Today’s news is powered by the one and only George Benson . . .
- Boss George WILL be in attendance at game one of the Series.
- Hal Steinbrenner, sounding quite a bit like his father:
“This team played like a family all year long,” he said. “They picked each other up when somebody was down. They’ve got hearts of lions. They never give up. They’ve earned this, every bit of it.”
When he was asked about the Phillies, he dipped into George Steinbrenner’s answer bag again. Remember to show respect for the opponent but remember to emphasize that the Yankees, your Yankees, are probably better.
“They’re a tough team,” he said. “They’ve had a couple more days off than us. We’ll see how that plays out. But we’re pretty confident in ourselves. We got a great team. These guys get along. There’s a lot of ability, and we’re going to give them a run for their money.”
- A New York Times baseball blogger suggests . . . Sabathia could relieve too?:
The critical question for Girardi is how to make the most use of Sabathia’s apparent indestructibility. Is he more valuable as a classic rotation workhorse, starting Games 1, 4 and 7, if necessary, on three days’ rest, or as a swingman, taking his regular turn in Games 1 and 5 and relieving in any number of other contests?
. . . Given the uncertainty surrounding the choice, Girardi’s best bet is probably to be flexible. If the Yankees are, say, leading by a run or tied in the seventh inning, with two men on base and Utley coming to bat, well, it’s time to bring in the big fella. By contrast, if there is no situation that screams out for Sabathia’s usage — and if the first few games are split, making a Game 7 much more likely — Girardi will be better off keeping his ace in reserve.
- Will Mattingly succeed Torre in LA?:
Don Mattingly was on the short list of managerial candidates in Cleveland, and wasn’t hired.
But he is speaking with the Los Angeles Dodgers about his future with that organization, and while it would be premature to say he is regarded as the heir apparent to manager Joe Torre, there may come a day when he will emerge as the leading candidate to replace Torre.
Mattingly has been talking with the Dodgers since the team was eliminated from the National League playoffs by the Phillies, according to sources, and will have more conversations later in the week. Mattingly has made it apparent that he wants to manage; he was a finalist with the Yankees two years ago when Joe Girardi was hired, and then emerged as a candidate with the Indians this year.
- Andy Pettitte knows the business side of baseball:
“I think everybody knows I wasn’t real happy with the contract,” said Pettitte, who eventually agreed to a one-year deal for $5.5 million. “But I wanted to take it and come back here and have a chance to do this.
“It’s nice to have things work out the way you think they’re going to work out. This is what I was kind of hoping for.”
- Jon Heyman offers his analysis of the upcoming Series.
- Howard Bryant is looking forward to a hard-fought Series.
- Joe Sheehan offers some criticism (and some praise) of Girardi:
It’s not like Joe Girardi didn’t try to give us a Game Seven. He had his charges lay down three sacrifice bunts, including a particularly dumb one against a struggling Saunders in the fourth inning, and a 2-0 bunt that led to the Kendrick error in the eighth. He also seems to have elevated Joba Chamberlain ahead of Phil Hughes in the bullpen pecking order, which is a bit like deciding Jeff Mathis is better than Mike Napoli if that decision weren’t quite so ridiculous. The Yankees are 7-2 in this postseason in spite of their manager, and given the gap between Girardi and Charlie Manuel, that record may have no place to go but down.
In the interest of fairness, I should note that Girardi’s aggressive use of Mariano Rivera in this postseason is completely to his credit. He’s leveraged the additional days off on the schedule to maximize the use of his top relief pitcher. He should do so less at Hughes’ expense than at the expense of others, but it’s a start.
Poll time!
[poll id=”42″]
- Joe Niekro, a member of the Bombers’ staff from ’85 to ’87, passed away on this date three years ago. He and his brother Phil were teammates for a little while during 1985.
- On this date in 1985, Billy Martin is fired by the Yankees for an unprecedented fourth time and is replaced by former Yankees outfielder Lou Piniella, who had been the team’s hitting instructor since retiring as a player in 1984.
