Cardinals Have Plenty Of Confidence in Wacha

Wacha may look 16, but he pitches like a veteran ace.

Entering the 2013 season the St. Louis Cardinals knew they were going to have to rely on their highly touted young right-hander to help them win the NL Central or capture one of the two National League wild card spots.

Not only did the rookie help win the division, but the Cardinals would not have advanced to the World Series without him. Oh, you though I meant Shelby Miller. While Miller's regular season performance was a big factor in the Cardinal's 2013 success, it was the pitching of fellow rookie Michael Wacha that got them to the fall classic for the fourth time since 2004.

Wacha (pronounced wok-kuh - think Fozzy Bear - wok-kuh wok-kuh) was the 19th overall selection out of Texas A&M University in the 2012 amateur draft and made his Major League debut on May 30 of this year. Passed over in the draft during his high school days, it is remarkable Wacha made it to the 19th pick when he was drafted after a stellar three year collegiate career. His numbers as an Aggie were a 27-7 record, a 2.78 ERA, 8.6 K's per 9 innings, and a 1.06 WHIP. He came into this season with a fastball that topped out at 95-mph, a strong curveball, and a low 80's changeup. Wacha also knew how to pitch.

Coincidentally, Miller was the 19th overall pick out of Texas' Brownwood High School in 2009. After six appearances, all but one in relief, in 2012, Miller made 31 starts for the Cards this year. He finished 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.206 WHIP. But with about a 180 regular season innings limit, Miller made his last start on September 25 and was moved to the bullpen for the post-season.

Meanwhile, Wacha made three starts for the Cardinals between his May debut and June 11 before he was returned to Triple-A Memphis (PCL). He put together an outstanding season for the minor league Redbirds, going 5-3, 2.65 in 15 starts with an average of 7.7 K's per 9 innings. The Cardinals took note and recall him in the second week of August.

The 22-year old made six starts and six relief appearances down the stretch to finish 4-1, 2.78 with 9 K's per 9 innings and a 1.098 WHIP. With Miller moved to the pen, Wacha was the logical selection to take the baseball in Game 4 of the NL Division Series.

The Pirates held a 2 games to 1 lead in the best of five, but a Wacha-led victory meant St. Louis had ace Adam Wainwright for the fifth game. To say that Wacha was successful is an understatement.

The former Texarkana, TX high schooler (he and Miller lived equidistant from Dallas in opposite directions.) retired the first 15 men he faced. Pirates’ catcher Russell Martin finally drew a walk to lead off the 6th inning, but Wacha retired the next six hitters in order and took a no-hitter into the 8th inning.

Wacha retired Marlon Byrd to start the next to last "regular" inning, but National League home run leader Pedro Alvarez broke up the no-hitter and the shutout with a solo shot to halve the lead. Matheny only pulled his starter when Wacha followed it up with another walk to Martin. The bullpen closed out a 2-1 win and then took the night off to watch Wainright's complete game victory in Game 5 to advance to the NLCS.

After an exciting 13-inning, 3-2 win in Game 1, the Cardinals went back to Wacha to face the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw in Game 2. The Dodgers left-hander held the Cards to two hits...and lost thanks to Wacha's performance.

It only took LA two batters into their lineup before they got their first hit, but the next 12 Dodgers went down in order. A.J. Ellis broke the string with a 2-out double in the 5th inning, but was stranded there. John Jay's sacrifice fly gave the Cards a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning, but it looked like Wacha's magic had ended when the Dodgers loaded the bases in the 6^th.

Kershaw and Carl Crawford reached on back to back singles and one out later Adrian Gonzalez was given an intentional free pass. Wacha battled phenom Yasiel Puig to a full count before he struck out his fellow rookie for the second out. Wacha then got veteran Juan Uribe swinging at a third strike to escape the jam. Wacha was pulled after he allowed a 2-out hit in the 7th, but once again the rookie pitched deep into the game and the Cardinals held on for a 1-0 triumph.

The Cardinals held a 3 games to 2 advantage when Wacha and Kershaw met for a rematch in a crucial Game 6. If you had no knowledge of the outcome and just heard the statistics, you would have been crazy not to think the Dodgers had evened the series up and forced a seventh and decisive game. But you would have been wrong.

Wacha may have been even better than in his first two post-season appearances. Crawford reached on an infield single to start the game, but was quickly erased by a double play. Outside of a 4th inning walk, no Dodgers’ batter would reach safely via a base hit until Ellis led off the 6th with a double. He was stranded there of course, and Wacha retired the next six hitters to finish with seven innings of 2-hit, shutout baseball.

The Cardinals jumped all over Kershaw and went on to a 9-0 win though they probably would have won the game had they managed just one run, thanks to Texas' Michael Wacha.

World Series Game 2 Note

Wacha faces John Lackey with the Cardinals in desperate need of a good performance after Game 1's poor pitching, poor hitting, and poor fielding performance. The rookie has allowed one earned run in 21 innings pitched (0.43 ERA), with 9.4 K's per 9 innings, a 0.57 WHIP and just eight hits allowed.

Red Sox Will Clean Their Beards With Champagne

The last decade has been full of ups and downs for the Boston Red Sox. There was the blown ALCS to the New York Yankees in 2003, followed a year later by their first World Series championship in 86 years. It would not have been accomplished had they not redeemed themselves by coming back from a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees in the ALCS to advance.

They grabbed another title in 2007, but a playoff bound team collapsed in 2011 and respected manager Terry Francona lost control of the clubhouse (Especially the eating and drinking habits of his pitchers.)

