Time To Go

It is said that there are three little words that every woman wants to hear. It is said that there are three little words that professional athletes never want to hear, but last night Mariano Rivera heard them.

Long time teammates, friends, and brothers in arms, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter came out to the mound in the 9th inning of Thursday night's game with the Tampa Bay Rays to escort Mariano Rivera back to the dugout. It was a stroke of genius that occurred to manager Joe Girardi, a former teammate of all three players involved, in the 8th inning. He consulted with home plate ump Laz Diaz, who checked with crew chief MikeWinters, who in turn gave it the thumbs up. Pettitte and Jeter told Mo before the 9th started of what was to come, but it didn't lessen the impact at all.

Pettitte signaled for a right-hander and then Jeter said those three little words. "Time to go." That's all that Mariano needed to burst into tears, his head resting on Pettitte's shoulder while the tall Texan held him in a warm embrace and consoled him like you would any loved one.  It continued when Rivera held on to Jeter before the three walked to the dugout.

Many of the fans in the stands joined in the tearfest and you can bet there were plenty of people at home doing the same. The crowd roared on endlessly, just as it did when Bob Sheppard's recorded voice announced Mariano's entrance into the game in the 8th. Just as it did when the bullpen door opened and Mariano stepped out and broke into that familiar jog as "Enter Sandman" played for the last time for an active player. The Rays' players stood atop their dugout in applause as well, fully appreciating the moment. (They also would not take the field in the bottom of the 9th until Andy Pettitte came out of the dugout in response to the fans chant of "An-dy Pett-itte".)

The roar didn't stop when Mariano emerged for a curtain call and when the game was over and #42 was the only player left in the dugout. Photographers clicked away as Rivera stared out on to the field with finality written all over his face.  He then walked to the mound and kicked at the rubber one more time before he bent down and collected dirt just as he had when the old Yankee Stadium closed.

The game itself was meaningless; a 4-0 loss to the Rays in which Ivan Nova made his final start of the season. In a post-game press conference, the closer admitted that it wasn't so easy to pitch in the 81st home game of the season. He had left the dugout, something he never does, between innings to warm his arm up in the clubhouse. He sat on the bench for what seemed like an eternity until he went out to the mound to start the 9th inning.

His pitches didn't have quite the accuracy they usually do since his legs felt a bit jelly-like, but he still retired all four batters he faced. In doing so, he became the Major League's all-time leader in career ERA with a 2.209 mark, slightly ahead of Eddie Cicotte's 2.210. (Thanks to the YES Network's research king Jeff Quagliata for that remarkable factoid.)

And then it was over; the #42 jersey disappeared into the dugout and then the runway to the clubhouse for the last time. It's not likely you'll see him on the mound again, even if Andy Pettitte has a game to save when he makes his final career start Saturday in Houston. But there is a good chance you will see him in centerfield in one of the three games if Joe Girardi grants his wish.

Sunday's ceremony was fantastic, marvelous, etc., but Mariano's final Yankee Stadium game was transcendental.

The moment

What they were saying:

Rays manager Joe Maddon via Twitter: "For me tonight was not unlike the Ripken moment. Hard to imagine anyone surpassing Mariano. It's like DiMaggio's streak: untouchable."

Rays pitcher David Price via Twitter: "Yes I did grab dirt from the mound tonight...a true role model...unreal what Mariano has done on/off field" #history

Andy Pettitte: "I didn't say anything at first, and I didn't expect for him to be quite so emotional.. He broke down and just gave me a bear hug and I just bear-hugged him back. He was really crying. He was weeping, and I could feel him crying on me."

Chris Stewart on Girardi's idea: "That’s Joe; it shows you the respect he has for the game, and for one of the best players to ever play it. To send those guys out there, that was a special moment. And to hear the crowd roar like that … we haven’t heard it too much this season, but you will never forget it."

Joe Girardi in describing the night: As good as it gets, this is as good as it gets."

Rays starter Alex Cobb: "I stopped thinking about the actual game I was pitching in and just the moment I was in. I never felt those emotions in a baseball stadium. It was the coolest thing I've ever been a part of to this day. I went out there after he pitched and all I was thinking about was that I was on the same mound that Mariano just took after all that happened. I probably should have been thinking about other things than that."

Mo Meets the media


Pettitte meets the media


Jeter discusses Mo's last inning


Girardi's presser

BD Hot Stove: AL Managers | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: AL Managers | Baseball Digest

Only 14 of 30 managers have the same position they held when I last took a lot at the major league skippers back in March, 2009. Some were fired (and some were then rehired elsewhere), and others have retired. With spring training a couple of weeks away it’s time once again to see who should make the cut for a full season, who’s walking the tightrope, and who is on the thinnest of ice. The hot stove starts the two part series by looking at the American League.

