Villone out of ALDS; Ohlendorf, Veras in

October 3, 2007 by Benjamin Kabak 31 Comments

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Time for the unveiling of the post-season roster.

As you may have guessed, Ron Villone is not on the roster. The gods are rejoicing. The Yanks, however, are going with no lefties in the pen. Filling the last spots are Jose Veras and, more impressively, Ross Ohlendorf. Torre really liked what he saw from Ohlendorf down the stretch. I did too. I see big things for this kid next year.

Meanwhile, as we noted yesterday, Bronson Sardinha is on the roster, but Chris Britton, contrary to what The Post reported, is not.

Here’s your Game 1 roster and line up courtesy of Peter Abraham. All of you Melky lovers will be happy to see he’s playing. Shelley Duncan, however, is on the bench and not in the lineup against a tough left. I wish Torre had gone with Duncan:

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B – MVP! MVP!
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B

Chien-Ming Wang P

The Bench
Wilson Betemit
Jason Giambi – Most expensive bench player ever.
Shelley Duncan – He’s gotta come up big at some point this October, right?
Jose Molina – .318/.333/.439 in 71 Bronx PAs. Remember Wil Nieves?
Bronson Sardinha

Starting Pitchers
Andy Pettitte – Only lefty on the ALDS roster
Roger Clemens
Mike Mussina
Phil Hughes – Should be starting game 4. No word on that yet.

Bullpen
Mariano Rivera
Joba Chamberlain
Luis Vizcaino
Kyle Farnsworth
Ross Ohlendorf
Jose Veras

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

I’m calling it now: Joe Torre will cost the Yanks at least one game in the series because he’ll trust Jose Veras in a big spot.
Batty

I agree with you about Duncan vs Matsui…I don’t trust him then again I’ve never had a knee drained. I think he should have taken a week off earlier so he’d have a few healthy at bats before going into the postseason.

Otherwise I like the lineup – bring it on!
Thomas

Unless you are going to use Moose or Hughes in the pen, I think I would have kept an extra reliever and not kept Sardinha. Betemit could be your pinch runner, back up infielder. Even Duncan can pitch run.
Motown Yankees Fan

Where’s Wang? Just an oversight?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  He’s listed under the lineup as the Game 1 starting pitcher. He’s there.
  - Motown Yankees Fan
    
    I’m just a little slow. Thanks
Ivan

My perspective on the starter on Game 4 is this and I assume clemens will start game 3, is that if the Yankees are up 2-1, then he will use Phil Hughes and basically his thinking is that since I am up and I lose game 4, I still got Wang if not Pettite in game 5 and Hughes has some wiggle room in game 4 if he’s up.

Now if the Yankees are down 2-1, then he will use Mussina. Deep down he’s gonna go with veteren experience when his team’s back is against the wall and has confidence that Mussina will use his experience being down a series and not to mention a elimination game that Mussina will know how to handle his self. Basically feeling that is unfair to put Hughes in a elimination game at Yankee stadium against a pretty good lineup which is the Cleveland Indians.

Now I am just guessing what’s Torre’s thought process would be interms of who pitches game 4.
Ivan

Nevertheless, I like what Torre did picking Ross Ohlendorf and feel if given the opportunity can get some big outs in the late innings. I am really impress with Ross Ohlendorf with his fastball and his slider is better than I thought.

LETS GO YANKEES. YEAH MAN.
The Scout

And no Edwar. Interesting. Torre really wants to go with the guys who have shown him something lately — not really the way we think of Torre.
Rick in Boston

No Edwar. No Villone. This is a Cashman roster, not a Torre roster. And as much as Torre’s name and quotes might be all over the place, there’s no way that seven (I’m counting Veras) rookies would be on a playoff roster that Joe Torre built. I like the guy and how he handles a clubhouse and all of the personalities in there, but after the last few years and the pressure on, I’m guessing Cashman took charge.

