Trade Melky Or Cano?

Please tell me no one would be that stupid.

Trading for a player of [Marlin third baseman Miguel] Cabrera's caliber, though, would probably require the Yankees to change that stance and to consider moving young position players like second baseman Robinson Canó and center fielder Melky Cabrera.

That seems unlikely, but the idea of using Melky Cabrera as a trading chip is intriguing because of the choices among free-agent center fielders: Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones and Aaron Rowand are all right-handed hitters who play outstanding defense.

Do Managers Matter?

Filip Bondy says no:

Managing isn't that complicated. This is baseball. American League baseball. A coach tells you when the pitch count reaches 90. The data sheet tells you how a certain batter has done against a certain pitcher. You inform the first baseman why you're benching him, before you tell the media.

This is no big deal. It's hilarious to read all the concerns out there now about Mattingly's alleged inexperience. The guy played with the Yankees for 14 years. He's coached with them for four years. He's smart. He's steady. You really think he doesn't know when to flash a steal sign, or when to hold a team meeting?

Torre would do just fine, too, if he comes back. His ultimate success will depend on the team's overall makeup, on the young starters' progress.

What say you?

Joba to the rotation

Buried within this article about Torre is the the news that the Yanks are moving Joba to the rotation next year:

"The only thing that's been decided, that we all agree on, is that (Joba) Chamberlain and (Phil) Hughes start out spring training as starters. Our pitching has got to be better next year, the starting rotation." -Hank Steinbrenner

http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071013/SPORTS01/710130390/1034/SPORTS

So we're starting off with a rotation of Wang, Hughes, and Joba. That leaves two spots for Pettitte, Moose, Kennedy, and Igawa. We also have one more top pitching prospect that could force his way into the equation by midyear (Alan Horne).

Ideally, Pettitte comes back for one more year, Igawa is moved to the bullpen, and Moose is put out to pasture so that Kennedy can grab the 5 slot.

Hopefully this means Humberto Sanchez will be moved to the bullpen to setup for Mo (I'm not even considering the possibility that he's pitching elsewhere, for the sake of my sanity).

Then we have plenty of organizational depth should any of the starters get hurt (Clippard, Karstens, Wright, Rasner, DeSalvo, etc.).

So considering the Yanks scored more runs this year than any season since the 40's, and they really don't need to do much to bolster the pitching staff, ideally they will focus their offseason efforts on not losing too much offense (i.e. A-Rod, Abreu, and Posada).

Section 39 Bleacher Creatures Angry That The Yankees Lied To Posada and Mo

Everyone else insisted Torre was out the door and Tony La Russa had the U-Haul backing up to Yankee Stadium to deliver his stuff. Only Five O'Clock Lightning argued Torre was actually in a strong position with Mo and Posada and Pettitte ready to walk. Now they've all spoken up for him, the papers are arguing about who could do better as manager and saner heads point out that the Yankees lost because of starting pitching: because Wang had a 19 era and Clemens left in the third and Wang left in the second. No one can manage their way out of bad starting pitching.

And Mo reminds us that the Yankees lied. When the Yankees went against all tradition and bitch-slapped A-Rod by telling the press he needed to negotiate in the middle of the season and not opt-out or they were dumping him, we booed. Why belittle a player having a season like A-Rod and put his back against the wall? A-Rod refused to negotiate and said it was against Yankee tradition and they would talk after the season was over. He behaved with class. When the Yankees got heat -- what about Mo and Posada, everyone asked; are you gonna negotiate with them in the middle of the season against all tradition? Oh yes, said the Yankees, of course we will. We're ready to make a deal with both of them. They lied. They made no attempt to resign either of them, no sincere attempt. And now Mo says watching the Yankees treat Bernie like a chump, seeing them dangle Torre and refusing to re-sign Mo after his elbow problems in 2006, he knows it's a business and will treat it like one. Can't picture Mo in anything other than pinstripes? Think again. And if the Yankees dump Torre, it will make it a LOT harder to re-sign Mo. And Posada. And Pettitte.

How Many More Sports Writers Are Gonna Claim No One Criticizes Jeter And Then Criticize Jeter?

