Repeating is hard to do
Yankees quest for No. 28 will be an uphill battle

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi stepped to the podium to address the crowd of some 2 million fans that invaded Manhattan to watch his team take a ride down the Canyon of Heroes to celebrate the Yankees latest World Series victory. He told the adoring crowd he had spoken on the telephone to “the Boss,” George Steinbrenner.

“I want to tell you, I got a call from The Boss today. He told me this morning, 'The only thing greater than this celebration, is doing it two years in a row.' So he asked me to remind everyone - pitchers and catchers report in 96 days. Be ready to defend it."

Nice sentiment indeed, but in reality a very difficult task to accomplish. Just ask the Philadelphia Phillies who, before falling to the Yankees 4-2 in the 2009 World Series, were the defending world champions. The Phillies were attempting to become the first National League team since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds to achieve that feat. That is 33 years without an NL repeat winner.

In the American League the history isn’t so far removed. The last team to defend their world title was the Yankees, who not only defended it once, but defended it twice after winning it (1998-2000). They almost made it three defenses and four-in-a-row in 2001, but fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 7 games.

Between 2000 and 2009 there have been eight different World Series winners. The only repeats were the Yankees (2000, 2009) and the Boston Red Sox (2004, 2007). The other one-time winners were the Diamondbacks (2001), Anaheim (Los Angeles) Angels (2002), Florida Marlins 2003), Chicago White Sox (2005) and the Phillies (2008).

Not helping matters will be the lie of the land in the off season. The Yankees as do other teams have a number of free agents who will be looking for multi-year contracts worth millions of dollars. Depending on how long and how much will determine whom the Yankees will retain and whom they will cut loose.

At the top of the list are left fielder Johnny Damon and Designated Hitter Hideki Matsui. Damon just concluded the season playing out a four-year, $52 million contract and already his caustic, yet effective agent, Scott Boras is making noises that Damon is the indestructible man and worthy of signing a contract in the area of what Derek Jeter is being paid ($18.9 million average per year). Boras is also looking at, a minimum, another four-year contract for his client. According to Boras potential suitors shouldn’t look at Damon’s chronological age (36), but his biological makeup. Damon has played an average of 140 games over the past four years.

Here’s the fly in the ointment. Most sideline watchers are saying that the Yankees don’t want to offer Damon more than a 2-year contract, and that with their goal to cut payroll any raise Damon might receive will be well below what Boras is shooting for. Using another of his clients, Mark Teixeira, as a lightening rod Boras told the media the Yankees are known for paying players their “fair market value.” The problem is whose gauge for what is “fair market value” is correct? Unfortunately for Damon, the Yankees may be unwilling to meet Boras lofty expectations. So now the ball will be Damon’s court. Will he be willing to take a shorter duration contract to stay with the Yankees and a great shot at repeating a world title or will he listen to his agent and look for a more lucrative payday? Secondly, who else has got the kind of money the Yankees do who would be willing to part with that big a chunk for one player?

Ah, the joys of being a general manager.

Hideki Matsui is somewhat of a more complex situation. First off, this guy, in Game 6 of the World Series, completely dismantled the Phillies to earn himself the series MVP trophy. He single-handedly kicked in the door to the Yankees’ 27th world championship. If the Yankees were to release Matsui he would be the first reigning World Series MVP not to return to his team since Jack Morris won the award with the 1991 Minnesota Twins and was on the Toronto Blue Jays roster for the ‘92 season.

Matsui came to the Yankees from the Yomiuri Giants in December of 2002 when he signed a 3-year deal to play left field for New York. He quickly became a fan favorite and forever etched his name in Yankee lore when he became the first Yankee to hit a grand slam in his first game at Yankee Stadium. That same year Matsui came in second to Angel Berroa in the “Rookie of the Year” balloting. Many felt that the voters for the award didn’t vote for Matsui, because they felt he wasn’t a true rookie having played professional ball in Japan.

Matsui also became the first Japanese player to hit a home run in the World Series when he did it in Game 2 of the 2003 series against the Florida Marlins. In his first 3 seasons Matsui played in every game while hitting an average of .397 with an average of 110 RBI (106, 108, 116) and 23.3 home runs (16, 31, 23). Those numbers earned Matsui a new four-year, $52 million contract.

