Saturday Night Open Thread

September 29, 2012 by Mike Axisa 155 Comments

Derek Jeter Robinson Cano — Happier times. (Abelimages/Getty)

Here is your open thread for the evening. MLB Network will air a game tonight, and if you’re in the Tri-State area you’ll see the Red Sox at the Orioles (Doubront vs. Johnson). That game is obviously worth following. The Mets are also playing the Phillies (Young vs. Minor). You can talk about those games or any other non-politics topic here. Have at it.

Joe F

Aww dammit.

Go…Red…Sox…

*throws up repeatedly, sorta similar to Family Guy*
- http://needanewnamegivesuggestions.tumblr.com/ Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
  
  http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kqgqjago1rxi19zo2_500.gif
  - Joe F
    
    This.
    
    +1
    
    Too bad it’s tumblr. :)
    - http://needanewnamegivesuggestions.tumblr.com/ Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
      
      I was about to say, this is why tumblr is awesome. I searched family guy in the tags and found this in minutes of looking.
      - Joe F
        
        My friends (who are girls) use tumblr! No guys!
        
        http://needanewnamegivesuggestions.tumblr.com/ Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
        
        I used to say the say thing about myspace. Then my friends and I all made one. I also used to say the same thing about Facebook. Then my friends and I all made one. I used to say the same thing about Twitter…then all my friends made one and I refused to out of some strange hatred for it that even I can’t explain.
        
        Joe F
        
        I hate fb. I love twitter.
        
        http://needanewnamegivesuggestions.tumblr.com/ Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
        
        Just check out my tumblr or memewhore’s blog if you’re not in hysterics then you don’t have a sense of humor. Plus all memes on the internet start on /b or tumblr. And…yeah /b is not a safe place.
        
        Joe F
        
        What’s /b?
        
        DERP
        
        board on 4chan
Eddard reboot v.1.0

4 games to go and Girardi will probably sit A-Rod, DH Cano and send Derek Jeter back to the hotel for additional rest. We’re counting on Doubront. Tampa will win today to stay within striking distance. We can no longer count on winning out, we can only hope the Os choke worse and that’s the position Girardi has put us in.
- http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
  
  Your comments are very truthful, Eddard, and in a sense a bit comical. The Yankees left 24 men on base this afternoon. That is thoroughly disgraceful. Looking at the box score, Chamberlain pitched one inning and third and struck out three men. Pretty impressive, however, he was asked to get one out in the bottom of the 5th and gave up a double for the winning run. And, Granderson, had another wonderful game going hitless and striking out for number 191 and counting.
  - DC
    
    24?
    - Need Pitching & Hitting
      
      heh, 24…11, same thing.
      
      It did seem like about 24 though. I would hope even this team couldn’t manage leaving 24 on base in a game.
  - DERP
    
    lol
Moskva

What’s the spread on the red sox game? I’ve got baltimore winning 47-0.
- DC
  
  O’s picked up Sam Pearce. Better add 3 more runs to that.
Mike Myers

God, why are the sox so terrible at a time like this?
Mike

Rays are crushing the Sox (good thing I say since it gives them something to play for against the Orioles)

A’s are losing late in the game against the Mariners (which is good for 2 reasons, also puts the Rays a little bit closer, and every A’s loss gets the Yankees a game closer to the #1 WC spot shall they not win the division)

Division magic number – 5
#1 wild card seed- 3 if the A’s lose
Playoffs- 2

However team I want to lose tonight for certain is the Orioles.
- Mike
  
  Crap, A’s just tied it
  - Mike
    
    3 run walkoff for A’s in bottom of the 10th
- Eddard reboot v.1.0
  
  If Oakland ends up losing the Rays will just be two back of the As. This will put the Rays two back of Oakland so they should have something to play for in their series vs the Os. Girardi has put us in a position where we have to count on other teams to do the dirty work.
  - Tom
    
    People need to drop “the something to play for” Rays meme.
    
    I don’t get why people want the Rays to beat up on Chicago:
    
    A) If the Yankees win the division and end up #2 it makes it more likely they face Detroit, which I think is a worse matchup for the Yankees (depending on Scherzer’s availability).
    
    B) The Rays have a decent shot at the WC, if the Yankees don’t win the division, do you really want to face Price and that bullpen in a winner take all game (or Oakland?)
    
