All season long it’s been Yanks-Rays, Rays-Yanks. Now, the two teams play four games in the Bronx. First place is at stake.
This is what it is all about. And that’s word to Joe Torre.
Never mind the preamble:
Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
[Photo Credit: Joe Conzo Jr]
David Wells is back.
gonna throw it out there...its all a bit much
oooooh no...not a fan
those eyes are spooky .... like marbles
I think its a wonderful thought, and he deserves it. But that thing is tacky.
[5]
As long as they don't put it on a t-shirt and sell it ...
What an impressive monument and ceremony.
That monument is just too big. I guess it's fitting.
Does anyone ever talk about Jacob Ruppert anymore? Seems to me he needs to go into the HOF before George does.
[8] Considering the man, too big seems just right.
Great point about Ruppert. He built the brand that George restored. Both belong in the Hall of Fame. No reason they shouldn't go in together.
[9] "Both belong in the Hall of Fame. No reason they shouldn’t go in together."
I just signed in to type those very words.
Its a shame, to me, the number of owners, executives, and for lack of a better term, "pioneers" (with Marvin Miller at the top of the list), who should be in the Hall of Fame but aren't.
[7] I also have to ask, who got the biggest cheer, Torre or Donnie Baseball? I understand there was a friendly wager over this point. ;)
[10] Unfortunately, there were no annoucements (which was as it should be), so we'll probably never know.
[12] I agree that for George's sake, no announcements was a good idea. But it would be nice if somehow during the 7th inning, or right after the game, the PA could shout out a quick 'Welcome' to Joe and Donnie.
[12] I think they'll be on a plane by that point.
Good start for Nova.
The biggest monument? Centered among all? Shouldn't Lou, Babe, Joe, Mick, Thurman et al be the center of attention?
Am I the only one who finds Selig completely unsympathetic and thoroughly irritating?
[16] No. Though I think he's not 100% bad. Wild card is a good idea.
[16] [17] I have grown a little warmer toward Selig, but I don't think I can ever forgive him for denigrating the game as a means to his end of contraction as well as authorizing the ridiculous Mitchell Report.
[17] I'm not talking about his ideas (though I admit that I dislike every change that he has introduced), but the man himself. The sound of his voice makes my teeth itch.
[19] Oh yeah. He reminds me of a cadaver.
[16] No.
[17] [18] He certainly has done some good, or is at least credited with such, but on the whole, I'm still not a fan. To the extent that Selig is, fairly or not, the "public" face of the entity that is MLB, he's not a great spokesperson. Or maybe I'm unfairly associating him with the stigma of a used car dealer, which, of course, he once was. But I still can't get over canned garbage like the All-Star game where he completely interrupted play to honor Ripken and Gwynn. The intent was nice, and as is usually true of Selig, his genuine love of baseball does shine through a little, but the orchestration, the execution, the timing, was dumb dumb dumb. So was contraction, the Mitchell Report, the shutdown in '94, the All-Star Game tie, "This Time It Counts", interleague play, and so on and so forth.
In fact, I think that's a fitting epitaph for Selig's tenure as commissioner: "He loved the game, and changed it a lot, but the way he usually did things was dumb dumb dumb."
[21] Agree with a lot of what you said, but I think part of Selig's charm to me is his lack of it. Selig loves baseball period. I'd rather have that be the defining characteristic of my commissioner than being a savy spokesman. The NFL has shied away from the former (Rozelle) toward the later, and I think that transition has been to the detriment of the game.
[22] Up here in Canadia, most folks are of course hockey fans, and they seem to despise Gary Bettman.
Yikes, what a shot.
Grandyman!
Granderson! Can he be all we expected at just the right time?
I always knew Curtis would look good in Pinstripes. He'd be pushing 30 homers if he stayed healthy this year.
[23] Shutting down your national pastime for a whole season tends to do that.
[23] Another good example. Bettman is a basketball guy. Does he love hockey? I don't know. I think you shouldn't have to ask that question about a sports commissioner.
Except Bud just talked about how Instant Replay would kill the pace of the game, totally ignoring that if done properly, it would not only be non-intrusive, but actually speed up the game.
