Monthly Archives: October 2003

Is the World Serious boring you? Is there a lack of juice or excitement in watching the Yanks and Marlins duke it out? Well perhaps that will all change as the Serious shifts to Florida tonight. Mike Mussina starts against the Marlins ace, Josh Beckett. This could be a classic pitching duel, and a great game tonight could help make this a terrific Serious yet. Beckett was lights out in his last two appearances, and ain’t ascared of nobody. Mike Mussina was brilliant in a relief stint in Game 7 against Boston and is looking for his first win in the 2003 post season.

I haven’t been one for making predictions, but once again, I feel very good about the Yankees chances with Mussina tonight.

For more Serious coverage, stop by and check out the latest from Mike Carminati, Jay Jaffe, and Steve Goldman.

In other news, Jason Giambi is in the headlines after he was subpoenaed to testify before “a San Francisco grand jury that’s investigating Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO, a company which prescribes nutritional supplements and is now fighting charges that it also may be dabbling in tetrahydrohestrinone, a designer steriod.” Giambi appeared unfazed by the news. I don’t know much about the case, so I will reserve comment. Hopefully, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus, will enlighten us in the coming weeks.

Bill Simmons, another columnist from ESPN (who also happens to be an avid Red Sox fan), weighs in on Game 7, with humor and disgust (not that he’s bitter or nothing):

As I wrote many times in this space, Grady was one of those rare managers who made you scream at the TV, “My God, what the (bleep) are you doing???” at the precise time he’s making a move (or sometimes, not making a move). Let the record show that he did the same thing with Pedro that he did with Burkett in the Oakland series (Game 4). He was in over his head. The ultimate Grady moment happened in the eighth inning of Game 7, when lefty Embree was pitching to switch-hitting Enrique Wilson (tie game, guy on second, two outs), and Grady brought in Mike Timlin, so Torre countered with Ruben Sierra … so poor Grady had to walk Sierra, meaning he had a righty pitching against lefty Karim Garcia with two runners on instead of one. Unbelievable!

What was it like in Boston last Friday? Ever heard of Dante’s Inferno?

One of my friends from home described Friday’s scene like this: “I have never seen anything like it. Everyone is in a catatonic trance — like a massive funeral ceremony that won’t end. You can’t imagine what its like. NO WORK being done today in the city of Boston. Even the lady at my Dunkin’ Donuts seemed upset and her name doesn’t contain any vowels.”

Speaking of bitterness, the Boston police are apparently going to press charges against Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia for their part in the Game 3 bullpen fight. Think they’d go ahead with this if the Sox had actually won? I think you know the answer.

Rob Neyer, ESPN’s leading baseball analyst will be watching the World Serious because a) it’s his job and b) because he loves baseball. But he doesn’t have a rooting interest in either team. In fact, he thinks there are reasons to root against both teams:

The Marlins are a good story. They’re the underdogs, and nobody — I mean nobody — thought, six months ago they’d be where they are now. If they somehow manage to beat the Yankees, you have to be happy for Jack McKeon, who’s showing everybody there really is (baseball) life after 70. But it’s pretty hard to be happy for anybody else (except maybe Pudge Rodriguez).

The Marlins’ owner, Jeffrey Loria, is by most accounts a liar and a cheat (we’ll know more this winter, when various court proceedings are resolved). The Marlins’ ex-owner, Wayne Huizenga, is another awful man who stands to profit a great deal from the Marlins’ success, because he still makes a hefty sum from the sale of concessions and the rental of luxury suites at Pro Player Stadium.

And what about the Yankees? Is there any reason to root for them? Neyer has one:

If the Yankees lose, they might be just slightly more inclined to get better next season, and that’s not good for anybody except them. As you know, their defense at second base and shortstop isn’t good, and the Yankees might be even better if they address that deficiency. The Yankees are just sort of scraping by in right field, and if they lose they might be just slightly more likely to break the bank and sign Vladimir Guerrero. They’ve got some question marks in their starting rotation, and if they lose they might be just slightly more likely to buy every good pitcher that’s available this winter.

Granted, they’ll probably do most of these things anyway. But if they beat the Marlins, they might spend just a bit less money trying to defend their championship.

Problems, problems: what to do?

