Man, he was soooo close to getting tagged out by Feliz, like only a couple feet away at the start. I had no clue what was going on until after it happened. Kind of like Jeter's flip-play.
That play was an all-timer. As angry/embarrassing as it was to watch Ellsbury steal home against Pettitte, this was the opposite, magnified 10x and twice as beautiful. Just a quick double-punch to Philly’s gut.
“I’m taking second base”
POW…
“And guess what? I’m taking third too”
POW!
I didn't want Damon. I could never forgive him for what he did to us, especially those of us sitting high in the upper deck behind home plate for Game 7 of you know which series. He plunged a spike into our chests and I was supposed to embrace him?
Of course I've long gotten over those hard feelings. I learned to like, even love Damon years ago. He grew on me. I didn't take it personally anymore. I understood it was just business, and I've always admired how he goes about his business.
But I have to admit, in every postseason since Damon came here, I've been waiting for him to drive a dagger into the heart of another city: Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Anaheim.
Last night was the moment I've been waiting for, his Game 7 grand slam moment . He brought Philadelphia to its knees. The opponent is still alive, but does not look long for this world. Johnny the Slayer has struck again. Thank God he's on our side. Now, let's phinish 'em, Johnny!
Not knowing what was happening at third (or not happening) is one of the downsides to watching on TV. I thought Johnny had been duped into thinking the throw had gone into center. But it was Johnny who fooled us all, Phillies included. Fucking sweet. Historically sweet.
6) Funny, but had we been at the game, with decent seats, up in the upper deck even, we would have seen the whole thing unfold seconds before it did I'm sure.
Michael Kay always used to talk about the possibiitiy of going straight to 3rd after a steal of 2nd back when the "Giambi Shift" was employed. It was cool that it finally happened, in the World Series no less. : D
[7] if Damon had pulled that stunt at the Stadium who knows what would have happned next. Despite the Stadium's reputation as a dead zone, I imagine the place would have gotten so loud, and rowdy that Manuel might have decided to give Lidge the hook right there. The Bronx noise might have caused Manuel to react. Because it happened in their house I think the Phillies and their fans were so stunned, silent and shaken they didn't know what to do next., or they at least thought Lidge could compose himself and get through the inning.
this last line has to be my favorite line - courtesy stark:
"But Johnny Damon didn't just pull off this amazing November magic trick with his legs. He couldn't have done it without his bat. And he couldn't have done it without his always-churning brain cells. "
[2][4] yep - from a yankee perspective this play went from "oh my god what is this fucking fool doing" to "oh my god this was an incredibly heady, athletic and above all amazing play"
I finally love Damon. Great ballplayer. Met his brother at a game a few years ago. Looks just like him and nice as hell too.
I say: Why not sign both? Give both Damon and Matsui incentive-laden deals with mutual options for beyond. The Yanks could give them something like a $7-8 million plus plate appearance clauses that could bring it to $12 million. I can't honestly think they would choose more money at this point in their careers. Just pitch them on going one-year at a time. If the Sox could do it with Wakefield, the Yankees can't do it in a buyer's market for OFs?
If they both sign, that would be the prefect chance to mix in A-Jax and Jesus as injuries and slumps require. And for $14 to 20 million? That's peanuts and they might actually see Damon and Matsui continue to defy Father Time if their playing time is managed well. A-Jax and Jesus give them those opportunities.
Sure, the same AAV could get Holliday. But he's still only one player and another righty bat. Instead let's see if they can squeeze almost full seasons from them and break in the kids as necessary.
OK, for some idle chatter, who's people's favorite for WS MVP? I'm thinking A-rod, but I can't find a composite box score for this WS. Maybe Jeter? CC's pitched fairly well, but has a loss & a ND. AJ if the Yankees win tonight?
[14] If AJ is dominating tonight and wins, there will be calls for him, and rightfully so. If A-Rod has another big hit and the Yanks win, he may end up with it.
But I think if Mo gets the save again, its all his.
[14] A-Rod's got two big hits, but those are his only two hits.
AJ is certainly in the running if he pitches them to victory probably with Jeter. But honestly, I go with Mo (3.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 saves) especially if he closes.
