The Yankees announced they will pitch CC Sabathia on three days rest in game four, and in game seven if needed.
“CC has pitched extremely well for us this year,” Girardi said before Game 3 Saturday night. “We wanted to see how he came out today, how physically he came out today, and he physically feels [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 6:39 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2009
Softening Up
Buzz Bissinger thinks Phillies fans are going soft. I hope he shows up at the game tonight and the Phillies put his seat number on the board.
Posted by David Pinto at 4:54 pm | Fans | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 30, 2009
Playoffs Tomorrow
I’m off for a weekend of drunken debauchery* as the Harvard University Band celebrates their 90th anniversary. The HUB invented the halftime show, by the way. So here’s an early look at game three.
*At my age, drunken debauchery consists of a beer and singing the raunchy version of Harvardiana.
With the series tied [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:05 am | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2009
Watching Rivera
The Phillies think the more they see of Mariano Rivera, the better they will hit him.
“We can hit Rivera,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel promised not long after the Yankees laid a 3-1 bruise on his team to even this World Series at one game apiece Thursday night in Yankee Stadium. “We’ve proved that. He’s good. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:17 am | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | 5 Comments
October 29, 2009
Great Acquistions
In the first two games, both the Yankees and Phillies showed they did a good job acquiring starting pitchers. Sabathia and Burnett, the big free agent pitchers, each went seven innings, allowing three runs combined. Burnett was the star in game two, allowing four hits, and two walks while striking out nine over [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:31 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Phillies in the Ninth
The Yankees put two men on but don’t score in the bottom of the eighth. Rivera will face Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez in the top of the ninth.
Update: Ryan Howard strikes out looking at a pitch on the high, outside corner. Rivera got the benefit of the doubt on that [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:14 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Rivera in the Eighth
Mariano Rivera comes on to try to convert a six out save. He’ll face Carlos Ruiz, then the top of the order, so he has his work cut out for him.
Update: The umpires did meet after the end of the seventh to discuss the line out. No one saw anything different, so the [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:48 pm | World Series | Permalink | 5 Comments
October 29, 2009
Godzilla Crushes
Pedro Martinez starts the bottom of the sixth strong, striking out Teixeira and Rodriguez, but Matusi golfs out a ball below his knees for the Yankees second home run of the game. He’s reached base all three times he came to the plate against Pedro. Remember, Pedro Matsui had the big hit against [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:12 pm | World Series | Permalink | 2 Comments
October 29, 2009
Action in the Pen
The Yankees come up in the bottom of the fifth still tied at one, but the Phillies bullpen is up and working. That’s probably a good idea, just in case.
Pedro strikes out Cabrera, however, to start the inning, Martinez’s sixth of the game.
Update: He gets Molina to ground out, but Jeter [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:50 pm | World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 29, 2009
Hate Mail
Kerry Wood speaks about the hate mail received by African-American players and manager Dusty Baker during Wood’s time with the Cubs.
I actually got a letter like that once when I was at ESPN. Ken Griffey, Jr. was going for the record of consecutive games with a home run, and I calculated the odds of [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:47 pm | Fan Rant | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Breaking the Drought
Mark Teixeira leads off the bottom of the fourth with a home run into the Yankees bullpen in right. The Yankees get their first home run of the series and their first earned run of the series. More importantly, it ties the game at one. That’s Mark’s second home run of the [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:30 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Picked Off
Jayson Werth singles to lead off the fourth, but Jose Molina makes a brilliant throw to first to pick him off. So far, Molina in the lineup has been the right move.
Burnett strikes out Ibanez for the second out.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:24 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Burnett Starts Walking
A.J. Burnett walks Jimmy Rollins with one out in the third, and after getting Victorino on a weak grounder with Rollins running, Burnett pitches Utley very carefully, and end up intentionally walking him. I get the feeling the Yankees would rather face Howard than Utley.
Update: It works as Howard strikes out swinging to end [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:03 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Game of Inches
Raul Ibanez doubles down the leftfield line with two out in the top of the second, the first hit of the game. The ball landed on the outside half of the foul line and bounced into the stands. It wasn’t a great swing, but it worked.
Matt Stairs then goes the other way and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:30 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Nice Movement
A.J. Burnett retires the first two batters of the game. He has a nice breaking ball working, that is moving late away from the lefties.
Update: Two fly outs and a strikeout retires the Phillies in order in the first inning of game 2. Burnett looks sharp so far.
Update: Pedro strikes out Jeter and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:02 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Jeter Wins Clemente
Congratulations to Derek Jeter, this year’s winner of the Robert Clemente Award.
