Comparisons to 2004 are Way Off Base

Written for Baseball Digest Online

From the moment the Los Angeles Angels took a first inning lead in Game 5 of the ALCS, the national and local media began dredging up the New York Yankees 2004 ALCS collapse. Glee may have even been heard in the voice of lead Fox announcer Joe Buck. But whether or not this year’s Yankees advance to the World Series, one thing is for sure, this team has nothing in common with the ‘04 squad.

Pitching wins championship and that is the major difference between the current squad and the one five years ago that squandered a three games to none lead. Mariano Rivera is the only hurler to be on both team’s rosters. Had tonight’s Game 6 starter AndyPettitte taken the mound for Game 6 back then, there may have been a different outcome. And while CC Sabathia , already 3-0 in this post-season, waits in the wings in the event of a seventh game, the Yankees had to go with a creaky Kevin Brown in the decisive ‘04 contest.

The ‘04 team hit with a vengeance through the first three games of their showdown with Boston, and then, to a man, completely stopped hitting. DerekJeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, and Hideki Matsui are the only players left from the prior roster. And while the current team has struggled throughout these playoffs to score without the aid of a home run, they’ve proven throughout the season that no deficit is too small. Even before losing Game 5 Thursday night, the Yankees turn a 4-0 deficit into a 6-4 lead.

And this year’s opponent should not be overlooked. The Angels don’t have more than three-quarters of a century of losing hanging over the heads. They’re an established winning franchise, with arguably the top manager in baseball at the helm. They are a team capable of coming back from a three games to one deficit.

So while it remains to be seen if the Yankees will play for their 27th championship, there’s no question that this team has built its’ own reputation and will determine its’ own legacy.

The Hunt for Pinstriped October

It's never too soon to start figuring out the Yankees roster for the AL Division Series. Of course 90% is set in stone, health permitting, with just a handful of question marks.

First a look at the most obvious:

Catchers

Jorge Posada

Infield

Around the Horn - Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez

Outfield

From left to right - Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher

DH

Hideki Matsui

Bench

Brett Gardner, Jose Molina, Eric Hinske

Starting Pitchers

CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte

Bullpen

Mariano Rivera, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Damaso Marte, Al Aceves


And...

So this is where the questions begin. We've sewn up 20 spots, which leaves five more to be determined.

For the bench, Jerry Hairston Jr. is a given IF he is healthy. And that's a major question after he heard something pop in his wrist yesterday out in Anaheim. If Hairston can't go, that means the much less experienced Ramiro Pena would be the backup infielder.

The Yankees are probably set in the outfield. Gardner will most likely get some starts in the playoffs and hopefully Hinske will never see the field, but be used strictly as a pinch-hitter with pop off the bench. Michael Kay keeps trying to sell us on Joe Girardi taking the speedy Freddy Guzman to be this year's Herb Washington. And we all know how that worked out.

The starting rotation is set for the division series. Beyond that, the Yankees will need a fourth starter if they advance to the ALCS, and subsequently, to the World Series. It's hard to imagine Joba Chamberlain being that guy right now. He's a mess, both pitching-wise and psychologically. Right now, a game four could go to Chad Gaudin. (At this point, Sergio Mitre should not be any part of the mix.)

The bullpen should include Chamberlain if he is not going to start. There's no reason why he couldn't face a couple of batters here or there late in the game. At this point, we would kick Brian Bruney to the curb, and we hope David Robertson will be ready to go. However, if his sore shoulder doesn't allow him to pitch much in the final 10 games, then we would skip him as well.

So, who do I go with for those last five spots?

Hairston, Pena, Chamberlain, Gaudin, Robertson. If Hairston can't go, then Guzman probably is a go. If no Robertson, then I would actually take Jonathan Albaladejo over Bruney.