Around the dial, dig these ALDS previews, predictions and other good stuff:
First up, our man Cliff over at SI.com:
1. Three Days’ Rest
No need to speculate about when these team’s aces will pitch. Managers Jim Leyland of Detroit and Joe Girardi of New York have already announced it. CC Sabathia will pitch on three days’ rest in Game 4. Justin Verlander won’t. That’s consistent with their histories. Verlander has never pitched on three days’ rest in the major leagues. Sabathia is 3-1 with a 1.01 ERA in four regular-season starts on three days’ rest, three of which came in his final three starts of the 2008 season and helped lift the Brewers into the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. He also posted a 2.45 ERA in two quality starts on three days’ rest in the 2009 postseason, both of which were won by the Yankees on the way to their 27th world championship.As a result, those two aces, arguably the first and fourth best pitchers in the American League this year, will only face off once in this series and will be opposed by lesser pitchers should their second starts be necessary. That also means that Doug Fister, who went a Doyle Alexander-like 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 11.40 K/BB in 11 games after being acquired from the Mariners at the trading deadline, will only start once, even if this series goes the distance.
2. Ivan Nova
Verlander and Fister will still start three times in this best-of-five series, which is good news for the Tigers, who were 18-3 in games started by those two since the latter’s acquisition. In two of those starts, including a potential double-elimination Game 5 against Verlander, the Yankees will counter with Ivan Nova, a rookie who was farmed out to Triple-A in July. That’s a heady assignment for a rookie, not that he hasn’t earned it. Nova went 8-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 11 starts after returning to the Yankees rotation, and really shouldn’t have been demoted in the first place (though one could argue that he returned with greater purpose and effectiveness). However, even over those last 11 starts, Nova’s peripherals have been underwhelming (5.7 K/9, 2.35 K/BB). If the Tigers’ formula for winning this series is taking the three games started by their top two starters, the Yankees’ formula for winning the series just might require winning one of Nova’s two starts against the Tigers’ big two, and if the Tigers take Game 1 behind Verlander, there’s no other way for the Yankees to win the series.
Larry Koestler at The Yankee Analysts
Tyler Kepner in the New York Times
Steven Goldman at Pinstriped Bible
And over at Was Watching Jeff F offers 25 things we didn’t know about the 2011 Yankees.
Be sure to check out these sites as well as Replacement Level Yankees, YFSF, River Ave Blues and No Maas for all the Yankeeness you can handle.
[Photo Credit: Your Very Own Contrapasso]
just back from the giants vs carp. meh on the dome, but still great atmosphere. psyched to come back to the ALDS tomorrow! yanks in 4.
Safe trip J!
Like the sound of that prediction.
Can't wait! Though going to miss the second half of the game..
8:37pm start, well done again MLB & FOX. Way to keep the fans happy and awake with more games ending at 1am. With Girardi and La Russa managing in these playoffs we may be in line for 5 hour marathons..
[1] Jon, the Tokyo Dome is a total dump, shame you couldn't get to Jingu Stadium to see the Yakult Swallows. Classic, small outdoor park.
Yanks in 4
Rangers in 3
Phils in 3
Brewers in 4
Yanks over Rangers in 6
Brewers over Phillies in 7
Yanks over Brewers in 7
28 ahoy!
[3] any suggestions for a sports bar in akasaka area which will be open at 9:30am tomorrow?
[4] i visited the building overlooking jingu on bss, so though i haven't seen the game there, i've seen them practice. i really wish i could have gone there tonight instead, but their schedule did not allow.
[3] I wish it was earlier. I gotta give Sachi a final tune up for her 80m dash on Sunday at her school's field day.
But, goddamnit, I will hold out as long as I can stand the wife's nagging.
Hmm..not open at 9:30am. Couple Roppongi bars open 24hours but no baseball there.. if Boatzilla checks this thread maybe he will have an idea. But NHK BS1 channel says "MLB Playoffs" from 8am through till lunch, you should be able to catch that on your hotel tv. (ANA?)
[6] Check out MLB Cafe in Ebisu. Unfortunately they have actually, NOT had the playoff games on live in the past for some "only in Japan" reason. You should be able to find a map on the web.
Whatchew doin' in Japan? How long are you here?
If you have time, stop by my office in Ginza for a coffee or a beer.
[9] Actually, nothing is open in Tokyo before 10:00 that I know of....maybe the financial houses.
[8] thanks MOJT, i will try tv first. i'm at excel tokyu today, just got back from osaka and straight to the game.
[9] thanks boat, for the suggestion and the offer! i am back to new york tomorrow though. i was in japan one week for work.
[2] and sorry Al, i missed you the first time around, thanks! hopefully i've got some pics for you.
[11] Jon, I believe in the same building as the Excel is Tokyo's first "Hooters", which may be open showing the game..though again, that's more Boatzilla's department than mine :)
But get in touch next time, we'll get you to Jingu and also the Oh Sadaharu pub.
[5] I think Jazz is right, though, for a change. Best bet is NHK BS1 or 2 (?) on your hotel TV.
[13] yes, i am a few feet from hooters right now. it's packed. but i'm doing fish market at 4 am, so i will pass by.
Tonight's my first playoff game in person. I told my 9 year old son this morning we were going and his smile almost tore his face in half -- and I might be more excited than he is!
[15] Tsukiji Fish Market is closed on Saturdays I thought..is someone taking you? Also, you aren't the musician Jon DeRosa, right? Just same name?
[13] Hooters sucks. I see much hotter girls on the street in Ginza every single day. And I don't have to eat crappy fried American food to enjoy the show.
[17] I think that's Sundays, dude.
16) That is amazing. You guys soak it in! Take pictures and send 'em in the Banter!
[19] Hmm..only been there once so can't remember. Anyways, slumber time here. Jazz Princess a bit under the weather which means 5am waky-up call likely..I'll get in touch offline about hooking up to watch a game over bagels & coffee!
[21] It's either Sunday or Monday. Sunday is too big a restaurant day to serve day-old sushi.
Cool. Let's do it at my office. I will endeavor to arise oily.
[16] Wow. He will remember it forever. I wish I could take my daughter. I think my last playoff game was Kansas City (!).
[20] Will do what I can!
Just saw that Tito Francona is out as Sox manager. You can't fire the players so the axe falls on a very good manager. I think Francona and Torre had a very similar style and did great jobs of managing millionaires and personalities that maybe wouldn't work so well together without their managerial style.
Girardi has it much easier than Torre as guys like Granderson, CC, Jeter, and Mo are excellent teamates and there is not a dearth of clubhouse leadership. The Yanks biggest me, me guy is Arod and he wasn't much of a factor due to injuries this year.
Torre had: ARod, Wells, Irabu, Kevin Brown, Knoblauch, Sheffield, Weaver, Clemens to deal with.
Tito had his hands full this year and it is unfair to pin the fading team on him alone. When your Captain is Tek (A sub) who no longer leads by example, and was never too vocal anyway, you have a lack of team leadership. They say that winning breeds chemistry, but the Sox were winning most of the season, so I don't think that is true.
Tito will be missed and it will be interesting to see who they think will be a a better manager. Maybe Phil Jackson wants to pull an MJ and switch sports?