In May of 2006 Matsui fractured his wrist while attempting make a sliding catch in the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox. The injury severely limited Matsui’s playing time and he ended the year playing in only 51 games.
Matsui rebounded in 2007 with 25 home runs and 103 RBI to help the Yankees make the playoffs for the 13th consecutive time as the wild card entry.

Nonetheless, injuries continued to plague Matsui as he eventually underwent surgeries on both his knees. In 2007 Matsui had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after the season ended, because the knee limited his playing time in the field and he was used more prominently as a designated hitter in the latter stages of the season.

The following season Matsui’s arthritic left knee became a problem. The knee had bothered Matsui throughout his playing days in Japan where he played on artificial turf for 10 years. In September of 2008 Matsui had surgery on the knee to help reduce the swelling and the pain caused by the constant stress of playing on it.

The plan for Matsui during the 2009 season was to use Matsui strictly as a designated hitter, at least until the middle of the season. However, Matsui’s approach and value to the DH position made it impossible for the Yankees to move him out of the role and put him in the field. Matsui had another productive year by hitting .274 with 28 homers and 90 RBI.

The situation for the Yankees is this. In 2006 Matsui signed a four-year deal with the Yankees who projected him as their long term left fielder. Unfortunately, the injuries and surgeries to Matsui’s knees have relegated him to a full time DH. How much value do you assign to a productive designated hitter versus a productive full time position player? And, at 35, how long do you sign Matsui for? These are the questions the Yankees, Matsui and his agent Arn Tellem have to answer during the off-season.

More questions for the Yankees will also determine the direction they go in the off season. In addition to Damon and Matsui the Yankees also have to contend with Andy Pettitte, Jose Molina, Xavier Nady, Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston Jr.

Nady, Hinske and Molina are probably the easiest players to deal with. Nady who was slated to be the everyday right fielder when the 2009 underwent “Tommy John” surgery on his throwing elbow and missed the majority of the season. Nick Swisher, who was contracted from the White Sox in the off season, took over and performed admirably, earning the everyday slot.

Molina is a great defensive catcher, but not much to write home about offensively. Francisco Cervelli, who spent time with the club during the season, and was on the post season roster has proven he is great behind the dish, handles pitchers well and can hit major league pitching. He is ready for the big time, full time. The enthusiasm he brought to the team was a big boost in the dugout. Figure Molina and Nady will be playing elsewhere next season.

The same may be said for Hinske. Hinske began his career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002 where he hit 24 home runs while knocking in 84 runs. That effort earned Hinske the “Rookie of the Year” award for that season and it showed the promise of a productive career.

Sadly, Hinske never lived up to that promise. He only reached the 20 home run plateau one other time and that was when he played for the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. He hit 20 round trippers and plated 60 runs.

In eight seasons Hinske has hit a pedestrian .254 while generating a .334 lifetime OBP and .438 SLG%.

However, in the post season Hinske has shined when given a chance. He has played in 3 World Series (2007-2009), winning with Boston and New York. In his limited appearances Hinske has hit .333 with a .500 OBP and a 1.333 SLG%.

Hinske can also play first and third bases as well as the corner outfield positions. The Yankees may want to keep Hinske around as a multi-positional utility player.

Whether or not Andy Pettitte comes back will be up to Pettitte. If he wants to return for another season the Yankees will do their best to accommodate him, because of all what Pettitte means and has meant to the franchise.

Hairston is in the Hinske camp. He is a multi-positional player who can spell the big boys a game here and a game there. He was an important pickup during the season and performed well in limited action.

Hairston is two years older than Hinske and with similar numbers and less playoff experience may be the odd man out.

Other factors loom for the Yankees as well as their in house players. Other free agents from other clubs could help the Yankees in winning their 28th championship. Chief among those players is RHP John Lackey who will most likely garner the most attention. Depending on which other teams are interested in Lackey services the Yankees may or may not be motivated to make a move for him.

The Yankees also have to look beyond next year. The biggest name the Yankees will have to contend with is Derek Jeter. Jeter will be completing a 10-year, $189 million contract at the end of next season and will be looking for a significant pay increase.

As the captain of the team, a five time World Series champion, a ten time all star, a World Series and all star MVP, a Rookie of the Year award winner, and as the face of the franchise the Yankees of the will be hard pressed to cry poverty when it comes to dealing with Jeter.

In addition, Jeter is the Yankees all time hits leader passing Lou Gehrig this season for the top spot in history. He will undoubtedly become the franchise’s first 3,000 hit player, which will be the ultimate accomplishment on a team that has had the names of Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra playing on it.