[15] Isn't Jeter batting over .400 for the series? If AJ beats Lee, then he probably gets it. If it goes six and Jeter keeps his average above .350, he probably gets it.
You could argue Jeter is your MVP. Highest BA (.412), OBP (.444) on either team and highest OPS (.974) on the yankees, out of those with 10 or more at bats in this series. He has also has made one of the biggest gaffs (bunting w/ 2 strikes) but he's doing his job consistently by getting hits and getting on base, while the rest of the team has mostly been quiet at the plate, save for a few key hits here and there.
re: Johnny - i don't know why you're all surprised. i mean, i knew what was gonna happen, before it even unfolded. and, no, it's not 'coz i'm "nostralarmis", or anything, it's because...wait for it...
baseball is predictable!
HA! jus' kiddin' ; )
yeah, like most of you, i was freaking out, like "what the fuck is this moron thinking?! what in the hell are you doing, johnny?!" i was ready to rip the hair outta my head, and that would be a lot of ripping! i couldn't imagined he was deked by feliz, who did nothing to pretend the throw sailed into center. the shift didn't even register with me and neither did feliz taking the throw. totally HEADS UP play by Johnny!
he should get ALL the credit in the world, but Lidge should also get a lot more criticism for not covering 3rd. isn't that his job, at that point? is it possibly Ruiz's? i think it's the pitcher. Mauer woulda been at 3rd...
[14] Um, they have only won three games. Do you not remember 2004? With Cliff Lee pitching tonight, there's a very good chance this series is going back to NY -- and then, who knows? We still have a ways to go before we start debating MVPs.
boy i know that we all know this already, but francesa truly is an idiot. it's fine to argue that gaudin should start tonight, and we've been having a good back and forth on it all day. but his reason for picking gaudin tonight is that apparently the only way the yankees win tonight is if we really tattoo lee, and then, according to him, it doesn't matter who is pitching against him. apparently there's no chance that lee only gives up a few runs, so there's no reason to use a good starter who might win a low scoring game.
[32] wow, but to be fair to Francesa a lot of us are losing our minds a little bit. I'm so punchy at this point I could relate to almost any nutty suggestion, or wacked out analysis.
Start Mo in Game 5, ask Matsui to catch, and have Swisher give everybody hair cuts? Sure, I can see where you're going with that.
[40] I just spent 30 seconds thinking about the outcomes - Hairston Jr at 2B, Gardner in CF, no backup IF . . . and thus I have arrived at the conclusion: nope. Not enough. Does too much damage to the team.
He would have to set Cliff Lee on fire without getting himself removed from the game.
[27][29] For the record, I qualified all my statements in [15], and I note that rbj's original post of [14] said "favorite" and qualified his thought on AJ with "if". As anyone who bets on football will tell you, a favorite is not a guarantee. So no worries!
[38] I could definitley see CC having the patience and precision to give a sharp haircut -- but something tells me Swisher wandered off campus, and got his cut elsewhere -- and it came with a Scooby Doo tattoo that few people aside from his doctors will ever see.
As far as MVP goes: Offense:
............AB R RBI
Matsui: 8 2 2 .500 .556 1.250 1.806
Swish:: 9 3 1 .222 .364 0.667 1.030
Jeter: 17 3 1 .412 .444 0.529 0.974
Pitching:
2 of Mo's saves were with 3 runs.
AJ with a 1.29 ERA
I think they should have Gaudin pitch tonight. Then they would have a fully rested AJ for Game 6 and a fully rested CC for game 7 if necessary.
What happened to Aceves? He has been MIA for most of the postseason, and I thought he was a pretty good arm in the pen throughout the season. I was surprised that Girardi kept running Hughes out in spots that Ace could have handled.
Excellent play by Damon, and I remember Jeter getting hurt in Toronto on a similar play during a shift when the catcher and he met at 3rd at the same time.
Speaking of idle chatter... Rumors:
.... The Red Sox may offer a four-year, $60 million deal to Jason Bay. Are the Giants also interested?
I would guess this is 4 years? Would you guys take Bay for 4/$60?
...Johnny Damon could be a perfect fit for the White Sox if the Yankees fail to bring him back..
I love JD, but I would take him for ONLY ONE year max!