    The Rays are going to play Baltimore tough regardless. Has Toronto packed it in this series? You think Joe Maddon will phone it in the last 3 games?
    - Need Pitching & Hitting
      
      The only way the Rays can win the WC would be if they beat up on the O’s (and get some help), in which case the Yankees would presumably win the division (I would hope, if not….yikes), so the WC game wouldn’t come into play.
      
      I do agree that the Rays will play the O’s tough regardless. Being out of the race could potentially impact some managerial decisions though (such as using a key reliever several games in a row, or using a starter out of the pen to get a key out).
- http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
  
  Here we are this late in the season, after the Yankees have blown a ten game lead, where we Yankee fans have to resort to help from other teams for a playoff position. There should be no excuse, the Yankees blew a game this afternoon. That is plain and simple. They left 24 men on base and had a plethora of opportunities to blow the game open. The Yankees hold their destiny in their own hands. Perhaps, as Yankee fans we should hope and pray that the Orioles,Rays and A’s lose all their remaining games. Then we could win the division by one-half game.
  - DC
    
    24 men on base?
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
      
      He just added up the individual LOB. They actually left ten on base.
      - toad
        
        Well, yes. But the number 24 is still important. A single with no outs has more potential than one with two outs. So counting that as three LOB if the next three batters make outs does tell you more about potential runs wasted than counting it as one.
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
        
        So if someone hits a leadoff double, the next two batters strikeout, and the third batter hits a two-run homer, they still stranded two runners? That doesn’t make sense. How can you say they stranded 24 runners today when they didn’t even have 24 men on-base?
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
        
        And furthermore, what happens if you hit the leadoff single then I follow with a single that moves you to third? Do I get a LOB on that?
        
        toad
        
        I think that doesn’t count. I think you get an individual LOB only if you make an out.
        
        Anyway, Mike, it’s not like the standard LOB number is more than a very rough stat. It’s the runners on base when the third out of the inning is made. Why is it irrelevant how many were on base when the first and second outs were made?
        
        toad
        
        I didn’t say they stranded 24 runners. I said, more or less, that 24 times batters came up with runners on base and failed to drive them home and that that is a number that we shouldn’t just ignore.
        
        Look at your example. Suppose one of the two batters who made an out instead got a hit and drove the guy on second in. Then, with the HR, three runs score instead of two.
Joe F

Someone is stalking me on fb and twitter. I’m so scared.
DERP

If the division is still in doubt going into the last two games, anyone think we should go with Hiroki and Andy (each on three days rest) instead of Nova and Hiroki (each on normal rest) for the last two games?
- dkidd
  
  no hirok on short rest, not even against dice k
  
  at this point, i’m just hoping the play-in game is a home game
- TomH
  
  Nova? They’re still planning to use Nova? Why not that kid who feels foul balls down the third base line?
  - http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
    
    Why not, Tom H? Nova, leads Major League Baseball in extra base hits with 87!
    - TomH
      
      By God, you’re right! I forgot that.
TomH

After games like this I sometimes wonder why the hell they don’t just close the clubhouse to the press. It’s not as if the press are going to get a big story. What they get are yards and yards of cliches: about how “our destiny is in our hands,” etc., or “we’ve-just-got-to…” cliches.

And, after all, what the hell are they going to say?

Instead we get the baseball equivalent of those disaster stories, where some tv person, untutored in the reality of human life, holds a microphone in front of a poor woman standing in her housecoat, on the rubble of what was once her home, and asks her, “How do you feel?”

Meredith is maybe the worst of all at asking that sort of stupid question: “How does it make you feel when you ….“
cr1

This thought flashed into my mind today, as I ruminated on Girardi’s recent performance: can he be auditioning for his next job, and thinking it will be in the National League?
Hoss

The Yankees just lost 3/5 to the Twins and Jays, arguably 2 of the worst teams in baseball, when they knew that the season was on the line. The same problems have come up all year long – one dimesional offense, failing to deliver with runners in scoring position, not winning a single game trailing into the 9th – and I don’t want to watch this team next year if this team is fielded again.
Granderson is batting close to… Martin. Dickerson is not playing because… he is not old enough? Have you ever seen a manager bench a player after he starts to break out? Well, Girardi has done it to Dickerson twice this month. Nunez can’t DH because… he’s an infielder? Seems that Girardi has used other IFs before including NIX.
Call me spoiled, expecting too much, etc., but I have watched almost every Yankee game since 1971, and this year’s stuff is getting really old. Look at the ML stats for OBP and OPS and you will see why it sucks to watch this team. Cannot really blame the pitching for the most part. Yes, Nova is a disappointment and Hughes has not lived up to his potential. CC is way overpaid for what he gives us, and Joe completely abuses the bullpen. But the problem is the offense.
And, by the way, this whole playoff system stinks, so getting “in” means nothing. Playing well for 162 does, and the Yankees have way underperformed their potential and payroll.
Time for management to be accountable. Cashman should leave and a GM with vision (oher than HRs) should replace. Joe, you’re a great guy and should run for political office.
- http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
  