In the top seven offensive categories for the Yankees Jeter ranks in the top 10 in six of them. He is 5th all time in batting average, 10th in home runs, 10th in RBI, 4th in runs scored, 1st in total hits, 4th in doubles, and 7th in extra-base hits.

It will be a delicate balancing act for the Yankees. On the one hand Jeter will be 37 when his current deal runs out. How much longer can he play shortstop? Even one of the all time premier shortstops in major league history, Cal Ripken, Jr., switched to third base in 1996 at the age of 35. The only other option open to the Yankees is the outfield, because Alex Rodriguez is holding down third base and Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira are much younger than Jeter and play a solid second and first base respectively.

Over the past two seasons Jeter has seen the Yankees dole out obscene contracts to A-Rod, Teixeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. None of those players mentioned is even close to owning the resume Jeter brings to the negotiating table. As arguably the most popular Yankee in franchise history Jeter will swing a heavy hammer to get a deal done with Yankees.

Lastly, since the Yankees have once again ascended to the top of the mountain every other team in baseball will be just that much more motivated to knock them off. It is the same with every team who calls themselves “world champions.” Every other team from the Red Sox to the Angels to the Tampa Bay Rays will be looking to dethrone the champs.

This has forever been the law of the jungle. It is always, always harder to defend a championship than to win it.

28.

© 2009 Yankees Talk Shop @ yuku.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop, Pride in the Pinstripes or its affiliates is strictly prohibited

Girardi needs a new number!
Yankee manager wore 27 as a goal to another championship

It’s been nearly two years since ex-Yankee manager Joe Torre packed his bags and headed west, and it’s been nearly two years since current Yankee manager Joe Girardi sat down with the Steinbrenner family and convinced them he was the guy who could lead this team to its next World Series championship. Torre won four in his 12 years in New York and the Yankees went to the playoffs every year under Torre’s leadership. Girardi had some big shoes to fill.

No two guys were more different than Torre and Girardi. Torre was a player’s manager. He was a media darling who always measured his words and always seemed to say the right things. He had this aura about him that seemed to have a calming effect in the clubhouse. He looked like your dad, or granddad or uncle Joe.

Girardi, on the other hand, looked like a recruiting poster for the United States Marine Corps. Intense is a word that comes to mind when describing Girardi. Girardi came into the Yankees clubhouse with just one year’s experience under his belt. That year was spent managing the Florida Marlins in 2006. Girardi did a fantastic job in the sunshine state; so much so that it earned him the National League Manager of the Year Award.

He was also the first manager to earn that award and then get fired in the same season. The incident that caused his dismissal came in August during a game when he and owner Jeffrey Loria got into an argument over Loria’s heckling home plate umpire Larry Vanover. When Vanover complained to Girardi he and his bench coach Gary Tuck told Loria to stop. Loria apparently didn’t like being told what to do and wanted to fire Girardi on the spot. He said that Girardi swore at him, but people who know Girardi know he’s a devout Christian and doesn’t use profanity to get his point across. Loria bided his time and got his pound of flesh at the end of the season when he sent Girardi packing.

Of course, Girardi was no stranger to the Yankees. He spent four years in pinstripes (1996-1999), winning 3 rings along the way. He was their everyday catcher, but gave way to another Yankee staple; Jorge Posada. After his playing days ended Girardi was hired by the Steinbrenner owned YES Network as a commentator. He spent the 2004 season as a broadcaster and as the host of YES’ “Kids on Deck.”

That lasted one year, at which time Girardi decided to pursue a coaching career. He moved out of the broadcast booth and went into the Yankees dugout as Torre’s bench coach for the 2005 season. He continued to host “Kids on Deck.” When the season ended Girardi went south and became the Marlins manager.

At the end of the 2006 season Girardi was unemployed, but after losing out for the managing job with the Chicago Cubs and turning down a shot at the Washington Nationals Girardi went back to the YES Network where he was hired as an analyst. He worked approximately 60 games in 2007. In June of that year Girardi interviewed for the Baltimore Orioles manager’s position, but ultimately turned it down when offered.

As one door closed another door opened. At the end of the 2007 Torre and the Yankees management had a parting of the ways. Torre headed for Los Angeles and the Yankees went looking for a new manager. They found him in the broadcast booth.

