Extraneous Thoughts On The Draft

Some leftover opinions on the draft that I didn't want to bury at the bottom of the Culver post:

• Wow, those five minute intervals were way, way too long. I understand that the whole reason for putting this thing in prime time was to make money off of it and the longer you stretch it out, the more commercials you can sell. But if you pace it too slow, no one is going to be around to watch those ads. I DVR'd this joint and I tried to watch it at regular speed at first, but ended up fast-forwarding between the breaks and ultimately just turning it off until the Yankees were up.
  
  
• Mysteriously, every fucking team took their allotted five minutes, right down to the second. Yes, that probably made the broadcast flow much smoother since the hosts knew right when to kick it back to Bud Selig. However, in other sports, they might need to use that time since they can trade away their pick, and if the team is ready with the selection, they just go sooner and save everyone the time.
  
  
• After the first round was said and done, I somehow despised Bud Selig even more than I did at the beginning. I hated the fact that he had to go through the same protracted spiel before every pick:

  With the seventeenth pick in the Two Thousand and Ten (that's M-M-X in Roman numerals) Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft, the Tampa Bay Rays of Tampa, Florida select Josh Sale, and outfielder from Seattle High School In Seattle, Washington, down the street from the Mobil station on the right, about a block and a half west of the hospital.
  
  The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the next pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft and will have five minutes, which translates to 300 seconds, and are on the clock - metaphorically speaking, not literally on top of a clock - starting now.

  AAAAAAAHHHHHH! We know what draft we are watching and don't care what town the college or high school the kid goes to is in. I hate hearing you speak. Less is more. Shut the fuck up.
  
  
• Judging by his suit, if Selig wasn't announcing the picks last night, he might have been trying to sell you a 2002 Nissan Maxima with 140,000 miles on it. "All highway. You can drive one of these to 250,000, easy!"
  
  
• By the time they got to the supplemental round, the pacing was much better and it was far more interesting, even though the players were ostensibly less heralded. Even the guys at the desk thought it was better and said so on air (oops!). This thing didn't need to be drawn out for three and a half hours and by pick number #35 or so, it was painfully obvious.
  
  
• It was also pretty cool to see the team's representative announce the pick (and mispronounce the name) during the supplemental round. Jeff Bagwell got stuck with "Mike Kvasnicka" and Roberto Alomar had to try to say "Noah Syndergaard" and "Asher Wojciechowski". As someone with a last name that everyone butchers, I found that amusing.

That's all I got. If they don't ditch the contrived intervals and cut this thing down to about an hour and a half next year, I promise I won't turn it on until the Yanks are on the clock.

Game 18: When The Lights Go Out

The Yankees have won their first five series of 2010. If they're going to open the season with six straight series victories for the first time in club history, they'll have to capture their fourth rubber game of the young season.

Javy Vazquez goes to the hill for the Yankees this afternoon. His three starts in 2010 have gone from poor to mediocre to satisfactory. Today he'll try to continue his upward trend and turn in his first quality start of 2010 after recording 22 quality starts in 32 outings last year. Vazquez faced these Angels eleven days ago, getting booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium after allowing four earned runs over five and a third innings. I'd tell you what his career numbers are against the Angels, but b-r.com is having all sorts of server problems today, and the splits pages have disappeared. He's made only one other start against the Angels since 2005, getting a no decision with two earned runs over six and two thirds in 2008.

Scott Kazmir gets the ball for the Halos. The lefty made his 2010 debut in the series finale against the Yanks just over a week ago, and they abused him to the tune of eleven baserunners, six runs, and three homers over four innings of work. He rebounded to pick up the win against the Tigers on Tuesday, going five and two thirds of shutout ball, giving up six hits and no walks against seven Ks. While with Tampa Bay, Kazmir had a great deal of success against the Yankees, but has lost both his starts against them since moving out West. He also had an ugly go of it in last year's ALCS, surrendering five runs, four of them earned, over four innings in a start and two thirds of an inning of relief. Overall though, the Yankee hitters do not have good numbers against him.

So as the lights go out on both the west coast portion of the Yankees' road trip and their only visit to the Big A during the 2010 season, the Yankees will try to win yet another rubber game to take yet another series. As such, we'll turn to The Black Keys and the lead track from their album Rubber Factory.

You can be, oh so mean
I just can't see, no in between
You know what the sun's all about
When the lights go out

-Lineups-

Yankees:
Nick Johnson's stiff back keeps him out of the lineup for the second consecutive day. Combined with tomorrow's off day, Johnson will have three days to rest. Nick Swisher moves up the two spot in the order, where he can further showcase his bunting skills. Jorge Posada takes Johnson's spot as the DH, giving the Cisco Kid his third start behind the plate in the last four days. Facing the lefty Kazmir, Marcus Thames is predictably in the lineup, playing left field. It's a bit of roll of the dice with flyball pitcher Vazquez on the mound for the Yanks, which says nothing of the hot bat Brett Gardner's been swinging this weekend.

Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada DH
Thames LF
Granderson CF
Cervelli C

Angels:

Maicer Izturis SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli C
Brandon Wood 3B

Game 17 WPA Chart

1. Swisher's double

2. Cervelli's single

3. Jeter's single

4. Cano's single

5. Swisher's single

6. Torii Hunter's sac fly

7. Teixeira's double

• A recap of Pettitte's 8 innings of one run ball, during which he allowed 6 hits, struck out 8 and walked none.
  
  
• Was this recap a total cop out? Yes.

First pitch tomorrow is at 3:35PM tomorrow as the Yanks and Javier Vazquez look to win their sixth consecutive series to start the season for the first time in franchise history.

Game 17: Stranded On Death Row

Until last night, the Yanks hadn't lost more than one game in a row this year. Of their 5 defeats thus far, the only one they were defeated by more than two runs was the series opener against Tampa Bay. That explains how they have been winning at a 69% clip and still have a Pythagorean record that matches their actual won-lost results (11-5). Much of this can be attributed to their excellent starting pitching so far.

Javier Vazquez is the only Yankee starter with an ERA over 3.20 and doesn't have two wins to his name. As a rotation, they have allowed the fifth fewest runs in the American League and are tied for second in most innings per appearance.

Even amidst this great stretch for the Yankees' starters, in terms of results, Andy Pettitte has distinguished himself. In his three starts this year (including six shutout innings against the Angels), he has pitched 20 innings and given up only three runs and zero home runs and he's done this despite putting a lot of men on base (1.200 WHIP). Allowing baserunners is nothing new for Pettitte, but he's done so in an uncharacteristic fashion thus far, walking more than usual while giving up fewer hits. True to his reputation, Pettitte has been able to pitch out of jams, tallying a sky high strand rate of 88%. Saying that he's been getting by on smoke and mirrors would be a little too harsh, but Pettitte has been fortunate to give up as few runs as he has thus far.

Like Pettitte, Joel Pineiro isn't the Angels ace in name but is off to the best start of any of his fellow rotation mates. Pineiro dominated the Yankees ten days ago in the Bronx, holding them to one run over seven innings by blitzing the strikezone with sinking fastballs.

Aside from and the fact that they are both off to a great start and their names both begin with P there are a few more similarities between today's starting hurlers. Pineiro has pitched one-third of an inning more than Pettitte and allowed one more run. Pineiro's peripheral numbers also indicate that he's outperformed his traditional stat line this far as his FIP is a run higher than his ERA. He's allowed about a hit per inning and struck out just 6/9 IP but walked only three batters this year.