The last two days have been filled with Jeter stories -- full page breakdowns of his every at-bat and miserable failure this post-season, stories saying he let Torre down and didn't come through for the manager, stories insisting no one dares to say a word against him and now today a story dubbing him the Teflon Captain by Mike Lupica. They could at least admit everyone is talking about this rather than pretending they're brave and alone in questioning Jeter.

As so often is the case, real fans are smarter and more realistic about baseball than the blowhards on TV, radio and in the papers. The experts get so angry because fans think so highly of Jeter. His numbers are a joke compared to A-Rod's, his range is falling dramatically, his team hasn't won a World Series in seven (!) years, his numbers this post-season sucked, he hit into numerous double plays and yet fans refuse to badmouth Jeter and gang up on anyone who does. Why? Because the fans are smarter and know you don't measure any player by their performance on any single at-bat, any single game or any single series. You judge them based on their performance day in and day out.

Jeter had a terrible post-season. In context, he got three runs and A-Rod got four. Damon and Cano had five hits. Abreu got four. Cabrera also had three. Posada and Matsui and Duncan had two. Giambia had one. So everyone sucked. A-Rod went 0-5 with runners on base. Jeter got a two-out rbi. They each had one rbi to their credit. No one is happy with anyone's performance.

But fans look for heart. Do players run out every hit? Do they always play hard from game one? Do they play through injuries? Do they make stupid mental errors? (Jeter had one error but friendly scoring didn't charge it against him.) And over the long haul, do they deliver? Jeter has enjoyed almost unparalled success in the post-season, performing exceptionally well in almost every series in the post-season every year for the past 12 years. This is probably his second or third poor series in 20+ post-season series. That's an exceptional record. So if fans got disgusted with Jeter for one poor four game series, they'd be morons. A-Rod's post-season performance for the Yankees is dreadful as everyone knows. This series, a weak one by almost anyone's standard, is practically his post-season highlight for us. (He had one other good series for us in the past four years that actually was good.) But the fans didn't boo him. With the season he had, A-Rod might very well have come alive in the next round.

And of course anyone watching the Yankees knows Jeter has been injured and slowed by his knee for two months now. Jeter doesn't make excuses. But any reasonable observer takes into account his injury, appreciates the fact that he stayed on the field in the second half and played his heart out, leading the team as the captain even when his body was at 80% and more balls got by him than should have. We can see him running slower and slower to first but also know he's running as hard as possible and never complains, never makes excuses, never gives up. The other players take their cue from him and when they don't (Soriano, Sheffield), they're gone. And so we love him. We know in the long-term he comes through in the post-season and that only an idiot would bitch about poor play in one four game series. We know he's been gutting it out despite a serious injury and that heart kept the team battling during a second half when the Yankees dug themselves out of a hole. [Uh, climbed out of a hole? Pete pointed out this mixed metaphor, which I will pretend I intended as an homage to Yogi Berra] Fail to give your all, make dumb mental errors, take it easy, coast on past performances, treat others with disrespect, bitch and moan, take steroids, cheat, behave like a chump on the field and make the Yankees look low-rent and we'll turn on you. Play with class and deliver -- and deliver doesn't mean rings every year, it means performing to your best all season long -- and we'll respect you.

And that's why we love Derek Jeter. Can't wait to see him get healthy in the off-season and have a tremendous year in 2008.

The Knock Against Torre This Post-Season

Okay, little pieces of info are dribbling out about the post-season. I'd say the two biggest knocks against Torre's performance this post-season are playing Wang on three days rest and bringing in Joba in the seventh on Sunday when we had a five run lead. Those are the two big instances I think everyone agrees Torre blew it, right? Wrong. I strongly supported bringing in Wang on three days rest, even though he'd only done it once in his entire career.

But Torre DIDN'T. Torre was overruled by everyone else in the brain trust, according to the papers the last two days. Torre wanted to start Mussina. Now Mussina did poorly in relief and he might have done poorly starting, but what other option did Torre have if not using Wang? I personally would have started Hughes instead of Clemens, but since Hughes came in middle relief on Sunday, he couldn't start Monday. Kennedy had back spasms and wasn't on the roster. So Torre had no one to turn to except Mussina. You can argue all you want about what might of happened, but Torre did NOT want to start Wang and that was a total bust.

