with his injury, but then I remembered that this is his time of year.  When the money is on the table, The Horse can get it done like nobody's business and he was just warming himself up to run roughshod over every pitcher this postseason like he did last year.  So it all makes sense really, and I really don't need to get excited about him winning Player of The Month or anything like that.

I'm saving my excitement for the World Series MVP Award that someone's going to be handing him in about a month.

ALDS Breakdown In A Nutshell: Benches & Bullpens

Yankee Bench:

Plenty of solid options for the Yankees off the bench, both as situational or late-game substitutions or guys who can step into the starting lineup and produce.  Cervelli has caught the majority of the innings this year thanks to Posada's injuries.  He's never going to hit a lot or hit for power, but he works the count, puts the ball in play, and hits well in the clutch.  He's also been swinging a hotter bat of late after a dreadful summer.  Marcus Thames is the righty DH option who should see plenty of ABs against Liriano and Duensing.  With the way he mashed this season, the argument can be made that he was Cash's best off-season move.  Austin Kearns has some power and can play an adequate outfield, but he shouldn't get too much run in the playoffs unless one of the regulars gets hurt.  The utility infield spot is "6 one, half dozen the other" with Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez, and I still think Pena gets the nod because of he's defense and experience.  Greg Golson will be the late-game baserunning threat for Joe in close games and could spell Swish in RF if the knee is still bothering him.

Twins Bench:

Not a lot to speak about here on paper, with the Nick Puntos, Drew Buteras, and Jason Repkos of the world likely making the roster.  Basically the Twins bench is a collection of guys who can fill in for 100-200 ABs a year as needed, but there's a reason they are on the bench.  J.J. Hardy and Alexi Casilla are basically interchangeable on the left side of the infield.  Matt Tolbert could be used as the Twins' version of a late-game pace changer on the basepaths, but overall the Twins bench is not nearly as deep or dangerous as that of the Yankees, especially considering one of those roster spots would have belonged to Justin Morneau.  Most of these guys can speak more about their defensive value than prowess at the plate, but in the playoffs even a guy like Jason Repko can become a hero. 

Yankee Bullpen:

Stacked to the brim with quality setup guys: Kerry Wood, D-Rob, Boone Logan, and Joba, all of whom Joe has mixed and matched with over the last 4-6 weeks to build the bridge to Mo.  Wood has emerged as the primary 8th-inning option and my bet is Joe uses him for that role because of his experience.  D-Rob will probably be the first candidate to be the fireman in the 5th, 6th, or 7th inning should a starter get in trouble, and Logan will be used almost exclusively as the lefty specialist.  Mo has had his problems lately, but after working with Dave Eiland he seems to have his issues figured out, which is good timing for the Yanks.  The smart money would be on Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova being brought on as the long men, but don't rule out Chad Gaudin, who Joe used a lot down the stretch.

Twins Bullpen:

Like the Yankees, the Twins are stacked with quality setup men: Jon Rauch, Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, and Brian Fuentes.  Unlike the Yankees, however, the Twins' 'pen was a major contributor to their downfall last year in the ALDS.  Joe Nathan won't be here to choke away any saves this time around, and Matt Capps has been solid since the Twins acquired him at the deadline, but he's never had to face the heart of the Yankee order in the bottom of the 9th in front of a packed house full of crazed Yankee fans at The Stadium before.  Joe Nathan buckled under that pressure last year, who knows if Capps has the hair on his peaches to not repeat that meltdown.  Hopefully the Twins are gracious enough to include lefty Jose Mijares again this year.  Knowing he's in the bullpen in extra innings if the Yanks need to score a run is a good feeling.

ALDS Breakdown In A Nutshell: The Rotations

Yankees:

Right now we know that CC is getting the ball in Game 1 on Wednesday, but not much after that.  Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes will definitely get the next 2 starts, with Joe more likely to use Andy in Game 2 and Phil in Game 3 to set up Andy and his big game experience for a Game 5 start on the road if necessary.  The big question mark is A.J. Burnett, who looms over this 3-man rotation like a pigeon over a just-washed car.  He has done nothing to earn a start in this series, and given the scheduled off-days he should not get one, but Joe has yet to come out and say one way or another what A.J.'s role is going to be.  In all likelihood the Yankees will go with the 3-man rotation, the setup that gives them the best chance to win, and go CC, Andy, Phil, CC (short rest), Andy (regular rest) if the series goes 5 games.  Andy has already beaten the Twins twice this season, putting up 14.1 innings of 10-hit, 3-walk, 2-run, 6-K ball.  While neither Hughes nor CC faced Minnesota this season, CC has a track record of success against them throughout his career to go with his track record of success in big games as a Yankee, and Phil's limited exposure against the Twins could work to his advantage in his start, as he saw success early in the year against teams who had not seen him.

