Interesting stuff, no?
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As we await the weekend start to the ALCS, the Yankees are busy attempting to put together a 25-man team best suited to take on the rival Angels. Brian Costa of The Star-Ledger says the roster won’t change much for the ALCS, but he does highlight a few questions the Yanks are attempting to answer.
First, Costa notes that the Jose Molina/A.J. Burnett/Jorge Posada love triangle has yet to be resolved. Girardi liked what he saw when Burnett threw to Molina on Friday, and the two could be battery-mates again this Saturday. If the Yanks pair up Jose and A.J., Francisco Cervelli will be on the roster. Otherwise, the speedy Freddy Guzman could earn a spot on the team.
Next, Costa takes on Damaso Marte. The lefty couldn’t get out the only two lefties he had to face against the Twins, and since the Angels are a right-hand heavy team, Marte may find himself sitting this round out. In his place, the Yanks would take Brian Bruney instead. For what it’s worth, the Angels’ team platoon splits were incredibly consistent. They hit .285/.353/.440 against righties and .286/.342/.446 against lefties. Bruney, who has been throwing in Tampa to stay ready, is probably the better choice for this round.
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Finally, we have a full ALCS schedule, and the game’s start times are, well, odd. Take a look. All times are Eastern, and all games are on FOX:
Game 1 (Friday, Oct. 16 @NYY): 7:57 p.m.
Game 2 (Saturday, Oct. 17 @NYY): 7:57 p.m.
Game 3 (Monday, Oct. 19 @LAA): 4:13 p.m.
Game 4 (Tuesday, Oct. 20 @LAA): 7:57 p.m.
Game 5* (Thursday, Oct. 22 @LAA): 7:57 p.m.
Game 6* (Saturday, Oct. 24 @NYY): 4:13 p.m.
Game 7* (Sunday, Oct. 25@NYY): 8:20 p.m.
* If necessary
Those of us who work will miss a good chunk of Monday’s game, and if the Yanks and Angels need six games, the Saturday afternoon affair will start amidst shadows in the Bronx. That’s the power of high-priced TV deals for you.
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Here’s your open thread for the night. There’s no baseball until Thursday, plus all the local hockey teams are off tonight. The only local sports on tonight are the Nets and Knicks on YES and MSG, respectively. Hopefully you have dinner plans, or at least some stuff on the DVR to catch up on. Chat about whatever you like here, just follow the guidelines and be excellent to each other.
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