Girardi was apparently just the guy the Yankees were looking for. He was a no nonsense type of personality. Many of the Yankees coming into Spring Training for 2008 admitted they were not in the best of shape when they reported to camp in 2007. They knew Girardi wouldn’t put up with any lack of preparation, because he would probably be in as good as or better shape than his entire squad. They were right.

The first thing Girardi did was take the number 27 to signify he was going to lead the Yankees to their 27th title. However, 2008 wasn’t the year. The Yankees plagued by injuries, clubhouse in-fighting and other issues missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. They ended up in 3rd place in the AL East behind the surprising Tampa Bay Rays (division winner) and Boston Red Sox (wild card). It was a huge disappointment for an organization whose sole purpose is to win the World Series every year. Anything less is considered a complete failure.

In the off season the Yankees made some drastic changes. Gone were Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano and Bobby Abreu. General Manager Brian Cashman went out and secured three premium replacements in CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira. He also landed some role type guys, the most notable being Nick Swisher. Swisher would proved to be invaluable during the course of the season. They also resigned Chien-Ming Wang, Brian Bruney, Melky Cabrera and Xavier Nady.

Early in April Nady, who was slated to be the everyday right fielder reinjured his right elbow requiring a second “Tommy John” surgery on it. That ended his 2009 season and Swisher was inserted into the everyday lineup. Swisher responded by hitting 29 homers and driving in 82 runs.

Wang was another key element the Yankees were hoping to rely on to get them into the post season. Wang was coming off a serious foot injury he suffered in a game against the Houston Astros in June of ’08. Wang had previously won 19 games in ’06 and ’07 and had compiled an 8-2 record before the injury.

However, the Wang the Yankees saw wasn’t the one they saw before the foot injury. A guy possessed with a power sinker that batters described like hitting an anchor suddenly was very hittable and he was giving up a lot of fly balls. After amassing an 0-3 start and an ERA of 34.50 the Yankees removed Wang from the starting rotation and sent him down to Tampa to work on mechanics. He returned in May and was inserted into the bullpen, and eventually the rotation, but the results weren’t any better.

After Wang recorded a 1-6 record the Yankees put him back on the disabled list and on July 30 he had season ending shoulder surgery and is expected to miss up to a year.

Two other pieces of the Yankees puzzle were Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. Both returned after having shoulder surgery. Posada had the more severe injury requiring a season ending procedure to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Rivera had minor surgery to clean up his throwing shoulder. Both responded very well. Posada ended the season with 22 home runs and 81 RBI. Rivera saved 44 games in 46 chances this season, which is the most he has saved since saving 53 games in 2004.

Alex Rodriguez continued to struggle both on and off the field. In spring training he admitted to using performance enhancing drugs for 2001-2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers. He was also linked to a notorious New York madam and Madonna, as he divorced from his wife Cynthia. Then the biggest blow came when A-Rod had to have surgery performed on his right hip to remove a cyst and repair the labrum. He was expected to sit out up to 10 weeks.

While A-Rod was gone Teixeira struggled at the plate in April and the Yankees looked to be performing a death spiral. In their first 28 games the Yankees were 13-15. Somehow, Girardi managed to hold things together and managed to hold onto his job. For once nothing was coming out of the front office intimating that a managerial change was imminent.

On May 8 Rodriguez returned to the lineup and that was the day the Yankees took off. The Yankees were a completely different team. After going 0-8 against the Red Sox the Yankees went 9-1 against them in the final 10 games to split the season series 9-9. They also held their own against the always tough Los Angeles Angels by winning three of the final four games against them and also splitting the season series 5 apiece.

The Yankees were the only team to win more than 100 games as they ended the season with a 103-59 mark, eight games in front of the second place Red Sox.

Nonetheless, winning 100+ games meant nothing in the playoffs. The last team to win that many games and then go on to win the World Series was the 1998 New York Yankees when they won 114 games.

After failing to even make the playoffs in ’08 Girardi knew he had his work cut out for him.

The Yankees didn’t disappoint. In the divisional series the Bombers overtook the Minnesota Twins in each game to sweep them 3-0 to advance to the Championship Series. They ended up facing the Angels.

As we all know, the Angels had met the Yankees in two previous divisional series and beat them both times.

It wasn’t an easy series even though the Yankees vanquished the Halos in six games. In the two games the Yankees lost Girardi was scalded for questionable pitching and personnel moves. As always playing or managing in New York puts a permanent bulls eye on your back.