- On this date in 1999, Roger Clemens pitched the Yankees to their second straight World Series sweep, shutting down the Atlanta Braves 4 – 1 and ending his quest for the one and only prize that eluded him. The Yankees won their record 25th World championship – and third in four years. Game Four marked New York’s 12th Series victory in a row, matching a team’s mark. Mariano Rivera get his second save and is named Series MVP.
This is the last NOTD until Monday, November 9. I’m off to San Francisco, visiting that wonderful city for the very first time. Yeah, its gonna suck being 3,000 miles (and three time zones) away from the Series, but I’ll be following Banter from there, and hope to pop in at some point on game nights.
NYPost reports that the Yankees are debating between adding Hinske or a 12th reliever. A little part of me died when I read that.
[1]
Swisher can double as the 12th reliever .... add HINSKE!
[0] Watching games from the West Coast isn't as bad as you imagine. You get to start them over dinner and you don't have to stay up all night to see the end! It's pretty sweet, really.
Needless to say, I very much agree with Sheehan.
so whose job is it to explain Jay-Z to George?
Manuel announced Pedro going for Game 2...that is gonna be so much fun I can't even put it into words
Yanks in 6.
love the George Benson clippage, Diane. That's Jools Holland from Squeeze on piano. Smoove.
[5] Suzyn Waldman. Didn't she do "Run This Town" with Jay?
wait that was Rihanna. Always confuse them.
[0] Diane, happy travels to SF - we'll be looking for you in the game threads!
[8] =)
[1] I'm not sure I like that, and so, why not draw upon the old "never trust anything you read in the tabloids" maxim? I think they will take Hinske for sure.
Oh, and Yanks in 5, since the poll won't let me vote in it.
It's amazing how many callers to WFAN cite Kendrick's error as proof that smallball works.
Waiting for Torre to retire would be a fool's errand for Mattingly.
[10] Bunts put pressure on the defense. Kendrick's error is just one example of the many things that a defender is likely to do wrong, moreso than on a routine ground ball. If you've ever played in the infield, you know how much harder it is to quickly field a bunt, make a decision as to where to throw, and get the runner in time. Or, as a second baseman, hustle over to first and take a throw on the bag.
All this talk of smallball makes me think of this song ... (video IS safe for work)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YUuyzQDmjY
[10] The errors are not proof that smallball works, but they are proof that bunting does not *always* mean that you are giving up an out (seems like I remember someone bringing that up the other day... ;-)
[11] Except, the errors weren't made by rushing infielders. Kendrick flat out dropped an easy throw, and Kazmir made the kind of throw you rarely see in little league. If one's strategy is to hope for these kinds of errors, they wont be very successful.
[13] If you sacrifice (not a drag bunt), you are in fact giving up the out. Now, if the defense fails to take it, that's another story. Still, the point of the "sacrifice" is to do just that...sacrifice an out for the advancement of a base.
[14] Like my Drivers Ed teacher used to say "You don't get the right of way until someone gives it to you"...similarly, you don't give up an out until the defense takes it. My point is that those who say they don't like the bunt because you are "giving up" a precious out seem to dismiss the fact that in a pressure situation the defense still has to make the play.
[14] Right, the errors weren't made by rushing infielders, which is why I said "Kendrick’s error is just one example of the many things that a defender is likely to do wrong" and then gave other examples, such as rushing infielders. Pitchers blowing the throw to first is just yet another example of things that can go wrong for the defense on a bunt play. The success of this strategy in Game 6 directly contradicts your conclusion that the strategy will not be very successful. It led to two crucial runs late in the game. Very successful *in fact.*
In terms of the first sac bunt in the 4th:
... we were down 1 run early. Not a huge deal, but I think everyone wanted to at least tie the game.
... many, many times we have had 1st and 2nd, no outs, and still did not score. It's not like we have a good record with RISP.
... our #9 hitter was up. (This wasn't Jeter bunting).
