Yankee Banter

Yours truly will be appearing on Tim Gaffney’s High School Football radio show tonight on WAPJ 89.9 FM and 105.1 FM in Torrington. The show is on from 5:30-6:00 p.m.  Give it a listen if you’re in the area.

Have you ever asked yourself what former Yankee greats Kevin Brown, Bubba Crosby, John Flaherty, Tom Gordon, Kenny Lofton, Scott Proctor and Paul Quantrill have in common?

Well, in the .05 percent chance you have, they were all on the team when the Yankees last reached the American League Championship Series in 2004. Seems like 20 years ago, doesn’t it?

Finally, after a 4-1 win at the Metrodome to seal a 3-0 sweep over the Twins, the Yankees are back in the ALCS. Unlike their playoff losses in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Yankee pitching – notably the starting pitchers – was spectacular as the Twins only managed six runs in the entire series, including no home runs.

Tonight, Andy Pettitte needed only 81 pitches to get through 6 1/3 innings, allowing only one run on three hits, while striking out seven. Considering the circumstances, this was certainly Pettitte’s best start of the season. He didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and when the Twins finally broke through on the scoreboard in the sixth to take a 1-0 lead, Pettitte didn’t cave in, striking out Michael Cuddyer to end the frame – setting the stage for A-Rod and Jorge Posada’s heroics.

In the playoffs, all you can ask from your pitchers is to keep you in the game. If CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Pettitte keep up this pace, you can all but shine the World Series rings for the Yankees. We all know it’s not going to be this easy going forward against the Angels, but it’s definitely a good start.

As John Sterling likes to say, “You win with pitching, pitching and pitching.”

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A-Rod, unquestionably, was the MVP of this series. Since his dominant performance in the 2004 ALDS win over the Twins (the Twins organization must be sick of him), Yankee fans and A-Rod admittedly himself have been starving for similar postseason success. His approach in the home run at-bats against Joe Nathan and Carl Pavano was outstanding. No right-handed hitter outside of maybe Albert Pujols has better opposite field power and when A-Rod hits with power to right field, he is simply impossible to pitch to. Finally, he can take a deep breathe and relax and not worry about the endless “Will he hit in October?” talk.

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Between Carlos Gomez and Nick Punto in this series and Yadier Molina in the Cardinals-Dodgers series, base-running in the first round was absolutely putrid. What possibly could Punto have been thinking? Little League 101: You look at your third base coach when you round the bag. Not halfway down the base-path. Unreal.

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Joba, next time someone injures their “special area,” go right back at him with your 94 MPH fastball inside, not your slider on the outside of the plate.

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Carl Pavano, deservedly, was called everything from American Idle to Crash Test Dummy to Loser when he was with the Yankees. Even though there’s a L next to his name in the box score tonight, he was everything but a loser. Just imagine the success the Yankees would’ve had if he pitched like that when he was here. This game probably will get him an extra 500 Gs or a mil in free agency this winter.

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It’s sad to see another stadium from my childhood go, as the Metrodome called it a life from baseball tonight. It was odd, quirky and sometimes weird, but I loved watching games on TV that were played in that building. Unfortunately, I never got to attend a game there.

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I understand why it’s done (TV considerations), but I wish baseball didn’t have a set schedule for the League Championship Series. Now we have to sit around for five days and suffer with far too much analyzing from the newspapers, blogs, talk radio and those fine folks over at ESPN. It’s never a good thing for the players when you have a break in-between series longer than the All-Star break. See the 2006 Tigers. I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking forward to endless daily reports from Yankee workouts. Let’s just play ball.

On that note, thanks for reading throughout the series. I’ll have LCS predictions for you this week. I don’t recommend you call your bookie with them.

My first “You are killing me, A-Rod!” moment dates back to a sun-soaked July 4th at Shea Stadium back in 2004.

The Mets had already won the first two contests of the three-game series with the Yankees and were on the brink of winning the season series against the Yankees for the first time. The Mets were leading 6-5 with two outs in the ninth and Gary Sheffield on first base with the tying run. As you all know, regular season games against the Mets and Red Sox carry more weight with the fans and most notably, George M. Steinbrenner III.