There were the horrible contracts given to Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford that helped to force out boy wonder GM Theo Epstein.  There was the childish behavior of Manny Ramirez and the ornery, expletive filled behavior displayed by one time ace Josh Beckett.  That was topped though by the one and done hire of Bobby Valentine, who alienated himself from most of the team with his behavior and remarks before the regular season was even a week old. Valentine’s squad managed just 69 wins in 2012, but the team was re-born, with some help from the LA Dodgers, when they jettisoned Gonzalez and Crawford and brought in guys like Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino. The result was a worst to first turnaround in the AL East and 97 wins under new manager John Farrell.

The current roster is led, of course, by veteran holdovers Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, who brought their usual consistency to the plate. It's a team that can rely on just about anyone in the lineup to come through with a big hit at a big time.

You still don’t without pitching, but with Beckett gone, so were the distractions to Lester and Buchholz, who got back to being two of the best young pitchers in baseball.  Veteran Jake Peavy was picked up from Chicago to solidify the rotation at the deadline, Ryan Dempster was free agent signee, and John Lackey bounced back from surgery to have a solid season.

All of it – the talent, some luck, and a never- give-up-attitude are what will lead the Red Sox to their third World Series championship since 2004.

Make no mistake though, it won't be easy. Their opponents, the St. Louis Cardinals, are nothing like the pushovers the Red Sox beat back in 2004. With veteran ace Adam Wainwright and red hot rookie Michael Wacha, the Cardinals have the starting pitching to hang with anyone. A strong bullpen anchored by closer Trevor Rosenthal should do a much better job of closing out games than the Detroit Tigers did in the ALCS.

I do believe in teams of destiny, however, and this Red Sox team is one of them. Whether you watch this series or listen to it on the radio, you will hear about the way the Red Sox grind out at-bats - they led the Major Leagues in pitches seen per at-bat this season. You will hear it so often that it may be prefaced by "I don't want to beat a dead horse, but..."  Most of the championship teams in the last 20 years did the same thing (see Yankees dynasty from 1996-2000.)

Backing up the rotation of Lester, a revived Lackey, Buchholz, Dempster and Peavy has been a solid, clutch bullpen. It was a bullpen that got even better when the pitching of veteran Koji Uehara said “this role is mine!”

The Red Sox dealt for closer Jack Hanrahan prior to the season, but he was felled by surgery and never pitched a regular season game. Often injured Andrew Bailey failed at the role that earned him the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 and then was injured and out for the season as well. Uehara stepped in and stepped up. He is not your typical closer. He doesn't have an upper 90s fastball or a cutter that no one can hit. But he does throw a nasty splitter that has allowed him to strike out 10.4 batters per 9 innings for his career. (He had struck out a career high 12.2 this season).

A very pleasant surprise for Farrell has been the pitching of Journeyman left-hander Craig Breslow.  The eight year veteran was picked up at the 2012 trade deadline for Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik. Not exactly a head turning move. But Breslow, who was on the Sox in 2006, has done a great job on…right-handed hitters. That's no typo; Breslow has held righties to a .581 OPS and has faced more hitters in the right batter's box than he has from the left side. He’s mixed 90-mph two- and four-seam fastballs with a 75-mph cutter and an occasional changeup and slider to keep hitters honest.

There’s also 25-year old rookie right-hander Brandon Workman, who has struck out 10.2 batters per 9 innings in his first year in the bigs. Though he still has some control issues, Farrell does not hesitate to throw Workman into the mix in setting up the bridge to Uehara.

For all of the reasons stated up, that good old word, intangibles, and destiny, the Sox should be popping a cork or two after six games. Then maybe someone can hose them down and shave those beards off.

Leyland Decides To Call It A Day

The fiery temper, the wiry build. The profanity laced, chain smoking, shoot from the hip demeanor. The mustachioed, no-nonsense leader. That pretty much sums up the on-field persona of Jim Leyland, who earlier today stepped down as manager of the Detroit Tigers after eight semi-successful seasons.

"I'm going to be 69 years old," he said. "I'm not ashamed of that. I'm proud of it. The fuel's getting a little low."

"I want to retire a Tiger. So long. It's not goodbye. And from the bottom of my heart thank you for having me." ¹

The 68-year old had worked the last handful of years for the Tigers on a year-to-year contract basis. He recently said words to the effect of "Why would it bother/worry me when that's how we've worked for so long" when queried by the media about his future.

Current Diamondbacks manager and former Tiger Kirk Gibson and another former Tiger, Brad Ausmus, are the early names being mentioned to replace Leyland as manager.

It appeared Leyland might have been relieved of his job in 2010 or 2011 after the Tigers finished 5th in the AL Central in 2008 and missed the playoffs the next two seasons. But after a 12-17 start in 2011, the Tigers won the first of three straight division crowns. They reached the league championship series in all three seasons and made it to the 2012 World Series where they lost to the San Francisco Giants. Leyland's Tigers also won the AL pennant in 2006, his first season in Detroit, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic.

With pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, and sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder leading the team, the 2013 Tigers had a great shot at a return to the World Series. However, the team's bullpen and lineup let them down in the key moments of their ALCS loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Leyland was a throwback to the non-number crunching managers that preceded the millennium. His players may not have always liked him, but they respected and played hard for him. No one over the age of 30 will forget his days at the helm of the Pittsburgh Pirates when he chewed out a thinner, but already arrogant Barry Bonds in front of the rest of the team during 1991's Spring Training. (See the profanity laced video below)

People think of Leyland as an old curmudgeon, but he was just 41 years of age when he was hired to manage the Pirates in 1986. (He started a string of 11 seasons as a manager in the Tigers chain at age 20.) After finishing out in the upper half of the division just once in four years, Leyland's Pirates averaged 96 wins and captured the NL East title for three straight seasons (1990-1992).