Pineiro has the same 88% strand rate as Pettitte and sabermetric principles tell us that those percentages are unsustainable. Either they are going to have to start allowing fewer baserunners or they can expect to see more of them eventually coming around to the plate. Don't take it from me, I brought some original gangstas from Compton to put it in your ear.

No prevention from this mention of sorts,
Your're a victim, from my driveby of thoughts,
No extensions, all attempts are to fail,
Blinded by the light, it's time you learn braile.

-Lineups-

No lineups today, neither Matt nor I will be at our computers when they are posted. Enjoy the game.

Game 16 Recap

[WPA data via FanGraphs]

1. Despite allowing the first three batters he faced to reach base, A.J. Burnett was poised to escape the first inning without any damage. Eric Aybar's walk was erased when he was picked off stealing and a double by Torii Hunter followed by a Bobby Abreu single put runners on the corners with one out. Hideki Matsui lined out to short before Kendry Morales chopped a sky high ball of the plate that netted him an infield single and an RBI. Angels 1-0.

2. The Yankees got it going in the third as back to back doubles by Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter tied the game at one. After Nick Johnson struck out looking and Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch, A-Rod drove Jeter in with a single to left. Robinson Cano came to the plate next with two outs and men on first and second and pulled a single into shallow right field.

Aiming to put the Yanks up by two tuns, Teixeira came barreling around third base and just as the ball was bouncing over Angels' catcher Bobby Wilson, Teix plowed into him like a freight train, sending Wilson and his equipment flying backwards as he got up to make sure he touched the plate. Teix was fine, but Wilson had to be taken out of the game immediately and carried down the dugout steps back into the locker room. 3-1 Yankees.

3. The Yankees only lead of the game didn't last long. Abreu and Hunter led off the bottom of the 3rd with a double and a single. Matsui grounded into a double play that scored a run and again Burnett was close to escaping an inning but ultimately did not. He hit Kendry Morales with a pitch and gave up back to back doubles to Juan Rivera and Macier Izturus that put the Angels ahead 4-3.

4. Nick Swisher tied the game at 4 with a solo shot off of Santana in the 4th.

5. The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the 8th when Joba Chamberlain gave up a long single to Hideki Matusi to lead off the inning, bringing up his nemesis, Kendry Morales. At that point, Morales was 4-6 off Joba and he improved that ratio when he smacked a go-ahead two run home deep over the right field fence. The Angels took the lead 6-4 and Brain Fuentes sat the Yanks down 1-2-3 in the 9th. Game over, as the Bombers dropped their second in a row.

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• The Angels had just lost catcher Jeff Mathis with a broken wrist and Bobby Wilson was making his first Major League start. He sustained a concussion and an ankle injury but nothing too serious. It was unfortunate that Teixeira collided with him so squarely but everyone involved agreed that it was a clean play and there doesn't seem to be any lingering anger over the incident.
  
  
• The Yankees stubbed their toe badly in the sixth inning. After Curtis Granderson walked and Nick Swisher was hit by a pitch, Brett Gardner squared to bunt and ended up popping and eye-high fastball right back to Ervin Santana. Next, Jeter lined one back up the middle that almost took Santana's head off, but got slowed down by his grasping try enough for Howie Kedrick to get the out at second base. There were runners on the corners for Nick Johnson but he grounded out to second to end the inning.
  
  
• Santana and Burnett had very similar nights, both going just about six innings (6.1 for A.J.), giving up 8 and 9 hits, 4 runs (all earned), each hit 2 batters and struck out 3. They threw 103 and 104 pitches, respectively (about 60%) for strikes and neither factored into the decision.
  
  
• Burnett made an awesome stab on a ball up the middle to end the 4th inning.
  
  
• The pitch that Morales homered on was a hanging slider. That was obviously the death knell for the Yanks but the inability to capitalize in the 6th, particularly Gardner's failed bunt attempted was a huge missed opportunity.

The Yanks look to shake it off and get back at it this afternoon, as the game is on FOX at 4.

Game 16: Black Magic Woman

For the most part, the 2009 Yankees vanquished their past demons with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After an embarassing pre-All-Star Game three game sweep at the Big A left them 2-4 against the Halos for the year, the Yankees took three of the final four meetings between the clubs, finishing the season series at .500 despite a run differential of negative ten.

Of course, everything that matters with the Yankees is measured through the lens of post-season success, and in that regard, the 2009 Yankees fared even better against their west coast nemesis. A six game victory over the Angels in the ALCS didn't erase what happened in 2002 or 2005, but at the very least the psyche of the fan base should be soothed knowing the Yankees have had the most recent laugh, and that the Angels do not in fact hold some sort of mystical power over the Yanks. And if that wasn't enough to convince the perpetually pessimistic, taking two out of three in convincing fashion in the Bronx last week should.

One Angel with whom the Yankees haven't had trouble is taking the mound tonight. Ervin Santana surrendered eight hits, five walks, five runs, and two longballs in just five and two thirds during the Home Opener last week. The Yankees roughed him up similarly in his lone 2009 start against them, using two walks and nine hits, three of them homers, to rough him up for five runs (four ER) in six innings of work. While Santana did pitch well in four ALCS relief appearances last year, earning one of the Angels two wins, he also got saddled with the loss when Maicer Izturis threw away Game Two. For his regular season career, Santana is 5-3 in nine starts against the Yankees, but with an unsightly 5.50 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.

Opposing Santana will be A.J. Burnett. Much like his 2009 at large, Burnett's appearances against the Angels last year were a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde act. His April no decision at the Stadium saw him give up four runs over seven innings. In September in southern California, he struck out eleven and allowed only two runs, but allowed ten baserunners in just 5.2 IP. In the post-season, Burnett tossed 6.1 innings of two run ball in Game Two, but did not factor in the decision. His Molina Magic wore off in Game Five, as the Angels roasted for six runs in six innings. Burnett missed the Angels in last week's series, so this will mark his first 2010 appearances against the Halos. For his career, Burnett is 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in six starts against the Angels.

Both pitchers are coming off strong outings. Following his poor Yankee Stadium outing last week, Santana tossed a four hit, no walk, one run complete game against the Blue Jays, striking out six. Meanwhile, Burnett has been good in all three starts this year, entering tonight at 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA through 19 innings of work, most recently tossing seven shutout innings against Texas Saturday. As River Ave. Blues pointed out earlier today, Burnett has also done a good job of limiting his walks thus far this year, but his strikeouts are also down.

Despite the Yankees exploits against the Angels since last year's All-Star Break, we're still likely to hear about the team's past struggles against the Angels, and particularly about their difficulties at the Big A. Someone may even point out the Yankees did lose two of the three ALCS games contested there last October. As far as I'm concerned though, the Yankees have the upper hand right now. The spell Santana and the Angels held over the Yankees has been broken.

I got a Black Magic Woman
I got a Black Magic Woman
Yes, I got a Black Magic Woman
She's got me so blind I can't see
But she's a Black Magic Woman and
she's trying to make a devil out of me

Don't turn your back on me baby
Don't turn your back on me baby
Yes, don't turn your back on me baby
Don't mess around with your tricks
Don't turn your back on me baby
'cause you might just wake up my magic sticks

-Lineups-

Yankees:
Everything is back to normal after yesterday's creativity.

