Archive for Asides
2009 World Series Game Five chat reminder
Posted by: | CommentsYou guys know the routine, so I’ll spare you the shtick. See you at 1pm ET.
Oh, make sure you check out my Game Five recap at YES, as well as my short appearance on Drunk Jays Fans’ podcast. It was recorded Sunday night, so it might seem a little outdated, but you get to listen to me try to talk over those three drunken hosers, which is fun.
Melky out with mild hamstring tear; Peña in
Posted by: | CommentsA few minutes ago, Joe Girardi revealed that Melky Cabrera suffered a mild strain of his left hamstring during the 6th inning of last night’s game. He will be unavailable for the remainder of the World Series, and the Yankees are working to replace him on the roster, most likely with Freddy Guzman. Official word will come down at 6 p.m., and we’ll update this post accordingly. With Melky out, the Yankees will hand center field over to Brett Gardner this evening, and the Yanks’ lineup will feature a 6-7-8-9 combination tonight of Robinson Cano, Gardner, Jose Molina and A.J. Burnett. On the bright side, the bench is very strong tonight.
Update (5:45 p.m.): The Yankees have announced that Ramiro Peña will take Melky Cabrera’s place on the roster. Peña isn’t as fast as Guzman but provides more versatility both with the bat and in the field. Peña could be asked to bunt tonight as well if the situation calls for it.
World Series chat this afternoon
Posted by: | CommentsSo … how’d your weekend go? I’m pretty sure my heart rate has finally stabilized after Game Four last night, so I think I can make it through this chat this afternoon. Let’s do this thing at 1pm ET. See you there.
Yanks announce A.J., on short rest, for Game 5
Posted by: | CommentsOnce again, the winner of the Great Beat Writers’ Race to Twitter is Joel Sherman. He is the first among the Yanks’ crew to report that A.J. Burnett will start Game 5 on three days’ rest. Burnett, dominant in Game 2, will face off against Cliff Lee tomorrow night. This start, the last of A.J.’s season, will be his first for the Yanks on short rest. He has made four career starts on three days’ rest and is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 27 innings. If both pitchers are at their best, Game 5 could be one for the ages.
Stadium open for Game 4 viewing party
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this week, the Yankees announced that, weather permitting, the team will open Yankee Stadium for tonight’s Game 4 World Series match up. With blue skies above in the city and rain no longer in the forecast for Philadelphia, the team will open the turnstiles at Gates 4 and 6 at 7 p.m., and fans can watch the game on the big screen in center field from the Field Level seats or in the Great Hall. Of course, food stands and concessions will be available for all, and the Hard Rock Cafe and NYY Steak will be open as well. First pitch is at 8:20 p.m., and tonight marks the second time this postseason the Yanks have opened the stadium for a road game.
“When we opened the Stadium for Game 3 in the ALCS, the response was positive and the energy from our fans was truly infectious. They really enjoyed coming together to watch the game,” Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement this week. “Once we reached the World Series, we felt that it was the perfect time to open the Stadium again. We remain grateful for the support of the best fans in baseball.”
Open Thread: Football!
Posted by: | CommentsThe Giants are in Philadelphia at 1pm ET in a game that mirrors the World Series, and the Jets are taking on the Dolphins at the same time. Please keep the football conversation here, so the other threads stay on topic. Thanks y’all, hope y’all enjoy the games. [/Pettitte'd]
Once again, it’s CC in Game Four
Posted by: | CommentsNo surprise here, but Joe Girardi officially announced the CC Sabathia will get the ball in Game Four against Joe Blanton tomorrow night. All of the beat writers tweeted it simultaneously, but Jack Curry’s popped up in Echofon first, so he gets credit. Clearly, it’s the right move.
Rosenthal: Maybe starting Gaudin isn’t such a bad idea
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t know when it became uncouth for a team to throw their starters on short rest in the playoffs, but everyone and their mother feels compelled to write an article about how the Yankees should start Chad Gaudin to make sure CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Andy Pettitte can finish the series on regular rest. Nevermind that Gaudin has thrown just 2.1 low leverage inning in the last 33 days, nevermind that lefties hit .296-.408-.415 off him and Philly’s lineup could have as many as six lefties in it, nevermind that for Burnett and Pettitte it would assuredly be their last start for five months, nevermind that it’s a freaking World Series. Save them for a start that might not even be necessary.
Just start CC, AJ, and Andy in Games 4, 5, and 6. One start each on three day’s rest won’t kill them (two for Sabathia if it goes to Game 7), and those guys at even 75% is still better than Gaudin at 100%. Charlie Manuel made the mistake of starting Joe Blanton in Game 4, so don’t repeat. No mercy.
