Monday, October 05, 2009

'09 Regular Comes to a Close

Regular Season Grade: a big A

Home field advantage, best record in majors what else is there?

The Big Name came through with Big Stats: Mo, Jeter, Tex, Matsui, Damon, CC, and A-Rod

Unsung Hero: Cano

Role Players that stepped up Big Time: Aceves, Hughes, Coke, and Hairston

A player that I am hot and cold on but has been a net benefit: Swisher

Players that improved but am wondering if they're making the playoff roster: Bruney and Robertson

Future is bright: Pena, Cevelli, Gardner and Roberston

About the only blemish in my view was the mis-management of Joba (what else is new?)

Great, great season.
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Playoff game Twins and Tigers. Side note - if you're a Twins fan, how can you not be wondering what if (we kept Santana, Hunter etc.)???

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12 comments:

old professor said...

Can't disagree with most of your assessments with the exception of Swisher. The guy was coming of a season where he hit .218 with 18 homeruns for the white sox. Yankees picked him up for a mid-level prospect (Marquez). He ends the season with 30 homeruns and an average of .250. The intangable was his dugout and locker room demeanor. The club house came together and started having fun.

Amazing how much better Chamberlain looked coming out of the pen versus as a starter. The velocity was there as was the agressiveness.

Turning briefly to football, Giants need to worry about how bad Eli's heal is. hopefully it is nothing more than a bruise. And finally - sorry 57 - HOW BAD ARE THE BILLS?

Crash said...

So when are the Yankees going to announce their playoff schedule? I think everyone knows that they will start tomorrow, but they're playing the game of waiting right up until the last minute.

I think the Twins are the more favorable match up. They don't seem to have the pitching that would be needed to keep the Yankees bats down.

I think the roster is pretty much set, with the exception of 1 pitching spot. If the Twins make it then Marte is the last pitcher added for the extra lefty in the pen. If the Tigers make it. You could see Bruney, Gaudin, or even Mitre added in lieu of Marte.

old professor said...

Interesting article in the NY Post reviewing the possible Yankee roster for the first round. They are projecting that Pena and Hinske as well as Cervelli make the roster with Guzman being the odd man out.

Pitching wise, Marte will be added to the roster based on which team has more left handed bats. I cannot remember which of the teams has more power and hitters from the left, but if that team makes it, Marte is in if not, he is out for the first round.

I believe the first game has been set for Wednesday with game 2 on Friday.

If Chamberlain and Hughes are in the pen, most of the games suddenly become six inning affairs for the starters after that, it could be lights out.

Crash said...

I think I would even leave Joba in the pen for the ALCS and have Gaudin start as your #4 guy or even...KENNEDY!!!

old professor said...

Bruney, Mitre, and Pena are left of the roster for the ALDS. Posada to sit game 2 as Molina gets the nod to catch Burnett. I am surprised about Bruney.

Crash said...

I'm not surprised about Bruney at all. He hasn't earned back the manager's confidence yet, at best he has been inconsistent. I think if the Tigers made it you would have seen Bruney instead of Marte.

I'm more shocked about Posada sitting for game 2 (or being the DH).

I think the Yankees offense will be quiet through the first 3 or 4 innings. They haven't seen this guy before and they seem to take a while to get going. On the other hand maybe the kids nerves will be up, playing in the post season in the Stadium...maybe he hangs a few and gets pounded early.

Finally the playoffs begin...

old professor said...

Crash, Buster Olney had a good sense of the Twins pitching staff. He said they all have average stuff and tend to concentrate on throwing strikes. He believes the Yankee hitters will have a field day and the series will be over in three games with the Yankees pulling off the sweep. As he put it, the Twins don't have a pitcher that can be considered the ace/#1 of the staff. It should raise all kinds of red flags when the guy the Twins run out in game three in Minnesota is Carl Pavano. The only thing that could be working against the Yankees tonight (and probably the Twins), is the high wind warnings.

old professor said...

Cervelli makes the post season roster. Posada not happy with sitting through game 2. With Cervelli on the bench, Posada can DH in game 2 and Molina can be replaced late in the game. Hinske also makes the line up. Guzman does not. Gaudin is in.

Crash said...

I'm shocked that Hinske and Gaudin made the roster. Neither of those guys will see action unless it is a complete blow out. Complete waste of roster space. Further there is no reason to carry 3 catchers in the postseason. Cervelli should be active, Molina needs to go. All season the Yankees won because there were no holes in the line up. By putting Molina in there you know have an "easy" out. Guarantee it, he comes up in a big situation and fails to deliver.

old professor said...

Crash, you need to take prosac. Hinske gives them options for a quick blast of the bench. Gaudin gives them the arm they need should there be a blow out issue. In addition, he pitched better than Bruney or Mitre. Chamberlain takes the spot Bruney would have had. And Gaudin allows you to use Aceves in a longer more critical role.

Cervelli gives Girardi the ability to have Molina catch and if necessary use Posada as a DH (if something happens to Matsui) without losing the DH spot to a pitcher.

Surprised to hear that Jeter tied Jackson and Mantle for third place on the post season homerun list. Manny is number 1 with 28 and Bernie Williams is number 2 with 22.

Crash said...

Old prof, you need to step up and give the Captain his props. He came through again in last night when it meant something in October. Everyone on that team was looking to him to do something and all he did is hit a 2 run HR to tie the game. That was the shot CC needed, that was the shot the rest of the offense needed to get going.

Posada's defense was lousy last night. Late this season it seemed he had a lot of pitches getting by him. I know we like Posada because of his bat, but it seems that this year we have seen the decline of his skills behind the plate.

Crash said...

Is it just me, or is this whole Molina starting over Jorge thing blown way out of proportion.

Initially I thought Jorge acted like a little baby, but he seems to have taken a step or 2 back.

No one seemed to care who Greg Maddux pitched to (not that AJ is anywhere close to Maddux).

It's like there isn't really anything to talk about so the media makes it a lot bigger than it should be.

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