This journey brought the Yankees back to the stage they had not set foot on since losing to the Florida Marlins in 2003 and had not won since 2000. It wasn’t going to be any easier for them, because they were facing a team that had everything the Yankees had. Pitching, hitting, defense and power. The Philadelphia Phillies were the defending champions and they were trying to be the first National League team to repeat as World Series champions since the Cincinnati Reds did it in 1975-76.

The brightest spot for the Phillies in the World Series was lefty Cliff Lee. Lee was as dominant a pitcher as you could find in Game 1, and the Yankees offense was completely shut down. Sabathia was very good as well, but not as good as Lee. Sabathia gave up two homeruns to Chase Utley and the Phillies eventually won the game 6-1. The one run the Yankees scored was unearned, but it helped them avoid not scoring in a World Series Game 1 for the first time in franchise history.

Another piece of history not favoring New York was the fact that in the last six World Series the team losing Game 1 went on to lose the Series.

Fortunately, this edition of the Yankees was no ordinary team. They came back and took Game 2 and then went into Philadelphia and won the first two games giving the Yankees a 3-1 series lead. Girardi seemed to be pushing all the right buttons.

In Game 5 New York went up against Lee again. Although not as dominant as in Game 1 Lee had more than enough to stifle the Yankees’ bats. Philadelphia insured the Series went back to New York trailing the Yankees 3-2.

Last night Girardi went to his game hardened warrior. Pettitte has pitched in more post season games than nearly all of the pitching staff combined. Going on 3 days rest Pettitte gave the Yankees all he had, but with two outs in the 6th inning Andy’s 37 year old body was tired. Girardi went and got his veteran and turned the ball over to Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte and the incomparable Mariano Rivera who kept the Phillies off the scoreboard.

The last batter of the Series, Shane Victorino, grounded out to 2B Robinson Cano to end the game. Once Teixeira secured the ball in his glove to record the last out the wild celebration began. Number 27 was no longer a goal, it was a reality.

Lest anyone forgets this Series was dedicated by the team to its ailing owner George Steinbrenner.

”This is what the Steinbrenner family has strived for, year after year -- to deliver to the city of New York," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said to reporters following the game. "To be able to deliver this to the Boss, the stadium that he created and the atmosphere around here, it's very gratifying to all of us."

For the core four, Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Rivera, it was their fifth time in the winner’s circle, and it took nine years to get there.

"You realize how difficult it is to get here," Jeter told the media. "I never lost sight of the fact that it's very difficult to get to the World Series, let alone to win one. You realize and remember how hard it is."

For all the guys who had never tasted World Series champagne it was a special night indeed.

World Series MVP Hideki Matsui put it this way. "My first and foremost goal when I joined the Yankees was to win the world championship," Matsui said. "Certainly, it's been a long road and a very difficult journey. I'm just happy that after all these years, we were able to win and reach the goal that I had come here for."

To be sure the man who pulled all the strings was Girardi. In two short years he took the Yankees from the outhouse to the penthouse. Now he’ll have another type of target on his back. Since Girardi has finally guided this team to a world title he will be expected to do it again.

In order to accomplish that, however, he’ll need to trade in his number 27 for a 28. Where is Shelley Duncan anyway?

© 2009 Yankees Talk Shop @ yuku.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop, Pride in the Pinstripes or its affiliates is strictly prohibited

Doing the math: 1 = 27
One more win culminates long and difficult season

It has been a long road to this point. The New York Yankees have had to overcome predictions, doubters and, yes, even themselves sometimes to put this team on the brink of bringing a 27th World Series trophy back to the Big Apple.

It hasn’t been an easy road. Going into Spring Training many so-called experts were split as to how well the Yankees would do in 2009. In Sports Illustrated 13 sportswriters predicted the AL East. Four predicted the Bombers would finish first, six chose the Boston Red Sox and three picked the Tampa Bay Rays. Six of the writers predicted the Yankees would be the wild card entry and only two felt New York would be crowned American League Champions.

Flip over to ESPN and only Tim Kurkjian selected the Yankees as the 2009 AL East Champs and the winners of the American League crown.

Then there was the whole Alex Rodriguez drama, which started just as Spring Training got underway. In January Joe Torre’s new book, “The Yankee Years,” had some derogatory things to say about A-Rod. Then in February, Rodriguez’s name was leaked out of a list of 104 players who had tested positive in 2003 for performance enhancing drugs during an MLB sanctioned screening in order to see how bad the steroid/HGH/PED problem was in baseball. There was no punishment attached to a positive test at the time. A-Rod came out and admitted his use.

