Playoff Baseball

[duke23]

I like Girardi but I have to agree with most of your points - and I'd put the Gardner CS on him too. As a manager I think you need to be very aware of the pitchout on that 0-1 pitch and red-light Gardner, especially with a guy like Scioscia in the other dugout who is always prone to do things like squeeze, pitchout, etc. Yes, you put Gardner in there to steal a base, but it's not like that's his only purpose - he's also in there to score from first on a double.

I did agree with bringing in Hairston to replace Damon - saying Damon has a bad arm is like saying Clemson is bad at free throw shooting. There's a pretty significant range of fly ball where Hairston is much more likely to throw out a runner than Damon, especially with a slow runner like Mathis at third. And I think Rivera was only throwing 1 inning regardless, since he threw 2.1 on Saturday and you want him to be able to pitch tomorrow, so losing the DH wasn't too big a deal really.

[InSpades]

Damon admittedly throws like a schoolgirl (and schoolgirls would probably find that offensive) but the odds of it mattering are so small. How often do righthanded batters pull Mariano to the outfield? What fraction of those are actually caught? What fraction of those would Hairston's arm matter?

Is it worth losing Damon's bat and your DH for the rest of the game? Even if you assume Mo wasn't going to pitch more than 1 inning... you are putting Cervelli up to hit for Damon (and the next time around it would be either Guzman or Molina).

It seems like a move to cover your butt more than a move based out of giving your team the best chance to win the game. At some point taking out Matsui and Damon from your lineup is severly hampering your ability to score runs (and when you've used up all your pitchers haphazardly, scoring a run soon is imperative).

[YourLandlord]

Just a wonderful game all around for the Yankees.





---

That Phillies walkoff was incredible -- the fans, the players, the bullpen, all going nuts. Like a movie.

[Jim3k]

The Phillies walkoff never should have happened.

I don't know what Broxton was doing. There was no real need to walk Stairs on 4 pitches. If he was going to pitch around him (not necessary in that situation), you still throw a strike somewhere down -- probably away. That forces Stairs to actually bat.

Then, once Stairs (well, Bruntlett, the PR) was aboard and you are throwing 100 mph, you don't hit Ruiz. You use that power, again with something down to try for the DP. Hitting him was the last thing -- and don't give me, 'he couldn't help it -- he didn't need to be burning the inside.

It only seems like he did the right thing by jamming Dobbs, but still he should have been trying for the ground ball.

I guess Boxton wants to own the inside of the plate -- but man, he had three other batters he should have gotten out before Rollins hits his double. Rollins is the only super dangerous guy in that string. He never should have had an at-bat.

[brevity]

Just a wonderful game all around for the Yankees.

Note Jeter's lack of surprise. Ah, true love: so much better than a silly MVP award.

For the record, I think Minka Kelly is a much hotter beard than Kate Hudson.

[SoCalDukeFan]

The Phillies walkoff never should have happened.

I don't know what Broxton was doing. There was no real need to walk Stairs on 4 pitches. If he was going to pitch around him (not necessary in that situation), you still throw a strike somewhere down -- probably away. That forces Stairs to actually bat.

Then, once Stairs (well, Bruntlett, the PR) was aboard and you are throwing 100 mph, you don't hit Ruiz. You use that power, again with something down to try for the DP. Hitting him was the last thing -- and don't give me, 'he couldn't help it -- he didn't need to be burning the inside.

It only seems like he did the right thing by jamming Dobbs, but still he should have been trying for the ground ball.

I guess Boxton wants to own the inside of the plate -- but man, he had three other batters he should have gotten out before Rollins hits his double. Rollins is the only super dangerous guy in that string. He never should have had an at-bat.

The only time previous time Broxton pitched to Stairs he gave up a crucial home run. With Ruiz and Dobbs due up and one out, you have to pitch around him. A home run and the game is tied and the Dodgers have essentially depleted their bullpen. Maybe he could have thrown something on the corner for a strike but that is not Broxton's game. The pitch that hit Ruiz got away from him. You don't tell Broxton that he can only work the outside of the plate.

I am a Philies Fan living in SoCal

[SoCalDukeFan]

Last year the best Dodger player at the end of season was Manny, who cost the Dodgers nothing as the Red Sox were paying his salary. This year the best Dodger pitcher at the end of the season is Padilla, who the Dodgers are paying the pro rated major league minimum.