AL East

This is one of the most secure divisions for a manager to lead in baseball with four, and possibly all five, managers sitting as comfy as an old man on a porch swing. Joe Girardi (2009), Terry Francona (2007), and Joe Maddon (2008) have all made it to the World Series in the last four seasons. Francona had the toughest task of the three last season and arguably did the best job in all of baseball. With injuries to players like Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Josh Beckett, Francona kept his team in contention for a playoff spot until the final weeks of the season.

Girardi signed a new three year deal this off-season that will pay him $9M. You can bet he hopes for a bounce back season from A.J. Burnett, another year out of Andy Pettitte, and some good fortune out of the collection of Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and others for the back end of the rotation. Maddonhas his work cut out for him this year. The Rays won their second division in three years in 2010, but much of that team is now gone. Carl Crawford, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, Carlos Pena, Joaquin Benoit, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Dan Wheeler are among the players who signed or were traded elsewhere. And now he gets to deal with the “Manny being Manny” show.

There are two new kids on the block, though one isn’t really new. Buck Showalter managed the last 57 games for Baltimore last season and had them 11 games over .500 (34-23). He, along with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, are trying to change perceptions and attitudes in Baltimore. A team that was powerful in the ’60s and ’70s and still competitive through the ’90s, has been awful in the new millenium. Showalter’s deal keeps him in black, orange, and white through 2013. Showalter has already helped turn teams around in NY, Texas, and Arizona. Crabtown hopes he can do the same for them.

The rookie manager of the division is Toronto’s John Farrell, who spent the last five seasons as the Red Sox pitching coach, and had been fielding managerial requests for the last few years. He’s taking the reins of a team that is in a rebuilding stage, having jettisoned veteran centerfielder Vernon Wells (and his enormous contract) and its best pitcher, Shaun Marcum. Farrell has said he wants the team to be much more aggressive on the basepaths this season, contradicting the moneyball vision previous GM J.P. Ricciardi had instilled.

AL Central

Our cover boy/man Jim Leyland is indeed in trouble as he enters his sixth season at the Detroit Tigers helm. For one thing, he has no contract beyond this season. But most important is success, and Leyland’s Tigers are just five games over .500 for the last three seasons combined. A slow start or a mid-season fade could spell the end for this fiery, “take no prisoners”-style skipper. Leyland isn’t worried about being a lame duck manager, and told mlb.com’s Jason Beck that he’s excited about this season. “Am I excited about our team? Yeah, I think we have a good team. I really do. I know we have a good team. I don’t think there’s any question about that. We have a good team.” Verlander, Porcello, Coke, Scherzer, Penny, etc. will be the key players to determine if Leyland is right.

Ron Gardenhire wins, plain and simple. Unfortunately for him and the Minnesota Twins’ fan base, he hasn’t been able to lead the team to a World Series. Gardenhire has a .656 winning pct. in his nine seasons in the Twin Cities and has captured AL Central titles. A 94 win campaign in 2010 led to the AL Manager of the Year award, but the team fell to the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season. The Twins need a healthy Justin Morneau and someone to step up offensively for Gardenhire to finally heard his name over the PA during the World Series.

Manny Acta is in his second season of a three year contract (with an option for a fourth season) as the manager of the Cleveland Indians; a team that was this close to making the 2007 World Series, but it is now in a major rebuilding phase. Pending free agent aces CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, as well as slugger Victor Martinez, were dealt away. Injuries have taken a major toll on the rising star of Grady Sizemore. All of this translated to this near-pennant winner going from 96 wins in 2007 to 65 two years later. The team improved only slightly last year under Acta, winning 69 games. The length of his contract shows the team is committed to Acta, who is still considered an “up and comer” as a manager. For Acta’s sake, the Indians farm system will have to get its act together soon.

Kansas City has not been the place to be for major league managers. Tony Muser, Tony Pena, Buddy Bell, Trey Hillman, and Ned Yost have been trying to make something out of nothing in KC for over a decade. Only Pena’s 2003 squad finished over .500. Yost gets his first spring training with the team after taking over for Hillman last year after 35 games. The Royals have young talent in the system led by the team’s best hitter, Billy Butler, and minor league prospects Mike Moustakkas and Kila Ka’aihue. But with Zack Greinke traded and the injured Gil Meche retired, Yost is still looking at guys like Kyle Davies and Bruce Chen to give him quality starts. Yost will be safe in 2011, but the team could go in another direction the following year.

It was thought that Ozzie Guillen’s job could be in jeopardy as he entered the final year of his contract. But after GM Kenny Williams brought in Adam Dunn and Jesse Crain and re-signed Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynksi, the team committed to Guillen by picking up his option for 2012. The outspoken, fiery Guillen should be fine unless the team plays well below ownership’s expectations. If that were to happen, someone else would definitely be steering the White Sox in the second half.

