Nick Swisher Futility Update

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In some ways it's a little unfair to single one person out after and impotent offensive output like last night, but this has been a long time coming for Nick Swisher.

It's not that Swish is having bad luck at the plate, hitting balls hard but having them find defenders. He's having poor at bats, not working walks and missing hittable pitches. In his three at bats last night, he popped out softly to first, flew out softly to right and struck out looking on a change up right down the middle in the 8th inning.

In the first two at bats, Lee threw a lot of tough pitches, staying away from Swisher or keeping it below his knees. But in the third one, six out of the seven pitches he threw were directly in the middle of the strikezone (follow the link for higher resolution):

Swish was even given a generous ball on the second pitch of the at bat - the green square which was clearly high enough and right down the pike. So what did Swisher do with the five (really 6) pitches that were in his - or Major League hitter's - wheelhouse? He took three for strikes (and one for a ball) and fouled the other two off.

You don't take three four strikes in those respective locations in one at bat unless you are completely lost at the plate and are simply resorting to guessing. You don't foul the other two off unless your rhythm and timing are out of whack.

It was as if Lee & Ruiz had figured out that Swisher wasn't going to hit the ball no matter where it was and decided to just lay it right down the middle.

Yes, it's one at bat, but it's emblematic of how awful Swisher has been since Game 2 of the ALDS. He got a great pitch to hit in the last at bat of Game 5 out in Anaheim from Brain Fuentes and couldn't do anything with that either. He's hitting .114/.205/.143 this postseason and still starting every game. He's walked three times and struck out 12. He has four hits in 40 plate appearances, only one of which has gone for extra bases.

Swisher is prone to extended slumps and he picked a pretty terrible time to have one of his worst of the year. The sporadic schedule has probably negatively affected as a switch hitter since he has two swings that he needs to keep working and both have seemingly fallen into a state of disrepair.

I'm well aware that this is going to sound stupid and I'm certain Joe Girardi won't do it, but what has to happen for Brett Gardner to start in center field and Melky Cabrera in right? How bad does Swisher have to be before you give him the night off? Because I don't think he could get much worse. At least the alternative would provide a significant defensive upgrade in the outfield, something that's not nearly as hit or miss from game to game.

With Pedro starting in Game 2, Swisher is going to have to spin around and hit from the left side of the plate. He hasn't batted lefty since Game 5 in Anaheim which was a full week ago, but again, pretty much anything would be an improvement over how he looked last night. In his career, he tends to get one base a little better against lefties and hit for power more successfully against RHP. Either of those things would be fantastic.

I would love for Swisher to go out tonight and jack a homer or drive in a couple of runs and shut me and his other critics up. But there are absolutely no signs that he will. You can say he's due, but that's not what his at bats are saying.

Please Nick, do something, anything before the postseason is over. Bad Octobers make for long offseasons. And it's going to be a couple days longer if you don't get it going soon.

Put To S-Lee-p

Good morning, Fackers. Probably safe to say that last night's game was not the note we were hoping to start the World Series on. If you were nodding off in the ninth inning, don't worry, you weren't alone. For the first time this postseason the Yankees are trailing in a series which, surprisingly, doesn't feel so good. Who knew?

It's one thing to scratch across a couple of runs and lose a tightly contested game. It's quite another to get smothered to death by a guy who, for all intents and purposes, threw a complete game shutout. Sure, the Yanks scratched a run in the ninth inning but it scored on a throwing error. I don't think we have to go too far out on the limb to give him credit for the ol' CG SHO.

The most aggravating thing was that Cliff Lee made it look so damn easy. CC Sabathia didn't pitch poorly last night after his rocky first inning, finishing with 2 runs in 7 frames. He made two mistakes to Chase Utley, but otherwise kept the Phillies in check.

However, up against Lee, Sabathia looked sloppy and inefficient. Anyone would have, really. Before the 9th inning, Lee gave up only four hits (Jeter's double in the third the one for extra bases) while striking out 8 and walking none. As Matt noted earlier, only three batters worked a three ball count against him all night. Sabathia had three in the first inning.

Lee was under control at all times last night, not so much pounding the strike zone as chipping away at the perimeter. It's an overused pitching cliche but I'm not sure there's a better way to describe Lee's performance last night than "sharp". He was locating with ease, snapping off filthy breaking balls and keeping batters off balance with a change up that sat about 11-12-13 MPH below his fastball.

Even with his historically great performance on the mound and the 10 strikeouts and no walks, the two lasting images from last night are going to be plays that he made in the field. In the 7th inning with Derek Jeter standing on first base, he caught a soft pop up from Johnny Damon with a limp wrist and didn't even look it into his glove, as if it had been thrown back to him by the catcher.

Whether that was contrived or not, at that moment, he looked like the most relaxed person in the stadium. I doubt it was designed to look to nonchalant, but it almost came across as smugly showing the Yankees up. Like he was their older brother and decided not to take it easy on them for once. "(Yawn) Are you guys going to start trying anytime soon?" Fine, act like it's a cakewalk, but remember that this is baseball and what looks easy today might look impossible the next time around.