SoCal

[YourLandlord]

For the record, I think Minka Kelly is a much hotter beard than Kate Hudson.

Absolutely agreed.

Rollins is the only super dangerous guy in that string. He never should have had an at-bat.

2009 OPS

Stairs: .735
Ruiz: .780
Rollins: .719


Rollins has been terrible this year:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting.../ss/order/true

[Jim3k]

As a Bay Area A's ticketholder, I know Stairs and I know Rollins very well. If you are going to compare Rollins, an everyday player, with PH Stairs, you are comparing apples and oranges.

And the fact that Stairs hit a home run off Broxton the year before is a baseball non sequitur. I understand that Stairs is a fine pinch hitter, but you don't gift the tying run on base in that situation. You make him work to get there. Broxton never threw anything close to a strike. That's plain bad baseball.

I've already said what I think about Broxton pitching inside to Ruiz. Broxton should be able to overpower him. But he wanted to own the inside of the plate first. Why??? If it were a less overpowering pitcher, I might agree. But the ground ball was king here. He didn't even try to get it -- not from either batter.

[YourLandlord]

As a Bay Area A's ticketholder, I know Stairs and I know Rollins very well. If you are going to compare Rollins, an everyday player, with PH Stairs, you are comparing apples and oranges.

You're the one that stated Rollins was the only "super-dangerous" guy in that series of batters; thus, you compared him to those batters.

Rollins was perhaps the worst hitter among that series of batters. That's all. He's got a great reputation, but he was not good this year.

also,

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The third base umpire in today's Yankees-Angels game is absolutely horrible. Swisher was not out for leaving early and Posada and Cano were BOTH tagged out at third in the run down, but not in the eyes of the umpire. I wonder what he is watching; obviously not the game in front of him.

[YourLandlord]

The third base umpire in today's Yankees-Angels game is absolutely horrible. Swisher was not out for leaving early and Posada and Cano were BOTH tagged out at third in the run down, but not in the eyes of the umpire. I wonder what he is watching; obviously not the game in front of him.

The umpiring this post-season has been horrendous.

MLB assigns post-season umpires based on seniority, not on ability.

[BlueDevilBaby]

The third base umpire in today's Yankees-Angels game is absolutely horrible. Swisher was not out for leaving early and Posada and Cano were BOTH tagged out at third in the run down, but not in the eyes of the umpire. I wonder what he is watching; obviously not the game in front of him.

Terrible call. Am I right that Cano could have taken third and just had Posada get tagged out? I could not figure out why Cano stayed off the bag - perhaps he thought Posada could get back, be safe on third and he would be tagged out instead? Still, a terrible call.

[rasputin]

Terrible call. Am I right that Cano could have taken third and just had Posada get tagged out? I could not figure out why Cano stayed off the bag - perhaps he thought Posada could get back, be safe on third and he would be tagged out instead? Still, a terrible call.

If there are two men on a given base, the runner who was ahead has the "right" to the base, so Cano would have been out.
Interesting that the umpiring last night was so bad (don't forget that Swisher was picked off second and the ump missed that one too), and none of the controversial calls were by the home plate or first base umpires. McClelland is generally regarded as one of the best, if not THE best, in MLB, and he just had a terrible night--at third base (sometimes referred to as the "rocking chair" because it's so easy there).

[Olympic Fan]

First, let me say that I was dead wrong about pitching Sabathia on three days rest -- one run in eight innings was a man's performance. I've never been happier to be proven wrong.

Although I do think that Chad Gaudin could have won with 10 runs of support ;-)

The third-base ump was Tim McClelland, who is supposed to be on the best umps in the game. But he's no stranger to controversy. He was the ump who called George Brett out in the Pine Tar Game two decades ago ... he was also the ump who called Matt Holliday safe at home for the Rockies against the Padres (in the game that decided the wild card) two years ago.

McClelland's two big mistakes last night were both due to bad positioning. When you watch the Swisher call, he never backs up and gets the runner and the outfielder in his line of vision as he's supposed to. And on the tag play, he allows himself to be blocked out by Posada, so that he can't see that Cano is stupidly off the bag when he's tagged by the catcher. McClelland anticipated a situation where both runners were on the base when they were tagged (which is what SHOULD have happened ... he just didn't realize that both Yankee runners would behave like idiots).

