Tag: Yankees

ALCS Beat: Yankees looking pretty and Angels losing ugly

The New York Yankees will hope to continue their 2009 playoff dominance today against the LA Angels.  They have yet to lose this year in the postseason.  It was close on Saturday… real close. 

Yankee fans can thank Alex Rodriguez for keeping the Bombers in Game 2.  In the bottom of the eleventh inning, he hit his third homerun of the postseason to keep the Yankees tied with the Angels.  Before 2009, ARod had one homer in his last 13 postseason games.  

Yanks fans can probably also extend a little gratitude towards Macier Izturis.  Thanks to his errant throw in the bottom of the 13th inning, ex-Cub Jerry Hairston Jr scored to break the 3-3 tie and brought the Yanks their second win of the ALCS.

Box Score

That’s five errors in two games for the Angels for those counting and a lot out there are.  LAA has come into the postseason with one of the best defensive teams in the majors yet it’s one of their facets that has let them down.

They wasted a great outing by Joe Saunders who allowed just 2 earned runs in seven innings and pretty decent work from the pen by Kevin Jepsen and Darren Oliver. 

One more interesting key stat from the boxscore:

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Guerrero 7

Yikes!

 

So right now, the Yankees are up by two (and already up 2-0 in the 4th inning of the 3rd game as of this writing).  It’s nice to say that anything can happen in baseball but not every team can pull off what the Red Sox did in 2004.  Is the writing on the wall for LAA?  It is unless they can pull away with a comeback today. 

ALCS Beat: “C.C.’s the real deal, man”

Sloppy.

That’s the adjective I keep seeing repeated in the headlines regarding the Los Angeles Angels play last night in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.  The Angels, who bested their error record during the regular season with only 85 miscues, made some pretty nasty and costly ones in Friday night’s game.  Like a botched routine popup that ended up to be an rbi single. 

I’ll admit I was rooting for Big John Lackey.  But it’s hard to give that kind of edge to the Yankees and expect to win because you know the Yanks will step in and seize the advantage.  With the way C.C. Sabathia was pitching last night, that was kiss of death.  True, Sabathia has had issues with the Angels during the regular season (0-2, 9 ER in 13 1/3 innings though he did strike out 11).  But that was all ancient history and as they say it’s a brand new season when it comes to the playoffs.  Sabathia went 8 innings last night against the Halos allowing only 4 hits and just one run (an rbi single by Kendry Morales).  Sabathia walked one and struck out seven. 

Torii Hunter had begrudging praise for Sabathia (in reference to the mid-40s temperature):

"CC was the cold weather.  He was pitching his butt off. CC’s the real deal, man."

Box Score

 

Other ALCS Bits:

 

  • Speaking of mid-40 degree weather, yes, it was that cold.  And we’re only in the beginning of the League Championship Series.  The MLB Postseason schedule is set till November 5 (assuming all games are played).  It’s going to get a whole lot colder unless the Angels and Dodgers pull it off. 

    Jim Caple of ESPN has a tongue in cheek article about how HE feels about the postseason schedule.

     

  • Apparently, singer Ronan Tynan was a late scratch for singing God Bless America in last night’s game for making an anti-Semitic remark.

     

  • Anyone care what Nick Swisher has to say?  If so, check out MLB.com’s Q&A with him posted today.

Unlikely Postseason Heroes: The baseball players you didn’t expect to make the headlines

 

In baseball, the postseason is the time for players to shine, to give everything they got.  More than likely, it’s the big stars who make the headlines but every so often we see the unlikely hero who steps up and gets the job done during the most important games of the season. 

Here are 10 unlikely heroes of the baseball postseason because they are perhaps a little light with the stick, unknown players, or in one case, have no business getting on the field because of injuries.

Ozzie Smith (St Louis Cardinals, 1985 NLCS)

No doubt Ozzie Smith, the defensive whiz and speedster, has had his moments offensively but what happened in the 1985 NLCS must have Ozzie_Smith_suitsurprised even the most die-hard Cardinal fan. With 13 career homeruns to  name, Ozzie made himself a St Louis folk hero with one swing of the bat.

In Game 5 winner-take-all, the Cards and the Dodgers were locked up in a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the ninth.  With one out and righty Tom Niedenfuer on the mound, Ozzie batted left.  Not having hit a homerun in his previous 3,009 left-handed at-bats, he did the impossible.  He hit a homerun.  His four-bagger to right won the game for the Cardinals 3-2 and the series 3-2. 