That delicate little fluffy pop up by Damon was the culmination of 7 pitch at bat in which Johnny got ahead 2-0 but never got to that elusive three ball count. He fouled off three tough pitches and even when he was ahead in the count, it looked like he was behind. The Yankees were one swing away from tying the game but the way Lee was dealing, it felt like it would have had to been thrown by someone else.

The other memorable play came when Robinson Cano led off the 8th inning. The Phillies had just tacked on two more runs and led 4-0. Cano smoked the first pitch he saw right back up the middle but it hovered right a belt level for Lee, who nabbed it behind his back.

At that point, I think a lot of people realized it just wasn't the Yankees' night. A little higher or lower and Lee doesn't make that play. A little left or right and that's probably a base hit. But it bounced right into his glove.

With Lee's pitch count where it was, the Yankees were going to have to score at least 4 runs before making 5 outs against a guy that had shut them down all game. It wasn't happening. When a pitcher is throwing the ball like Lee was last night and having plays like that fall into place, there's not much you can do.

Tip your caps and all that. But Phillie fans, this is freaking creepy. And unless you are his mother, please don't refer to him my his full first, middle and last name. The dude's been on your team for like three months. Little weird. Just saying.

At least today isn't an off day.

Lee, Utley Spur Phils To Victory

Through the first seven innings, Game One unfolded like the pitchers' duel it promised to be. CC Sabathia needed just five pitches to retire the game's first two batters. The next two plate appearances however would foreshadow things to come. Sabathia got ahead of Chase Utley 1-2, but continued to pitch carefully to the Phillies' dangerous number three hitter. Utley worked a walk, then moved to third when Ryan Howard ripped a double on a fastball that was supposed to be outside, but caught too much of the plate. With first base open, Sabathia elected to be cautious with Jayson Werth, issuing a free pass to him as well. The Big Fella escaped the jam by getting Raul Ibanez to ground out, but the heart of the Phillies' order forced Sabathia to throw 19 pitches between the second and third outs.

CC cruised through the bottom of the Philadelphia order in the second, retiring the side on seven pitches. In the third, eleven more pitches got him two outs against the top of the order. Then Utley stepped to the plate for the second time. Again Sabathia jumped ahead 1-2, but Utley fought off three tough pitcher's pitches and worked the count full. On the ninth pitch of the at bat, a Sabathia fastball ticketed for the outside corner caught too much plate, just like against Howard in the first. This time Utley lofted it into the right field stands to give the Phils a one run lead.

Meanwhile, Cliff Lee was dealing. He surrendered only a single to Jorge Posada the first time through the order, and stranded Derek Jeter after his two out double in the third. After a perfect fourth, Lee faced the minimum in the fifth. Hideki Matsui led off with a single, but thanks a bit of a baserunning blunder on his part and an astute play by Jimmy Rollins at short, he was erased on a double play.

Heading into the sixth, Sabathia had retired seven consecutive Phillies following the Utley HR, four by strikeout. Shane Victorino flew out to lead off the sixth, running Sabathia's streak to eight batters as Utley stepped back into the box. Once again CC got ahead, this time 0-2. Once again, Utley fought off a tough pitch, fouling away a 94 MPH fastball coming up and in on him. Sabathia came back with another heater, but left it over the heart of the plate and Utley absolutely destroyed it, depositing the ball in the right field bleachers for his second solo shot of the night.

By the time Sabathia exited the game following the seventh inning, he had surrendered just four hits and three walks while striking out six. But the two Utley home runs left CC and the Yanks down 2-0. They were still in the game, but Lee's continued dominance and a shaky pair of innings from the Yankee pen dug the hole deeper.

Phil Hughes began the eighth. Facing the top of the Phillies' order he issued back-to-back free passes to Rollins and Victorino. With the two big lefties due and Damaso Marte ready that was it for Hughes. As he departed he had a few choice words for home plate umpire Gerry Davis, and Pitch FX seems to indicate he had a legitimate gripe. Marte did his job, using a K to finally retire Utley then getting Howard to fly out. Marte gave way to David Robertson, who walked Jayson Werth with the aid of more questionable calls. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ibanez put a seeing eye single between Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, making it 4-0.

Inexplicably, Brian Bruney was on the mound to begin the ninth. In his first appearance in twenty six days Bruney got a quick out, gave up a double, an infield single, and an RBI single to run it to 5-0. With Chase Utley coming up again Joe Girardi decided to either A). get Phil Coke some work or B). go back to matching up despite allowing the designated mop up man to start the inning. Coke got Utley to fly out, but a Ryan Howard double played the sixth run before Victorino got gunned down at the plate to end the inning.

The poor relief pitching and a few questionable calls from Davis didn't really matter. Cliff Lee was that good. He went the distance on just 122 pitches, scattered six hits - just one for extra bases, walked no one, and stuck out nine - eight swinging. He never threw more than 16 pitches in an inning, went to a three ball count on just three batters, and the only run he allowed was unearned thanks to an error on a would-be double play ball in the ninth.