A-Rod was now the hitter, in one of his first “prime-time” at-bats as a Yankee. With a chance to salvage the weekend for the Yankees, Rodriguez softly tapped a roller to third, resulting in a force out at second and a Yankee loss. To me, that at-bat was particularly frustrating at the time because A-Rod was brought in for moments like this. If he hit the ball hard and someone caught it, fine. But the weakness of that at-bat really irked me that day.

Little did we know what was in store for the future.

It started with a lacksluster final three games of the 2004 ALCS against Boston, followed by his despicable performance against the Angels in the 2005 ALDS (2-for-15 including a killer double-play in the ninth inning of Game 5) to a 1-for-14 effort versus Detroit in the 2006 ALDS that led to him batting eighth in the deciding fourth game and finally, a ho-hum performance in the 2007 ALDS loss to Cleveland (.267 average).

A lot of the Yankee fan stat geeks out there get real defensive when it comes to A-Rod criticism.

“His OPS is amazing!”

“He’s won two MVPs!”

“Find me someone with a better VORP!” (Raise your hand if you even know what that means.)

In short, spare me the BS.

The Yankees are all about October and quite frankly, A-Rod, coming into this postseason, has been a complete disaster. Not to mention the slew of off-field embarrassments he has provided. We heard this quote from him after Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS: “This will motivate us to try even harder next year.” (um, Game 7 against the Red Sox doesn’t motivate you enough?) We had the infamous sunbathing photo-op at Central Park, the Toronto stripper incident, the opt-out during a World Series game, the ugly public divorce, Madonna and, of course, the revelation that he was a steroid taking cheater.

But remember, his OPS is high.

Anyway, this season A-Rod has kept out of the spotlight following the uncomfortable steroid press conference in Spring Training and that has been nothing but a good thing. After missing the first month of the season following hip surgery, A-Rod still finished with 30 home runs and 100 RBI to go along with a number of clutch hits late in games. If the first two playoff games against Minnesota are any indication, A-Rod may have finally gotten over the October hump.

In the ninth inning last night, A-Rod came to the plate with Mark Teixeira on first and the Yankees trailing, 3-1. His approach during that at-bat was far different than we’ve seen in prior postseasons. He was patient and wasn’t jumping out of his shoes early in the count. Joe Nathan, the Twins’ closer, had the right idea, throwing nothing but off-speed pitches early in the count, hoping A-Rod would be up there swinging for the fences and pop up a breaking ball. After A-Rod took three breaking balls out of the strike zone, Nathan had no choice but to come in with a fastball.

And with that fastball came possibly the end of a seemingly never-ending question raised over the past six years: Will A-Rod ever hit in October? A-Rod deposited Nathan’s 3-1 fastball into the right-center field bullpen, paving the way for the Yankees 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Twins.

It took longer than everyone, including Mr. Rodriguez himself, expected for that October moment to come. Let’s see if he has more in store.

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Mark Teixeira may have won the game last night with a home run in the 11th inning, but the hit that deserves all the praise is his ninth inning single. Trailing by two runs, it was imperative for the Yankees get someone on base so the tying run could come to the plate. Teixeira did not go up there looking for a home run, instead his main focus was to get on base. An MVP and a championship-type of player finds their way on base at that time. And it’s been evident all season that Texeira is both.

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The blown call on the ball Joe Mauer hit down the left field line is certainly getting a lot of talk. However, if the umpire made the right call, the Yankees probably would’ve walked Jason Kubel to set up the double play, anyway, and the Twins would’ve had runners on first and second with no outs like they ended up having. The focus of that play shouldn’t be whether it played a role in this game, but whether the instant replay rules should be expanded next season.

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A.J. Burnett’s fastball and curveball were both phenomenal last night. You could tell the first inning that it was going to be a good night for Burnett because his pitches all had great movement. If I’m Joe Girardi, I’d catch Jose Molina again next time Burnett pitches. No need to fix something that is not broken.

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It took only two batters, but it was enough to show that Damaso Marte doesn’t belong near a mound in the postseason.

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I was in the building last night and the crowd was by far the best I’ve seen it at the new stadium. The fans were in it from the start and didn’t let up for the entire four hours and 22 minutes the game took. It was nice to see after a quiet first year at the new home.

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I can’t imagine the feeling Twins fans are having right now every time they hear, “The Twins’ season is in the hands of Carl Pavano.” Talk about demoralizing.