....Hideki Matsui has not played in the field for a year and a half. Could that change tonight in Philadelphia?
I love Matsui, but I would take him for ONLY ONE year max!
I can imagine the Yanks signing up Damon for one more year, but Matsui is not going to be re-signed. They have too many guys signed to long term deals who need to DH now and then to stay fresh, and unfortunately Hideki's legs are not going to allow him to play the field.
They have to bring up Ajax soon. Next year might be the time. The Yanks need to infuse a little more youth into the roster. Either that or go after Holliday or Bay (Whichever guy screws up Boston's plan more).
[54] I agree. As much as I hate to see them go, we have (at least) 2 more years of older ARod, Jeter and Posada to DH, so we must let BOTH Matsui and JD go. That's $26m for an impact OFer (I prefer Holliday, better defense then Bay) with plenty of change left over. Our weak spot will be CF again, but if that's our worst, we are in good shape. I would re-sign Hinske, and work him at 3rd base. Promote Pena or resign JHJr (which ever looks to be the better player).
If we play on building another dynasty, we must NOT sign older/expensive players. We have big bucks tied up already.
We have a great team now. We still have kids that might help the BP. Hopefully both Joba and Phil are starters. We don't need much, just one impact bat to replace JD (and Matsui). If Wang is done, depending on Andy, we might need a #3/#4 starter.
JD said he wants to play for 3 more years. While he wants to stay with the Yankees, he would be crazy not to use his excellent 2009 to get a 3 yr deal. If he takes a 1 year deal with us, and has a bad year or gets hurt, he will really have blown his future.
From Lohud: UPDATE, 5:23 p.m.: Chad reports that the Yankees will hear from MLB about their roster move (for Melky) at 6 p.m. Obviously we’ll keep you updated.
I can't imagine a 3 year deal with another club is going to bring Johnny a lot of cash. He might even make more with the Yanks on a 1 year deal. They tend to overspend! He is certainly a great hitter to have at home with the short porch. Damon could also be a guy that can help to tutor Ajax.
While I love Melky and Gardner, they are long term solutions in the outfield.
We will need another starter unless Hughes or Joba steps into the starter role, and if Pettite is not coming back we need 2 starteres. I think both of those guys (Phil and Joba) heads are a bit out of synch due to inning limits and not having set roles. But it beats being in the minors and riding buses!
By the way, Jeter did actually attempt the steal of second and third during the Giambi shift days. It was during the opening series in Toronto a few years ago, and he ended up with a separated shoulder when the catcher dove into him to make the tag. (Out or safe was immediately irrelevant, so I don't remember now how the play turned out.) I was suprised that Michael Kay didn't mention it last night, but Jeter did.
Man, he was soooo close to getting tagged out by Feliz, like only a couple feet away at the start. I had no clue what was going on until after it happened. Kind of like Jeter's flip-play.
Such Aura. And Mystique. And Momentum.
That play was an all-timer. As angry/embarrassing as it was to watch Ellsbury steal home against Pettitte, this was the opposite, magnified 10x and twice as beautiful. Just a quick double-punch to Philly’s gut.
“I’m taking second base”
POW…
“And guess what? I’m taking third too”
POW!
i keep replaying this play in my head all day. It really was such a damned good play. It gives you that awe inspiring feeling.
I didn't want Damon. I could never forgive him for what he did to us, especially those of us sitting high in the upper deck behind home plate for Game 7 of you know which series. He plunged a spike into our chests and I was supposed to embrace him?
Of course I've long gotten over those hard feelings. I learned to like, even love Damon years ago. He grew on me. I didn't take it personally anymore. I understood it was just business, and I've always admired how he goes about his business.
But I have to admit, in every postseason since Damon came here, I've been waiting for him to drive a dagger into the heart of another city: Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Anaheim.
Last night was the moment I've been waiting for, his Game 7 grand slam moment . He brought Philadelphia to its knees. The opponent is still alive, but does not look long for this world. Johnny the Slayer has struck again. Thank God he's on our side. Now, let's phinish 'em, Johnny!
I know, I'm still savoring it too.
I wonder who will do something great tonight?