The Yankee bats have been prone to periods of silence this post-season; the bullpen hasn't pitched the way most thought it would, and the Phillies have just captured home field advantage. Before anyone starts claiming the sky is falling, let's give credit where it's due. The Phillies are a good team. Chase Utley is one of the top hitters in baseball; Cliff Lee is one of the top pitchers. Sometimes you just get it handed to you. The good news is it's only one game, the first game at that, and that the Yankees are just as capable of doing tomorrow what the Phillies did today. We'll see you then.

World Series Game 1: The Best Is Yet To Come

It's been a great season for the Yankees to this point. They opened the New Stadium which, despite being met with some outspoken opposition at first, has treated them awfully well.In the first 29 games (without A-Rod) they went 14-15, but has gone 97-46 since then, including the postseaon. It's been almost 7 full months loaded with affirmative answers to questions people had about the team coming in.

There were resurgences of Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter's defense. The smooth transitions for Nick Swisher, A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia. A-Rod's recovery from offseason hip surgery and avoidance of bad press. Brett Gardner's development into a useful Major League player. Johnny Damon's power surge. Mariano Rivera's continued dominance. The sustained health of the team. Some small but important acquisitions during the season. All the walkoffs and pies in the face. The AL East title and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Wins over Anaheim in Minnesota thus far in the postseason.

As fans of the Pinstripes, we've been treated to pretty much all we could ask for to this point. But we're not done yet. The Yankees will face the best and most complete team they've been this postseason and the series will start with the best possible pitching match-up featuring, coincidentally, the previous two AL Cy Young winners and former teammates on the Cleveland Indians.

After coming to the Phillies at the trade deadline, Cliff Lee went 8-4 with 3 complete games, a 3.39 ERA and struck out 74 batters while walking only 10. He only made three poor starts, but those were pretty awful, accounting for 19 of his 30 earned runs with the Phillies. In his other 9 outings, he was 8-1 with a 1.50 ERA.

You might say I'm cherry picking those numbers, but Lee's been even better than that this postseason. In his three starts (two in the NLDS), he's pitched 24 1/3 innings, given up 14 hits, 2 ER (0.74 ERA), and is sporting a strikeout to walk ratio of 20:3. The only weakness in his game over that time is that he's got most of his outs in air (39) as opposed to on the ground (26) or by strikeout (20). As we know, once balls get up in the air at Yankee Stadium they can find the seats in a hurry.

The pitcher with the second best resume this postseason will be taking the hill for the Yankees. After getting past the Twins with 6 2/3 innings of one run ball, CC Sabathia picked up the ALCS MVP for his work against the Angels. Sabathia was great in Game 1, going 8 innings and allowing one run, but was just as good or better on short rest in Game 4. His only mistake came on a home run to Kendry Morales and he needed only 101 pitches to rip through those 8 frames.

Like Lee, Sabathia has only walked three batters this postseason. Postseason games are notorious for their interminable durations but with these two guys on the mound, this one could be over relatively quickly.

As good as the Yankees have been this year, there is reason to believe that the best is yet to come. Along with most of you, I'm guessing, I feel like the Yankees are going to win this thing. It's not us just being biased homers, people who cover baseball for a living overwhelmingly agree. Those predictions don't mean a thing, but they do reflect who the best team is coming into this series.

We don't like to break him out very often, but we would have been remiss not to go with Frank Sinatra to start the World Series. The last time we called on Ol' Blue Eyes, this is what happened in the next 4 games. Past performances don't guarantee future results, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Let's go Yanks.

Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum,
You came along and everything started to hum,
Still it's a real good bet, the best is yet to come.

The best is yet to come, and baby won't it be fine.
You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine.

Final Pre-World Series News And Notes

T-Minus five hours and counting, folks.

Predictions for the World Series abound. Keith Law thinks Joe Girardi's moves could make the different and goes with the Yanks in six. Walkoff Walk collected 9 guesses and six went with the Phillies. Here's the data from RAB's poll. The Star-Ledger staff offers some "outlandish" ones.

Joe from River Ave. Blues wonders if Girardi will use David Robertson in high leverage situations.

Matthew Pouliot from Circling the Bases weights in with a full-on preivew. As does David Pinto from Baseball Musings. And Dave Cameron from FanGraphs. And Cliff from Bronx Banter.

Jason and his crew have a position by position breakdown of the two teams.

A graphical comparison of the two offenses using wOBA from Beyond the Boxscore.

Want to know the real reason Jay-Z isn't playing before Game 1 tonight? He was scheduled to perform in Colombus, Ohio.

How can you not enjoy the quality GIF work of LSUFreek?

PeteAbe had some observations on yesterday's media circus.

An Indians fan gives some (angry) Midwestern perspective on the match up between CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee.

Tim Marchman thinks Joe Girardi is too smart for his own good. Moshe Mandel at The Yankee Universe thinks Marchman contradicts himself and laments the fact that picking Joe Girardi has suddenly become the cool thing to do.

Joel Sherman's World Series chat is starting right about... now. Jay Jaffe's at Baseball Prospectus probably just wrapped up.

And finally, Jon Lewin at Subway Squawkers offers some alternative viewing for Mets fans tonight.

New York By A Landslide

This Yankee postseason run has meant good things for this here blogosite, most notably some prominent links being tossed our way and a sizable increase in traffic. Most recently, we were asked to contribute to a New York vs. Philly cultural breakdown for the Sporting News' Sporting Blog.

