The B-Bombers take the field

Ah.... it'll be nice to relax and watch some of the rookies get some at-bats. Hopefully this time will allow Matsui, Giambi and Duncan to find their rhythm at the plate.

My god what a waste of a good player in Tampa......Pena. Its like being an Olympic swimmer on the Titantic. Whats the sense of it?
T

Boras is his agent. I wouldn't worry about Pena. Also some people find it easier to be a big fish in a smaller pond.

He could develop Ed Whitson syndrome if he came to a team where there were actually expectations and pressure on him. Stay in Tampa.

FYI, Carlos Pena played over a hundred games in 2006 at the Yankees AAA team. He hit 19 homers and they released him and signed Erubiel Durazo. Yes that Durazo, the same one they signed again this summer for some unknown reason.

Congratulations to the team on an outstanding comeback this year.

Wang, Pettitte and Hughes in the playoffs. Mussina No. 4. Don't waste a spot on the roster in the opening series on Clemens.

I wish we had Scott Proctor back. It was a major mistake to get rid of him. He was the victim of overuse and a tired arm. I'm afraid Vizcaino is heading down the same road. He should not pitch again the regular season.

In regard to the comment on Ed Whitson syndrome. Our relievers all suffer from the fear that one bad pitch and they are gone. They are afraid to throw strikes, afraid to trust their stuff. It is a fact, young pitchers get sent down if they don't perform immediately. Remember Brandon Claussen, Sean Henn(as a starter),Brad Halsey, Colter Bean, and Clippard, DeSalvo and Wright from this year. They knew, or know, that one bad effort may result in their never getting a chance again. The New York media and fans will kill them. Therefore, they nibble and go 3-2 on every batter. Sound like Bruney, Ramirez and Britton, too. Farnsworth just is a head case.

I am willing to have Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy be starters 3, 4, and 5 next year. If they start slowly next April are all of you willing to stay with them. I am.

Go Yankees. Win it all!

Those 3 pitchers you have mentioned all have the makeup to be starters next year. Wright, DeSalvo, Clippard weren't ready to perform on a regular basis in the majors. Henn doesn't have it!! He is no youngster either. Claussen was traded for Aaron Boone if I remember correctly so we will never know what he would have done. Ramirez is way to streaky for me. Hughes will have to go deeper than 5 innings in the playoffs.

Wright needs more time to develop in the minors. He got next to no chance to show he had the ability to pitch in the majors. De Salvo doesn't have what it takes to start in the majors in terms of stuff. He was up earlier in the season, and was smoked. There's not much room in the starting rotation as it is with Wang coming back, Kennedy, Pettitte (maybe), Hughes, and Mussina (maybe). There's no way he will be able to outperform those guys for a spot in the rotation. Also, if he is healthy enough after TJ surgery, Humberto Sanchez may try out for a spot, but that is a big "if". His best bet will probably be as a reliever or try out as a starter with another team, but don't forget no one wanted DeSalvo after the Yanks released him in the offseason. Clippard may have the most upside of those three.

I have to tell you that I didn't care too much about tonight's game. We clinched a spot and I knew the regulars were going to get some much deserved rest. Plus Kazmir was pitching, so I knew the opportunities for hits were slim.

But one of the things that struck me while I was watching was how awesome the Molina pick-up was. When Jorge hurt his neck, Molina was excellent. He brings great defensive skills to the table, so if we need to pinch-run Jorge in a tight game late, Molina can go in later on as the replacement catcher. I really hope that they sign him again as the back-up catcher for next year. He may be slow on the basepaths, but he can hit unlike Nice Guy Nieves.

And people like Minky - in Sept and Oct is where you really see the value he brings to the table. We got lucky that he came back off the DL when Andy Phillips got hurt.

The fact we pulled it out with the lineup tonight is a good thing. Hughes went toe-to-toe with Kazmir, the AL strikeout leader. The Rays can be a pain in the *** on the basepaths, so I thought that Hughes did pretty well to shut them down. Plus Joba handled the "back-to-back" test.

Yeah, it's not the same level of satisfaction as the two games we won in Boston (who lost BTW), but it still was a good win.