Twins:

Minnesota has already announced that they will use a 4-man rotation of Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Brian Duensing, and Nick Blackburn, giving them a lefty-righty-lefty-righty split and setting them up for Liriano getting the Game 5 start if necessary.  Liriano has traditionally been a Yankee whipping boy, and did give up 17 hits in just 13 IP in his 2 starts against them this season, but he also only allowed 5 runs in those 2 starts and had an impressive 7/1 K/BB ratio.  Pavano was arguably the ace of the Twins' staff this year, with 7 complete games, and the decision to start him in Game 2 is smart by Ron Gardenhire as it will help him avoid the unrelenting verbal abuse (and possibly a D-battery or 2) that would have been hurled Pavano's way at The Stadium.  Duensing has seen the Yankees 3 times this year, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 Ks over 4 combined innings out of the bullpen.  He has been solid since entering the rotation, but his last few starts were not as strong.  Blackburn, while his numbers don't suggest he should have a start over Scott Baker, has beaten the Yankees twice this season, going 7+ innings in each start and never allowing more than 3 ER in either outing.  This matchup play is a roll of the dice by Gardenhire, but one that could work out for him if the series makes it to Game 4.  At the very least, the Twins won't have to worry about anybody's fatigue factor thanks to the extra man.

ALDS Breakdown In A Nutshell: The Lineups

Yankees:

Simple put, the Yankees have the deepest and best lineup in baseball.  Their balance of righties, lefties, and switch hitters makes them very difficult to match up with.  They have 3 guys with 100+ runs scored (Teix, Jeter, Cano), 3 guys with 100+ RBIs (A-Rod, Cano, Teix), they were just 2 HR short of having 4 guys with 30+ (Teix, A-Rod, Cano, Swish), and their starting lineup for the series will feature nobody with an OPS below .700 and 5 regulars with an OPS above .800.  On top of that is the fact that the lineup is finally back to full strength after having people spend significant portions of time in August on the DL.  Now Fat Elvis, Jorge, and The Horse are healthy, and the Yanks' lineup will have one of their hottest hitters (C-Grand) in the 8-spot.  Jeter seems to have gotten his shit together at the top of the lineup as well and Brett Gardner is leadoff hitter hitting in the 9-hole, so in theory the Yanks are coming in loaded with a lineup that has no holes.

Twins:

With Justin Morneau, this is also one of the deepest lineups in baseball.  Luckily, he and his 1.017 OPS versus the Yankees won't be in the lineup, but even without him the Twins are nothing to sneeze at.  Denard Span and Orlando Hudson are scrappy professional hitters at the top who can cause havoc on the bases with their speed.  Joe Mauer is one of the best hitters in the game, Delmon Young finally stepped up to the next level this year with 112 RBIs in Morneau's absence, and Jim Thome can still mash the fuck out of any bad pitch you make.  The bottom of the Twins lineup isn't as dangerous on paper as that of the Bombers, but Jason Kubel and rookie Danny Valencia can still make you pay.  The Twins don't get on base as much as the Yankees but were still 2nd in the AL in team OBP (.342).  With an abundance of lefties in the lineup, the Twins can be succeptible to left-handed pitching, something the Yankees have plenty of, but anyway you look at it, this is one of the 5 best offensive teams in the AL.

162 Down, 11 To Go

The bad news is that the Yankees stumbled across the finish line of the regular season with 2 straight losses to their most hated rivals.  But that's to be expected when they're rolling out A.J. and Dustin Moseley with big games on the line.

The worse news is that, in the process of choking the last 2 games away, the Yankees blew their control of their own destiny, blew a slim division lead they had built heading into this past weekend, blew the division championship, and lost homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

The good news is that the Yankees are still going to be playing baseball in October.  Any way you look at it, they are one of the best teams in baseball and have to be considered one of the favorites for the World Series.

The better news is that they have CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and the rest of the deepest lineup in baseball.  They've got a bullpen full of power arms anchored by the greatest closer in the history of baseball, Mariano Rivera.  And they've got a rabid fanbase full of the most dedciated, supportive fans behind them and almost 100 years of tradition and history on their side.

It's gonna be exciting and it's gonna be fun.  It's just too bad we have to wait to Wednesday to get it started.

Thanks For The Freebie, Bill

I said before the season started that Bill Hall was a shitty signing and that no one in Wisco was sad to see his ass leave and 6 months later he proves why.

And that fact that it happens with Papelbon on the mound to take the L just makes it that much sweeter.  I don't know what it is that spawns my hatred for him, but at this point I would laugh hysterically if I found out he had AIDS and then take the day off from work the next day to celebrate it.

It got a little hairy, but a win's a win and the Yanks still control their own destiny heading into the second game.  Not a bad spot to be in.

Let's do some work tonight, boys...

Mets Make Their First Good Decision In Years

... And ruin one of my biggest sources for comedic posts in the process.  Via the NY Daily News:

"Shortly after the season ends on Sunday, the Mets will likely inform Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya about plans to employ a new manager and head of baseball operations in 2011 - but the team does not appear close to naming those replacements, according to people familiar with the Mets' thinking."

Damn!  Well that sucks.  Now I have to scrap all my material I was building up for the offseason and 2011.  Oh well, at least I still have the Red Sox.  Thanks for the memories and the countless horrible decisions, boys.  Enjoy your new jobs working the graveyard shift at Wendy's.  At least you can't fuck that up.  Probably.