AL West

Ron Washington may not always do things by the book, but he found tremendous success last year, leading Texas to their first World Series. Now he has to try to repeat the feat without Cliff Lee. Washington’s stock rose exponentially and the victory rewarded team president Nolan Ryan’s faith in him after the manager admitted to snorting cocaine in 2009. Ryan paid him back with a new two-year contract that will keep Washington in Arlington through 2012. But reading between the lines, you could say “just” a two year contract. Washington has a chance to lead the team to back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1998-1999, but the real test may be surviving beyond this season.

Mike Scioscia is arguably the best manager in baseball. Entering his 12th season with the Los Angeles Angels, Sciosia has had his team above .500 in eight of eleven seasons, and he’s won five division titles and one World Series championship. The team fell on hard times last year after a combo of injuries, tragedy, and free agent departures weakened the squad. Thanks in large part to Scioscia, the team still finished just two games under .500. The former Dodger is getting to be like his old manager Tommy Lasorda, who served as skipper in Chavez Ravine for 21 seasons. Sciosia signed a 10 year extension prior to the 2009 season that would have him managing for the Halos through 2018 (He can opt out after 2015).

Seattle’s Eric Wedge returns to managing for the first time since he was let go by the Indians after the 2009 season and seven years in Cleveland. Things are not promising for Seattle, which won 61 games in two of the last three seasons. Outside of Felix Hernandez, Ichiro Suzuki, and Franklin Gutierrez, there’s not much on the 25 man roster to get excited about. Wedge received a three-year deal, which will give youngsters like Dustin Ackley and Michael Pindea time to develop.

Bob Geren is in the final year of his current contract with the Oakland A’s. Geren led the team to its first .500 season since he took over for Ken Macha’s 93 game winner in 2006. With a limited budget, Geren has to do more with less; not an easy task when managing under GM Billy Beane, who got rid of both Macha and Art Howe in the off-season following division titles. With no future contract, Geren’s job is very tenuous.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

It may not be a sign for the future, but mlb.com’s Bryan Hoch reported that Andy Pettitte has an autograph session set up in New York for February 15. That’s after pitchers and catchers are set to report to Tampa for spring training.

The Rays have signed 1st baseman Casey Kotchman to a minor league deal. With Dan Johnson pencilled in at 1st base, Kotchman should have a good shot at winning a job.

The Spanish language newspaper El Nuevo Herald reports that the White Sox have signed shortstopAlexei Ramirez to a four year extension worth $32.5M.

Jeterian Strikes Again

Written for Baseball Digest(Umps Failed, Not Jeter)

Once Derek Jeter got away with a faux hit by pitch Wednesday night, you knew that the radio talk shows, online and paper media would be having a field day with it. If you didn’t see it, Jeter took an inside pitch from Tampa Bay Rays reliever Chad Qualls squarely on the…handle of his bat. The sound and ensuing distance of the ricochet was obvious. Jeter flailed away from home and grabbed at his left elbow while keeping one eye on home plate umpire Lance Barksdale. Jeter only relaxed when Barksdale signaled to take first base.

Here’s a little bit of what I heard and read today: Wally Matthews who covers the Yankees beat for ESPN New York was on 1050 ESPNradio with Michael Kay. The first thing Matthews did was to remind/point out that he does not create the headlines. In this case it was “Derek Jeter a Cheater?” (the headline was later changed to “Derek Jeter is flawed after all”.

Matthews felt Jeter was completely in the wrong; that maybe he (Matthews) was “old school”, but the move was a blemish on Jeter’s resume. He pointed out, as just about every fan has, that A-Rod would have been vilified for the move. Of course he would have been, but that’s irrelevant.

WFAN’s Mike Francesa took the tack that Jeter did absolutely nothing wrong and the play was part of gamesmanship. That it was no different than a wide receiver working the referee for a pass interference call or an NBA player flopping to draw a charge. Not all of his callers agreed. One, whom I would have to believe was a Mets fan, ripped into the Yankees shortstop. And of course, Alex Rodriguez’s name was invoked in the discussion.

Someone else brought up the old argument of “What should you tell your little leaguers?” Francesa was spot on (You will rarely ever read or hear me say that) in saying you cannot compare little league baseball with professional sports. They’re both baseball and that’s where the comparison ends.

Other than the usual sensational cover photos on the NY Post and NY Daily News, there wasn’t much discussion of Jeter’s Academy Award performance.

Instant replay was discussed as well. You expect it to be brought up any time a play like this one occurs. I’m still against it for these situations and most of the pundits and callers/readers seemed to express the same view.

The bottom line is that Derek Jeter did indeed do nothing wrong. He did what any athlete would do in that situation. You’re trying to get on any base any way you can. The mistake/bad play was made by Barksdale and his fellow men in blue – Ed Rapuano, Tom Hallion, and Ron Kulpa. Just as they have on a number of other occasions, the umpires should have gotten together and discussed whether or not anyone had a clear view of whether the ball hit Jeter or not. Barksdale never considered it despite the rightful protestations of Rays manager Joe Maddon.

Had a ball hitting body made the sound that was heard, bones would have broken. And no ball hitting an elbow pad would have made that sound. Just as with a check swing, there is no way a home plate umpire can keep his eyes on both the ball/strike call and the swing of the bat. Barksdale knows it and his fellow umpires do as well.

Just another bad night for the Major League’s bad umpiring.

Hughes Comes Up Short in Big Situation

Don't let anyone fool you. By now you have probably read that Phil Hughes pitched a good game last night, except for "a couple of mistake pitches" to Dan Johnson. Sorry, that doesn't cut it.

Hughes made those two huge mistakes to Johnson, who hit both out of the park to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 4-3 victory over the Yankees. As a result, the Rays passed the Yankees and moved back into sole possession of first place in the AL East. Both teams have today off.

Hughes did look dominant early with a strong fastball and devastating curve. In fact, staked to a 1-0 lead, he retired the first 12 men he faced. Evan Longoria ended that streak with a single leading off the 5th, which was when Hughes made his first mistake.

Johnson, who never materialized into the hitter he was thought of as a highly regarded prospect in the A's organization, smacked his 3rd home run of the season to give the Rays a 2-1 lead.

The Yankees continued to fail with runners in scoring position and blew a golden opportunity against Rays starter James Shields in the 1st inning. Shields who has the nickname "Big Game James", but only seems to pitch that way against the Yankees, has yielded the most runs in the American League this season. But entering play last night, he was 2-0, 2.77 vs. the Bombers this season. He got himself in immediate trouble by loading the bases on singles by Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira, and a walk to Alex Rodriguez.

Robinson Cano drove in his 99th run with a single through the left side as Shields' pitch count rose rapidly. But as has been the case the last week and a half, the Yankees let an opposing pitcher off the hook. This time it was Lance Berkman bouncing into an inning ending double play. That would be the only run the Yankees would manage off Shields in six-plus innings.

The Yankees rallied though in the 7th as soon as Shields was removed. Reliever Chad Qualls hit Derek Jeter, or did he? Jeter pulled off an Academy Award worthy performance, grabbing his elbow after Qualls' pitch rode inside and nailed him on his....bat handle. Replays clearly showed ball meeting bat. Needless to say, Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected after arguing that one.

After a short delay, Curtis Granderson lined his 18th home run into the right field seats for a 3-2 Yankees lead. That turned things back over to Hughes, who retired the first two men he faced in the 7th before Matt Joyce reached on a single to center. That brought up Johnson, whose career has included a year in Japan and 31 home runs in Triple-A this season. Despite hitting near the Mendoza line, Johnson ruined Hughes' and the Yankees' nights when he drove another ball into the right field seats for a 4-3 Rays lead.

Hughes allowed just six hits, but that stat is totally meaningless when you are on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

Notes

Joba Chamberlain had a strong relief appearance, retiring all four men he faced, two by strikeout.

Poor job by the official scorer last night for awarding Chad Qualls the victory. The veteran reliever last two-thirds of an inning and gave up the go ahead home run to Granderson. Grant Balfour, who threw a scoreless 8th, should have earned the win.

I Had A Dream

I was watching the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays. First place in the AL East was on the line. The Yankees had come into the game having lost of 7 of 8 and had dropped out of 1st place the previous night when Tampa won a 1-0 thriller.

The Yankees clung to a one run lead in the 9th. Speedster Carl Crawford was on 2nd base with one out when Mariano Rivera got Matt Joyce to lift a fly near the right field foul line. Greg Golson, playing in place of the injured Nick Swisher, camped under it for what would be the second out. But wait, what was Golson doing? He's firing the ball, flat footed, to 3rd base. And Crawford is out to end the game.

And then I woke up.

No wait, I was awake the whole time. It really happened. When did Greg Golson become Dave Parker, Ellis Valentine, and Ichiro all rolled into one? Golson's laser throw to 3rd cut down Crawford with the help of a nice one hop pick up and tag by Alex Rodriguez. There was much criticism of Crawford for making the last out at 3rd, but it was Crawford running and these are the aggressive Tampa Bay Rays. It was a wild finish to a wild game.

The Yankees had staked Ivan Nova to a 6-0 lead against Matt Garza with the help of a Robinson Cano line drive 2-run home run and a long solo blast by Alex Rodriguez. But in the 5th, things fell apart for the rookie. For the second time in a matter of weeks, he was pulled from the game before getting the final out that would qualify for a win. But he had to be pulled. The Rays had cut the lead to 6-4 and lefty Dan Johnson was due up.

So Joe Girardi went to his red hot lefty specialist Boone Logan, who hadn't allowed an earned run in his last 25 appearances dating back to July 18. Boom end of streak. Pinch-hitting from the right side, Willy Aybar smacked a 3-run home run that erased the Yankees lead completely and put Tampa ahead 7-6.

The Yankees came right back though in the 6th, tying the game on a Cano RBI double. It was the 98th ribbie for Cano, establishing a new career high. Then the real craziness began. Still tied in the bottom of the 9th, Ben Zobrist hit a 2-out drive to deep center that Granderson went vertical on to make a diving, inning ending catch.