Along with Dan Levy from the excellent On The DL Podcast, Rob Iracane from the irreverent Walk Off Walk and Meech from the hilarious Phillies blog The Fightins, we discussed the relative merits of the Lobel's Steak Sandwich vs. the Schmitter, Freddy Guzman vs. Andy Tracy, New Yankee Stadium vs. Citizens Bank Park, the MoMA vs. the Mutter, Statue of Liberty vs. Liberty Bell, MTA vs. SEPTA, and Yogi Berra vs. the Phanatic.

Levy and Meech will never admit it, but I think Iracane and I put the smackdown on the boys from Philly. You be the judge.

World Series Roster Update

Yesterday, the Yankees announced their World Series roster. Eric Hinske and blog favorite Brian Bruney have been added at the expense of Freddy Guzman and Francisco Cervelli.

The first swap was obvious. With the need for a pinch hitter in the National League park, Hinske became necessary and Guzman, functioning solely as a pinch runner, was the most expendable part. With Hideki Matsui coming off the bench in Philly as well, Hinkse will be the second best pinch hitting option, but still should see some action.

The absence of Guzman probably means that Brett Gardner won't be getting his first postseason start this series as Girardi will most likely keep him on the bench as a pinch running option. Jerry Hairston Jr. is a viable candidate for that role but is hardly a stolen base threat (only 7 for 11 this year) and therefore not much of a weapon.

Given the elimination of Cervelli, we can almost certainly infer that Jorge Posada will be catching A.J. Burnett in Game 2 (and presumably again if necessary), thus making having a third catcher on the roster superfluous. I was in favor of having Molina catch Burnett at the outset of the postseason, but it seems like the right move to let Posada catch him now. Burnett blew up with Molina behind the dish in Game 5 of the ALCS and worked well with Posada after he entered the game as a pinch hitter.

Bruney pitched in the instructional league down in Tampa during the ALDS but hasn't faced Major League hitting since October 2nd. The only frightening aspect of this move is that Girardi might try to use him for a fraction of an inning when it counts instead of relegating him strictly to mop-up duty. With Chad Gaudin unavailable for Games 1 & 2 after throwing an extended bullpen session yesterday, it seems likely that Bruney would be the last man out of the 'pen.

The Phillies made a move and an announcement of their own. Consummate gentleman and class act Brett Myers has been added to the roster - after recovering from a strained lat muscle - at the expense of utility man and former Yankee Miguel Cairo - a move Joe Torre is certainly frowning upon from afar for a couple of reasons. Charlie Manuel also declared that Pedro Martinez will be starting Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.

Pedro was chosen over Cole Hamels, who had an average season at best and has been shaky in 3 postseason starts (14.2 IP, 6.75 ERA). Pedro has pitched once since September 30th, was brilliant against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS, allowing two hits and no walks in 7 innings. But that was in Southern California in a pitcher's park against a National League line-up.

It will make for a quite the interesting dynamic. I wouldn't be surprised if Pedro was excellent or if he got bounced in the third inning. One way or another the familiar refrain offered by the Yankee Stadium faithful will be chanted ad nauseum when he's on the mound. Should be good theater either way.

World Series Q&A: The 700 Level

Since the Yankees and Phillies haven't met since May and I don't generally watch Minor National League baseball, we've decided to bring in a little outsider perspective for the World Series. We turned to Enrico and Matt over at The 700 Level to give us a little insight on their club. Sure they're Phillies fans, but Enrico is a fellow BC guy so they can't be all bad. Our thanks to them for agreeing to participate.

Sadly, there were no photoshop jobs trying to embarrass the competition nor were there any wagers involving cheese cakes, cheese steaks, or a even a milksteak (with a side of raw jelly beans). There was however a question and answer exchange in an effort to know thy enemy. Our answers to their questions are up at The 700 Level. Here are their answers to ours:

Fack Youk: The Phillie bats have been very hot this post-season while the Yankees have gotten by largely on the strength of their pitching. Something's gotta give here. Who has the advantage on this one?

The 700 Level: It's tough to keep the Phillies' bats silent for long. They also have a fairly decent track record against CC and hit Burnett pretty well the one time they faced him this season. At this point, I have no reason to doubt the Phillies' bats.

FY: Ryan Howard has been on fire throughout the NLDS and NLCS. Should the Yankees even pitch to him, and if so, how? Or should they be more concerned about the powers of Chooch-tober?

700: I think you pitch to Ryan Howard very carefully. The thing that is most amazing about his post season thus far has been his plate discipline. He's been able to layoff some of the breaking stuff that he'd typically strike out on in the regular season. Carlos Ruiz is more of a silent killer. He comes out of nowhere when you least expect it. Ryan's the guy you have to be very careful with.

FY: What do you see the Phillies benefiting from more: being able to DH Ibanez and play Ben Francisco in left field at Yankee Stadium or getting Hideki Matsui's bat out of the line up a Citizens Bank Park?