Friday Afternoon Free-Flowing Yankee Musings

- There's been a ton of talk surrounding the Yankees ALDS pitching rotation.  The simplest way to figure it out is to wait and see whether or not the Yankees can win the division this weekend.  If they do and they get homefield advantage, they should go CC, Andy, Phil, CC, Andy and if they don't then go CC, Phil, Andy, CC, Phil.  I would want to take advantage of Hughes' road/home splits and get him pitching on the road where he has been much better this season.  I also wouldn't have any qualms about starting him in a Game 5 after his performance against Boston in his last outing.

- It goes without saying that A.J. Burnett, regardless of what he does in his last start of the year on Saturday, should not be a part of any ALDS rotation discussion.  In fact, I wouldn't even let him sit in the dugout or bullpen infecting everybody else with his moping.  Keep him in the clubhouse with a plate and can of whipped cream ready in case the Yankees win a walkoff.  Teammates faces are pretty much the only spots he can these days anyway (BOOSH!)

- And speaking of A.J., there is something to be said for the job the Yankees have done this year despite having A.J. and Javy Vazquez make a combined 58 starts.  In a season in which these 2 secured the new 3rd and 4th places in Yankee history for highest season ERA for pitchers who made 25 or more starts and the Yankees lost an overwhelming majority of the games in which these 2 started, the team is still going to finish somewhere around 30 games over .500.  Not too shabby when over a 3rd of your team's starts on the season (36.42% to be exact after A.J.'s start on Saturday) were made by 2 of the statistically worst pitchers in franchise history.

- If the Yankees are seriously considering using 15 position players and only 10 pitchers on their ALDS roster, they are out of the minds.  Pitching wins championships and you always want as much of it as you can get.  Close playoff games tend to grind to a halt with all the strategic pitching moves made, and it pays to have those extra arms on staff if needed.  There is way more value in another long man (Mitre, Nova) who can give you multiple innings in the 13th, 14th, or 15th of a tie game than a 5th infielder (Nunez), especially with the extra off-days between games providing added rest to your starters.

- One thing I'm not looking forward to in the postseason is all the talk that will come up about Joe's 2011 plans and whether or not he's going to go take the job in Chicago.  Joe's not going anywhere, people.  The Yankee brass will never allow it to happen.  Having to read about it is bad enough, but having to watch boobs like Ken Rosenthal and Eric Karros talk about it is going to be even more painful.

- It's all but certain that Jesus Montero will be on the Yankee roster at some point next season.  It will be interesting to see how the Yankees juggle him, Jorge, and Cervelli behind the plate.  Given that Posada is horrendous behind the plate and Cervelli wasn't as great as advertised this year, I think Montero should be given a fair shot at winning the full-time job outright.  If he doesn't, however, I would have him and Cervelli split the catching duties with Jorge getting the lion's share of the time at DH.  Then, on Jesus' catching off-days, he could be used as a late-game pinch hitter for Cervelli if needed and finish behind the plate to keep Jorge healthy.

- It's hard to pick nits when he's had a monster year, but where have you gone, Robbie Cano?  Just a .262/.304/.346 tripleslash in September?  His season OPS is below .900 for the first time all year.  Not to mention tying his season low with just 6 walks while also tying his season high with 15 strikeouts.  I thought he was going to be a sure bet for 120+ RBIs and 120+ runs scored and he barely crawled across the line of 100 in both categories.  Not exactly the way to make an impact in the minds of the MVP voters.

- For more Cano MVP discussion, check out this awesome statistical breakdown and comparison of some key stats by Joe Paw at RAB.  I still think Cano is firmly entrenched in the Top 5 of the MVP vote, but he's got no chance to win.  For the record, my vote would be 1) Josh Hamilton, 2) Miggy Cabrera, 3) Adrian Beltre, 4) Robbie Cano, 5) Carl Crawford.

- And also for the record, while I'd love to see CC get the Cy Young, it just ain't gonna happen.  I would vote 1) King Felix, 2) David Price, 3) CC, 4) Jon Lester, 5) Clay Buchholz.

**UPDATE- 3:09PM- BONUS MUSING**

- Andy, invest:

Well At Least Javy Knows He Sucks

“I thought today was an important day for me personally, but it didn’t go well."

“If I would have thrown the ball better, that would have helped my case. That’s not the case tonight. I just got hit. I had nothing. I didn’t feel like my pitches were sharp at all today. They just hit me good.”

You know what?  I'm going to give you a little credit there, Javy.  You didn't make any excuses, you just called it like it was.  You went out there, you sucked, and you knew it.  The bad news is you cost the team a chance to re-take the division lead.  The good news is you've thrown your last pitch as a New York Yankee and we will never have to watch you disgrace the Yankee uniform on the mound ever again.

So thanks for playing.  Now get the fuck out.

Real Quick, Before I Forget...

Suck it, Boston!!!  Suck it long and suck it hard, you whiny fairweather bitches.  You can complain all you want about your injuries and how losing tha Yookah and the haht of your team, Pehdroiaaaaah, killed your season, but the fact of the matter is Theo's "defense and pitching" offseason plan didn't work at all, your team sucked, and they got beat by 2 teams that were better than them.