Then there was the decision to bring in Joba in the seventh on Sunday when Hughes was doing so great in middle relief. Why not keep Hughes in, he was looking great? I complained just as bitterly as everyone else. Per the NYTimes, the owner's box went ballistic when this happened. Guess what? The Joba rules played a factor. Joba had warmed up earlier in the night when it was a one-run game and Torre thought he would need the reliever. One of the Joba rules still in effect in the post-season said that if Joba tossed, he HAD to come into the game. But still, why in the seventh when Hughes looked great? Hughes did look great but no one on the Yankee roster -- not even Mo -- has been as lights out as Joba in the second half. Me, I've been pushing and arguing that Joba should stay in the bullpen a la Mo in 95 and 96 and the Yankees can end the game with Joba and Mo combining the way Mo and Wetteland did in those two years. Sunday night was a must-win game. If we lose we go home. Torre brought in his best pitcher for the 7th and 8th inning, despite a 5 run lead and it paid off. Joba gave up one meaningless run, handed the ball to Mo and we won the game. if Joba pitched poorly or we lost the game or it wasn't a do or die situation, you could argue Torre did poorly. But he HAD to bring in Joba and why bring in your best pitcher for only one inning when you can bring him in for two? Five runs is nothing these days in baseball, even in the post-season.

I would argue Torre should have started Hughes instead of Clemens and that Torre should have rested Jeter and used Bettemit on Monday and can you imagine the abuse he would have received if he'd done that? But the two biggest knocks against Torre's post-season decisions -- Wang and Joba -- were partially taken out of his hands thanks to Joba rules and being overruled. He was right both times.

Top Prospects This Off-Season -- Steal Mike Lowell?

Joe sent a great link to the top prospects this off season and mentioned Mike Lowell of the Red Sox for first base. I see him as a potential third baseman, though he clearly had a career high at the plate and a career low in errors in the field. Anyone know his mental makeup and what kind of guy he is? Problems? Injured two years ago, I assume based on his numbers? Good team player? Seems to struggle in the post-season and sucks against lefties.

Matsui

Funny 2003 story about Hideki Matsui on the cusp of making his MLB transition, including his "much vaunted porn collection" (10th, 13th paragraphs).

Torre For One More Year?

Why bring in Tony La Russa for two or three years? If you're just going to tread water before committing to Don Mattingly or Joe Girardi, why not stick with Torre? Here's my thinking. The Yankees have too many key players that could walk if they dump Torre -- or at least demand the moon. Between Mo and Posada and Pettitte, Torre is too important in keeping them. Plus we've got one more year at the Stadium. Why not give Torre a one year deal ? They can say, we want Torre to close out the era at this Stadium. Having him walk into the sunset along with the Stadium makes good sense, fires up the players to win one for the Gipper, gives a huge incentive to those key players to stick around and provides a marketing bonanza for the team. If we actually win the World Series, he can leave on top or they can always change their mind and say, "More Torre!" It would be classy AND good for business.

A-Rod Is Gone

Scott Boras has made clear that A-Rod is going to opt out. The Yankees have made clear that if A-Rod does opt-out, they're not going to pursue him. I believe them both. I've seen A-Rod at his best (this season) and worst (last season) and I'll be glad to see him go and use that $30 million a season in a lot more productive ways. We'll never replace those numbers and we don't need to. And as Cashman and the brothers take control, they've been smart about spending big money on the draft (where it amounts to pennies, really) and holding on to prospects. That's the way to build a great team. Swallowing A-Rod at $30 mil a year for ten years is not. That figure doesn't include the high maintainence costs. (Buying A-Rod is like buying a really expensive, luxurious apartment with a mortgage you can just barely afford -- and then realizing you also have to pay a maintainence fee which is almost as much as the rent on your LAST apartment. Suddenly you've got a nice home and a doorman but you feel trapped. God help you if the fridge breaks down.) Since Abreu is the only outfielder that can be dropped (Matsui and Damon are locked in), he's going to go as well. Plus, no more Roger Clemens at $18 mil. That's $64 million to play with right there and really the only one that has to be replaced is third base. Think we can find a decent third baseman...and some pitching...and a young catcher...for $64 mil, which is the payroll for a number of teams? We can lower our payroll and get stronger next year. Now if only there were a way to dump Giambi and his damnable $21 million.

Joe Torre Holds A Lot Of Cards

I'm not saying Joe Torre will be back. I'm not even saying our beloved manager should be back. I'm just saying that Joe Torre is in a much stronger position than it appears right now and probably a lot stronger than last season.

