GAME ONE
Well BGW got his wish, as the Yanks were not only beaten but humiliated. Let's see if it concentrates their collective mind as it has in the past. The scary thing is, this looked like deja Detroit all over again.
Actually the game was, if not closer, than at least more in doubt than the score indicates. In the fiftth inning three classic blunders by slow Joe contributed to the Yankees failing to score more than one run and thus failing to tie the game and secure the momentum. First, with 2 on and nobody out, he fails to have Jeter lay down a bunt. This was small ball phobia so obvious and so costly that even the announcers at TBS wondered about it, and did so in advance. They wanted a sacrifice, which would have put men on second and third for Abreu (who did happen to double). I would have let Jeter swing away once and when he fouled the ball off, have him drag bunt the next pitch for an attempted hit. After Jeter made out and Wedge intentionally walked AROD, Sabathia ran a 3-0 count to Posada with the bases loaded. Under such circumstances I believe in allowing the pitcher to help you out. Green light the 3-0 if you like, as the Yankees did, but put a take sign on 3-1. Pitchers never groove that pitch, are often out of the strike zone with it (as Sabathia was) and hitters are almost always over-anxious on that count. Finally, after Posada whiffed, Matsui came up. I don't even know what he was doing in the game. He has an unbroken history of futility against Sabathia, and in his first 2 at-bats he had already shown why. I mean he looked feeble up there. I would have rather seen Giambi at that point. With the bases loaded, his refusal to go out of the strike zone could have proved helpful and his familiarity with Sabathia has resulted in a far less hopeless record than Matsui. That inning waws the turning point, and Joe simply did nothing to improve their prospects.
By the way, did you see that Kenny Lofton? Four years later and he can still play! I still say he is the best evidence there is for Sheffield's Torre as white man's manager thesis.
Pettite tomorrow. If we get to a game four, I say let Hughes or Wang pitch it and then come back with Pettite in Game 5. I don't want to see Wang pitch at the Jake again.
Actually the game was, if not closer, than at least more in doubt than the score indicates. In the fiftth inning three classic blunders by slow Joe contributed to the Yankees failing to score more than one run and thus failing to tie the game and secure the momentum. First, with 2 on and nobody out, he fails to have Jeter lay down a bunt. This was small ball phobia so obvious and so costly that even the announcers at TBS wondered about it, and did so in advance. They wanted a sacrifice, which would have put men on second and third for Abreu (who did happen to double). I would have let Jeter swing away once and when he fouled the ball off, have him drag bunt the next pitch for an attempted hit. After Jeter made out and Wedge intentionally walked AROD, Sabathia ran a 3-0 count to Posada with the bases loaded. Under such circumstances I believe in allowing the pitcher to help you out. Green light the 3-0 if you like, as the Yankees did, but put a take sign on 3-1. Pitchers never groove that pitch, are often out of the strike zone with it (as Sabathia was) and hitters are almost always over-anxious on that count. Finally, after Posada whiffed, Matsui came up. I don't even know what he was doing in the game. He has an unbroken history of futility against Sabathia, and in his first 2 at-bats he had already shown why. I mean he looked feeble up there. I would have rather seen Giambi at that point. With the bases loaded, his refusal to go out of the strike zone could have proved helpful and his familiarity with Sabathia has resulted in a far less hopeless record than Matsui. That inning waws the turning point, and Joe simply did nothing to improve their prospects.
By the way, did you see that Kenny Lofton? Four years later and he can still play! I still say he is the best evidence there is for Sheffield's Torre as white man's manager thesis.
Pettite tomorrow. If we get to a game four, I say let Hughes or Wang pitch it and then come back with Pettite in Game 5. I don't want to see Wang pitch at the Jake again.
posted by joe valente | 10:56 PM
1 Comments:
It may have been my wish, but it sure sucked watching it.
you're dead right about Matusi. He probably shouldn't even be on the postseason roster.
give slow joe some credit, I guess, for pinch hitting Duncan when he did. But he should have started the game....
when they couldn't score in the 1st inning aftre the Damon hr and they had bases loaded, you just knew it was going to be a night of futility at the plate.
i've had serious doubts about Wang's healt for some time now, and I'm conviced there is something still wrong with his pitching hand. But I was most dissapointed to see Ohlendorf look so easily rattled. it gives Torre and his ilk too much ammuniton about the importance of "experience...." despite the counter evidence of the thrashing they just got from Cleveland.
Post a Comment
<< Home