A.J. ready for pen work, just in case
ByThe Yankees’ approach tonight — and, if necessary, tomorrow — is a simple one: Get the ball to Mariano with a lead. With the season down to its final two games, Rivera will be ready and willing to leave it on the field, and tonight, he can go two innings. With Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte and Phil Hughes ready and seemingly able to pick up the big outs, the Yanks could be looking at a six- or seven-inning affair tonight.
If the Yanks need to go to the pen earlier, if Andy Pettitte can only deliver so many pitches on three days’ rest, the Yanks have a new weapon available to them. Because he threw just 53 pitches on Monday night, A.J. Burnett is available in relief. “I just want the ball again,” Burnett said to reporters. “Hopefully they won’t need me, but I’ll do whatever they need. If I get the ball again, that would be great. Whatever they need, I’m ready.”
Over the years, we’ve seen many pitches come out of the pen on short rest in tight spots. Mike Mussina did it to save the Yanks’ season during the 2003 ALCS, and Randy Johnson did so against the Yankees in the 2001 World Series. Could A.J. be that hero if the Yanks need to strengthen the bridge to Mariano?
For Yankee fans, the idea may not be so comforting right now. We are, after all, still recovering from Burnett’s 2+ IP, 6 ER appearance in Game 5. Yet, A.J. might just be called upon the 6th inning if need be, and we can’t lose sight of the fact that he is, last start notwithstanding, a very good pitcher. In his first inning of work this season, A.J. was at his best. Opponents in the first inning hit just .240/.317/.368 as compared to .247/.336/.393 overall.
Hopefully, Andy Pettitte can be that bridge, and the Yanks won’t need A.J. But as the season turns down it’s final stretch, it’s all hands on deck for the Yankees. Plus, it’s October; stranger things than an A.J. relief appearance have happened.
Could A.J. be that hero if the Yanks need to strengthen the bridge to Mariano?
Um, yeah. I sure hope it doesn’t come to that.
It’s ok he’ll come out of the pen and fire 3 shut out innings and then the b-jobbers will clamor for him to be the 8th inning guy next year
“Well, he is only a two-pitch pitcher,” they’ll say. I, for one, cannot wait to hear about him being the heir to Mo.
The lulz will be great.
bulldog mentality!
“The accumulated filth of all their parking problems, unions, corruption, homelessness, poverty and murder will foam up about their waists and all the Philly fans and Yankee haters will look up and shout ‘Save us!” And I’ll look down, and whisper ‘No.’ And it will be the most funnest.”
-Bulldog A.J. Burnett
Ok, that was very funny.
…Oh sure!!!! NOWWWW!! Burnet can pitch to Posada…..
ietcvm
They’re actually going to replace Posada with Molina because he works better with him…
/Numbskull’d
yes-after Posada gets a hit and Jose pinch runs…
Don’t worry guys I just called Cash, let him know I’d be available to work out of the pen if need be. It’s all good now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA9wT9JRIZI (safe)
Alicia Keys sounds terrible! I had no idea she knew how to play the guitar.
If Andy struggles or tires and doesn’t last long, I’d be down with this. A redemption-driven AJ Burnett could be a good thing.
I’m hoping that at some point we will spell redemption: A-J.
(doesn’t really work that well when there are only 2 letters.)
A-J-B? Nope just doesn’t quite flow.
IPK works though.
AJB sounds like a lumber yard.
Backwards sounds like a curious Canadian John.
HAHAHAHA +1 Melvin cookie for you Andy
Well played, Andy. Way to bring home the bacon.
J-A-J-A-J-J-A-A-J-J
Redemption. See?
Marte has been excellent and Hughes looked like himself the other night, add Robertson and Joba and we should be able to get the 6-8 outs i think we will need before Mo tonight and Mo should be up for a 4 out save.
I’d much rather see Robertson.
I’d much rather see this:
A. Pettitte: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R (0 ER), 1BB, 5K (W, 2-0).
M. Rivera: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K (S, 3).
Im down with that.
Me too.
Only 5 K?
Bust. Let’s start Gaudin instead.
What about Bruney or Robertson?
Lucky Madden’d
“I still can’t believe people wanted Gaudin to start.”
/Bo’d
You’re a glutton for punishment.
Marty! What did I tell you about that Almanac! This could result in a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum and destroy the entire universe!! Granted, that’s just the worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to merely our own galaxy…
This is certainly nice, but Burnett should be a last option in extras, or if there is some type of injury
Andy for 6 K-Rob/Marte/Hughes/Joba for the 7th and MO for 8 and 9.
27 for everybody.
Actually, I think he might be a great option as the 7th ining bridge. (If we are tied or have the lead, Mo should pitch the eighth and ninth). We all know AJ’s fastball stays pretty consistently at 93-96. We’ve seen him hit higher. If he only has one or two innings to go, he might be able to pump one 97-98 MPH fastball with sick movement right after the other.
Good starters make great relievers.
The reason he wouldn’t be a good option is he’s too wild. Too prone to the walk and the wild pitch to be a good situational reliever. You want a guy who combines swing-and-miss stuff (which AJ has) with good control and command (which AJ ain’t got).
This is definitely a good argument against. Maybe a good enough argument that we should take this whole AJ out of the pen thing of the table.
Here’s my one mini-counter: he doesn’t have great command of either his fastball or his curveball, but he has better command of his fastball. For an inning or two, he could rely almost exclusively on a heater that would probably have a bit more heat on it. Now, his fastball command might not be good enough to make this worthwhile. That is certainly possible.
But his general command issues are less of a problem when he doesn’t have to throw the pitch he has the most trouble controlling (his curveball).
The curveball is a bit of an X factor here. Sure, he can throw a 4 and a 2, and he’s a bit erratic. But chances are someone will catch up to it if he’s only throwing fastballs. The curveball is rarely in the zone, which is often a good thing since it’s a huge swing and miss pitch, but I’d bet he’d be hesitant to throw it with men on base and Jorge being a really poor defensive catcher.
Exactly. For the most part, you can tolerate AJ’s erratic tendencies if he’s going to go 6+ innings and face 25-30 batters or so.
If he’s got to retire just three batters, and has to get all three without giving up a run in that inning, it’s a tiny bit dicier. At the very least, the only way AJ should see the mound tonight is to start an inning clean; you can’t bring him in as a fireman with runners on base. That’s flat out insane.
I suppose I wouldn’t object to AJ pitching tonight in the abstract, if we didn’t have good alternatives in the bullpen, but we do, so, I’ll pass.
Yeah, I’d rather go with one of the nervous kids in the pen before I give the ball to AJ in a close game in the 7th…(no Phil Coke though)
Over the years, we’ve seen many pitches come out of the pen on short rest in tight spots. Mike Mussina did it to save the Yanks’ season during the 2003 ALCS
That was so badass…
The other one…not so badass…
That was so badass…
Mike Mussina: American Gangster.
http://thereelworld.files.word.....gster.jpeg (safe)
Ok…
HYPOTHETICALLY
Say Pettitte does struggle a little bit and AJ Burnett comes in and absolutely dominates for the rest of the game…and we win the World Series tonight.
Could it bring back his “MVP” chances?? Or did he flush any chance of that down the toilet in his last start?
Nope. He gave us almost zero chance to win on Sunday. Not gonna happen.
Meh, sure, whatevs.
To be frank, the more I think about playoff short series MVPs, the less I care about them, personally. Put all the players who had a good handful of games in a hat, pick one of them, give him a plaque, and let’s move on to the pussytubing.
I agree with you. All of the awards are just for exposure anyway. Cy Young, MVP’s during the year, they are all the same. It is far too subjective to be taken really serious.
If Mo takes the mound tonight “save” situation or not, and the Yanks win, he gets my non-existant vote.
My vote goes to Cody Ransom.