Veteran baseball writers Charles Pierce and Allen Barra share their thoughts on the Yanks, Sox, Marlins and the World Serious. Their exchange is good for a laugh and worth checking out.

Yankee fans have never been known for their patience, and neither has Alfonso Soriano. ‘Lil Sori has heard the boo birds at the Stadium over the last week as he waves meekly at breaking ball after breaking ball. Bill Madden suggests today that the Yanks should consider moving their dynamic young second baseman:

Going into last night’s Game 2 of the World Series, Soriano was hitting .222 with 18 strikeouts in 54 at-bats (or one in every three). “If the Yankees are smart, they’ll look to deal Soriano now while his value is still high and before he starts to make big money,” one NL scout observed last night.

The Yankee high command has had internal discussions about whether to pursue trade talks with the Royals about center fielder Carlos Beltran.

The Royals have conceded they’re going to have to move Beltran, who is a free agent after next season, and Soriano, who likely will get a bump from $800,000 to over $2 million in arbitration, would still be a cheap alternative whom they could control for three years.

One big problem, however: Beltran’s agent is Scott Boras, whose clients (other than Bernie Williams) the Yankees have steadfastly avoided because of an acrimonious relationship that goes all the way back to Brien Taylor, the ill-fated 1991 No. 1 draft pick.

I don’t think the idea of moving Soriano is a poor one. He is an exciting but streaky offensive player, and a poor defensive one. Maybe he would fare better in the outfield than he has at second base, and maybe he wouldn’t. I certainly buy into the theory of moving a player too early rather than too late. Regardless of how he’s struggled in the post season, Soriano is still young and has a lot of pop in his bat. The idea of Beltran landing in New York seems remote, but it sure would solve some long-term problems.

Tom Boswell has a thoughtful piece today on Hideki Matsui and why he represents everything that is both good and bad about the Yankees:

With his 415-foot blow, Matsui, who signed for $21 million for three years, showed why he is such an excellent symbol of everything that is best about the Yankees as exemplary players, but worst about a Yankees organization that can, to a greater degree than any team in any sport, consistently buy championships.

Like Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, David Wells and Jose Contreras, Matsui is just the latest offseason prize for which the Yankees outbid every other team. So what if Contreras has been something of a bust? Matsui has more than made up for it. That’s the real infuriating meaning, the true distortion, that the Yankees’ $180 million payroll introduces to the sport. In other words, Matsui embodies the reason so many in baseball resent, and even hate, the Yankees while also admiring and coveting their marvelous players.

On the field, Matsui fits perfectly into the Yankees tradition of classic ballplayers. He looks ideal in any photo that includes Jeter, Bernie Williams, Giambi and Alfonso Soriano — all of whom look like the exact physical prototypes one might create in a laboratory for their respective positions.

…For those who love the Yankees of George Steinbrenner, as well as those who despise them, Matsui showed again Sunday night why the Bronx is still the home of the most elegant, clutch collection of players that bottomless wealth can buy.

What I find upsetting about Yankee fans is the fact that they think the Yankees are actually entitled to win the championship every year. This is the culture that Steinbrenner promotes, I know, but for any self-respecting baseball fan to adopt it, is purely ridiculous. It’s arrogance–“breath-taking arrogance,” as my father likes to say—in its finest form.

The sad part about it is that these fans are missing the point. They don’t “get” what Joe Torre and his players like Bernie Williams and Mariano Rivera seem to grasp so convincingly: Winning is hard. What they’ve been able to accomplish since 1996 is incredibly rare and amazingly difficult. I get the sense that Joe Torre appreciates every post season game he manages with the Yankees. You’d think his humility would rub off on more Yankee fans.

At work today, I spoke with a guy who was upset that the Bombers lost Game One only because it will ruin their chances to sweep the Marlins. Oy veh. Sure the Yankees appear to be a better team than Florida, but again, so did the Giants and even the Cubs and look where that got them.

I don’t know whether the Yankees will win the Serious or not, but I’m not shallow enough to suggest that just because they show up, the Marlins will stick their heads in the sand and give up.

* * * *

Oh, I have to apologize to my pal Peter Schilling for taking so long to provide a link, but for extensive, and articulate World Serious coverage, be sure and check out the guys over at Mudville Magazine. You’ll be pleased you made the trip.