So put away your Varitek jerseys and move on to Tawm Brady and the Pats, because that's all you have left this year.  And don't worry, we'll let you know how the clubhouse Korbel and Bud Light tall cans taste.  They taste like victory.

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

P.S.- Enjoy having Josh Beckett's corpse stinking up your rotation as your version of A.J. Burnett for the next couple years.  BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

What's The Plan Now?

Alright, so the Yanks are officially in the playoffs, but what's the next move?  Are they playing for the division title or not?

Joe started to show his hand by pitching CC last night and riding him for 8+ innings and then going straight to Mo.  He left no doubt that he was in it to win it last night and the team responded.  But then after the game, the mixed messages started showing up again.  Andy was scheduled to pitch tonight and now he's been scratched and moved back for Javy (WHY???????), and there was talk of resting some of the starters.  But the Yanks have also stated multiple times that their goal is to win the division and when you've got guys like Jeter and A-Rod, who would be amongst the first candidates for some rest, saying they want to stay in and go after the division, what do you do?

Joe and Cash and everybody else need to decide what's important.  They can either play it safe, rest some starters, and juggle the rotation to set up the ALDS, or they can keep the foot on the gas and play it out to try and pass Tampa.  Joe said last night in the locker room that "We still have aspirations of winning our division and trying to get home-field advantage."  Now he needs to decide how strong those aspirations are and how hard he wants to try to win the division.  I would say that starting Javy in place of Andy tonight is not a move made with winning the division in mind and I think everybody would agree with me.

Your move, Joe.

All It Took Was One...

Well after a month of crappy play, and a few weeks of play even worse than that, the Yanks clinched tonight and secured themselves a berth in the playoffs and a chance at Title 28.

They had to use their A+-team to do it, playing all the regulars, starting CC, having him throw 8.1 innings, and having Mo close out the last 2 outs, but to get into the dance makes it worth it.

Now they just have to figure out how the fuck they're going to make their ALDS rotation work after starting CC tonight, but we'll deal with that tomorrow.  For now, everybody just pop the champagne and celebrate.  I know that's what I'm doing.

Hey, At Least People Are Showing Up To The Stadium

The Rays are a few victories away from clinching the division and guaranteeing homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs, but apparently their fans could give a fuck less:

"When 12,446 fans showed up Monday night to see if the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays could clinch their second playoff berth in three years, Evan Longoria decided he'd seen enough empty seats -- and said something about it.

Longoria, who did not play in the Rays' 4-0 loss to Baltimore, spoke at length about the team's chronically low attendance, calling it "disheartening" and "embarrassing."

"We've been playing great baseball all year. Since I've been here in [2006], the fans have wanted a good baseball team. They've wanted to watch a contender," Longoria told reporters. "And for us to play good baseball for three years now, and for us to be in a spot to clinch again and go to the playoffs, we're all confused as to why it's only 15,000 to 20,000 in the building."

His teammate, pitcher David Price, had the same feeling. A post to his Twitter page after the game read: "Had a chance to clinch a post season spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in the stands....embarrassing."

Instead of getting into the discussion of how stupid it is to start CC tonight and make myself more frustrated about the Yankees' current situation, I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy this story.  Division title or no division title, we as fans and the Yankees as players can all take solace in the fact that the Yanks will have a decided homefield advantage both at home and in Tampa, where there probably won't be more Rays fans than Yankees fans at the games.  Now that we know the Rays' fans don't care about their team, we can breathe a little easier about having to go there and face them in their own place for 4 games if it comes to that.

Not to mention the fact that with all the added revenue coming from the Yankee fans flooding The Trop, the Rays will have a little extra money in their pockets.  To show their appreciation, the least they can do is just lay down and die peacefully in the ALCS and let the team, and the fanbase, that deserves to see another World Series move on.

Did A.J. Pitch Himself Out Of The Playoff Rotation Last Night?

(Been seeing way too much of the bad side this season)

For starters, I will say that if it were up to me, the answer to that question would be a resounding "YES."  In a year of a few ups and mostly downs, A.J. came out last night and laid his biggest egg of the year in a game the Yankees could have used to clinch a playoff berth.  For once I was glad that I live out in Wisconsin and didn't have access to the YES network because I would have assuredly trashed my TV and everything else in my apartment if I had to sit through that fucking abortion of a pitching performance last night.  To anybody who was unfortunate enough to witness it, my thoughts and prayers are with you.  Be strong, it's not your fault.  Everything is going to be OK, but you might want to contact a helpline or some kind of service reserved for victims of harsh mental abuse.

But back to the matter at hand.  What does Joe do with A.J. now?  He's clearly down to his last shred of confidence, if he didn't use it up last night, and you would have to think that his teammates' patience with him is wearing a little thin.  There's only so many times you can go out there as a competitor and have your chance to win ripped away from you before you even have a chance to get in the flow of the game before you start to just say "fuck it" and prepare for the worst when A.J. is on the mound, and it looks like that's where the Yankees are after last night.  Sure they hit a few homers to make the game seem close, but there was very little punch or energy in their lineup last night.  When Marc Rzepczynski, he of the 5.75 ERA, shuts you down for 5 innings with 9 Ks, that points to the offense just laying down and dying after being staked to a 7-0 deficit by their starting pitcher.  And honestly, I can't say I blame them.