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If the Yankees and Angels both take care of business (I admit, I was dead wrong on the Angels-Red Sox series), I really believe we’ll be in for an intense, seven-game ALCS.

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Finally, the Yankees have taken a lot of heat this year for ticket prices. Here’s where I sat last night for $19, including service fees. Not bad, huh?

Talk to you after Game 3.

In the offseason, the Yankees found themselves in a bidding war for CC Sabathia, desperate for an ace to put the team on his back come playoff time. While it turned out the Yankees were bidding against themselves and probably paid more money than they had to for him, securing Sabathia was a must and that was clearly evident in tonight’s 7-2 victory over the Twins in Game 1 of the Division Series.

Sabathia didn’t have his best stuff and wasn’t always on the same page with Jorge Posada, but he gave the Yankees something that Chien-Ming Wang, Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens and Jaret Wright did not in recent playoff series: length, quality and strikeouts with runners on base. When those aforementioned pitchers found themselves in a playoff deficit, their teammates, the coaches and the fans had no confidence that they would settle in and give the Yankee a chance to come back. And more often than not, they did not.

It was the complete opposite tonight. When the Twins took a 2-0 lead in the third, it didn’t feel like the game was over and the series was about to slip away. Sabathia calmed down and shut down a Twins batting order that, outside of Joe Mauer, is average at best. Sabathia struck out eight, walked none and allowed just those two runs in 6 2/3 innings. With Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera waiting in the bullpen, the Yankees simply will not lose with that type of production from their starting pitcher.

Friday, fellow free agent pickup A.J. Burnett will get a chance to prove himself worthy of his big paycheck in Game 2. If his performance rivals Sabathia’s, the Yankees can start thinking ahead to the ALCS.

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With half of Hollywood cheering him on in “The Moat,” A-Rod finally looked relaxed in a postseason setting and it showed as he produced two hits and two RBI. It’s going to take more than that, though, for people, including myself, to get off his back for his past October performances. At least it’s a start.

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When was the last time Derek Jeter got to stand in the batter’s box and admire a home run that he knew was gone off the bat? That is not something you see everyday.

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Chip Carey, every time you read a stat you don’t need to say “according to the Yankee media guide.” We trust those numbers you are giving us are correct.

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Joba Chamberlain looked good in his brief, one batter appearance in a non-pressure situation. If tonight was any indication, I think Joe Girardi will not hesitate to use him in the seventh inning of a close game. Girardi would not have brought him in tonight to get work if he didn’t have bigger plans for later in the series.

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On TV, the new Yankee Stadium seemed very quiet for a playoff game. I will be in attendance for Game 2 and am intrigued to see how the postseason atmosphere differs from the old stadium. I’ll have a breakdown of that and the game on Saturday. Thanks for checking in.

After a classic, one-game playoff victory by Carl Pavano and the Twins over Detroit Tuesday night, the baseball playoff picture is finally set. Here are some quick-hit, first round playoff predictions:

American League

Yankees-Twins: The Yankees’ big money acquisitions (CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira) deemed themselves worthy of the cash with their performances in the regular season. One bad week here, and no one will remember 19 wins, the one-hitters, 39 home runs or the countless pie tosses. Same goes for Joe Girardi. He won’t be fired no matter what happens in the playoffs, but a first round exit would make for an uncomfortable Spring Training full of endless questions in 2010. I think they will all come through. At least in this round, anyway. The pick: Yankees in 3.

Red Sox-Angels: One of these years, one of these decades, the Angels have to beat the Red Sox in a postseason series. Right? Maybe, but I just don’t see it happening this year. I like the Red Sox 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in Jon Lester and Josh Beckett over Jered Weaver and John Lackey, plus can you really trust Brian Fuentes in the closer role with everything on the line? I can’t and neither should you. The pick: Red Sox in 4.

National League

Rockies-Phillies: The Brad Lidge situation is an utter disaster and will eventually prevent the Phillies from repeating in my opinion. I do expect the Phillies, though, to slip past the Rockies. Their bats will overwhelm the Rockie pitching and be enough to get by in this series. I am interested to see if the Giambino will make any important contributions for Colorado. The pick: Phillies in 5.