Jeter SS
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Granderson CF
Swisher RF
Gardner LF

Angels:
Jeff Mathis has been DL'd with a broken wrist since we've last seen the Halos. As such, Bobby Wilson gets the nod behind the plate tonight. Mike Scioscia must really not like Mike Napoli. Maicer Izturis plays third tonight as perpetual prospect Brandon Wood continues to struggle at the Big League level.

Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Maicer Izturis 3B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Bobby Wilson C

Double Triples

Good morning, Fackers. We're going to start off this Friday with some fun stuff we found by digging through Baseball-Reference's Play Index. Basically, we are going to go Jayson Stark on your asses for a moment.

Last night, Curtis Granderson notched the first and second triples of his young Yankee career, the first down the right field line off Scott Kazmir in the 4th inning and the second a deep fly to right center off of Brian Stokes in the following inning.

• Granderson led the league with 23 triples during his monster 2007. That year he became the 6th member of the 20-20-20 club, by collecting more than 20 doubles and 20 homers as well.
  
  
• Two triple games are nothing new to Granderson, as the one last night was the 5th of his career. He had two of them in 2007 (one against the Yankees) and two more in 2008. One of those '08 games was against the Rangers in August, and like last night, he did it in back to back ABs in consecutive innings. Unlike last night though, he drove in 4 runs in the process.
  
  
• The last Yankee to have two triples in one game was current Angel Bobby Abreu in 2008, but that happened in the Metro Dome. The last Yankee to do it at home was Enrique Wilson back in 2002 against the Indians.
  
  
• Twenty years and two days before Wilson did it, Ken Griffey Sr. pulled off the same feat against the Brewers at the Stadium. Like Granderson, Griffey did it in consecutive at bats (his 1st & 2nd) in back to back innings (the 1st and 2nd) off of two different pitchers (Moose Haas & Jerry Augustine).
  
  
• The only Yankees ever to collect three three-baggers in one game were Joe DiMaggio back in 1938 (who somehow only scored one run in that game) and Earle Combs in 1928. The Yanks happened to win both of those games by a score of 8-7. Furthermore, they blew one run leads in the top of the ninth inning in both of them and came back to walk off with the win in the bottom half.
  
  
• There were at least 32 multiple triple games by Yankee batters in the pre-renovation years of Yankee Stadium and likely more because the Play Index isn't totally complete. Conversely, there were only 4 from 1973 to 2008.
  
  
• Now there is one in the first 84 regular season games in the new joint, a park which suppresses extra-base hits that aren't home runs.
  
  
• On Wednesday night Nick Swisher had a triple as well, giving the Yanks 3 of them in 2 games, something that hasn't happened since 2007. Before that though, you have to go back to 1998, when the Yanks hit four triples in the same night against the Rangers in Arlington (two by Bernie Williams and one each by Derek Jeter and Tim Raines). That game was a 15-13 battle during which the Yanks and Rangers each had a 7 run inning.

They say triples are the most exciting play in baseball and I can't argue with that. Granderson is going to have a tough time legging out too many of them in Yankee Stadium but if he can pick up 10 of them, he'd be the first Yankee to do it since Jerry Mumphrey in 1982. Keep chuggin', Curtis.

Game 9 Recap

1. After sitting the top of the Angels' order down in dominant fashion in the first inning, Phil Hughes faced Hideki Matsui to lead off the second. Hughes threw two consecutive fastballs, the second one breaking right over the middle of the plate and Matsui smashed it into the Yankees bullpen to put the Angels up 1-0.

2. Leading off the bottom of the 2nd inning, Robinson Cano leveled the score at 1-1, redirecting a 90MPH fastball that Scott Kazmir left over the inner half out into the right field seats.

3. In the bottom of the third, Derek Jeter joined the lead off home run party, taking two fastballs from Kazmir before smashing a line drive to right that gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. After Nick Swisher flied out to center, Mark Teixeira and A-Rod worked back to back walks, but Cano and Posada grounded out back to back to end the inning.

4. Marcus Thames came to the plate to lead off the fourth, but instead of jacking a home run he managed only a lowly single. It was okay as Curtis Granderson followed him with a triple down the right field line. Randy Winn grounded out to second without scoring Granderson from third, but Jeter got the job done with a single in the next at bat. 4-1 Yanks.

5. Kazmir gave up yet another lead off hit to start the 5th, this time a double to A-Rod. Cano followed with his second homer of the game, sending Kazmir to the showers and putting the Yankees ahead 6-1.

6. After expending 26 pitches to get through just four hitters in the top of the 5, Phil Hughes came back out for the 6th inning, having already thrown 97 pitches. He had Torii Hunter 1-2 but ultimately surrendered a single and then walked Matsui on 6 pitches. That free pass ended Hughes night and bought in David Robertson, who gave up the inherited runner before getting out of the inning. 6-2 Yanks.

7. The Yanks' bullpen came together to close down the game from there. Robertson got two outs in the 7th before turning it over to Damaso Marte, who retired Abreu. Marte gave up two straight singles to start the 8th before getting one out and passing the baton to Joba Chamberlain. It only took 3 pitches for Joba to get Howie Kendrick to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Chamberlain came back out for the ninth inning but Mike Napoli worked a walk and Eric Aybar singled with two outs, bringing on Mariano Rivera for the ol' one out save. Four pitches later, Mo retired Bobby Abreu and the Yanks won 6-2.

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• It was quite poetic that Robinson Cano (who was named after Jackie Robinson) had two home runs and Mariano Rivera (who is the last active player to wear #42) nailed down the save. Of all the games played in the Majors last night, the Robinson's surviving family chose to attend this one. That's pretty cool.
  
  
• Hughes struck out 6 batters but also walked 5 in 5 innings. The only of the three hits he allowed that went for extra bases was the homer to Matsui. A respectable sixty six of his 108 pitches went for strikes but the Angels extended a lot of at bats by fouling good pitches off. Hughes might not have been efficient, but he was effective. His fastball seemed extra live in the first inning, getting two swinging strikeouts, but lost a little life as the game progressed. Hopefully that will change as we get deeper into the season and he develops a little more stamina.
  
  
• Hughes had a balk in the 4th. Hideki Matsui was on first, and it wasn't like Matsui forced him to make a mistake; it appeared that Hughes just forgot he was there.
  
  
• Mike Napoli lined a single up the middle that very nearly scored Matsui but Curtis Granderson gunned him down at the plate.
  
  
• Curtis Granderson added a second triple with two outs in the 5th inning, that one standing up. The ball bounced around against the wall in right center for a moment and by the time Abreu had fielded it, Granderson was already around second.
  
  
• Randy Winn went 0-4, rapping three groundballs and striking out swinging once.
  
  
• Girardi pinch hit Nick Johnson for Marcus Thames against right hander Matt Palmer in the 6th inning with the Yanks already up 6-2. During a game with a four run lead might have been a good chance to give Thames an AB against a righty, but Girardi was unwilling to sacrifice that potential advantage. That's fine, but what happened to the philosophy of using these early season games to find out what guys are capable of doing?
  
  
• Bringing in Rivera for the save was probably equally unnecessary, but it was a nice moment considering his uniform number and the occasion.
  