... and looking back, how many DPs did we hit into in that game.
I am not a bif fan of the sac bunt, but I think there are times it is a reasonable call. I think THAT time was one of them.
And I'll ask.... a number of times Jeter bunts on his own. His decision. So... those of you against the bunt... when Jeter does it on his own, you feel you know better then Jeter?
But even if you don't agree, to call it 'dumb' is out of line.
My guess is 50% or better of the Managers in MLB were fine with the call.
I think there are more errors on attempted sac bunts than on ordinary swings, so Bama Yankee's point is relevant. There are also some occasions, though, when the sacrifice doesn't even manage to do what it's supposed to do (the bunter pops up, bunts foul, bunts too hard and the defense gets a FC...), which strengthens the case against bunting.
I think the Swisher bunt was a mistake, but the Melky bunt wasn't a bad move.
[14] No one is "hoping" for these errors (but the non-bunting crowd is "hoping" for a base hit from a guy who is going to make an out 60% of the time). We are expecting the out to be made in that situation. That's the beauty of it...you get to control the out and make it productive. If they swing away and make an out that you can't control you run the risk of not adding on an additional run (strikeout, double play, popup, etc). I realize and totally agree that you might keep yourself from having a big inning, but late in these playoff games I will take that one run any time I can get it.
[14] Except William.... Melky makes out 66% of the time anyway. Doing that, maybe he advances the runners anyway, maybe not. And sometimes, he hits into a DP. And sometimes the bunt is a BH or forces an error.
But I agree, that usually you are giving away an out, to advance the runners. But 2/3rds of the time, nothing good happens anyway (an out without advancing the runners or a DP).
Sometimes a bird in the hand is better then a 34% chance of 2 in the bush. Again, it's not right or wrong, but a judgement call depending on the specifics of the situation in hand.
[18] I'm with you about the lack of execution of the bunt being a deterent to the strategy. Some of our guys don't seem to be able to get the bunt down and in those cases I would rather see them swing away (i.e. the Swisher play earlier in the year). That being said, I have been screaming from the keyboard for years that our guys need to be able to bunt if called upon (it is part of the game) and therefore working on it during the regular season is a good thing because they are more likely to be called upon to execute the bunt during the postseason. Maybe Swish and Melky started working more on the bunt after their poor performances from earlier in the year and it paid dividends the other day in a pressure situation.
[1] girardi's talking to francesa now and it sounds all but certain that hinske is replacing guzman. but he's also hinting that they may add an extra pitcher and drop cervelli.
[21] Indeed. Pretty sad that players paid as well as these aren't even fundamentally sound. Talent is great, but ultimately no substitute for skill.
If Cervelli is dropped, that means Po starts game 2 with AJ, I have to assume. If Cervelli is on the roster, pretty much tells us Molina in Game 2.
[24] Sounds right. Anyway, the first part is certainly right; I can imagine Posada catching AJ even if Cervelli is on the roster.
I really hope the Burnett personal catcher plan gets thrown out. Molina brings nothing to the table and Burnett needs to focus on making pitches to spots, rather than who's holding the glove.
[24] Girardi explicitly said that's not the case.
[24] unfortunately, girardi also said that cervelli not being on the roster doesn't necessarily mean posada catches burnett. in fact it seemed to me he was hinting that molina will continue to catch burnett.
Fwiw, Girardi sounds a lot more relaxed during interviews than he used to. I suppose it's mostly because the team is kicking ass lately - I get the impression he doesn't take criticism well. But also I will give him some kudos for chilling out just a little. He'll always be tight, but improvement is improvement.
[28] He also explicitly said Molina will continue to catch Burnett.
He also said it's possible we'll see Matsui playing in the outfield at some point ...
