i can think that CC will throw a gem and we'll score. then Andy will get his 20th postseason victory. and Hiro will dominate in the Bronx. we'll push this to 7.

but...i'm guessing i'll miss the final game of the season; i teach late, per usual. i'm not even setting the dvr this time.

i'm super impressed with our pitching. i'm beyond utterly flummoxed by our anemic and inept offense. it's unfathomable.

GO CC!!! GO YANKS!!!

1) I agree. Though I doubt Alex gets the start tonight. Can't sit him against Verlander, a guy he does well against, and then start him against a guy he doesn't hit well, right?

Yeah, I'm not even that upset with the Yanks losing at this point. I always figure a best of 5 game series is a crap shoot. It was great they beat the O's but I wasn't going to get too worked up about it. Then I was all set to spill some blood in the this sereis, but the pitching has been so good and the hitting so terrible except in the ninth inning of games.... it's just too weird to be aggravating. It's some kind of enormous statistical abberation. I only hope they can muscle out a win and we can enjoy a regression to the mean over the next few games... for the offense anyway. The pitching should continue it's excellence.

Here's Jay Jaffe's take on what tonight's lineup should look like:

http://bit.ly/RGrVC2

From Tyler Kepner on Twitter: Yanks announce Jeter has elected to have ankle surgery on Oct. 20. Recovery time: 4-5 months.

[4] I dunno about putting the entire Snore Four back in the lineup. I'll carry over from the earlier thread my enthusiasm for seeing Ichiro and Gardner in there together. At Swisher's expense, IMHO.

[4] Jaffe does have a point that if A-Rod doesn't see another at-bat, the festering-issue-all-winter factor goes up considerably.

Got an opening reception for my conference tonight, won't get back until at least 8:30 pm, central time, so I may miss the game.

Tim McCarver makes my brain hurt. Baseball is a game of firsts?

no A-Rod or Grandy tonight

[7] They should just come out and say "A-Rod is not able to hit because of the effects of the wrist injury..he's a major part of the team..back nect year..blah blah blah". Try to end this circus already.

OMG!
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8517121/alex-rodriguez-trade-discussed-offseason-new-york-yankees-miami-marlins-source-says

DETROIT -- What began as a casual, joking conversation between New York Yankees president Randy Levine and Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez playing for the Marlins may develop into serious trade talks this offseason, according to a source with knowledge of the conversation.

[12] I saw this story and thought it was a joke. I think there are possible several suitors for ARod, who might think that a change of scenery is all he needs, and they might be partly right?

[12][13] Wow, that was fast! Cue up all the "A-Rod was a unclutch choky-choker was never a true Yankee" stories!

[12] Perfect! ARod goes home, Jeter goes to third, problem solved, circus over.

I think that if the Yankees thought he was still a great player or even good reliable player, they would have never benched Alex once, much less twice. Whatever the truth behind his benching, I think that the Yankees will be open to offers for Alex. The bonus for the Yankees in giving hm that contract was that the organization would benefit financially and in prestige when he broke the home run record. But now everyone knows that he is a PED user and cheat and the bloom is off that rose.

I don't want ARod traded. The money is sunk. I still want to see him play, and watch as records fall.

He now has: 2901 hits. 3,000 comes in 2013.
He is: 13 HRs from Willie for 4th place. 67 from the Babe.
He has: 1950 RBI in 7th place, 47 away from passing Bonds for 4th place.

His AAV over the next 5 years is $23m.
How much of his salary would we have to pay (1/2?) and we would need to get a 3rd baseman.

At this point he should stay in Pinstripes.

[12] Cashman's denied the report, fwiw.

Randy Levine really needs to be stunned with a cattle prod and then dropped of the Jersey Coast with an anchor tied around his legs ...

Let me add; I cannot believe the pass that so many people are giving Cano while targeting Alex. Cano is the best hitter and he has been horrific this postseason. What the hell is wrong with him? He chooses now to go into a slump? We better find out later that he is injured because his failure is inexcusable. Just seeing him step to the plate fills me fury. He is the one who should been benched just on principle.

If getting rid of ARod helps the Yanks get under the luxury tax bill that they have stated is their goal and be able to retain Cano, then I say go for it.

I have read lots of articles that the Yanks are spooked by ARod and won't go top dollar for Cano, but he is a true Yankee. Just kidding [14].

But I would invest in Cano, and overpay him if necessary. ARod is a distraction and not all of it is his fault, but quite a bit of it. Cano might very well change, and he has been awful this postseason, but it is unlikely we would even be in the ALCS without him.