It was a cold, hard weekend in Boston, and it proves to be a long winter for Red Sox Nation. The Fenway faithful is still reeling over the Home Nine’s dramatic Game 7 loss to the Yankees last week. I waited until Saturday to call my friend John. After all, what can you say to a mourning Sox fan when you root for the Yankees without sounding like a patrionizing jerk?

He was not a happy camper and I asked him where this loss ranks in Sox history (John is in his mid-’30s, old enough to remember ’78 and certainly old enough to recall ’86).

“This is the worst one ever.”

Worse that ’86? How could that be? The Sox were one out–one strike–away from a championship that year.

“Yeah, but they still had another game to play. There was still a chance. This was worse. This was Game 7, and this was the Yankees.”

Ben Jacobs was too young to remember ’86, so the 2003 team popped his cherry so to speak:

Today, I am finally, truly a member of that great and sorrowful entity called Red Sox Nation. Sure, even before today I had rooted with all my heart for the Boston Red Sox. I had hung on every pitch, lived and died a little with every win and loss. But never, before last night, had the Red Sox made me cry.

…[Yet] despite the fact that the story remained much the same, this was a great season to be a Red Sox fan. This season was a wildly exciting rollercoaster ride from the first game to the last. So what if last night it felt like the ride operator pulled the stop lever before we had reached the thrilling finale to the ride, leaving us momentarily disoriented as we stumbled off the ride and tried to refrain from being ill. When you choose to get on the big, exciting rides, you sometimes get sick. If you know what’s good for you, though, you always come back.

Edward Cossette is moving on as well:

Rumor has it baseball is still being played somewhere in the USA but I can’t really be bothered to verify this.

I should go on record again confessing that I’m a totally myopic baseball fan. Heck, I don’t even think I can call myself a baseball fan at all, at least not in the sense of guys like Dave Pinto and Will Carroll and all the others who love the game for the sake of the game and will watch any two teams on the diamond just for the pure joy of it all.

Me? I’m a Red Sox fan and that’s all I really care about. When the Red Sox season ends, baseball ends and it’s then time to fire up the hot stove and wait until Spring Training.

Meanwhile, Red Sox manager Grady Little is taking a beating in Beantown. Gordon Edes of the Globe is one of the few pundits who is backing Little:

Does anyone really believe that Martinez talked Little into leaving him in the game? Or is it more likely that Little knew, even as he was going to the hill, that he would leave Martinez in the game, that pitching coach Dave Wallace and bench coach Jerry Narron and catcher Jason Varitek had not given him any reason to do otherwise? Varitek, when asked if he expected Martinez to come out for the eighth, said, “No question.”

Call me a Little apologist. That’s still kinder than the incredible array of names being hurled at a man who managed for 16 years in the minor leagues and two seasons in the toughest big-league environment there is, and apparently still knows less about the game than everyone managing from the comfort of their living rooms or their seats in the press box.

In this rush to judgment to banish Little, shouldn’t someone make the case that Little just might have had something to do with the fact that the Sox even made it to Game 7 of the ALCS, that the Sox and Yankees played 26 times and it took extra innings in the 26th game to determine which team was better, and that winning manager Joe Torre, who has four Series rings, ranked outlasting Little’s Sox the greatest achievement of his career, even more than winning it all?

Apparently, all those comeback wins the Sox had this season, all the times they picked themselves up when things looked their darkest, all those times this club didn’t lose faith in itself — even when it was down, two games to none, to Oakland — Little had nothing to do with that. But lose Game 7, and that all falls on Little’s head. He’s Gump, he’s The Idiot, he’s the guy who choked when the spotlight was most intense.

Will management bring Little back? Dan Shaughnessy reports today that:

A reflective Larry Lucchino said yesterday that the Red Sox will have no word about the future of manager Grady Little until after the World Series is over.
“We don’t have any decision to announce,” said the Sox CEO from his home in Boston. “We’re going to take some time this week to review the season. Tom [Werner], John [Henry], Theo [Epstein], and I will talk. That’s all that’s appropriate to say now.

