The cold light of morning. Yes to those in the earlier thread (Emma's) about the whistling past the graveyard feel of those saying 'F Cliff Lee (till he's ours)!' In the Year of the Pitcher, as everyone says this is, good bats are being handled by really great pitchers.

Last night was as advertised, till the 6 late runs. My image is Swisher after a truly heroic at-bat, K-ing on the breaking pitch (the 10th?) way down - that a pitcher throws when he knows the batter knows he's never out of the zone. Swish's face was a story in itself.

I'm depressed because today feels, as Alex says, like another 'as advertised' game. Hunter is quite good, people don't seem to explode under playoff pressure against us all that much, do they? AJ hasn't been even ML since May, and men on base are going to go crazy tonight - I assume it is Cervelli with Posada DHing? That takes Berkman out.

I have not written off winning games 5 and 6 but I live in Mudville tonight.

Still, I'll join Alex again: Let's go Yan-kees.

So, I'm going to my first baseball playoff game ever tonight. Of course, it starts at 8 (not 7) due to TBS, and of course, the Wednesday 10 AM meeting I usually attend has been (for this week only), moved to 9 AM. I'm going to be a tired puppy tomorrow. Maybe AJ (or Hunter?) will give up 8 runs in 1st 2 innings to make it academic.

In the first 3 innings of each postseason game (18 innings now) the yanks have scored 2 runs (both coming in game 3 vs minny). it's hard to play from behind constantly.

if the yanks can get into things early in game 4, a lot of pressure goes on AJ to keep the rangers off the board.

[2] They both will, so you'll have to sit through an ugly slugfest -- game won't end until 1 a.m.

[3] "can" should "can't"

So the Yankees are trying to save their season with a man who may have been the worst pitcher in the American League this year, a man who couldn't effectively pitch a simulated game. On top of that, for reasons I don't fully understand, we're going to be dragging in the backup catcher, a man that said pitcher doesn't pitch well to either, and taking out a viable bat.

Its looks so awful that the Yankees almost have to win. The baseball gods would allow nothing else.

Its looks so awful that the Yankees almost have to win. The baseball gods would allow nothing else.

Amen.

New day. New game. Let's just support Burnett till it's time to boo the fuck outta him. And try to be optimistic. :)

Tomorrow, at 4pm, CC will be on the hill against Wilson in a 2-2 series. Yes yes yes. I don't fucking care how.

I am the "former" FreddySez, posting here under a new moniker because it just seemed creepy not to change it.

I'm with Alex all the way. Go Yanks, and let's unload three score trucks tonight (the ones from Saturday and Monday will show up late). Pre-destined narratives exist to be turned on their heads, so why not a three-hit CG from AJ? Why the eff not? Please.

All of that said:

If this thing goes all the way south, and a few other not-outlandish factors align, could we have seen Andy's last outing?

I hate to think of him waking up at 3 a.m. every night for the rest of his life, with that mistake to Hamilton flashing before his eyes in perpetual replay. Let's get him out there again.

[8] I don't know about Pettitte, but if Burnett completely implodes tonight, I'm not sure you can bring him back. It will be a Jeff Weaver situation where I don't think the fans would give him a chance to succeed, if he's even capable anymore. (I don't know if he'll be this bad again, but I strongly suspect the best days of AJ Burnett are well behind us)

There was a lot of talk about Cliff Lee being an unbeatable Superman. It went on and on and on. It became sickening. But it also happened to have been accurate.

So as much as I hate to say it, I believe the "you can predict baseball" trend will continue tonight, and Burnett will live up to his infamy.

(Let me add that if this were last year, or the Yanks hadn't won the WS last year, I wouldn't be quite as sanguine about the whole thing. In fact, I'd probably have hospitalized myself somehow by now.)

[9] True of course, but I have vastly different feelings about possibly seeing the last of Burnett in pinstripes and possibly seeing the last of Pettitte in any uniform, ever.

Question for anyone. After a game like last night, where it seemed like the only one who showed up was Andy, does (or did) anyone take charge and lay into the team with a post game "wake the fuck up" speech? Just curious because I, like 110% of you, wondered who the fuck that was on the field last night. Even fat ass Kruk called them "little leaguers" on Sportscenter.

I'd like to think someone would've stood up and say "Do you want to repeat as WS Champs, or just pack it in like a bunch of pussies and give up now?"

I'd like to stay optimistic and I DO believe in these guys. I just wish there'd be some fire in them. After all, we get AJ tonight.

Disagree on the Fate of AJ. I think he does implode, but that it is so expected, and so much a part of a messed-up 2010, whether health, head, both or alignment of celestial objects ... that it gets wiped mostly clean for spring. He'll need, whatever happens tonight, to get together with his coaches and do the proverbial 'figure it out' thing over the winter. Have to assume we get a strong starter off-season (again whatever happens), maybe Lee, maybe someone else. Pettitte LIKELY retires (teasing with it with more class than Favre, mind you) so Burnett is a #4, and we can live with mediocrity there, just not worst-in-league. Ignore the salary. Please.

As I said, I'm one of those who see this as playing out to script, but will deny that until I can't any more, come 8 PM.

[12] Nah, really, it gets old to 'blame' hitters when a guy who has annihilated everyone annihilates them. I have zero doubt there's fire and anger and commitment in those guys. Killer pitchers have made major leaguers look bad forever.

Oh and I apologize if it seemed like I was butting in. Besides baseball players, I'm one superstitious mofo. I check Banter every day and during the games (even when I can't see them), but I haven't posted since last years ALCS and WS...out of superstition. After last night, and holding my tongue again, I figure it doesn't matter anymore. If these guys win or lose, it won't be because I post or not.

And hello to all again after a long absence.

[14] Thanks, I know it does get old. These guys have been labeled "the professionals" and I suppose an ass chewing would not fit the mold. I really think Lee was beatable last night. I didn't see that dominance-we'll-never-get-a-hit-off-him thing last night (although it happened). At one point late in the game, he looked vulnerable, JMO of course. He's a badass, plain and simple. But after all the hype and fear, despite coming to fruition, "I" didn't seem scared about Lee. I really thought the bats would come through.

I think its time "Good AJ" just shows up outta nowhere and pitches his ass off, while the bats and score truck go into complete overdrive.

[13] The free agent pitching class after Lee is horrific. Its Lee or bust

[17] Actually, yeah, you're right Mattpat. Lee or trade?

Anyone else find it so weird to watch him and curse and also say 'maybe he's ours soon?' He's 32, has back issues, and HAS to get paid well in excess of, er, AJ. Oh, and he's also unholy good.

I do remember saying (may have said it here, but maybe not) that Texas might well have bought themselves a WS berth when they won out for him. I based it in part on their injuries ... and that was before Hamilton missed the last 2-3 weeks. Flipside, had Mariners taken Montero instead of Smoaky, we might be laughing now.

[12] I can't lay too much blame on the offense - Lee really was that good. I don't think Yankees or anyone else you care you nave would have had a chance last night the way he was pitching.

I have absolutely no basis for this whatsoever, but I really think AJ won't completely suck tonight. I'm not willing to say he'll be great, but I think he keeps the Yankees in the game and the offense shows up against not Cliff Lee. CC goes tomorrow and should be back on form to put the Yanks up 3-2 going back to Texas. I'm willing to take my chances with that, even if it means Lee again in game 7. He wasn't nearly as sharp in game 5 last year, I think we'll see that again.

[19] I agree with everything you said except for Lee. The Yanks have to win in 6 games just like the Mets in '86 had to do to avoid Mike Scott. Even if Lee is off, he's too much in the Yankees head that they'll just beat themselves if it comes to it.