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by Brian Hoch -
The Yankees’ fight back to relevance was one filled with gritty and unexpected battles. It somehow seemed appropriate that they would have to fight one more before tasting some sweet celebration.
Dioner Navarro’s solo home run off Jeff Karstens in the 10th inning lifted the Devil Rays to a 7-6 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday at Tropicana Field, postponing a potential clinching game for New York’s 13th consecutive postseason appearance.
Buoyed by Alex Rodriguez’s grand slam and five scoreless — if not shaky — innings from Kei Igawa, the Yankees carried a four-run lead into the sixth inning, but New York’s bullpen gave it back. Edwar Ramirez allowed three baserunners and recorded just one out before light-hitting September callup Jorge Velandia reached Brian Bruney for his first career home run, a grand slam into the left-field seats that put the Rays up, 6-5.
Not to be denied, the Yankees tied the game against reliever Dan Wheeler in the eighth. Jorge Posada doubled to left and Robinson Cano singled to center, moving pinch-runner Bronson Sardinha to third base. After pinch-hitter Jason Giambi struck out, Melky Cabrera brought the tying run home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
New York’s first five innings on defense were dodgy, as Igawa — filling in for Roger Clemens, who was shut down for the remainder of the regular season with a left hamstring injury — made his first start since July 26. Igawa was not especially sharp, walking five and throwing a wild pitch, but he allowed just two hits while pitching out of trouble. Ramirez allowed Tampa Bay’s first run in the sixth on a Navarro double.
Rodriguez put the Yankees ahead early with his third grand slam of the season and the 16th of his career, a shot off Rays starter Jason Hammel in the third inning that clipped the top of the second “C Ring” above the left-field stands, bouncing back onto the field as four Yankees circled the bases. The home run was Rodriguez’s 53rd of the season, moving him into sole possession of seventh place on the Yankees’ all-time single-season home run list.
Johnny Damon contributed a career-high five hits and Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 12 games for the Yankees, who are trying to keep a streak alive of making the playoffs in every season of Joe Torre’s era as manager. They have not missed the postseason since the strike-shortened season of 1994.
Just looking at Brian Bruney makes me sick. The magic number remains at one…
Quite possibly, as they outlasted Toronto 12-11 in a five-hour barn-burner.
Just after the Yankees and Blue Jays finished swapping 23 runs, 35 hits and untold amounts of energy and frustration on Saturday afternoon, a common fatigue settled over the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.
It was a satisfying kind of tired — after all, the Yankees had erased three deficits, slapped together a how-to guide on resiliency, and ultimately prevailed. That takes a lot out of you.
That is, unless you’ve already had time to recharge.
“I’ve been in here for like four hours,” said a wired Phil Hughes, fully iced, dressed and showered long before the game’s end. “I’ll have a little more energy for tomorrow.
A game I’ll be attending…
by Ty Kepner -
When it all began for Andy Pettitte and the Yankees, in April 1995, his wife and their infant son were living with relatives. Pettitte had earned $2,100 a month in the minors the year before, and he was eager to buy a home for his young family by making a name in baseball.
The years since have been very good to Pettitte. He has earned more than $75 million, and while there are bigger names in baseball, there are few more prolific winners.
Pettitte earned his 200th career victory at Yankee Stadium last night by beating the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1. Since the start of Pettitte’s career, only Greg Maddux (215) and Randy Johnson (203) have won more often.
Joba Chamberlain struck out Melvin Mora with a slider to end the eighth, and Mariano Rivera held on in a 34-pitch ninth, overcoming a one-out bloop double by Nick Markakis and two-out walks by Aubrey Huff and Ramón Hernández. Rivera earned his 30th save when Scott Moore struck out looking.
By holding the Orioles to a run and seven hits in seven and two-thirds innings, Pettitte helped the Yankees in two races. They are only a game and a half behind first-place Boston in the American League East and lead Detroit by five and a half games for the wild card.
The playoffs seem like a lock now, but winning the division (and hopefully getting homefield advantage) would be very, very nice.
by Brian Hoch -
Was there a better way for the Yankees and Red Sox to complete their season series? How much more of a tease could you ask for? And wouldn’t you like to see these two teams play just one more time?
In the end, the Yankees’ final regular-season game at Fenway Park on Sunday night came down to one Mariano Rivera pitch. With the bases loaded and two outs, the high pop off of David Ortiz’s dangerous bat came to rest safely in Derek Jeter’s glove, securing a 4-3 New York victory.
