Tex for all his postseason bad swings this year had a couple of huge hits too, and without him in the regular season we wouldn’t be here.

Swish carried the team in April before Tex got going and while ARod was out. Those April wins made it possible to put the brakes on in September and get CC, AJ and Pettite a few extra days to rest their arms.

Phil Hughes has now slipped quite a bit, but if he did not solidify the bullpen from June on, we are probably not in the postseason. He was a sure thing setup guy like Rivera in 96, but has lost his way for the postseason.

AJ has been up and down but the pies in the face and an incredible performance in Game 2 and we are 1 game away from a parade.

Girardi pushed a lot of the right buttons, flipping Jeter and Damon in the batting order, and moving Hughes into the setup role.

You look at 1-25 on this roster, and every member of the team has had at least 1 signature moment, and others obviously had many (CC, Jeter, ARod, Tex, Mo), and that is why 2009 has been and will be remembered as a very special team.

All in All, the biggest goats for what was expected (in order)
1) Swisher
2) Cano
3) Teix
4) Melky

Certainly, the PS MVP is pretty obvious

I knew last night was another shot at either good AJ or pathetic AJ. Game 2 was better. And I was kinda bummed to come back after my evening walk to find we were down 6-1. However, as I fired up the laptop and got logged into Banter, I felt more at ease. I was loving that the boys just didn’t lay down. They gave it a good shot down to the wire, and I was okay with it. They came back.

As with you, I’m confident that we get #27. I really do think its a given.

Nor do I ever get on a batter for a single out or bad plate appearance. Jeter and Tex had chances. Batters tend to make outs. I like so much how HARD this team seems to be to put away. Even when we lose we often scare opponents big time. Who’d a thunk we’d have the tying run at the plate in the 9th, as the 8th began?

Tomorrow we pray to get 5 decent from Andy, then our bullpen does what the pre-playoffs touts said it would be – a strength. Pedro really should not hold us down in the Bronx.

Oh. And it has been too long since I typed this: Damon is Da Mon. AGAIN, with the superb 9th inning at-bat, after looking like a doofus at the beginning of that at-bat!

It was an incredibly disappointing game, but I loved that the Yanks didn’t roll over. And with a 6 run deficit, that they ended up with the tying run at the plate in the 9th.

Burnett is an enigma and you had to figure this was a distinct possibility. I was hoping Girardi would have given him the hook sooner. Going on 3 days rest, he should have gotten Gaudin up after the 1st inning. (Maybe he did and I missed it as I was racing throught the Tivo at 11pm?)

Even though we were up 3 games to 1, we all new this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. I didn’t sleep really well last night, but this WS is still the Yanks for the taking.

There will certainly be a lot of satisfaction if we can make Pedro the loser in game 6. He is the perfect foil for the Yankees and isn’t it nice to have someone to hate on the other team when you beat them? Maybe Zimmer will come to the game and jump out of the seats, and this time he tackles Pedro and gives him a 75 year old beatdown.

I think it will be fitting to have Andy and Mo putting the 2009 Yanks over the top tomorrow night. The Bronx crowd going crazy, and aura and mystique should have a front row seat.

It must tbe hard to have ace ability, but not have the mental composition to execute every time he on the mound. I so want to believe in him, because when he’s on, it’s a wonder to behold. However, he can stink it up like nobody’s business.

While Jeter didn’t get it done, I thought that Teix hacking away at breaking balls in the dirt was playing into their strengths.

btw, The Yankees will win.

[13] The Phanatic is completely annoying. I was at the game last night and was commenting to my husband how irritatingly gimmicky other major league teams are, with their mascots, and their fireworks and their ringing Liberty Bells for home runs (and we did see that one too many times last night). But, what they probably didn’t show on network TV, at least I hope not, was between the top and bottom of the 8th, they had about 15 teenage girls get up on top the Phillies dugout (in shorts no less) to dance to some cheesy song with the Phanatic. It bordered on child porn. Seriously. I was slack jawed.

Yankees win tomorrow night.