I agree that bud is dumb dumb dumb, verging on idiot idiot idiot.
(P.S. 'This time it counts' is a totally moronic idea.)
[22] As was once written of the so-called "stats vs scouts" debate, and with no offense intended, "My answer is the same it would be if someone asked me: "Beer or tacos?" Both, you fool. Why construct an either-or scenario where none need exist?"
I don't see why a guy can't be a savvy spokesperson AND love the game, period.
Like Rozelle, come to think of it! Or David Stern.
[30] It was a dumb reason, but I think there are many good reasons to avoid replay.
Weighing on Selig. He has overstayed his tenure, and it's time for a change. The Wild Card and Interleague play have turned out to be wildly successful. I'll give him that.
But the Mitchell Report, not destroying the initial drug testing as promised, the contraction threat were all not "in the interest of the game". The game should have banned PEDs and just started testing, not drag it out to be the circus it became.
Quick inning. More, please.
[31] Yes, both would be nice, but I think finding such candidates is easier said than done. Rozelle and Stern were lifers in their sport who also happened to present desireable images to the public.
Who is that in baseball now?
[35] I wonder if a good candidate could be found from outside immediate baseball circles, especially not another owner.
[35] Joe Morgan!! :)
Joe Morgna is a dingaling as an announcer, but would someone like him necessarily make a bad commissioner? Probably yes, but I wonder...
Love that popcorn shot.
[39] Yep. Always struck me as a great, authentic throwback moment...you could imagine the Babe (or at least a romanticized version of the Babe) doing something like that.
Interleague play wildly successful? Oh, I dunno about that...
Trivia answer; Hunter, Gossage, Niekro, Perry.
[36] I'd be willing to consider the job if offered it.
The fifth inning...
I thought Uberroth was a good Commissioner. I would've liked to see how Giamatti's tenure would've turned out.
[44] four pitches. Very nice.
5 pitch inning, 4 pitch inning, now I want a 3 pitch inning.
This Nova kid...I like the cut of his jib.
[37,38] My eyes are bleeding from that suggestion. Oy.
Hey, Nova has captured his white whale. At least 5.......
[33] [41] If you add the caveat, "When it happens during weekend series on sunny days in June in cities with historical rivalries", then perhaps yes. Otherwise, no. I'd be happy to see it go.
[35] Well, we really don't know, because outside of Selig, the only other MLB executives I've even seen or heard are Bob Dupuy (ugh), Rob Manfred (maybe?), and Jaime Lee Soloman (nah). There have got to be other folks . . . and perhaps one of them could.
monkeypants, wasn't Paul Beeston considered a good presence when he was in Toronto?
Meanwhile, I wish I was home to see this game, not stuck in the office working . . .
[45] Uberroth was a good business man, but he was a big part of the owners and players distrust. The collusion that occurred during his tenure was an awful moment in the game's history.
So far, a super start for Nova ...
I think William should be the next Commish! Let's start the campaign.
[45] Giamatti would have been a great commissioner, IMHO. His loss was a great one for the game, especially because it gave us Faye Vincent.
[50] Regarding Beeston: yes, he was.
I really like this ".333/.444/.381/.825 over the last seven days" Jeter.
[54] He was a great "face", to be sure, but I wonder just what he would have done. I'm not sure we can know for sure, though I'd like to think he would have been awesome.
[55] That would make him another possibility as the "good face and loves the game" commish. He's another owner's guy, but let's be honest, that's what the commish is now.
OK, time for Tex et al to break this open!
Rats. Just missed it.
Well not a granny but it does get a run in.
[51] Collusion was an unfortunate event, but to be honest, I think the recent salary correction was more in line with what Ubie had in mind. As I remember it, Ubie was fairly contemptuous towards the owners.
Make them pay, Nick.
Not even close.
Maddon the genuis strikes again.
Dammit...too much base clogging. This could come back to bite them on the ass.
[63] Who you calling genuis, genius? Whoops.
[57] An owner's guy? I don't know about that. Give me an intelligent, articulate man who is passionate about baseball, and I'll take my chances with him as a commissioner.
