Clearly heard on YES broadcast as a TV camera appeared to try to get close to the umpires as they gathered around the plate while pre-game warms ups were getting started.

True, but the Yanks actually still have a closer…if Mo took an early exit (a la Foulke), who knows?

// Jeter holds the record for most postseason hits //

This is an odd record to hold: I would expect him to hold that record considering he’s played in the postseason almost every year of his career. I think BA/OBP/SLG are more useful/interesting postseason stats (of which Jeter’s are excellent).

Judging by the venom spewed Torre’s way on this board, I’d probably agree that Francoma is Torre’s equal. Are you suggesting that the division will be decided by which manager makes the fewest bonehead moves?

Schmidt: http://tinyurl.com/b4lnr
Cox: http://tinyurl.com/bmk5x

Thanks – I’ll get off my soapbox and stop ranting now. That being said, let’s go Yankees.

You are really pushing this ‘Senor October’ stuff…
You think if you repeat it on a Yankee blog enough, it’ll stick?
Given that Reggie’s middle name is Martinez, I say he gets both Mr. AND Senor October.

Cheers,
Senor Knuckles

That being said, that stuff will take care of itself – the Yanks just have to do their part – we play today, we win today, das it.

It certainly ain’t over til its over. The BP simulations have the Sox winning the division in about 57% of the results. My sense is that’s probably about right, given the home field scheduling.

We don’t know about Wells knee, you don’t know how bad Giambi’s back is. Before his relief appearance this past weekend, Small got beat up in three consecutive starts, his magic dust supply apparently having run out. Matt Clement is the most inconsistent pitcher in the history of baseball.

The big things favoring the Sox, in addition to the schedule:

1. Manny is on fire.
2. The MVP, Senor October.
3. Orlando Hudson won’t be tormenting us over the next four days.

… and Debris ought to clean up his own Debris and not leave it lying around on this site because it smells. Go suck wind with all your loser Sox fans and join your team on the golf course next week!

Finally, go blog somewhere where they actually give a rats ass to what you think – oops, did I say think, I’m sorry, that would require a brain!

p.s. Bernie: signs for 1+ years as 4th OF/DH/pinch hitter

I don’t think anyone was saying the Yankees have been a better team than Boston since July, just that they are better now than the July versions of themselves. Going into that Boston series (if memory serves), they didn’t know who was going to pitch two of the games. They had just announced Wang’s shoulder problems. Chacon hadn’t been signed. Leiter was a rumour. Tim Redding made one of the starts, for gosh sakes, and that was the loss. The pitching staff was just in shambles. Really. I think we only had two starting pitchers going into the series. Three at most. (I should serve up a link to a Bronx Banter blog enter of the series intro, but I don’t have the engery). Suffice to say, the Yankees were in real bad shape going into Fenway in July and still managed to win 3 out of 4.

This Yankee team is must different then that Yankee team. That’s the only comparison I’m making.

Whether or not that translates into wins this weekend in Fenway is anyone’s guess. The games can be 12-10 slugfests, or another 1-0 Johnson/Wakefield duel. Who the heck can tell at this point. I’m just not ready to roll over and give up, like so many “pundits” are doing in the newspapers and magazines. I like our pitching now. The defense has had flashes of, well, adequateness. And we’re spreading the wealth as far as big hits and big moments. It ain’t one person carrying the team. All bats are on deck and helping out.

It ain’t over till it’s over, and it’s gonna be over soon.

I just like our chances. Nuff said.

BP

Or course I’m assuming you meant “gutsiest.” If you truly meant “guttiest” than you’re right on the mark.

DiMaggio (not the guy you read about in the Ben Cramer book who was mean to his own kid, rude to his wives, and jealously protective of his mythical status as an old man, but the young ballplayer who starred for the Yankees) was perceived in his own time as having certain winning qualities and was felt by many to be the finest player in the game. I never understood how anybody could have felt that way about a guy whose statistics paled in comparison with those of his contemporary, Ted Williams, and who seemed like such a bastard based on what we later learned about him. But contemporary accounts rank DiMaggio as the greater player.

There’s no way that DiMaggio never made a mistake in the field. His fielding stats prove it. And yet, his teammates said it for years afterward. They depended on him to come through when it mattered, and he did so frequently. DiMaggio was charismatic, carrying about him an air of seriousness. It was a silent confidence. DiMaggio was “a winner.” The Yankees were successful before he arrived, but the idea that the Yankees won every season was an invention of the DiMaggio Era. Ruth and Gehrig didn’t win every year. Gehrig alone won nothing. The Yankees won four consecutive championships starting in DiMaggio’s rookie year, and that’s when they really started to put distance between themselves and their nearest competitors.

So what I’m saying, again, is that I get it now. It has been said of Jeter that he’s lucky to have arrived at the moment when the Yankees became fabulously successful again. But the truth is that Jeter is a big part of the reason for that success. Jeter carries himself with dignity on and off the field. He plays the game with a baseball intelligence that surpasses his physical talents. He is a team player, and his teammates appear to know it. He has come through on memorable occasions.

There is something simply different about Jeter. Mattingly didn’t have it, Reggie didn’t have it, and Gehrig didn’t have it. Rodriguez doesn’t have it.

But DiMaggio did.

Dimelo, I totally agree with you on the Jeter marriage thing. The man may be a genius. I really really hate getting all ga ga over people I don’t know, but the guy should write abook on how to be succesfully famous.

First to answer Alex’ question, “What could be better for Red Sox fans than to eliminate the Yankees at Fenway Park?” How about staring a four game sweep in the face before beating them four straight and dancing all over the Big Ballyard in the Bronx?

Let me go on record here that I don’t want the Sox to win the wild card. The Indians should not be denied; while I want and expect the Sox to win the division, I’d rather see the Indians in October than the Sox as wild card.

The Yankees were half a game up on the Sox on July 18. The two teams have played dead even since that date. So much for the Yankees being a stronger team, compared to the Sox, now versus then.

I personally wouldn’t be surprised to see the Sox run the table and not lose again until facing Cleveland. Mueller has lifted his average 20 points in the last few weeks, Trot Nixon, who hit like a nun after coming off the DL, has come to life, Manny, a notorious streak hitter, is absolutely clubbing the ball. And then, my friends, we have Senor October. What’re you gonna do? Walk him four times a game a pitch to Manny?

The bullpen seems to be coming together at the right time, although I don’t think Francona can be trusted with it. Papelbon has been fabulous as a set up, Myers is better than any lefty the Yankees have, um… that would be Embree, no? Timlin has been lights out, when starting innings. Are you listening, Tito? And, other than one pitch to Mora, Hansen has looked fabulous.

The incredibly streaky Mr. Wakefield has been the good Mr. Wakefield of late. Schilling has been fabulous two of his last three outings and claims he has found the flaw in his delivery. (His problem has been command, not velocity.) He had his good splitter last Tuesday. Arroyo has pitched well of late. And then there is the guttiest guy in baseball, Boomer Wells. If the painkillers work on the knee, he’ll be just fine. And, if not, the boys will just have to beat up on young Wang.

And consider this, young Wang has made 16 major league starts. How many have been against teams with records above .500? The answer: 3. His ERA against teams with records over .500? 5.09. How many of these three teams hit like the Sox? 0. I think Wells may be allowed to give up a few runs Friday. He stands to get plenty of support.