The '90 squad lost the NLCS to the eventual World Series champion Cincinnati Reds in six games and then lost back-to-back seven game league championship series to the Atlanta Braves. The '92 squad fell in heartbreaking fashion when they blew a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7. The image of former Pirate Sid Bream sliding home with the winning run still resonates with Pirates fans to this day.

Cost cutting cost the Pirates dearly and they won just 53 games in 1995. In the midst of a fourth straight losing season, Leyland told Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy that he was quitting at the end of the season. McClatchy let Leyland out of the remainder of his 4-year, $4MM contract.

Leyland wasn't unemployed long; with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and California Angels all interested in hiring him, Leyland was hired by the Florida Marlins, which had put together a power packed team. The expansion team had played its first season in 1993 and captured the first wild card under Leyland's tutelage in 1997. The team then went on to win the NL pennant and defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games for their first World Series title.

But as a precursor to future owner Jeffrey Loria’s putting a wrecking ball to the 2003 championship team, then owner Wayne Huizenga gutted the squad before the next season. The Marlins won just 54 games in defense of their title and Leyland, with no prospect of winning any time in the near future, walked away from his post and replaced Don Baylor as skipper of the Colorado Rockies.

In early September, however, a very emotional Leyland answered reports that he would step down at season's end by saying he didn't have the all of the passion he needed to do the job.

"To do this job right, the fire has to burn 12, 14 hours a day. I'm a maniac during the game and the fire burns like it always has, but I think to the job right, you've got to work at it 12 hours a day, and I'm not sure I'm doing very good at that right now. This is not final. It's a strong possibility." ²

After a 72-90 finish, Leyland indeed resigned to spend more time with his family. The St. Louis Cardinals hired him two months later to be a scout in his home area of Pittsburgh and he would remain in that position until he felt the itch to manage again prior to the 2005 season. (Leyland had been third base coach for White Sox manager Tony LaRussa prior to his hire in Pittsburgh and LaRussa was the Cardinals manager in 2000 when they signed Leyland as a scout.)

Though he missed out on the Philadelphia Phillies job the prior year, a refreshed, renewed Leyland was hired by the Tigers prior to the 2006 season. Signed to a 3-year deal (a 1-year extension was added a year later), Leyland admitted he never thought he would manage again.

 "I did a lousy job my last year of managing," Leyland said. "I stunk because I was burned out. When I left there, I sincerely believed that I would not manage again."

"I always missed the competition, but the last couple of years -- and this stuck in my craw a little bit, I did not want my managerial career to end like that."³

This time around it sounds like Leyland felt good about leaving. He is expected to take a position within the organization. Leyland leaves the game with 1769 wins, a .506 winning percentage, one World Series title, three pennants, and two Manager of the Year awards.

Good luck to a guy who did things his way and once yelled at Barry Bonds.

Headphones or low volume are advised if you are at work or have little kids around.

1 - USA Today.com
2 - Tuscaloosa News

3 - ESPN.com

One Final Gift From Thurman

Birthdays can be good, bad, or a little of both. It often depends on your age, if the important people in your life remember, and sometimes it's about the gifts, particular if you're a kid.

For my 17th birthday I got a great gift courtesy of the New York Yankees. It was 1978 and the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers met in the Fall Classic for the second straight year. The Yankees had a year of comebacks; down 14 games to Boston in July, they charged to the end and finished in a tie with the Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

The Yankees won the one game playoff in Fenway Park and Bucky Dent earned a new "Bleepin'" nickname. After they dispatched the KC Royals with relative ease in the ALCS, the Yankees dropped the first two games of the World Series to the Dodgers. However, the Yankees captured the next three games and flew to Los Angeles to finish off the series.

They were many memorable moments from what turned out to be the final game of the series . The Yankees pounded LA starter Don Sutton, knocking him out of the game after he allowed five runs in five-plus innings.

Dodgers' rookie reliever Bob Welch had struck out Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, with two on and two out in the top of the 9th to preserve a 4-3 LA win in Game 2, but their meeting in Game 6 was quite different. Jackson hit a tape measure home run to right field that gave him a combined total of four home runs in the two Game 6's played in 1977-1978. (Reggie also homered in Game 1 of the '78 series.)

Catfish Hunter completed his 1978 renaissance with seven solid innings to win his 9th and final World Series game. A "money pitcher", Hunter had helped change the atmosphere of the Yankees clubhouse when he became the first big money free agent on New Year's Eve, 1974. People like to refer to Kansas City's James Shields as "Big Game James", but James "Catfish" Hunter truly lived up to the name.

Inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, Catfish's throwing arm started to suffer in his third year in New York from the toll of all those starts and innings thrown in his career. He made just 20 starts in '78, but went 9-2 down the stretch to help the Yankees catch Boston.

When you win back to back titles, which is even harder to do today with the multiple levels of playoffs, you think your team is going to keep winning. Yankees fans felt that way during that 1996-2001 stretch. (Yes, I am including the year they lost.) 

The Yankees had won three straight American League pennants from 1976-1978, so why would that change? But oh how it did indeed change. The winning would stop in a few short years, but worse, the Yankees would lose their beloved captain, Thurman Munson. When Goose Gossage got Ron Cey to pop up behind home plate with two outs in the 9th, who could predict that it was going to be the last time we would see Thurman Munson in post-season play.

The captain grabbed the foul pop and raced to embrace Gossage and the rest of his teammates. It was a joyful celebration for the ages. Too bad it would be Thurman's last, but oh what a great birthday gift it was.