Jeter pumped his left fist emphatically, his go-ahead eighth-inning home run secure as the margin of victory. Boston cursed. New York exhaled. Nothing’s ever easy for the Yankees in New England.
“It’s not what I expected when we went into that inning,” Jeter said. “It’s always scary when you’ve got Ortiz up, let alone with the bases loaded and a one-run game. But we have a lot of confidence in Mo. He’s not afraid of anyone.”
Rivera’s showdown with Big Papi was the icing on a delicious three-hour, 10-minute affair that opened with a back-to-the-future pitchers’ duel between Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, reprising a 2001 World Series Game 7 showdown with significantly more mileage but still as much drive and heart.
Making his first Fenway Park start since the 2003 American League Championship Series, Clemens held the Red Sox to just one unearned run and two hits over six innings. Schilling brought a game to match, at least until Jeter interrupted the evening with his eighth-inning homer, a shot to the back of the seating area atop the left-field Green Monster.
Continued here.
The NFL will penalize the Patriots for ‘videotaping the Jets defensive signals’ during their 38-14 win on Sunday. There was also a similar incident to this last year in a game in Green Bay. Frankly, it makes you wonder how long they’ve been doing this. They won three Super Bowls by an average of just 3 points. Did ‘spying’ occur in those games, and if it did, did it make the difference?…
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- Phil Hughes pitched well and won his 3rd game of the year. The YES gun had him at 90-93 mph most of the game, with a few 94s (mostly in the early innings). Despite getting saved by some good defense in the 2nd (from Damon and Melky), he still pitched very well, and quite frankly, that good luck makes up for some of the bad luck he’s suffered through in a lot of previous starts. With more experience will come better command, and if he can go 6 ip, 1 er with inconsistent command, imagine when he has his terrific command – which from his minor league career we know can be truly exceptional. Jason Giambi hit a 5th inning Grand Slam to break the game open. Edwar pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th with five Ks.
- WCBS Radio in New York conducted a good interview with Brian Cashman. He talks about Ross Ohlendorf (among others), who made his ML debut tonight, pitching a perfect inning with a strikeout. His velocity was good, ranging from 90-95, and showed a sharp slider.
As I’ve said before, umpires need help. And I refer you to a piece I wrote over a year ago on this very same subject. Baseball (and sports in general) is far behind the times in utilizing modern technology where it can, specifically to improve officiating.
I’ve thought about this topic for a long time. I think Questec is a good thing. (For those who dont know, it’s a computerized system that measures ball & strikes, and compares it to what the umpire actually called.)
One of the biggest and most frustrating problems in pro sports are bad calls by umps/refs. What I’d like to see is the steady removal of the so-called ‘human error’ from sports; I’ll talk specifically about baseball:
When umps are unsure when a ball is fair or foul down the line, why can’t a system be installed like they use in tennis? They could use technology to determine whether balls are just that, fair or foul.
Also, on disputed HRs, they must use instant replay. There’s no other fair way. An ump should be stationed in the park somewhere near a TV, like in the NHL. He should have the final word, since he’ll have access to the replay.
On balls and strikes, why not use Questec or ESPN’s ‘K-Zone’ (for example) to actually call the strikes? The only problem is that strike zone height is different for every hitter, but width is exactly the same, 17 inches (the width of homeplate). Rickey Henderson had a smaller up/down zone because he was short and crouched, and Richie Sexson’s up/down zone is bigger because he’s 6’8″. But their side-to-side zone is exactly the same. Therefore, computers/technology should be used to tell an umpire when a ball hits the plate or just misses. For the time being, umps will still need to call the up/down pitches (because every hitter is different), but will know for sure when a pitch crosses the corner or not. Or an ump could be assigned to determine the upper limit of each hitter’s strike zone dependent on his stance.
It also sucks when a pitcher throws a strike, but it’s not where he meant to throw it, the catcher has to reach for it, so the ump automatically calls it a ball. It doesn’t matter where the pitcher MEANT to throw the ball, it only matters whether it’s a strike or a ball.
For out/safe calls, when the closest ump feels the play is too close to call, he could send it to the ‘booth ump.’ TV technology is such today that it could be done in 30-60 seconds. Or (ala the NFL) managers should have two replays to use per game.
These steps would help legitimize the officiating and would make for fewer arguments from players and managers. You can’t argue with Questec strikes – it’s 100% consistent and 0% prejudiced (for veterans, or against rookies). Instant replay would also ensure the right call, and isn’t that worth waiting (at most) 60 seconds for – especially in close and/or playoff games?