His horrid play while ARod was out reminded the world how important ARod was, and that made the world appreciate him more and the accompanying calm and relaxation he found from being appreciated for a change enabled him to pound the fucktar out of the ball, leading us to WS win #27.
Your MVP: Cody Ransom
How about Aaron Boone?
Without Aaron Boone carelessly playing street ball and hurting himself…Alex Rodriguez isn’t on our team at all right now.
To be frank, if Aaron Boone had been healthy, we still would have had him whacked to clear a space for ARod when he came available.
Who says we didn’t have him whacked?
You heard that torpedo hit the hull, and I was never here.
Bum bum buuuuuum [dramatic music]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw (safe)
By this reasoning, is it safe to say Jose Molina and Ivan Rodriguez were our 2008 Co-MVPs?
Tommie, in paradise the streets are paved with fucktar.
In paradise, the best job is working for the Department of Roads.
In the winter, all you do is plow those beautiful booty models you’re so fond of, like Melyssa Ford.
Snow, oh sweet delicious snow!
Ok JMK, we’re just a bunch of people on the internet, but since you’ve not only decided to, but also to Be an Overshare, we’re all here for you.
You have a cocaine problem.
Let the healing begin.
Cocaine? I’ve done it twice and both times I shat myself. Either I have some sort of allergy or it was cut with laxatives. Of all my problems, drug use is not one.
But I do drink a fair amount of Scotch, have virtually no standard of who I sleep with, have a serial adulterer for a father, have a cat that wears a diaper, and I sleep with a baby blanket and live at home.
I’m also a big fan of High School Musical 3 and Lady Gaga.
The healing. Ohhhh, I can feel it.
Gold.
Melyssa is actually the math professor at Paradise University.
http://www.melyssafordfan.com/.....ture-4.jpg
Whoa there! NSFW tag please.
Dude… don’t act like you didn’t know what was in there.
Not for me. My boss couldn’t care less. I mean for others who may be at work. Just as a courtesy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context
I totally understand, all I was saying is someone might not read through the whole thing and click on it. Sure, it would be terribly stupid of them, but it doesn’t take much time to write (NSFW) as a just in case. But hey, maybe I’ve blown this out of proportion. If so, forget about it.
The best part of today is how nervous I am right now. I love this anxiety.
YOU’RE EXCITED?!?!? FEEL THESE NIPPLES!!!!!!!
/Costas’d
So, if the Beers beat Detroit and Denver beats Atlanta in the American Southwestern Division East Northern, then Milwaukee goes to the Denslow Cup, unless Baltimore can upset Buffalo and Charlotte ties Toronto, then Oakland would play LA and Pittsburgh in a blind choice round robin. And if no clear winner emerges from all of this, a two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned.
Kenny Mayne’d
My toupee doubles as a pair of panties.
/Marv’d
Weirdly, I’m not nervous since it’s not an elimination game.
What?! Yo u like the anxiety? This wait is killing me! Start the game already!
can he play centerfield?
According to the pattern I have used to predict appearances of good AJ and bad AJ, I have determined that if given a chance to pitch today, good AJ will show up today.
According to the pattern I have used to predict appearances of good AJ and bad AJ…
http://z.about.com/d/coins/1/0.....bv_400.jpg (safe)
Ah, the old a-one-and-then-the-other algorithm.
Prophecy, thy name is BklynJT
I wonder if that 1 run lead in game 5 f’ed up AJ’s mindset. Obviously he couldn’t locate his pitches but it often seems that when the yankees give him run support he pisses it away and can’t throw strikes.
http://www.baseball-reference......6140.shtml
after those 9 runs the very next thing he did was issue a walk to murphy
It will be very interesting to see who Joe goes to if the bridge is needed. Joba, Phil, or AJ as the “top” guy? Although situations earlier in the game may be just as important as the 7th inning (assuming Mo is good for two tonight). All three has a good argument to be no. 2 tonight. It is tough. I think I go to Joba as my top guy, but even as I write that, I am having second thoughts. I’m happy I’m just a fan and not the manager!