Game 6 in its entirety:

 

Mariano's Last Yankee Stadium Goodbye

One more time.

There will be a strange aura tonight in the Stadium of mystique and aura. At some point, around 9:45 or 10 PM, the Yankee Stadium loudspeaker will begin to blast "Enter Sandman", the bullpen door will open, and Mariano Rivera will jog in from the bullpen for the last time.

One would hope that Mariano enters the game in a save situation, but it really doesn't matter. Everyone, maybe even the Tampa Bay Rays, wants to see him out on the Yankee Stadium mound one last time.

I also wonder if this could be his last appearance, period. With the team eliminated from playoff contention could Mariano just be a spectator in Houston this weekend? Or could he put on a fielder's glove and stand in centerfield during the game as he has always wanted to. I actually hope he doesn't, but if it's something he really wants, you must fulfill his request.

Mariano Rivera is one of those players; Derek Jeter is another, which you will talk about for generations to come.  Just as older generations have talked about Mantle and Mays, Ruth and Gehrig, Cobb and Wagner, and others that came before us.

You'll talk about the Panamanian pitcher that didn’t look like anything special, but suddenly became a powder keg.   The two and four seam fastballs thrown as a set up man for John Wetteland when the Yankees returned to glory in 1996, and then the cutter, Rivera’s “gift from God”, that made him the greatest post-season pitcher of all time. More World Series rings handed out in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009 thanks in large part to one remarkable athlete.

You'll even discuss the failures in 1997, 2001 and 2004, because they are part of Mariano's legacy. This isn't an episode of Yankees Classics, where no game lost is ever shown. They are a testament to #42’s resiliency and his ability to bounce back.

Of course the successes are more fun to reminisce about. There was the three inning performance as the Yankees rallied against the Red Sox to win Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. It was a performance that gave Aaron Boone the chance to be a hero in extra innings.

Flash back three years earlier to the final game of the 2000 Subway Series with the Mets. The Yankees are up by two, a man on third and slugger Mike Piazza is digging into the right-handed batter’s box as the potential tying run. As soon as the ball came off of Piazza’s bat and headed to deep centerfield you could see the concern on Mariano’s face. But quickly it turns to exaltation, leaping up and down after the ball settled in Bernie Williams' glove for the final out and the fourth championship in five years.

How about the first World Series sweep in 1998 on the road in San Diego? The Yankees up three games to none and 3-0 in the 9th inning of Game 4. A 6-4-3 double play erases a base runner and then pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney's one hopper to third is fielded cleanly by series MVP Scott Brosius and thrown across the diamond for the final out. Mariano drops to his knee, arms raised as the Yankees win their first championship with Mariano as the closer.

One year later it’s time for another sweep. The Yankees are up 4-1 in the 9th inning of Game 4. Brian Jordan starts things with a long at-bat that ends with a comebacker to Mariano for the first out. Ryan Klesko has another one of his bats sawed off as he can barely lift the ball into the air for an easy second out. Then it is Keith Lockhart hitting one high in the air and into Chad Curtis’s glove in left field. The Yankees have the second of back-to-back-to-back championships and have won 10 straight World Series games.

14 years later, the first season in the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees return to the Series for the first time since 2001. It's Game 6; the Yankees lead the series 3-2 and the game 7-3.  Joe Girardi goes to Mariano with one out in the 8th. Jayson Werth flails at strike three. Future teammate Raul Ibanez loses a splintered bat, but later reaches with a double. No matter, Pedro Feliz flies out.

Pinch-hitter Matt Stairs lines out to Derek Jeter to start the 9th. Then a rarity, Carlos Ruiz draws a walk. Then the non-rarities- Jimmy Rollins flies out and Shane Victorino hits a series ending grounder to Robbie Cano. The team has its first celebration in nine years and a fifth ring for Mariano, Jeter, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada.

That is the legacy of Mariano Rivera, the baseball player. Those are the moments we will all reflect on for regular and post-seasons to come. When we’re bundled up during the winter, wishing Spring Training was near. When new closers put the pinstripes on and hope to have just a smidgen of #42's success.

There will be more championships down the line, of that I have no doubt, but there will never be another Mariano Rivera confidently delivering the final pitch to seal the victory.

Thank you for everything Mariano.

Pettitte's Last Hurrah - Announces Retirement

I started writing this column as Andy Pettitte took the mound to face the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. Little did I know that my feelings and thoughts on Pettitte possibly retiring after the season would come to fruition before the season even ended.

On the last Friday of the Summer, Pettitte decided to announce his retirement at season's end. He didn't want to encroach on Mariano Rivera's big day at Yankees Stadium on Sunday, when the Yankees will honor the greatest closer of all time. Pettitte decided to announce it at Rivera's urging and so that the fans would know before Game 162. (Pettitte already has a lot on his plate this week; he'll be deposed as part of the Brian McNamee's lawsuit against Roger Clemens.)

Here's Pettitte's statement released earlier Friday afternoon.

“I’m announcing my retirement prior to the conclusion of our season because I want all of our fans to know now — while I’m still wearing this uniform — how grateful I am for their support throughout my career. I want to have the opportunity to tip my cap to them during these remaining days and thank them for making my time here with the Yankees so special. 

“I’ve reached the point where I know that I’ve left everything I have out there on that field. The time is right. I’ve exhausted myself, mentally and physically, and that’s exactly how I want to leave this game. 

“One of the things I struggled with in making this announcement now was doing anything to take away from Mariano’s day on Sunday. It is his day. He means so much to me, and has meant so much to my career that I would just hate to somehow take the attention away from him.”

