"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Blowin’ Up the Spot

Game Four, Take Two:

Ichiro Suzuki LF
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner CF
Eduardo Nunez SS

Never mind holding back: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Jeremy Geddes via This Isn’t Happiness]

Categories:  1: Featured  Game Thread  Playoffs  Yankees

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171 comments

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1 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:05 pm

I really hope Girardi gets off his ass and pinch hits A-Rod for whatever lefty can't hit lefties today.

2 Sliced Bread   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:16 pm

four game winning streak begins today

3 Jon DeRosa   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:16 pm

[1] Yeah, and hopefully Girardi also hogties Leyland and throws sleeping gas in the Tiger bullpen so they can't bring in a righty to totally counteract that move.

4 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:20 pm

I still want Granderson in there instead of Swisher. Swish could PH against a lefty, but I don't like the start. I cannot watch that man roll around on the grass anymore.

And I agree about pinch-hitting A-Rod at the first credible opportunity.

5 thelarmis   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:22 pm

i'll be teaching from 4-7, while the game is going on. i have a short break after that and i'll check on the game. really hoping to win; i wanna watch Andy pitch tomorrow night!

GO CC!!! GO YANKS!!!

6 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:25 pm

Game starts at 1pm, my time.

Do I take a late lunch and catch the 1st few innings?

Just follow the game on my phone at work?

Avoid all sports news and watch a replay once I get home?

What to do, what to do ...

7 thelarmis   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:28 pm

[6] start drinking now.

8 Alex Belth   ~  Oct 18, 2012 1:33 pm

Screw Alex. Let's hope the Yankees freakin' WIN.

9 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 2:00 pm

[8] I guess what happens tonight will reflect, and perhaps reveal, the truth behind all the argle-bargle on the back pages the last couple of days.

If the Yankees really are ready to wash their hands of the guy, then yeah - screw him.

But if they have any intention of keeping him as a member of this team, ending the season this way will be a sore stays open for six months. They can give the man a shot at at least partial redemption in a spot that makes strategic sense.

Do the Tigers counter by making a switch on the mound? Swell, then Coke (or whoever) is burned and A-Rod has had an impact even before he sees a pitch.

Might like to see a little shuffle so the Chavez (A-Rod) spot has a righty "protecting" it in the order.

10 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 2:10 pm

[3] As bad as A-Rod has been, which righty in Detroit's bullpen is there to fear? Valverde? Dotel? Alburquerque? Benoit? Porcello?

And, of course, once Coke is out, Leyland's only other lefty is Drew Smyly, who is more of a long guy than a short reliever.

A-Rod didn't hit .000/.000/.000 against righties. He just didn't hit them well.

The Tigers bullpen is awful. The faster Girardi can get Leyland to expose it, the better for the Yankees.

11 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 2:12 pm

[4] Sorry. Granderson has been demoted. The Yankees are currently looking to trade Grandy and Cano to the Tigers for AJax. Or course, we will have to pay 1/2 of their salaries.

12 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 2:20 pm

[10] Agreed. Going forward, I take A-rod vs Benoit over Ibanez vs Coke. A-rod vs righties this year is 717 OPS. Very bad indeed. But still better than Ibanez' 492 OPS! vs lefties.

I can't fault Girardi for trying the hot Ibanez against Coke in the last game. But now you can't make that mistake again. Coke got him on a slider almost in the dirt. Ibanez was thoroughly fooled.

13 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 2:25 pm

[11] How come the Yanks never have players like Austin Jackson? :)

14 Jon DeRosa   ~  Oct 18, 2012 2:38 pm

[10] Seems like in [1] you were referring to Ibanez vs Coke in game 3. I'd rather have that matchup than Arod vs any righty left in the playoffs.

However, I am not opposed to seeing Arod hit against a righty again this year. I hope he does something special with whatever chance he gets.

15 Alex Belth   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:02 pm

Let's GO YANK-EES!

16 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:18 pm

[15] Clap - clap - clapclapclap!

[14] Me, too.

I didn't mind leaving in Ibanez to face Coke.

I was actually referring to Girardi's not pinch hitting A-Rod for either Ichiro! or Cano in Game 3. IMHO, both were great opportunities to do so.