In the top of the 10th, the Yankees took the lead when Jorge Posada hit a moon shot to dead center off Dan Wheeler. The ball landed atop the restaurant well beyond the centerfield fence for an 8-7 lead.

Crawford singled off Rivera to start the 10th and Evan Longoria followed with a blast to deep center that seemed ticketed to be a walk off game winner. But the ball landed in Granderson's glove in center for a loud out. It wasn't a game changer, but was nearly an underwear changer.

As expected, you knew Crawford would attempt to steal 2nd base and he did with Joyce at-bat. Then Joyce hit his fly and Golson flashed his skills, and the Yankees were back in 1st place.

Notes

Andy Pettitte allowed two earned runs in a five inning stint in the Trenton Thunder's 3-2, extra inning win in the Eastern League championship opener against Altoona. Pettitte is now scheduled to start against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards.

Andrew Brackman picked up the win for Trenton when he threw five shutout innings in relief of the Yankees veteran.

An MRI of Nick Swisher's troublesome knee showed nothing more than inflammation and he was given a cortisone shot. He could be back in the lineup on Friday.

Brett Gardner also got a cortisone shot in his bad wrist and will be limited for the time being to pinch-running and playing defense.

Say It Ain't So Joe

Joe Girardi has everyone scratching their heads.

Girardi’s Moves Continue To Baffle

Written for Baseball Digest

Even though the New York Yankees won the 2009 World Series, there were a number of times that I watched with great curiosity at the in-game moves made last season by manager Joe Girardi. They occurred in the regular season, the divisional and league playoffs, and the Series itself. And even though Girardi came out smelling like a rose, his decisions left many scratching their heads, myself included.

Girardi has a tendency to over-manage in some games, under-manage in others. Or in some cases, he pulls off the daily double of doing both in the very same game. Last night’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, which dropped the Yankees into second place in the AL East, highlighted some of those questionable moves.

Click here to continue to read for free as always at BaseballDigest.com

And You Wanted To Be My Latex Salesman

My pre-season pick for the AL MVP was none other than the Rays' B.J. Upton. I had a hunch this would be a bust out year for him. The one that took his game to another level.

Boy was I wrong.

Upton's splits - .223/.318/.392 stink. He's got just 29 RBI.

Back in 2007 it appeared Upton was ready for stardom. He hit .300, belted 24 HR and drove in 82 runs. His OPS was nearly .900.

But his lack of hustle, and it's not a perceived lack, at times and his attitude have diminished as has his game. Things came to a head on Sunday when Upton loped after a ball hit to the gap in left-center field. When the Rays got back in the dugout Evan Longoria got in his teammates face. Upton's reaction, as you can see in the video, was none too pleasant.

Ironically, the game ended when Chris Young hustled to catch a deep fly ball hit by Upton.

Upton's days in Tampa Bay very well becoming to an end. The Rays have shown their not afraid to move talented, but underachieving players (i.e. Delmon Young).

Perhaps a deal for Carlos Zambrano?





Zambrano's weekend flip out. Is there something in the dugout water?



photo courtesy of onpublicspeaking.com

Yankees Get Last Laugh on Rays

Yankees Pound Rays in Post-Season Prep

Written for Baseball Digest Online

The Yankees still don’t know who they will be playing in the American League Division Series, but they got their focus back on Sunday and pummeled the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2. To be more precise, Alex Rodriguez pummeled the Rays on Sunday.

A-Rod came into the game two home runs and seven RBI shy of a 30/100 season. All he needed was one inning to accomplish the feat for the 12th straight year. Trailing 2-0, the Yankees put two aboard in the 6th against rookie starter Wade Davis. That set the stage for Rodriguez to blast his 29th home run of the season for a 3-2 Yankees lead. But the Bronx Bombers weren’t done yet.

The Yankees loaded the bases against Davis and reliever Andy Sonnanstine, who appeared to get out of the inning when Jose Molina hit a potential double play tapper in front of the plate. But in his haste to throw home, Sonnanstine lost control of the baseball and everyone was safe. Two batters later Johnny Damon made him pay for the error with a 2-run double that extended the Yankees lead to 6-2. That’s when things really got interesting.

Mark Teixiera came to the plate tied with the Rays’ Carlos Pena for the AL lead in home runs. Pena’s season ended early when a CC Sabathia pitch broke three of his fingers. David Price threw at Teixeira Friday night in retaliation and manager Joe Maddon decided on Sunday that Teixeira would not lead the AL in home runs by himself, ordering an intentional walk (Teixeira did win the AL RBI crown).

Teixeira got the last laugh though as he watched from the dugout after being removed for a pinch-runner. Rodriguez blasted a Sonnanstine delivery over the n right-center field fence for a grand slam. One inning, two swings of the bat and just like that A-Rod reached the 30/100 milestone and also tied Mark McGwire for 8th place on the all-time major league home run list with 583 round-trippers. A-Rod also broke the AL record for RBI in an inning.