During his 3:30 PM press conference Friday afternoon Pettitte said he was mentally exhausted. That he was using up everything he had in the tank. Pettitte had intended to retire after the 2012 season, but changed his mind after a broken ankle forced him to miss most of the season.

As a fan I have two regrets regarding Andy Pettitte. One, that he left for Houston after the 2003 season and two, his use of HGH that will eliminate any chance of him earning a spot in the MLB Hall of Fame. Pettitte was asked about regrets during the presser and he brought up the HGH, but in an odd way. He felt bad that it got out and that any kid would think he tried to cheat the game, the fans, other players, etc. He never said he regretted using HGH and as much as I respect him, Pettitte is wrong not to say that he never cheated or tried to cheat anyone.  I do believe he used it to get back quicker, not to get an advantage, but that still is taking a short cut/cheating.

Pettitte leaves with five World Series rings, 255 career wins as of Friday (YES' Jack Curry mentioned on YES that Pettitte is one of just 26 pitchers to have a career record of at least 100 games over .500), three All-Star appearances and four top five Cy Young finishes. (I still believe that Pettitte, not Pat Hentgen, should have won the award in 1996 when he came in second place, six votes behind the Blue Jays pitcher.)

Here's what I had written Tuesday 9/17 and hadn't finished:

Before the Yankees sleep walked their way through a 2-0 loss to the last place Toronto Blue Jays, I pondered the very real notion that Andy Pettitte was making on of the last starts of his career. The 41-year old was the hard luck loser after he allowed a Colby Rasmus solo home run in the 4th inning. (Shawn Kelley surrendered a solo shot as well to Rajai Davis.)

Pettitte's season started strong then went through a big rough patch and finally straightened back out. Unfortunately, the Yankees bullpen blew a couple of games and Tuesday night he got no run support. His 10-10 record is completely misleading - in his last 48.2 innings, the tall Texan has allowed just 11 earned runs (2.03 ERA). Weather permitting, Pettitte is scheduled for two more starts, this Sunday at home against the San Francisco Giants (very apropos that it is Mariano Rivera Day since the Yankees closer has saved more games for Pettitte than anyone else.)

While much has deservedly been made about Rivera's final season, people don't know what to think about Pettitte since he's in his third tour of duty with the Yankees and sat out the 2011 season. My hunch is that this will be the end of the line for Pettitte. He recently said the mental preparation is tougher than physical readiness.

With home so far away and his kids growing up, I believe Pettitte will determine that full time Dad is his job for the foreseeable future.  The departure of Rivera, Derek Jeter's injury, Alex Rodriguez's pending suspension, Robinson Cano's free agency...it all has to play into Pettitte's thinking. The Yankees ability or inability to compete in 2014 could have a major impact on Pettitte's final decision.

Replacement NFL Refs Ump Wild Card Game

Left field ump Sam Holbrook raises his hand in the air like he just don't care.

Wait, what? They didn't. My bad. I thought for sure that the call that was made in last night's St. Louis-Atlanta "play-in" wild card game had to be done by a NFL replacement ref.

Now I get it. It was just the usual pitiful Major League Baseball umpiring, which year in and year out makes horrendous calls in the post-season. And these guys are supposed to be the best and brightest among MLB umps.

With the Yankees playing the Orioles, we'll all get to see plenty of replays of little Jeffrey Maier interfering with Derek Jeter's 1996 ALCS home run. Richie Garcia was the ump in question on that one; wonder if O's right fielder (and later Yankee) Tony Tarrasco has gotten over that.

There was the Phil Cuzzi, who called Joe Mauer's clear double a foul ball in the 2009 ALDS between the Twins and Yankees. I won't go back to the Don Deckinger fiasco that cost the Cardinals a World Series championship in 1985. That's just a small sampling of the horrible job umpires have done in the playoffs. And as everyone knows the regular season sees more than it share of bad calls and bad strike zones.

This year Jerry Meals possibly cost the Yankees a game agains the Orioles when he called Mark Teixeira out on a game ending play at first base. The tying run would have scored on the play; fortunately for the Yankees the loss didn't cost them the division.  Meals also made a horrible call in extra innings between the Pirates and Braves last year. Jim Joyce cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game back in 2010 when he blew an out call at first base.

But back to last night's Cardinals-Braves game; the call in question may not have changed the outcome of game, but we'll never know.

The Braves were down 6-3 and had two aboard when Andrelton Simmons lifted a pop up to shallow left field. Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Matt Holliday converged on the ball and both gave up (mainly Kozma) on it. The ball dropped to the ground and the Braves had the bases loaded...but then they didn't.

An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.
When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall immediately declare “Infield Fly” for the benefit of the runners. If the ball is near the baselines, the umpire shall declare “Infield Fly, if Fair.”
The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul.
If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared Infield Fly falls untouched to the ground outside the baseline, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an Infield Fly.
Rule 2.00 (Infield Fly) Comment: On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder—not by some arbitrary limitation such as the grass, or the base lines. The umpire must rule also that a ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire’s judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder. The infield fly is in no sense to be considered an appeal play. The umpire’s judgment must govern, and the decision should be made immediately.
When an infield fly rule is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of Rule 6.05 (L). The infield fly rule takes precedence.

Left field umpire Sam Holbrook had raised his arm for an infield fly and an automatic out. But Holbrook raised his arm too late and the location of the baseball was also "iffy" to even call the infield fly.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez argued vehemently, protested the game, and the Braves' fans littered the field with garbage (which was asinine no matter how bad the call was). The fiasco led to a 19-minute delay and the Braves were, for all intents and purposes, done.  (The protest was, of course, overturned.)