If Leyland brought in a righthander, Girardi could counter with Swisher and - most importantly, given who was coming up next (Tex/Cano/Ibanez or Ibanez) - the lefty Coke was out of the game. If Leyland stayed with Coke, A-Rod had an incredibly favorable matchup and Swisher was still available to pinch hit.

Doesn't matter now so . . .

17 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:26 pm

Bright sun shiny day in Detroit. Let's go Yankees! You need on more out, CC! Do it. Delmon young is despicable.

18 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:27 pm

game over. Tigers up 1-0.

19 Alex Belth   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:29 pm

Man, I'm starting to hate that drunken anti-semite.

20 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:29 pm

Well, that was sub-optimal.

21 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:30 pm

[19] There were plenty of reasons to hate him before the series.

22 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:34 pm

So far, this looks like more of the same.

23 RagingTartabull   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:36 pm

it'll all be over soon...it'll all be over soon...

24 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:37 pm

[23] Tell me about the rabbits, George, tell me about the rabbits!

25 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:39 pm

I've been watching this team 30+ years and I can't remember the last time the whole offense shut down like this for such a protracted period of time.

26 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:39 pm

This whole organizations needs to be nuked from orbit.

27 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:41 pm

It ain't over til it's over.

28 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:41 pm

[25] I've got 48 years with these guys.
They look utterly defeated.
CC didn't help with this start.

29 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:42 pm

[26] or just the hitting coach.

30 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:43 pm

at least I will save money on my World Series tix.

31 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:45 pm

[29] No. This fish is rotting from the head.

32 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:47 pm

[19] [21] Not exactly how I was thinking of it, but yeah.

Long should be hypnotizing the bats: "When you go to the plate, its the 9th inning . . ."

33 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:49 pm

[31] They always do.

Maybe if the starting pitching is bad for the first time all postseason, the bats will come alive?

34 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:49 pm

40 pitches through 2. Meh.

35 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:56 pm

WHY DO YOU SLIDE???????

36 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:56 pm
37 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:57 pm

Atta boy, Brett. Watch 2 fastballs for strikes and then weekly ground out on an off speed pitch that would have been a ball. sigh.
Oh, Fielder with the E. Let the floodgates OPEN!

38 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:57 pm

He slid and slowed down for 3 feet before he touched the bag!!!! Fire all the coaches (except the pitching coach)

39 Bruce Markusen   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:57 pm

The Yankees are a dumb baseball team. Chavez doesn't charge a grounder and it costs him. Gardner slides into first base on a close play. Where are the smarts?

40 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:57 pm

[35] ? What happened? Gardner slide into first?

41 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:58 pm

[35] Never mind. Sigh.

42 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:59 pm

LEGS!!!

43 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 3:59 pm

At least we've broken up the perfect game.

44 RagingTartabull   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:00 pm

if anything, in this series we've seen that yes Eduardo Nunez can indeed be semi-useful

45 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:03 pm

[44] He's totally a cromulent option ... on the offensive side of things.

46 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:04 pm

C'mon Cornflake, you over-caffinated squirrel!

47 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:04 pm

Swisher's going to k.

48 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:05 pm

Sigh.

49 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:06 pm

Thank goodness we have Nick Swisher in the lineup. Who else would have been able to actually take two pitches for balls on the way to striking out?

50 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:06 pm

Well, hey, getting a runner into scoring position has to count as a moral victory, and that's a kind of victory, right?

51 RagingTartabull   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:06 pm

I'm over Nick Swisher

52 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:09 pm

In a sane world the TBS producers would realize that pitches shown outside their stupid fucking strike tracker are balls routinely called strikes and vice versa. What a joke. Just like the Yankee's offensive offense.

53 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:10 pm

Should Max get credit for a no hitter if it's against this team?

54 Bruce Markusen   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:13 pm

Man, this team is awful. Instead of just blocking the ball with a slow runner at the plate, Tex tries to make some kind of backhand pickup.

Embarrassing. Now if they would just get Verlander off the mike.

55 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:13 pm

[19] Are you referring to Delmon Young?