Part of the reason for the delay is the request of commissioner Bud Selig that teams refrain from making major announcements during the World Series. “Having just had issues with Major League Baseball last week [the Sunday night `Three Amigos’ press conference at Fenway], we want to be mindful of baseball regulations,” said Lucchino.

…”After that loss I vowed not to watch the World Series or eat solid food until the World Series was over,” he said. “I have broken both vows. But I can report that every restaurant in Boston was jammed Saturday night. Everyone in town went out. I’ve started to take food orally again. I’m on the road to recovery.

“Before Game 7, I braced myself for triumph or disaster. But it’s become a little more painful as I get a better sense of how unbelievably close we came. I’ve lived with other disappointments in my life and I’ll live with this, too. With a little heartache. The weather outside now feels like the depths of fall, a metaphor for the baseball season — cold and over for us.”

In the long, dark days since the loss, he has heard the voices of an angry Nation.

“Everyone is at their computer e-mailing me and John. It’s inspiring that people feel so strongly about Red Sox issues, and yes, many have offered their opinion on managerial matters and I know the talk shows are having a field day.”

The Red Sox have a host of decisions to make this winter. After next season is over, Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez, Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe will all be free agents. Boston faces some painfully difficult choices, but fortunately they have a bright, and fearless young GM in Theo Epstein. Their ownership is progressive and has plenty of money. It could be worse.

It may be a harsh winter for Red Sox Nation, but come spring, their hope will spring eternal yet again.

Jon Weisman has a good post regarding the health of Shawn Green, the L.A. Dodgers’ terrific right fielder, who is the best Jewish ballplayer since Sandy Koufax. Green played hurt during the 2003 season and last week he had surgery to repair his left ailing shoulder. But according to Will Carroll, Green—who I used to call “The Jewish Jeter” when he played in Toronto—might not ever return to his old form.

Andy Pettitte pitched another huge game for the Yankees last night, and was an Aaron Boone error away from hurling a complete-game shut out. He would have to settle for a 6-1 victory—Jose Contreras relieved Pettitte for the final out—as the Yankees tied the Serious at a game apiece.

The Yankees have lost the first game of each playoff round this season, and for the third time, Pettitte has won Game Two (It was the 11th straight win Pettitte has earned after a Yankee loss). Pettitte threw a lot of pitches in the first inning against the Marlins last night, but ended the frame by striking out Ivan Rodriguez looking; Luis Castillo, who got a late jump off of first, was thrown out at second to complete the double play.

After that, Pettitte settled down. His cutter was nasty, and the Marlins hitters didn’t stand much of a chance. Florida put the lead-off runner on base for five innings in a row (the 4th through the 8th) but couldn’t capitalize. Pettitte was helped by a bit of good fortune as well:

With one on and nobody out, Miguel Cabrera hit a ball that appeared to carom off the batter’s left leg and into fair territory. The Yankees turned an easy double play since neither Marlin tried to run. Then Derrek Lee lined out on a rocket to right and it was on to the eighth for Pettitte.

The Yankees got on the board early when Godziller Matsui bashed a 3-0 pitch from Mark Redman over the center field fence in the first inning for a three-run homer. According to Mike Lupica in the Daily News:

“We need a dinger tonight,” Reggie Jackson said at the batting cage. “And we need one early.”

Matsui made a Reggie swing in the first. Got himself a Reggie dinger. He only hit 16 home runs during the regular season, but showed from the start that he was the kind of pro who fit right in with Pettitte and Jeter and Posada and Williams, old-school Yankees who have been here the longest.

You know he would have gotten along just fine with Tino and Brosius and O’Neill. He turned out to have an awful lot of O’Neill in him, which means more line drives than long balls. But he hit a big home run early in Game 3 against the Twins, and he hit that bomb last night.

“A good situational hitter,” Torre said.

Nick Johnson–who had three hits on the night—bunted for a single in the second and Juan Rivera drove him in with a double. Redman didn’t last much longer, and Alfonso Soriano—who has slumped terribly in the postseason—added a two-run blast off Rick Helling to give the Bombers all the offense they would need.