1. George Steinbrenner is increasingly frail and mentally unsound -- He came to exactly three games this season (assuming he was there last night). He frequently is unable to recognize reporters he's known for decades. A reporter making a sleazy uninvited visit to Steinbrenner's home found him disorientied and confused. Exactly how much power does Steinbrenner weild anymore? Not much, I'd say. And Brian Cashman strongly supports Torre and Steinbrenners sons taking the reins fully for the first time in 2008 might well prefer the stability of keeping Torre.

2. Torre made clear he wants to keep coaching -- The Yankees might want to dump Torre, but do they really want to see him coaching somewhere else. Imagining someone as your competitor is a great way to suddenly appreciate the person you have on your staff.

3. A-Rod, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte -- all these players can walk away from the Yankees and anyone who thinks Rivera and Posada in particular couldn't possibly wear anything but pinstripes? Take a look at Johnny Damon in the outfield. All of them are linked to Torre in one way or another. If the Yankees dump Torre, they might cause a domino effect of players leaveing en masse. Their loyalty may very well be to Torre. Why stay in New York is the Yankees dump their manager? Posada wants a four year deal. If Torre stays, he might hold Posada's hand and reassure him. Without Torre, Posada loses that comfort zone. Rivera said very bluntly yesterday that the Yankees could have resigned him before the season. It's a business and I'm going to treat it like one, is what Rivera said. (Praise Jesus!) Andy Pettitte has made very clear Torre's departure would weigh heavily on him when deciding whether to reup. And then there's A-Rod. He's worth his own post. But when he finally develops a decent relationship and comfort level with Torre after four seasons, if the manager is fired that wil definitely be one more reason for A-Rod to opt out and check the waters. So Torre is fired, Pettitte walks, Posada gets a four year deal elsewhere that the Yankees won't match, Rivera decides it doesn't look like fun in New York anymore (and the Yankees foolishly decide they've already got Joba so why bother) and A-Rod says, huh, exactly what team am I remaining loyal too? If the Yankees keep Torre, they keep Pettitte (a huge part of stability and their only proven post-season winner among the lineup of Wang, Hughes, Kennedy, Joba and Mussina -- that looks a lot iffier without Pettitte). They keep Posada with a three year deal. They keep Mo.

Yep, it's easy to see how dumping Torre could have a disastrous effect on negotiations with all those players. Maybe Torre isn't in such a weak spot as it seems. But do the Yankees realize that?

Section 39 Bleacher Creatures Vent Over Season

Vincent wrote:

AS MUCH AS I ENJOY HANGING OUT WITH YOU GUYS AT "YANKEE" GAMES,
I must tell you that I'm so disappointed in their failure to advance past Cleveland,
that I "will not" be able to spend as much time going to the 2008 games as I did this, and past seasons.

I attend "Yankee" games expecting them to at least compete for a pennant. If I
continue supporting this level of failure, I'll eventually betray myself, and each of
the principles that are my foundation. I don't want to be a Cubs like fan, or a
Clipper like fan, or a Red Sox fan (pre 2004), sitting there beside Neil, behind
Larry, hoping, longing, for success.

I enjoy sitting in the bleachers with each of you, and the other characters that
inhabit Section 39, like Mr. Matsui, the guy who walks across to bow to him,
Wild Ass Jessie, the "Let's Go" guy, Whelan the Cop, The Two Tony's, the
cowbell guy, Security Chief Terrance, the "big guy" and his daughter, Nannette's
friends, Mike's friends, Colin's friends, Neil's friends, and so on and so on, which
makes typing this note so very hard. However, I look forward to the planned
events that I'm invited to, hosted by some of you, that take place at venues
other than "Yankee Stadium."

I APPRECIATE THE FELLOWSHIP!
I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND!

I WAS THE ONE WHO PUT ALL THAT STUFF IN
NANNETTE'S POCKETS, NOT LARRY OR COLIN


VINCENT "a really "pissed" off Yankee fan"


Colin wrote:

We're all depressed right now and deal with it in our own way. But
we're all true Yankees fans and even with as much as it hurts right
now we'll be out there next year cheering our brains out expecting to
win the World Series. Its what we do. We're Yankees fans. It's why I'll
probably get fired for missing most of the day tomorrow (I mean
today).