Cardinals-Dodgers: This matchup is certainly LCS/World Series quality. Quite frankly, you can’t ask for a better first round series on paper. The popular consensus is that the Cardinal pitching will be enough to beat a Dodger team that was less-than-inspiring down the stretch. I think otherwise. The Dodgers all but clinched the NL West in the second week of April and have had their sights on October since. Manny is one of the greatest postseason hitters ever, Andre Either has had a knack for the clutch hit (six game-winning, game-ending hits this season) and when it’s all said and done, Joe Torre will be a happy man when they wake him up after the series. The pick: Dodgers in 5 (home team wins every game).

Some other random thoughts:

I am very eager to see how the atmosphere is in the first playoff series ever played at the new Yankee Stadium. It won’t be the same as the old park, due to the structure alone, but if the second half of the season is any indication, it will be very loud nonetheless.

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With word coming out that Jose Molina will catch A.J. Burnett’s playoff starts, talk radio shows and writers throughout the internet are in full force second-guessing Joe Girardi for this decision. I would’ve went with Jorge Posada myself, but I understand the decision. Burnett is a ticking time-bomb at times on the mound and can explode at any second. The safe decision was Molina, although if Molina comes up in the second inning with the bases loaded and the Yankees are already down 3-0, the remaining hair from Girardi’s crewcut will surely see their demise.

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Was it just me or did you feel empty Sunday without a season-crushing Mets loss on the final day of the season?

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A couple of baseball predictions for 2010:

Former Rangers and Mets manager, Stamford legend and current blogger and ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine will end up as the new manager of the Washington Nationals. Valentine will make a similar mark on the franchise that Billy Martin did for Texas and Oakland and turn around a team that no one cares about, including the family members of the players. Why the Mets don’t bring him back is beyond me.

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The economy will further hurt the smaller market teams and good players, who have relatively affordable contracts for baseball standards, will be available. The Yankees and Red Sox will have a field day this winter.

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A few non-baseball thoughts:

Word on the street has it that this league called the National Hockey League (anyone hear of it?) started its season last week. Am I supposed to care?

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The Celtics are playing an exhibition game against the Raptors at the Hartford Civic (XL) Center next Wednesday. For those younger fans out there, the Celtics used to play three regular season games each year in Hartford, before you guessed it, money, got in the way of that tradition continuing. If there is no baseball going on that night, I may attend.

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I just got flagged for a personal foul for breathing in the same time zone that Tom Brady is in.

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Jon Gosselin’s five minutes on Inside Edition (Or was it Entertainment Tonight? Whatever the case, those shows are all the same. Continuing on…) Monday were more entertaining than the five seasons of his show combined. I hope you were just as entertained with this blog as I was with that interview. Thanks for checking in.

According the Associated Press, the Yankees will announce on Wednesday plans for the Yankee Bowl, a college bowl game between the Big East’s fourth place team and the Big 12’s seventh place squad starting with the 2010 season. Basically, if you like mediocre football, Yankee Stadium will be the place to be in the winter.

Personally, the idea of watching a bowl game in a blizzard is an enticing option. The idea of watching a traditonally boring team like UConn play someone like Kansas State in that blizzard? Not so much.

It’ll be an interesting sight nonetheless, that’s for sure.

Here’s the link to the AP story.

For those reading in the Torrington area, yours truly will be appearing Monday on Tim Gaffney’s High School Football radio show on WAPJ 89.9 FM or 105.1 FM. The show is on from 5:30-6:00 p.m.

This week, we’ll start to look towards the playoffs for the Yankees. The one thing to watch right now is whether the Tigers and Twins battle until the final day of the season on Sunday and burn out their pitchers before the playoffs. That would be a huge plus for the Yankees.

This pitcher has been durable in 2009, tossing 183 innings, which places him in the Top 20 in the American League.

He has a winning record at 12-11, which is all you ask for from a bottom of the rotation starter.

His ERA is 4.82, but since Aug. 7, in the heart of the pennant race, his ERA is 3.61.

In his last six starts, his has gone at least six innings and allowed no more than three earned runs in any of those outings.

Ladies and gentleman…

The Pride of Connecticut, Carl Pavano. Sadly, I would trust him more in a start tomorrow than The Head Case Known as Joba.

(Yes, I know he is no longer an Indian, but that’s the most recent photo I have of him. Sorry.)