We watch, because we support the team. We kvetch because we support the franchise. We let it go and forget, because life moves on. This has been a tough year for fandom, yet the Yankees had 95 regular season wins and held off a Baltimore team that surged all year. The post season exposed the weaknesses of the team, that we all realized earlier. We all believed that this team would have trouble in the post season. But I never thought Cano would hit a wall like this. The others (Arod, Swisher, Granderson) showed the tendencies.

Maybe the Yankees will steal this one, and we'll get to see Andy one more time.

56 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:18 pm

[55] Seeing your team lose when they don't play well enough to win doesn't bug me. But two things do:

Knowing the batters we saw through the last two weeks of the regular season would probably have swept Baltimore and be at least even in this series.

Knowing the Yankees are about to finish completely wasting an incredible, should-have-been-history-making run of playoff pitching performances.

57 randym77   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:19 pm

Jeez Louise.

58 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:20 pm

Dammit, now what? (Gamecast)

59 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:20 pm

[52] That box is a POS. You're right about balls outside (especially on our right side) the box are strikes, and balls on the inside strike area are called balls. I'm surprised the umpires union hasn't complained.

60 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:22 pm

[56] Yeah, Cano was batting like .700 the last two weeks of the season.

61 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:22 pm

Jesus Fucking Christ on a pogo stick. Nice throw, Nuney.

62 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:22 pm

Of course. Snakebit

63 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:23 pm

[56] And the pitching in the PS has been stellar.

64 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:24 pm

Adding insult to injury I have to listen to the Yankee radio broadcast now that my streaming tv feed got killed. So I barely know what's going on since Sterling and Waldman are fans more than commentators.

65 RagingTartabull   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:24 pm

take back that Nunez comment

66 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:25 pm

[60] Law of averages caught up to him. He's probably at .350 if you combine the hot and cold streaks.

67 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:25 pm

Well, that's REALLY that.

I've got work I could be doing.

68 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:25 pm

72 pitches through 3. This game is a disaster already. What a shocker.

69 Bruce Markusen   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:26 pm

Sabathia should have that ball. It was an easy comebacker. That's three infield misplays in one inning.

70 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:28 pm

That was a good play by Nunez. Did you see how far he ranged for that? Jeter doesn't even go after it.

71 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:29 pm

This is all A-Rod's fault.

72 Greg G   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:30 pm

Let's turn this game and series around.

Classy of Girardi to let Kevin Long take out the lineup card today. (In what could be Long's last game with the Yanks)

73 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:31 pm

Its seem like every time I hit refresh when Cano is at the plate, the count goes from 0-0 to 0-2. Is he just conceding the first two strikes?

If this series ends today, as bad as its been watching this debacle unfold, the long offseason with this as the last taste in our mouths might be worse.

74 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:33 pm

[71] I blame Ibanez. If it wasn't for his heroics we would have been out of our misery by now.

75 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:36 pm

[74] True. But I really wanted to beat the Orioles. I had a few friends who were Os fans. They were getting a bit insufferable.

76 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:36 pm

TAKE. OFF. AND. NUKE. IT. FROM. ORBIT.

It's the only way to be sure.

77 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:40 pm

Jeter is fortunate not to have to witness this and get wrapped up in all the controversies.

There is a lot of blame to go around, but you can't blame the pitching. Remember what a rally looked like? I wonder if the players remember what it felt like.

78 Ara Just Fair   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:40 pm

Nap time.

79 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:41 pm

Oh boy.

80 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:41 pm

Dagger in, season over.

81 randym77   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:41 pm

This sucks.

82 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:41 pm

Alex Rodriguez did have a ball delivered to two female fans in the Yankee Stadium crowd during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, and it was witnessed by New York Yankees

"It's true," the team source said. "It was witnessed in the dugout. The whole thing is true." When

OMG!!!!!!!!!
IT'S TRUE!
ARod had a message delived to a babe in the stands.
The guy is a puusy hound!!!

What in the world will Jeter think?!?!?

And there goes the season.

83 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:43 pm

If this continues to form, then I want Detroit to face the Giants and the Giants win the WS.

84 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:43 pm

[77] Now we can blame the pitching. (Unfair but true).

I ask again: might a crappy starting pitching performance wake the bats?

85 mhoward120   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:45 pm

Silver lining - we don't have to watch these TBS assholes anymore.