So with the combination of his horrific pitching and the obvious negative impact it has on the rest of the ballclub, how can Joe risk putting A.J. out there in the playoffs?  He won't have to use him in the ALDS thanks to the scheduling, nor should he use him.  CC, Phil Hughes, and Andy have more than earned their spots with their performances this year and track record in the postseason (mostly for CC and Andy).  But with the switch back to the 2-3-2 format for the ALCS, Joe won't be able to get away with using that 3-man rotation, unless he wants to risk throwing all 3 of them on short rest for the series, an idea that doesn't look too good when you consider Hughes' youth and innings count and Andy still on the recovery path from his groin injury.  Joe is going to need a 4th starter, but should that starter be A.J.?  Sure, when he's on he's awesome.  But those times of being on have been few and far between this year, and if you ask me, I'd rather take 4-5 innings of 3- or 4-run ball from Ivan Nova than take my chances with A.J.  The risk of another 2- or 3-inning meltdown is not worth the potential reward of a solid outing that he may turn in.

A.J. doesn't seem to be able to fix A.J., and nobody else does either.  And quite frankly, at this point in the season, fuck, at this point in his CAREER, we shouldn't be having this conversation.  A.J. Burnett is what he is, and what he is is a shitty pitcher with no confidence, no mental toughness, and no ability to locate his pitches anywhere other than right down the middle of the plate.  He's 10-15 on the year with a 5.33 ERA, 4-13 with a 6.67 ERA since the end of May.  Numbers like that get you sent to Triple-A or released on most other teams, but in New York this year it's gotten A.J. $16.5 million and a season-long spot in the rotation.  Now that we're getting into the time of the year that really matters, though, that shit like how much a guy makes shouldn't count towards anything.  The fact is, A.J. hasn't earned the right to start a playoff game, and unless he goes out on his last start of the regular season and throws a complete game shutout, Joe shouldn't reward him with a start that he didn't earn.

Praising The A-Horse

Well the playoffs must be getting near, because everybody and their mother is starting to climb back on the "A-Rod is Awesome" bandwagon, a bandwagon that I haven't left all year, despite the down tripleslash numbers and lingering injuries.  I will say, though, that any time there's stats involved showing just how majestic The Horse has been, I'm on board with it.  Like this post from Mike A. at RAB:

"Since returning from the disabled list and an injured calf, A-Rod has hit .333/.415/.710 with eight homers in 19 games, and if you go back to before the DL stint, he’s hit 13 homers in his last 29 starts. That his pushed him past for the 4.0 fWAR threshold (it’s 4.1, to be exact) yet again, the 15th consecutive season he’s been no worse than a four-win player. Those 15 seasons represent almost the entirety of Alex’s career, which started in earnest with his age-20 season in 1996."

Take a look at THAT tripleslash line and start complaining, will ya?  Or how about this little nugget from Joel Sherman's 3UP post today:

"... here is a question: Who has had more big hits for the Yanks this season, Cano or A-Rod? Both had big moments last night: A-Rod hit a two-run homer in the seventh to put the Yankees ahead 2-1 and Cano tied the score with an RBI single in the ninth after Rivera blew the save.

On the season, however, Rodriguez has 22 hits that have put the Yankees ahead compared to 12 for Cano, who actually has been better in the clutch this year than ever before. It is just that Rodriguez has turned into the hitter the Yanks want up in a big spot more than anyone else – by a lot.

And think about what that means; how completely Rodriguez has altered the perception that he is a choker. He got into a better place mentally last year and then had a postseason in which he cemented a reputation as someone who can thrive under the greatest pressure. That has extended into this year. Rodriguez simply has tremendous at-bats in big spots."

Oh yeah, that's just literary sex right there.  I'm at half mast right now and it's the 13th time I've read it.

You know what, screw the A-Horse.  At this point, with the brightest stage mere days away, the stage on which he completely outshined everybody else last year, he has become something more, something greater.  He is now Secreta-Rod and it's only a matter of time before he starts showing just how wide the gap still is between himself and his competition.

(Swanny Duckson does it again)

 Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find some lotion and watch the highlights of the 2009 postseason to finish myself off.

AP Top 25 Yankee Playoff Roster Poll For The Week Of Sept. 27-Oct. 3

Well here's the last poll to decide who makes the Yankees' 25-man roster for the ALDS and there's some changes this week.  His latest horrible outing combined with a friendly off-day schedule means the Javy Vazquez is officially off the roster as the team will probably go with 11 pitchers, opening up another roster spot for a position player.  Who will it be, you ask?  Check it out.