Soriano has been showered with boos of late, and his home run came just in the nick of time. Unfortunately for Nick Johnson, he broke out of his slump just in time to find a seat on the bench in Florida. Jason Giambi, who has not played in the field since the playoffs began, will play first when the Serious moves south, and Johnson will come off the bench. It would be hard to bench Giambi, no matter how ineffective he’s been, but I wonder if his glove will cost the Yankees. If it does in Game 3, and he doesn’t hit either, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Johnson back out there again.

The Marlins got the split they were looking for in New York, and return home with their cocky, young ace going in Game 3. Mike Mussina will face off against Mr. Beckett, and the Florida crowd—which is sure to be populated with Yankee fans—promises to be more enthusiastic than the Stadium crowd has been through two games. Maybe then, Mike Vaccaro, and the rest of the country will wake up and enjoy a riveting Serious.

The Yankees ran into familiar problems in Game One of the World Serious tonight–namely, the inability to hit with runners in scoring position, and field the ball properly–as they fell to the Marlins, before an unusually subdued crowd at the Stadium, 3-2. Brad Penny was decent, but far from imposing. However, the Yankees were unable to take advantage and it cost them. Meanwhile, Boomer Wells was effective, but not brilliant, but the Marlins were able to get just enough for the win. Nick Johnson, Jason Giambi and Alfonso Soriano all had long nights offensively for the Yankees.

Florida manufactured a run in the first inning (sac fly by Pudge Rodriguez), and Derek Jeter singled home a run in the third to tie the game. But with runners on first and third and two men out, Rodriguez picked Nick Johnson off of third base on a timing play to end the frame.

In the fifth, David Wells walked Jeff Conine to start the inning and then allowed a single to Juan Encarnacion. After the runners were sacrificed to second and third, Juan Pierre shot a single past Derek Jeter into left. Hideki Matsui fielded the ball cleanly and made an accurate throw toward home. But third baseman Aaron Boone, inexplicably cut the ball off and chose to throw to first. Whether or not Matsui’s throw was strong enough to get the runner at the plate, it certainly was on target, and Encarnacion was still half way up the third base line. Boone could have cut the throw and gone home in time to get the runner. But he didn’t and the second—and winning—run scored.

Bernie Williams connected for a solo home run off of Brad Penny in the sixth to close the gap to 3-2, but then Dontrelle Willis, the Marlins’ side-arming southpaw, came in and shut the Yankees down. The Yankees did reach Willis for consecutive singles in the eighth (Williams’ second hit of the night, Matsui’s third), but Ugie Urbina struck Jorge Posada out to end the inning. Urbina kept Posada off balance by throwing him change-ups and he was helped by a generous strike call by the home plate ump on an inside fastball as well.

In the ninth, Urbina walked Jason Giambi—who struggled once again, missing fastballs he usually crunches during the course of the game–to start the frame. Dave Dellucci came in to run for Giambi, and Aaron Boone failed to get the sacrifice bunt down. With the count 1-1, Dellucci was running and Boone popped to right for the first out. Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Juan Rivera–who had replaced Karim Garcia earlier in the game—and drew a full count walk. Alfonso Soriano followed and managed to work the count full only to look at a called third strike for the second out. Next, Urbina fell behind Nick Johnson 2-0 but got him to pop out to center field to end the game.

It was a critical win for the visiting Marlins, and a frustrating loss for the Yankees. If the Yankees think they can survive on late inning theatrics alone, they are in for a rude awakening. Florida nickel and dimed a win tonight while the Yankees went 1-12 with runners in scoring position. The Bombers had their chances but could not capitalize on them and now they quickly trail 1-0.

The Yankees lost the first game of against the Twins and the Red Sox too, so there is no reason to panic. But tonight’s loss was discouraging because it seemed so preventable.

The World Serious begins tonight in the Bronx. Boomer Wells starts for the Yankees, and Brad Penny goes for the Marlins. It is distinctly colder tonight than it was for Game 6 or Game 7 of the ALCS, but that shouldn’t bother either pitcher, who both look like they work in the meat packing district. (Where’s the beef, baby?) Quite frankly, I still can’t believe that the Yankees are playing. Somehow I will manage to come around sometime around 8:15 tonight.

Buster Olney delineates ten crucial match ups over at ESPN, and Rich Lederer of Rich’s Weekend Baseball BEAT has an indepth preview of the Serious that is well worth perusing. The Young Lions, Aaron Gleeman and Larry Mahnken offers their thoughts as well, and are on point as usual.