Now, does Cash’s stuff work in the playoffs?
- dan
  
  what exactly is “Cash’s stuff”?
- The Scout
  
  I don’t think this is about rookies, either way. Edwar is a rookie; so is Ohlendorf. Until we get clear evidence otherwise — as in inside testimony — we have to assume the roster is a collective product.
Jamie

As Billy Beane says, the playoffs are a clusterfuck
http://riveravenuewatch.blogspot.com/ Mike NYY

Is anybody else sjpwcled to not see Villone on the the roster. Abslutekly shcoked….
- Travis
  
  Yes, I am sjpwcled!!
Ivan

me too as well
Mike 44

I haven’t been this sjpwcled since ’01!
http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/ Travis G.

i’m sjpwcled AND pjfdjed Duncan isn’t starting over Matsui! their 07 splits vs LHP –
Duncan: 38 pa, .303/.378/.606!
Matsui: 191 pa, .274/.363/.451 – career vs LHP: .293/.359/.451 – career vs CC: 10 pa, .000/.100/.000 (and CC’s only gotten better their last matchup in 04)

now c’mon, who should be starting?
Zack

Glad to see that Lackey is up to his “crap the bed in Fenway” routine we love so much…
tony from the bronx

i agree with travis.Duncan should get the game 1 start .Matsui should play game 2.I agree with Torre starting meink.at 1st for his glove.
Theo Epstein

What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks kind of playoff roster is that?

Only 2 catchers?

What happens if Tek, er I mean Jorge, gets hurt . . . and you want to pinch run for Mirabelli, er Jose? Then what will you do?

I scoff at that roster!
Batty

Would have been nice if the Angels at least make these three games interesting…
Relaunch

I am pretty happy/surprised that Edwar and Villone aren’t on the roster. Thats good news.
Mike 44

If Duncan were a straight masher (see GlenAllen Hill) and didn’t take pitches or work counts, I could see the case for Matsui. But I’m with the masses, at this point Duncan gives you a better chance for a productive at bat vs. Sabathia than does Matsui.
Brian

It’s been said a million times, but kudos to Cashman. The first list morphed into the second, and the Yankees turned their season around. I think it almost is that simple.

Miguel Cairo
Wil Nieves
Kevin Thompson
Andy Phillips/Josh Phelps
Carl Pavano
Kei Igawa
Scott Proctor
Sean Henn/Ron Villone
Mike Myers

or

Wilson Betemit
Jose Molina
Bronson Sardinha
Shelley Duncan
Phil Hughes
Roger Clemens
Joba Chamberlain
Ross Ohlendorf
Jose Veras
http://RiverAve.Blues Joseph M

The starters in order of appearance should be Petitte game 1, Hughes game 2, Wang game 3, Clemens game 4, Petitte game 5.

I think Matsui is the most overrated player the Yankees have I’m glad he’s not in the outfield.
kunaldo

joe, you are right on the money my friend….hughes and pettitte are much better on the road, and wang and clemens are much better at home

gotta play the numbers, especially when it’s a season sample size(er, 1/3 for hughes)

yeah, matsui looks lost in the outfield at times…
bart

Agree with kunaldo and Joe — we need Hughes in game 2 or 3
This game 1 is the right spot for Duncan unless someone can get Matsui to stay squared up so he can be the good Matsui — no way of knowing if the knee is responsible but something is clearly wrong

In this game getting baserunners on and Sabathia into the stretch is crucial – so maybr Giambi is even a better choice — but he has been as cold as matsui and Melky

At least the best defense is on the field behind Wang – gonna be lots of balls in play –
Count Zero

Why would you not pitch your ace in Game 1? Andy has made 1 start at the Jake in the last three years, as has Wang – that’s hardly a significant sample.

Barring some meaningful statistical sample that shows a pitcher’s incredible ineffectiveness in a specific park, there is no reason why you don’t position your ace to pitch two games in the short series. Saving your ace for Game 3 is so ridiculous I can’t even think what to say about it.
- Relaunch
  
  I agree. Their reasoning isn’t realistic.
kunaldo

I understand the whole “pitching your ace in game 1 so you can have him pitch twice”….from a statistical standpoint though, Wang is 2.75 at home(3.04 career), and 4.91 on the road(4.62)….clemens: 3.29 home, 5.17 away…..pettitte, though not as dramatic, is 3.95 away, 4.17 home….and he’s our gamer…hughes is much better on the road as well(3.11 away, 5.91 home)….

so Pettitte, Hughes, Wang(in the real high leverage game, where if we’re up 2-0, we can end it w/ our best pitcher in his best environment, if we’re down 2-0, it’s our best chance to save the series, and if it’s split, well, we can take a commanding lead), and Clemens in game 4…..

if you start w/ pettitte, then you get him again in game 5….is that really so bad?

baseball is all about numbers…it’s best if you use them to your advantage….

that being said, who knows, maybe these guys pitch out of their minds and overcome their previous tendencies…