Game Notes

A.J. Burnett won his 13th game with a decent outing. He did cross up Jose Molina once, which resulted in a Rays’ run when the ball ricocheted off the inside of the catcher’s knee. There is still a lot of speculation that Molina will catch Burnett in theALDS.

The Yankees will now sit and watch Tuesday’s one game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins, both of whom won on Sunday. The Tigers will start rookie Rick Porcello, while the Twins counter with Scott Baker. With the best record, the Yankees had the option of starting the ALDS on Wednesday or Thursday, and opted for the former.

Joba Chamberlain worked a 1-2-3 inning on Sunday as he prepares to most likely work out of the pen in the post-season.

The Yankees 103 wins was the highest franchise total since the team also won 103 in 2002.

Rays Sacrifice to Stay Alive

It's difficult to say a team has their backs to the wall after the first game of a seven game playoff series, but that was really the case for the Tampa Rays last evening. Going back to Boston down two games to none, would have created a nearly impossible feat even for an experienced playoff team. But the Rays won't have to worry about that situation. Last night they pulled out a see-saw battle with the Red Sox on B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the 11th inning.

If Terry Francona has made a mistake in this playoff, it's keeping Mike Timlin on the post-season roster. While the thinking was probably not use Timlin in a big situation, Francona had no choice last night after having used five relievers, including his closer Jon Papelbon for 1.1 innings.

Timlin walked Dioner Navarro and light hitting Ben Zobrist to start the inning. Jason Bartlett's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base, forcing the Red Sox to intentionally walk Aki Iwamura to load the bases. That brought up B.J. Upton, who hit a fly to shallow right. The Rays gambled that J.D. Drew, running hard on the play, would not be able to set himself for an accurate throw home. The gamble paid off when speedy pinch-runner Fernando Perez slid home with the winning run ahead of an off the target throw by Drew.

The Rays would not have been in position to win if not for the relief work of veteran Dan Wheeler and rookie David Price. Wheeler had to bounce back after his wild pitch allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the eighth inning. But he tossed a scoreless ninth and tenth before leaving with one man out in the 11th and runner on a first. Price, the number one overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, walked Drew, but struck out Mark Kotsay looking and got Coco Crisp to bounce into an inning ending ground out.

Neither starter pitched well, with Boston's Josh Beckett fighting a strained oblique and Tampa's Scott Kazmir continuing his '08 struggles against the Red Sox. Boston struck first against Kazmir, who was 0-2, 9.00 in four starts against the Sox this season. Kazmir's control problems came up to bite him in the first inning when he issued a two out walk to David Ortiz. Kevin Youkilis followed with a single and Jason Bay brought them both home with a double. Kazmir walked Jed Lowrie, but struck out Jason Varitek to escape further trouble.

The Rays came right back though when Evan Longoria smacked a 2-run home run, his third of the post-season, in the bottom half of the first. The tie only lasted until the third when Dustin Pedroia smashed a solo home run to left. That lead would last an even shorter amount of time when Upton crushed a 424-ft solo shot in the bottom of the third. Longoria stroked a one out double and came home on Carl Crawford's single for a 4-3 Rays lead.

Tampa extended their advantage to 5-3 when Cliff Floyd led off with a solo home run to straight away center field. But Kazmir wouldn't stick around to try to get the win. Pedroia's second solo shot of the game and Youkilis' own solo blast one batter later knocked Kazmir from the box and tied the game at 5-5. Bay greeted Grant Balfour with another solo home run to put the Red Sox ahead 6-5. Balfour then walked Lowrie and Varitek before J.P. Howell came on to work out of the jam.

Upton led off the fifth with a walk and promptly stole second base. Carlos Pena singled off of Beckett to tie the game and came home on Longoria's second double, and third extra base hit, of the ball game. Fracona finally yanked Beckett from the game, but Crawford laced reliever Javier Lopez's delivery to right for an RBI single and an 8-6 Rays lead. Manny DelCarmen was next out of the Boston pen and he finally quelled the fire.

Pedroia drew a one out walk in the sixth, but Howell struck out Ortiz looking. Joe Maddon went to the pen again for right-hander Chad Bradford, but Bradford gave up back to back singles to Youkilis and Bay to cut the Rays lead to 8-7.

After a scoreless seventh, only the second scoreless inning of the game, Pedroia singled off of Bradford to start the eighth. Maddon sent for lefty Trevor Miller to face Ortiz, but Big Papi drew a walk as well. Wheeler came on and got a big double play grounder from Youkilis, but then threw a fastball a mile over Navarro's head to allow Pedroia to score the tying run.