  
• The Yanks won their third straight series via a third consecutive rubber game and now sit at 6-3.

The homestand continues tomorrow at 7:05 as the welcome C.J. Wilson and the Rangers to town.

Game 9: Four Sticks

As the Yankees attempt to take their third straight rubber match to begin the season, both teams send young starting pitchers to the mound to make their season debuts, albeit a little bit late.

After beginning the season on the 15 day DL with a left shoulder issue, Scott Kazmir takes the ball for the Angels tonight. The 26 year old lefty had a rough go in his time with Tampa Bay last year, amassing a 5.92 ERA in 20 starts and spending almost a month on the DL with a quadriceps injury before being traded to Anaheim at the wavier trade deadline. Kazmir saw his strikeout rate dip below one per inning for the first time since his rookie season in '09 as his hit rate jumped over that 9/9IP mark for the first time in his career.

In six regular season starts with the Angels, Kazmir pitched 36 innings and gave up just 7 ER, good for a 1.73 ERA. It would appear that he found his groove out in California but judging by xFIP, the two parts of the season were virtually indistinguishable. Kazmir made three appearances in the postseason (including a start and a relief appearance against the Yankees) and didn't fare well, allowing 9 ER in 10 2/3 innings.

Given that Kazmir is due $20M over the next two years, the Angels took on significant risk when they acquired him and the early season trip to the DL isn't a good sign considering he's battled shoulder issues before. If he can stay healthy, though, Kazmir has proven he is a valuable commodity in the past. He has also had quite a few of the Yankees' numbers, Derek Jeter in particular, so it will be interesting to see if that trend continues.

For the Yankees, Phil Hughes makes his much-anticipated 2010 debut. Although he's still only 23 years old, this will be the fourth season in a row that Phil has been given a chance to start a game in April.

Back in 2007, he went on 4/28 against Toronto before the infamous hamstring injury in Texas on May 1st. In 2008, he had a 9.00 ERA after 6 April outings and was placed on the DL, supposedly with a broken rib and some other ailments although many suspected that it was just a case of "bad pitcheritis". Last year he was called up from the minors after Chien-Ming Wang came down with that same ailment to make another April 28th start and stayed in the rotation for a total of 7 games before being relocated to the bullpen in early June.

It was his performance as a reliever last year that has been the most encouraging sign of his young Major League career. In 41 appearances spanning 51.1 innings, Hughes tallied a 1.40 ERA and held opponents to an anemic .456 OPS against, allowing just 5 extra base hits. Starting is going to be a different sort of challenge for him, but Hughes says he feels much more ready than he has in the past.

After being awarded the 5th starter's job in Tampa in March, Hughes made two starts in extended Spring Training attempting to refine his pitching arsenal while the team played the Red Sox and Rays. Now he's back with the club and about to be given his fourth shot to become a full time member of the starting rotation. Let's hope he sticks there this time around.

Oh, Baby, the river's red, Oh, Baby, in my head.
There's a funny feelin' goin' on, I don't think I can hold out long.

-Lineups-

Yankees:

There's a lot going on here. Nick Johnson is on the bench (just a regular day off), and Nick Swisher moves up to take his place in the two hole. Marcus Thames will DH as Randy Winn plays left field (his first start of the season), which is clearly the better choice defensively. In between those two in the bottom third of the lineup, Curtis Granderson occupies the 8th spot, one position higher than he's batted against the other lefties the Yankees have faced.

Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Thames DH
Granderson CF
Winn LF

Angels:

Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli 2B
Brandon Wood 3B
Reggie Willits LF

Game 8: Ain't Got No Home

Joel Pineiro gets the ball for the Halos today. Pineiro's been a bit of a nomad over the last few years of his career. After spending his first seven seasons with the Mariners, Pineiro signed with the Red Sox for 2007. Primarily a starter during his years in the Pacific Northwest, the Red Sox made Pineiro a reliever exclusively. There was even talk that Jonathan Papelbon, coming off his rookie campaign, would return to the starting rotation with Pineiro inheriting the closer's role. That didn't come to pass, and after a disastrous half season in their bullpen, Boston shipped him off to the Cardinals. It would prove to be a career altering transaction for Pineiro.

Returned to the rotation, Pineiro finished the 2007 season strong, but followed it up with a mediocre 2008 campaign. Under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Duncan though, Pineiro had a career season in 2009. Armed with a new two seam fastball, his ground ball rate went through the roof, his walk and home run rates went through the floor, and his stock as an impending free agent skyrocketed.

Pineiro parlayed his age 30 career season and Major League best walk rate into a two year $16M deal from the Angels. It's unlikely he'll replicate his 2009 season; his ground ball, walk, and home run rates from last year just aren't sustainable, particularly when switching to the more challenging American League. Yet even with some regression, Pineiro figures to be a good value at just $8M per year. And if he isn't, he just may find himself on the move again in 2012.

Since the 2003 season, Javier Vazquez has done six different stints with five different clubs over eight years. He's gone from Montreal to New York to Arizona to the south side of Chicago to Atlanta and back to New York. Aside from the three years spent with the White Sox, each of Vazquez' stops since leaving Montreal have lasted just one season. His current contract expires at the end of the year, and virtually all the speculation since his reacquisition has assumed Vazquez' return engagement with the Yankees will be just a one year affair. Many Yankee fans may be hoping as much.

I've already said more than my share on Vazquez and on how some Yankee fans view him. I will attempt to restrain myself from expounding upon it any further. I am however very curious to see how Javy is received today, his first appearance in pinstripes in more than five years. His reception during Opening Day introductions yesterday was lukewarm. I couldn't hear many, if any, boos, but there certainly wasn't a loud cheer for him either. I hope the fans will be supportive today; I know I'll be cheering from the right field stands.

The life of a professional baseball player is transient by nature. On the way up, if he's lucky, a player will hit a new minor league outpost each year. Once he reaches the Majors, and is fortunate enough to establish himself there, he spends six consecutive weeks in Spring Training and half of the following six months on the road. Most players will change teams a few times over the course of their career.

As Joel Pineiro and Javier Vazquez know all too well, it's hard to establish a home as a Major Leaguer. Yet as Javier Vazquez returns to the Bronx, makes his first home start of 2010, and tries to re-establish a home in New York, I fear he may be facing a higher degree of difficulty than most, particularly in light of those who saw what they expected to see in his first start. I hope that these fans, who are so often told they're the best in the world, don't prove my fears to be well founded.

So as we face our second consecutive weekday matinee, we turn to The Band's Moondog Matinee album for today's video. The album is comprised entirely of covers from the early days of rock and roll. So while we're going with The Band's version here, it's tough to top the original from Clarence "Frogman" Henry.

I ain't got no home, or no place to roam
I ain't got no home, or no place to roam
I'm a lonely boy, I ain't got a home

-Lineups-

Yankees:

Jeter SS
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Granderson CF
Swisher RF
Gardner LF

Angels:

Eric Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera RF
Maicer Izturis 2B
Jeff Mathis C
Brandon Wood 3B

Game 7 Recap

[WPA data via FanGraphs]

1. The Yankees got it going in the bottom of the first, as Nick Johnson jumped on a 1-1 Ervin Santana fastball and crushed it to the right field bleachers to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

2. In the top of the third, Derek Jeter followed with a solo shot of his own to right-center

3. The next inning, the Yankees stretched the lead to 3-0, as a bases loaded infield single from Jeter plated Curtis Granderson.