It's a shame that calls like this happen year after year, especially when it's in the post-season. Perhaps instead of finding more revenue streams, Bud Selig could find a method to ensure that today's umpires aren't total screw ups.

The Yahoo Contributor Network And Me

I'm always looking for some place to write and I have a new spot, the Yahoo Contributor Network. Today, I had my first article, "Golden Anniversary of a Fall Classic" published. Pretty exciting, link on the main Yahoo MLB page and all.

The piece on the 1962 World Series between the Yankees and San Francisco Giants. It was the last time Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays opposed each other in meaningful games as well as the Yankees last championship until 1977. It was also the Giants last series appearance until 1989.

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Baseball Digest | Mike Napoli, That's Amore

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have had trouble scoring runs the past two seasons, after finishing second to the New York Yankees in 2009. So prior to the 2011 season, GM Tony Reagins shipped catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Vernon Wells. The Halos were counting on Wells’ 2010 resurrection (31 HR, 88 RBI, .847 OPS) to continue on the west coast, as well as provide them with more versatility. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, had no interest in keeping the arbitration eligible Napoli and sent him to Texas for reliever Frank Francisco and cash. Texas is thankful they did.


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Baseball Digest | Mr. Holland's Opus

It’s one thing to be told or to know that you need to pitch the game of your life, it’s another to actually go out and do it. The Texas Rangers entered Sunday night’s Game 4 contest with the St. Louis Cardinals down two games to one and were relying on Derek Holland to have his big moment in the spotlight.

Holland has shown glimpses of star potential in his three year Major League career- he threw three complete game shutouts in July- but had come up small in the playoffs thus far. His last two starts came in the ALCS vs. Detroit and lasted only a combined 7.1 innings with seven earned runs allowed. So there was no reason for Texas fans, or Ron Washington for that matter, to have a lot of confidence in their 25-yr old left-hander.

Read the rest of this free article at BaseballDigest.com.

They Might Be Giants

I said Giants in 7...apparently I gave the Rangers too much credit after not giving them enough credit going into the ALCS.

Tim Lincecum may be weird, may be fugly, may look like a chick...but the guy can pitch.

Brian Wilson and his weird beard (he could play Bill Mays in a biopic) were dominant in the post-season.

And Edgar Renteria, who in 1997 knocked in the game winning run in the 7th game of the World Series to give the Florida Marlins their first championship, had the game winner again 13 years later. A 3-run home run off of Lee to earn the series MVP award.

The Giants get their first win since that amazing Willie Mays catch back in 1954. Their first since moving to the Bay Area. As I mentioned on Facebook last night, congrats to all Giants fans with the exception of Mad Dog Russo and Chris Berman who can stick it.

Cliff Lee didn't wait very long to take care of business after losing for the second time in the series. He quickly filed for free agency.

The Giants had the third longest drought without winning a World Series. Who does the number 3 spot now belong to? The Texas Rangers, who started out as the Washington Senators in 1961.

Rangers-Giants Begin WS Tonight

The World Series. Baseball's ultimate showdown. Not being seen by Cablevision subscribers thanks to the pricks from Fox and Cablevision. But I digress.

In a position by position comparison, the Rangers win almost every match up. But sometimes we have seen teams that are just fated to win. The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1988 LA Dodgers come to mind.

Despite the fact that it would make Mad Dog Russo and Chris Berman happy, the pick here is the Giants in 7 games. Pitching wins and there should be plenty of it in this series starting tonight when Cliff Lee faces Tim Lincecum. Game 2 has C.J. Wilson going against the always underrated Matt Cain. Game 3 is Colby Lewis against Jonathan Sanchez with the fourth game matching youngsters Madison Bumgarner and Tommy Hunter.

Ron Washington has gotten high accolades for handling his team through the post-season and Bruce Bochy always does a good job. This should be a great one.

* * *

Hopefully, Mrs. Cliff Lee will be treated better than she apparently was during the ALCS road games.

Perhaps the Rangers' greatest sales pitch simply was having Kristen sit in the visiting family section at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs. She says there were ugly taunts. Obscenities. Cups of beer thrown. Even fans spitting from the section above.

"The fans did not do good things in my heart," Kristen says.

"When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal."

Lonn Trost, Randy Levine, Brian Cashman, and the Steinbrenner boys should be sucking up to her immediately!

Core Four Could Be Sliced In Half

No one wants to think about it. No one wants to talk about it. But today could be the last time Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte set foot in Yankee Stadium as active players. Yes, Derek Jeter is also a free agent, but that situation will be worked out one way or another. But the two elder statesman of the Yankees have pondered retirement this year and it is an all too real possibility.

Both have openly discussed that it's crossed their minds. Obviously neither will let on at the conclusion of the Yankees season, whether that be today or tomorrow. But the sad fact is it could happen.

Watching last night's game, I thought back to the 2001 and 2003 teams when the Yankees starting looking old. That '01 team was this close to winning it all, but so fortunate to be in that position. It was a team full of aging stars that were on their last leg or getting close to it.

The current squad is a mix, but many of the key players on the team have had more years behind them then they have ahead of them. Andy Pettitte may have had his swan song with his magnificent seven inning performance in game three. Whether up 10-1 or down 10-1 today, Mariano Rivera better be called in from the pen to ensure "Enter Sandman" is heard at least one more time.

Savor the memories, savor these men. Because you just never know.

Game 3: Critical, But Not Deadly

With both the ALCS and NLCS tied at a game apiece, I decided to do a little research, which will probably be available by Elias tomorrow (if it's not already tonight).