700: The Yankees being forced to send their pitcher to the plate in Philadelphia should help the Phillies a bit more. I mean, have you seen Joe Blanton and Cliff Lee's batting numbers in the playoffs? Francisco did make a ridiculous catch in the NLCS during a late inning replacement of Ibanez that I don't think Raul could have made. So his defense in left will help us, but Raul's bat will be in the line up regardless.

FY: Cole Hamels was dominant in the 2008 post-season, being named MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series. His numbers took a dip this season and he has pitched poorly in his three post-season starts. Which Hamels do you expect to see in the World Series? Do you prefer him or Pedro in Game Two? (editor's note: question exchange was done prior to the announcement that Pedro would start Game Two)

700: Hamels is a head-scratcher. I'd say his ego and temperament is a bit more fragile than Pedro's so I'd like to see Hamels throw at home in Philly. Pedro is one confident guy. He eats this stuff up. I think Hamels will pitch fine in his first outing, keep the Phillies in the game. I could see him being the hero if he goes in game seven though.

FY: What is the state of the bullpen these days? How confident are you in Brad Lidge? If you need an out in a big spot, who are you calling in from the pen?

700: The Phillies pen has kind of morphed back into their typical roles during the playoffs after being kind of a mess for most of the season. Chan Ho Park has stepped in as a 7th inning guy with Madson and Lidge going in the eighth and ninth. That said, I think Madson is Charlie's go to guy for one big out.

FY: Lastly, if you were going to send some chick to run out on the field and hand off a note you authored to your favorite Phillies player, expressing your admiration and your desire to play catch with him, which player would it be?

700: Just like Mac in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," I'd pick Chase Utley. But it'd be after they beat the Yankees in the '09 World Series and it'd say "Thanks for another World Fucking Championship."

FY: That remains to be seen, and as you know, we frown upon vulgarity here. So what's your prediction for the Series?

700: Should be a great series featuring the two best teams in baseball. While the Yankees are stacked and are most definitely the best team the Phillies will face this season, I find it impossible to pick against our Fightin' Phils. This team has amazing character and intangibles. I'll go Phils in six with Chase Utley stepping up big for the first time this postseason and bringing home the hardware.

11 Hours To Go

Good morning, Fackers. Today is the big day. Well, one of at least four big days, anyway.

When was the last time you were this excited in anticipation of a sporting event? If we're talking strictly about baseball, it's obviously the '03 and '04 ALCSes. Being out Boston at the time, it was engulfing. Professors talked about it in class, everyone with a hat of one team or the other had it on, and you overheard conversations about it where ever you went. I couldn't think about much else during the days when games were played - I just wanted it to be game time.

If we're talking about sports other than baseball, Super Bowl XLII was probably the last event that came close, but no one thought the Giants had much of a chance. Big Willie Style, Sampson and I had celebrated the NFC Championship like it was the Super Bowl, going out to the college bars around 80th and Amsterdam, staying out until three in the morning and handing out spontaneous high fives to complete strangers. Needless to say, we all took that Monday off.

It felt like the Giants had just earned the right to lose to the Patriots in Arizona, but that didn't really matter at the time. We were just happy that the season wasn't over and were celebrating the incredible game they won in arctic temperatures in Green Bay. The Yankees are never going to be the underdogs like the Giants were that season, but after the last six years, it still feels like an accomplishment for the Bombers to have made it this far.

Not everyone shares that sentiment, however.

There was someone conspicuously absent from Sunday night's champange celebration. Reggie Jackson was there. Hal and Jennifer Steinbrenner were there. Hank wasn't there because they don't allow smoking in the clubhouse and you know how he gets when he drinks. But there were probably numerous members of the front office partaking the festivities after Gary Matthews, Jr. went down swinging.

Brain Cashman was nowhere to be found. Some had speculated that it had something to do with his meeting with Aroldlis Chapman. It turns out that wasn't the case:

[Cashman] purposely avoided the scene, saying he simply chose to stay away and leave it to others.

"I'll wait to participate if we have an opportunity to win the whole thing," he said.

Yet another reason I like the cut of Cashman's jib. I realize that this would never happen, but it would be incredibly bad ass if a team didn't go for an over-the-top celebration unless they won a championship. Maybe something when they clinched a playoff berth or won the division but not in the LDS, or LCS. Save the bubbly for the ultimate glory.

Players deserve to enjoy their accomplishments and the champagne lubricates those celebrations in more ways than one - it would be awfully awkward were players just jumping around and hugging each other with dry clothes in a well-lit locker room. But at the same time, wheeling out the carts when they swept the Twins seemed a little contrived. By the time the World Series winner is awarded, we'll have already seen 14 other locker rooms protected by tarps then laden with libations.

Celebrating every step of the way is the one thing that really undermines the "championship or bust" mantra that the Yankees swear they have. If they were the one team that really was only satisfied with winning a World Series, then they shouldn't pop the Perignon until they do so. It would make it a whole lot sweeter when it finally came.

Cashman is the only guy who really thinks this way. He's got no choice. He's gone too long as the General Manager of the team with the highest payroll in baseball without winning a World Series to consider anything else a success. Let's hope he gets to taste the Taittinger soon enough.

Fork You?

We're suing these fatties for trademark infringement. One of them thinks "Victorino" is Italian for "victory". Watch and find out who!