4. Andy Pettitte pitched himself into a bit of a jam in the fifth, allowing a leadoff single to Jeff Mathis followed by a walk to Brandon Wood. Erick Aybar's groundout to third put both runners in scoring position, but Pettitte wriggled out of trouble by inducing a pop up from Bobby Abreu and a groundout from Torii Hunter

5. The Angels threatened again in the sixth, with back-to-back singles from Kendry Morales and Juan Rivera leaving runners on the corners with one out. Pettitte then induced a double play ball off the bat of Howie Kendrick, costing the Angels 11.9% of Win Expectancy.

6. The Yankees made it 5-0 in the bottom half of the inning. Walks from Nick Swisher, Nick Johnson, and Mark Teixeira loaded the bases. An infield single from A-Rod plated the Nicks. Raise your hand if you thought you'd see Nick Johnson score from second on an infield single this year. Yeah, me neither.

7. The Angels got on the board in the top of eighth, as Kendry Morales blasted a solo shot into the second deck in right field. The Yankees responded in the bottom half. Nick Johnson led off with a double and came around to score on a Jorge Posada two bagger. Curtis Granderson continued his hot start by driving Robinson Cano home with a base hit. Though seemingly pile-on runs at the time, they would prove crucial.

8. David Robertson had a rough top of the ninth. He gave up three straight singles to start the inning, the second of which was supposed to be a bunt attempt. After retiring Aybar for the inning's first out, D-Rob surrendered a grandslam to Bobby Abreu to make it 7-5. Even so, the Yankees' Win Expectancy still stood at 95.9%. Mariano Rivera came on to get Torii Hunter and old friend Hideki Matsui to shut the door.

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• Outstanding job by the Yankees with the ring ceremony. From the 27 championship flags flying from the Stadium, to the presence of living legends Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, to the surprise guest appearance by Jerry Hairston Jr, who took a cross country red eye from San Diego last night to spend his off day getting his ring, it was well done. If only Bernie didn't bounce the first pitch, and if only YES wasn't late in getting back on the air for it.


• Extremely classy move by the Yankees to give World Series MVP Hideki Matsui the final ring. It was also very nice to see the entirety of the Yankees come forward to greet Matsui after he received his ring. While that move spoke volumes of how Matsui's former teammates feel about him, the fans took the opportunity to express their gratitude with a standing ovation for Matsui's plate appearance in the first inning. Nice job by Andy Pettitte to take his time and step off, giving Matsui an opportunity to tip his batting helmet.


• As nice as the reception was for Matsui, the best moment of the day was to see Gene Monahan in attendance. As we mentioned this morning, Monahan has been away from the team battling illness, reportedly cancer. His appearance today was the first of the season. It was very poignant that he received the first ring in the ceremony and touching to see the warm reception from the fans and how much it moved Geno.


• The very first ring of the day was presented to George Steinbrenner. Joe Girardi and Derek Jeter visited his suite early in the afternoon to deliver his ring. Hal said his pops was very appreciative.


• Another solid outing for Andy Pettitte, who was very sharp through four and gutted through jams in the fifth and sixth. It was good to see that Pettitte was able to receive his ring on the field before heading to the bullpen to warm up.


• Nine walks by Angels pitching today, including three to Nick Swisher and two each to Nick Johnson and Mark Teixeira.


• Robinson Cano continues to swing a hot bat, picking up a double and a single, and making good contact on his fly out to the right field warning track.


• Nick Swisher has been replaced for defense in three consecutive games and five of the last six. I know he can look bad at times and that his arm isn't great, but as we discussed a couple weeks back, he's not a terrible defender.


• Chan Ho Park looked good for his second consecutive outing. Perhaps those who were ready to write him off following his Opening Night performance might have reacted a tad too quickly.


• David Robertson's ERA is going to take a looooong time to recover from today.


• I don't want to jump to conclusions after just one game, but Torii Hunter looks like he's aged in dog years defensively. He got poor jumps on about three or four fly balls today. Perhaps the wind played a factor, but that doesn't explain away his failure to cut off Nick Johnson's eight inning shot in the right-center gap.

See you in the morning Fackers.

Game 7: Champion

While the Yankees are already six games deep in the 2010 season, today is the first time they get to don the famous pinstriped uniforms. While the road grays are handsome unis in their own right, the pure white background and the dark blue stripes of the home duds are particularly aesthetically pleasing, especially under the bright sunlight of a day game.

Of everyone, Curtis Granderson is probably the most anxious to try on the uniform and get out on the field. For the first time, he'll be patrolling centerfield in Yankee Stadium in the top halves of the innings and staring down the short porch in right during the bottoms. He'll be acknowledging his first roll call from the Bleacher Creatures. He will be one of the few players not getting a World Series ring, but after his solid start during the preceding road trip, the fans will certainly make him feel welcome in his new home stadium.

Putting on the Pinstripes is nothing new to Andy Pettitte, but this start might be a little more special than usual for the 38 year old. Pettitte has won all three home openers he's started for the Yanks - the first one coming in the snow against the Royals in 1996 - and his fourth one is likely to be his last.

Dating back to the end of last season, Pettitte also has a three game home winning streak going. He won against the Red Sox on September 27th and started the clinching Game 6's of the ALCS and World Series, both of which, of course, were played in the Bronx. Despite a rain-soaked Spring Training consisting of more simulated games and bullpen sessions than he would have preferred, Pettitte pitched well in his first start of the season, allowing one run in six innings in Fenway Park on Wednesday. He walked three and gave up 6 hits but notched 5 K's and erased two of those baserunners with a pair of double plays.

Ervin Santana will be taking the mound for the Angels. Santana wasn't especially successful as a starter last year (5.03 ERA) and he got bumped back to the bullpen for one appearance at the end of the season and remained there for the playoffs. He made two strong appearances against the Yankees in the ALCS, lasting 5 2/3 innings in total and giving up only one run.

In his first start back in the rotation this season against the Twins, the 28 year old righty allowed four runs in six innings, including two home runs to Justin Morneau and J.J. Hardy. Over the years, Santana has had longball issues against the Yankees, allowing 11 of them to the Bombers in 46 2/3 IP. Four of those were to guys who are no longer on the team (two to his new teammate Hideki Matsui) but Granderson has taken Ervin deep twice himself.

As Matt noted earlier, the Yankees are pulling out all the stops for the ceremony this afternoon. Banners hung, legends present, color guard playing, giant flag unfurled, National Anthem sung and fly over executed. It might be a little awkward for Granderson, Nick Johnson and especially Chan Ho Park and Hideki Matsui, but the organization is taking the opportunity to treat the fans who are lucky enough to be in attendance to a special experience.

It will be even more special for guys like Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Nick Swisher, who will finally be given a symbol of the World Series titled they contributed to last year after long and otherwise successful careers without that satisfaction. No longer will any of them be looked upon as guys who "never won the Big One" or "couldn't get it done in New York". The on-field celebration that took place five months ago is a distant memory and although the crowds in Tampa were mostly friendly, the players have yet to be officially embraced by their own fans this season. Today they will in a way that they've never been before.

Did you realize, that you were a champion in the eyes?