Posted by David Pinto at 7:44 pm | Awards | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
One Man Short
The Phillies lose Greg Dobbs to the flu for game two. With the DH in use, the Phillies need a pinch hitter less than they usually do.
Posted by David Pinto at 7:38 pm | Illnesses, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Hairston and Molina
I thought with the Yankees carrying two catchers, Posada would start every game of the World Series. Girardi, however is sticking with Jose Molina behind the plate, and he’s also using Jerry Hairston instead of Nick Swisher.
Girardi said that Hairston’s record of success against Martinez was one of the factors, in addition to Swisher’s [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 6:12 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Playoffs Today
Game two of the World Series looks to be dryer than game one as Pedro Martinez and the Phillies face off against the Yankees’ A.J. Burnett. The Phillies lead the best of seven series 1-0. Pedro didn’t hold back when he talked to the New York media about their coverage of him:
In a [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 3:36 pm | World Series | Permalink | 2 Comments
October 29, 2009
Costly Firing
The Washington Nationals can’t even fire someone properly:
A Dominican Republic tribunal has ordered the Washington Nationals to pay $40,000 in damages to a scout who was fired after signing a prospect who lied about his age.
Jose Baez, the Nationals’ former director of operations in the Dominican Republic, sued the team for what he said was [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:24 am | Management | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Chasing Lefties
I should not have been that surprised the Chase Utley was able to take CC Sabathia deep in game one of the World Series. In 2009, Chase held the fourth best AB/HR for lefty on lefty matchups at 17.4 AB per HR (minimum, 150 AB against lefties). Only Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:58 am | Players, Sluggers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 29, 2009
Posnanski on Lee
It’s tough to know which paragraph to quite from Joe Posnanski’s latest article, in which he praises the coolness of Cliff Lee:
And yet … did you see him out there? Step right up ladies and gentlemen and take a look at the world’s coolest pitcher! Here he is making a basket catch on a fly [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:24 am | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 29, 2009
Best Ever
Cliff Lee’s nine innings with no earned runs in World Series game one pushed him to the top of a list:
No writer should ever have to say this, but Cliff Lee’s performance in these playoffs has transcended words. His 0.54 ERA is the lowest ever recorded by a pitcher with 30 or more postseason innings. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:04 am | Pitchers, Post Season | Permalink | 2 Comments
October 28, 2009
Masterful-Lee
Cliff Lee took a Yankees lineup that hit very well against left-handed pitchers and made them look off balance all night. He goes the distance, walking none and striking out ten, the only run against him scoring on an error as the Phillies take the game 6-1. The Yankees collected just six hits, [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:36 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2009
Yankees in the Ninth
Cliff Lee comes out to try to finish the game. He’ll face the top of the Yankees order, Jeter, Damon and Teixeira. Only Jeter has looked good against Lee tonight. He has two of the Yankees four hits.
Update: Jeter bloops a single into centerfield to start the inning.
Update: Damon pulls a single [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:20 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2009
Yankees Running out of Outs
The Yankees go down 1-2-3 in the seventh, all on ground outs. Jeter is the only hitter on the team able to square up Lee tonight. Lee is at 95 pitches, so he’ll go at least one more inning. Philadelphia leads 2-0 and needs six more outs to take game one.
Update: Sabathia [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:23 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2009
Utley Does it Again
Chase Utley takes an 0-2 pitch deep into the rightfield stands for his second solo home run of the game. The one-out shot in the sixth gives the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Sabathia gave up three home runs to left-handed hitters during the regular season. An impressive night so far for Chase.
Update: [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:47 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2009
One On, None Out
Hideki Matsui leads off the bottom of the fifth with a single. He’s the first lead-off to reach base tonight.
Update: Another strange play. Robinson Cano hits a low pop up, that Rollins catches at his shoe tops. It looks like the umps called that the ball hit the ground and Matsui was [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:33 pm | World Series | Permalink | 4 Comments
October 28, 2009
K-Lee
Cliff Lee strikes out the side in the bottom of the fourth. That included Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, both for the second time. That give Cliff seven K for the game against no walks.
Lee’s pitching much more efficiently than Sabathia. The Phillies starter threw just 56 pitches so far versus 71 [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:22 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2009
Mets and Minaya
Sports Illustrated reports the Mets kept top scout Sandy Johnson, who wanted to retire:
Mets officials believe the unusual effort made to retain Johnson is another sign of diminishing faith in Minaya.
Mets COO Jeff Wilpon is said to have thought it imperative that Johnson, who had a big hand in building winning teams in Texas and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:13 pm | Management | Permalink | No Comments
Bad Behavior has blocked 1930 access attempts in the last 7 days.