86 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:45 pm

Frankly, the season went when Jeter went down.

And now comes the Winter of our discontent. I have a feeling things are going to get much uglier before they get better, to borrow from Dean Wormer, "Old, Shitty and Expensive" is no way to go though life ...

87 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:46 pm

Oof.

88 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:47 pm

Terrible job by Sabathia. Why is he still in?

89 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:47 pm

This is a really shitty way to end the season.

90 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:48 pm

[86] No. I don't think Jeter's presence would have helped that much. It's not like his replacements have hurt the Yanks. Nunez hit the homer in Game 3 off Verlander.

91 RagingTartabull   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:48 pm

I will not get mad at CC, I fucking refuse

92 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:49 pm

[86] And the slumping Yanks were slumping with Jeter in the lineup in all the games vs Baltimore and Game 1 & 2 vs Tigers.

93 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:50 pm

So, for anyone wondering which thing that was bound to happen would happen first - the amazing run of starting pitching would end or the bats would wake up - now we know.

Cripes.

94 Shaun P.   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:51 pm

[91] Me neither but yikes, this was not a good performance.

95 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:53 pm

Didn't realize was an early start for Game 4..oh well. Was a great regular season at least.

96 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:53 pm

A real #1 Ace does what Verlander did in game 3 -- shut out the team despite not having the best stuff. Verlander only struck out 3 guys but still kept the team in the game.

Sabathia is an ace when he has his stuff but without it, he isn't. Fortunately, he is on more often than not. But he needs to learn how to get it done without A stuff. Otherwise that contract will be an albatross as he gets older and his stuff diminishes.

97 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:54 pm

Some ideas:

1. I think it would be fun to make Arod pitch the rest of this game. Why the hell not?

2. It's time to unload the following players whether it's through not resigning, trading, releasing, etc., even if we eat large portions of the contracts of the guys still signed: Arod, Chavez, Granderson and Swisher.

3. I tend to view Cano's post-season as an aberration largely because he crushed coming down the stretch.

4. I'll repeat myself from the other day: FIRE KEVIN LONG. I don't care who they replace him with. I don't care about how many homers we hit in the regular season, I care that our players have an awful approach at the plate in the post-season and that's partially on him. If it's not on him, why do we even need a hitting coach?

5. I tend to want to see Girardi gone too. I don't know what he's supposed to do to make guys not go into long slumps, but it seems like guys like Leyland get more out of their guys. Is there another Leyland out there? I have no clue.

6. I move Jeter to 3rd and get a SS. I keep Ichiro. I keep the other guys that I perceive to actually be trying (Teix, Gardner, Ibanez and most of the pitchers.

7. Bring back Andy. Bring back Kuroda. Keep Rothchild.

98 Bruce Markusen   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:55 pm

Well, I've been watching the Yankees play for about 40 years now, and this is the worst--by far the worst--I've seen a Yankee team play in the postseason. The first three games was mostly the hitting, though Swisher did not help things defensively in Game One, but this game has been a complete and utter breakdown in every way through the first four innings.

I hope the players feel embarrassed. They should be. And if I hear one guy say after the game, "Well, you gotta tip your cap to the Tigers," I will... well, I don't what I will do.

99 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:57 pm

And if Arod refuses to waive his no-trade clause, I basically tell him that's fine, you can sit on the end of the bench for 5 more years and wish you were chasing the home run record.

100 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:59 pm

[97] #5, Leyland gets crushed by the local sports radio callers here in Toledo. It's comical.

Show/Hide Comments 101-171
101 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 4:59 pm

Do you think Joe will give ARod a PH AB sometime this game, just for the Hell of it?

Look... the truth is this PS is just some really weird aberation.
For 4 quality players to slump through 9 games, and slump in a BIG way, is just statistically weird.

It shouldn't take away from a regular season that really went better then we could have expected... once we knew Mo, Pineda and Gritner were out.

Robbie had an MVP year (although this PS certainly take the shine off that)

----------------------------------------------------------------
(and Holy Shit!!!! CC had just collapsed)
----------------------------------------------------------------

Jeter had a great postmordem year.
Soriano was great (and I hope he opts out).
Phil showed some really good stuff after a rocky start.
Phelps showed he can help this team next year.