Yes I did, so I packed it up and brought it back to the crib.

-Lineups-

Yankees:

Jeter SS
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Granderson CF
Swisher RF
Gardner LF

Angels:

Aybar SS
Abreu RF
Hunter CF
Matsui DH
Morales 1B
Rivera RF
Kendrick 2B
Mathis C
Wood 3B

Dissecting The DH Signings

So far this offseason, free-swinging goat roaster Vladimir Guerrero, World Series Hero and spousal sketch artist Hideki Matsui, and injury-prone on-base messiah Nick Johnson have all been signed as DHs for elite offensive teams.

According to the Dallas News Vlad's deal is for $5M with incentives making comparable to the $5.5M deal Johnson got from the Yankees and the $6M one Matsui received from the Angels. Johnson's contract includes bonuses for every 25 plate appearances over 400 and mutual option or buyout for 2011, giving it the largest possible value of the three. But for this coming year, the values are likely to be quite similar.

While Johnson is more than 5 years younger than either Matsui or Guerrero, he carries similar risk of injury, having spent far more than his fair share of time on the DL over the course of his career. Johnson may be capable of playing first base and Matsui may want to play the outfield, but all three figure to DH almost exclusively in 2010.

Offensively, each has a unique profile. By getting on base at a .400 clip, Johnson offers something much different than either of the other two aging sluggers, but when healthy each provides similar overall value to a lineup.

The biggest difference between Matsui and Guerrero is that Matsui is coming off one of the best years of his career (not to mention the World Series MVP), while Vlad just completed one of his worst, both in terms of games played and at bat for at bat production. Johnson, meanwhile, came to the plate 574 times, the second most in his career and got on base quite often, but his slugging percentage was the lowest of the three.

However, the Yankees would gladly trade points in SLG for OBP considering he's going to be hitting in front of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. Matsui and Guerrero are going to hit more towards the middle of the order and their higher slugging percentages will be more useful in driving in runs. In terms of a fit for the line up, it seems that Johnson and the Yankees are a perfect match.

So between Matsui and Guerrero, who figures to provide more value for their team next year?

The chart below shows Vlad's numbers since he came to Anaheim back in 2004 (darker numbers are better).

While it hasn't been an even decline across the board, it's easy to see that he's fallen a long way in every category listed above in the last six years. Conversely, Matsui's 2009 line (.274/.367/.509) was very similar to his career marks (.292/.370/.482) with the exception of his batting average being slightly lower and his slugging percentage slightly higher. While Guerrero is still (supposedly) younger than Matsui and had a higher, longer career peak, it seems as though Vlad is further into his decline phase.

Plate discipline has a way insulating a batter from the effects of aging and that is one category Matsui owns Vlad in. Vlad walked in only 4.7% of his plate appearances last year, the lowest of his career, while Matsui walked in 12.3%, sightly above his career average.

Was luck a factor? Matsui had a BABIP of .275, which was .23 lower than his career mark. Guerrero was down slightly to .314 from his mean of .322. Vlad hit more fly balls in 2009 than in previous years, particularly infield fly balls. His line drive percentage was actually up last year, but he saw a dive in his HR/FB rate (-4.6%). Matsui had the same underlying factors ( increases in FB, IFFB, LD%), but his HR/FB rate nearly doubled to 17.9%. You can chalk some of the difference up to the New Yankee Stadium, but it appears he was fortunate with his results as well.

In 2010, Matsui will be moving to a less favorable hitter's park while Vlad will be moving to a more favorable one. As Jack Moore points out over at FanGraphs today, Vlad has excellent numbers at the Ballpark in Arlington, but "the data from the last few years in Anaheim far outweighs the fact that he’s killed the Rangers at home over the last six."

If I were a GM, I would be worried about Vlad's slow downward spiral over the past couple of years. While he had a higher, more sustained peak than Matsui, he seems to be more susceptible to the aging process than Godzilla. His bat speed has already started to leave him and the results have not been good. This isn't to say that Matsui is a sure bet either with his balky knees and all, but his patient approach at the plate and solid production last year seem to make him a better value in 2010.

Sayonara Hideki-San

Good morning Fackers. Well I would have bet you a dollar that last week's Winter Meetings would be the peak of the Hot Stove League. Then yesterday happened. We'll get to all the hullabaloo a little later on today, but the only proper way to lead off this morning is to bid a fond farewell and thank you to Hideki Matsui for seven years of good and loyal balky-kneed service.

Matsui came to the the Yankees from the Yomiuri Giants as a free agent following the 2002 season. While Ichiro experienced unprecedented success in his first two years in the Big Leagues, other Japanese postion players - Tsuyoshi Shinjo and So Taguchi - had not been as successful. Matsui was the first slugger to come out of Japan and no one quite knew what to expect. Bolder predictions forecasted as many as fifty home runs; others weren't quite so optimistic.

Early on at least, the pessimists were right. After an Opening Day grand slam, Matsui had a difficult time adjusting to two seamers and sinking fastballs. He perpetually flailed at pitches on the outer part of the plate, trying to pull everything - a habit he's yet to outgrow. It seemed as if every other at bat saw Matsui rolling over one and grounding weakly to second. Through his first fifty eight games - more than a third of his first Major League season - Matsui was hitting .250/.299/.357 with just 3 HRs. He had grounded in to eight double plays, most of them surely of the 4-6-3 variety as he tried again and again to pull the pitch low and away.

Matsui struck bottom in an early June interleague series in Cincinnati. The Yankees were 33-23, leading Boston by a game and a half, Toronto by two, and Baltimore by four and a half. Despite their record, they were playing listless baseball, foreshadowing the early portions of seasons to come. Prior to the opening game of the season, George Steinbrenner named Derek Jeter as the eleventh captain in Yankee history. Matsui went just 1 for 8 over the next two games, dropping his triple slash line to its lowest mark of the season. But he was about to get right.

In the series finale, dropped to seventh in the order, Matsui went 4 for 5 with three doubles, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. He hit .311/.385/.485 with 13 HR over the season's final 105 games, finishing with a respectable .287/.353/.435 line in finishing second to future Yankee legend Angel Berroa in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He wouldn't look back for the remainder of his Yankee career.

After extremely productive seasons in 2004 and 2005, Matsui's body began to betray him in 2006. Off to another solid start, he broke his wrist in May 2006 game as he attempted a diving catch in left field. The injury cost him 111 games and relegated him almost exclusively to DH duty upon his return. In 2007 and 2008 Matsui's knees, abused from years playing on the astroturf of the Tokyo Dome, did him in. He required surgery on his right knee after the '07 season and on his left during the '08 season. Relatively healthy in 2009, he bounced back with his best season in four years, culminating with the World Series MVP.

More than just his significant offensive production in the middle of the line up, Matsui's professionalism will be missed. He was quiet - not all of it due to the language barier - dignified, and well respected by teammates, announcers, media, fans, and opponents alike. Outside of the "core four" he was the most-tenured Yankee. Now he's the newest Angel.

The Yankees easily could have matched the more-than-reasonable $6.5M, one year deal Matsui received from the Angels. But, with Matsui's physical limitations, he wasn't priority number one - or even priority number three this off-season. The club wasn't willing to make a decision on him until other situations resolved, and that thought process didn't change even when Matsui was willing to accept a very team-friendly offer. It's not a pleasant outcome, but it's what the off-season plan dictates. For the second consecutive year it appears the Angels will get themselves a helluva bargain on a former Yankee.