Box Score

Rays Sacrifice to Stay Alive

It's difficult to say a team has their backs to the wall after the first game of a seven game playoff series, but that was really the case for the Tampa Rays last evening. Going back to Boston down two games to none, would have created a nearly impossible feat even for an experienced playoff team. But the Rays won't have to worry about that situation. Last night they pulled out a see-saw battle with the Red Sox on B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the 11th inning.

If Terry Francona has made a mistake in this playoff, it's keeping Mike Timlin on the post-season roster. While the thinking was probably not use Timlin in a big situation, Francona had no choice last night after having used five relievers, including his closer Jon Papelbon for 1.1 innings.

Timlin walked Dioner Navarro and light hitting Ben Zobrist to start the inning. Jason Bartlett's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base, forcing the Red Sox to intentionally walk Aki Iwamura to load the bases. That brought up B.J. Upton, who hit a fly to shallow right. The Rays gambled that J.D. Drew, running hard on the play, would not be able to set himself for an accurate throw home. The gamble paid off when speedy pinch-runner Fernando Perez slid home with the winning run ahead of an off the target throw by Drew.

The Rays would not have been in position to win if not for the relief work of veteran Dan Wheeler and rookie David Price. Wheeler had to bounce back after his wild pitch allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the eighth inning. But he tossed a scoreless ninth and tenth before leaving with one man out in the 11th and runner on a first. Price, the number one overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, walked Drew, but struck out Mark Kotsay looking and got Coco Crisp to bounce into an inning ending ground out.

Neither starter pitched well, with Boston's Josh Beckett fighting a strained oblique and Tampa's Scott Kazmir continuing his '08 struggles against the Red Sox. Boston struck first against Kazmir, who was 0-2, 9.00 in four starts against the Sox this season. Kazmir's control problems came up to bite him in the first inning when he issued a two out walk to David Ortiz. Kevin Youkilis followed with a single and Jason Bay brought them both home with a double. Kazmir walked Jed Lowrie, but struck out Jason Varitek to escape further trouble.

The Rays came right back though when Evan Longoria smacked a 2-run home run, his third of the post-season, in the bottom half of the first. The tie only lasted until the third when Dustin Pedroia smashed a solo home run to left. That lead would last an even shorter amount of time when Upton crushed a 424-ft solo shot in the bottom of the third. Longoria stroked a one out double and came home on Carl Crawford's single for a 4-3 Rays lead.

Tampa extended their advantage to 5-3 when Cliff Floyd led off with a solo home run to straight away center field. But Kazmir wouldn't stick around to try to get the win. Pedroia's second solo shot of the game and Youkilis' own solo blast one batter later knocked Kazmir from the box and tied the game at 5-5. Bay greeted Grant Balfour with another solo home run to put the Red Sox ahead 6-5. Balfour then walked Lowrie and Varitek before J.P. Howell came on to work out of the jam.

Upton led off the fifth with a walk and promptly stole second base. Carlos Pena singled off of Beckett to tie the game and came home on Longoria's second double, and third extra base hit, of the ball game. Fracona finally yanked Beckett from the game, but Crawford laced reliever Javier Lopez's delivery to right for an RBI single and an 8-6 Rays lead. Manny DelCarmen was next out of the Boston pen and he finally quelled the fire.

Pedroia drew a one out walk in the sixth, but Howell struck out Ortiz looking. Joe Maddon went to the pen again for right-hander Chad Bradford, but Bradford gave up back to back singles to Youkilis and Bay to cut the Rays lead to 8-7.

After a scoreless seventh, only the second scoreless inning of the game, Pedroia singled off of Bradford to start the eighth. Maddon sent for lefty Trevor Miller to face Ortiz, but Big Papi drew a walk as well. Wheeler came on and got a big double play grounder from Youkilis, but then threw a fastball a mile over Navarro's head to allow Pedroia to score the tying run.

Box Score

Girardi Still not Bowled Over by Play

Though he said that he doesn't feel the play will carry over to any of their future meetings, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was still clearly ticked yesterday about the collision at home plate Saturday that will cost catcher Francisco Cervelli up to 2 months of playing time.

"It's just disheartening in a spring training game," Girardi said. "I just don't understand it."

But the incident won't change Girardi's own philosophy.

"I've told my players that I don't want them running into catchers in spring training because I don't want them or someone else to get hurt," Girardi said. "We'll continue to play the game hard, and in my mind, play the game the way I want them to play it."

Rays manager Joe Maddon still stood by his words yesterday and continued to not understand Girardi's viewpoint.

Source: NY Daily News

"This does not deserve any legs," Maddon said. "It was an issue that occurred yesterday in a game, it was a hard baseball play; the issue is based on whether you should do that in spring training or not, so it's a philosophical difference."

Maddon even made light of the situation when he was asked if he planned to talk to Girardi about the incident before Wednesday's game. "I've always liked Joe," Maddon said. "If he would like to have a conversation, I'd like to talk about politics, I'm good with global warming, I'm good with a lot of different topics on a daily basis. I like iTunes, I download some stuff off iTunes, I like different restaurants, I like red wine. I have a lot of different areas I can go conversationally."