(via The 700 Level)

Land Of Hope And Dreams

For the thirteenth time in the last twenty two nights, there will be no Yankee baseball this evening. Right now the weather looks like it should cooperate tomorrow, when the Yankees are scheduled to play their first World Series game in six years and three days.

There was no major news coming out of the Yankees workout this afternoon. Their rotation is unannounced beyond Game Three. Chad Gaudin was slated to throw a 70 to 80 pitch bullpen session this afternoon in an effort to get him stretched out for a potential start. It likely would also leave him unavailable for Games One and Two, but given that he was used for just a single inning of mop up work in the Yanks' first nine post-season tilts that shouldn't be a big loss for them.

The Yankees have yet to announce any roster changes, but with Games Three, Four, and Five (if necessary) happening in Citizens Bank Park, it's a sure bet that Eric Hinske will be added back to the roster for pinch hitting purposes. Freddy Guzman, who replaced Hinske on the ALCS roster, would be the likely man to go. However, Joe Girardi has shown an affinity for using pinch runners this October. I wouldn't rule out the Yankees instead choosing to drop Francisco Cervelli. If the Yanks do go with a three man rotation, A.J. Burnett would start Game Five in Philly. I doubt the Yankees would want to lose Posada's bat in that game since they're already missing the DH, so the third catcher on the roster would lose a lot of his already limited usefulness. Lots of factors to consider here; and in some ways the eventual Hinske announcement may give insight to the Yankees' pitching plans for the Series.

In other news, earlier this week the story broke that the Yankees met with Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman during Game Six of the ALCS. While it's no surprise that the Yankees met with him, I am a little surprised about the manner in which it happened. Inviting Chapman to attend Game Six was likely a negotiation ploy by the Yankees, as it was reported just last Friday that a meeting with Chapman would have to wait until the ALCS wrapped. Perhaps the Chapman meeting explains Brian Cashman's conspicuous absence from the clubhouse celebration Sunday night.

Earlier today we took a look back at the only previous New York-Philadelphia World Series, but of course these 2009 teams met earlier this year. To refresh your memory here are the three previews from that series in May, and here are the three recaps. The Phils took two of three, and their fans took over the Stadium. Let's hope things are different this time around.

I watched the final game of that series from a bar on the Jersey shore, where the crowd was seemingly equally divided between Yankees and Phillies fans. Appropriately enough, our friend Rob Iracane over at Walkoff Walk sees this Series as the Garden State's own version of North and South, just without Patrick Swayze before he was dead, Kirstie Allie before she was fat, and David Carradine before he hung himself while beating it.

Deadspin took a look at a similar Jersey-centric North vs. South issue just last week. Thankfully, Phillies' South Jersey area was represented by the laughable hair band, while the Yankees' North Jersey territory was aligned with the classic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Just like in the World Series, I'll take my chances with the North Jersey side in that match up every time. Just 24 hours and four wins away from the Land of Hope and Dreams. See you in the morning Fackers.

1950 World Series: Games Three & Four

Game Three

Ahead two games to none, the Yankees returned to the Bronx. Game Three was Friday afternoon; no major TV contract and the short distance between our nation's first and second Capitol cities meant that no off day was necessary between Games Two and Three.

Philly made the interesting choice to turn to Ken Heintzelman. Eight days shy of his 35th birthday, Heintzelman had appeared in only 23 games in 1950, just 17 of them starts. He went 3-9 and is his 4.09 ERA was a just a tick below league average. He had gone 17-10 with a 3.02 ERA and a league leading 5 shutouts in 1949, but it was the only season of his career that he was remotely above average. But, Heintzelman, like Joe Saunders, was a lefty. And even more than it does today, Yankee Stadium in 1950 favored left handed pitchers.

The Yankees countered with a lefty of their own, Ed Lopat, the final member of the Big Three in their starting rotation. Like Reynolds, Lopat came to the Yankees via trade, in a deal with the White Sox prior to the 1948 season. Lopat went 18-8 for the Yankees in 1950 with a 124 ERA+ and a 1.31 WHIP, good for third best in the AL. He picked up a win in his only start of the '49 Series, but gave up 4 ER in 5.2 IP. He would turn in a better performance without the benefit of such a positive personal outcome in 1950.

The Yankees used a two out rally to take a one run lead in the third inning. Phil Rizzuto worked a walk, stole second, and moved to third on an errant throw. With a southpaw on the mound, platoon master Stengel had benched the lefty swinging Gene Woodling, so the hot bat of Jerry Coleman had been moved up to second from eighth in the batting order. Coleman rewarded Stengel by singling Rizzuto home for the game's first run.

The Phillies tied the score in the sixth with a two out rally of their own. Lopat fanned the inning's first two batters, then allowed a double to Del Ennis, who was singled home by Dick Sisler. They took the lead the following inning. Granny Hamner led of with a base hit and was sacrificed to second. Mike Goliat, who grounded into a double play when he had a chance to win Game Two, drove Hamner home to give the Phils their first lead of the Series.

