You mean they are like this-You're like New York Jewish, left-wing, intellectual, Central Park West, Brandeis University, socialist summer camps and the father with the Ben Shahn drawings, really strike-oriented?

Ironically, I'm like that! A cultural stereotype that fits.

No, the bad calls don't help and Derek's injury is a crushing, but not an insurmountable blow. However, they are losing these games because their offense is deader than dead. Nothing else. The starting pitching as been exactly what you'd want. Haroomph!

Cano didn't help by blowing the tag. What was he falling over for? The throw was there in plenty of time, on the money. Catch it and put it on him. He's killing them right now on both sides of the ball, it's actually stunning how poorly he's played.

[0] 'Tis true, AB, but still, that MLB doesn't have instant replay ono safe/out calls on the bases in the playoffs in 2012 is inexcusable. I can, sitting on my ass at home, see clear replays in 30 seconds or less that tell me if the call was right or wrong.

Why can't MLB make use of this wonderful technology we call "HD television"? Its beyond frustrating.

Transcending all analysis is the big question I ask myself whenever the Yankees struggle: Would it be an injustice if this team were to lose? In this case, the answer is clearly no.

I'm a fan, and I'll enjoy any success the season may have yet to offer. But the Yankees are not getting cheated out of anything.

[3] Agree. People lament the "human factor" that diminishes with replay, but we don't tune in to watch the umps perform. When a call goes wrong, it negates the human achievement of the athletes. The game should use every practical means to ensure that the outcome of the competition reflects what people actually did or didn't do.

My main problem with yet more use of replay in baseball is that there are so many discrete events in baseball, where does one draw the line? Should every tag play be reviewed? Every close play at 1B? Every foul ball? And so on. Or would coaches be given a limited number of challenges, as in football? How long would a coach have to challenge? Until the next pitch?

I don't care about the "human element" so much as I do the flow of the game. I watch sports in part because of the aesthetics. When a game drags, I turn it off because it bores me. If a system were put in place that led to repeated stoppages for reviews, I would likely stop watching MLB, just as I have largely stopped watching NFL.

Good point Alex Belth. The Yankees have had their fair share of bad calls that went their way.

They would still be down by 1 run, which by the way they have been hitting is like 5 runs.

[2] I agree Cano is killing them offensively, but he tagged him out and while his effortless looking play wrangles a lot of people, he has been pretty great defensively still. I know he didn't get the DP, and that will happen to the best of them at times. He has one of the strongest arms of any 2nd baseman.

The Yanks can still turn this around tonight. In 1996 they lost the first 2 at home to the Braves and rattled off 4 straight wins.

The pitching is there, and they need someone to light a fire under the hitters feet, but we can do this.

It is always darker before the dawn. - You can quote me.

Intriguing analogy, Alex, but in terms of the Allison Porchnik story isn't Jeff Nelson's call the "lone gunman theory" - something the New York Alvy Singers obsess over to avoid the fact that they can't hit the ball? Allison Porchnik ("Oh my God, she's right") is the AL Championship, and the Yankees subconsciously realize they aren't man enough for her.

Oh well, la di da.

Well, Nelson (Allison) becomes the excuse for not playing well and winning (having sex). Or something like that. lol

4) Excellent point.

9) yeah, I follow that, or as Grammy Hall used to say, "Yankees suck."

I saw Girardi's post game interview. He was asked the question more then once, and answered more then once. He very specifically said (as I paraphrase):
"If Cano is safe (in the 1st game), does that mean we Win the game? No. Maybe we don't. I'm not saying we Win the game. But it's a tied game instead of being a run behind. And that changes the way the game is played".
And I ABSOLUTELY agree.

"If the Ump makes the right call (at 2nd base in the 2nd game), does that mean we Win the game? No. Maybe we don't. I'm not saying we Win the game. But it's a 1-0 game instead of being a 3-0 game. And that changes the way the game is played".
And I ABSOLUTELY agree.