The Yanks edged the Royals in a 3-2 nailbiter. Arod and Posada jumped on Meche early with two solo shots in the 2nd, only for KC to come right back with two of their in the bottom half against Ian Kennedy.
Both pitchers escaped jams and had to pitch to an extremely inconsistent strike zone (remember that 3-2 pitch to Gathright in the 1st inning? It was called a ball yet there were numerous pitches worse than that called strikes). There was also Robbie Cano being called out on a 3-2 inside changeup that was clearly a ball. Just absolutely ridiculous. Marty Foster is a horrible umpire that shouldn’t be anywhere near the postseason.
Kennedy escaped trouble in the first two innings but settled down after that, pitching to just two over the minimum in innings three through five.
Bobby Abreu had the clutch hit of the night, scoring Jeter from first one a double to left center (off a lefty no less).
But perhaps the biggest story was one fan in attendance, Joba Chamberlain’s father Harlan. He had polio as a kid and is wheelchair bound. Joba grew up in Nebraska (not too far from KC) so Harlan and the Chamberlain family drove up to attend the game. Joba nearly gave up the lead on a deep fly ball (off the bat of Billy Butler) which would have been heartbreaking, but it stayed in park and Damon made a nice running catch on the warning track.
The unsung hero was Kyle Farnsworth, who pitched a perfect two-strikeout inning and got the win. Mo pitched a dominant 9th – a weak groundout, an infield popup and a strikeout.
Phil Hughes pitched his best home game of the year (where previously he had stunk): 6 ip, 5 h, 2 er, 2 bb, 6 k, 97 pitches (61 for strikes), and perhaps most encouragingly 6 groundouts to 4 flyouts. His fastball ranged from 87 to 94 mph, he had average command of a nasty curve and below average command of a slider and changeup. Despite that, he was able to throw all of them for strikes (at times) and got burned by just one bad inning (the 2nd): he had 2 outs and had Guillen down 0-2 before throwing four straight balls. He then fell behind 2-0 on Ibanez and grooved a fastball that was crushed for a HR. Outside of those six straight balls, Hughes was downright dominant (even dealing with a very inconsistent strike zone). Not wanting to stretch him too far (and pulling on a high note), he was pulled after 97 pitches and K to the final batter. A turning point may have been in the 4th when Ibanez led off with what appeared to be a clear double down the right field line – Shelley Duncan fielded it quickly a fired an absolute bullet to nail him at 2nd. Shelley had a huge grin following the play, and it’s awesome to see that kind of joy and enthusiasm from players (that you often only see from rookies).
Joba pitched the top of the 7th, utterly dominating the three batters he faced: two weak groundouts and a shallow pop out.
At that point, the Yanks were down 2-1 only thanks to a solo shot from Jose Molina (who had crushed the previous pitch foul – perhaps from catching him all those years in Anaheim he knew how to hit him). Seattle’s bullpen is very good, so I hoped the Yanks would score a quick run (preferably a HR) off Washburn before their relievers were called into action. Arod delivered with a solo HR (can a guy have more big hits than he’s had this year?). Robbie Cano reached on an error, forcing Washburn out of the game. But the vaunted relief core tanked, allowing seven more runs that inning including another HR by Arod, becoming the first Yankee to homer twice in one inning since 1977! Joba wasn’t used for the 8th, but his scoreless 7th was enough to give Joba his first major league win!
In Seattle’s defense, the umps blew two calls against them. Ichiro was called out stealing 2nd, but replays showed Jeter never tagged him. Later, Ichiro was again called out but replays showed he beat Jeter’s throw. Tough night for him. And someone please tell John McLaren to stop changing pitchers – it was insufferable watching that shit (thank god for DVR).
An off day tomorrow (fitting because it’s the start of football season), and Ian Kennedy goes friday in Kansas City.
2006 Recap
The 2006 season ended in disappointment as the G-Men lost in the wildcard round (to Philadelphia) on a last second field goal. Tiki Barber had a great game that night (28 touches, 152 total yds), but the Giants D couldn’t stop the Eagles rushing attack, especially on the last drive when they marched down the field to make an easy field goal.
Tiki retired after the season to pursue a television career (which is making headlines of its own).
The Giants had a fairly uneventful offseason. No major splashes in the free agent market or in the draft. Steve Spagnuolo was promoted from Eagles linebacker coach to Giants defensive coordinator. Michael Strahan threatened to retire, but then showed up Monday (possibly in a bid to simply skip training camp). Will Demps is out for the year with an elbow injury, and Mathias Kiwanuka was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker.