The Yankees-Marlins are the last two teams that MLB or the people at Fox wanted to see in the Serious. Hopefully, the two teams will provide a fitting conclusion to what has been one of the great postseasons in recent memory.

Oh, and for any of you Yankee fans out there who want to contribute any posts about the Serious or the Bombers in general, head over to the new blog, New-York-Yankees and type to your heart’s content.

By the time I left work yesterday afternoon, my stomach was cramping, and I felt faint. How was I going to make it through another agonizing Yankee-Red Sox game? I immediately felt better as I walked through midtown. There is nothing as theraputic as walking the city streets. It helps you feel like part of the fabric of the town. All those people, all those different stories. How big were my problems? Compared with some of the nutjobs out there, minor to say the least.

I met up with an old friend of mine and we had a nice chat. I told him how stressed I was over the game, and how I couldn’t think about anything else. So he asked me if I actually enjoy watching games anymore. Hey, I think I’m much better than I’ve ever been, but the truth was, “No.” I haven’t enjoying it much at all. I’m doing what any red blooded fan does: I’m suffering.

“Damn, that’s a real shame,” he tells me. “What a bummer that you would put so much passion and energy into something that you don’t even enjoy.”

That hit me between the eyes. He’s right. What the hell am I doing to myself? This is Yankees-Red Sox, Game 7. I need to derive pleasure from this event regardless of the outcome, otherwise what’s the point? (Sometimes all you need is a good friend to help you cope, and in case of emergency, my man Steven is as good as they come.)

When we finished having coffee, I headed back over to the west side. It was just past seven, and I knew it would take me roughly an hour to get back uptown, just in time for the first inning. It was dark already, and it was briskbut not cold in New York. There there was bumper-to-bumper traffic on 42nd street. I was between 5th and 6th avenues, and I made my way down the north side of the street, when I heard the sound of a familiar piece of music blaring from somewhere.

I removed my headphones to find out where it was coming from. It was an opera. I don’t know much about opera, but I knew this music, from commercials or the movies, I don’t know. I looked to my left, at the traffic as it crawled along, and found the culprit: a burly-looking Hells Angel type, straight out of central casting, was riding a motorcyle which had a side car. He was John Belushi back from the dead, and my man was blasting Pavoratti singing from the opera “Turandot.” Dude had thick googles and was chomping on a cigar to boot.

Talk about style. Talk about a New York moment. It was perfect.

That put me in a great frame of mind to watch Game 7. When the Yankees fell behind 2-0 on Trot Nixon’s homer, and then 3-0 on Enrique Wilson’s error, I just laughed it off. Emily was home, and I was determined to go down enjoying this one, even if the Yankees took a beating. When the score reached 4-0 I was on the phone with my cousin talking about what a great year it had been for the Yanks and how impressive Boston had been. I pulled out my phone book and prepared to make phone calls to Ed Cossette, Scott Adams and my pal Johnny Red Sox after the last out was made.

Needless to say, Emily’s faith never waivered. I spent most of the night happily chiding the Yankee hitters. “Way to go Soriano, make him earn it.” (I specialize in what Jay Jaffe calls, “The Power of Negative Reinforcement.”) Of course, the Bombers slowly crawled back in the game. I didn’t allow myself to get too excited until Posada’s bloop double tied the game in the eighth. But then I was ready to go, pacing and praying, and clapping loudly. Emily’s faith took some dips here and there as the pressure eventually got to her as well.

She was exhausted by the time the game reached extra innings and she was actually warshing up in the bathroom when Boone ended it in the 11th. I started yelling like a madman, throwing things around. She came racing out and I picked her up and twirled her around. Quite frankly, I can’t remember what else happened. I know I was screaming. The phone rang, and I kept screaming; I got call-waiting and didn’t stop yelling even for an instant.

Then the post-game barrage began, so I shut up. It took a couple of hours to finall calm down and I finally fell asleep at around 2:30. I can safely say that last night was one of the greatest baseball nights of my life. I’m glad I got to watch it with my girl, who has been my steady, baseball pal all year long.