And as painful as it is we MUST cheer for the Indians with everything
we got to keep those devils in Boston from winning.

-COLIN


Neil wrote:

VINCENT!!! How dare you bail the day after a loss such as this. true, this is the end of an era as we bid farewell to Joe Torre etal. However, the future looks extremely bright for the Yankees. With Hughes, Joba, Kennedy and a healthy Humberto Sanchez the Yankee pitching staff could be conceivably dominant over the next 5-10 years. Yankee fans by and large are not front runners. We stick with our team through thick and thin. We are not the faux Bulls, Lakers, Steelers and Cowboys fans of the 80's and 90's. We are real fans. Although I am deeply dissapointed by this loss I am encouraged by the fact that the neccassary changes will be made and that the Yankees will return to glory in 2008 and beyond. So, Vincent, as much as I love you like a brother, I am going to differ you with you here. You are purely venting your frustrations and I understand totally. I know as well as you do that you will be back next year, in section 39 Row HH in Seat 4 ( Seat 3 is mine, son!!!) hoping and praying that we will find a way to beat the Red Sox. Now go pull yourself together and get ready for some NETS basketball, this could be the year!!! Remember I said that. Have a great winter everyone, it's been a blast eating chicken wings and gummy worms with you. Oh and as for the poor suckers who sit in front of me (row GG) remember Jo Jo will be 4 next year, bigger, stronger and with a much harder kick and I'll be bringing him to more games!!! LOL stay in touch!


Neil


Colin wrote:

I wrote an email along these lines last night at approximately 2:30
when I finally got back to my parents house, and the damn program
locked up and I was too depressed to start over.... So Neil, well
said!

Vincent, suck it up... we're all in pain right now...

Neil keep seating in seat 3 so Jo Jo won't be beating me up during
Sunday games and Vincent won't be squirting mustard on me...

See ya'll in 5 months and 22 days...

-COLIN


Michael wrote:

Well said, everyone. George Steinbrenner says any season the Yankees don't win the World Series is a failure. That is ridiculous -- no team has ever won the pennant every season and always competed for and won the World Series. If they did, the game would be boring. The dynasty of the mid 90s was exciting and special because that rarely happens. That's why it was a dynasty that will go down akin to the Yankees of the 20s and 50s as one of the great teams of all time.

My personal standard is that with the money the Yankees spend, it's reasonable for Steinbrenner to expect the Yankees to make the post-season. Then all I hope for is a well-played series. This too is pretty ridiculous. Going to the post-season 12 or so years in a row is a huge accomplishment, not something you can demand. A fan supports their team in good times and bad. That's not a betrayal of principles -- that's a demonstration of principles.

As Neil said, this was a rebuilding year and we STILL got to the post-season. We're seeing the changing of the guard with new and exciting young players like Melky (who Cashman idiotically had riding the bench when the season began) and Cano coming into their own, position players like Andy Phillps and Doug M. coming through when given a chance and of course so much promising young pitching from Hughes, Kennedy, Joba, Ohlendorf and the rest. And then of course veterans like Derek and Posada and Pettitte and Wang and Mo, as well as Matsui and Damon and the hired guns Abreu and A-Rod. We've got a great core to build on next year and a lot to be excited about -- especially since Steinbrenner's philosophy of torching the future to try and win today is dead and gone.

Besides, Vince, you're gonna make Nannette angry and you wouldn't like her when she's angry.

Michael

Larry wrote:

Hey Vin Man,

Man do you sound pissed off!! Don’t blame you. It was pretty disgracefull they way the yanks could not get passed the Indians after beating them 6 times in the regular season. I agree, this is not the October team we all grown to know and love. But a new era is coming so suck it up and get with it. You can’t tell me you won’t show next year because knowing you you won’t be able to stay away. We are die hard Yankee fans who are there rain or shine cheering the team on. What we need is some more younger hungrier guys and better pitching. So have a good winter and I will see in Section 39 seating behind me (unless of course I see you at a planned event that we are invited to during the off season) so don’t be a psudo fan and jump on the bandwagon only when the team is doing well.


Larry

Michael wrote:

Vincent, does it mean anything that the Yankees are the ONLY team to return to the post-season from last year? So if you were rooting for any other team in baseball, you wouldn't even have gone this far two years in a row?