Top 25:
1) Mariano Rivera
2) CC Sabathia
3) Robinson Cano
4) Alex Rodriguez (heating up just in time for a repeat of 2009)
5) Mark Teixeira
6) Andy Pettitte (might not be completely stretched out by the time his first playoff start rolls around
7) Phil Hughes (a monster outing last night when the team needed one)
8) Kerry Wood
9) Dave Robertson
10) Nick Swisher (knee is still a big question mark)
11) Brett Gardner (will be interesting to see how Joe uses him in the playoff lineup)
12) Curtis Granderson
13) Boone Logan
14) Derek Jeter (starting to find it at the plate, sort of)
15) Jorge Posada (can't throw anybody out)
16) Francisco Cervelli (neither can he)
17) Marcus Thames
18) Lance Berkman
19) Austin Kearns
20) A.J. Burnett (probably starting Game 4 after Hughes' solid outing last night)
21) Joba Chamberlain
22) Ramiro Pena
23) Sergio Mitre (probably secured his spot with his 2 shutout innings this weekend)
24) Ivan Nova (should be the 2nd long man out of the 'pen)
25) Greg Golson (gets the last spot because of speed on the basepaths, arm in the outfield, and as added insurance for Swisher's knee)

Also Receiving Votes:
26) Javy Vazquez
27) Eduardo Nunez
28) Dustin Moseley
29) Chad Gaudin
30) Chad Moeller
31) Jonathan Albaladejo

So there you have it, people.  Pencil these 25 in now and then wait for changes for the ALCS when they need a 12th pitcher.  Guys like Vazquez, Moseley, Nunez, and Moeller still have a shot depending on how the injury bug bites or doesn't bite during this last week of the regular season, but I'd say Gaudin and J-Alba are finished after their outings over the weekend.

Yanks-Sox Weekend Recap

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

The Bad News:

- The starting pitching problems continued to show through as Andy got completely shelled on Friday and Ivan Nova again failed to make it through the 5th inning on Saturday.  More concerning than the results of Andy's outing is the fact that he wasn't able to get all stretched out as far as pitch count goes and now only has one start with a 90-pitch cap left this season to get ready for the playoffs.

- The Yanks continued to get inconsistent performances from their bullpen, both from the regulars who will be counted on in the postseason and the guys who are just there because rosters have expanded.  The combo of bad starting pitching and bad relief never gets you too far in life.

- Joe continued to live in 24/7 panic mode when it comes to dealing with his staff.  After losing the first 2 games of the series, he called an audible and inserted Phil Hughes into what was supposed to be Dustin Moseley's starting slot last night.  And again in the 8th inning, after vowing not to do it all year, Joe went to Mo for a 3+-out save.  We all saw how well that worked out.

- Speaking of Mo, somebody needs to check if he's injured or not because he looks off out there.  He's blown 3 saves in the month now, all of them in his last 6 opportunities, and has allowed at least a run in his last 3 appearances.  His cutter isn't cutting at all and he's catching too much of the plate with everything.  And the 4 stolen bases off him in the 9th, slow delivery or not, is unacceptable.  Mo's never one to make excuses, but something has to be up with him because he's not himself on the mound right now.

- The 2 losses to start the series dropped the Yankees back behind the Rays in the race for the division and home field advantage through the ALCS.  But with the kind of baseball they've been playing lately, they are lucky to still be within just a half game.  The Yanks are 11-13 in the month of September and are still stuck in the same rut of slow, sloppy, lazy, disinterested-looking, half-assed baseball that has been the calling card of their recent stretch.

The Good News:

- The Horse was 4-10 in the series with 4 HR, 6 RBIs, and 3 BB.  He has looked better and better with each game since coming off the DL, and looks to be peaking at the right time heading towards the postseason.  He's as locked in right now as he has been all year and his swing looks perfectly in tune, as evidenced by his 4 homers being sprayed all over the park this past weekend.

- C-Grand's hot streak continued this weekend as he went 5-11 with 2 HR, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored.  His single off of Okajima to open the 9th was a perfect representation of how his work with Kevin Long has helped him.

- Phil Hughes stepped into a high-pressure situation last night after finding out he was going to be pitching less than 24 hours before the game and turned in arguably one of his best starts of the year.  Hughes' fastball was live and he used that to attack the Boston lineup and keep them off balance all night, which was good because Dice-K matched him with what was his best start of the year as well.  He clearly tired in the 7th when he walked the first 2 runners on, but Hughes' final line of 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K was very good and still didn't do justice to just how great he was last night.  Innings limit aside, Hughes stepped up last night and showed he can be counted on in the postseason.

- Dave Robertson and Boone Logan stepped in and did their jobs admirably last night.  D-Rob worked out of a 2-on, no-out jam in the 7th after inheriting Hughes' baserunners without allowing a run and Logan retired David Ortiz on 2 pitches in the 10th to pick up the win.

- Struggles and injuries and pitching concerns aside, the Yankees still managed to clinch at least a tie for the Wild Card last night.  They have a week of baseball left and need only one more win or one more Boston loss to clinch a playoff berth outright.  It's all but assured that they are going to make the postseason again to defend their World Series title and there's something to be said for that. 

- And they still have a week to get right before those playoffs start.  Everybody else better just hope and pray that doesn't happen...