  Excellent post, Hoss. Great comments on Cashman and his stooge Girardi, as well as Number 34, Hughes, and Number 87, Nova. They both lead the world in extra base hits. I don’t know if I agree with you regarding Girardi abusing the bullpen. I believe he finds it difficult to control himself playing musical chairs with the bullpen.
- DERP
  
  There are so many things wrong with this post. My favorite is complaining about the OPS, even though the Yankees have the highest OPS in the majors.
  - Hoss
    
    What else?
    - DERP
      
      Season on the line
      Dickerson breaking out
      Sabathia way overpaid
      Girardi abusing the bullpen
      - Hoss
        
        You don’t think that the season is on the line now? Dickerson’s solid hitting w/HRs followed by being benchec doesn’t strike you as odd? Yes, CC is overpaid based on this season’s stats. Girardi abusing the bullpen? Let me give you names for this season: Wade, Boone, Eppley, Rapada, Robertson (ie back-to-back appearances).
        
        TomH
        
        This point about CC’s being overpaid based on this season’s stats: it’s an unintelligible point. He was paid what he was paid on the basis of what he had done and on what they expected him to do. They knew, we knew, the world knew, that there was no guarantee that the future would repeat the past. His contract is signed and sealed. “Overpaid” is as beside the point, logically, as it is useless to bitch that you can’t bend your arm between the wrist and the elbow.
        
        DERP
        
        I don’t think the season is on the line. Every site that calculates playoff odds has us at 99% to make it. Dickerson’s is a utility outfielder. His solid hitting has been 15 PAs. CC may be slightly overpaid this year, but he has actually been a bargain based on his four years in NY. I think the only person who has been overused is Logan. I don’t have a problem with how often the others have been used.
        
        Hoss
        
        I hope that you are right.
        You can only gets PAs if the Mgr allows it. Wny is Jones getting any AB period?
        Wade is done, Logan and Eppley are close. Rapada and D-Rob are accidents wating to happen because of oveuse.
        
        DERP
        
        Jones isn’t taking ABs from Dickerson. They bat from different sides of the plate. Dickerson would be getting ABs from Ichiro or Ibanez.
        
        toad
        
        99%? Yes, if you count the WC play-in game. technically, I suppose you should, but I tend to think of getting past that as “getting into the playoffs.”
        
        Right now NY is about 75% to do that – 50% to win the division and 50% to win the WC play-in if they don’t win the division.
The Real Greg

Anybody going to even try and blame the players for failing in the clutch?

Didn’t think so.
- TomH
  
  People may have burned out on blaming the players. Ever since this great rispfail epic began, back in the spring, the players’ failures have been commented on to death. At this point–and speaking only for myself–it’s now a given that there are serious deficiencies in many of these guys.
  
  And various people have offered various explanations, e.g.: they swing mercilessly for the fences no matter what the count or the field situation generally; they can’t hit for average, i.e, hit for contact (and, I would add, be damned with the view that “average don’t count”–a view that a century or more of players and managers would laugh at). There is the plain vanilla explanation, vaguely psychological around the edges: they’re not “clutch.” And who knows what else?
  
  But they were put together by Cashman and deployed in combat by Girardi. Thus, at this point, and fair or not, it’s human to begin to say, “OK, Cashman/Girardi, it’s your team. Have you put it together wisely? Have you deployed people correctly? Have you made timely acquisitions in light of ongoing revelations of deficiencies? Have you put together a minor league system deep enough and developed enough to permit you to bring up sufficient young people to correct the all-too-visible geriatric dimension of the team?” Etc.
  
