2009 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[Falcon]

Interesting game last night, a great win for the Yanks.

The CC/Blanton (mis)matchup has the Bombers sitting pretty..

[cotis]

What's everyones thoughts on Burnett on 3 days rest for Game 5?

[tim_m]

What's everyones thoughts on Burnett on 3 days rest for Game 5?

Going on his history on 3 days rest its a great move. He's 3-0 with an ERA well under 2.00.

[tim_m]

The off day is Tuesday  If it gets rained out tonight. Girardi could pitch Sabathia Sunday, Pettitte Monday, Burnett Tuesday and come back with Sabathia on 3 days rest Thursday. I think a rainout might actually give us the advantage. I'm trying to think what the Phils might do if its rained out. Obviously they stay with Hamels for game 3. They could bring Lee back on regular rest for game 4. In game 5 they could either go to Pedro or Blanton. Most likely Pedro. Then Blanton game 6 at the stadium and game 7 they'd have no choice but to pitch Hamels or Lee on 3 days rest at the stadium against CC. I like that matchup. I know Lee has never pitched on 3 days rest so you don't know what you'd get with him. I don't know if Hamels has but i feel confident with how inconsistent he's been. We would likely have Chad G vs Blanton at the stadium and that could be a tossup.

Yeah, I spaced.  Counting to 3 was a little tough for me.

Still, he wouldn't have been available for game 7.  They would have nixed the Tuesday off-day and Pettite would still have pitched Sunday (that's what Girardi said, anyway).  So CC would have gone on MONDAY (still game 4).

Luckily, it all worked out. CC tonight going for the 3-1 series lead against Blanton.  I like that situation, as a Yanks fan...now let's just see if it actually works out to our favor.

Good game last night.  No bad calls, good play all the way around, and you never felt like ANY of the leads (Phillies or Yanks) were "safe".

Yep tonights game is definitely advantage yankees on paper. Hopefully it pans out that way and we go for the jugular. Funny note though both teams in their history when either up 2-1 the yanks have lost the series and the phils down 2-1 have lost. One of those streaks has to end obviously. We win tonight and i love our chances. Its gonna be very hard to beat Burnett, Pettitte and Sabathia back to back to back especially at yankee stadium.

[Falcon]

What's everyones thoughts on Burnett on 3 days rest for Game 5?

It's the World Series, plenty of time to rest in the off season.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

What's everyones thoughts on Burnett on 3 days rest for Game 5?

It's the World Series, plenty of time to rest in the off season.

That's what I'm saying.

Pitch the hell out of everyone, to hell with proper rest.

[tim_m]

The Phillies are in BIG trouble. If the yanks end this tomorrow my pick for mvp is Damon. Anyone else agree?

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

This thing will go back to Da Bronx, gotta celebrate the new place with a clincher in front of the home phans.

Besides, Lee vs Burnett?  Come onnnn!!!!

[tim_m]

Yeah Lee worries me in game 5, however, Burnett is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA lifetime on 3 days rest. I can't say for sure this will continue but who knows? We have to find some way to get to Lee and rattle him.

[tim_m]

27 is better than seeing that puto Victorino raising the Commissioner's Trophy for the second straight year.

What's your issue with him?

[pilferk]

The Phillies are in BIG trouble. If the yanks end this tomorrow my pick for mvp is Damon. Anyone else agree?

Lee's going to make it a VERY tough out.  Here's hoping Burnett, on short rest, is up to the task.

My pick for MVP?  Mo.  Johnny's been very good in this series, and that play last night (from the at bat right up through stealing 2nd and 3rd) was the lynchpin for everything that followed.  No doubt about it.

But Mo?  So far he's factored in HUGE in all 3 Yanks wins.  A 6 out save, a 5 pitch, 2 out unofficial save, and an 8 pitch, 3 out save last night.

[pilferk]

Another good game last night (especially liking the outcome!).

Close all night, well played by both sides.  CC on 3 days rest wasn't overly sharp, but was better than our other option by a long shot.  Joba threw ONE bad pitch, but otherwise looked good. 

A-rod comes through AGAIN in a big (probably the biggest so far) spot...after Damon sets the table for him with some stellar play.  I think A-rod said that was, in his mind, his single most important hit, ever.   And the Phillies fans greatest fear came to pass...Lidge collapsed when it counted.

One complaint...and I'll be honest, when the Phillies tied it 4-4 I was ticked because I knew when I made this complaint, if the Phillies managed a win, it would come across as sour grapes.  Thankfully, the Yanks won:

The strike zone last night was ridiculous.  The umps were calling everything low and inside, and everything away, a strike when the Yanks were at bat. Pitch-trax showed very obvious (and not close) balls.  The Phillies were getting a nice, neat (and honestly....pretty accurate) strike zone to work off of.  It was so glaring I don't know how anyone can defend it.  Ultimately, it didn't effect the outcome since the Yanks won....but honestly?  If the home plate ump is going to expand...he needs to at least be consistent for both teams.  CC would throw the EXACT same pitch, to the exact same location, as Blanton had thrown a previous inning....Blanton gets the strike call, CC doesn't.   

Tonight's going to be interesting to watch...trying to close it out in Philly.  I gotta be honest: As the matchups came out, past game 1, I've thought that they favored the Yanks pretty consistently through last night.  But I never, ever, realistically thought they'd be able to take both the first 2 in Philly.  I hoped they would...since I suspected they'd face Lee in game 5.  But I knew it was a tall order.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Great win for our yanks last night fellas!!

I would have been sooooo pissed if the phils won by 1 run, since Howard never came close to touching the home plate!

If the yanks can win the WS with a 3-man rotation, it would be an amazing feat!

[faldor]

I think Manuel did a bad job by not getting Lidge into a game in the series before last night.  10 days of rest for a closer is WAY too much.  You can't expect him to stay sharp if he doesn't see any game action in over a week.  He has to find a way to get him into game 2 or 3 just to get some work.  Not saying things would've been different last night, but it's still a bad job by Charlie.

The strike zone was inconsistent and I do think it favored the Phillies more than the Yanks, but there were bad calls on both sides.  And that was a bad job by the Yankees not to appeal that Howard missed home plate.  My buddy was drunk and he picked that out right away in regular motion.  Usually if it's anywhere close you appeal.  You've got nothing to lose.

Really heads up play by Damon last night.  I don't think I've ever seen that before.  I just want to say that Derek Jeter is good.  I used to hate the guy back when there was the big Nomar vs. Jeter debate but I've grown to respect the guy highly.  He's about all you could ask for in a player.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Really heads up play by Damon last night.  I don't think I've ever seen that before.

Not only head up but ballsy... I mean, in real time I had no idea what happened... I was sure the 2nd baseman had the ball, but the second Damon broke out for 3rd, I was confused as hell... Damon had to be sure as shit he could out run him and not get tagged as he took off...

[pilferk]

I think Manuel did a bad job by not getting Lidge into a game in the series before last night.  10 days of rest for a closer is WAY too much.  You can't expect him to stay sharp if he doesn't see any game action in over a week.  He has to find a way to get him into game 2 or 3 just to get some work.  Not saying things would've been different last night, but it's still a bad job by Charlie.

The strike zone was inconsistent and I do think it favored the Phillies more than the Yanks, but there were bad calls on both sides.  And that was a bad job by the Yankees not to appeal that Howard missed home plate.  My buddy was drunk and he picked that out right away in regular motion.  Usually if it's anywhere close you appeal.  You've got nothing to lose.

Really heads up play by Damon last night.  I don't think I've ever seen that before.  I just want to say that Derek Jeter is good.  I used to hate the guy back when there was the big Nomar vs. Jeter debate but I've grown to respect the guy highly.  He's about all you could ask for in a player.