: o
I am cool with Molina/AJ (the 3 at-bats, or sometimes 2 at-bats point). I think people telling Burnett NOW what he ought to be doing is just silly, last week of October, World Series. You do what you can as a manager to maximize something very important: your starting pitcher's confidence and performance. Obviously there is a downside: the 2 or 3 at-bats from Molina, but a starter matters way more. I say this on the assumption AJ goes in the Bronx both times ... I would be way less secure with both Matsui and Posada sitting in a game.
If Cervelli is not on the roster, you are basically going with the very good odds that Posada doesn't get hurt in a game when he replaces Molina for a few innings and trading that against a more useful bench guy or (??) extra reliever. I guess I can see it.
Fangraphs has a wild number ... CC/AJ/Andy/Mo pitched 80%+ of Yankee innings vs Angels! They were about 40% during the season. They conclude from this that starting all three on 3 days is the way to go. The logic doesn't grab me, but the % spread is an awfully dramatic aspect of the last series.
There's also a LONG piece on the 8th inning bunts. Conclusion? Maybe yes, maybe no. There is a strong suggestion that once Swisher got to 2-0 it became a bad idea there.
[15] They (we're) are not dimissing the possibility...just accounting for that fact that the chance of an error is relatively slim. You can't formulate a strategy based on the best case scenario...you have to consider the most likely scenario and then weight the extreme outcomes.
[16] As someone stated here a few days back, if you decide to drive full speed through every red light, you may very well get to your destination more quickly. That doesn't mean such an approach is the right one, particularly if you'd like to stay alive.
[18] Any numbers to back that up? Not being sarcastic, but curious?
[20] There are percentages to be played on both sides, but I think it is very obvious that Melky gets on base at a higher rate than sac bunts are mishandled. Whether that difference is worth an extra base does depend on the situation. In this case, I don't think the Mleky bunt was a bad play, but do think the Swisher and earlier Melky bunt was (because 1 more run for Mo is worth more than any metric could ever calculate).
The AJ/Molina combo doesn't bother me as much because Girardi has shown that he will PH for Molina early if needed.
the AJ/Molina battery didn't bother me much until the first inning of his last start. After ripping out large chunks of my own hair, I dabbed my scalp with gauze and started thinking, "Hey, maybe it wouldn't matter much to AJ if Po were behind the plate." I've been on that tack ever since.
I also think Molina is a slightly better defender than Po, so I can hang with a couple innings of "bonus" defense.
[32] Oh, no, it's just my impression (i.e., that errors are more common on bunt attempts than on ordinary swings).
Did anyone else think it odd that Swisher bunted then they pinch run Gardner? I don't quite understand why you wouldn't just have Gardner bunt in the first place - he has a better chance of beating it out, he's better defensively (I think - speedier anyway) and Swisher hasn't been hitting so losing his bat is no big deal.
[36] I DID think that but remember Swish wasn't supposed to be on base, so he'd have stuck around after dutifully being thrown out. Still, it looks odd since Gardy's the defensive sub, too. Maybe Swish up there left some doubt as to intention, whereas Gardy makes it to obvious. The Fangraphs piece (inconclusive) makes a lot of where the infielders play, in terms of whether a bunt 'works'.
We are all over the place today in threads!
[36][37] I think that HCE is correct--had Swish been "successful", he would have been out and, ironically, left in the game. When he made it on base, Girardi put in a PR who could also take an OF spot. At the time I thought that the PR was a bit of overkill--Swish was the trail runner, and it's not like he is completely un-fast.
I probably would have simply left him in the game.
[37] It's disconcerting
[36] As for defense, Gardner is better than Swisher, but Swisher is better than Johnny (as far as I can tell). So I would try to avoid PR for Swisher, so that I could LIDR Johnny instead.
[40] good point, actually
Have a nice and safe trip, Diane. Be sure to invade the Ghirandelli Factory over Fisherman's Wharf and check out Stinson Beach at sunset. And if you have time and you're feeling particularly jaunty, a ride to Lake Tahoe and thru the Napa Valley is not a bad thing; I'm willing to bet especially at this time of year! [/chocolatiering-nature buffing]