  I think we should expect these complaints to increase if the team fails to make it to the playoffs or, if they do, continues to get booted out early.
  - Need Pitching & Hitting
    
    Nobody says “average don’t count”. It’s that average isn’t a complete measurement of a players hitting, as it ignores some trips to the plate and treats all hits as equal, which they aren’t. I’m sure everybody would like every Yankee hitter to be hitting over .300 along with power and a high OBP.
    
    It’s not “average don’t count”. It’s “average isn’t the only thing that matters”.
  - jim p
    
    re: “average don’t count”
    
    Hits being the principle device by which runs are scored; frequency of hits increasing likelihood of runs being scored; run scoring being the key factor in the Mother of All Stats: W-L record…
    
    You’d think the value of average would be as obvious as “if strikeouts are good for pitchers, they must be bad for batters.”
    
    Be that as it may, it has been mind-boggling how the Yanks haven’t delivered with men on base. And not just with hits, even their outs seem (I don’t have the stat) to be the kind which don’t move runners up. Popups, strikeouts, fielder’s choice grounders/double-plays… What makes it all odder is that most of these guys have a track-record, over their careers, of delivering the move-up out, the base hit. But not this year.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting
      
      Their productive out % is 31% (slightly below league average of 32%)
      
      But they’ve only gotten the runner in from 3rd with < 2outs 48% of the time (league average only 53%)
      
      For comparison's sake:
      2011 productive out % – 34%
      2011 runner on 3rd, <2 0ut % – 55%
      
      2009 productive out % – 31%
      2009 runner on 3rd, <2 0ut % – 54%
      - jim p
        
        Thanks for finding that stuff out. Appreciated.
        
        So I guess it’s the definite RISP fail which adds to my sensitivity about non-productive outs, not that they are objectively that much worse on moving the runner up.
        
        That runner on third brought in stat, being down 6, 7%, that would contribute to the “not moving the runner like they used to” sensation, I guess.
Zack

One has to keep in mind the O’s also lost two to the Blue Jays and would have been in first had they not done so.
- The Real Greg
  
  Exactly. Neither team has been able to break away from the other.
  And the way the Rays are playing, its going to be hard for Baltimore to pull away.
DERP

Matt Wieters named his son Maverick Luther Wieters. Awesome or not?
Rocky Road Redemption

Boy I hope the O’s lose.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  Don’t even get your hopes up. It’ll be a bloodbath.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    Probably, Mike. Probably.
jjyank

Well this is shaping up to be a great open thread! *rolls eyes*
- Joe F
  
  I’ll make it better. What’s interesting? I’m currently bored out of my mind.
  
  Mad about the Yankees losing and O’s winning.
  - jjyank
    
    I’m replaying the Halo games while I wait for Halo 4. And I’m doing it while drinking rum. Reminds me of college.
    - Joe F
      
      I’m wondering why someone is following me around on fb and twitter. Pretty scared.
      - jjyank
        
        Who is it?
        
        Joe F
        
        Some guy from an old forum found out who I was when I reconnected with old friends from there. He’s been a huge jerk to me since the time I commented on the old forum. Now he wants to torture me more.
        
        jjyank
        
        I’m not familiar with twitter, but you can just block him on facebook. I would imagine twitter has a similar feature.
        
        Joe F
        
        I don’t know his twitter. So impossible.
    - Anthony
      
      I can’t wait for it. Probably the only game I’m going to buy this season.
      - jjyank
        
        More or less in the same boat, now that I live on my own. Can’t afford to buy every cool game like I used to. I’ll probably spring for AC3 because I love the series, but Halo comes first so I can relive the glory days with my college buddies.
Zack

The one thing the O’s have more then the Yanks is a better bullpen. That’s how they are still in the running despite the fact their starting pitching really isn’t that scary.
That and they hit a lot of home runs.
- Eddard reboot v.1.0
  
  And a better manager
  - The Real Greg
    
    Couldn’t win a World Series to save his life.
- Rocky Road Redemption
  
  And let’s not forget the Mysterious Force.
  - Zack
    
    QUite frankly,pitching wise the Reds and Giants are much more lethal then anything coming out of the AL.
Mick taylor

Girardi may havecost us the division by this insane decision to play andruw jones when it was clear he was a total detriment to the team if jones drives one run in either in the first or 3rd Andy would at least 2 runs to work with. How do youcome in a big game and not even drive at least one run inthose situations I don’t understand girardi’s mindset would he really play andruw jones in the playoffs where if he can’t hit last place team pitching will he play jones against atop flight lefty in the playoffs. I say bring in francona and pinella as his benchcoach next year. Maybe cashman can take jones 3 million and offer it to the pirates for their 16 game winner since cashman already spent 13 million on him
- jjyank
  