So thanks Hideki. And good luck to you, except of course during the ten or so times the Angels and Yankees meet next year. It's been a fun seven years Godzilla, but now, they say he's got to go.

ALCS Game 6: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues

After a fairly interminable wait, the Yankees will play their 8th game in 21 days this evening. Postseason baseball might be different because of the colder weather, lower scoring and the level of tension, but it's also unique in its infrequency. It's tedious for us fans to wait out these delays but it's probably equally unnatural for the players - who are accustomed to playing nearly every day - to take the field about one-third as often. The games themselves are made up primarily of lulls in the action, but they occur with such regularity that it's tough to swallow when the most anticipated games of the year are the most sporadically dispersed.

The Angels might have snatched the momentum back when Brian Fuentes got Nick Swisher to pop out to end Game 5, but said force was then flown across country, beaten down with cold and rain and put on the shelf for another day. The Bombers are back in the Bronx and now retain the homefield advantage that they've used so successfully to their advantage this year. They've only lost back to back games at home once since the middle of June, over which time they've sported a gaudy .782 winning percentage.

Joe Saunders takes the Angels' season into his hands tonight. The Yankees couldn't get much going against him in Game 2 at the Stadium, mustering only six hits, a walk and two runs in 7 innings. He left the game with the score tied but the Yanks of course rallied in the 13th inning to take a two game lead to Anaheim.

Mike Scioscia's decision to go with Saunders in Game 2 was widely questioned, but it's looking pretty good at this point. Instead of Scott Kazmir, who the Yanks smacked around in Game 4, Saunders will be trusted with the Angels' season on the line, which looks like a significantly better proposition with the benefit of hindsight.

The Yanks send their own lefty to the mound tonight, Andy Pettitte. He had a shaky start in Game 3 in Anaheim, allowing 7 hits and 3 ER in 6 1/3 IP while striking out only 2 batters. Tonight he'll be put in the same position he succeeded in during the Minnesota series; starting a game with the chance to advance the Pinstripes to the next round.

River Ave. Blues took a look at Pettitte's performances in previous opportunities to seal up playoff series yesterday and our old friend PeteAbe was there to shore up the analysis. By Pete's count, Pettitte has a 4.14 ERA and his teams are 6-4 in those games, including his time in Houston. Not sparkling by any stretch but not too bad either.

The return home for the Yanks coincides nicely with the song for tonight. Bob Dylan recorded Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues for the album Highway 61 Revisited in New York only three days after controversial and much maligned Newport Folk Festival appearance. On July 29th, 1965, Dylan made the fairly brash artistic statement of playing a set with an electric guitar and members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. After a chilly reception, he stopped and walked offstage after his third song, Like A Rolling Stone, and was serenaded with boos from the crowd.

The most common explanation for the reception was that the crowd was not pleased with his choice of an electric guitar but alternatively, it has been said that they were annoyed with the length of the set. Regardless, there was much angst among the fans in attendance - even some of Dylan's supporters.

While backstage, Dylan was convinced to finish the set by festival MC Peter Yarrow and singer Joan Baez. He finished his set with three acoustic tunes and the same fans who had booed him off the stage earlier showered him with applause and pleaded for an encore. Fans can be a fickle bunch, can't they?

The song is about returning to New York from an especially bleak trip out West ("When you're lost in the rain in Juarez"). It appropriately has six verses and the final and most appropriate one - about going back to New York under dubious circumstances - is quoted below.

I started out on burgundy,
But soon hit the harder stuff,
Everybody said they'd stand behind me,
When the game got rough,
But the joke was on me,
There was nobody even there to call my bluff,
I'm going back to New York City,
I do believe I've had enough.

Today In Headlines That Shouldn't Need To Be Written

Why Last Night’s Loss Doesn’t Necessarily Mean This Is 2004 All Over Again

Jon DeLessio over at The Sports Section at New York Magazine would like to talk you down from a metaphorical ledge. His hostage negotiation tactics include A) comparing 2009 A-Rod to 2004 David Ortiz, B) saying that the homefield advantage is somehow better this time although both teams went (57-24) at home, and C) pointing out that CC Sabathia would start a Game 7 should it be necessary. Guess which one of these is a valid point. If you said C, congratulations, you may be a rational person!

The problem is that the people who are standing on said ledge are not going to be talked down from it.

If you've given up on this series after one loss, you're a special kind of pathetic. That's the kind of fatalism reserved for Red Sox, Cubs and Mets fans.

Here are some reasons that this year, even if the worst case scenario comes to fruition, isn't 2004:

1. The deficit wasn't 3-0
2. These aren't the Red Sox
3. This isn't 5 years ago
4. There are 5 players out of 50 that the two playoff rosters have in common - six if you count Johnny Damon, which I don't

So no, Wallace Matthews. This wouldn't be worse than 2004, you moron.

Just as a blowout victory in Game 4 didn't predict success in last night's game, one tough loss doesn't mean the Yanks are going to drop the last two. Relax everyone, it's still match point and we've got the next two serves.

Remember when everyone was in agreement that this was going to be a great series? Well, in a great series, there are going to be triumphs and tragedies. Glorious victories and heartbreaking losses. Let's try not to lose our minds so badly in the latter that we can't enjoy the former.

It's Friday night. Blow off some steam. I might be witnessing some amateur pugilism. Some of you are probably planning to get extremely drunk. Others may be doing slightly more respectable activities like going out to dinner and seeing a movie. Do your respective things and let's meet back here sometime tomorrow afternoon.

ALCS Game 5: To Live And Die In L.A.

Last night was the 8th night off the Yankees have had this postseason. After tonight they will have played 7 games. In a sport that averages about one day off per week or less during the regular season, it must be pretty annoying for the teams to have to play so sporadically during the postseason.

That one extra night allowed for the possibility of starting CC Sabathia three times in this series, which certainly has helped put the Yankees as close as they are, but the lull between games is something that's not natural for baseball fans and players alike. Dave Cameron over at FanGraphs is dreading the possibility of yet another week without a baseball game and is therefore (as a Mariner's fan) rooting for the Angels. I'm obviously not going to go that far, but I do think that the MLB has gone a little too far by inserting off days not necessary for travel so networks can put as many games as possible in primetime. The league is in the superior bargaining position here and should be willing to preserve the rhythm of the season to some extent over having a couple of games start at 4:00PM Eastern instead of 8:00PM.


Regardless, here the Yankees are, on the doorstep of the Fall Classic. After Game 4, it was strange to hear people say the Yanks were "one win away". It didn't quite seem real yet. However, watching the Phillies clinch last night (and coming to the realization that we made it through the TBS coverage) did drive it hit home a little bit more. The Phils' win last night was a little bit like the Yankees' the night before in that they blew the Dodgers out, but there were some sweaty palms during the 8th inning with the bases loaded, no one out and the Dodgers trailing by 5. When the last out was recorded, the city Philadelphia of course handled it with the grace and class of a team who had made the World Series just last year a crack whore at a black tie function.


Back to the game tonight, though. Of course as we all know far too well, one blowout win doesn't mean anything when the next game rolls around. Especially with the pitching match up we've got tonight.