Michael

Vincent wrote:

IT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
YOU'RE NOW LOOKING FOR SMALL, NOMINAL ACHIEVEMENTS!

The Yankees should be playing this Friday against "The Red Sox!"
Win or Lose, That's the World Series!
Arizona, Colorado, and Cleveland are playing, and we're not going back to "YS"
until April, unless we do a drive by. "You've got to be kidding me!"

VINCENT.

Michael wrote:


You have to acknowledge that your expectations are not just unreasonable but historically absurd. The Yankees are the most successful franchise of any sport in the world. In history. And that success is not in the distant past. It's very current. What team can you root for if you demand that they ALWAYS get to the finals? What basketball or football or socceer or cricket or baseball or hockey or NASCAR or any other sport you want to name? Who has that record? No one. It's never happened. Ever. The Yankees offer more success year in and year out than any other team in any other sport. Besides, baseball isn't just about the World Series. It's all the characters in the stands you described in your first email. It's watching young players grow and develop like Leche and Cano. It's following superstars like Derek Jeter day in and day out and knowing he always gives 100% even when his body can't, even when his team fails. The Yankees went 18 years between World Series -- from 1978 to 1996. My God, what did you do then? No team, heck no musician, no writer, no film director, no stage actor -- no one in any field of any sort can ALWAYS deliver ultimate success every time out. If they did, it would be meaningless. Who do you admire in any field? There's no chance they ALWAYS achieve 100%. Don't be a Steinbrenner. (Ouch, that's too cruel.) Expect the best but don't abandon your team, especially when they succeed so much more than any other team in any other sport that fans who don't love the Yankees can only shake their heads in astonishment at our angst. They laugh when we talk about it being so long since our last World Series victory. And rightly so. It hasn't been long, not by a long shot. Not by any standard -- even our own. Go Yankees.

Michael

Vince writes:

YOUR REBUTTAL WAS QUITE FLUID, BUT LACKED SEVERAL POINTS!
POINT # 1. The "Yankees" beat Cleveland six (6) games this season. Three (3) times when they were really sucking, early in April! It's not too much to ask for three (3) more wins, even if they were needed in the "post season."

POINT # 2. If you were describing a scenario where the league's talent and competition was so intense, with teams at full strength, fighting it out til game 162, your argument would also be valid! Check it; LA? DEADED (SWEPT IN THE POST)! DETROIT? DEADED! SEATTLE? DEADED!
POINT # 3. From the end of May til the end of September, the "Yankees" overcame a 14.5 game deficit. That's what the "Yankee" aura, the "Yankee" mystic is all about!

THESE POINTS ARE WHY "I" / "YANKEE" FANS EXPECTED A LITTLE MORE!

NOTE: I don't sit out there for 60 / 70 plus games hoping for the future. Fans filled with that type of hope go to Staten Island, not the Bronx. I expect the team's "GM" and scouts, and hierarchy, and powers that be, Steinbrenner(s), Cashman, Tina the Bleacher Matriarch, Ken Sunshine, the Swindell guy, or whoever is taking care of that future stuff, to take care of that future stuff, to keep me / us there, coming back on the regular! That's what a great organization is all about. Being concerned about now and the future, all at the same time! Covering every base, all at the same time!
You want me to bring "rosary beads" and a "rabbit's foot" to the game, instead of "gummy worms"
and "imported lite beer!"
The "Yankee" aura is built upon success!
It's built on wins! 26 and 39!
LOSING SUCKS!
YANKEE FANS EXPECT! OTHER TEAM'S FANS HOPE!

I could even deal with losing to "The Sox" (NOT) for the pennant in six (6) or seven (7), than getting stamped by Cleveland in four (4). At least on paper, you should get a damn good show / great theatre! THINK BACK! AARON BOONE!