 

Bucky Dent (New York Yankees, 1978 one-game playoff)

This light hitting but slick fielding shortstop   Dent was never known for his bat.  His highest batting average was .274 in 1974 and for his career he hit .247.  As for power, well, there wasn’t much.  In his 12 year career, he hit forty homeruns with a career high of eight in 1977. 

But Bucky Dent will always have a special spot in every Yankee fan’s heart for what he did in one-game AL East playoff against the hated Boston Red Sox in 1978.  Down 2-0 in the seventh with two runners on, Dent hit a Mike Torrez pitch over the Green Monster to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead and sudden life.  The Yankees went on defeat the Red Sox 5-4. 

Dent wasn’t done.  He batted .417 in the World Series against the Dodgers garnering the World Series MVP award. 

 

Al Weis (New York Mets, 1969 World Series)

Among everyone on this list, Al Weis provides the widest disparity between his performance in the regular season and in the postseason.  In his 10 year 64topps-168 career, Al Weis was a .219 hitter with only seven homeruns.  For the 1969 Amazin’ Mets, his average was even worse at .215. 

But man, something change in him when it was time to face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.  For the Series, Weis not only hit .455 (5 for 11) but also hit a key homerun in the final game.  His at-bat total may seem a bit low for 5 games but that’s because he also led the Mets in walks with four. 

Donn Clendenon won Series MVP rightfully so (he hit .357 with three homeruns) but no one can dispute Weis’ contribution in the ‘69 series.

 

Kirk Gibson (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1988 World Series)

Rather odd that an regular season MVP would be chosen as an “unlikely” hero.  But  it fits.  Gibson won the 1988 MVP award on the measure of his leadership of the Dodgers plus his good (but maybe not great) stats (.290, 25 HR).  But by the postseason came around, the full season had taken its toll on Gibby’s knees and he was in no shape to play. 

Kirk_Gibson The Dodger’s opponents were the feared Oakland A’s who had among others, Dennis Eckersley who had one of best seasons a reliever ever had.

Do I need to go on?  We’ve all seen it.  Bottom of the 12th.  Gibson vs. Eckersley.  Gibby practically limping to the plate on two hobbled knees.  And the look of pure victory on his face and the fist pumping as he rounds the bases.  And the ecstatic Tommy Lasorda jumping up and down.

The Dodgers won that game, of course.  That was the only at-bat Gibson would have all series.  I’ve talked to Dodger fans who tell me that even though it was only Game One, they knew the Series was won by LA right then and there. 

 

Jim Sundberg (Kansas City Royals, 1985 ALCS)

This defensive stalwart behind the plate wasn’t known for his offense prowess.  Sundberg was a mainstay behind the plate for the Rangers for 12 years (and one season for Milwaukee) but he never hit the postseason for them.  Once he got to KC in 1985, he got his Championship ring.  And in the 1985 ALCS when the Royals took on the Toronto Blue Jays, he made a difference.

In the seventh and deciding game,  Sunny practically won the game on his own.   He went 2 for 4 with a triple and four rbis to clinch the Series and take the Royals to the World Series. 

 

Jim Lindeman (St Louis Cardinals, 1987 NLCS)

Probably the least known player on this list, Jim Lindeman was a highly touted St Louis Cardinal prospect who came up in 1986.  He managed to stick around for nine seasons but only accumulated 736 at-bats and 21 homers in his entire career.  That doesn’t matter to Cardinals fans though.  He had his moment in the sun in the NLCS in 1987 against the San Francisco Giants. 

In Game 3 of the series, Lindeman came up to bat in the seventh inning down 4-3 with runners on second and third.  Lindy hit a homerun to right-center and drove in three runs to make it 6-4.  The Cards ending up beating the Giants 6-5 and defeated the Giants in the NLCS 4-3.

 

Billl Mazeroski (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1960 World Series)

Bill Mazeroski falls into same category as Bucky Dent.  Light-hitting, good fielding middle infielder.  Ok, maybe that’s not fair.  For his time, Maz may have provided more offense than first glance might suggest.  He hit .260 for his career in a pitching-rich era.  Also, Maz did manage to hit 138 homers in his career.

The 1960 World Series pitted the big bully, the empire, the dynasty, the New York Yankees against the upstart, underdog Pittsburgh Pirates.  It’s only appropriate that it end the way it did.

Any baseball buff knows about and has seen photos of Maz’ homerun off Yankee Bob Turley to win the the 1960 World Series.  After all these years, it’s still the only walk-off homerun that has won a World Series.