In many ways it was very frustrating year. Very.
But you can't argue with best record in the league, or Division Champs.
It would have been nice to go further, but frankly, 16 PS years out of 17 is pretty amazing, and it will end sometime.

I will say, at the time, I was fine with the AJax/Grandy deal.
As it turns out, we gave a good one away.
But this is the conundrum Cashman is always facing.
GOTTA WIN NOW!

If we could lose a year or 2, we could keep some more kids, play them, and see what happens. The truth is like with Cano, sometimes you can't tell what you have until a few MLB years go by.

You simply can't predict which young studs will fail, and which 'no-names' will come up big. Other teams get to bring them up and play them a few years. We rarely have that option... because....

WE GOTTA WIN NOW!

Maybe we should use the 2014 budget to look at some of the kids.
Could yuz guys stand missing the PS for 2 or 3 years?
At some point, I don't know how we can avoid it much longer.

102 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:00 pm

9 of 14 outs are strikeouts.

103 Greg G   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:01 pm

A well placed source within the Yankees dugout just caught ARod getting it on with a hooker between innings in the 3rd.

104 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:05 pm

most folks were happy with the Arod re-signing back in 2007...man oh man I wish we had let him walk away.

http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/867876.html#comments

105 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:07 pm

Look.... something POWERFUL put a curse on us.
Teix missed TWO balls in ONE inning.
How many times will that happen in his career?
There are forces at work here greater than mere baseball players.

106 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:08 pm

[101] I absolutely could stand to lose a little if I knew that there was a good reason for it. I think Boston was brilliant in transferring their problems to the Dodgers. I hope we can do it too.

107 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:08 pm

[104] ARod is NOT the problem here
Hasn't the guy taken enough undeserved shit?

108 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:09 pm

[103] At least someone in a NY uniform is scoring.

109 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:10 pm

[103] I sense a Twitter thread coming..

"A well placed source within the Yankee organization confirmed A-Rod invests with Bain Capital."

"AWPSWTYC A-Rod once smoked an illegal Cuban cigar while chatting in Spanish with Ozzie Guillen."

"AWPSWTYC A-Rod didn't put his phone on 'Manner Mode' while on the train" (That one is for Boatzilla.)

110 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:12 pm

I saw CC give up his second run, paused it and went to the store, saying "Nobody touch the TV!" as I left. I come back and everything is off. WTF!!! Well, CC wiggled out of it right? Turn on the TV, put on Fox 5 and OHHHHHHHH SHIT!

111 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:13 pm

[104] I don't know if I was posting at that time but I wanted them to let him walk too

112 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:13 pm

[109] He eats puppies and kicks little old ladies.

113 mhoward120   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:16 pm

Why o why am I kinda hoping that we get no-hit - just to put a freaking exclamation point on this pitiful post-season?

114 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:18 pm

[101] I wouldn't mind losing if I knew the ticket prices would go down. But then I started going to Yanks games in the early 90s when there were a few thousand die-hards at the stadium paying $10 for nosebleeds and then sliding down to the premium seats by the end of the game. I always had a blast even if the yanks lost cause the fans were so much fun.

Now I expect to win because even though I split a season package, the tix are still crazy expensive for me. So if I am going to pay so much, I want to have the team win.

Look at the Red Sox. They didn't drop the prices a bit despite their atrocious season and the lucrative TV deal. I don't expect the Yanks to behave any differently if they started losing.

115 mhoward120   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:18 pm

And Nuney fucks it up

116 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:19 pm

Aw rats, not a no hitter.

117 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:20 pm

[106] Our contracts are not really the problem. We have enough money to cover it. As long as CC, Teix and ARod are above average, they add to the team... even if they are 'not worth' what we are paying them. The problem is we can never give our kids enough time to develop before they get traded.... because we have to WIN NOW!

Imagine if for 4 years, we simply kept all the kids with any upside and gave them a chance to play.

Cano was traded twice. It's just dumb luck he's on the team now.
I remember Bernies 1st 2 years. Nobody knew what he would develop into. Same with Jorge. Even with Pettitte, to some extent.