Heintzelman retired the first two batters of the eighth, including Woodling, who pinch hit for Lopat. Then, Heintzelman unraveled, walking Coleman, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio in consecutive plate appearances. Despite having his number two, three, and four starters available, Philadelphia manager Eddie Sawyer called upon his relief ace, Jim Konstanty, who had thrown eight innings in Game One just two days earlier. Konstanty got Bobby Brown to bounce to short, but an error by Hamner allowed Coleman to score the tying run. Konstanty managed to strand the three baserunners after that, but the damage was done.

In the ninth, Stengel turned to Tom Ferrick, another interesting pitching choice. Ferrick, like Heintzelman, was a bit of a journeyman, though one with a better track record. He came to the Yankees from the Browns in a mid-season deal and went 8-4 with 9 saves and a 3.65 ERA in 56.2 innings of relief work. In tapping Ferrick, Stengel passed over former relief ace Joe Page, who like Brad Lidge had a miserable season, and number four starter Tommy Byrne.

Ferrick gave up a leadoff double to Hamner, who was then moved to third on Philadelphia's fourth sacrifice of the game. Ferrick then intentionally walked Goliat to set up a potential double play. Dick Whitman pinch hit for Konstanty and grounded to first. Joe Collins, who replaced Johnny Mize for defense at the start of the inning, came home and got Hamner for the second out. Ferrick then recorded a flyout to end the inning and escape the jam.

In the bottom of the inning, the Yankees made two quick outs before Woodling and Rizzuto struck back-to-back infield singles up the middle. That brought Coleman to the plate, and he came through once again, singling Woodling home with the winning run. He didn't get a pie in the face, but he did the give the Yankees a commanding three games to none lead despite having outscored Philly by just three runs over the course of the three games.

Konstany took the loss for Philadelphia. The Yankees picked him up off waivers late in 1954 and he spent parts of three seasons with them. Ferrick got the win for the Yankees. They traded him away to the Senators the next season, one year to the day after they acquired him. In return they received Bob Kuzava, who would come up big for the Yanks in the 1951 and '52 World Series. Ferrick's son, Tom Jr, just a year old during his father's Game Three win, would go on to be a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Game Four

In Game Four, Philly turned to one of their Whiz Kids, 24 year old Bob Miller. The rookie went 11-6 with a 114 ERA+ and two shutouts on his way to a second place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

The Yankees turned to a whiz kid of their own. Without the benefit of an off day at any point, Stengel couldn't go back to Game One starter Vic Raschi. As he did late in Game Three, Casey skipped over number four starter Tommy Byrne and his league leading 160 walks and this time gave the ball to rookie Eddie Ford. Cocksure and confident, Ford, like Game Three pitchers Ed Lopat and Tom Ferrick, was a New York City native. As the Yankees battled the Red Sox down the stretch in 1949, Ford, then just in A-ball, phoned Stengel to offer his services for the pennant drive. Stengel didn't take Ford up on his offer, but he didn't disappoint when he got the call in July of 1950. In twenty games, twelve starts, Ford went 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA (153 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, two shutouts, and a save. Like Miller, he finished second in the RoY race for his league.

Ford worked around a bit of trouble in the top of the first, then the Yankees came out swinging in the bottom of the inning. Gene Woodling reached on an E4, then moved to second on a groundout by Phil Rizzuto. Yogi Berra singled Woodling home, then moved all the way to third on a wild pitch. Joe DiMaggio's double plated Berra and chased Miller. Once again, Konstanty got the call for Philadelphia, and managed to end the inning.

Staked to a two nothing lead, Ford settled down, retiring six of the next seven with just one runner advancing past first through the sixth. The Yankees added more runs in the bottom of the sixth, starting with a leadoff homer from Berra. DiMaggio was hit by a pitch, then scored on Bobby Brown's triple. Brown scored the Yankees fifth run on a sacrifice fly from Hank Bauer.

Ford tossed perfect frames in the seventh and eighth. In the ninth he surrendered a leadoff single, then hit a batter. A groundout moved the runners up, then Ford recorded a strikeout to get him within an out of complete game, Series clinching shutout. Ford induced a flyball from Andy Seminick. It went to left, Yankee Stadium's sun field, and Woodling lost in the low hanging sun of the autumn afternoon. Two runs scored and then Mike Goliat's single brought the tying run to the plate. Taking no chances, Stengel, as he often did, called Allie Reynolds in to close it out. The same late day sun that caused Woodling to lose the flyball also caused the Stadium's upper deck to cast shadows over home plate. Armed with one of the best fastballs in the league, the shadows made Reynolds nearly unhittable. Reynolds struck out Stan Lopata, ending the game and giving the Yankees their second straight championship and third in four years.

The Yankees received outstanding pitching from all five men they sent to the mound. DiMaggio, Brown, and Woodling all put up gaudy offensive numbers. But Jerry Coleman always seemed to be in the middle of the big innings. His three RBI led the team, and all came in big situations. As such, Coleman was named the Series MVP.

For Ford, Game Four was the final game he would pitch for two years, as he spent 1951 and '52 in the military. But without a doubt, his Game Four start was a changing of the guard. When he returned in 1953 Raschi, Reynolds, and Lopat were all two years older. Ford became the unquestioned ace for the remainder of the Stengel-Houk dynasty years. His victory in the clinching game of the 1950 World Series was the first of his record ten in World Series play.