VINCENT


Michael writes:

Vincent makes a great point. This post-season WAS disappointing. I often say I expect to go to the post-season (which is a crazily high standard no other team in history can match) and once there I expect a great series. I can't complain about losing to a team (even a sweep) if they are exciting, well-played games. The Yankees did NOT deliver an exciting, well-played series against the Indians. Not even close. The starting pitching was terrible and the bats were dead. Even my beloved Derek Jeter had a terrible series. And so yes, this post-season was a bitter disappointment. I expect better. We all expect better. Not a constant stream of ALDS victories and a World Series every other year. But exciting, well-played games. We got ONE exciting well-played game on Sunday (and not just because we won). All the other games were badly played and frustrating. That's a great reason to be angry and expect better. And it might be a good reason for retiring Torre if you think the players are too complacent. But it is not a reason for swearing off the team for good and for staying away. Like I tell people about politics, if you don't vote you can't complain about the President. And if you don't go to the games and support the team, you can't bitch about how they perform. And don't the players who do always deliver their heart and soul -- like Jeter -- deserve your support? Didn't Don Mattingly deserve all the love in the world when he kept the lights on in the Eighties and Nineties during the horrible years when Steinbrenner was in complete control and trashing our beloved franchise, when we went 18 years between World Series victories and yet Mattingly played his heart out and reminded us of what the Yankees once were and could be again? Keep the faith.

Michael

Time For Torre To Go...After We Win The World Series

Torre is too wedded to the guys that got him glory in the 90s. Is there anyone who thought Clemens would go five solid innings? Nope. As I predicted, he was out in the third, broken down, old and in the way. What good is experience if your body is in shambles? Jorge Posada looked into the eyes of Clemens and saw there was nothing left. I got the same impression and I was about fifty yards away in the right field bleachers. Unfortunately, what should have happened next didn't -- they should have taken Clemens out back and put him down, like a noble racehorse that had broken its legs. Phil Hughes should have started this game (and frankly if Kennedy were fit, he should start in place of Mussina). If Torre tries to start Clemens in the next round instead of putting him in the bullpen, he will turn misguided loyalty into stupidity. There is no way Clemens can start in the next round after sucking in mid-September and early October. The same goes for trying to squeeze in both Giambi and Matsui. If you wanted to DH Matsui, you should have sat Giambi, especially the way Doug M. has been batting. Finally, why didn't Phil Hughes come back out for another inning? Bringing in Joba when Hughes looked good was a mistake. Hughes should at least have started the inning. Joba and Mo came through but they'll be far less effective on Monday.

Speaking of Monday, let the kids play and the old men watch. Let's win one.

Section 39 Bleacher Creatures Say "Go Yankees!"

We've got 'em right where we want 'em -- lulled into a false sense of security and headed into Yankee Stadium. All we have to do is win tonight's game. One game. We can do it. We love playing from behind apparently. We play today we win today. Any other cliches you'd like to offer before tonight's game?

I Can Hear Jesse Now...

"Jorge Posada is a piece of s#$t!!!!"

People talked about the gnats (rightly), Joba's "disintegration" (wrongly), and A-Rod's inability to get a hit (stupidly -- NO ONE was hitting and at least his last at-bat was solid). But I watched the entire postgame coverage on YES and maybe I missed it but I didn't see one replay of Jorge's disastrous, game-changing plays during Joba's outing when he failed to block a wild pitch, letting Sizemore -- great porn name, by the way -- score the tying run on a ball that didn't get very far away from Posada at all.

Grady of course became the tying run that sent us into extra innings. If we get that out, the entire game changes. Did I watch a different game than the broadcasters? They didn't show it or his other travails behind the plate on replay. They didn't discuss it at all. Meanwhile, I'm certain fellow Section 39 Bleacher Creature Jesse was cursing Jorge with bodily harm. And rightly so.

Okay, so we need to win Sunday. Can Clemens go "deep," by which I mean five innings in his case? And if we do win, surely the Indians will use Sabathia on short rest to win game four and try to end it with their ace rather than risking a terrible pitcher and heading back to Cleveland? If we would use Wong (and we probably will in Game Four) why wouldn't they use Sabathia? Does he have some history of pitching terribly on short rest?

Pick Your Poison

So, who do you want to face? Boston or the Angels? Josh Beckett sure looked dominating tonight -- the Yankees can only hope one of our starters goes six or maybe seven quality innings A nine innning shut out is a pipe dream, especially since Hughes won't be a starter. As for Clemens, I only hope he gets through the first. So the Angels or the devils in Boston? Pick your poison.

Post-Season Schedule Here

Most games start in the afternoon or early evening for most teams, except for some west coast games, which start at 7 p.m. or so, PST. The Yankees schedule:

Game One at Cleveland 10/4: 6:30 p.m.
Game Two at Cleeland 10/5: 5:00 p.m.
Game Three at New York 10/7: 6:30 p.m.
Game Four at New York 10/8: 6:00 p.m.
Game Five at Cleveland 10/10: 5:00 p.m.