It's not true that we can't draft and develop talent. We just always have to trade them away, for someone that can help us WIN NOW.

AJax is the quintessential example.
We all wanted to see what he could do. He was NOT projected to be an elite player, but he had good raw tools. But we couldn't wait 2 years. We got Grandy because Grandy could help us WIN NOW!

118 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:22 pm

Nuts, no shut out.

119 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:22 pm

[112] I've never heard it calling 'kicking' before...

120 Chris   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:23 pm

[117] Well, one contract in particular definitely is a problem. Because it's being cited as a major reason why we can't dump the biggest underperformer (relative to contract value) in history.

121 Greg G   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:26 pm

Girardi tricked Swisher into knocking in that run. He told him it was the 9th inning.

122 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:29 pm

Nunez for LVP (Least Valueless Player)

123 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:29 pm

[114] The Yanks have already dropped the expensive seats by a lot. Half, I believe, for many. And they will drop more simply because Win or not, they are overpriced.

I hear ya about the old days.
I was at the double header where Murcer hit HRs in 4 consecutive ABs. We started in the cheap seats, and took 5 different 'sneak down' routes over 7 innings, before we ended up 15 rows back behind the visiting dugout. Litterally, just as we finally sat down in the 9th, Bobby came up and hit his 1st HR.

We felt like rich men, sitting in the good seats for the whole second game.
And what a view we had of Bobby's ABs.
He was in a groove and we could see it!

124 mhoward120   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:30 pm

Ladies and Gentlemen - A-Rod's final Yankee at-bat

125 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:30 pm

A-Rod sighting.

126 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:30 pm

Yea Nunez! Jeter who?

127 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:30 pm

I am rooting for him to hit a homer here. Just to shut the critics up.

128 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:31 pm

Dear Jobu,

How about a little reach around and give Alex a hit?

Thanks,

CoB

129 Greg G   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:31 pm

You love to love hate him and hate to love him....Alex Rodriguezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

130 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:32 pm

Sad

131 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:33 pm

This makes it even more annoying that they didn't pinch hit A Rod for Ibanez the other night

132 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:33 pm

Hm. I was wondering "Will he swing for the fences or just try to get a hit / keep the inning going?" Now I have my answer

133 cult of basebaal   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:35 pm

Now I say, FUCK YOU JOBU!

134 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:36 pm

[123] Back then, people didn't care if you snuck down as long as you did it without bugging them. So I would wait for a bunch of seats to empty and then slide in. That's how I ended up behind 3rd base dugout for Leyritz playoff homer in 1995 in the 15th inning.

135 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:37 pm

The fences would have provided the narrative he needed. I think that's the trouble upstairs: Most players have at-bats in situations. A-Rod is always writing the next chapter in The Alex Rodriguez Story.

136 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:38 pm

Swisher, dammit, catch it up by your face like we teach the little leaguers. You are not all that and I am sick of your shit. Have the brains and decency to act at least a little chastened.

137 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:39 pm

"Sabathia is finished after just 11 outs and 93 pitches"
Ouch.

138 rbj   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:43 pm

Off to dinner, see you tmorrow for the aftermath.

139 Greg G   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:43 pm

We can still win this. Score 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 8th and then have a Grandy solo homer in the 9th. Don't lose hope. Maybe Valveeta Cheese will pitch?

140 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:45 pm

Sabathia with a 4.25 ERA in the postseason now.

141 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:49 pm

[135] Too true; exactly what I was thinking

142 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:50 pm

[140] Well this was a disaster but he's been decent otherwise. I mean he bailed them the hell out in game five of the ALDS. A good performance today would be polishing a turd at best anyway

143 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:51 pm

[139] That would be sweet to have Grandy win it. But I can't really wish the Tigers ill. I even like Al Alburqurque for kissing the ball in the previous series. I don't Valverde however. Though I suspect we will see very little of him in the postseason given his recent performance.

144 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:53 pm

I feel badly for CC. He really should have only given up three if the plays were as expected.

instead of shining a turd (is that related to not knowing shit from shinola) he thoughtfully put the team out of it's misery.

145 Greg G   ~  Oct 18, 2012 5:58 pm

Come on Yanks! It aint over til it's over, but it's getting late early.