The Red Sox were amazing, but came up just short. I have the feeling that if both teams played today, the Sox would win, and then it would be the Yankees turn again tomorrow. I wasn’t upset for Boston, but I did feel for some of the Red Sox fans that I’ve met this year–guys like Ben Jacobs and of course, Edward Cossette.

I think Pedro Martinez did a lot of make up for his loss of composure in Game 3. He pitched admirably, and then faced the media like a stand-up guy after the game. I’m curious to see how the Boston players react to both Martinez and Manny in the following weeks. This should be another active off-season for the Red Sox, and I don’t think anyone is safe. But I do believe that Boston will continue to improve, and be be a force in the American League for years to come.

But for one more night, and one more year, the Yankees were that much better.

I’m still speechless. I’m working on just under four hours of sleep and am still reeling from the Yankees thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Red Sox. I am not coherent enough to write a game-story yet, so why don’t you head over to the professionals:

1. TylerKepner, Jack Curry, and George Vecsey in the Times.

2. Gordon Edes, Bob Ryan, Dan Shaughnessey, Jackie MacMullan, and Michael Holley in the Boston Globe.

3. Joel Sherman in the Post.

4. John Harper and Mike Lupica in the Daily News.

5. Jim Caple at ESPN.

6. David Pinto at Baseball Musings.
7. Larry Mahnken at the Replacement Level Yankees weblog.

8. Edward Cossette at Bambino’s Curse.

9. Aaron Gleeman over his page.

10. And Tom Boswell in The Washington Post.

Everyone agrees: Boston manager Grady Little cost his team a trip to the World Serious. Boswell writes:

For years, Red Sox fans will have the same bitter thought: “Will somebody please pass the dynamite? Put it under poor Grady. Light the shortest fuse you can find. Please, blow that man out of his seat and send him to the mound to get a new pitcher.”

Enjoy the recaps Yankee fans. I’ll be back later when I can collect myself.

Whoa, baby. Can you believe that motherfuggin shit? My voice is shot, my heart is soaring. The Yankees are going back to the World Serious. Details in the morning.

Here is the latest on Game 7 from Sports Illustrated’s top baseball writer, Tom Verducci:

The lingering image [of the ALCS] has been the meltdown of Martinez. I’ve always considered him a gamer. Give me one game to win and the pick of any pitcher to start it, and I’ve always said Martinez would be my man. I’m not so sure now (especially given the arrival of Mark Prior). I’d like to see Pedro get one more shot, even if it means losing with honor. He’s better than he showed in Game 3. A better pitcher. A better man.

So bring on Game 7. Yankee Stadium has hosted 144 postseason games, but only four Game 7s — and none since Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves beat New York 5-0 way back in 1957. The Yankees are 5-7 in Game 7s (excluding those in best-of-nine series).

Boston has its own Game 7 goblins. The franchise is 1-4 in such contests (again, excluding those in nine-game series). And who has the only Game 7 win in Red Sox history? That would be Clemens, who beat the Angels 8-1 in the deciding game of the 1986 ALCS. So bring it on, Rocket vs. Pedro one last time. Winner take all.

I’d wish everyone–Sox fans and Yankee fans alike–to enjoy the game tonight, but I fear “joy” won’t be part of the equation. Unless your team happens to win of course. Then I think “joy” would be an understatement for what you’ll feel. Either way, it’s going to be the start of a long, cold winter for the losing side. Feel free to leave your thoughts, rantings, and ravings in the comments section below during the remainder of the day and throughout the game.

See you in the a.m. with the A.L. winner.

Yesterday morning, something unexpected happened: a neighbor’s tree fell on Samuel Plummer’s car. It smashed the car and did considerable damage to Sam and Vera’s roof as well. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Last night, something very expected happened: the Cubs lost Game Seven of the NLCS, 9-6. I received an e-mail from Sam this morning:

If God had wanted the Cubs to win, he would have sent a nice breeze blowing from home plate to right center field, and we would have a half dozen more runs. God chose instead to send a mighty wind to Croton on Hudson so as to blow a fairly large maple tree over onto my house and car. (No kidding.) So it goes.