Not knowing what was happening at third (or not happening) is one of the downsides to watching on TV. I thought Johnny had been duped into thinking the throw had gone into center. But it was Johnny who fooled us all, Phillies included. Fucking sweet. Historically sweet.
6) Funny, but had we been at the game, with decent seats, up in the upper deck even, we would have seen the whole thing unfold seconds before it did I'm sure.
Michael Kay always used to talk about the possibiitiy of going straight to 3rd after a steal of 2nd back when the "Giambi Shift" was employed. It was cool that it finally happened, in the World Series no less. : D
As far as I can recall, this may be the best base stealing WS play since Jackie Robinson stole home (although Yogi still says he was out).
[7] if Damon had pulled that stunt at the Stadium who knows what would have happned next. Despite the Stadium's reputation as a dead zone, I imagine the place would have gotten so loud, and rowdy that Manuel might have decided to give Lidge the hook right there. The Bronx noise might have caused Manuel to react. Because it happened in their house I think the Phillies and their fans were so stunned, silent and shaken they didn't know what to do next., or they at least thought Lidge could compose himself and get through the inning.
[4] My thoughts exactly, Sliced. Damon's bill has been due for a long time, but now its paid in full.
this last line has to be my favorite line - courtesy stark:
"But Johnny Damon didn't just pull off this amazing November magic trick with his legs. He couldn't have done it without his bat. And he couldn't have done it without his always-churning brain cells. "
[2][4] yep - from a yankee perspective this play went from "oh my god what is this fucking fool doing" to "oh my god this was an incredibly heady, athletic and above all amazing play"
I finally love Damon. Great ballplayer. Met his brother at a game a few years ago. Looks just like him and nice as hell too.
I say: Why not sign both? Give both Damon and Matsui incentive-laden deals with mutual options for beyond. The Yanks could give them something like a $7-8 million plus plate appearance clauses that could bring it to $12 million. I can't honestly think they would choose more money at this point in their careers. Just pitch them on going one-year at a time. If the Sox could do it with Wakefield, the Yankees can't do it in a buyer's market for OFs?
If they both sign, that would be the prefect chance to mix in A-Jax and Jesus as injuries and slumps require. And for $14 to 20 million? That's peanuts and they might actually see Damon and Matsui continue to defy Father Time if their playing time is managed well. A-Jax and Jesus give them those opportunities.
Sure, the same AAV could get Holliday. But he's still only one player and another righty bat. Instead let's see if they can squeeze almost full seasons from them and break in the kids as necessary.
OK, for some idle chatter, who's people's favorite for WS MVP? I'm thinking A-rod, but I can't find a composite box score for this WS. Maybe Jeter? CC's pitched fairly well, but has a loss & a ND. AJ if the Yankees win tonight?
[14] If AJ is dominating tonight and wins, there will be calls for him, and rightfully so. If A-Rod has another big hit and the Yanks win, he may end up with it.
But I think if Mo gets the save again, its all his.
[14] A-Rod's got two big hits, but those are his only two hits.
AJ is certainly in the running if he pitches them to victory probably with Jeter. But honestly, I go with Mo (3.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 saves) especially if he closes.
[15] Darn - beat me!
[15] Isn't Jeter batting over .400 for the series? If AJ beats Lee, then he probably gets it. If it goes six and Jeter keeps his average above .350, he probably gets it.
Dark horse: Mo.
You could argue Jeter is your MVP. Highest BA (.412), OBP (.444) on either team and highest OPS (.974) on the yankees, out of those with 10 or more at bats in this series. He has also has made one of the biggest gaffs (bunting w/ 2 strikes) but he's doing his job consistently by getting hits and getting on base, while the rest of the team has mostly been quiet at the plate, save for a few key hits here and there.
[18] et al - yes, aj if he beats lee; jeter; or mo
I dont like to guess about these things, but I hope the MVP is AJ, because we know what it would take for that to happen.
I also wouldn't mind witnessing the events that would earn Damon or ARod the MVP thing TONIGHT.
[21] Right. Worst case scenario, the MVP is Lee v. Utley. Yuck!
re: Johnny - i don't know why you're all surprised. i mean, i knew what was gonna happen, before it even unfolded. and, no, it's not 'coz i'm "nostralarmis", or anything, it's because...wait for it...
baseball is predictable!