I looked back at all of the World Series plus all League Championship Series since 1985 (when the format went from five to seven games). Prior to this year's post-season there were 79 series that were tied at 1-1 after two games.

52 of those series occurred during the World Series. 16 teams came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the championship. They included the 1923, 1951, and 1952 Yankees.

There have been 13 ALCS that were tied after the first two games, with five teams going to the World Series after dropping game 3. They included the 1998 and 2003 Yankees.

Of the 14 NLCS series involved, four teams moved on to play in the World Series after dropping the third game of the playoff series.

So what does it all mean? While it's difficult to come back from a 2-1 deficit it is not impossible. Especially if you have games four and five at home.

68.3% winner of game 3 takes it all.

RIP Ralph Houk

Unbelievable. Seriously. Unbelievable. They say it happens in threes. That's all you ever hear. And damn it even though I don't know who they are, they're right.

Long time Yankees manager, general manager, and player Ralph Houk has passed away at the age of 90.

"The Major" was the first Yankees manager that I can remember. He initially had managed the team from 1961 thru 1963, winning two World Series and one pennant. He took over as skipper again 20 games into the 1966 season and would remain the Yankees main man through 1973, the first year of George Steinbrenner's ownership. It only took him one year, but Houk could see how things would play out under Steinbrenner and resigned on September 20, 1973.

Houk wasn't out of the game long, taking over the Detroit Tigers the following spring. He would manage in the Motor City for five years. After a couple of years off, Houk had his final managing stint with the Boston Red Sox from 1981 to 1984. He won 1,619 games (.514 winning pct.) over parts of 20 seasons.

Houk earned his nickname from his days in the service where he rose from private to the rank of major. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and Bronze Star for his action in World War II.

Houk's playing career as a backup catcher was limited to just 91 games, but he was part of championship teams in 1947 and 1949-1953. He retired following the 1954 season and became a bullpen coach and manager in training for Casey Stengel. Between his manging stints with NY he served as the team's general manager.

He was fiery competitor that was infamous for his knockdown, drag out arguments with umpires. A good debate usually included kicking dirt on home plate/base and/or the umpire and flinging his cap. He never got cheated when discussing a call.

Houk's final stop in his baseball career was in the front office of the Minnesota Twins from 1986-1989. He earned his third World Series ring when the Twins captured the title in 1987.

Ralph Houk was one of the true characters of the game and he will be missed. Our condolences to his family.

Old Guard Brings Home #27

17 players on the Yankees 25 man roster are first time World Series champions, but it was the "old timers" that helped bring home the New York Yankees' 27th championship, and first in nine years. Andy Pettitte jabbed and counter punched his way to his record 18 post-season win with 5-plus innings of work and Mariano Rivera came on to get the final five outs in the Yankees series clinching 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

But it was a first-timer that played a key role and took home the hardware as series MVP. Hideki Matsui, playing in what could be his last game as a Yankee tied a series record (also held by Yankee Bobby Richardson in 1960) with 6 RBI. His 2-run home run off Pedro Martinez gave the Yankees an early lead and increased the volume of the "Who's your daddy" chants from the crowd. Godzilla later added a 2-run double and a 2-run single to cap an amazing night.


Derek Jeter had three hits to finish the series with a .407 and scored twice. Though he went 0-3, it was Jorge Posada once again behind the plate for a big Pettitte performance. And though the native Texan didn't have his best stuff working on three days rest, he gave the Yankees just enough of what was needed.

Pettitte allowed just one run through the first five innings, getting Jimmy Rollins to hit into a key double play in the fifth before the Phillies' big bats came to the plate. He heard his name chanted throughout the night just as Paul O'Neill had in 2001. Pettitte finally exited, one batter after Ryan Howard finally hit a series home run, to a standing ovation.

Joba Chamberlain got the final out of the 6th before putting two aboard with two outs in the 7th. But unexpected World Series hero Damaso Marte struck out Chase Utley to end the inning and K'ed Howard to start the 8th. That's when skipper Joe Girardi went to his closer to finish out the night.

Rivera gave up a hit and a walk along the way, but after a long at-bat, induced Shane Victorino to bounce out to Robinson Cano for the 27th out. Rivera's teammates poured out of the dugout and bullpen to join in on the wild celebration taking place on the field.


Series Notes

Despite not starting the three games in Philadelphia and having only 14 plate appearances, Matsui finished with 3 HR and 8 RBI. Oh, and a .615 batting average.

It was the fifth championship for Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera, and Posada. It was the second time around for Johnny Damon, Marte, Eric Hinske, and Jose Molina.

Pettitte also picked up the clinching victory in 1998. He's the first pitcher to get two winners since Bob Gibson accomplished the feat for the St. Louis Cardinals in '64 and '67. Rivera has picked up the final outs in four of the five championships the Yankees have won since 1996.

Joe Girardi joined fellow managers Joe Torre, Bob Lemon, Billy Martin, Ralph Houk, Casey Stengel, Bucky Harris, Joe McCarthy, and Miller Huggins in winning a World Series title with the Yankees. Girardi, who wore number 27 this year, announced today that he will wear number 28 next season as a new incentive to the team.

Girardi Made Right Decision with A.J.

Burnett Bombs, But Was Right Choice

Written for Baseball Digest Online.

Anyone watching last night’s World Series Game 5, must have thought they were watching a replay of the fifth game of the American League Championship Series. A.J. Burnett on the mound, no command, flat fastballs, opponent taking a quick lead. And like that 5th game, the New York Yankees came out on the wrong end of an 8-6 score to the Philadelphia Phillies last night. The series returns to New York for Wednesday night’s Game 6.