Congrats to the Marlins for sure. But I also want to express my sympathies for Cubs fans everywhere (Ruz, and Will this means you), especially Steve Bartman, the poor zhlub who is the most wanted man in Chicago this morning. I sincerely hope that nobody does anything crazy, and that the man doesn’t get hurt. Believe me, he must feel terrible enough as it is.

The Red Sox powerful offense finally reared it’s ugly head at the Stadium yesterday and refused to let Boston’s season end. In a see-saw affair, the Sox charged back after trailing 6-4 at the start the seventh inning, and beat the Yankees, 9-6. New York’s bullpen was exposed–Jose Contreras blew the lead–while Boston’s bullpen was stellar once again. Nomar Garciaparra had four of Boston’s sixteen hits. Jason Varitek started it off for the Sox with an upper deck blast to left off of Andy Pettitte, and Trot Nixon put the nail in the coffin with an upper deck bomb off of Gabe White. I’m not sure either ball has landed yet.

Winds were swirling wildly in the Bronx, as fly balls became adventures for the outfielders. John Burkett was good for three innings and then the Yankees chased him with four runs in the fourth. That put them one up on the Sox who had scored four off of “the bad Andy” Pettitte in the third. Jason Giambi hit a solo homer off Burkett in the first, but was awful for the rest of the afternoon, failing to produce three seperate times with runners on, and striking out three times as well.

So it all comes down to Game 7: Ultimate Yankees-Sox. Pedro vs. Clemens. This is what everybody wants, right? Well, we’ve got it. The Yankees took the season series from Boston, ten to nine and now they are all tied at three. Believe it. It makes sense that if the Sox are finally to shrug the Bombers off their backs it comes down to a winner-take-all game, and vice versa.

My girlfriend Emily thinks that Pedro will get beat tonight because he put such bad karma out into the universe in Game Three. I wish I could share her feelings. But I think that Martinez pitches better when he’s got a chip on his shoulder and with Yankee Stadium giving him the business tonight, I fear he’ll use it to his advantage, no matter how much he’s got left in the tank.

It is considerably colder in New York today than it was yesterday. The wind is still whipping around. This could very well be the final start of Roger Clemens’ career. It could be the biggest win of the year for the Yankees, or one of the biggest wins in Boston history for the Red Sox.

I’ll be hiding behind the couch with two hands over my eyes.

The Marlins stunning come-from-behind victory against the Cubbies at Wrigley last night will go down as one of the most memorable collapses in baseball history. If the Cubs

Boomer Wells gave the Yankees seven innings of one-run ball, while New York’s bats were able to squeeze just enough out of Derek Lowe to give the Bombers a 3-2 Serious lead. Mariano Rivera pitched two innings again for the save. This time the Sox were able to touch him for a run, but it wasn’t enough, and the Yankees held on for a 4-2 win.

The Yankees have a chance to advance to the World Serious with a victory today at the Stadium. Andy Pettitte will face John-“working-on-the-knuckleball”-Burkett, and everybody else on the Boston staff late this afternoon in the Bronx. Again, I’ve said this all season: the Sox have been terrific at coming back after a tough loss. I don’t see why today should be any different, despite the lop-sided pitching match-up:

“Anyone who thinks we’re done doesn’t know us very well at all,” general manager Theo Epstein said after the Yankees pushed his Sox to the brink with a 4-2 crusher before 34,619 at Fenway Park. “We’ve been in spots similar to this before and got the job done.”

Wells kept the Red Sox hitters off balance all day long. He came up with crucial outs in the 3rd and 5th innings. In the 3rd, he struck out Nomar Garciaparra with two men on base, and in the 5th, he induced Manny Ramirez—who accounted for the first Boston run with a solo homer—to ground out weakly to third.

Wells was also helped by the much-maligned up-the-middle-defense. Alfonso Soriano made a nifty pick and shuffle pass to Jeter in the fifth, and Jeter himself made a nice stab to his left in the seventh (and was saved by an alert play by first baseman Nick Johnson), as well as an over-the-shoulder catch to end the game.

Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees are hitting, but the pitching advantage—with the exception of one Tim Wakefield—has gone to New York thus far.

Karim Garcia was a late addition to the Yankees line-up, and he came through with a big, two-out, two-run single in the Yankees second inning, much to the dismay of the Fenway Faithful.