The games are pretty much meaningless, and it seems a little silly to talk about the ALDS and such in series threads... so let's talk about it here. Some sure to come up topics: The ALDS roster should have: 10 pitchers/more than 10 pitchers Sabathia will pitch like he did: in the regular season/past postseasons A-Rod in this year's playoffs will be the: hero/goat Burnett will: dominate/suck Jeter will win a game with his: calm eyes/opposite field hit
I think whether Joba will be used as a 4th starter and/or when will he come out of the bullpen will be interesting as well. If he does well, a lot of people are gonna be wanting him to stay in the bullpen for next year.
The number one story will be AJ Burnett. Will he be dominate in the postseason. I believe he is the key to us winning number 27. He stated before the year the reason he signed with us is to pitch in pressure meaningful situations and now he's gonna get his chance to make his legacy. His last two starts have made me optimistic, however i cant get too excited because it has been a running occurrence with this guy, he pitches lights out for 2-5 straight games and then just looks brutal for what seems another handful of games in a row. Lets hope he has his good stuff and rises to the occasion, if so i think this will def be a dominating playoff for us. He's our number 2 guy and with CC being our ace and AJ pitching lights out who the hell stands a chance. So imo AJ is the story, the offense will be there but AJ scares the crap outta me
Aww, let him have his say. Half his team will still be listed on the 60-day DL while they're opening Christmas gifts. --------------- As for the Yankees, I think Burnett will be fine. I'm confident enough that he'll pitch, at worst, good enough not to lose. The question, as it has been so often this year, is whether they'll score some runs early for him. CC is CC. He's still got quite a few innings left in his arm before Thanksgiving. I have a good feeling about ARod this year. He even said when the Yankees clinched the division that this year was great especially since there was no pressure on him. The combination of steroids, his hip, and Teixeira allowed him to quietly have a very good year, and I think that will carry through the next 5 or so weeks. Cappy, I hadn't really thought about Joba not pitching at all and then coming back for the ALCS. That's not a bad idea. I just don't like the idea of him pitching out of the pen once or twice in the divisional series, then returning to the rotation in the pennant series. As I said, we've seen them screw around with his schedule already, and it didn't work out. As far as the # of pitchers on the roster, I understand your point Cappy. I simply disagree with it. I'd always rather have an extra quality pitcher than an extra pinch hitter/runner. Pitching wins titles. This team gets so many extra base hits that I'm not as concerned with speed on the basepaths. Besides, we've got the speedy Teixeira with his three triples! Jeter may not win games alone, but you can be sure he'll have the highest AVG and one of the best OBP in the playoffs.
It's ok if he pitches out of the pen but it would probably be better if he did it only once and in long relief, 4 innings or more. The whole point of going with the longer series is so that he won't pitch. Otherwise they would go with the shorter series and he will be the #4.
There's an important word that's implied, but missing from the idea that pitching wins titles. This seems obvious, and I know you already know this, but it deserves to be said explicitly... Good pitching wins titles. Having a strong front of the rotation. Having a solid back end. That's what wins it for you. The last two guys out of your pen aren't the ones that win it for you. Like I said before, if you're relying on those guys, you're in trouble anyway. Think about it. The guys you'd be adding would be (by default) the two least effective pitchers on the staff. What situation could possibly come up that you'd say, "Dammit! If only we had Bruney and Gaudin!"? The disagreement here is what qualifies as "extra." Because the Yankees could conceivably pitch every reliever every game in the ALDS and still have them be decently rested. That'd be using seven pitchers per game! Crazy, right? The amount of rest between games matters. If there were four days between each game, how many pitchers would you want to bring? Is eight still the right number of relievers? Or would you go with fewer? Would you be saying the same thing if Posada or Molina reaches first base in the eighth inning of a game the Yanks are trailing by one run with one out where Gardner has already entered the game as a defensive replacement? To me, that seems to be a scenario that we have a semi-decent chance of seeing. I have a harder time seeing a situation where the Yanks wish they brought an additional pitcher (who is less effective than the ones that made the roster).
Are these NCAA bowl games in Yankee stadium an attempt at the Yankees organization to compensate losses the stadium took in ticket sales? Brilliant idea, if so.
I'm actually of the minority opinion that the Yankees will opt for the shorter series if they're matched up against Detroit. Justin Verlander is the scariest player in the postseason (at least on the AL side, I wouldn't wanna mess with Pujols in the senior circuit.) Going with the B series means that the Tigers can't use Verlander on regular rest in a potential game 4, something that I think the Yankees view as worth the gamble. Joba's surrounded by question marks but you have to like the Yankees chances with him on the mound against Jarrod Washburn or Nate Robertson. Here's another interesting playoff question to ponder: who do the Yankees start at home in game 2, Pettitte or Burnett?
That is a really good point about facing Verlander twice. My thinking is just that the Yanks have done alright against Verlander, and probably like Sabathia against him more than they like rolling the dice with a #4 starter. We'll see, though. As for Pettitte/Burnett, I would hope they'd start Burnett at home and Pettitte on the road.
Well, hopefully that is the last time we ever see Chamberlain throw a starting pitcher pitch this year but Cashman is too stupid not to insist Chamberlain be the #4 starter in the ALCS.
I have a feeling ARod is going to have a huge postseason this year, finally shedding his playoff bust label. The guy is just too good of a player to not perform in the postseason. Either way I think this is a huge postseason for his reputation specifically. As a Mets fan who hasn't followed baseball since June, I see the postseason coming down to Yanks, BoSox, Phillies or Dodgers with the Yanks the odds on favorites to win it all. I would rather see the Yanks win it then either of those other teams. Good luck fellas! I'm just so happy that baseball season is finally over.
I agree that that he's going to have a breakout postseason. Something just tells me this is his year. In regards to his reputation, it's really not that huge because it's already been tarnished so bad and it can only improve. If he chokes again this postseason everyone will just say "Same old ARod in the clutch". He can definitely improve his reputation this postseason but I don't think he can damage it anymore than where it currently stands.
I actually agree with Vision on this one. ARod can definitely improve his image to the NY fans with a great postseason (which I've already said he will have myself.) However, if he doesn't play well, he's going to be a huge goat and get big fingers pointed at him, justified or not. This is the year he has to make a splash. His key is just relaxing. He seemed to have figured it out during the regular season this year, now he just has to remember in October.
I hope Arod hits well..I hope the whole team does. What did they have, 4 hits last night by the people who will actually play in the postseason? They are starting to look like a Torre playoff team, although nothing can look worse than Boston does.