Keep the faith everyone!

I have to agree with that Jill. Molina was asuperb pick up. I can't tell you how relieved I was when the Yanks actually went out and got some real depth at the catching position which is important because of Posada's advanced age, and knowing he would need rest from time to time. This team will still need to do something to fill the void at catcher when Posada retires down the road since ther is nothing in the Yankee system to replace him, so I think we should appreciate all the more while he is here.

Hughes was great tonight, and yes, I'll have to admit Meintkiewicz has been hitting well since coming back from the DL. I still stand by what I said about him earlier in the season, he is a very average first baseman in terms of offense, this team will need to replace him next season. The only question is how long the roll he is on will last.

What I think you have to remember with Edwar Ramirez this season is, well, let's face it, he doesn't quite have the fastball he needs. I've had the opportunity to talk to him down in Scranton, and I can only imagine what's gone through his mind since he went up to New York.

I can imagine that will be a major part of his program when he gets back down here, and he'll work hard. You can't forget this mean had to teach himself to pitch because no one(the angels) would give him the opportunity. I don't think we've seen the end of Ramirez, so let's see what he can do with the rest of his pitches to make that change-up as dangerous as it could be again.

Whats the chance that Kazmir is a FA this year?? TALK about a waste of talent...... He's a Cy Young winner looking for a team that actually wins games.

Excellent effort by Hughes last night. 7 strong innings against some players that aren't exactly pushovers - Pena, Upton, Young. Maybe they're no Manny, Papi and Youk but they are still formidible. And don't look now but he's 3-0 in 5 games in September with a 2.7 era.

Matt,what they pay dougie M.is peanuts for what his glove does.He has saved many hits and runs.If he hits 260 the team should be able to carry that.

Chazz,
I played SS in Jamaica high school (varsity) batted very well #2 spot. i also was learning Tae Kwan do in flushing, and catching games in the bronx with my buddy ( who made me like the 87/88 yanks with (Pags on third), it was all Donnie Baseball back then.

others;

Don-over-Joe-after-Joe (say it with me, DON-over-JOE-after-JOE. good job. now onto the ADCS, no-more debate guys/gals

Play by the Bench:

starters resting over division title chances- fair bet. think big, think momentum, think favorite (wild card has a unique charm about it,) maybe in Novemeber we read about a comeback team of the year who prevailed with so many pitching issues, produced a league MVP, (got 4 100 RBI men) cy yong runner-up and the manager of the year award. and was a wild card team from the east (am i not taking phillies here people).

I say Moose starts game 3. Then, we've got Hughes in the 'pen if problems start. I firmly believe that is that way it should go. Wang, Pettitte, Moose and then we're done with the ALDS and on to the ALCS.

I guess I started a hot topic on manager replacement!Time to move on,whatever will be will be!!Go Yanks!

let see how we think & predict collectively:
[i will start first, just use your best judgement and add a sentence or two]

07 post-season,

Yanks enter October as the wild card seed.

I'll play:

Game 1 ALDS v. Cleveland

Sabathia v. Pettite - Sabathia and Pettite exchange gems....Cleveland gets first win of the season against the Yanks 3 to 2 - what happens in game 2?

Game 2 ALDS v Cleveland
Wang v. Carmona - both pitch flawless games into the 7th, but each give up the long ball, but AROD's long ball has runner on (3-run shot) Yanks tie up the series 5 to 3 win. (Joba & MO perfect 8th & 9th)

Redsoxsloose,

You talking about Mike Pagliarulo? LOL. When I was really young, I would get him and Mattingly mixed up from a distance! LOL.

Game 3 ALDS v. Cleveland
Moose v. Westbrook

(Byrd does not make the playoff roster for the tribe). Moose has a rocky 1st, but settles in. Down 4-1, The Yankees explode for 6 runs in the 5th, and follow that with another 5 runs in the 7th. Yankees win, 12-4.

yeah mike pagliarulo, he was good offensively 32 homers in 87 or 88 & decent on the field. and also a really good ally with mattingly. we had a lot goin that year, from speedy ricky, donnie had over 30 homers, winfield, randolph, pitching as well, infact for a while we were in first that year. i was in middle school in queens at the time, so (if you dont know) in NY you have met fans and you have yankee fans who compare all day long (especially in public school) so we (yankee fans would take a lot of slack for having loosing seasons, but nonetheless it was great to support a team wand watch them over the years into this team today. thats why don over joe.

Game 4 ALDS v Cleveland
Clemens vs Sabathia (on 3-day rest)

in front of a sell out crowd in Yankee stadium, clemens pitches well but only last 5 innings as he gets into a jam and leaves with runners in scorring postion and down 2 runs. but the pen allows only 1 run and keeps the game a 3 run game into the 8th, for Joba. bottom 8th AROD (once again 3 run shot, CROWD GOES CRAZY INSANE) to tie the game and off we go into extra innings (temp drops to 67)

I was seriously born on the wrong side of the country. The closest I get to a baseball discussion out here in the Northwest is idiots telling me that Seattle is better than the Yanks. I graduated in 96, so I was 1 year shy of being able to rub a World Championship in the face of all my classmates. Suddenly, there are no Seattle fans to be found and I'm seeing Rockies hats all over the place. I wish Idaho was big enough to have its own team. Nothing but bandwagoners out here. The only intelligent discussion about baseball I get is you guys. I want to get out to a game at Yankee Stadium next season, and I sure hope I can get that done. Can you get down to the field at all? I used to live in the Bay Area in CA. They would let you down on the field in old Oakland Coliseum.

Game 4 Continued......
Joba is pulled after the 9th inning. Ian Kennedy comes in from the Bullpen in the top of the 10, and throws a scoreless innning. In the bottom of the 10th, Giambi is brought in to PH for Minky. On a 3-1 pitch, he turns on a hanging curveball and goes off the facia in right. Yanks win with a walk-off and clinch the series.

Nice touch going with CC on 3 days rest!

Evidently "inning" is spelled with 3 n's now. LOL.

close n personal
it really depends upon the time of year, who's playing and what time you get to the ballgame, other factors include day vs. night and how tight the secuirty (police) is. but with more and more yankee fans comin our (in record #'s its getting pretty hard. stuff is getting expensive as well

ining

i whent to NYC pudlic skools, and thats' what I talk like us. Buy you & I have a tutore so am I more better now, he said so. mets loose hahaha.

ALDS

imagine if the series goes soemthing like we planned, how freaky would that be. i liked your opeing loss in game i as well, you are most real

Sabathia is the real deal. He's a bad, bad man. We could really us a power lefty like that in the future. It's a good thing that we are getting Johan soon. LOL. All great Yankee teams had or have a great lefty pitcher.

I meant MY mispelling of inning....."innning", LOL. You were good, Chief.

Chaz - I live in the Pacific NW as well! Who knew! Totally agree about Mariners fans. They sit here and ask "you live in Seattle now, so why don't you cheer in Seattle? They are such nice guys."

And then I retort by asking, "if you moved to NY, would you cheer for the Yanks." Response is generally a sheepish NO, and then I tell them to cheer for a team that has a real owner like Steinbrenner, whom they all hate.

I then remind them that Ms fans wish they had an owner like him. Someone who wants to win as much (maybe even more) as the fans do. He has done some crazy things but he always does everything he can to put our beloved Yanks in contention.

And last night it was announced that they are keeping Bill Bavasi, the same genius who decided that the Ms didn't need any pitching help at the deadline. Seattle - awesome stadium, fairweather fans, mediocre team.

The one good thing about seeing the Ms play regularly is that I get to see Ichiro play a lot. He is impressive on many levels.

Sorry for the rant.... your post resonated with me.

johnan would be nice, casue i worry about toronto next year

B-Bombers vs A-orioles

this makes it a fair game.

kinda like: womens WNBA champs vs mens NCAA #1 seed.

ichiro or pete rose all-time?

Nah, I'm with you 100%, Jill. On the list of teams I hate the worst, The Mariners rank second behind the Red Sox. However, my favorite player NOT in a Yankee uniform is Ichiro. I can usually get a passionate M's fan (if 1 exists) off my back by telling them that I like Ichiro. He's a special player. People want to know why I am a Yankee fan out here too. Neither my family, nor I've never been within 2500 miles of New York City, but I am just as passionate about the Yankees as any New Yorker, with ALL RESPECT due to New York natives.

chazz

raeding & riting bothe **** in NYC pudlic skools.

Pete Rose, dude. Over 4000 hits, that's ridiculous. Jeter is the ONLY active player who has a snowball's chance in **** of getting that record. And with him playing more and more banged up every season........

i have to confess that i myslef reside in oriloes country (Cal Ripken is a GOD here, i am making plans to see the yanks tomorrow at the oriloes stadium) now as well, but short drive to NY (3/4 hours) but my parents, family, friends and heart is still in NY.

LOL, redsoxloose. Gimme a break. Can't be that bad, can it?

I'm a big "Cal" guy too. What a class act and a great player.

It's hard to compare for me - Ichiro and Rose - I see Ichiro a lot more so I know a lot of the less obvious things that he brings to the table.

I watched Rose on occasion but never got to see him with the same regularity.

Chaz - I've been in Seattle for almost 5 years after spending most of the rest of my life in NY. Seattle is a great city, but the fans have some work to do in terms of supporting their team.

ichiro can break 4k hits, 226.78 avg hits per year x 20 years = 4520. i love Jeter, but he makes people forget about boggs and gwynn, a generation before.

Redsoxloose,

Ichiro WON'T play 20 years though. He is already 33 years old. He'll be 34 next year. Great player, but he might not even get into the hall, because he didn't get into the majors soon enough.

Cal Ripken is to Baseball
AS

Baltimore is to Maryland

he has his own stadiums team, they give cal stuff at the oriole stadium, its all CAL down here, sometimes we joke, how do todays players feel about him still having more fame current players, i lkie him too, i guess he has grown on me too, class act and all.

forgot too mention, all the advertising is all him too, comcast phones, hotdogs, its only him. only cal stuff sells here, only cal.

career outlook:
so far 1590

10 x 200 = 2000

10 x 230 = 2300

11 x 215 = 2365

at 43/44 3955 hits

the last comment is about Ichiro, and i disagree he in only seven years he has 1590, imagin another 7 yrs he will have 3180, yeah i know, i know, numbers drop a bit as you get older (barry bonds) but, HOF entry level is 3k hits, he will get that, thats his thing

thits is his thing,

I'll give you a 3000 hit career from Ichiro. But, nothing is written in stone.

Dandri,

The Yanks didn't get Meintkiewicz just for his glove,they got him hoping to provide a little offense with Phelps. He isn't a .260 hitter. If he were that good the Yanks wouldn't have included him in a pthetic platoon system with Phelps. The only reason he is hitting .260 is only because of the current roll he is on, so he he just recently got tothat level. Yese he provides a great glove, but all he is no is a late inning defensive substitution. He won't stay on this roll forever. Before the injury he was completely invisible so lets not delude ourselves by thinking he has a good bat. He is still a mediocre hitter who will be replaced next season.

I was looking over the slim crop of free agents this year, and Sean Casey looks pretty appetizing as a new first basemen....anyone think he can stay healthy

Matt being from Mn I know a little about Minky,he has always had a great glove,his hitting can be streaky, but who isnt?Damon,Melky,Giambi,must I go on?

Okay I will go on Bobby A. matsui and probably more!

Good Pitching and defense are a good combo!Back when the yankees won the world series.Timely hitting is also the key!!Not always the big boppers.

Hello from Tokyo Japan. We get to see Yankee games here but what is wrong with Matsui? He's just not hitting at all! Whatever happened to the MVP of July, is he injured? I heard his knees are hurting but is it that bad?? Will he have a chance to play in the playoffs?

dandri,

You're right anyone can be streaky in this league, but if you look at his career stats his hitting has been in the toilet for the last several years, except last season.

Lucky,

Greetings back. Yes he's banged up. His hitting mechanics are a little off as well. He'll figure it out and get going in the playoffs. Stay tuned.