[60] Collusion occurred at a time when players were underpaid, so there was no reason for there to be a correction. Uberoth's hand was all over the collusion fiasco, and that really set back baseball's labor relations.
What in the HELL gets into Nova in the 5th or 6th inning.
THROW STRIKES, DAMMIT.
[67] IIRC, the owners were complaining about salary structure, Uberroth told them to stop complaining, since they were the ones signing the players. I'm comparing the collusion of the 80's to the recent salary corrections from the past couple of offseasons where owners haven't been falling all over themselves to sign players for whatever reason.
Had teams opened their books, or had they been a little more reasonable, the 94 strike could've been avoided.
[67] Underpaid relative to what?
Ruh Roh.
This is fucking ridiculous. Goddamnit!
WTF?
Cervelli finds a new way to contribute.
Ah.
Oh for FUCK'S sake.
[69] If my memory is correct, it was Uberoth leading the owners and not the other way around.
[66] Bush Jr? I mean, can ya waive intelligent and articulate?
[74] Someone alert Bob Timmerman!
I'd like to think of George right now....Yanks winning but him plenty pissed at the way this inning is going.
Ummm...so why pull Nova now?
[80] After the CI, the Boss would have been standing in his Boss complaining to whomever would listen.
[81] Lefties coming up now.
Damn.
[83] Yes, but it is only the sixth inning, starter with 79 pitches, not hit hard this inning. I would have let him go one or two batters more.
Ah, bloop base hit renders the discussion "mute".
Well this inning has gone to hell.
What did Selig say about baseball being a game of pacing? This inning has been excruciating.
The Yankees have been playing bad baseball lately. Sometimes when you take the foot off the gas, you can't accelerate it again.
[86] In a nice big shiny handbasket. Oh, and now Gaudin? This doesn't paint a pretty picture.
Ah, OK, so THAT is what the LOOGY is supposed to do: clear the patch of lefties in the lineup!
Chad Gaudin? Is this another battle we are losing to win the war?
Of course now, with bases loaded we get Gaudin. In this case, i would have employed one of the real relievers. Oh well, lets see how this turns out.
[90] In fairness, two of the batters should have been outs. Logan did his job that inning.
Chad Gaudin?!?!?!
Gaudin? Really?
Gaudin? This is a joke right?
Chad Gaudin?
Chad FUCKING Gaudin???
Girardi's managing as been absolutely defiant of late...as if he is thumbing his note at the critics.
Fuck Joe Girardi - FUCK HIM STRAIGHT TO HELL.
I am so sick of this guy, it's ridiculous.
It's been obvious that I've completely had it with him over the last two months, but this is yet another unforgivable managerial screw job.
You lucked out to high heaven getting Nova through the 5th. So what do you do? Do you have guys ready from both side, and watch Nova batter to batter, knowing that this is uncharted territory. NO. NO, YOU LET THE WHOLE FUCKING GAME GET OUT OF CONTROL and then you pull your damn thumb out of your ass.
And then you bring in fucking Chad Gaudin, in what is so obviously the biggest spot in the game.
Chad Fucking Gaudin - and guess what his biggest problem is? His propensity to walk batters is only slightly higher than his propensity to suck.
THIS IS ALL ON GIRARDI. FUCK GIRARDI. INEXCUSABLE.
Some nights, you play bullpen roulette, and there's a round in every chamber.
In tribute to Steinbrenner, I vote they fire Girardi mid-inning. This losing the battle to win the war has turned into a parody.
Oy
So just to make sure, Girardi pulled his starter at 79 pitches, with two outs, a man on third, two run lead in the sixth.
[99] Don't be coy. Tell us how you really feel.
[100] No, Randy, that is not what happened here. This is brutal managing.
And now Gaudin is going to walk a fucking second run in.
You're a moron, Girardi. A MORON.
Don't ya' just love 30 minute 1/2 innings. booooooooooo
And Gaudin lowers his 5.28 ERA...well done!!
[101] That is exactly it. Pull that beautiful Yankee jacket off his freaking back (give it to me, I've coveted one for years) and fire his ass on the spot.
That inning is one of the worst jobs of managing I have ever seen. This is not second guessing. I promise you, 100 times out of 100 times, I have two functional relievers from both sides waiting on Nova for each batter of the sixth.