  Wait…you want AJ back? Alright then.
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
    
    Of course, didn’t you see Mick saying he knew Burnett would improve this time a year ago?
  - Joe F
    
    Do we throw A.J. a welcome back parade?
- Eddard reboot v.1.0
  
  Girardi will play his guys until he runs us right out of the playoffs. And he doesn’t realize that there’s only 4 games left. Wouldn’t you want your best roster out there with so few games left to play? These are baseball players, I think they can play 3 games in a row on astroturf with the division hanging in the balance. Even Kay said Girardi’s an idiot.
DERP

This is Orioles related, but it still cracked me up. Someone posted this picture from the Brooks Robinson statue ceremony:

https://twitter.com/NestorAparicio/status/252170578159624192/photo/1/large

and then someone posted this in response:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/nursetpd/MLB/Super_Orioles.jpg
- MannyGeee
  
  That is awesome…
Rocky Road Redemption

Hey, remember that time, like a week ago, when the Yankees were red hot? Man, those were the days.
Eddard reboot v.1.0

Os are taking business when it counts. Buck has those guys ready to play each night, fired up. That’s a sign of a good manager. Joe has had this team look lackluster far too often and today was just one of those many days where the team looked flat. That’s the sign of a manager who has lost the locker room. Where else did that occur recently? Boston with Tito Francona. Girardi’s fate should be the same if he blows this.
- MannyGeee
  
  Wow, atta way to find the least likely comparison, make it the lowest common denominator, and use it to find a new way to call for Girardis head.
  
  The creativity is commendable.
- bring buck back
  
  I’ve been saying this for weeks.
Mick taylor

Girardi should be fired for his insane decision to play andruw jones. Jones cost us the game today when he could not even drive arun in in his pathetic at bats. Had petite gotten out to a3 run lead we win the game. Bring in francona as manager and pinella as bench coachCashman can maybe aquire the pirates 16 game winner with the money he paid this useless crap jones this 16 game winner the yanks are paying the pirates 13 million to win those games
- jjyank
  
  Repeat yourself more. Seriously. MOAR REPETITION!
- stuart a
  
  absolutely Jones made grandy suck with RISP and it also made Ibanez suck also. It also made arod play a ball going foul and on and on…
  
  this is a team of losers….they almost never come up big late in a game and suck with RISP, and that is not Girardi’s fault…
  
  Bottom line; aroid, cano, tex, grandy, swisher, they are not as good as there reputations say they are, not even close..
  
  jeter gets a pass he is a 38 year old SS….
  - Need Pitching & Hitting
    
    they need more parades…..that will make them play better…….they try harder when they get parades…….
  - Mick taylor
    
    The difference shuck is that all those players,grandy, ibanez,et.al, have helped to win games in the past month. Jones has done nothing butcost us games including today. In a crucial game like today it is inexcusable he struck out twice against a garbage pitcher like Romero ibanez won us games this week .
Rocky Road Redemption

All right, I’m going to write this here once and speak for the majority of the blog, so people stop posting this in every single fucking time the Yankees are discussed now:

Girardi’s an idiot.

There, now we’ve already established this point. Let’s move on to other stuff about the team.
stuart a

Oakland came back to tie it in the 9th and win it in 10th. yanks NEVER DO THAT!!!!!!!

thsi team reagardless of what they do in playoffs if they make it need to blow it up now, else you are looking at many dark seasons.. they are OLD AND HAVE MANY BAD CONTRACTS.

LET CANO WALK after next season and same with grandy. they will be 310 and 32 and they are just not that great and will soak up a lot more money then they are worth. this may be the high water mark for the team for many years……

imagine aroids contract and production in 2015.. he may need a walker to play and he might be a 20 homer guy.. his production is disappeared….

you can count 5 to 7 horrible losses… that would not be the end of the world if they stole a few games here and there, they stole the A’s game in extra’s and not many others this year……..
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  The Yankees came back to tie in the 13th and won in the 14th. Against Oakland.
  - stuart a
    
    i know I stated late. did not say the inning. they played 158 games ,they are going to get a big hit once in a while etc.
    
    you have to admit this team is the least clutch you have seen in quite a while..what is likeable about this team??
    who has overachieved? David phelps! Kuroda a 37 yr old guy!! no breakout years, the old guys basically are getting older etc..
    
