Hmmm. My prediction for the Game 2 lineup:

Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jesus Montero DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Eduardo Nunez SS
Austin Romine C
Greg Golson LF

The joy of September: you can use an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LINEUP in Game 2........

So of course I am going to the first game where I have to suffer through Burnett rather than Nova. Oh Lord, why must you torment me?

Doesn't really matter if it's the Sox or the Rays. Either of them gets the Tiggers, and either one is going to lose to Verlander & Fister. Just want 'em to mess up Leyland's rotation so we face those guys less.

[1] I predict Montero behind the plate for game 2. Probably more because I think it _should_ happen, than I think it will happen. But it makes sense--native Spanish speaking pitcher with good control.

I can't see carrying Romine in the post-season. For back-up, which is like an understudy on Broadway, only if the star is deathly ill, we can do with Jesus and Jorge. Plus, we have 3 Spanish speaking starters.

I still don't like the crap-ass line up for game one. There are 3 automatic outs at the bottom of the order. WTF Joe? Let's try to win all these games ferchissakes.

Eh, one of those things in not like the others, Dickerson's perfectly cromulent against RHP.

I wonder if Girardi sat some guys in this game just because they were facing Wakefield and his knuckler and he didn't want to screw with their swings.

From LoHud:

According to ESPN Stats and Info: Montero is the fifth Yankee with four or more home runs in his first 15 Major League games. The rest of the list: Shelley Duncan, Oscar Azocar, Kevin Maas and Steve Whitaker.

Yikes, hopefully Montero turns out better than the rest of that list did ...

2) Pain of course is relative. Think about it if you were rooting for the Sox today.

Azocar! Ah, the dark days of Yankee history.

I still think the Red Sox make the playoffs (no one seems to have noticed that the Rays aren't playing particularily well right now and I think the Yankees take 2 of 3 next week), but their fanbase has become so completely insufferable about the collapse, that I now find myself rooting for it, just to fulfill their "destiny" ...

I think this game is particularly interesting because I think anything short of a full out Burnett style implosion gets AJ a playoff start. The way they've coddled him and catered to him all year, I have no reason to think otherwise.

[10] Luckily, AJ Burnett is just the guy who can deliver a "full out AJ Burnett style implosion" ...

[11] Of course, but he can also deliver standard Burnett style mediocrity. Or rarely, a good start.

Either one can come back to bite us in the ass.

Beauty Brett, beauty!

beautiful bunt brett.

and nice pickoff/rundown!

Yay, a hit.

Don't really care what happens in this game now

nice hustle, captain!!!

Heh heh heh.

We'll bunt twice against Wakefield but never against Curt Schilling?

Oh my Cap'n!

I love me some schadenfrude!

Hmm.

fuggin' beautiful!

[20] Whoops. Hopefully no one takes pleasure in my poor spelling. I left an e out.

fantastic!

now plate him, jorgie!

Not only can't he catch it, but his throws are wretched

that's just wonderful!

i like comedies.

This is getting hard to watch

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

jorgie is even awful at directing baserunners!

gotta love him.

[27] oh, i think it's very easy to watch. lotsa fun! : )

Let's not start sucking our lollipops quite yet, we've still got AJ Burnett on the mound ...

ooh, the hottie that works in the fancy seats has her hair in plaits today. me likey!!! ; )

That's what I love about baseball. I've been watching it for 30+ years and that's the 1st time I've seen an inning quite like that one ...

[27] It's more fun if you're watching it with Red Sox fans in the "room"

Dale Sams Posted: September 25, 2011 at 01:35 PM (#3935690)
I'm glad this is happening. Clean ####### house. This is literally like playing against a computer whose AI is completly ###### up*. I've never in my life seen a team so stubborn to change, that just keeps throwing out the same guys and expecting different results. I have DUMPED teams for less. If this was any other team, I would dump them until they got a new manager and GM.

Atta boy, AJ! 4 pitch lead off walk. Duche.

[35] o, you must really not like vowels today! ; )

AJ Burnett: Game three starter

Damn, the Red Sox are making AJ look good. Now that's what I call an epic slump.

Just Fair, I could go for a nice schadenfrude, myself. Maybe chocolate heath bar crunch, two scoops.

[36] Oi! Need to do better self-editing.

Don't forget, the Twins made AJ look good too ... for about 3 innings.