That's just fucking incompetence and I refuse to make excuses for this braying donkey any longer. I'm sick of the postgame reconstruction where this guy was out or this guy wasn't quite right or this guy was being saved for this or whatever - it's all bullshit. Every time it's simply incompetence.
NOVA BLEW A 4-0 GAME WIDE OPEN IN THE 5TH/6TH? No FUCKING WAY! WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THAT COMING???
OK, Brett, now stand there!!!!
I'm tired of hearing "this game doesn't matter." Yes, home field advantage is small in baseball, but it does matter. Sabathia is better in the Stadium for one. The more potential starts he gets there, the better. Plus, I'm not a huge believer in the light switch theory. I know you can't push 1000% to win everything game like in the playoffs, but come on.
[110] who said the game didn't matter?
Coffe Joe wants everyone puzzled.
Was that a...play?!?
Chessmaster strikes again.
[111] In general I mean. Sorry, I read it on another game feed and vented here :)
nice!
Yes Cap'n! Gusty by Frankie.
Amazing! Atta boy, Captain. Frankie's psyched.
[115] lol ok.
Well, so far, the bottom of this inning has been as good as the top of it was bad.
Yep, I do like the "last seven days" version of Jeter. Where have you been all season, cap'n?
Frankie flopping-sliding into 3B looks really funny in super-duper-slo-mo.
I hate that I get this angry, but at a certain point, you gotta tell it how it is. And that point for me is utter incompetence.
If anyone cares, I would think it's always been clear that I am not a fan of second-guessing everything that happens in a game. Much in baseball is debatable, being in the majors is so inequivalent to any experience most of us have had, and my biggest pet peeve about excessive complaining: sometimes the other guys just do better.
So I save it up until I see something that I think is beyond debate, the way I felt about Torre's management of the bullpen and some of the other ridiculous things he did.
And that is how I feel about not being prepared to deal with Nova in both the 5th and the 6th in a game you have to try to win. The damn Rays just kicked your teeth in and Maddon went for the throat in that series. Maddon just pulled his own pants down and embarrassed himself by setting up a walked in run. You must take Nova batter to batter. You must have the right people ready. Anything else is unacceptable.
Anyone remember "The Best of Times" with Kurt Russell and Robin Wiliams? Cervelli's white shoes streaking around the base paths sparked quite the flashback.
That's my boy!!!! YES, Curtis. Moonshot.
That was high off the pole. Not a bad night for Granderson.
goddam...another scary shot.
Everybody chill. The top of the 6th was fluky. Nova had to come out, and if he wasn't pulled there you all would have been calling for Girardi's braces to be pulled out by an ice pick. Dumb luck against Logan, and Gaudin was squeezed and just a little shitty.
Does everybody feel better now? The Yanks must bring these two in.
Correctiion. Curtis murdisses it!
Yay Grandy can!
GRANDYMAN!!!
I like this "re-worked swing" version of Granderson!
So do we keep Grandy in the #2 hole?
Holy cow. I can't believe he hit that pitch that hard.
As mad as I was at Granderson for letting that ball drop in, that is how not mad I am at him right now.
As much as I think Flaherty sucks massively - and I'm angry about his claiming that Hughes outing was anything other than not good enough - I have to credit him for his observation about Balfour. He may have been on to something, and if so, that is a great spot.
[128] I really think you had to be ready to pull him in both of his last two innings, pitch count be damned. When that guy loses it, it's obvious he really loses it.
Waiting until he's lost it to be ready to make that move, and then bringing in Gaudin who has trouble with his control with the bases loaded (and not having anyone else ready for the biggest spot in the game) is just not ok.
[128] I'm bothered by the internal inconsistency. Is the sixth inning with two or three run lead "low leverage"? If so, then let Nova get the third out or use Gaudin. Or is it "high leverage," such that you go straight to your lefty specialist? If so, then you have to have your BP aces set up to follow Logan. But it makes no sense to have the quick hook with Nova, go straight to Logan, and then turn the game over to...Gaudin (?!?) with the bases juiced and the lead on the line.