We have the most consistently sane schedule. Imagine, little kids (and adults) can actually watch the post-season games without falling asleep at work or school the next day. Were they actually thinking of the fans when devising this or is it just a matter of squeezing in all these games on the same days? The latter, I fear. We'll know the truth once the World Series schedule comes out and I'll be as shocked as anyone if those 8:27 p.m. start times get lowered to a more sane 7:05 start time. But don't hold your breath. There's money to be made, even if it means little kids get ignored and adults are bleary eyed with exhaustion.

Oh and my post-season ticket policy is that my guests must pay for their tickets. I gotta find $1600 to pay for NEXT season's tickets come January so that money is one way to start.

Fire Willie Randolph?

Get serious. Step back for a moment and see what Randolph has done in the past two seasons. He took a losing team and got them above .500 last season and a few outs away from the post-season this year. He did it despite the Wilpons' refusal to show him any respect. Randolph was brought in on the cheap and they acted as if they should be canonized for doing so, they refused to let Randolph name his coaches (which I consider the baseline for respect and the ability for a manager to do his job with confidence -- Randolph got to name one coach and that guy was quickly fired), and the front office brass kept coming into the clubhouse and lending players their ears, whittling away at Randolph's standing with the team to the point where he had to complain about it. (They ignored him.) All this after years of being treated like the token black interview so teams that had no intention of hiring him could claim they spoke with minority candidates. So sure, you could argue Randolph should have refused to sign on without getting to name his coaches (most coaches would resign rather than accept that situation), but after years of being treated with disrespect and seeing his chance to manage slipping away, Randolph clearly felt the need to accept any position, however humiliating. And he succeeded. Steady, major improvement the first two years. Let's see what he does next year. But if this collpase means even less power and control for Randolph (when he should be given more commensurate with a major league manager), they'll just fire him next year and blame him for what can mostly be ascribed to bad deals and weak pitching, even though they forced him to manage with one hand tied behind his back. As the beloved Joe Torre says, it starts with pitching and Randolph didn't have it. Or respect.

Talent Is Overrated

Amen to that -- stat happy fans who stare at box scores and play fantasy baseball and tell me that Jeter isn't clutch and that there's no such thing as clutch anyway (batting average with runners in scoring position in the 7th or later inning when down by two, sure. But "clutch?" Please.) and scoff at my suggestion that losing Andy Phillips was a blow in more ways than one and scoff even more at my belief that a great team is not simply a collection of all-stars and that in fact a team of all-stars might be ideally suited NOT to succeed in the post-season, well here's Phillies general manager Tom Gillick per the NYTimes.

Gillick said that for many years he felt that talent was everything. But he said after watching Philadelphia overcome injuries and other adversity this season and overtake the Mets, he had concluded that talent was overrated.

Talent is important, he said, but what is more important is mental toughness, character, passion and the desire to win.

“These are things that cannot be measured,” he said.

Again, amen to that.

Thank God I'm A Yankee Fan

I've been rooting for the Mets the past five days because I always like Willie Randolph (who wasn't allowed to name any of his coaches, but one -- who was fired early on), and I've got friends who are fans and like I always say...there's no one I'd rather beat in the World Series than the New York Mets.

What a nightmare these past days have been, with the team collapsing after being in first place since May, 135 days in a row, to be exact. To add to my shock, the Phillies were celebrating as if they'd just landed on the moon and the announcers told me this was their first trip to the post-season since 1993. They hadn't been to the post-season in 14 years? I think I'd buy a gun and shoot someone (probaby myself) if the Yankees failed to even make it to the first round for 14 years in a row. I have to constantly remind myself about the dark days in the Seventies and Eighties (when Steinbrenner was in full bloom) and that this current run is exceptional in any case.

Finally, after the game was over I headed to the 7 train to go to Mass. I suddenly realized the car would probably be full of Met fans. And indeed it was, with one mournful face after another in the windows as it pulled into the station until the car in front of me stopped, revealing a Met boyfriend and girlfriend literally collapsed into each other's arms, hugging, their heads bowed in despair.

Thank God I'm a Yankee fan.