SHIT,
I feel like saying.
We've been insisting that the idea that the Yankees returned to form owing to ease of schedule was a canard, but now there is pretty convincing evidence. The Yankees have played .630 ball against the division leaders and do not have a losing record vs. any of them (8-7 v. boston, 3-3 v. LA, 6-0 v. Cleveland, 17-10 overall. It would be more accurate to say that this is a very good team at home and a pretty bad team on the road (2-1 v. LA at home, 1-2 on the road, 3-1 v. Detroit at home, 1-3 on the road, 6-3 at home against Boston, 2-4 at Fenway, and don't even get me started about Camden Yards. Of course this is part and parcel of the close game problem. It is easier to win close games at home, where you have the psychological reassurance of last-ups.
The great thing about the Boston series was that every game was close and they won them all. Each one was the kind of game you need to win come playoff time. But they'll need to win them elsewhere too, particularly as a wild card.
The Phillies are fucking awesome! With Utley and Hamels back and Burrel siddenly hitting again, I predict they will win the East. Yes they have no starting pitching beyond Hamels, but the Mets have Maine and nothing and the Braves have Smoltz, Hudson and a very bad team.
The Yankees have two of the greatest cut fastball pitchers in the history of the game, Andy Pettite and MO. Will somebody please teach Hughes how to throw one? As it currently stands, his fastball is too straight, so he has to be fine with it, despite its velocity, and he winds up walking too many hitters.
BGW is right. Torre has grown too complacent about putting Giambi in the line-up. Cano shouldn't be hitting 8th anyway.
I have decided that basball cannot continue to have a DH in one league and no DH in the other. The NL is in danger of becoming a permanent minor league. The AL has access to all sorts of hitting talent the NL doesn't have. As a result, it takes a better pitcher to make it in the AL than in the NL. AL rejects, hell Yankees rejects like Wells and El Duque, wind up in the National League. The economics of the game only exacerbates this trend. With their veteran reserve army, the AL can cultivate their minor league prosepcts longer, so they are that much better in their pre-arbitration, pre-free agency years on the majors. Honestly, I don't see how the NL can be expected to sustain parity with the AL so long as the DH differential exists.
They all said the sweep means nothing if they lay an egg today, and then they did so anyway, botching plays, failing to hit etc. OF course everyone else (Boston, Seattle, Detroit) laid an egg too so the sweep's significance remains intact, but they really need the next two. When was the last time the Rays won 7 of 8; what a time to get them.
We've been insisting that the idea that the Yankees returned to form owing to ease of schedule was a canard, but now there is pretty convincing evidence. The Yankees have played .630 ball against the division leaders and do not have a losing record vs. any of them (8-7 v. boston, 3-3 v. LA, 6-0 v. Cleveland, 17-10 overall. It would be more accurate to say that this is a very good team at home and a pretty bad team on the road (2-1 v. LA at home, 1-2 on the road, 3-1 v. Detroit at home, 1-3 on the road, 6-3 at home against Boston, 2-4 at Fenway, and don't even get me started about Camden Yards. Of course this is part and parcel of the close game problem. It is easier to win close games at home, where you have the psychological reassurance of last-ups.
The great thing about the Boston series was that every game was close and they won them all. Each one was the kind of game you need to win come playoff time. But they'll need to win them elsewhere too, particularly as a wild card.
The Phillies are fucking awesome! With Utley and Hamels back and Burrel siddenly hitting again, I predict they will win the East. Yes they have no starting pitching beyond Hamels, but the Mets have Maine and nothing and the Braves have Smoltz, Hudson and a very bad team.
The Yankees have two of the greatest cut fastball pitchers in the history of the game, Andy Pettite and MO. Will somebody please teach Hughes how to throw one? As it currently stands, his fastball is too straight, so he has to be fine with it, despite its velocity, and he winds up walking too many hitters.
BGW is right. Torre has grown too complacent about putting Giambi in the line-up. Cano shouldn't be hitting 8th anyway.
I have decided that basball cannot continue to have a DH in one league and no DH in the other. The NL is in danger of becoming a permanent minor league. The AL has access to all sorts of hitting talent the NL doesn't have. As a result, it takes a better pitcher to make it in the AL than in the NL. AL rejects, hell Yankees rejects like Wells and El Duque, wind up in the National League. The economics of the game only exacerbates this trend. With their veteran reserve army, the AL can cultivate their minor league prosepcts longer, so they are that much better in their pre-arbitration, pre-free agency years on the majors. Honestly, I don't see how the NL can be expected to sustain parity with the AL so long as the DH differential exists.
They all said the sweep means nothing if they lay an egg today, and then they did so anyway, botching plays, failing to hit etc. OF course everyone else (Boston, Seattle, Detroit) laid an egg too so the sweep's significance remains intact, but they really need the next two. When was the last time the Rays won 7 of 8; what a time to get them.
posted by joe valente | 1:24 AM
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