 

It’s been rated as one of the most exciting moments in baseball history.

 

Billy Hatcher (Cincinnati Reds, 1990 World Series)

Billy Hatcher was one of those outfielders from the 80s and 90s that produced just enough to stick around for 12 seasons.  He batted .264 for his career with 54 homeruns.

But boy, the Reds were sure happy to have him around for the 1990 World Series against the Oakland Athletics.  Hatcher just caught fire.  So much so that he broke many offensive records for a four game World Series.  Batting second in the lineup, Hatcher hit four doubles, four doubles and a triple in 12 at-bats.  Nine for Twelve!!

With Hatcher’s bat, Cincinnati went on to sweep the A’s,

 

Jim Beattie (New York Yankees, 1978 World Series)

I remember when Jim Beattie came up.  Oh how he was going to be the next Ron Guidry!  George Steinbrenner pinned his hopes on him and when he went 9-15 his first two years with the Yanks, he was little “disappointed”.

But Beattie came to the 1978 postseason prepared.  He won his game against KC, pitching 5 1/3 innings.  And in the World Series against the Dodgers, he really showed his stuff.  In the fifth game, he pitched a complete game win allowing just two runs to give the Yankees a 3-2 series edge. 

I’m sure the Boss’ private opinion didn’t change but outwardly he was glad of Beattie performance. 

 

David Eckstein (Anaheim Angels, 2002 World Series and St Louis Cardinals, 2006 World Series)

At 5’6”, shortstop David Eckstein has had the adjective “scrappy” placed before his name on scouting reports more than anyone.  And it’s probably deserved.  With his ability, comes some ability to win.

This postseason look comes in two parts.  In 2002, David Eckstein was part of the Anaheim Angels World Championship team.  Eck batted .310 in thedavid-eckstein-mvp-trophy-400a-103006 World Series with six runs scored.  All told he compiled 20 hits in the postseason in 2002. 

But it was in 2006 when Eckstein was recognized for his postseason work.  Then playing for the St Cardinals who were taking on the Detroit Tigers, Eckstein actually started out 1 for 11 in the first couple of games. 

Then he caught fire.  In the final three games, he went 7 for 11 and in Game 4 went 4 for 5 with 3 doubles.  For his performance, Eck was named World Series MVP for the Cardinals who defeated the Tigers 4 games to 1.

Honorable Mention:  Scott Brosius (1998 WS), Jose Vizcaino (2000 WS), Wayne Garrett (1969 NLCS and 1973 WS)

Who am I missing?

Dodgers beat the Yankees!… in attendance

2009 can be known as the year that the Dodgers toppled the Yankees… at least in attendance figures. 

For the first time in six years, the Yankees didn’t lead the majors in total yearly attendance.  They came in second.  The top honor goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers who had 3,761,661 go through the turnstiles at Dodger Stadium.

Number 3 shouldn’t be a big surprise.  Given their World Championship status and relatively large market, the Philadelphia Phillies grabbed that spot.

As for Chicago teams. the Cubs ranked sixth and the White Sox came in sixteenth in 2009.

Overall, Major League Baseball had a slight downturn in attendance from 2008 (6.6% less according to MLB.com) but with an attendance of 73,418,479, MLB is spinning it that this year is the fifth most attended year all time.  Yay, Baseball.

For those attendance stat geeks, The Biz of Baseball does a good job of breaking it all down for us.  Their pdf looking back at this past decade of MLB attendance team-by-team is quite detailed.

10/4/09 Linescore of the Day: Alex Rodriguez

arodAlex Rodriguez had the Linescore of the Day, or rather of the Inning, against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, as he drove in seven runs in the 6th inning (an inning RBI mark for the AL).  His seven runs batted in helped propel the Yankees to a 10-2 (all ten NY runs coming in the 6th) victory in their final game of the year, the team’s 103 win of the season.  ARod ripped a three run homer in his 1st at bat of the inning and he came to the plate with the bases loaded in his 2nd time up, after the Rays intentionally walked Mark Teixeira, and Rodriguez cleared off the bases with his 30th dong, giving him 100 RBIs for the season, in only 124 games, due in part to hip surgery, AMAZING!