Never underestimate the power of AJ to completely lose it at any point ...

unmasked.

[39] Sounds good.
Man, I can't believe the real fun starts Friday.

C-dick with the glove.

Hm, C-dick vs. Red-dick. Good match-up.

2-0 Tampa Bay.

Oh, a Zobrist inside-the-parker! And Bautista injured on the play, yike.

Is everyone else watching TBS? I have NESN.

Whoa, nice! Rob couldn't have done it better.

Hmmm. Live by the knuckleball, die by the knuckleball, I guess. Poor Salty. The prospect of catching Wakefield drove Flaherty into retirement.

[47] MLB.tv with the YES feed.

[47] yeah, i'm watching tbs.

Is Jeter the comeback player of the year?

I'm watching YES. I can't keep track of all the new channels I got with my new TV package, so I tend to stick to the usual.

damn, that was close.

those #'s for alex are just ridiculous. jaw dropping.

The Patriots are ridiculous. This (Buffalo) game was supposed to be interesting and exciting. Blowout.

Oh, right, YES. Of course. For some reason I forgot.

HIP HIP!!!

Jorgie JUICED one!

GOJP having nice September. Hip Hip!

HIP-HIP!!!

fuckin' beautiful, jorgie. cleanin' up!

You know the game is largely meaningless for the Yankees when that HR barely registered a reaction from me

yeah, jorgie!

we LOVE you!!! : )

I hope Alison is watching.

[56] Yup. I've been warning all my friends that are Bills fans they were going to get a cold dose of reality today. Sad.

The NESN announcers are moping. One particularly good reason for watching NESN.

Did you get the shot of Lackey in the dugout? He looks like, "Fuck, could I just go home? Maybe I should give the money back. This is not going to be fun."

[42] i linked my screen name to my website. did it work?

[67] Cheers! Congrats.

shelley duncanstein has gone yard for the tribe. his 11th!

Thelarmis! It did work!

Ohhh.... I get that earlier link now!

[68] thanks! did it work? is my name underlined on your screen and it takes you to the site? it's working on mine, but it's a different color than, say, Mattpat's. i'm no good at this sorta thing and want to make sure i did it right...

It did work. Awesome

[70] oh good, yay! : )

and, yeah, still refer to me as Thelarmis here at the Banter. thanks!

[72] thank you for your help with how to do it!

AJ Burnett. Right.

Well, better a solo home run than a walk ...

[76] Exactly, because this decreases rally potential.

he's having some year. i sure hope it's an aberration.

good job, crawford.

Hm.
I always thought Crawford was overrated, but he really looks terrible.

[71] It's probably a different color because you've visited your own link. Links you've clicked on are lighter.

he wants nothing to do with fat liar. can't say i blame him...

Well, so far AJ's strategy of walking Ortiz to get to Gonzalez is working.

[81] yeah, you're right. i clicked on everybody's now and they've gone gray.

Carl Crawford tends to get a +15 to +20 UZR/150, year in year out. This year he's -1.9 this year.

Hey Nostra ... does anyone in the ATL care that the Braves are melting down as badly as the Red Sox are doing?

cool jesus thing from lohud:

THE FULL MONTY: Jesus Montero has recorded back-to-back 3H, multiple-RBI games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other Yankees rookies to accomplish that feat since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920 were Bob Meusel in 1920 and Robinson Cano in 2005.

Losing twice to Colby Lewis still bothers me

[86] doesn't seem like anybody gives a fuck. it's so ho-hum. i've been out and about a bit more often than usual lately and have asked around. nobody really cares. hell, i barely knew that we just lost our hockey team. and i haven't heard anything about the falcons.

you see braves stuff everywhere, everyday, all over the place. the fanaticism just doesn't seem to run deep.

Yanks play at The Ted again next June. i am so there. 2 of 3 games, i hope. can't wait!

[89] Nice, thanks!

[90] bravos have the bases loaded, no out, 3-0 count.

popup, no advance.

prado now up...

Bah.

Push ups, Slappy.

Sure would be nice if Gardner started hitting again.

...and another fly out, with no advance.

2 out, bases still clogged.

chipper's up. he's good at the baseball.

1st pitch groundout. no runs for the braves...

[94] RiSP fail.

No internets for the Braves.

Braves had the bases loaded, no outs. And didn't score.

And no internets for Jackson. Sorry, buddy.