Things continued to get worse for Rodriguez as an injury to his right hip was discovered and he learned he needed to undergo corrective surgery to remove a cyst and repair a partially torn labrum in the hip. The predictions were that A-Rod could miss up to 10 weeks of the regular season. On top of all of that a news story broke that Rodriguez was linked to New York madam Kristin Davis, who is allegedly the same peddler that supplied ex-governor Eliot Spitzer with hookers before his dalliances became public, causing him to resign from office.

The Yankees also had some damaged goods players they were worried about. Hideki Matsui was returning after having had surgery on both knees over the past couple of seasons and wasn’t projected to play the outfield until late June, early July. Jorge Posada was returning after a winter of recovering from having surgery performed on his throwing shoulder to repair a torn labrum. Lastly, Mariano Rivera had his throwing shoulder cleaned up and at nearly 40 everyone wondered how that would affect him.

The Yankees also started the new season with three new faces on the squad. In the off season New York signed pitchers CC Sabathia (FA – Milwaukee), AJ Burnett (FA – Toronto) and probably one of the best signings in recent years, first baseman Mark Teixeira (FA-Los Angeles Angels).

On paper the Yankees looked as formidable as any team, but the proof of their toughness would have to be established between the white lines.

The season began horribly for the Yankees. With Alex Rodriguez on the sidelines the Yankees staggered to a 13-15 record in their first 28 games. They failed their first major test of the season by getting swept in a 3-game series against the Red Sox in April (24-26).

Then on May 8 the fortunes of the Yankees turned around with the return of A-Rod to the lineup. The Yankees were facing the Baltimore Orioles and pitcher Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie was the same guy who outpitched Sabathia on opening day as the Orioles beat the Bombers 10-5.

Guthrie threw one pitch to Rodriguez and A-Rod knocked the ball out of the park. It was as if A-Rod was telling baseball, ‘I’m back and I’m on a mission.’ A-Rod’s return energized a struggling Teixeira who had had a rotten opening month. With A-Rod to protect him Teixeira’s home run and RBI production took a turn upward, as well as his batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.

The Yankees looked like they were taking two steps forward and one step back. In their first meeting against the Angels, a club has always given New York fits; the Yankees took 2-of-3 at the Stadium. That euphoria quickly evaporated at the Red Sox came in for a two game set and took both games from the Yankees. The Rays also came in for two games following the Sox and they won both of their encounters.

Instead of getting down on themselves the Yankee players jump started their performance and began to climb out of the hole they had dug for themselves. After the Rays left town, saddling the Yankees with the aforementioned 13-15 record the Bombers went on a tear for the remainder of the month and after two months of play the Yankees were 29-21.

After June it was 44-32, but there were still some potholes in the Yankees’ road to the playoffs. They went to Boston for another 3-game series and the Red Sox continued their dominance by once again sweeping the Yankees out of town. New York’s 0-8 start against Boston was the worst start in franchise history. Until they could figure out their arch rivals winning the division, let alone making the playoffs, was going to an improbable task.

The Yankees ran into other glitches along the way. They dropped 2-of-3 against both the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins. However, after leaving Florida the Yankees won 14 of 16 games giving them a huge boost as they flew into Orange County to take on the Angels in a 3-game series that would end the first half of the season.

As everyone recalls the Angels continued their mastery over the Yankees by sweeping them out of Angel Stadium. It was a frustrating setback going into the all-star break.

Apparently, the break was exactly what the Yankees needed. After play resumed following the all-star game the Yankees ripped off eight straight wins, and 10 of 11 before running into a bump in Chicago as the White Sox took 3 of 4 from the Bombers.

That hardly slowed the Yankees down as they went 19-6 over their next 25 games including taking 5 out of 6 from the Red Sox. In fact the Yankees continued to steam roll through the American League. In their final 32 games the Yankees put up a record of 21-11, and in doing so they took 2-of-3 from the Angels in a return visit to Anaheim, and then flew home to sweep the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in their final regular season meeting. That series allowed the Yankees to split the season series at nine games apiece. That was an incredible feat for a team that started out 0-8. Additionally, the Yankees split the 10 games played against the Angels something that neither Yankee nor Angel fans had seen in quite a while.

The Yankees finished the season with the best record in baseball at 103-59 and won the AL East by eight games over 2nd place Boston. Going into the playoff rounds the Yankees were brimming with confidence.