Alex Rodriguez 3 for 4, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs (in the 6th, including a GS), 2 runs

10/2/09 Linescore of the Day: B.J. Upton

uptonIt was a mismatch from the onset, C.C. Sabathia (going for his 20th win) & the Yankees against rookie David Price & the Rays.  When the smoke had settled a 13-4 beat-down occurred, thirteen runs on seventeen hits, 5 for 5 by one player, one starting lefthander only allowed two hits over seven innings.  Who was the star with five hits, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, didn’t the Yankees already clinch, why did they have to be so rough on Tampa Bay?  Funny thing is B.J. Upton of the Rays was the 5 for 5 guy, including being the first player in Rays history to hit for the cycle, C.C. Sabathia was the hurler who was shelled, while Price totally dominated the Pinstripers from the Bronx.  Upton came into the game with a disappointing .236 batting average.

B.J. Upton 5 for 5, 2 singles, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 runs

Guest Blogger: Hardball Cooperative’s James Bailey looks at the AL hunt

Each day this week, The Baseball Zealot will be featuring special guest bloggers who will be giving their predictions on the 2009 MLB end-of year-awards and postseason matchups.  Today, James Bailey gives us his take on the AL divisions.

james James Bailey is a former editor of Baseball America and is now editor and major contributor to a new baseball blog, Hardball Cooperative.  You can thank Bailey whose idea of more collaborative work between baseball blogs which gave me the idea for this week-long guest blogging project.   When pressed, Bailey says he followed the Seattle Mariners but like a lot of us admits to mostly following his fantasy league players now.  Ah, the times we live in. 
 

Every time it looks like things are about settled in the American League, one of the down-and-outers sneaks back into the picture. A week ago the Tigers were on the brink of backing into the Central Division crown. They woke up Thursday morning with a 4.5 game lead, down from 7 games just 10 days earlier. The Twins, who have won four games in a row, are growing ever closer in Detroit’s rear-view mirror. The teams have seven head-to-head matchups remaining, starting with a three-game set this weekend.

 

The Central may be the tightest race in the AL, but it’s not the only one left to be decided. We technically have open contests in the East and West as well, though the Yankees and Angels hold leads of 6.5 and 6 games, respectively. The gap in the wild-card race is stretching out, though the Rangers, at 6.5 games behind the Red Sox, aren’t giving up hope quite yet. They have two different routes to the postseason. Both are dependent upon them winning at close to a .750 clip and getting help from above. Considering Michael Young and Josh Hamilton are spending more time on the trainer’s table than in the lineup, their odds are staggering. Still, with seven contests remaining against the Angels, they have the opportunity, at least on paper, to make headway.

 

While the Twins and Rangers are still breathing, it’s looking more and more like we’ll see some familiar matchups in October. If the standings hold the way they are now, the Red Sox and Angels will meet for the third consecutive year. Boston won that series both times. The other divisional series would match the Yankees and Tigers.

 

Here’s a breakdown of the races in each division:

AL East

 

The Yankees, who were three games behind Boston at the break, have gone on a tear since then, winning at a .729 clip (43-16). Their+89 run differential is the best in baseball over the second half. They looked to be pulling away from the Red Sox until Boston’s 7-game winning streak pulled them to within a stone’s throw of a miracle. There’s no one else to worry about, however, as the Rays were eliminated from the East race over the weekend.

 

The Yanks lead the majors in runs, and it’s not close. Their 843 runs are 45 more than the Angels, the next closest team. It’s not all a product of Yankee Stadium, either. They have tallied 414 runs on the road and 429 at home. If there’s an area of concern for the AL’s best team, it’s the starting rotation, where only C.C. Sabathia owns a sub 4.00 ERA. Andy Pettitte (13-6, 4.14) will be there when it matters, but the Yanks have to be getting a little nervous about A.J. Burnett, who has gone 1-5 with a 6.14 ERA in his last nine starts. That includes four games in which he’s allowed six or more earned runs. Joba Chamberlain has been even worse since the start of August, going 1-3 in eight starts with a 7.09 ERA in 33 innings. If they have a lead to hand to their bullpen, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera are likely to hold it for them. But they’ll need more than Sabathia and Pettitte to get them through the playoffs.

 

It’s been pitching that has spurred Boston over the last week. In six of their last nine games they’ve allowed 1 run or less (two shutouts). Even Daisuke Matsuzaka, who missed most of the season due to injury, has contributed, with six scoreless innings on Tuesday. Boston has the best team ERA of any legitimate contender, and they figure to get even stingier when they pare down to their playoff rotation. Their offense has heated up over the second half, scoring 165 runs in August alone.

  

Team W-L Pct. 2nd Half Since 8/1 Since 9/1
New York 94-53 .639 43-16 32-11 11-15
Boston 86-58 .597 32-24 26-16 10-4
 

Key Injuries

New York: None. Pettitte missed his start this week due to shoulder fatigue, but the Yankees are hopeful that won’t linger.