Are The Yankees Actually Playing The Red Sox This Weekend?

And does it even matter if they are anymore?  The Red Sox haven't been relevant since June.  Can't we just skip this series and the next 2 and get right to the ALDS?

The rivalry used to mean something, but now it's almost like picking on a 5-year-old blind kid compared to the level of competition the Rays present.  The bottom line is the Yankees have bigger fish to fry than the sad sack, ass backwards, "boo-hoo, we have so many injuries" Red Sox.  I'm sure they will put up a good fight and use this series and the season ender as some kind of pathetic rallying cry to build momentum for 2011, but the fact is the Red Sox have fallen off the radar and they aren't going to be part of the playoff picture next year either.

Normally I wouldn't miss a Yanks-Sox series, but when I think about the one starting tonight, all I can say is...

Would You Let This Man Pitch For Your Team?

Seriously, what the fuck was that last night?  3 hit batters in a row.  2 of them on curveballs.  The last one to force in a run.  That was really all I needed to see to know that I no longer want Javy Vazquez pitching for this team in any situation, no matter how meaningless it may seem.  The guy is an absolute pussy, a total headcase, and the fact that his stuff has diminished to the point where he probably wouldn't start in a Little League game makes it even more difficult to tolerate the fact that he's a pussy and a headcase.

People want to get all up in arms about CC's shitty outing last night.  George King is already predicting doomsday and Joel Sherman thinks the sky is falling.  I'm going to be a little more rational about it.  The dude had a bad night.  He started off strong, but it was obvious even early on that he didn't have great command of his fastball and CC works everything off of that.  For whatever reason he just didn't have it last night and that sucks, but it was one game and after it was over the Yanks were still in first place so just chalk it up as a bad game and move on.  If CC was a little tired from his last start against Tampa then last night probably served to help him rest a little since he only pitched 5.1 innings.

My bigger concern is Javy and what the Yanks are going to do with him in the postseason.  Right now they have no set option as a long man out of the bullpen.  Joe hasn't showed much faith in Mitre, Chad Gaudin is a disaster, likewise Moseley, and Nova's role still seems in flux.  The job was Javy's for the taking, even if it's not what he wanted, and he absolutely shit the bed last night.  He really has no business being on the postseason roster, and it's sad because Joe is going to take him, he's going to use him at some point, and Javy is going to fold under that pressure.  I didn't like him back when the Yankees first made the trade and I should have stuck to my guns on that one.  He couldn't get it done here in '04 with good stuff and he can't get it done now with no stuff.

Javy Vazquez is a big piece of shit and offers absolutely no value as a pitcher to the Yankees.  His second go-around with the Bombers has been even more disastrous to the first and the inclusion of him on the playoff roster weakens the Yankees' chances of winning and will come back to bite them in the ass.

Good God, Almighty!! Look At The Carnage!!!

Stock the fridge, turn off your phone, put the kids to bed early, and clear your schedules, people.  It's round 2 tonight for CC and David Price.

In one corner we have Carsten Charles Sabathia.  Listed at 6'7" and 290 pounds, CC has 20 wins to his credit this year, a 3.05 ERA, a 1.18WHIP, and a bunch of other stats that support his status as one of the premiere starting pitchers in all of baseball, not to mention he has the power of the parachute pants in his corner.  He is the crafty veteran in this matchup and pitching on his home field tonight, where he has been almost unbeatable this season, and tonight will be looking to lock down a series win and a solid 2.5 game division lead for his club.

In the other corner we have the youngster, David Price.  Price is 17-5 on the year with a 2.79 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 172 Ks to CC's 183.  Price, like Sabathia, has been the anchor of his rotation this year, the one constant in a swirling torrent of inconsistency around him.  He has faced the Yankees 3 times already this year with mixed results, his worst outing coming in a loss in July at The Stadium where he was slapped around for 7 ER on 7 hits and 4 walks in just 5 innings of work, taking the loss in the process.  He will be looking to exorcise those demons and exact some revenge tonight.

I've just finally gotten over the fact that I missed the gem of a performance that these 2 put on last week and now I get to once again miss out on what could be a matchup for the record books.  Why the fuck did I ever move out to Wisconsin in the first place???  My only hope is that Price comes out and spits the bit again and puts up a repeat of his last outing at The Stadium.  At least then I won't feel so bad about missing it.  You people with access to YES don't know how good you have it.

Did Joe Throw In The Towel After The Rain Delay Last Night?

What the fuck was that last night?  I can understand not bringing A.J. back after a lengthy rain delay, and it wasn't like he was pitching all that well anyway, but to come back and use the bottom of your bullpen barrel in a 1-run game against your closest competition for the division title?  Why not just come out and tell the umpires your team forfeits?  What was Joe doing in the clubhouse during the rain delay?  Smoking PCP?