Second guessers came out of everywhere as soon as Burnett started giving up hit/walk/hit batter, one after another. Had a fully rested Andy Pettitte or CC Sabathia been waiting in the wings it would have been one thing. But the second guessing in this case centered on whether or not Chad Gaudin should have started Game 4.

To put it simply, Chad Gaudin has no business having an impact on a World Series game. unless it game goes 12 innings or more. He certainly does not have any career portfolio to warrant getting a World Series start.

But because of a good four innings here or there, members of the media and Yankees fans spent a good part of last night (and I’m sure today) grousing about Gaudin not getting the start. Heck no one can even agree how to pronounce his name and you want him to start a possible World Series clinching game for you? And you know that if Gaudin had started and was bombed, the second guessers would be going in the opposite direction.

A.J. Burnett has driven all Yankees fans, and probably his teammates, crazy with inconsistancy. It’s not just from game to game, but inning to inning as was the case in the ALCS Game 5, when he pitched well after the 1st frame.

Be that as it may, Burnett was 3-0, 1.86 ERA in his prior starts on three days rest and was dominant in his Game 2 start. The decision to start him on three days rest was a no-brainer for Joe Girardi. And while I’ve questioned many of Girardi’s strategies, particularly involving the bullpen, he was on the money in deciding to go with just three starters in both the ALCS and World Series.

Bats Wake Up For Series Lead

A-Rod, Swisher Come Alive For Series Lead

Written for Baseball Digest Online

Andy Pettitte has been on the big stage many times ni his career, but early on last night it looked like the Phillies were going to get the better of him and the Yankees. Then the Yankees bats woke up against the very human version of Cole Hamels and Pettitte bared down. The result was an 8-5 Yankees win that gave the Bronx Bombers a 2-1 World Series lead.

Down 3-0, Alex Rodriguez, hitless to that point, got the Yankees on the board in the 4th when he lined a 2-run home run off a televsion camera near the right field corner. Originally ruled as being in play, the umpires conferred and went to replay to confirm the call (Fox’s Joe Buck continued to call rhe replay inconclusive the rest of the night).

Pettitte helped out his own cause with a game tying single an inning later and Johnny Damon put the Yankees ahead for a good with a 2-run double in the same frame.

Nick Swisher, who snapped out of a 4-35 skid with a double, added a solo home run in the 6th and Hideki Matsui added some insurance with a pinch-hit solo shot in the 8th inning.

Pettitte started out shaky and the Phillies took advantage. Jayson Werth hit the first of two home runs in the 2nd inning and the Phillies added two more when Pettitte walked Jimmy Rollins with the bases loaded and Shane Victorino followed with a sac fly.

But Pettitte settled down through the middle innings. He dominated the dangerous left-handed trio of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez. Howard, in fact, has gone 0-8 with seven strikeouts in the last two games.

Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte, of all people, retired all six batters they faced to build the bridge to the 9th. Joe Girardi decided to go with Phil Hughes, but after retiring the first batter, Hughes gave up a solo shot to Carlos Ruiz to make it a 3-run deficit. On came Mariano Rivera, who needed just five pitches to close the ball game out and give the Yankees their first series lead.
Series Notes

Pettitte’s RBI was the first game tying RBI by a Yankee pitcher since Jim Bouton during the 1964 series. Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera became the first trio to play in a World Series together 13 years apart. Pretty cool.

Hideki Matsui’s home run was ironic in that it was the first one he hit to the opposite field all season.

People are still marveling over the performance by A.J. Burnett in Game 2. Burnett has heard all the praise – plus fastball, wicked movement on breaking pitches, among the bestcurveballs in the game. He’s also heard all the negative- no heart, empty head, bad attitude. Burnett shook off the latter and a slow start and dominated thePhillies hitters for seven innings. It was actually surprising that Girardi didn’t send him out for the 8th inning so that Rivera wouldn’t have to go for a six out save.

CC Sabathia faces Joe Blanton tonight in Game 4. Sabathia will be working on three days rest for the second time in the post-season. Burnett is scheduled to face Game 1 winner Cliff Lee in Monday night’s Game 5.

Girardi Shakes Things Up a Bit

In an effort to inject some more life in the offense, Joe Girardi has benched Nick Swisher for tonight's second game of the World Series. The only problem is that he replaced him with the light hitting Jerry Hairston Jr., who is also not an outfielder by training.

Hairston is 10-27 (.370) lifetime against tonight's starter Pedro Martinez, but hasn't faced him in five years. Meanwhile, as expected, Girardi stuck with Jose Molina behind the plate in an effort to placate Yankees starter A.J. Burnett.

Total Domination

Unlike that car rental commercial, the Yankees were in the wrong end of "Total Domination" last night. Phillies starter Cliff Lee was nearly unhittable. He allowed an unearned run, four hits, and struck out in tossing a complete game. He also didn't walk a batter.

The Yankees hitters were off balance all night as CC Sabathia did his best to keep his team in the game. Despite not having his best stuff or control, the big man allowed just two runs, both Chase Utley solo home runs, in seven innings of work.

The Phillies scratched across four more against a suddenly very shakey Yankees bullpen. Phil Hughes, David Robertson, and Brian Bruney were chief among those who didn't get their job done.

The Yankees had never been shut out in the opening game of a series, but nearly were last night. They got a run in the 9th, in part thanks to a Jimmy Rollins throwing error. It snapped a streak of 17 scoreless innings by the Yankees in World Series play (they had been shut out by Josh Beckett in the final game of the 2003 series).

Chase Utley joined Babe Ruth as the only left-handed hitters to have a 2-HR game against a left-handed pitcher. The Bambino accomplished the feat against the Cardinals in 1928.