Key losses
RB Tiki Barber
K Jay Feely
S Will Demps
LT Luke Petitgout
Tiki will be missed the most of these four players. He carried the Giant offense at times last year, and accounted for over 40 % of their offense the last three years. Brandon Jacobs has been an excellent backup, but now he’s the star – will he be able to carry the ball 20+ times a game when he’s never carried it more than 11 in a single game yet? I think the answer is yes. He’s a big, strong guy (6’4″, 265 lbs., which is as big as some defensive ends and bigger than most linebackers), and with the depth the Giants have at RB (Derrick Ward, Ahmad Bradshaw, Reuben Droughns), he won’t have to carry as much of the load as was initially feared after Tiki’s retirement.
I won’t cry over losing Jay Feely. He was a good but not great kicker that often missed in important, close games. Lawrence Tynes won the kicking job – he has made 78.2 % of field goals in his career, a decent percentage (and just a hair under Feely’s career of 79.6 %).
Will Demps was one of the big free agent acquisitions heading into last year, but had a disappointing first year with the Jints after coming over from Baltimore. James Butler, however, played very well in limited time so I don’t mind him becoming the starting free safety in 2007.
Losing Luke Petitgout might have a bigger impact any other loss, even Tiki. When he was healthy, he was a very solid left tackle (a premium position in the NFL), and his injury in the Chicago game last year was essentially the turning point of the whole season – they were winning that game and could’ve gone 7-2, but with Luke out Eli was mauled the rest of the game; the Jints lost and they finished the season going just 2-6.
Key additions
CB Aaron Ross
WR Steve Smith
LB Kawika Mitchell
RB Ahmad Bradshaw
Aaron Ross was selected with the 20th overall pick in the April draft. He was a top CB out of U-Texas and secondary help is what the Giants needed (and still need) desperately. I like what I’ve seen from him in the preseason despite getting picked on – he’s made some nice tackles, has shown good speed and change-of-direction ability, and despite allowing some long catches has been in good position (but the throws were perfect). He should be the starting nickelback, and could take over starting by mid-season (he also returns punts). The only downside is that he’ll turn 25 this month, quite old for a rookie CB.
Steve Smith (out of USC) was selected in the 2nd round and has excelled in camp and in the preseason (8 catches, 78 yds, 1 TD). He has probably taken the #3 WR spot over Sinorice Moss. Along with Shockey, Plax, Toomer, Moss and Mix, the Giants (could) have a one of the best passing attacks in football (a lot of which still rests on Eli).
LB Kawika Mitchell was the only impact free agent that rookie GM Jerry Reese signed. He’s 27 and to this point played his entire career with the Chiefs where he amassed 302 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections and 3 picks. Reese signed him to a nice, low risk contract (one year, $1 million). He’ll be the starting weak side linebacker.
RB Ahmad Bradshaw could turn into the steal of the 2007 draft. He was taken in the 7th round out of Marshall and has excelled in the preseason – 26 carries for 177 yards (6.8 per carry), 4 catches for 31 yards. He looks like a bigger version of Tiki: quick, agile, a little small – and he’s the starting kick returner. The offense for the 2007 Giants should be very strong, which brings me to…
Keys to the season
Eli’s progression
This will be Eli’s 4th season in the league, and if the team is going anywhere he needs to step up from his previous three. If the preseason is any indication (69% completion rate, 3 TD, 0 INT, 107 rating), he’s going to have a breakout year. QB coach Chris Palmer came over from Dallas where he finished molding Tony Romo into (seemingly) a very solid QB.
Steve Spagnuolo’s new D
The new defensive coordinator that came over from Philly has brought a blitzing, attacking defense that is part of the reason Mathias Kiwanuka moved from DE to OLB. His kind of style is high-risk/high-reward. It will be susceptible to screen passes, draws and hot routes, and if the blitzers do not get to the QB, it will leave the weak secondary very exposed. If they can get to the passer, it will hide a lot of problems with the DBs. If nothing else, it will be exciting to watch.
Predictions
Because of the weak NFC East, the Giants actually have a decent shot at the division title. They’ll win anywhere from six to nine games. This may sound horrible, but I would rather have the team suck badly than be simply mediocre (which is probably what will happen) – I’d rather draft Darren McFadden (or another top player) and get a new head coach in here than continue plugging along as just another mediocre NFL team. Final prediction: 8-8 (wildcard team), Eli has a very good year (QB rating over 90), but the secondary kills them too often to win consistently.
sources: NFL.com, Wikipedia, ESPN
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