Now, he was also asked about the teams offensive failing.
And what can he say?
"We have to make adjustments. We have to make adjustments."
I guess he could have said "This team just sucks"
Or he could have said "Swisher thinks he's getting Werth money?"
Or he could have said "I'll take AJax, they can have Granderson back?"
Or he could have said "Holy shit. We're like paying ARod $10m per hit!"
Or he could have said "Cano might be the biggest disappointment in Post Season history"
Or he could have said.... need I go on?
What should Girardi say about the horror show that is the Yankee offense?
What can YOU say about the horror show that is the Yankee offense?

Hey Alex... are you STILL beating your wife?
(Ya know what I mean. Some question just can't be answered!)

And lastly, while it was his intent or not, I agree with ANYONE who shines a light on the fact the INSTANT REPLAY absolutely has to be used more for certain calls.

Even the umps want it.
The TV audience of 10s of millions KNOW the right call (thanks to instant replay in the booth) while the ump insists he made the right call (until after the game when he sees for himself the truth).

I don't blame the umps. They are right most of the time.
I blame Bud, for causing a lost PERFECT GAME and many other baseball hardships.

As Girardi sais... They bust their ass for 6 months, 162 games. It's just not fair that 1 or 2 blown calls can effect the outcome on these games.

And was Girardi trying to deflect a bit.
You betcha!
I mean, what can he say
I mean, what could I say.
Am I STILL beating my wife?

Since you mentioned him, Doesn't Bud go down as the worst Commisioner of any sport, at any time?

[11] While the blown calls certainly can knock the wind out of anyone, the Yanks played themselves into this position and have no one to blame for it but themselves. I could understand if the lineups was really stinging the ball, yet still making outs; that to me says they are on the ball, but the other team is on it too; or you can say it's bad luck for us, good for them.

But the Yanks are NOT playing like they are capable (or if they are, we've simply overestimated their abilities and underestimated their luck). A close, low-scroring game does not befit what they are capable of, with bangers like Cano and Granderson and to a lesser, but capable extent Swisher and now Alex. They are not stinging the ball all over the place, in fact in most cases they are not making contact at all. You can massage the numbers any way you like, but the results are the same; the core of the lineup is making bad outs on a regular basis now.

Perhaps they are simply being exposed, since PS is all about good pitching. I'm not angry about it anymore, I'm resigned to to thinking we are not the better team in this matchup, and unless those batters mentioned above start producing like they are capable, they stand a better chance of getting swept than coming back to win it all. But then, this has been a slow and on-going process with this team, so again I'm not surprised. Disappointed yes, because it appears to me from a fan perspective that they are not trying hard anymore, especially with the loss of the Cap'n.

Too bad we don't know what's really going on, or perhaps we wouldn't be so down and booing so much; @%&hole stuck-up band-wagoners that we are >;)

[12] My money is still on Landis, to be honest...

After watching every inning this Yankee postseason, I now am not worried about the World Series. I have a hit a zen moment about it. If it happens, great! Otherwise, I will have enjoyed the postseason thus far thanks to Ibanez.

Since Verlander and Scherzer are still up ahead, I wouldn't be surprised by a Detroit sweep.

That said, after the Baltimore series and Game 1 of this series, you can't count out the Yanks. If the bats can all slump collectively, surely they can come alive at the same time as well?

Pretty much every year, around this time, I float the question about getting a new pitching coach and everyone tells me I’m wrong.
 
Kevin Long gets a ton of credit for all the success stories, but right now the Yanks have 4 guys that are mired in awful slumps.  Arod, Cano, Granderson and Swish are a combined 12-107 (.112) in the postseason. Their approach has been terrible and what’s truly unreal to me is how they ever even managed to get 12 hits.  Granted, Ibanez is on fire and Teix and Ichiro have shown up, so we’ll give Long full credit for them.  But, the Yanks can’t win any series without at least two of the other guys hitting and he needs to go.  Maybe pitching coaches just have a shelf life and players need new ones periodically.
 

[16] You mean hitting coaches, right?

[17] The way those guys are hitting, seems like they've been getting their advice from the pitching coach, so maybe he's right >;)

Looks like Jason Nix will be the shortest-tenured Yankees' "starting shortstop" in history. Just 2 more games, right?