    Hughes breakout year? Pretty good year but he was a all star 2 years ago..
    
    cano’s ab’s with RISP have been a great watch? Arod becoming a slap hitter? Jeter and 208 or so hits has been great to watch and not much else… granderson 40 homers and hitting in the high 220’s…..ugly ugly baseball….
    - Joe F
      
      No parades?
- Rocky Road Redemption
  
  ..giardi s a tool..almost as bad as arod..old players all idiot cashmans fault..throw a parade…
Kramerica Industries

Gotta love how Mark Reynolds is now a gold glover at first.

O’s luck on full display.
- Rocky Road Redemption
  
  The Mysterious Force is out with a vengeance.
  - Kramerica Industries
    
    It’s the Yankees punishment for sucking on a roadtrip against shitty opponents.
    - Rocky Road Redemption
      
      You’re misunderstanding the Mysterious Force. It affects EVERY game in the O’s favor, even ours. You really think the 10 men LOB had nothing to do with the MF? Don’t be so naive.
      - Kramerica Industries
        
        Naivety is one of my biggest downfalls.
        
        Alas.
MannyGeee

Holy shit. Anyone just see that tarp grab by Mark Reynolds? That was bad ass.

Also, fuck mike aviles, he is really bad at baseball. He is really just playing out the string, and hoping theCubs are looking for a super utility next season…
stuart a

the orioles have guys like lew ford and mcclouth total scrubs making a play on occassion….

we have guys making $10 mill + popping out to 2nd late in a game time after time…jeter and swihser hitting over 300 with RISP and that is about it…

yanks have scored more then the O’s, pitched better, and fielded better and may be tied after tonight!!!!!because they have not come up big enough times for a team that wants to win a championship……
- jjyank
  
  but…parades??
Kramerica Industries

Red Sox teasing us here in the 6th.
- MannyGeee
  
  Wow, a rare mistake on the field of dreams there…
Rocky Road Redemption

stuart a is in fine form today.
- stuart a
  
  truth hurts. yanks have much better stats then the orioles in all categories and may be tied in the standings after tonight. but being clutch is a anamoly and does not matter.
  
  much better fielding %, lower era, more runs scored and maybe tied in the standings… WHY??? RISP fail is random, my ass..
  - jjyank
    
    Ew, stuart. I want nothing to do with your wrinkly old man ass. That’s just gross. Go throw a parade or something.
Kramerica Industries

And the O’s fuck up!!
DERP

Well done Oze!
Need Pitching & Hitting

lol Davis
- Tom
  
  Even when the O’s mess up it doesn’t matter – that’s a sac fly and earned run anyway.
  
  The error had zero impact – it didn’t even cost his pitcher extra pitches as the next batter hit into an inning ending DP.
  - Tom
    
    Oops – not meant as a reply.
Kramerica Industries

Well, the tie is fun.

It’ll be gone in less than five minutes.
- https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries
  
  Five minutes, fifteen minutes.
  
  Same difference.
Josh

If the Red Sox win, they’ll fire Valentine.
- MannyGeee
  
  Funny, I was listening to WEEI and they were interviewing one of the TV guys for Fox (I think). The radio guys asked him what games he would be covering and he told him ALCS &WS… Then the radio guys said something like “well, how about the ALDS? What will you be covering then?”
  
  His response, without missing a beat: “Why, I’ll be covering Bobby Valentines dismissal, of course…”
  
  Pure dumb shit bobby v has become a punch line…
Rocky Road Redemption

Boo Yah, motherfuckers.
Zack

The players are still going to do their best..most of the ones on teh Red Sox now simply suck.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

And that’s the ballgame.
MannyGeee

Wow, manny machado is like, the real fucking deal all of the sudden… Depressing.
Chilango

The O’s are what you call a clutch baseball team.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  They don’t score on anything but a homer.
  - Josh
    
    Hey at least they’re scoring… I doubted this whole RISPfail crap for most of the year, but now its starting to frighten me
    - Zack
      
      But they’re doing it with the longball. Take that away from them and they’re like the Yankees in many ways.
      - Josh
        
        Even with it they’re like the Yankees in many ways. It just seems like the O’s do enough to stay in it and than win it late, while the Yankees do the scoring early and hope it holds up.
        