Boston: None. Kevin Youkilis has battled back spasms this week. He expects to be back to full strength soon.

 

Remaining opponents

New York: Seattle (3), Los Angeles (3), Boston (3), Kansas City (3), Tampa Bay (3)

Boston: Los Angeles (1), Baltimore (3), Kansas City (4), New York (3), Toronto (3), Cleveland (4)

 

AL Central

 

It’s Detroit’s to lose, and they just might do that. The Twins are closing the gap, thanks to a four-game winning streak, and the White Sox are lingering because the Tigers refuse to close the door on them.

 

Detroit’s +7 run differential hardly becomes a division leader. Since June 1, the Tigers have actually been outscored 450 to 412. Their pitching, led by Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson, has been among the best in the league. The offense is another story. The Tigers rank 10th in the AL in scoring, with just 668 runs. Miguel Cabrera is having a fine season, but he’s the only well-rounded threat in the lineup. Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge have hit for power, but they’re hitting just .250 and .233, respectively. Magglio Ordonez, who has his average up to .291, has done most of his damage against lefties.

 

Joe Mauer is one of the leading contenders for AL MVP honors, and a dramatic run to the division title would certainly enhance his case. He lost his best protection when Justin Morneau bowed out this week, though he hasn’t stopped hitting. Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer need to get hot and stay hot over the next two weeks if the Twins hope to sustain their charge. A rotation that includes Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing hardly seems up to the task at hand, but stranger things have happened.

 

The White Sox have posted losing records in two of the first five months of the season and were no better than two over .500 in any of the others. Yet they’re mathematically breathing in the Central. Maybe, just maybe, this division doesn’t deserve a representative in the postseason.

 

Team W-L Pct. 2nd Half Since 8/1 Since 9/1
Detroit 78-67 .538 30-28 25-19 9-6
Minnesota 74-72 .507 29-28 22-21 8-7
Chicago 72-74 .493 27-31 19-23 8-6

Key Injuries

Detroit: None. Joel Zumaya is done for the year, but he wasn’t a key player this season for the Tigers.

Minnesota: Morneau was diagnosed this week with a stress fracture in his back and he’s finished. That leaves a huge hole in the lineup, though the Twins are winning without him. Kevin Slowey has missed the second half of the season and won’t pitch again this year.

Chicago: It’s hard to call Jake Peavy a key injury, as he has never thrown a pitch for the Sox, though they must have envisioned him in the rotation when they pulled the trigger at the deadline.

 

Remaining opponents

Detroit: Kansas City (1), Minnesota (7), Cleveland (3), Chicago (6)

Minnesota: Detroit (7), Chicago (3), Kansas City (6)

Chicago: Seattle (1), Kansas City (3), Minnesota (3), Detroit (6), Cleveland (3)

 

AL West

 

The season hardly unfolded the way any Angel fan would have hoped, with the death of pitcher Nick Adenhart and the sluggish start by the team. But in the end they found their way to the top of the division, where everyone expected them to be all along. The West looked to be a division with a front-runner and three favorites for fourth place, but the Rangers stepped up and have given the Angels something of a challenge. They’re too far back now to make a charge with some of their key offensive weapons barely upright.

 

If the Angels can push hard for another week or so, they should clinch early enough to rest their starting pitchers a little going into the first round of the playoffs. It’s their offense, however, that could use some reinvigoration. They’ve scored more than three runs just four times in 15 September games. MVP candidate Kendry Morales has just four RBIs in September after hitting 10 homers and driving in 33 runs in August. Bobby Abreu, who is second on the team with 96 RBIs, has picked up some of that slack, hitting .347 with 10 RBIs this month.

 

It’s been an up-and-down year for the Rangers, but if they finish too far on the down side of that to make the postseason, they won’t have any shortage of reasons. Their collective health will be near the top of the list, but the three losing months on their resume haven’t done them any favors (10-11 in April, 11-15 in June, 14-15 in August). They have looked like one of the best teams in the AL at times, when they’ve had the offense and their young pitching in synch. Scott Feldman (16-5, 3.65) and Tommy Hunter (8-3, 3.23) have exceeded all expectations on the mound. Veteran Kevin Millwood looked rejuvenated early in the year, but over the second half he’s just 2-3 with a 5.32 ERA in nine starts and is averaging only five innings per game. His tank appears to be near E.