HA! jus' kiddin' ; )
yeah, like most of you, i was freaking out, like "what the fuck is this moron thinking?! what in the hell are you doing, johnny?!" i was ready to rip the hair outta my head, and that would be a lot of ripping! i couldn't imagined he was deked by feliz, who did nothing to pretend the throw sailed into center. the shift didn't even register with me and neither did feliz taking the throw. totally HEADS UP play by Johnny!
he should get ALL the credit in the world, but Lidge should also get a lot more criticism for not covering 3rd. isn't that his job, at that point? is it possibly Ruiz's? i think it's the pitcher. Mauer woulda been at 3rd...
[24] i think jeter would have sprinted to 3rd as the throw goes to 2nd
[25] dude, Jeter woulda scored from 1st w/out Ruiz even making a throw! duh.
; )
[14] Um, they have only won three games. Do you not remember 2004? With Cliff Lee pitching tonight, there's a very good chance this series is going back to NY -- and then, who knows? We still have a ways to go before we start debating MVPs.
[27] just idle chatter and wishful thinking, ed. nobody's claiming victory, or jinxing anything.
[27] I agree. All this MVP talk is making me nervous.
[24] As soon as I saw Johnny wander of second I was screaming "he's gonna get tagged"
[25] [26] i was completely unclear. i meant that if the same situation happened against the yankees, jeter would have sprinted to cover 3rd base.
boy i know that we all know this already, but francesa truly is an idiot. it's fine to argue that gaudin should start tonight, and we've been having a good back and forth on it all day. but his reason for picking gaudin tonight is that apparently the only way the yankees win tonight is if we really tattoo lee, and then, according to him, it doesn't matter who is pitching against him. apparently there's no chance that lee only gives up a few runs, so there's no reason to use a good starter who might win a low scoring game.
[29] would it make you less nervous if we start discussing potential *MVC candidates?
*Most Valuable Centaur
[33] LOL.I prefer satyrs and nymphs myself.
I keep wondering if Cent-Rod had those paintings comissioned or they were a gift from an appreciative fling.
I feel better now.
Let Mo get another save 2 nite and it's his MVP (unless ARod pulls a Reggie)
[32] wow, but to be fair to Francesa a lot of us are losing our minds a little bit. I'm so punchy at this point I could relate to almost any nutty suggestion, or wacked out analysis.
Start Mo in Game 5, ask Matsui to catch, and have Swisher give everybody hair cuts? Sure, I can see where you're going with that.
[33] Neigh.
[36] speaking of haircuts - i believe i heard mk say that cc is the team's barber. i think he cut aj's hair - and if he did it is a damn good casear
I had to finally turn Francesa off, it was absolutely mind numbing.
What would Cano have to do to deserve the MVP? Spontaneously combust and catch Cliff Lee on fire, maybe?
[40] How about 3 grand slams tonight from Robbie.
[40] I just spent 30 seconds thinking about the outcomes - Hairston Jr at 2B, Gardner in CF, no backup IF . . . and thus I have arrived at the conclusion: nope. Not enough. Does too much damage to the team.
He would have to set Cliff Lee on fire without getting himself removed from the game.
[27] [29] For the record, I qualified all my statements in [15], and I note that rbj's original post of [14] said "favorite" and qualified his thought on AJ with "if". As anyone who bets on football will tell you, a favorite is not a guarantee. So no worries!
[38] I could definitley see CC having the patience and precision to give a sharp haircut -- but something tells me Swisher wandered off campus, and got his cut elsewhere -- and it came with a Scooby Doo tattoo that few people aside from his doctors will ever see.
Surely the Yankees are going to replace Melky on the roster...why have we not heard anything yet?
[44] I predict Guzman, as Matsui PH for the pitcher and Guzman then runs.
And don't call me Shirley.
When are they releasing today's lineup? Or have they?
[45] Yeah, I think we see a designated PR to replace Gardner. I still like my Peña plan, but so be it.
As far as MVP goes: Offense:
............AB R RBI
Matsui: 8 2 2 .500 .556 1.250 1.806
Swish:: 9 3 1 .222 .364 0.667 1.030
Jeter: 17 3 1 .412 .444 0.529 0.974
Pitching:
2 of Mo's saves were with 3 runs.