Joe's comments to reporters before the game included the statement "our goal is to win the division," which would explain why Teix was still in the lineup.  Well I'm sorry, Joe.  But if you're looking to win the division, you probably shouldn't go with the value-menu bullpen combo of Royce Ring, Dustin Moseley, Chad Gaudin, and J-Alba.  It was a 1-0 game when things started up again and he got lucky with Ring and Moseley only giving up 2 runs.  And then after the A-Rod single in the 6th, it was a 1-run game again heading into the 7th, crunch time, when you would assume Kerry Wood, Boone Logan, and Mo would be available to hold the lead and give the offense a chance to come back.  But instead Joe goes to Chad Fucking Gaudin and before you know it it's back up to a 3-run lead.

Joba probably wasn't available last night because of his work on Tuesday, and D-Rob was out with back issues (which is not good news at all), but Joe still had 3 of his 5 best relievers in the 'pen, and since I'm not reading anything this morning about any of them being hurt or tired, I'm assuming they were available.  The 7th should have been Kerry Wood time all day.  Your team just got a run, you've got the heart of the Tampa order coming up, you want somebody out there who can shut them down quick and get your batters back up there with a chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the inning, not somebody who's going to turn the inning into a home run derby.  Once again, Joe's inexplicable decision making costs the Yanks a chance at a win.  In game 43 of the season I can live with that, but not in game 152 when the division title hangs in the balance.

Honestly, at this point I don't know what Joe's thinking when it comes to the 'pen anymore.  Maybe he really does want to go manage Chicago next season and this is his way of trying to get out.

Should The Yankees Rest Mark Teixeira?

Normally you would answer "no" to that question about a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman who currently has 30 HRs and 101 RBIs, but given Teix's recent injuries and his struggles at the plate in September, it may be something the Yanks should consider down the stretch.

Teix was a monster through the dog days of summer, putting up a .344/.462/.698 tripleslash in July with 18 XBH, 20 RBIs, and a 1.667/1 BB/K ratio and then following it up with a .289/.355/.629 line in August with 15 XBH and 21 RBIs.  But on August 31 Teix suffered a broken toe and his numbers have been in a steady decline since then through the month of September, in which he is only hitting .185/.325/.215 with only 2 XBH (neither of which are HRs) and 6 RBIs.  Add in the recent bone bruise to his thumb and the current 0-15 mini-slump he's in, and it's a safe bet that despite him saying he is fine and wants to play through the pain, Teix is being greatly affected by these injuries.

So what should be done with him?  Obviously neither injury is season or career-threatening and neither seems like the type of thing that can get any worse, but the added stress on the thumb and toe from playing every day will surely cause them to drag on longer and continue to affect Teix's performance.  The Yanks aren't paying $180 million to set regular season RBI records or anything like that.  They need him for the postseason and they need him at his best.  Joe already worked in a few off days for him, but the more time he has to rest, the quicker those injuries are going to heal, especially the bruise, which is almost certainly affecting his swing more than the toe.

Given that the Yankees are going to end this current Tampa series still ahead in the division thanks to their 2 straight wins, and in the process have shaved their postseason magic number to 3 games, it might be in their best interests to give Teix a week or so off.  One more win in these last 2 games and they end the series up 2.5, and Boston could be eliminated from contention by the time they face the Yankees this weekend, so there will really be no reason to keep him in the lineup.  With Berkman, Thames, Jorge, Cervelli, Swisher, Kearns, and Juan Miranda, the Yankees have plenty of depth and flexibility to be able to cover the 1B and DH spots in his absence, and the rest should at the very least help him get over the bruise in the thumb.

Joe has had no problem giving A-Rod and Jorge extra days off here and there throughout the season to help them get over bumps and bruises and keep them fresh, and he just recently held Gardner and Swish out for games to let them rest up, so why not do the same with Teix?  He is just as important to the team's success as any of those other guys, in fact he's probably more important.  If it were me, I wouldn't have him in the lineup for the rest of the week, but now that the Yanks have a chance to clinch a playoff berth and all but bury Tampa over the next 2 games, I could see why Joe would want him out there.  If the Yanks do win 1 or both of the next 2 games, though, Teix should be sat immediately and given time to heal.

**UPDATE- 4:36PM- I AM A FUCKING GENIUS!**

From LoHud's pregame report:

"Before Girardi’s pregame media gathering, Teixeira told him he was feeling pretty good. But Girardi hasn’t ruled out resting him for three or four days once the Yankees clinch a postseason berth."

Did I call it or did I call it?  3 or 4?  Don't be afraid to give him a week if he needs it, Joe.  But that's not the point.  The point is I'm a goddamn genius and there's the proof.

That's What We've Been Missing

- A starting pitcher making it through the 6th inning and beyond and limiting the other team's offensive output despite not having his best stuff.

- Shutdown work in a tight situation from a key member of the bullpen.

- 5-10 with RISP from the starting lineup.

- 7 2-out RBIs.

All the things the Yankees hadn't been doing lately they did last night and were rewarded with another win, another game up in the standings, and another 2 games chopped off both magic numbers.  I guess shit actually works out when you play your A-lineup.

A Moment

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Zelevansky/MLB.com)

Is that one of the coolest, most touching sports photographs ever?  I believe it is.  If you don't get a little misty looking at that, then you aren't a true Yankee fan.