Dammit, had the Rays on, turned over to the Braves just in time to miss Chipper's ground out and turned back to the Rays just in time to miss Longoria's home run.

[96] no, none.

i really love that comment. very funny. on what thread was that borne?

+3 internets for aj!

This is dangerously approaching Pyrrhic victory

[99] longo's gonna finish at around 30/100 and he missed a month of the season.

Crawford has given up

jeter has a lot of hits.

+3 internets for neck tattoo!

The Crawford contract has many years of entertainment to come.

Cuba Gooding Crawford, not so good at the baseball this year ...

cap's at .299

ooh. wow. nice!

5-1

bye bye, floater.

ha. jete knew he didn't touch the plate. ump called him safe. jete touched it post call and the ump was like, "what. you're safe, you didn't have to touch the dish." salty looked as interested in the game as crawford.

[109] I think he touched it on the slide. His trail foot looked like it caught the corner, but Jeter might not have known.

The whole bit with retouching the plate was funny, though ...

Albers is kind of a white flag. When they're serious, it's Aceves. Probably Tito is hoping that Lackey will keep it closer and Ace can vulture a win next game.

NESN can't stop talking about whether Ace should be starting. (Remy thinks they should have, but that it's too late now.)

Sorry: ... they should have given him a start or two....

i think andruw's gonna have a few really good postseason moments for us.

[112] tbs talked a bit about that earlier.

Thelarmis, my favorite football Jew just had a nice punt runback.

[116] nice! prolly not too many hebrews in football...?

[117] Yeah, it was not hard for him to be my favorite. I don't know of any others. Julian Edelman.

braves down 1-0

cards in a scoreless tie.

[118] Don't look now, but it's 21-17.

Fuck snozzberry.

Test his piss

[118] my uncle went to high school w/ lyle alzado; they were friends. i knew him post retirement, as he came into the record store where i worked. he would ride his bike and had a supermodel blonde girlfriend...

as you can see from my site, my last name is not very jewish and i don't look jewish, but i'm 100%!

[120] I'm watching, actually. Suddenly a good game!
When I flipped back, I thought I was watching a replay of the Ellsbury homer. :-(

30 homeruns for that little brat? you've gotta be kidding me...

Ouch, on the kickoff return the Jew is smunched.

But he gets a handoff and runs around end for five yards! (He's mostly a special teams player.)

i hope my little popup keeps having ofers and finishes below .300

he's right on it, at the moment...

Who had AJ actually going 7+ today?

[126] what team does he play for, patriots? do you root for one of the NY teams, like Buffalo? (kidding. i never really think of buffalo as being a new york team. it's canada...)

I did notice that you Don't Look Jewish. But Edelman doesn't either, actually. Come to think of it, there's a certain resemblance!

[129] well, right now it's 6+. let's hope it goes 7+ and saves the pen for tonight...

i guess the ? now is gonna be aj or chief for #3. ugh.

[130] Yes, Patriots.
I don't really have a team. I bailed on both NY teams in my youth. Long story. You know how these things go, not exactly rational.

[130] I resent that Buffalo comment. Western NY, baby!

[131] Although maybe you'll like this one better.

[132] Nah, I think Fat Freddy Fifth Flinger's got the #3 spot after yesterday's game.

Oooh, Jewlian muffs a punt return. Bad.

.300!!!

Jetes! Cut back just in time!

Atta boy, Captain!

JETER!!!

.300 !!!

Ian Kennedy might win a Cy Young this year.

Shoulda traded Joba or Hughes instead of IPK.

[134] well, buffalo was my 1st choice for college! : )

[136] yeah, i'm down with that.

[137] jewlian - that's clever! damn, he's got a fine g/f. bastid.

[142] 21 wins on a division winner. but i think kershaw has it wrapped up. super close to the pitching triple crown...

[143] Was it, first choice?
I've been there. To the university and everything. It didn't feel like Canada at all! (Nor like New York, though.)

[131] that's a cool site, i love the name of it!

if you go to my "photos" page at my site, click on the pictures to get them properly sized and use the arrows. there's one there from my bar mitzvah!

too bad the resemblance w/ jewlian doesn't expand to bank account and girlfriend... : (

Short leash for AJ here, right? Because right now there's a decent chance of finishing off this game without using the good relief pitchers, or at least using only one of them. Save them for Game 2.

