Moose goes for it

eccentric players are always the best. 3 runs Moose, it's up to you now

MOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!!!!!!!

MOOOOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
now if the bats can give some insurance..

Giambi 3 Ks, This guy shouldn't be resigned.. He is a big waste. I know he has 32 HRs and 96 RBIs. Very few came when it really counted. I won 2 bets that he would Strike out twice, He is usually a sure bet to K or hit into a DP...
As the Chisox announcer says HE-GONE!!! Moose is pitching great, He's earning his 20th, hoping the pen can hold the lead. Mussina is our MVP... I didn't give him a chance to be in the starting 5 at this time of year.

"He looks up... You can put it on the booooard... YES!"

Personally I can't stand Hawk

Oh dear the Mets are losing and pitching CC again seems to have paid off for the Brewers. Can't say I'm fussed but look Johan Santana apparently isn't enough to make the playoffs

MOOOOOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if Moose can hold down the 7th inning, then Joba and Mo could get him that 20th win

why was Moose taken out? he only 73 pitches after 6
now Moose's 20th win is in Phil Coke's hands

risky maybe. Then again Ortiz was first up.

If Moose wins who then becomes the pitcher with the most career wins never to get 20 in a season?

if Coke can get this last out without letting Boston score, then it should go to Joba then to Mo

woot.. Coke with 2 K's!

dang.. come on Joba

wow.. Bruney replaced Joba.. who saw that?

I wouldn't like to be near Moose right now in the dressing room. I can imagine much pacing backwards and forth is being done

nice job Bruney.. come on Marte

Yankees most likely will buy out Giambi but I have heard that consideration is being given to just picking up the option because the money saved on a 1 year deal when you add in the buyout won't be much and Giambi could find other suiters.

Girardi should've left Bruney in.. now Moose is sweating perhaps

Rivera is active?

here comes Mo to save the day...hopefully

Weird I thought Mo was hurt and having surgery.

MO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Moose goes, "Whew.."

yeah, come to think of it.. i thought Mo was scheduled for minor surgery
and what does he do? he pitched at 94-95 mph!

and Robbie finally got to a .270 avg

hit and run...good insurance runs chance

Congratulations to Iron Mike Mussinas.

I think we have 10 days to negotiate with guys like Moose, Cash could decide his future in 3?

just a hit Melky, just a hit pls

Some rumours Cashman might be resigned by tomorrow, whihc if they're going to keep him is a good thing so he can get right on with things

just a grand slam pls,

Cinco Ocho's having problems, lol

i hope Cashman stays.. outside of the whole Santana thing at the beginning of the year, Cashman's been doing a great job imho

very nice that the bats got insurance for a possible Moose 20th win

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!

you kick that bin Papelbon. Shame he couldn't have more outings like that near the start of the season

Nice hands Cody....

Cash is the only voice of reason. WO Cash, Hank will turn the Yankees into a $1B payroll

I hope he hurt his foot.

Correct me if I am wrong, don't we have 10 days to talk to our free agents?

Yeah Jer... they'll need to pull the taahp out....

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!

My guess without knowing anything is Moose's situation is resolved pretty quickly, perhaps a handshake agreement while he listens to other teams.

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!

HALL OF FAME HALL OF FAME HALL OF FAME HALL OF FAME

BP,
The clock doesn't start until the WS is over.

MIKE MU-SSI-NA clap clap clapclapcalp

MIKE MU-SSI-NA clap clap clapclapcalp

MIKE MU-SSI-NA clap clap clapclapcalp

MIKE MU-SSI-NA clap clap clapclapclap

Yankees are 9-8 now on the season series with the Sox. Congratulations Moose!!

I could care less about tonight's game. MOOOOOOOOOOOSE

CONGRATULATIONS MIKE! You're a Hall of Famers in my book.

COME ON GUYS!!!!!! In a season like we've had, this is as special an event as we could ask for!! Where is everyone?

Hmmmmm post game interview when asked about next year (on any mound) Mike said 'I don't know' like he clearly had no idea

End of season thoughts, ravaged by injuries to very key personel impossible to cover for loss of Posada and the RBIs he brings to table as well as loss of 21 games for ARod with further RBIs lost. Thses combined with Wang going down along with Hughes . Kennedy although injured was not up to it and his presence on the team was costly.

The upside is the discovery of Phil Coke 4 pitches along with a mid nineties fast ball. Can he be the lefty starter we so crave given I think Pettite will either retire or go top the bull pen.
If they get Sabbathia and they HAVE to what do they give up. This would leave a starting roster of Sabbathia Wang Hughes Coke Mussina and possibly AJ Burnett. The rest of the team should stay as is thus retaining Abreu Nady and Giambi. Can ARod go to S/S and would it be allowed and if so where would they play Jeter would they consider him at first. This would open up a trade for a third base. Can I have opinions please.
Phil Coke is the dark horse for 2009.
Aussie Bryan

Aussie Bryan,
Jeter's not giving up his SS spot anytime soon. Don't plan on it. I don't think we'll see Coke in the rotation, at least not soon. I'd expect to see Joba there first if a spot were opened.

What sucks up here in SUCHS land is we get teh SUCHS postgame, not the Yankees. Of course Moose is going to say "I dn't know". Let him enjoy this. I guarantee he'll be back.

I'm not taking away from his talents, dont get me wrong. But he's got some talent ahead of him - Hughes, Joba, Aceves, etc... But if he proves out, exepct to see him in the pen. He's got the skills to be WAY more than merely a lefty specialist.

As one who has criticized him in the past, congrats to Mike Mussina on winning 20 for the first time. Without his pitching the Yankees year would have been totally wasted. I believe that Girardi challenging Moose to pitch back inside and trust his stuff helped Moose this year. Now the off season begins, HATE SAYING THAT!!! Let's see if there are changes made in both the front office and the roster to make this a better ballclub. IF the Yankees stand pat with this roster I don't believe it is good enough to get to the WS in 2009. So the Times they are a changing.

Thanks Robert, thats what I was meaning.
Aceves should have come up earlier.
Whats good Aussie B?

Aussie B,

No way Pettitte is in the pen unless it is for the playoffs, we simply wouldn't pay him unless he's in the rotation most of the year.

I don't want Burnett but Toronto is said to be preparing a monster extension for him.

Why do the Blue Jays even bother. They should go into rebuilding mode and wait till the Rays aren't as strong. They're never going to finish above two of the Red Sox, Yanks and Rays

Actually, I think Gaston did an excellent job of turning them around. I am worried about them next year.

Just to let everyone know that Brackman(who some of you have challenging for the bullpen next year) pitched his first professional game in the HawaiianWinter League. He gave up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings. He will start next year in Tampa and maybe get to Trenton.

Great job Moose!! I hope you come back.

Great game for Moose, although I'm not totally sure why Girardi pulled him after 6 innings and only 73 pitches. Maybe he was having some lingering effects from the line drive off of his elbow from his last start? Either way, he pitched brilliantly like he did all season. The Yankees will definitely want Moose back, as long as he wants to pitch again. I'm pretty sure that it'll either be the Yankees or retirement for Moose....
As for the rest of the team, I must say I have been extremely impressed with Coke, and feel he will be a huge part of the Yankees bullpen in '09. The bullpen for next season will consist of any combo of Veras, Bruney, Coke, Ramirez, Marte?, Giese, Robertson, Chamberlain, Rivera (and 1-2 FA signings *Brian Fuentes, Will Ohman, Rafael Soriano mainly* or internal candidates such as Sanchez, Melancon, etc.). As for Cashman, they should offer him a deal for another 2-3 years, because he finally has gotten the organization back on the right track, like it was in the early-mid 90's when the organization produced players such as Jeter, Posada, Williams, Rivera and Pettitte. If Pettitte is interested in pitching for another year, I also think the Yankees should give him a 1 yr deal.
The Yankees should definitely pursue Sabathia, and also look into Burnett and/or Garland. There's another intriguing FA SP out there by the name of Oliver Perez, the 27yr old lefty from the Mets. I highly doubt the Mets wouldn't re-sign him though, he's a young power arm with great stuff. Leave Sheets, Dempster, Ponson and the rest of the FA SP out there alone. A starting rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett/Garland, Mussina, Pettitte is pretty damn good in my book. That would also give the Yankees the ability to groom Chamberlain and Hughes for another year, and then in 2010, you'll see them both become main stays in the Yankees rotation. That will also give the Yankees time to ensure that Melancon is ready to be a full-time major leaguer and hold down the back end of the bullpen, as well as some of the other good young arms that are in the system right now. Picture that rotation: Sabathia, Wang, Burnett/Garland, Chamberlain, Hughes. That's a younger rotation with a solid mix of capable veterans and high-ceiling younger guys.
As for position players, I think the Yankees have gotten a nice little surprise in Cody Ransom, a guy who can play all 4 infield positions effectively, as well as a guy with some pop in his bat. The Yankees should look into pursuing Casey Blake and/or Nick Punto for their bench. Those 2 players would provide more flexibility for Girardi, because they both can play numerous positions as well as be productive on offense. As for 1B, of course I'd love to see the Yankees land Mark Teixeira, although I'm not 100% convinced that will happen. If it doesn't, there really aren't any other good options at 1B on the FA market, so they'd have to fill that position from within; Miranda, Ransom, a platoon of players, who knows. As for C, I think it's extremely far-fetched to think that Posada will be able to catch 100+ games next season (the Yankees might be lucky if he can catch 75 games next season) and they don't have a viable every-day option in their system now (Molina is a backup, Cervelli is still a yr or more away), so they could either explore the FA market (sign Pudge to a 1yr. deal) or they should explore the trade market for a viable C(which I think is the better of the 2 options), possibly Saltalamacchia from Texas (seeing as the Rangers have an extreme surplus of C). The Yankees have plenty of good pitching prospects in their system that they could come up with a solid package to get Saltalamacchia away from the Rangers, without having to dig too deep and deplete their stock pile of young arms. There's no reason to worry about 2B, SS and 3B as they are already locked up for next season, but the outfield is a totally different story.
There is obviously a surplus in the outfield for the Yankees, even without re-signing Abreu. However, the log jam of talent in the outfield will only get worse when the Yankees DO re-sign Abreu for another yr (maybe an option yr as well). There is no doubt in my mind that the Yankees should re-sign Abreu. He is one of the best #3 hitters in all of MLB, and he plays a serviceable RF (and has been consistent through his entire career). Damon and Matsui both have 1 yr left on their respective contracts, and it may be hard to move either one of them due to the no-trade provisions in their contracts. I do feel though, that if they can trade 1 of them, that Matsui be the one to go. Why do I think this? Well Matsui is no longer an option in the outfield, but is now more of a full-time DH. Sure he may be able to play a few games out there, but he is not a starting outfielder anymore due to his knees. Damon on the other hand, is still one of the better lead-off hitters in the game, and can still play solid defense in the outfield, even with his noodle arm. The 2 guys the Yankees have fighting for the CF job are Gardner and Cabrera. I don't know what happened to Melky this year, but he looked like he was lost. (Then again so did Cano at times, and they are best friends. Maybe the loss of Bowa has affected them 2 more than people originally thought...) Unless he can figure out what his issues are, fix them, and get back on the right track, Gardner has a solid shot at being in CF for the Yankees in '09. Yes he started off slowly offensively, but he showed something over the last few weeks of the season (hitting .355 over his last 10 games), and he's also shown to be a superb fielder, with a decent arm, that can also wreak havoc on the bases due to his plus speed. Then there is Nady, who the Yankees need to lock up for the next 4-6 years. This guy is an above-average defender and an excellent "professional" hitter. So you see where re-signing Abreu would cause this log jam, but at the same time, you should see where re-signing Abreu is a must. In the outfield, I could see Nady/Damon in LF, Damon/Gardner/Cabrera in CF, Abreu/Nady in RF. There are however, some very interesting names on the FA list in regards to outfielders, and maybe some that the Yankees could pursue. Rocco Baldelli is a FA, and his teammate Carl Crawford has a club option for '09 ($8.25m w/ a $2.5m buy-out). Although Baldelli has seen his short career become even shorter due to his injuries, he has been and still is an extremely good baseball player. The Yankees could sign him to be a reserve outfielder/DH type. As for Crawford, I could see the Yankees pursuing him after '09 (the Rays will most likely pick up his option, making him a FA after '09) when Damon and Matsui's contracts are up, paving the way for Crawford to be the next LF for the Yankees (pushing Nady to RF when Abreu departs). By the time 2010 comes along, the Yankees won't have to worry about the revolving door that will be Gardner/Cabrera in CF because either Austin Jackson will be MLB ready and become the player that the organization believes he will be, or the Yankees pull off another FA signing to bring in an outfielder (in a crazy world, the Yankees would sign Matt Holliday to play LF, move Crawford to CF, and have Nady in RF, now wouldn't that be something lol). Or if you want to move forward with the FA path, the Yankees could sign Josh Hamilton (who I'd absolutely love to have in Pinstripes) and he would play CF, with Nady in RF and Crawford or Holliday in LF (far fetched again, but damn). Granted those FA moves are hypothetical, and possibly over-the-top thinking and most likely not going to happen, but it could.
All in all, I think that with Cashman at the healm for another 2-3 years, the Yankees are going to have an extremely productive and AWESOME off-season. They are going to do whatever they have to do to get a solid line-up out there for 2009 (by getting a solid mix of FA pick-ups and promoting players from within) and open up the NEW Yankees Stadium the right way.

Well you win epic post of 2008 award :)

I wouldn't lock up Nady though, he's 29 and who knows what's going to happen to his speed and power in the next couple of years. He might progress or he might start to fade away.

Brackman's in Hawaii? And he got a pounding? Sounds good, he's got nowhere to go but up. Moose is now officially a Hall of Famer, twenty wins. Hmm... let's see, that's better than Beckett, Dice-K, Lincecum, Bedard... just about every " Cy Young " candidate out there in the AL. Of course, he won't beat Lee out for the CY award, but boy, he's done a terrific job. His work has been invaluable, and I was one of the few fans to stick by his side in his horrible '07. Last year was a product of Moosechanging his arm angle, trying to throw his fastball instead using his offspeed pitches. Now look, he has twenty wins and is probably looking forward to 300 wins one day. I think he should do it.

Sorry gys, but Ransom's play doesn't get done by Jeter. Jeter probably has to dive and throw from his knees. Just goes to show how his glove has regressed and how many baserunners we allow because of it. It's weird because he's still on a thin frame and doesn't really have knee problems ( that we know of ). I expect a defensive shift in the coming years. Maybe to second, A-Rod moves to short, Cano goes to third.