At least he has the right attitude. Cole Hamels would be in the fetal position if he had a start like AJ’s game 5 disaster.
hahah
Cole Hamels is in the fetal position right now, as we speak.
Coooome on Cole!
It’s part of the practice of “re-birthing.”
Get em to chase somethin outside!
Damn. Just beat me.
Get him to chase one outside!
touche
Hey guys, what’s up?
David Robertson now has a 2.94 ERA this season (regular season and playoffs combined).
Plus, I think his style matches up really well with most of the Phillies lineup.
If this game is close, and he doesn’t get a crack at an inning or so, I’mma be pissed.
In either case, I’m going to enjoy him being the bridge to Mo all next season while Hughes and Joba start.
I think Robertson is a solid option and all, but I’m not sure citing ERA as a barometer of success is wise for a reliever.
How about a career 12 K/9?
It’s only 7.7 in this WS, but SSS are abound tonight.
Then look at k/9. It’s filthy.
Anyway, sometimes it’s a fine barometer for sucess. If it’s slanted heavily either way, that says something, and 2.94 look like a 3.75 even in an off year.
I hope AJ makes Andy watch this before the game. Hell, I hope the whole clubhouse watches this. And translate for Cano if necesary. He needs to see it the most.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcDMoQ4KT0
SPARTA!
Guys, don’t worry. Nostradamus says we’ll win. If he says it, it must be so.
Skip everything in this link except the ppart about Nostradamus. Everything else is irrelevant.
http://offthewall.mlblogs.com/.....nrest.html
See? With Nostradamus on our side, nothing to worry about.
This is hilarious. From Sam Borden, per LoHud:
UPDATE, 4:54 p.m.: Scott Brosius is throwing out the first pitch. Bernie Williams has also thrown one this postseason, as have David Cone, Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez. Does it make Girardi feel old to have his former teammates throwing out first pitches?
“I don’t need those guys to make me feel old,” he said.
UPDATE, 4:54 p.m.: Scott Brosius is throwing out the first pitch.
HOLY SHITBALLS MY BOY SCOTTY BRO IS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT WE’RE TOTALLY GONNA FUCKIN’ KILL ‘EM
Question: Are you really a Scotty Bro fan or are you mocking the A-Rod haters?
I’ve never been totally sure either way.
A little bit of Column A, but way more Column B.
Thanks. Just wondering.
No problemo. I am really a Bam-Bam Meulens and Gerald “Ice” Williams fan, though. Those two are totally sincere (and fairly irrational).
For those who wondered like I did:
http://www.baseball-reference......he01.shtml
and
http://www.baseball-reference......ge02.shtml
I seriously could not remember those players for the life of me.
I was waiting for this.
http://twitpic.com/oadh6/full
Twitpic isn’t working for me.
http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....icious.gif
He should throw one of those pug-fugly ‘99 WS rings instead.
LOL, a Yankees fan currently at the stadium made a red Phillies coffin with the Phillies logo and all.
Can we forget about Bridges and just score 12 runs, preferably by the third inning?
Can you ever forget the bridges?
Can you ever?
http://i42.tinypic.com/v6kxmh.jpg
Oh no, you realize this is going to start the AJ to the pen crowd going now for next year? Hughes in the 8th, Joba 7th, AJ 6th, CC 5th, Pettite 4th, D-Rob 3rd, Marte 2nd, and starting the bridge to Mo…. CMW starting 162 games next year.
A-J-obbers
You can see how badly AJ wants the ball again. He was really hard on himself saying he let the city down.
Good to know that if we need him even for an inning or two, he’s there. I think the Yankees have to treat this like their game 7 tonight. All hands on deck other than Sabathia.
Coke and Burnett for the 8th and 9th!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
LETS. GO. PHILLIES.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
On the one hand, I’m sorry to hear about your team losing the WS tonight.
Look on the bright side, though: the Yankees aren’t in the NL East.
Well, the late 80’s version is….It’s called the Mets