[134] But had he really lost it? The score was 4-2, two outs and a man on third after he just induced a DP. One run was the product of catcher's interference. It seemed pretty clear to me that Nova had NOT lost it, let alone really lost it.
[135] it's kind of borderline isn't it? It's too early to be high leverage per se. But it's bases loaded, one run game. so it's not super low leverage either.
[136] It's happened too many times for me to agree with you.
No matter how it happens, it's happened time after time after time with Nova.
The guy allows big innings. However they fall off, the car has no wheels, suddenly.
Yes, there was catcher's interference. But it's like you're forgetting that the bases were suddenly loaded against a guy who had been dominant until then.
I simply cannot agree with you.
hmm. is robertson going to be ok after going 1+ yesterday?
[136] When I thought Robertson might not be available, I was inclined to agree that Nova should have been left in the game, but now, well, quite frankly, I have no idea what Girardi is doing.
Oh crap, don't give it right back.
[136] I'm not forgetting the bases were loaded, but once loaded he got a ground ball (erased on the interference) and a DP. Wheels or no wheels, I would rather use Nova than Chad Gaudin. And in any case, if the Girardi is going to go to his specialists in the sixth inning, he should have someone else ready and NOT have to go to Gaudin with the bases juiced.
Using Wood and Robertson probably means they are now not available tomorrow. Wouldn't it have made sense to see if Gaudin could pitch up four? I mean, if you trust him up one run with the bases loaded, is it too much to go batter by batter up four to begin an inning?
[143] Yep..another internal inconsistency. Of course, you forget that once Gaudin wriggled out of it (and set himself up for a win!!) it became the seventh inning. In the seventh inning, the manager must use his seventh inning guy.
Stick it up your ass, McClellan. Fucking asshole.
The incredible shrinking and moving strike zone. Middle of the plate belt high. Whatever,
Holy shit! That's a strike 100 out of 100 times!!! WTF!!!!!!!
Yikes...that pop fly kept carrying.
Yanks need more runs in this game. Good start by Swish.
Bunt?
Yep, and a DP.
What happens when a play turns tragic.
Nice bunt, Brett. That pisses me off off more than anything. Ugh.
Somewhere, Scooter is using an awful lot of "huckleberries".
[151] I was going to question the wisdom of bunting in front of Cervelli, but then thought "ah, what the heck, force them to play defense," and then...well, we all saw what happened.
Ball 5. Put the bat down, Frankie.
Nice night for Cervelli.
If Gardner isn't spending at least 20 minutes before very game working on his bunting, the Yankees are dropping the ball.
[156] You missed the chance to opine that "if gardner is not dropping bunts...the Yankees are dropping the ball".
You can't let opportunities like that go if you want to be commissioner.
[157] Thanks for dropping the hint.
[156] The sad thing is, supposedly he *does* take extra time before home games to work on his bunting.
How can a player with the speed of Gardner not taught and master how to bunt since little league? That inning had the promise cut right out of it.
Gardner must be better at it if he desires a long productive career.
[160] Isn't the most likely explanation that he has been taught to bunt and is simply not good at it? And, while I like Gardner a lot, no one is under the illusion that he will have a long career. Guys who are somewhat slow through the minors, are not heralded prospects, and don't play their first full season in big leagues until age 26 tend not to have long careers.
He is what he is: a nice little player at (probably) his athletic peak. I doubt he's going to learn too many new tricks at this point.
[158] You know that I'm always willing to help at the drop of a hat.
[161] You're a big fan then?
[161] Right you are, how about a short four year productive career?
Brackman called up.
What is the Yankees head-2-head record against TB. If they end up with the same records, the one who took the season series wins the Division... correct? Does 3 out of 4 give us the series?
Well, thank you MK. 3 out of 4, and we tie for the series. So what happens if we finish with the same record and tie for the season series?
[167] Paper rock scissors of course!
Actually, I think they flip a coin....
Come on Mo.
These damn Rays are like Chucky...die already.
[163] I am indeed a big fan of Gritner...but that must be understood in its proper context. He's never going to be a superstar, but he is this season (as I predicted) and can be for a few seasons a valuable, cheap and fun player. I'm glad the organization gave him a shot rather than signing a mediocre FA to do the same or worse job.