Don Zimmer agreed with Maddon's take on things.

Source: NY Post

"The plate was blocked and our guy bowled him over," Zimmer, a Rays senior advisor, told reporters in St. Petersburg.

"What's that got to do with spring training? That's the way to play the game."

"I'm talking about a guy who's like a son to me. I can't believe that he went after it the way he did," Zimmer said. "And being a catcher on top of it. You block the plate.

"If I slide into him and break a leg, nothing is said. Instead of breaking my leg I bowl him over and it's not the right play? Well, to me it's the right play, spring training or no spring training. Play the game the right way.

"To me, our kid played it the way he thought it was right, and I think it was right. I'm surprised they made such a big thing out if it. I was dumbfounded. Of all people, I mean Girardi's a tough guy, a tough catcher. I don't know what spring training has got anything to do with it."

Reporters looked to a neutral party, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, when the Yankees visited Ft. Myers yesterday. Gardenhire took the diplomatic route, saying that he agreed that a play like that should not take place in spring training, but he also understood playing the game aggressively and hard.

Reporters of course also approached Shelley Duncan, who is known for his hard nosed style of play. Duncan said he never would have thought to run over a catcher in spring training...until now.

Source: NY Daily News

What it does is it opens another chapter of intensity in the spring training ballgames," Duncan said Sunday about the incident in Saturday's game between the Yankees and Rays. "They showed what is acceptable to them and how they're going to play the game, so we're going to go out there to match their intensity - or even exceed it." Will the young Yankee, known for his all-out style, take a different approach if he has a chance to collide with one of the Rays' catchers on Wednesday? "I don't know," Duncan said. "That will be determined in between third and home."

While there may not be a collision at the plate, that doesn't mean that someone won't take over Scott Proctor's role and plunk a Rays hitter. We shall see.

Girardi Still not Bowled Over by Play

Though he said that he doesn't feel the play will carry over to any of their future meetings, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was still clearly ticked yesterday about the collision at home plate Saturday that will cost catcher Francisco Cervelli up to 2 months of playing time.

"It's just disheartening in a spring training game," Girardi said. "I just don't understand it."

But the incident won't change Girardi's own philosophy.

"I've told my players that I don't want them running into catchers in spring training because I don't want them or someone else to get hurt," Girardi said. "We'll continue to play the game hard, and in my mind, play the game the way I want them to play it."

Rays manager Joe Maddon still stood by his words yesterday and continued to not understand Girardi's viewpoint.

Source: NY Daily News

"This does not deserve any legs," Maddon said. "It was an issue that occurred yesterday in a game, it was a hard baseball play; the issue is based on whether you should do that in spring training or not, so it's a philosophical difference."

Maddon even made light of the situation when he was asked if he planned to talk to Girardi about the incident before Wednesday's game. "I've always liked Joe," Maddon said. "If he would like to have a conversation, I'd like to talk about politics, I'm good with global warming, I'm good with a lot of different topics on a daily basis. I like iTunes, I download some stuff off iTunes, I like different restaurants, I like red wine. I have a lot of different areas I can go conversationally."

Don Zimmer agreed with Maddon's take on things.

Source: NY Post

"The plate was blocked and our guy bowled him over," Zimmer, a Rays senior advisor, told reporters in St. Petersburg.

"What's that got to do with spring training? That's the way to play the game."

"I'm talking about a guy who's like a son to me. I can't believe that he went after it the way he did," Zimmer said. "And being a catcher on top of it. You block the plate.

"If I slide into him and break a leg, nothing is said. Instead of breaking my leg I bowl him over and it's not the right play? Well, to me it's the right play, spring training or no spring training. Play the game the right way.

"To me, our kid played it the way he thought it was right, and I think it was right. I'm surprised they made such a big thing out if it. I was dumbfounded. Of all people, I mean Girardi's a tough guy, a tough catcher. I don't know what spring training has got anything to do with it."

Reporters looked to a neutral party, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, when the Yankees visited Ft. Myers yesterday. Gardenhire took the diplomatic route, saying that he agreed that a play like that should not take place in spring training, but he also understood playing the game aggressively and hard.

Reporters of course also approached Shelley Duncan, who is known for his hard nosed style of play. Duncan said he never would have thought to run over a catcher in spring training...until now.

Source: NY Daily News

What it does is it opens another chapter of intensity in the spring training ballgames," Duncan said Sunday about the incident in Saturday's game between the Yankees and Rays. "They showed what is acceptable to them and how they're going to play the game, so we're going to go out there to match their intensity - or even exceed it." Will the young Yankee, known for his all-out style, take a different approach if he has a chance to collide with one of the Rays' catchers on Wednesday? "I don't know," Duncan said. "That will be determined in between third and home."

While there may not be a collision at the plate, that doesn't mean that someone won't take over Scott Proctor's role and plunk a Rays hitter. We shall see.