Bad night for a good ump ... luckily, it happened in a lopsided game when the goofs had little to do with determining the winner. The Yankees were already up 5-0 when the first gaffe (which wasn't McClelland, it was the second base ump missing the pickoff play) occurred.

Oh well, now we've got to wait a day thanks to the stupid 2-2-1-2 TV format. Burnett tries to close it out Thursday night.

PS Although Matt Holliday STILL has not touched plate in that controversial ending to the decisive game against the Padres, I actually think McClelland made the right call (for the wrong reason). The reason that Holliday missed the plate was that he was blocked by the catcher, Michael Barrett -- who didn't have the ball. That's supposed to be interference, but it's one of those calls (like the neighborhood play at second base that ticked Aybar off earlier in this series) that's rarely made.

But in this case, it should have applied -- watch the replay (it's sure to be revived after last night's McClelland errors) -- Barrett sets up to block the plate ... Holliday and the ball arrive at the same time. The catcher's left leg knocks the sliding Holliday away from the plate as the ball dribbles away. A defensive player without the ball cannot legally hinder a baserunner! Holliday never the touched the plate, but he should have been called safe anyway because of Barrett's interference.

McClelland late said that he called him safe because he saw Holliday touch the plate ... wrong -- but he inadvertantly made the right call.

[YourLandlord]

As an aside, check out this story:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/nationa...wJLU4ZDXvvDO/1

read the witness statements, especially the one from the son.

they could make a movie out of this.

[JasonEvans]

Do folks think MLB should put replay in place after last night's fiasco with the umps. The blown calls at 3B were the kind of stuff I would not accept from Little League umps.

I cannot even recall the last time I saw a runner called out for leaving 3B early and the 2 runners on one base absurdity was as bad a blown call as I think I have seen since Jeffrey Maier.

--Jason "just embarrassing for baseball" Evans

[YourLandlord]

As an aside, check out this story:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/nationa...wJLU4ZDXvvDO/1

read the witness statements, especially the one from the son.

they could make a movie out of this.

Ahhh, since I can't edit anymore...

http://theproducers.weei.com/sports/...le-ever-learn/

she was CLEARLY worth it...

[SoCalDukeFan]

As a Bay Area A's ticketholder, I know Stairs and I know Rollins very well. If you are going to compare Rollins, an everyday player, with PH Stairs, you are comparing apples and oranges.

And the fact that Stairs hit a home run off Broxton the year before is a baseball non sequitur. I understand that Stairs is a fine pinch hitter, but you don't gift the tying run on base in that situation. You make him work to get there. Broxton never threw anything close to a strike. That's plain bad baseball.

I've already said what I think about Broxton pitching inside to Ruiz. Broxton should be able to overpower him. But he wanted to own the inside of the plate first. Why??? If it were a less overpowering pitcher, I might agree. But the ground ball was king here. He didn't even try to get it -- not from either batter.

Broxton like most closers is used to 3 out saves. At home he comes in in a close game with tremendous crowd support and a very exciting environment and with his adrenaline pumping throws almost 100 mph and more often than not gets 3 outs.

In this game he was brought in in the 8th inning to pitch to Werth. With 2 runners on Torre probably thought he had no choice but to use Broxton. Then Broxton sits down for 18 minutes in 40 degree weather and has to come back to pitch. Guess what, he was not sharp. Trying to pitch around Stairs he walked him. For all you and I know the pitch to Ruiz was supposed to be inside so that it would set up something on the outside and it just got away from him. You can not tell your ace reliever that he can't pitch inside because he might hit the batter.

SoCal "Phillies Fan in LA"

[BlueDevilBaby]

I cannot even recall the last time I saw a runner called out for leaving 3B early and the 2 runners on one base absurdity was as bad a blown call as I think I have seen since Jeffrey Maier.

--Jason "just embarrassing for baseball" Evans

Swisher was called out earlier this year for leaving 2d early. He lifts the back of his foot up, but not the toe on the bag, so it looks like he leaves early. He needs to change his technique.