In the divisional series against the Minnesota Twins the Yankees held it together to sweep the Twins 3-0. The series was a close match, but the Yankees pitching and timely hitting proved superior.

The championship series (no offense to the Phillies) the Yankees were pitted against the Angels. The Angels came into the series with a lot of confidence as well. They met the Red Sox, a team which had ousted the Angels from the playoffs 3 times this decade. However, in a ritual of exorcism the Angels swept the Red Sox into a early exit from the playoffs.

It was the Yankees turn to do the same with the Angels and in a great series the Bombers did just that taking the Angels out in 6 games behind the arms of CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, plus the bat of Alex Rodriguez.

That set up the 2009 Fall Classic against the Philadelphia Phillies, who many have called a mirror image of the Yankees. Good starting pitching and a powerful lineup.

The Yankees lost Game 1 facing Cliff Lee, who on that night was pitching like was from another planet. Sabathia took the hill for the Bombers, but wasn’t quite up to Lee’s standards. He made two mistake pitches to Chase Utley who knocked both of them over the wall. The Yankees lost 6-1 and in doing so dug themselves a hole. Of the last six World Series, the loser of Game 1 also lost the series. The Yankees had to right the ship.

Game 2 saw AJ Burnett starting for the Yankees and the Phillies countered with Pedro Martinez. Both pitchers were brilliant, but Burnett had just a little bit more as the Yankees nipped the Phillies 3-1.

Philadelphia was going home with a split, and had aspirations of a 3-game sweep over the Yankees. New York refused to cooperate, winning both Game 3, 8-5 and Game 4 with a dramatic 9th inning rally to drop the Phillies 7-4.

Tonight the Yankees have the opportunity to close out the Series and Philadelphia in order to take their first ride down the Canyon of Heroes in 9 seasons. The only thing standing in their way is Cliff Lee. If he pitches like he did in Game 1 the Yankees may have to wait a day. If AJ Burnett pitches like he did in Game 2 they may not. This game comes down to pitching and which team will be the first to blink.

If the Yankees can win just one more game they can rinse a lot of post season disappointment and history out of their mouths with some bubbly. In the immortal words of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, “Just win, baby.”

1 = 27.

© 2009 Yankees Talk Shop @ yuku.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop, Pride in the Pinstripes or its affiliates is strictly prohibited

Andy scares up a Halloween victory
Lefty survives rough start to notch 17th post season win

Once again the Yankees turned to “Old Reliable.” In one of the linchpin games of the 2009 edition of the World Series Joe Girardi handed the ball to the elder statesman of his pitching staff.

Andy Pettitte has taken the hill in the post season more than any other Yankee pitcher not named Mariano Rivera. Whitey Ford has the major league record for most wins the World Series with 10, but Pettitte had the most victories in the post season with 16. Last night he was going for his 17th.

The Philadelphia Phillies countered with last year’s World Series MVP, Cole Hamels, and the Phillies were banking on the Hamels of 2008 showing up. As Game 3 unfolded it appeared that the boys from the City of Brotherly Love were going to get their wish.

In the first 3 innings Hamels completely shut down the Yankees. The only flaw in his game up that point was hitting Alex Rodriguez in the top of the second, but he quickly erased that situation by inducing catcher Jorge Posada to hit into a force at second, striking out Robinson Cano and getting Nick Swisher to fly out to right.

Pettitte also looked like he was ready for the evening. After giving up a leadoff single to shortstop Jimmy Rollins in the first Pettitte retired the Phillies big bats by popping out Shane Victorino, then striking out Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to end the inning.

The game appeared to be shaping up to another pitching duel, but things got dicey for Pettitte and the Yankees in the second. In a script tailor made for Halloween Pettitte served up a leadoff home run to Jason Werth before striking out Raul Ibanez. Catcher Pedro Feliz followed with a double to right and Carlos Ruiz walked. With runners at first and second Hamels laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Rollins walked to force in a run and then Victorino hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Ruiz. Pettitte finally escaped further damage by striking out Utley for the second time to end the inning.

The teams traded zeros in the 3rd inning, but it wasn’t looking great for the Bombers as Hamels hadn’t given up a hit and appeared to be cruising through New York’s lineup.

That all changed in the top of the 4th.