Yeah, I think the "no work in 10 days" thing is twofold:  1) Manuel's confidence in him is a bit shaken, but also he thinks LIDGE'S confidence is shaken, so he's selective in where he uses him. 2) There hasn't been much opportunity to use him in meaningful spots...and, confidence or no, you don't want to "waste" his outings.

But, by hook and by crook....the 10 days off was probably not good for him.  That being said....Johnny getting to third also forced the battery into a bad decision: Lidge stopped throwing sliders, likely to avoid throwing a wild pitch and giving up the run.  It completely changed his pitching style.  In his 14 previous pitches, Lidge had thrown something like 8 or 9 sliders.  In his next 11?  He threw 2.  And his slider is his out pitch.  They let the Yanks dictate his pitching style, it seems, rather than vice versa.

I'd forgotten, in all the other "stuff", about the Howard play.  I was sure screaming and yelling when it happened.  I agree..they should have appealed it.  I think the ump would have stuck with the call....but we'll never know.

There's always SOME bad calls on both sides.  But there were, IMHO, a LOT more of them on when the Yanks were batting.  To the point of being ridiculous in their disparity.  Again, the Yanks won...so this isn't sour grapes.  And I DON'T want us to go to some arbitrary, machine controlled strike zone.  I have no issue with the differences, ump to ump, on ball/strike calls.  I think the human element adds a lot to the game.  MY issue is with consistency from 1/2 inning to 1/2 inning.  If you call it a strike in the top home half, you gotta give the same call when the visitors are pitching.  You saw Posada complaining about JUST that in his at bats.....not that the strikes were called, but that the ump wasn't giving the Yankees the same call.

Johnny's play was smart baseball.  The Yanks have talked about that sort of play since Giambi was around (and was a victim of the shift) but never actually made it work, or put it in play.  Funny that it should come to pass in such a big game.

Jeter is a consumate pro.....people (non-Yank fans) bag on his speed, say he's getting old, and have, in the past, really bagged on his defense and his propensity to hit into DP's.  To me, for what he brings to the table....I wouldn't want anyone else but him playing SS on my team right now.  

[pilferk]

Not only head up but ballsy... I mean, in real time I had no idea what happened... I was sure the 2nd baseman had the ball, but the second Damon broke out for 3rd, I was confused as hell... Damon had to be sure as shit he could out run him and not get tagged as he took off...

Knowing that the other guy's not exactly fleet of foot...I would guess that given his position (he already had 2 steps on him) he figured he'd win in a foot race.  And you saw it...the 3rd baseman didn't even give much effort trying to outrun him. 

When I saw Feliz take the throw, my first thought was (since I could see Lidge and the catcher had just let go of the ball): Who's covering 3rd.

And just like that, Damon thought the same thing.  My wife thought I was nuts when I started yelling "Go".  She thought I'd see the ball skid into the outfield or something.  It dawned on her about 10 seconds later.... 

[faldor]

Really heads up play by Damon last night.  I don't think I've ever seen that before.

Not only head up but ballsy... I mean, in real time I had no idea what happened... I was sure the 2nd baseman had the ball, but the second Damon broke out for 3rd, I was confused as hell... Damon had to be sure as shit he could out run him and not get tagged as he took off...

Yeah I couldn't tell either.  I thought the ball must've gone into the outfield myself, especially when Feliz made no effort to chase Johnny.  I guess he knew he had no chance.  Lidge has to cover 3rd in that situation.  Unfortunately it's not something you think of, but in baseball you have to be doing something on every play to keep yourself involved on defense and Lidge was doing nothing but ducking in that spot.

[Falcon]

Interesting game last night, Damon's play was really heads up.

Tonight should be great, I look for Lee to be Lee and send it back to NYC with the Yanks
wrapping up number 27 Wednesday night.

[pilferk]

Interesting statistic:
BEFORE the Phillies decided to make A-rod their personal "toss across" target:

0-8 with 6k's.

AFTER the Phillies decided to start plunking him like he was a dunk tank target:

2-6, with a HR and a double.....with a .555 OB%.  And those two hits?  Both clutch, game changing affairs.