1950 World Series: Games One & Two

Game One

Like this year, the 1950 World Series began on a Wednesday, October 4th. Philadelphia's Shibe Park, home to both the Phillies and the Athletics, hosted Games One and Two. Thanks to a late season slide coupled with a push from 1949 pennant winners Brooklyn, the Phillies had to pitch their ace, Robin Roberts on the regular season's final day in order to clinch the NL flag. As such, Philly skipper Eddie Sawyer gave the Game One start to relief ace Jim Konstanty, who would win the NL MVP that year. Konstanty had started just one game since the end of the 1944 season, but was the NL's premier reliever. He earned 16 wins, 22 saves, and posted a 152 ERA+ and a 1.04 WHIP in 152 innings of relief work.

Konstanty was opposed by Vic Raschi. Despite being 31 years old, thanks in part to his time at William and Mary and serving in World War II, Raschi was in just his third full Major League season. His ERA that year slipped a bit from his previous seasons, but the Yankees' prolific offense propelled him to 21 wins for the second consecutive season. He saw action for the Yanks in the 1947 and '49 Fall Classics, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in four appearances, two starts.

The teams matched zeros through the first third of the game. In the top of the fourth Yankee third baseman (and future cardiologist and AL President) Bobby Brown led off with a double, then moved to third on a Hank Bauer flyout. With Raschi waiting on deck, Konstanty elected not to walk number eight hitter Jerry Coleman. The Yankee second baseman came through with a deep flyball, scoring Brown.

It was the game's only run. Raschi went the distance, allowing just two hits, a walk, and striking out five. He was perfect through the first four and a third innings, with the two Phillie hits, both singles, coming in the fifth. He retired the last eleven men he faced and no baserunner made it past second base.

Game Two

Down a game, Thursday's Game Two allowed Philadelphia to bring back ace Robin Roberts. Roberts debuted in mid 1948 and enjoyed a breakout season in 1950. His 39 starts and five shutouts led the league. He went 21-11 with a 135 ERA+, a 1.18 WHIP, and recorded a save in his only relief appearance of the year.

Roberts would face the Yankees' Allie Reynolds. The Superchief came to the Yankees following the 1946 season, with future Hall of Famer Joe Gordon heading to Cleveland for him. Reynolds immediately became the Yankees' ace. His 16-12 mark in 1950 was his poorest winning percentage since donning Pinstripes, but his 115 ERA+ was his best, as were his 160 strikeouts, good for second in the AL. He appeared in four games, three starts, between the '47 and '49 World Series and went 2-0 with a save and a 2.28 ERA. According to Peter Golenbock's Dynasty, Casey Stengel held Reynolds back specifically to oppose Roberts. The two would engage in one of the World Series' greatest, if forgotten, pitching duels.

After stranding two runners in the first, the Yankees struck in the second inning. With two outs Jerry Coleman, who had the lone RBI in Game One, drew a walk. Reynolds was up next, and though he was a pitcher, he was a decent hitter and had gone 4 for 8 with a double and an RBI in his two previous World Series. Reynolds singled the other way, pushing Coleman to third, who then scored on an infield single by leftfielder Gene Woodling.

Reynolds worked around an extra base hit in each of the first three innings, and stranded a runner in scoring position in the fourth following a walk and a stolen base. He finally yielded a run in the fifth, as a pair of singles put runners at the corners and a Richie Ashburn sacrifice fly knotted the score at one.

It would remain that way into extra innings, but both teams would have one more good chance before then. In the top of the eighth, Bobby Brown and Hank Bauer hit back-to-back singles to left, giving the Yankees two on with one out. Coleman grounded to short for the second out, moving the runners up. Reynolds was due, with six outs to go and the go-ahead run just 90 feet away. Stengel, never shy to pinch hit when he sniffed an opportunity, let Reynolds, who was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit for himself. He went down looking, ending the threat.

Reynolds, who had allowed just a walk and a bunt single since the run in the fifth, faced a jam of his own in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, he surrendered a double to Granny Hamner. With the potential winning run in scoring position, Philly pinch hit for their catcher for the second time on the day. Reynolds intentionally walked pinch hitter Dick Whitman to set up a force at any base, then induced an inning ending 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Mike Goliat.

In the top of the tenth, Joe DiMaggio led off with a home run to left field to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead. Reynolds issued a lead off walk in the bottom half, and the runner was promptly sacrificed to second. With the tying run in scoring position, Reynolds got a foul out from Ashburn, then got number three hitter Dick Sisler looking to give the Yanks a 2-0 Series lead in a game that neither pitcher deserved to lose. Both starters went the distance. Reynolds surrendered seven hits and four walks in ten frames while striking out six. Roberts gave up ten hits and three walks while striking out three.

After going 1-10 with 5.08 ERA in 1961, the Phillies sold Roberts to the Yankees. He pitched well for them in Spring Training in 1962, but the Yankees cut him in favor of youngster Jim Bouton. Roberts landed with Baltimore, where he had three more good years. The '62 Yankees won the World Series, but couldn't get past the Dodgers in '63 or the Cardinals in '64. Perhaps Roberts could have helped.