Get the bullpen up, Joe.

[146] I will do that. (But right now I'm almost cognitively overloaded with NFL, MLB, Banter.

Wow, that was some play! It had 'hit' written all over it. I had no idea Laird could do that.

very fucking nice dp!

is laird sporting a mohawk?

Giambi-esque!

Well, he made it through seven, with a little help from his friends.

a-rod has a fuckin' cannon over there!

90 pitches for aj. fuck it, send him out for teh eigth...

sori's getting lose in the pen. and i'm sure joe wants to get Mo the save...

I really, really don't want to see AJ Burnett in the playoffs.

braves and cards each down 1-0.

[154] oh, 4-run lead. scratch that save for Mo...

just have aj start the 8th and see...

[154] With a 4 run lead, let's hope not.

[154] No save, unless someone gives up runs in the eighth.

[157][158] i know, i know. beat ya both to it - [156]

forgot about the 6th run...

Hip hip!
His postseason roster spot is safe now.

JORGIE!!!

scott atchison looks like he's 50 years old.

I like Bodie a lot and he's certainly fantastic behind the plate, but I sure wish he'd stop grounding into so many damn double plays.

Bleh.

I bet Mattpat is happy about the pinch runner.

[162] why do you call him Bodie?

[161] Heh. I wrote this over at BBTF

broth of abominable things (CoB) Posted: September 25, 2011 at 03:27 PM (#3935808)
How is it possible that Atchinson looks 10 years older than Wakefield???

Cardinal's just tied it up, 1-1.

still aj.

golson in for andruw.

Jeez, this time I flip back to the game and they were showing a replay of an Ellsbury homer. Gave me a scare.

5-2 Rays.
Freaking Scutaro. How does a crappy little batter get so many hits against us?

Is it bad that I'm rooting for a Red Sox three run inning here?

fuckin' scutaro.

like i said - Mo for the save...

now the hamma is up. sori still warming?

You ever seen the tv show, The Wire?

There's a character in it, Bodie Broadus, who has the same way of spitting through his teeth out of the side of his mouth.

[169] Yes.

[169] yes, bad.

[171] oh, okay, cool. no, i've never seen the show, but have heard good things about it.

Brady was just intercepted for the third time in the game! Bills keeping it close.

actually that's aj's fifth strikeout today...

[172] [173] I just don't think any good can possibly come of an AJ Burnett 8 IP 2 R outing

[175] Tied up. Holy shit. My hatred of the pats, brady, and belichek knows no bounds.

Nice job, AJ.

So. Huh. Did he push Freddy out?

[178] The Buffalo QB is fearless. Fun to watch.

wow, what a reception for AJ. quite impressive.

that's gotta make him feel like 82.5 million bucks!

good move by joe taking him out right here. finishes on a K, gets the ovation, avoids ellsbury.

[180] jim kelly? ; )

This seems like a waste of the Hamma.

do we really need to waste the hamma here, with a 4-run lead?!

why not just try raul against the lefty?

[182] He was good too.

NAILED.

HIGH SOX!!!

ellsbury - you've been *hammered*!!!

When you're the HAMMA, EVERYBODY looks like a nail.

Siddown Taco.

Brady intercepted again! Bills take the lead!

[183] [184] He'd thrown the one pitch since last Monday

Man, things are really going badly for Boston.

[189] Crap. I missed it. I'd still wager they are going to blow it. It has been 15 losses in a row to these cheaters. I'd be happy to be wrong, though. DEFENSE!

[190] oh, okay, that makes sense. thanks. was that the outing where he threw one fucking pitch (dbl play to end the 8th), then soriano pitched the 9th? yeah, that was Wed nite...

well, i wouldn't exactly call scott atchison getting hurt any kinda blow to boston. more like a blessing in disguise, really...

[192] Another one tipped up high, but it falls to the ground.

Then a bomb to 85, dropped! Easy touchdown, but he just dropped it.

Man, Robertson's BB-REF page isn't sponsored and is available for $140.

If we all threw in like $15 - $20 bucks, the Banter could totally sponsor the ALABAMMA HAMMA!

[194] Ochocinco. What a clownshow.

deep central? really?!

who is this clown on tbs???

[195] I'm in, for sure.

[195] i think everyone should just spend $12 and buy my CD!!! ; )

ugh. braves down 3-0 heading to the 8th...