 

Team W-L Pct. 2nd Half Since 8/1 Since 9/1
Los Angeles 86-59 .593 37-22 25-19 8-7
Texas 80-65 .552 32-26 22-22 8-7

 

 

Key Injuries

Los Angeles: They’re as healthy as they’ve been all year, though their pitching staff would look deeper with Kelvim Escobar and Scot Shields in the pen.

Texas: Josh Hamilton’s season has been one injury after the next. He’s missed the past two weeks due to back troubles, and now he’s got a tight glute to deal with. It’s possible he’ll play again, but considering how long he’s been out he’s unlikely to contribute much. Michael Young has also missed most of September with a hamstring injury. He’s close to returning, but not to full strength. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is done for the season and faces surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

 

Remaining opponents

Los Angeles: Boston (1), Texas (7), New York (3), Oakland (6)

Texas: Los Angeles (7), Oakland (4), Tampa Bay (3), Seattle (3)

Thanks, James for the great analysis.  Tomorrow we will have our last installment in our guest blogging series with David Pinto looking at the National League.  Stay tuned for that.  Check out all the great articles from our previous guest bloggers from this week.

Jeter’s bid to Hall is secure

Last night in a game against the Orioles, Derek Jeter passed Lou Gehrig on the all-time list. The fact that Gehrig was a revered Yankee player and that Jeter got his hit in front of 46,000+ fans added to the significance of the event in the eyes of the media.

That puts him #53 on the all-time list.  With 2,722 hits, Jeter still needs a couple hundred more plus a few more if he wants to meet the goal of the magical 3000.  At the age of 35, barring any major injury, he’ll most likely accomplish that goal.

Where does Jeter fall on the all-time lists in other offensive categories?  Here is a quick breakdown:

Batting Average 65th .316

At-bats

 89th 8539
Runs Scored 50th 1564
Total Bases 85th 3945
Doubles 109th 437
Runs Created 65th 1572
HBP 22nd 142
Times on Base 64th 3738
OBP 118 .387

 

Oh yeah, he’s 47th in singles with 2,005 but that seemed like kind of a back handed compliment. 

These numbers are very good but they don’t really jump out at you.   That said, Jeter’s hit total is second (behind Ken Griffey) among active players.  The difference is that Jeter is only 35. 

I’m sure there will be plenty out there who will be comparing Jeter’s hitting stats to others claiming East Coast bias and Jeter-hype.  Those will no doubt be the same who will bring up the argument of Jeter’s reputation of mediocre defense (fair or unfair). 

But let’s face it.  Barring a major scandal, Jeter’s bid for the Hall is pretty much secure when the time comes, like it or not.  The phenomenon of Derek Jeter, a player who played his whole career for the Yankees, became their team captain and helped them win in the postseason, counts for more than any stat or fact that you can analyze. 

McCutchen Redeems Himself

Staff PhotographerNeither closer has had all that much success this year, neither Matt Capps, nor Brad Lidge.  Capps spit out a one run 9th inning lead, allowing back to back doubles, and then with two outs Shane Victorino lined a ball right at Andrew McCutchen, McCutchen froze, and the ball took off over his head, and gave the Phillies a one run lead.  Now it was time for Brad Lidge to protect a one run lead.  Hits by Luis Cruz & Brandon Moss, with a wild pitch in between, tied the game when Jayson Werth over ran the ball, and pinch runner Brian Bixler scored.  That brought up the kid, Andrew McCutchen.  Andrew talked with Lastings Milledge during the game, talking about what he’d do if he hit a walkoff home run, and told him he’d be like a basketball player taking the dunk to the hoop when he reached home plate.  He thought he might get the bunt sign, but when he didn’t, he focused on the job at hand and looked for a ball to hit hard.  And BANG it happened!

Which got me to thinking of managers putting their players into positions where they can achieve success.  I remember a couple of nights ago where Jim Tracy didn’t panic, he told Adam Eaton to take three pitches with the bases loaded (he walked), trailing in the game, wanting Ryan Spilborghs to bat with the bases loaded, and BANG it happened!

Then there was the opposite, which happened in last night’s Texas/Yankee game.  With nobody out in the bottom of the 9th New York trailed the Rangers 10-9 with runners on 1st & 2nd, facing Frank Francisco.  Now we all know Swisher cannot bunt, I presume Girardi knows this as well, but he had him try, popout.  And then BANG it happened!  Linedrive up the middle by Melky Cabrera, caught by Elvis Andrus for a game ending DP.

I’m reminded of what Stacey King always says regarding Da Bulls, KYP, Know Your Personnel!  Don’t have players do what they can’t!