If rest wasn't a factor and the Angels could pick anyone in their rotation to start tonight's game, it would still be John Lackey. He has a 3.03 postseason ERA in 71 1/3 innings. Although his playoff record is 3-4, he's still known as the type of pitcher that excels in October. If the Angels are to be around in November, he'll have to keep the best line up in baseball in check tonight.


One of Lackey's four losses came against the Yankees in Game 1 of this series. The Bombers' philosophy going into the game was to be patient against the tall righty, which was exemplified by Derek Jeter's at bat to lead off the game - an 8 pitch tussle ending with a single to right field. Lackey allowed 4 runs (2 ER) that night and the 114 pitches he threw weren't even enough to get him out of the sixth inning. Two errors by his teammates surely escalated his pitch count as well, but those weren't what prevented him from having a good outing - that would be the Yankees approach and execution.


Our buddy Joe Pawlikowski at River Ave. Blues took a look at Lackey's postseason resume today, specifically his performances in the two elimination games he's started, and his playoff history against the Yankees. Click over to see how much he has earned his reputation as a "big game pitcher".


A.J. Burnett will oppose Lackey this evening and look to lift the Yankees into their 40th Fall Classic. Burnett has given up only three runs in his two starts this October but hasn't been able to pick up his first postseason win. He did however, get to deliver some whipped cream to the faces of Mark Teixeira and Jerry Hairston, Jr., which I'm sure were fine consolation prizes.


While Burnett hasn't given up many runs (3) or hits (6) in his two previous outings, he's given out 7 free passes, plunked 4 and buried numerous curveballs in the dirt. It's not unexpected, since Burnett led the league in walks, was third in hit batsmen and tied for most wild pitches during the regular season. To his credit, A.J. has held on for dear life and done a good job of limiting the damage when he's gotten into trouble (i.e. the 5th inning of Game 2).


With Burnett comes the requisite baggage of having Jose Molina in the line up. So far, Molina has only got 3 plate appearances and Burnett has pitched well, so there has been no real reason to switch things up. Line ups aren't posted yet, but Hideki Matsui should retain the DH role despite his tough night on Tuesday (0-5, 3Ks), leaving Posada available for direct substitution of Molina later in the game.


The Yankees are going to be coming back to New York one way or another after this game. Whether it will be a celebratory atmosphere or not remains to be seen. We've had our eye on this song ever since the it was official that the Yanks and Angels would be meeting in the ALCS. Thankfully it isn't the Yankees who are fighting for their playoff lives tonight.

It's the City of Angels in constant danger,
South Central L.A., can't get no stranger.

To live and die in L.A., it's the place to be,
You've got to be there to know it, what everybody wanna see.

Fack Youk Exclusive: A Conspiracy

Good morning Fackers. As Jay mentioned late yesterday afternoon, both he and I were too occupied to tend shop and shuttered a little earlier than usual. What he didn't tell you was that we were busy as part of a major emergency investigation undertaken by the Fack Youk Investigative Report Team.

As you may be aware, Fack Youk has been involved in a bit of a blogowar with a certain Angels' blog whom I refuse to name or link to any longer given the sheer amount of garbage they've spewed over the past week. It began when they tried to go all FJM-style on the Bobby Abreu post I authored last week. I don't usually make a habit of reading blogs dedicated to other teams, but when Jay received a Google alert that my post had been linked to there, I went over to defend my viewpoints as rationally and politely as I could. And that in and of itself wasn't too bad. There was a decent discourse in the comments, nothing got too inane, and things remained relatively friendly.

With them now on my radar and the ALCS underway, I checked back occasionally. And that's when the general IQ level started swirling down the tubes. Yesterday, they unearthed the gem that they had "pretty conclusive evidence" that the secret to Mariano Rivera's success over the past decade and a half was that he was throwing spitballs. Nevermind that spitballs either move erratically or down and that Mariano's cutter moves from his right-to-left. Nevermind that Rivera has spent the past 14 full Big League seasons playing in the planet's biggest media market with dozens upon dozens of his games being aired on national television. In one fell swoop, with a little help from a DVR, these witty gumshoes had uncovered the equivalent of the Zapruder Film spliced with video evidence of Big Foot banging the Loch Ness Monster.

If that weren't enough, as proof that a few idiots crying out in the wilderness really can change the world, the grass roots conspiracy theory grew to the point that MLB actually launched an investigation. The MLB investigation, and a modicum of diligence from a far more rational Angels fan, exonerated Rivera.

Apparently not satisfied that they had their fifteen minutes of fame without becoming the laughingstock of the baseball blogosphere, the site began questioning the expedience with which Rivera was cleared, suggesting that it was a bit fishy and reminding everyone that it took MLB "over a decade" to get to the bottom of steroids, which by the way, everyone who has ever played for the Yankees takes.

Quite a day there for our left coast friends. Not content to sit back and enjoy the likely 50,000 plus page views their responsible and well-thought-out accusations earned them, they came back for an encore yesterday, focusing on three atrocious calls in Game Four, one of which actually benefited the Angels and none of which had any impact on scoring. But see, that's all part of the conspiracy.

What conspiracy you ask? Oh, you poor gullible reader. The joint conspiracy amongst MLB, FOX, and the World Umpires Association to ensure that the Yankees receive favorable calls in order to place the ginormous New York media market in the World Series thereby securing a ratings bonanza. Plus it would keep small-town greater Los Angeles and its tiny metropolitan area of dozens of residents out of the Fall Classic where Bingo Night or a seasonal bobbing for apples contest could single-handedly kill the World Series ratings.

Got all that? Oh, I know what you're going to say: "The umpiring has been horrible all post-season. It's been the single biggest story line all through the playoffs". Well of course it has you nitwit. They couldn't make it obvious; then any moron could have figured it out. They had to disguise it so that only the internet's brightest minds/Angels bloggers could just barely uncover the plot. Look, everyone knew the Yankees were going to get by the Twins, it was when they got to their arch-nemesis, the Angels, who have absolutely pwned the Yanks over the past ten years, that they would need help. So by decree of MLB/FOX/WUA, umpires began intentionally blowing calls throughout the Division Series in order to make it more believable when they started throwing things the Yankees' way in the ALCS. That's why the Angels got the benefit of three blown calls in Game One of the ALDS against the Red Sox; it makes it all the more believable that they're not getting screwed now.

As Yankee fans, of course Jay and I have mixed emotions about corroborating all this shocking news. But the truth will set you free and we want to hold ourselves to a high moral standard rather than be handicapped by blind loyalty to the juiced up cheating Yankees. That's why we took the afternoon off yesterday, to partake in a daring mission to capture the security tapes of the headquarters at said Angels blog. That way we could prove to the world that they did in fact have airtight evidence that all their claims were true. Unfortunately, MLB/FOX/WUA/CIA operatives arrived just as we were about to make our getaway, recapturing the security footage from us in an effort to leave the entirety of the baseball loving public in blissful ignorance.

But we are undeterred. We turned to the Fack Youk Artistic Reconstruction Team, a crack assemblage of disgraced former police sketch artists and art school dropouts and had them reconstruct what we had seen at the Angel blog fortress of solitude. The reconstruction is below. Prepare to have your minds blown:



See how reeediculous all this sounds? So in honor of the folks over at the Blog That Shall Not Be Named, here's a video starring A-Rod's girlfriend's ex-husband: