The Red Sox are finished.
There will be no playoff race.
There will be little effort at even a wild card chase once we hit Sep 15-20
They have two legitimate starting pitchers and about five legitimate batters.
The bully is decent, but when consistently handed scores down two, three or more runs, it won't matter.
There will be no playoff race.
There will be little effort at even a wild card chase once we hit Sep 15-20
They have two legitimate starting pitchers and about five legitimate batters.
The bully is decent, but when consistently handed scores down two, three or more runs, it won't matter.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/othersports/2009/10/07/11328376-sun.html
Sports Other Sports
Beating the Yanks, good luck with that
By KEN FIDLIN
Last Updated: 7th October 2009, 2:48am
NEW YORK -- When the Yankees finished working out, they retired to their lavish quarters to regard, from a distance, the rabble scuffling for the right to be pummelled in the upcoming days of playoff baseball.
That the Minnesota Twins prevailed over the Detroit Tigers mattered little to the Yankees. Both the Twins and Tigers presented their own individual problems, but none that make the Bronx Bombers nervous. Since pitching means so much in a short series, the Yanks are just as happy not to have to face Detroit's Justin Verlander in Games 2 and 5. On the other hand, how do you take lightly a team such as Minnesota that won 17 of its last 21 games to earn a shot at the Yankees?
Jolted into a rare taste of reality by missing the playoffs a year ago for the first time since the 1994 strike, the Yanks threw vulgar wads of cash at the free agent market, committing more than $400 million US in guaranteed salary over the next few years to CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett.
So much talent
Now all is right in the Evil Empire. The Yankees won 103 games this season and they are perfectly content they can win the requisite 11 more that will allow them to walk the streets again safely.
Not many would dispute that. This edition of the Bronx Bombers has it all. They have Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte, three solid starters, which is pretty much all you need in the post-season, with all the off-days. They have Joba Chamberlain who seems to thrive on bullpen work and they have the greatest closer of all time in Mariano Rivera.
Their lineup would put the 1927 Yankees to shame. At the top of the order they have two Hall of Fame cinches in Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Just six years into his career, Mark Teixeira is well on his way to joining them. And waiting on the fringes of the Hall debate are Jorge Posada and Johnny Damon.
Despite those talented players, there are reasons to heed the caution lights.
Sabathia's career has been a thing of beauty until you start examining his playoff stats. Regular season, the big lefty is 136-81, with a career 3.62 ERA. But in three trips to the playoffs, he has started five games with a 2-3 record and a grotesque 7.92 ERA. In 25 postseason innings, Sabathia has pitched 25 innings, allowed 33 hits and 22 walks.
With the Yankees this year, though, he comes to the playoffs well-rested and pitching well. So does Burnett, who finished with three straight wins. But he has never pitched in the playoffs.
As an interesting little aside, there is a faint hint of controversy, looking forward to Game 2 of this series on Friday night. Burnett is the designated twirler for that one Posada has been told that he will be on the bench that night in favour of Jose Molina. Seems Burnett and Posada have not been a very good fit and he prefers working with Molina.
In 16 starts with Posada catching, Burnett allowed opponents a .270 batting average. In 11 starts with Molina as his battery-mate, opponents hit jus .221 against Burnett
"When a pitcher and a catcher get in a rhythm, you hate to break it up," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said. "And that's kind of the feeling that we have going now. Jorge is our No. 1 catcher. But in this situation, we just are going to choose to catch Molina."
"You know what? I just hope we win that game," said Posada. "That's all I've got to say."
There is some irony in this situation. Back in the late 1990s, pitcher David Cone also had some difficulties working with Posada. He preferred throwing to the backup catcher. That catcher's name was Joe Girardi.
ken.fidlin@sunmedia.ca
Sports Other Sports
Beating the Yanks, good luck with that
By KEN FIDLIN
Last Updated: 7th October 2009, 2:48am
NEW YORK -- When the Yankees finished working out, they retired to their lavish quarters to regard, from a distance, the rabble scuffling for the right to be pummelled in the upcoming days of playoff baseball.
That the Minnesota Twins prevailed over the Detroit Tigers mattered little to the Yankees. Both the Twins and Tigers presented their own individual problems, but none that make the Bronx Bombers nervous. Since pitching means so much in a short series, the Yanks are just as happy not to have to face Detroit's Justin Verlander in Games 2 and 5. On the other hand, how do you take lightly a team such as Minnesota that won 17 of its last 21 games to earn a shot at the Yankees?
Jolted into a rare taste of reality by missing the playoffs a year ago for the first time since the 1994 strike, the Yanks threw vulgar wads of cash at the free agent market, committing more than $400 million US in guaranteed salary over the next few years to CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett.
So much talent
Now all is right in the Evil Empire. The Yankees won 103 games this season and they are perfectly content they can win the requisite 11 more that will allow them to walk the streets again safely.
Not many would dispute that. This edition of the Bronx Bombers has it all. They have Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte, three solid starters, which is pretty much all you need in the post-season, with all the off-days. They have Joba Chamberlain who seems to thrive on bullpen work and they have the greatest closer of all time in Mariano Rivera.
Their lineup would put the 1927 Yankees to shame. At the top of the order they have two Hall of Fame cinches in Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Just six years into his career, Mark Teixeira is well on his way to joining them. And waiting on the fringes of the Hall debate are Jorge Posada and Johnny Damon.
Despite those talented players, there are reasons to heed the caution lights.
Sabathia's career has been a thing of beauty until you start examining his playoff stats. Regular season, the big lefty is 136-81, with a career 3.62 ERA. But in three trips to the playoffs, he has started five games with a 2-3 record and a grotesque 7.92 ERA. In 25 postseason innings, Sabathia has pitched 25 innings, allowed 33 hits and 22 walks.
With the Yankees this year, though, he comes to the playoffs well-rested and pitching well. So does Burnett, who finished with three straight wins. But he has never pitched in the playoffs.
As an interesting little aside, there is a faint hint of controversy, looking forward to Game 2 of this series on Friday night. Burnett is the designated twirler for that one Posada has been told that he will be on the bench that night in favour of Jose Molina. Seems Burnett and Posada have not been a very good fit and he prefers working with Molina.
In 16 starts with Posada catching, Burnett allowed opponents a .270 batting average. In 11 starts with Molina as his battery-mate, opponents hit jus .221 against Burnett
"When a pitcher and a catcher get in a rhythm, you hate to break it up," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said. "And that's kind of the feeling that we have going now. Jorge is our No. 1 catcher. But in this situation, we just are going to choose to catch Molina."
"You know what? I just hope we win that game," said Posada. "That's all I've got to say."
There is some irony in this situation. Back in the late 1990s, pitcher David Cone also had some difficulties working with Posada. He preferred throwing to the backup catcher. That catcher's name was Joe Girardi.
ken.fidlin@sunmedia.ca