Hamels started the inning like he had the entire game by getting Johnny Damon to fly out to right field. He walked Mark Teixeira and up to the plate strode Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who had had stellar division and league championship series performances was hitless in the Fall Classic. In eight official at bats A-Rod had recorded six strikeouts conjuring up memories of his preceding post season woes.

A-Rod put a charge into an 0-1 fastball and sent it down the right field line. Initially, it looked like the ball hit the top of the wall and came back onto the field, causing Rodriguez to stop at second and Teixeira at third. However, the strange way the ball bounced back onto the field caused Girardi to ask for a video review of the ball’s flight. All six umpires retreated to a viewing room and in a very quick reversal ruled that A-Rod’s shot had hit a FOX camera located just behind the wall in the right field corner of the park. It was now a 3-2 Phillies lead.

"I think it was a big hit," Rodriguez said to reporters after the game. "I think it woke our offense up a little bit. It felt really good."

Added Girardi about A-Rod’s breakout swing, "It was a big hit for us because it really got us going. He has been so good for us in the playoffs. He's a big reason we're at this point."

Pettitte pitched a scoreless 4th and then the Yankees went back to work in the top of the 5th inning.

Swisher finally got to the party by doubling to left to start the inning. After Melky Cabrera stuck out Pettitte helped his own cause by blooping a first pitch curveball into center as Swisher came around and beat the throw to home with a hard slide into Ruiz.

With the score tied Jeter singled to left, moving Pettitte to second. Johnny Damon doubled to right center scoring Pettitte and Jeter. Rapidly the game unraveled for Hamels and the Phillies. After walking Teixeira manager Charlie Manuel took his staggered starter out of the game.

J.A. Happ quickly restored order by getting A-Rod to line out to center and Posada to pop out to second to shut down the Yankee threat.

Leading 5-3 Pettitte faced the heart of the Phillies lineup. However, as he had done so many times in past post season games, Pettitte came up big getting Victorino to line out to center, followed by Utley grounding out to first and Howard popping out to short.

Both teams traded home runs in the 6th as Swisher recorded his first knock in the World Series and Werth hit a monster shot over the left field wall for his second round tripper of the game.

In the seventh with two on and two out Posada got on the ledger by hitting a soft single to left scoring Damon as the Yankees took a 7-4 lead.

Pinch hitter Hideki Matsui, substituting for reliever Joba Chamberlain (who pitched a scoreless 7th inning) finished up the Yankees scoring by hitting an opposite field home run off Brett Myers to make it an 8-4 ballgame.

With the Phillies down to their last 3 outs and the Yankees holding onto a 4-run lead Girardi elected to go with the erratic Phil Hughes to close out the game. Unfortunately for Hughes, after Feliz grounded out, Hughes threw a 1-1 four seamer to Ruiz over the plate and Ruiz launched it over the left center field wall. Girardi wasted little time finding his hook and pulling the beleaguered reliever out of the game.

For the third straight game closer Mariano Rivera was given the ball and asked to end the game. Rivera did so on 5 pitches. He induced pinch hitter Matt Stairs to ground out to second and Rollins to hit a soft pop up to Rodriguez at third. Ballgame over.

Losing Game 1, and knowing the last 6 World Series runner ups lost Game 1 the Yankees knew they had a steep, but not impossible mountain to climb.

"We feel like we've got a real strong team," Pettitte told reporters. "Obviously, losing that first game, we weren't happy with that. We were upset about it, but we feel real good about what we're doing and we felt good about coming in here."

Pettitte critiqued his pitching performance as a rough one. One that came after an 80-minute rain delay.

"It was a battle tonight -- I wasn't able to get ahead," Pettitte said in the clubhouse. "I wasn't able to get my breaking ball over. I was able to get some outs when I needed to get some, but it was a grind tonight for me."

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"You're out there and you're by yourself," Pettitte admitted to reporters. "There's not a whole lot of anything that can help you except just trying to just keep battling and keep trying to get it there and keep trying to get it there, and hopefully, it'll come around."

Luckily for the Yankees Pettitte did come around, and so did the Yankees offense. Although happy with the outcome the Yankees know the battle isn’t over.

"We feel good about being up, 2-1," Pettitte mused afterward. "But we know there's a lot of work left to do."

New York hopes to put the Phillies on the brink of elimination today in Game 4 as their ace CC Sabathia takes the hill on three days’ rest. The Phillies counter with RHP Joe Blanton. Game time is 8:20 pm EST. As usual the broadcast will be carried by FOX and anchored by Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

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