AJ with a 1.29 ERA
P.S. My favorite non-stat is RP (Runs Produced) = RS + RBI
JD with 6, ARod, Tex, Posada with 5, 3 guys listed above with 4
[49] Pettitte's 2 RP seem more like a 5.
I think they should have Gaudin pitch tonight. Then they would have a fully rested AJ for Game 6 and a fully rested CC for game 7 if necessary.
What happened to Aceves? He has been MIA for most of the postseason, and I thought he was a pretty good arm in the pen throughout the season. I was surprised that Girardi kept running Hughes out in spots that Ace could have handled.
Excellent play by Damon, and I remember Jeter getting hurt in Toronto on a similar play during a shift when the catcher and he met at 3rd at the same time.
Go Yanks!!! #27 is in reach!
Speaking of idle chatter... Rumors:
.... The Red Sox may offer a four-year, $60 million deal to Jason Bay. Are the Giants also interested?
I would guess this is 4 years? Would you guys take Bay for 4/$60?
...Johnny Damon could be a perfect fit for the White Sox if the Yankees fail to bring him back..
I love JD, but I would take him for ONLY ONE year max!
....Hideki Matsui has not played in the field for a year and a half. Could that change tonight in Philadelphia?
I love Matsui, but I would take him for ONLY ONE year max!
Thoughts? We got 3 hours to kill....
Mo or AJ for MVP (and we shall wrap it up tonight).
I can imagine the Yanks signing up Damon for one more year, but Matsui is not going to be re-signed. They have too many guys signed to long term deals who need to DH now and then to stay fresh, and unfortunately Hideki's legs are not going to allow him to play the field.
They have to bring up Ajax soon. Next year might be the time. The Yanks need to infuse a little more youth into the roster. Either that or go after Holliday or Bay (Whichever guy screws up Boston's plan more).
[54] I agree. As much as I hate to see them go, we have (at least) 2 more years of older ARod, Jeter and Posada to DH, so we must let BOTH Matsui and JD go. That's $26m for an impact OFer (I prefer Holliday, better defense then Bay) with plenty of change left over. Our weak spot will be CF again, but if that's our worst, we are in good shape. I would re-sign Hinske, and work him at 3rd base. Promote Pena or resign JHJr (which ever looks to be the better player).
If we play on building another dynasty, we must NOT sign older/expensive players. We have big bucks tied up already.
We have a great team now. We still have kids that might help the BP. Hopefully both Joba and Phil are starters. We don't need much, just one impact bat to replace JD (and Matsui). If Wang is done, depending on Andy, we might need a #3/#4 starter.
JD said he wants to play for 3 more years. While he wants to stay with the Yankees, he would be crazy not to use his excellent 2009 to get a 3 yr deal. If he takes a 1 year deal with us, and has a bad year or gets hurt, he will really have blown his future.
Christ... It gets late early now.
From Lohud: UPDATE, 5:23 p.m.: Chad reports that the Yankees will hear from MLB about their roster move (for Melky) at 6 p.m. Obviously we’ll keep you updated.
I can't imagine a 3 year deal with another club is going to bring Johnny a lot of cash. He might even make more with the Yanks on a 1 year deal. They tend to overspend! He is certainly a great hitter to have at home with the short porch. Damon could also be a guy that can help to tutor Ajax.
While I love Melky and Gardner, they are long term solutions in the outfield.
We will need another starter unless Hughes or Joba steps into the starter role, and if Pettite is not coming back we need 2 starteres. I think both of those guys (Phil and Joba) heads are a bit out of synch due to inning limits and not having set roles. But it beats being in the minors and riding buses!
Sorry! I meant to say: "While I love Melky and Gardner, they are NOT long term solutions in the outfield."
By the way, Jeter did actually attempt the steal of second and third during the Giambi shift days. It was during the opening series in Toronto a few years ago, and he ended up with a separated shoulder when the catcher dove into him to make the tag. (Out or safe was immediately irrelevant, so I don't remember now how the play turned out.) I was suprised that Michael Kay didn't mention it last night, but Jeter did.