Time for my annual "Oh my God, I'm afraid Mo might be finished, what will we do?" week I guess.
[166] Season series stands at 6-8 TB
I have to confess: I was thinking, "It would really suck if Matt Joyce homered." I feel terrible about it. Begone impure thoughts!
Thanks be to Mo.
Whew! It was ugly, but beautiful.
[167] They'll probably go to something like runs scored, or run differential or something like that.
Mo not surgical, but we'll take a trencherman effort. Nice game Curtis, Frankie, Swish, and Jeter.
{167] All of your questions answered here, I think: http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/division_ties.shtml
I see everyone was delighted with Brett's bunt.
All I can say is, thank god Girardi put in a fucking play. That's so much better than just standing around letting Yankee batters hit and runners run. Plays are so satisfying, thrilling, and delightful. Fucking plays.
Oh, and thank god for Granderson. This game would have sucked big time without him.
According to MLB Rule 33 (qualification for the post season), cited here:http://wiki.soxprospects.com/Rule+33
The relevant tie breaker is as follows:
These games are going to kill me.
[142] That's where we completely agree, and I don't know if you're agreeing with me or if you just missed what I typed in the posts you were responding to.
I am steamed that he had to go to Gaudin and steamed that he didn't have better options up and available.
Mo has done a lot to get me this far in life free from a heart attack, but dang, I was sweating in the 9th.
I'm very happy with the win - but even though I still think the division is a tall order with what's left on the schedule, at a certain point, you're playing for first place, you're playing that team, you've got to try to get this win - and I am still appalled by what Girardi did in the 6th.
Although being happy with the win is definitely the dominant emotion.
[179] Indeed. Plays giveth (Cervelli's hit and run single) and plays taketh away (Brett's bunt).
[182] Curtis put on the Best Play in Baseball, though.
[183] Rally killing? Sure, Best Play if you're selfish.
Oh, and I'm hoping Mariano can be shut down for a few days. Not during the Rays series, but I'd be fine with giving him a rest during the Sox games. I know nobody's saying anything, but he does go through a deadish period toward the end of every season (well, recently), and it seems quite likely that we're seeing it now. Just let him take a week or so off, and everything will be fine.
And one more thing. Shouldn't Javy be available for long relief? Or what the hell is his job now? I would have loved to see Javy start the sixth inning. (I know, Nova pitched brilliantly in the fifth, but he has never, to my memory, pitched a good sixth inning, not ever in MLB.)
Considering the Tie-Break rule, and how easy TB's schedule is, we need to take 2 of the next 3 to stand a chance at the Division. If we don't take 2 of 3, frankly, I rest everyone and line up the rotation for the WC.
Cool facts about the Red Sox (via Pete Abe)
The Sox have the best OPS in baseball: .791.
They have scored more runs than any non-pinstriped team.
They have used 43 combinations of outfielders. (For some reason Safari thinks that 'combinations' is not a word.)
And via Joy of Sox: today in 1919 was Babe Ruth Day in Fenway Park. The Babe pounded his 27th homer. Unbeknownst to the Fenway Faithful, it was to be his last day as a Boston employee in Fenway.
[186] Why so negative? The Yankees and Rays have almost identical intra-division records and winning percentages. Assuming they end up tied for their head-to-head series, there is a good chance the Yankees can end up with a better winning percentage in division games.
[188] But to split the head-to-head we do have to win 2 out of 3.
[189] Well yes, I was assuming that for forensic purposes.
After this series, the Rays have 10 games left.
6 at HOME against the M's (14th in the AL) and the O's (13th)
and 4 WAY at KC (12th).
After this series, the Yankees have 9 games left.
3 at HOME against Boston (5th in the AL)
and 6 AWAY, 3 in Toronto (8th) and 3 in Boston (5th).
Now of course, anything can happen. and if we were firing on all cylinders, I would feel OK.
But all in all considered, especially the schedules, it will be very hard to tie them, no less finish ahead.
Records against the AL East:
Yankees: 34-26
TB Rays: 39-27