        JohnnyC
        
        The O’s have had a much better bullpen than the Yankees since the ASB or about the time Cashman thought it’d be a great idea to load up the pen with OOGYs because, you know, that’s how Girardi rolls.
        
        Need Pitching & Hitting
        
        Bullpen has been a huge difference:
        O’s pen – August: 2.76 ERA/3.50 FIP, 1.6 fWAR,84.2IP
        September: 2.93 ERA/ 3.20 FIP, 1.8fWAR, 101.1 IP
        Yankees pen – August: 4.19 ERA/3.50 FIP, 0.9 fWAR, 66.2 IP
        September: 3.95 ERA/4.72 FIP. -0.2 fWAR, 84.1 IP
  - Chilango
    
    I was kind of being facetious and sarcastic but OK. How’s this: they win on clutch homers.
  - https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries
    
    But it’s not a playoff problem for them.
  - Joe F
    
    Mike can you follow me back on twitter? I’ll reply to you.
Zack

Btw,those games the O’s lost the past few days? Those were games they didn’t homer in. Funny how hitting homeruns is an issue for the Yankees but not the O’s.
- Josh
  
  A’s also. Really anyone as long as its not the Yankees
  - Zack
    
    That’s the thing. We know how the Yankees score most of their runs but it’s also how the O’s and White Sox scored most of theirs.
    IMO,that’s why it will be an issue for the O’s in the postseason as well as the Yanks. Romero loaded the bases three times against the O’s and they couldn’t score,not even a sac fly.
    They have the same swing for the fences approach too many of the Yankee hitters do.
    - JohnnyC
      
      The pitching staff keeps giving up leads early middle and late. Starters can’t go more than 6 and middle relievers drop trou like they’re visiting a nude beach. Been the story since late July.
      - Zack
        
        That’s been the bigger issue and the real reason we dropped the lead so much.
Chilango

The Orioles are 3.10 left in scoring position per game 2d best in the majors. The Yanks are 3.54 per game, 15th in the majors. That clutch enough for you?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  The Yankees have a 20 pt advantage in team OBP. You would expect them to leave more men on base because they’re getting more men on base overall.
  - Chilango
    
    that’s true, of course. But .44 difference? That’s pretty big
    - Chilango
      
      Yankees hits per game: 8.87
      Orioles : 8.59
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

Ross-Gomez-Salty

Well, I guess home runs are possible…

…

nah.
Need Pitching & Hitting

And tied.
Cy Pettitte

fuck I hate the Orioles, literally everything goes right for them. If they were anywhere near league average for 1 run games/wins when leading after 7/extra innings wins the Yankees would have a comfortable lead and the division wrapped up. Such a ridiculously lucky season.
- Need Pitching & Hitting
  
  If the Yankees were league average in 1-run games, they’d have a 2 game lead right now.
- Chilango
  
  That and the fact that the Orioles pen ERA is 3.05 and the Yanks is 3.51. And maybe that even though we do have a 20 pt higher OBP, that’s mostly due to walks, because Yankees have hits per game: 8.87 and Orioles have 8.59 (even when you look at the HR, doubles and triples split they are very close). So the 20 pt difference in OBP doesn’t account for the big difference in RLISP per game: O’s 3.10 2d best in the majors. Yanks 3.54 per game, 15th in the majors.
  - Mike Myers
    
    Boom Roasted
Mike Myers

ShEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTT (the wire)

At least the next few days will be exciting
Steve S

Pathetic….this team has no heart. With losses in 2 of the last 3 games to the weakest team in the A.L.with the East title on the line- these guys are going nowhere. They have found more ways to loose games they should win than I could have ever imagined.
Their inability to win a game when trailing after the 7th or 8th inning is telling. BA with RISP- sad.
I almost hope the Red Sox put them (and me) out of misery next week…it would be a perfect end to a perfectly worthless season.
One Yankee has had a season wothy of note….37 year old, over the hill, Captain D.J.- but it’s wasted. In a 3 game series @ the White Sox, Jeter homered in all 3 games and they lost- all three games.
Ridiculous!
- Need Pitching & Hitting
  
  “I almost hope the Red Sox put them (and me) out of misery next week…it would be a perfect end to a perfectly worthless season.”
  
  That’s fan of the year material right there. Root, root, root for the home team … to fail.
- Joe F
  
  Red Sox fan?