146 RIYank   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:01 pm

Hey yos.

Just wanted to check in for the final game.

I'm happy A-Rod got to play.

147 The Hawk   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:02 pm

So you pinch hit a righty for a lefty ... vs a righty.

Up is down! Black is white! In is out!

148 Start Spreading the News   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:03 pm

That homer is a Lowe point.

149 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:05 pm

Wow... I guess it's white flag time.

150 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:06 pm

Earlier commenter is right that I don't want to hear it as a Yankee excuse. But I'll say it as an objective truth: Hats off to the Tigers. They've gotten it done and deserve to advance.

It's unfair to them that the storyline has been more about Yankee failures than their successes... but I suspect they'll get over it.

151 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:12 pm

Cano 3 for 39 in the PS, 1 for 22 in this series.
I blame ARod.

152 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:18 pm

Phil Coke is working a serious "separated at birth" thing with Todd Jones.

153 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:19 pm

I think the Mets could have given the Tigers a better series. I know the Red Sox would have. This is beyond pathetic.

That said, sometimes you have to hit the bottom before you can make your way back up. If this leads to better things down the road, I guess it's worth it, even if it doesn't feel that way now.

154 RIYank   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:19 pm

Dave Robertson, last guy to throw a pitch for the Yankees this season. That seems right to me. (I'll be disappointed if there's a match-up decision in the middle of the inning, or a "Let's let everybody play" decision.)

155 RIYank   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:24 pm

Ugh. That kind of figures.

156 oncewent3for2   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:29 pm

[147] and sometimes, if you're Cano, safe is out!
and if you're Infante, out is safe!

ugh, time to let those go...

157 RIYank   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:29 pm

Here we go. Last lasts.

158 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:31 pm

Who would have believed that 2006 would have been a more satisfying series against the tigers?

159 bartap   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:32 pm

First team since 1963 to lose a 7 game series without having the lead once.

160 mhoward120   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:32 pm

OK, so here it goes - personally - for me.
I'm 61 years old and have seen more than my share of Yankee championships. So, believe me, I am not complaining.
But still - still - it provides another disappointing season ending. And you have to wonder, even though this IS (ARE?) the Yankees, how many more serious championship pursuits I'll be able to see,

161 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:32 pm

It would be so fitting for arod to hit a meaningless homerun now. Kabbalah

162 Evil Empire   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:36 pm

Go Cardinals or Giants. Fuck the tigers.

163 RIYank   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:36 pm

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

It's not the world, it's just the season, but they do seem like the Hollow Men.

164 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:36 pm

Congrats Tiggers. I'll have no problem rooting for them next week.

165 RIYank   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:37 pm

Well, banterers, it's been fun bantering. Not always fun watching the Yankees, but definitely a pleasure to enjoy Alex Belth's hospitality and hoist a few with all youse.

166 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:39 pm

The Tigers and Cards had the 11th and 12th best records in MLB. The top 4 teams (Yanks are 3rd) are already eliminated. SF was 5th.

The PS is what it is.
The best teams have already been defined.

167 OldYanksFan   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:44 pm

"CC Sabathia allowed 11 hits through 3.2 innings."
Ouch.
Cursed.
It's the only explaination.

168 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:50 pm

Tigers starters ERA 1.09 if I heard right. That's four games' worth of Mo-level performance.

169 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Oct 18, 2012 6:51 pm

What died on the owner's head?

170 kenboyer made me cry   ~  Oct 18, 2012 7:41 pm

Thanks to all for sharing the experience of this season. Weird Yankee team, a little bloodless, a little frustrating, in review successful, but hard pressed for satisfaction. I think the overall fan base might have taken a hit.

Detroit pitching looks tough, I guess my preference is any team but the Cardinals to win the WS (but favor the Giants).

And, dare I say here, but there is a reigning champion team in the NY area. Go Giants go.

And thanks again to Alex for all the work, the quality, the thoughtful insight (I hope you saw my comments about the Village Voice kudos to the Banter). Here's to you!

171 Bruce Markusen   ~  Oct 18, 2012 7:48 pm

Did anyone see the YES postgame? I was curious to hear what kinds of rationales the players put forth after this debacle of a series.

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver