Monday, November 30, 2009

Derek Jeter = 2009 SI SOY

First off, I'll get the formalities out of the way. I hope you all had a great holiday. Nothing beats some extra days off from work, right? Again, hope you all had a good little break. I know I did. Now on to business.....

Derek Jeter was named the 2009 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year today. I may be a little biased in my opinion of DJ but I think he's a very deserving recipient of this year's award. Derek had quite the year. Here's a quick recap:

  1. Won the World Series
  2. Became all-time Yankees hit leader
  3. Won his 4th Gold Glove
  4. Won his 4th Silver Slugger
  5. Selected to his 10th All-star team
  6. Finished 3rd in AL MVP vote
  7. Won the AL Hank Aaron award (best hitter in league)
  8. Won the Roberto Clements award (for on and off the field achievements)

Terry McDonnell, SI Group Editor, said this of Jeter, "Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he's extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field."

I can't argue with any of that. I wouldn't think anybody could but there are a lot of Yankee/Jeter haters out there. If any of you happen to read this, I'd love to know why Derek is so hated, so lay it on me. I'd love to know because I just don't see it. And again, I may be biased as a Yankee/Jeter fan, but I'd like to think if I weren't I'd still like him. He plays the game the right way. He gets it, both on the field and off. I'm glad I'm a fan of his because he's a guy I want to root for.

Congrats Derek. The honor of being the 2009 SI SOY is well deserved.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving Top 10

I've done this in the past and figured why not do it again. In the spirit of giving thanks, here are 10 Yankee-related things I am thankful for this year:

10) This blog and for everyone who reads it - still can't believe people do - thanks!
9) The MLB channel on XM Radio - I don't know what I'd do without it
8) Brian Cashman bringing in CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett
7) Being at game 2 of the 2009 ALCS and getting to see Jerry Hairston Jr. get a pie in the face
6) I'm not a Red Sox fan
5) The "Core Four" - I hate the moniker but love the guys, and yes, even Posada
4) The organization's 27th World Championship - It's been almost a month and it still feels good
3) Mariano Rivera - Where would the Yankees be without him?
2) The Steinbrenner's deep pockets and their willingness to lose money to try and field a winner

and the #1 Yankee-related thing I'm thankful for this year.....

1)I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee fan.

Feel free to post your own.

Peace, love, Pinstripes, and Happy Thanksgiving,

J-Boogie

Monday, November 23, 2009

Mauer Wins MVP, Teixeira Finishes Ahead Of Jeter

The AL MVP was announced today and the winner was rightfully, Joe Mauer. I have no qualms whatsoever with his selection. Mauer was without a doubt the best player in the American League. The only beef I have with his selection is that it wasn't unanimous. How anyone voted Miguel Cabrera first is beyond me? There's always one stupid writer that messes up every vote. But that's for another entry.

I was more interested in seeing who finished higher in the voting, Mark Teixeira or Derek Jeter? Teixeira finished 2nd with 225 points and Jeter finished 3rd with 193 points. Like with Mauer winning, I have no problem whatsoever with Tex finishing ahead of Jeter. If I had the privilege of voting that's how I would have put them. I think Teixeira was definitely the most valuable Yankee, except for maybe Mariano Rivera. Tex was an absolute beast at the plate. He led the AL in both HRs (39) and RBI (122). Jeter had a great year but I don't think you can put him above Tex.

I think what made Tex most valuable to the Yankees was his defense. It's been a while since the Yankees have had an slick fielding first baseman. Tex saved a lot of games with his glove and he definitely made the rest of the Yankees' infield look better because of his glove. Jeter probably doesn't win the Gold Glove if Jason Giambi were the 1B. Tex just elevates everybody's game.

The other Yankees receiving MVP votes were Alex Rodriguez (10th place - 31 points), Mariano Rivera (14th place - 17 points), Robinson Cano (18th place - 12 points), and CC Sabathia (21st place - 4 points). I would almost argue that A-Rod was the most valuable Yankee. The team didn't really catch fire until he returned about a month into the season. I hope Tex gives Alex a big thanks because Tex definitely doesn't have the year he had without Alex batting behind him. Somebody out there ranked Alex as high as 3rd.

I'm surprised that Mariano had the highest total of all pitchers, finishing with 5 more points than the 2009 AL Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke. You'd think that the Cy Young winner would have the higher total, wouldn't you? You can definitely make a case that Mo was deserving of some votes, but I don't think he should have ranked above Greinke. But that's just me.

Anybody think Jeter was more valuable than Teixeira? Anybody out there have any beef with the writers for how they voted? If so, lay it on me. I'd love to know your thoughts.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Thursday, November 19, 2009

What Would You Do-ooh-ooh For A Hall-A-Day?

I read yesterday on MLBTradeRumors that per Jon Heyman, the Yankees have contacted the Blue Jays about Roy Halladay. Well duh. I could have written that and had a 99.9% chance of being right. This isn't anything to salivate over or get worked up about. Not yet anyway. The Yankees have to do their due-diligence and at least check in about Halladay's availability, especially now that the new Jays GM has said he'd trade Roy within the division. It wouldn't be good business if the Yankees didn't call and ask about it. I'm sure it was likely a routine call, something I'm sure Cashamn has done several times this offseason with different GMs. Until I hear something more substantial about it, I'm dismissing it as fodder.

I think the Yankees will become major players for Doc. There's no doubt that the Yanks will make competitive offers, if for nothing else, to drive up the price for everyone else. I think it's something they'll actually focus on sooner rather than later, especially if they want to be players for John Lackey. If the Yankees sign Lackey, I don't see them making a run at Halladay. That would be rather costly. But if you're going to make an offer to Lackey, why not go after Halladay, as their respective salaries will likely be in the same ballpark. I guess what the Yankees need to decide is if it's worth giving up players in addition to the salary or just go with the salary. Think of it as acquiring Johan Santana and CC Sabathia. The Mets had to trade top prospects for Santana in addition to paying him $100 million plus. The Yankees waited a year and signed CC as a free agent, thus keeping their prospects. Right now, it would obviously cost more to acquire Halladay as opposed to Lackey since Halladay can only be gotten via trade. You can roll the dice and hope Roy hits the free agent market next year but i think there is zero chance of that happening. Bottom line: if you want Roy Halladay you have to pony up the players.

I personally would love to see the Yankees land Halladay. But I don't want to see them pay through the nose for him. But if they want him I think they're going to have to. This will probably go down pretty much the same way things did when the Yankees were looking at trading for Johan Santana. It's going to cost at least 4 prospects. The Jays will probably ask for both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. If that's the case I walk away. i am fine with one of them going but not both. The Yanks would be wise to hold onto one of the youngsters. Trading both is a dealbreaker for me. If one has to go I hope it's Joba. I am really high on Hughes and I think he is now, and will always be, a better pitcher than Joba. I'm fine with them dealing either, but not both.

The 2nd piece of the puzzle is going to definitely be Austin Jackson. As high as I am on A-Jax, I'd be OK with him being included in a package. There's no guarantee that Jackson will ever materialize. And I think OFs are much easier to come by than stud starting pitchers.

The 3rd piece of the puzzle would probably have to be Jesus Montero. I'm not a fan of him being included but the Jays would be stupid not to ask for him. He's arguably the Yankees best prospect and he's a catcher. I'd like to see the Yankees find a way to hold onto him but I think it'll be tough to do, especially if they get in a bidding war with another team, namely the Red Sox. Perhaps Cashman can talk the Jays down into taking Austin Romine over Montero. The Yankees are going to be in need of a catcher very soon as Jorge Posada isn't going to be around much longer. The Yanks would be wise to keep the better of the two if at all possible.

The 4th piece, and I'd assume there will be a 4th piece, is probably going to end up being another pitching prospect. Someone like Ian Kennedy, Zach McAllister, or Andrew Brackman. Maybe the Jays would want a guy like Juan Miranda. The Yanks don't have a huge need for him with Mark Teixeira being on the squad.

So barring any creative deals, say where the Yankees take on a guy as a salary dump (Vernon Wells), i think it's going to take at least 4 guys to pry Halladay away from the Jays. I'm fine with that if it's the right 4 guys. I could live with it if the Yankees dealt Joba, Austin Jackson, Austin Romine and any of those pitchers. I could even live with it if they threw in Juan Miranda. I'm not as big of a fan of the deal if it includes Montero but I can probably live with it. There's no guarantee that any prospect will materialize. There is a guarantee that Roy Halladay kicks ass. If the opportunity arises I hope the Yankees go for it.

I'm still undecided on whether or not it's better to deal the guys and pay the contract (for Halladay) then to just pay the contract (Lackey). I prefer Halladay to Lackey but I'm not 100% sure I prefer they deal the prospects and pay the cash for the better pitcher as opposed to just paying the cash for a great but not as good pitcher.

What do you guys think? Do you want to see the Yankees go after Halladay? If so, what can you live with them dealing? What's a dealbreaker? You think they'd be better off signing Lackey as opposed to dealing for Halladay? Lay it on me.

The Hot Stove is heating up. Tomorrow marks the 1st day teams can sign other teams' free agents. Let the games begin.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

So, Who's The Better Player?

The other day I posted the 2009 stats for 2 players asking the question who would you prefer based on their stats. For those who didn't check it out, here were the stats:

Player A: 27 year old RH (7 mos. older than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 724
AVG: .286
OBP: .330
SLG: .499
2B: 37
3B: 0
HR: 36
Total bases: 340
RBI: 108
R: 103
K: 98
GIDP: 17
Fielding %: .991
Zone rating: 4.842
Career ABs: 2402
Career AVG: .285
Career OBP: .337
Career SLG: .434

Player B: 27 year old LH (7 mos. younger than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 674
AVG: .320
OBP: .352
SLG: .520
2B: 48
3B: 2
HR: 25
Total bases: 331
RBI: 85
R: 103
K: 63
GIDP: 22
Fielding %: .984
Zone rating: 5.362
Career ABs: 2855
Career AVG: .306
Career OBP: .339
Career SLG: .480

Both play the same position and one is a current Yankee. Ready for the big reveal? Drum roll please.....insert drum roll sound here............

Player A is Toronto's Aaron Hill, winner of the 2009 Silver Slugger award for AL 2B. Player B is the Yankees' Robinson Cano. The comments from the original post all picked player B (Cano) as the guy they preferred. I'm in 100% agreement.

Several months ago, while in Toronto for a Yankees/Jays series, a friend of mine made the comment that the Yankees needed to deal Cano for Aaron Hill. I told him he was on drugs and tried so hard to convince him that Hill over Cano was stupid but I failed. My buddy also wanted the Yanks to deal Joba or Phil Hughes for Ricky Romero, but that's for another day.

I actually wrote about it months ago and was left a comment regarding my choice of Cano over Hill. The comment read, "Cano over Aaron Hill?It is nice that you are able to drink so much and still write such complete posts. Usually when people are that intoxicated they pass out, or vomit, or drunk dial their exes." I stand by that choice. Those that commented also seem to agree. I think the stats back it up.

There is no way that Aaron Hill is a better ballplayer than Robinson Cano. I'd even argue that Cano was more deserving of winning the 2009 Silver Slugger. Hill may have a little more power and his RBI total is a little inflated because of where he hits in the order, but that's really all he has, and the only time he's had it over Robbie was last year. Now that I think about it, I definitely think Robbie got robbed.

Both have played in 5 major league seasons. Cano has hit over 300 3 times, with 1 of the below 300 seasons finishing at .297. Hill has never hit 300, topping out at .291. Hill's OBP has never topped 350. Cano has eclipsed that plateau 3 times. Cano has slugged above .450 4 times while Hill's done it twice. Cano has slugged over 500 twice. Hill never has. Both have identical career fielding percentages. Cano is younger and he's also a lefty. The choice between a lefty and righty in Yankee Stadium is a no-brainer. And despite all of that, I couldn't convince him. And honestly, if you put these guys in neutral parks, I'm still taking Cano.

So am I the one on drugs? Am I intoxicated because I will prefer Cano to Hill? If there's anyone out there who wants to make a case for Hill, I'd love to hear it. Whether it be as who's the better player or who should have won the Silver Slugger. And if you're going to come at me and say I'm drunk and whatnot, back it up with something. Tell me why if you disagree.

If anyone's interested, last year I did a similar comparison on my other blog, Elect Mike Mussina, comparing Mike to a slam-dunk HOfer. For my money, Mike was the clear-cut winner. Give it a look.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Shall We Play A Game?

Earlier this past season, I got into a healthy debate about 2 players with a friend of mine. He preferred the Yankees have one and I preferred the Yankees had the other. I'm curious who you would prefer to have if you solely look at their stats. I don't want to give away their identities until later. All I will say is that they play the same position and one is a current Yankee. I'm sure you can figure out who is who if you tried but no cheating. Just go off of what's below and make the call. I'm curious to know who the majority prefers solely based on what's below.

Player A: 27 year old RH (7 mos. older than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 724
AVG: .286
OBP: .330
SLG: .499
2B: 37
3B: 0
HR: 36
Total bases: 340
RBI: 108
R: 103
K: 98
GIDP: 17
Fielding %: .991
Zone rating: 4.842
Career ABs: 2402
Career AVG: .285
Career OBP: .337
Career SLG: .434

Player B: 27 year old LH (7 mos. younger than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 674
AVG: .320
OBP: .352
SLG: .520
2B: 48
3B: 2
HR: 25
Total bases: 331
RBI: 85
R: 103
K: 63
GIDP: 22
Fielding %: .984
Zone rating: 5.362
Career ABs: 2855
Career AVG: .306
Career OBP: .339
Career SLG: .480

If you want any other statistics let me know and I'll be glad to get them for you. I kind of talked about this earlier in the year and someone left me a comment saying I was drunk for preferring my choice. I'll reveal that later.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Friday, November 13, 2009

Curtis Granderson In Pinstripes?? Color Me Intrigued

It's been reported that the Tigers have made it known that Curtis Granderson is on the market. The Yankees of course have interest. When don't they, right?

Bringing Curtis into the fold intrigues me. He's one of the best CFs in the game and can pretty much do it all at the plate. He is one of 4 guys (I think) who have pulled off a 20-20-20-20 season (2B, 3B, HR, and SB). What's not to like about that? He's also relatively cheap if you look at his salary. He's under contract until 2012 with a club option for 2013 Over the next 3 years, he's owed a base total of $23.75 million ($5.5M in 2010, $8.25M in 2011, $10M in 2012). His 2013 team option is for $13M with a $2M buyout. That's a bargain if you ask me.

I think the Yankees will and should explore trading for Curtis. You'd have to assume that The Tigers would want one of the Yankees young SP (Phil or Joba) and probably some other prospects. I don't think the asking price would be too high. Grandy had a down year in 2009, hitting only .249 (23 points below career average of .272) and his OPS was only.780 (about 48 points below his career OPS. Personally, I think Curtis would do well in NY. I wouldn't mind seeing Curtis patrolling the OF with Melky and Swisher. He's definitely an upgrade over Damon. The lower salary wouldn't hurt either. I think if Cash gets the opportunity, he should try to make it happen. At the right price of course. I wouldn't give up Hughes/Joba and Austin Jackson. I don't think I'd give up Jackson at all. I think Joba is expendable and wouldn't be surprised if his name comes up in trade talks. I also wouldn't be surprised if Cashman could wrangle CG away from the Tigers for a group of other prospects. We'll have to see.

Am I the only one out there who'd like to see Granderson in Pinstripes? Right now there's not much to this. It's pure speculation. But it's fun to talk and think about. Just one of the many reasons why I love the Hot Stove.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Silver Slugging It

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira won the Silver Slugger Award for their respective positions in 2009. It's hard to argue that either one was not the best offensive player at their position.

You could probably make a case that Teixeira wasn't the best offensive first baseman, but I wouldn't be on your side. Tex lead the league in HRs (39) and RBI (122). That alone makes picking someone else tough to do. His OPS (.948) was 2nd to only Kevin Youkilis (.961). Had Youk played a full year maybe this discussion would be different, but he didn't, so I wouldn't think anyone would have an issue with Tex winning.

I don't think anyone can make a case for Jeter not winning the award. He led all AL shortstops in average (.334), OBP (.406), hits (212) runs scored (107), and HR (18). His OPS (.879) was 2nd to only Jason Bartlett (.879). Bartlett had a good year, no doubt, but I wouldn't put it up there with Jeter's numbers. Like Youkilis, Bartlett suffered from having missed time in 2009. I think you could have made a case for him winning had he played more. Now that I think about it, Bartlett probably could have won.

Both Jeter and Tex have now each won 2 postseason awards (Gold Glove & Silver Slugger). Both should also be in the running for the AL MVP award, which will be awarded on Monday 11/23. Personally, I don't think either will/should win. I think Joe Mauer has it in the bag. I'd be shocked if Mauer didn't win, but when it comes to the BBWAA, you never know. I'm more interested to see who finishes higher, Jeter or Tex? My money is on Tex, but I can see it going either way. If you're anti-Mauer and want to try and convince me that someone else should win, lay it on me.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Derek Jeter Is A Bum

As a Yankee fan I never thought I'd utter these words: Derek Jeter is a bum.

Before you jump all over me, please read on. DJ is playing a bum in Will Ferrell's upcoming movie titled "The Other Guys." I was listening to MLB on XM and they mentioned it on their morning show. I googled it and found this article, posted today, over at the NY Post. The movie sounds absolutely hilarious. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play cops and Wahlberg's character shoots DJ, who is playing himself, in the leg. The article has pictures of a "down-on-his-luck" Jeter. They're pretty funny. What's funnier is to think that a bazillionaire like Jeter could ever be "down-on-his-luck."

The article doesn't mention when the movie will be released but it's definitely something to keep on the radar.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

To Wang Or Not To Wang

Joel Sherman, has an interesting blurb about Chien-Ming Wang in his Hardball blog today:

But I am getting a strong vibe from Yankee officials that the intention is to non-tender Wang and, perhaps, not even offer him a small base with incentives to return.

I am not sure how many of you guys out there like Joel Sherman. Personally, I'm not a fan. I take everything he says with a grain of salt. I think a lot of the time he "says" stuff just to say stuff. I'm not necessarily buying this but I don't doubt for a second that the Yankees have soured on Wang. But I can't see them not trying to bring him back. I think it's a huge leap to think the Yankees don't think he can get it done anymore. In 2.5 seasons, from 2006-2008, Wang was 46-15 with a 3.74 ERA. He had a horrible 2009 but how much of that can be attributed to the injuries to his foot and to his shoulder? I don't think 42 injury-riddled IP over 12 appearances is enough to go on.

The big question has to do with the health of Chien-Ming's wing. How healthy is it and will he be able to bounce back from the surgery? According to Sherman, Wang got a "very encouraging report" from Dr. James Andrews. The Yankees docs still need to give it a look. If they end up sharing the same opinion as Dr. Andrews, I'm not sure how they pass up on CMW.

You can never have enough starting pitching. I find it difficult to believe that they'd bail on CMW with the current makeup of the starting rotation. Let's face it, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain can't be relied on to pitch well as a starter. Keeping Wang around can definitely make sure there are enough bullets in the chamber. Of course, it only makes sense at the right price.

The Yankees love the low-risk, high reward contracts. I can't see them offering deals to Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre and not to the Wanger. I'd be surprised if the Yankees don't try to offer him a deal, even if it's for a low guarantee with incentives. I don't know how they could pass on him at the right price.

I like CMW. I've been a big Wang supporter over the years. Personally, I hope the Yankees work something out with him. But I trust Brian Cashman. If he decides not to offer Wang a deal, I'm sure it would be for a pretty good reason. I don't know what that would be though. Every year the Yankees seem to pull these below average pitchers out of the woodwork to fill in for several starts. Sidney Ponson, Mitre, and Gaudin quickly come to mind. I'll take Wang over those guys any day.

I'm filing this blurb from Sherman in the trash. I'm predicting Wang will be back. Thoughts? Anyone?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Getting Love For The Glove

The 2009 AL Gold Glove winners were announced today and the Yankees, as expected, had 2 winners. Congrats to Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter on picking up the honors.

For my money, both were no-brainers. Teixeira was just amazing with the glove. Tex ranked 2nd in fielding percentage for all AL 1Bs, .001 points behind Lyle Overbay. Tex also had the 2nd highest zone rating @ 2.907, trailing only Carlos Pena whose rating was 2.922. Pena had a much lower fielding percentage though @ .991. Tex's ZR was much higher than Overbay's (2.627). Is it me or did it seem like Tex was making an outstanding play every game? He definitely saved many a run with his glove. How awesome is it having a stellar glove at 1B? I like Jason Giambi and all but every time a ball was hit to first it was an adventure. Something tells me Tex will this award several more times before all is said and done.

There's been a lot of talk in recent years that Derek Jeter is the worst defensive SS in all of MLB. I think that notion can officially be dismissed. DJ had arguably the best defensive season of his career. He led all AL SS with a .986 fielding percentage. The .986 fielding percentage is a career-high, tying his % from 1998. DJ also typically gets knocked for his lack of range. He led all MLB SS with a 6.480 zone rating. I wanted to look up his ZRs from prior years but I'm lazy and didn't find it right away. I'm sure it's up there. This award, Derek's 4th, was definitely well deserved. Even though people will try, you can't front on that. All you haters can suck it.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

The Hot Stove Starts To Simmer

The November installment of the GM meetings started yesterday and as expected not much went down. The real fun is at the December GM meetings. So if you're expecting some juicy stuff this week, you're going to be let down.

The "big news" yesterday was that both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui filed for free agency. Nobody should be surprised by this. The Yankees have a small window to negotiate with them exclusively before other teams can enter the mix. I believe that window closes on the 19th and I'd be surprised if the Yankees do anything with them before the deadline. There's a lot of question/debate going on as to whether the Yankees should bring back these guys back. A lot of people seem to think that they will sign one of them, but not both. Most people seem to think Damon will be the one returning. I see positives to bringing both back, but I don't see it happening. I think it's possible that neither return.

If you put me on the spot and asked me to pick which one I wanted back, I'd pick Damon over Matsui. I think Johnny can bring more to the table because he can still play the field. I also like him at the top of the order batting behind Jeter. He still has some decent speed and again he can play the field. Right now the Yankees OF is pretty weak with Swisher, Melky and Gardner. Even if you put Austin Jackson in that mix (I don't think they will) it's still weak. Johnny is a viable option. I also think if Matsui isn't on the squad that Damon can get some DH time and that should help him with his leg issues.

I think Matsui has a lot to offer as the guy hitting behind A-Rod but I think his bat can be easily replaced. The Yankees should be able to find a LH power bat for the same kind of money. I'm also not a fan of the full-time DH. But that's just me.

I wouldn't mind seeing both guys return but neither should get more than a 1-2 year deal if they do return. I also wouldn't pay them as much as they were paid in their last contract. I also wouldn't sign either until I explore bringing in other free agents, namely Matt Holiday and Jason Bay, to take their place. Cashman would need to move quickly though because you don't want to wait too long and end up with nothing. I'm sure Cash-Money is looking ahead at who will be available in a few years. It may make more sense to bring Damon back for a year and go after a 2011 free agent than to go after Holliday or Bay. Cash is a smart guy. I'm sure he'll make the right moves. I think we'll see Damon back in Pinstripes before it's all said and done.

You guys have any thoughts? Who do you prefer they sign if given the choice between Matsui and Damon? Do you even want those guys back? The Hot Stove is starting to simmer. Can't wait for it to be roaring. There's no better offseason in sports than baseball's hot stove.

The other Yankees who have filed for free agency include Andy Pettitte, Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Jose Molina and Xavier Nady. In the next day or two I'll be posting my thoughts on the open roster spots and who I think should fill them. Assuming I can find the time of course.

Peace, love and Pintripes,

J-Boogie

Saturday, November 7, 2009

The Season Ends With A Trip Down The Canyon Of Heroes

I just got finished watching the 3 hour parade down the Canyon of Heroes on my DVR. I didn't want it to end because I knew when it did that the 2009 season would officially be over. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. What better way to wrap it up then with a parade honoring our boys as the World Champions of baseball? The New York Yankees are the World Champs. I can never get tired of saying that.


The parade was pretty fun to watch. It looked like it was insanely good time. Man, I would have loved to have been there. Someday maybe. Two of the things on my "bucket list" are to see the Yankees win the World Series live and in person, and to take in one of those parades. Who knows? Maybe that will be next year. If I had listened to my wife I would have been able to knock one of those of the list. When I was debating between getting tickets for game 6 or game 7, she said to with 6. I went with 7. Just goes to show you should always listen to your wife. She occasionally reads the blog so I have to say that.
What was up with A-Rod's hat? For those of you who didn't see the parade, here's a photo:

Nice lid, eh? He was also sporting it at a Knicks game. It's not my cup of tea, mainly because I can't pull it off, but I guess it works for Alex. When it comes to Alex, I really hope all Yankee fans fully embrace him. I wrote this the other day: And though I think this happened long ago, we can now make it official. A-Rod is a 100% true Yankee. Don't even try to tell me he's not. You won't win that argument. Alex had an awesome season when you consider where his season started (steroid use admission) and where his season ended (World Champion). I'm excited because he's a Yankee through 2017. I have a feeling these next 8 years are going to be huge for Alex. Absolutely huge.

I always hate when the season ends. I always liken it to the end of a school year. You spend so much time with a group of people and then it all comes to end. You see a few people occasionally but for the most part everybody goes their separate ways. Months pass and then everybody reconvenes and we do it all over again. The big difference is that everyone is usually happy when school ends. I hate when the baseball season ends. Like most of you, I spend 6-7 nights a week watching the Yankees. Then one day, poof, it's gone. There's always a little period of adjustment to go through after the games end. Thank God for the Hot Stove. I don't know what I'd do without that.

Not sure what the coming days will bring for the blog. I definitely plan on blogging, just not sure about what. I'm planning on doing a few look backs at the 2009 season. There's the postseason awards. I've got a few books to read for the Boogie Down Book Club. I also plan on doing some work on my other blog, Elect Mike Mussina. This blog will remain active though the posts may taper off here and there. Rest assured there will be blogging.

I want to thank everyone for stopping by to check out blog this season. It still boggles my mind that anybody actually takes the time to read it. I sincerely appreciate it. Hopefully you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Again, I really do appreciate it. It was a fun season and I thank you all for helping to make it great. I'll be here holding down the fort as the Yankees make a run at #28. I hope you continue to come around. You know where to find me.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

photo courtesy of Getty images @ Yahoo.com

Friday, November 6, 2009

Three Of The "Core Four" On Letterman

Not sure if anyone out there saw The Late Show with David Letterman last night but if uou missed it, I highly suggest you look around online to see if you can find clips from the show. Dave was joined by Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, with Hideki Matsui also making about a 15 second cameo. The interview was pretty funny and I had a smile on my face the whole time. Best line of the night came from the Captain. Letterman asked him if he was engaged. Derek replied, "No. Are you?" Classic. Check it out if you can find it. If I find a clip of it anywhere, I'll be sure to share.

While you're at it, make sure to watch the segment, Biff At the World Series. It's comedic gold.

If you're going to the parade today, enjoy it you lucky jerks. I'm DVRing it and will be watching it sometime tonight. I can't get enough Yankees right now. I know in a few days it'll be gone for a while. I'm trying to make it last as long as I can.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Thursday, November 5, 2009

I'm In An Empire State Of Mind

The chorus from Jay-Z's song, Empire State of Mind, is very fitting right now. "In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York." I've been bumping that song all day. If you're a Yankee fan, how can you not be in an "Empire State of Mind." Today is all about the Yankees. Excuse me. I mean today is all about the 27-time World Champion Yankees. Yeah, that's more like it. Last night's game is still playing fresh in my mind. What an awesome night. What an awesome day. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York.

Hats off to Andy Pettitte who shut up all the doubters who said he couldn't pitch well on short rest. I'm not sure if I fall into that group or not. Here's what I wrote about Andy before yesterday's game:

I'm really nervous about tonight's game. Andy is 37 and hasn't pitched on short rest in over 100 starts. But if anyone can figure out a way to battle through the game, it's Andy Pettitte. We shouldn't expect perfection but I'm confident he'll be able to keep the team in the game. That's all I'm looking for. The offense though needs to show up and get the necessary run support.

That's pretty much what happened. Andy definitely battled his way thru the start yesterday. But he did what I thought he'd do and that was keep the team in the game. The offense came through and took care of the rest. Andy is definitely one of the unsung heroes of the postseason. He went 4-0 in his 5 starts, pitching to an ERA of 3.52 and he held the opponents to a .226 batting average. 3 of his wins came in clinchers. You the man Andy. I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of AP, but if it is, thanks for everything.

Hats off to the World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui. If this was his last go-around in Pinstripes, what a way to go out. Hideki had a monster World Series, hitting .615. His overall postseason numbers were pretty impressive too. He appeared in 15 games, smacked 4 HRs, knocked in 13 and hit .349 with an OPS of 1.136. Godzilla was definitely deserving of the MVP. He single-handedly won game 6 with his 6 RBI. He absolutely owned Pedro too. I'm on the fence as to whether or not the Yankees should bring back Matsui for another term. But we've got months to discuss that, so why start now.

Hats off to Mariano Rivera. Mo very well could have been the WS MVP. I think it was a two horse race between Mo and Johnny Damon until Matsui came along. Mo pitched 5.1 innings in the WS, allowing 0 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. After game 1, Jimmy Rollins remarked that the Phillies "saw some things" against Mo. Guess not. Like he's done so many times before, Mo locked it down. And like they always are, his postseason numbers were out of this world. 16 IP, 10 hits, 5 walks, 14 K, 1 ER, 0.56 ERA, .169 opponents batting average. Add that up and you get 5 saves. If any non-Yankee fans out there doubt that Mo is the greatest ever, take notice. He was the only closer of the 8 postseason teams who didn't have a meltdown. He's the GOAT. Mo made a sort-of joking comment during the postgame festivities that he'd be able to pitch another 5 years. Memo to Brian Cashman: sign that deal! Right now.

Hats off to Alex Rodriguez. Nobody can dog A-Rod anymore about not coming through in the postseason. Alex's postseason, as I predicted, was huge. He hit .365, had an OBP of .500 and a SLG percentage of .808. In 16 games, he hit 6 HR and drove in 18 RBI. The Yankees definitely don't win #27 without Alex. His World Series definitely wasn't as good as his other 2 rounds of the postseason, but he definitely had some huge hits that can't be discounted. And though I think this happened long ago, we can now make it official. A-Rod is a 100% true Yankee. Don't even try to tell me he's not. You won't win that argument.

Hats off to Damaso Marte. Damaso came out of nowhere and had an outstanding postseason. His postseason numbers are shocking compared to his regular season numbers. Marte appeared in 8 games, allowing only 2 hits, both of which came in his 1st postseason outing. 4 IP, 2 hits, no walks, 5 K, and a .133 opponents batting average. Marte came up big. Color me shocked. I didn't see that coming.

Hats off to, and I'm not a big fan of this moniker, the "Core Four." The drought is over. You guys have your 5th ring. Congrats. It all starts at the top with the Captain. Derek was another one of the guys who had a stellar postseason, hitting .344 for the entire postseason and .407 in the postseason. It was definitely a magical season for DJ. I'll bet this victory tastes pretty sweet.

Hats off to Joe Girardi. I may not agree 100% with his moves and I do think he can be an idiot at times, but I've to give Joe some credit. Girardi was integral in bringing the team together and making it about the team and not individuals. Girardi did an outstanding job helping to turn this team into a true team. Now if only he could get rid of his little book.

Hats off to the entire Yankees organization. From the top to the bottom you guys have given us fans a season to remember. I love that the Yankees have an owner who's committed to winning and doesn't care what it costs, even if it means losing money. There's been a lot of talk on the radio today about the Yankees and their high payroll. Yawn. It all boils down to jealousy. I'll talk about that more in the coming days/weeks. Anyway, congrats Mr. Steinbrenner! And thank you.

I feel like I'm making an acceptance speech. I know I'm leaving people out but that doesn't mean their accomplishments and contributions are being overlooked. Everyone at some point or another had a huge hand in bringing the World Series back to the Bronx. Hats off to all.

There's only 1 question left unanswered. What am I going to watch on TV now?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

It Wasn't A Dream, The Yankees Are The Champs!

I checked the headlines today and it wasn't a dream. The Yankees won the World Series! The New York Yankees are the champions of baseball! Today is going to be a great day! It'll be a tired day (4 hours of sleep again), but a great day nonetheless.

Anybody order this yet?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie
photo from Getty Images @ Yahoo.com

Mission Accomplished: The New York Yankees Are Champions!!!

Mission accomplished! They did it. They did it. They did it. The New York Yankees are the 27-time World Champions! Man that feels good to say, err, write. That has a nice ring to it too. It also looks good (notice the change on the banner). Congrats fellas. From the top to the bottom, congrats, and thanks for one hell of a season. START SPREADING THE NEWS! THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE THE WORLD CHAMPS!

A lot more to follow. But not now. It's late and I don't think I could adequately put into words what's going on in my head right now. I should have shot a video blog or something. It would have been much easier.

The 9 year drought is over. The kings of baseball once again reside in the Bronx!

Peace, love and Forever Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

photo from Getty images @ Yahoo.com

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Down The Stretch They Come

I'm really nervous about tonight's game. Andy is 37 and hasn't pitched on short rest in over 100 starts. But if anyone can figure out a way to battle through the game, it's Andy Pettitte. We shouldn't expect perfection but I'm confident he'll be able to keep the team in the game. That's all I'm looking for. The offense though needs to show up and get the necessary run support. My buddy Scott just sent me a text asking me what my gut feeling about tonight's game is. My gut is telling me there's going to be a game 7. I hope my gut is wrong. But if it's not.....

I have tickets to game 7 . It would be insanely awesome to attend game 7 of a World Series. It would be absolutely mind-blowing if I lucked out and happened to be there to see the Yankees win it all. That would be a dream come true. But I'd rather they win tonight. I'm more than fine staying home if it means the Yankees win the World Series. I'm even going as far to find things I can do to put a reverse jinx on myself. I figure if I get as 100% ready to go to NYC that it won't happen. The only way it doesn't happen is if the Yankees win. Works for me.

I've had a few people tell me I'm crazy for not wanting them to lose so I can go and it boggles my mind how anyone would think a die-hard fan a team would every root for their team to lose. That doesn't fly with me. The Yankees have a 3-2 lead and are 1 win away from winning it all. There's no guarantee that any team will ever win, especially in game 7 of the World Series. You take it as soon as you can get it. Trust me, I know. I had tickets to game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. I've been there. Winning is never a guarantee. Like I said, when you're one win away from ending it, you want that win to happen ASAP regardless of anything else. I heard some people say they wanted them to lose game 5 so they could clinch at home. That line of thinking boggles my mind.

I may be back later on with more thoughts. I'll have to see how the day goes. If you're a Twitter user, feel free to follow me. There are a lot of Yankee bloggers and fans using Twitter and the community is very active during games. It's like we're all hanging out in a virtual living room watching the game. It's a good time.

Let's go Yankees!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Monday, November 2, 2009

It's Back To The Bronx For Game 6 As Yankees Fall To Phillies 8-6

Well that was fun, wasn't it? I'm going to save a lot of my comments for tomorrow. I could use some sleep so I'm going to keep this one real short. Yeah right.

A.J. Burnett was terrible. Beyond terrible. He had a chance to bring it home and he couldn't even make it out of the 3rd inning. It was a gamble going with him on short rest and it backfired. I'm not saying it wasn't the right move but it certainly didn't work out as we envisioned. I'm watching the postgame show on YES and Girardi sounds non-committal about using Pettitte in game 6. My buddy dropped a rumor on me that Pettitte told the team he had nothing left. I think that came via Jon Heyman. I'm inclined to think it's true after listening to Giradi say he wanted to ask Andy how he felt before announcing the game 6 starter. If there was any question about Pettitte being able to go in game 6 , then Chad Gaudin should have started tonight and they should have saved A.J. for game 6. I'm going to be highly ticked if Pettitte is toast.

I'm not sure how many of you guys follow me on Twitter. If you do and were following me last night you know I didn't have some nice things to say about Phil Coke. The bullpen needed to shut the Phillies down and for the most part they did. Until Coke came along anyway. I've been wondering since the ALCS why Girardi was using Damaso Marte over Phil Coke and now I have my answer. If Coke could have kept the ball in the park then maybe the 9th inning rally would have tied the game. I wouldn't be surprised if we've seen Phil Coke pitch his last pitch for the Yankees. I have no problem with that if that's the case.

Has anybody seen Mark Teixeira, one of the favorites to win the AL MVP? If you see him, tell him to show up in the Bronx. He's been missing all series. He had a big chance to atone for all of his shortcomings there in the 9th and he whiffed. The team needs you Mark. Please be in the Bronx on Wednesday.

I can't be overly disappointed because this wasn't a game I expected the Yanks to win. It would have been nice to close it out but what can you do? Philly is a good team and we Yankee fans should be happy they took 2 of 3 there. It is going to be real tough for Philly to win 2 straight in the Bronx. I don't see it happening, but who knows? I'll be back tomorrow with more.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

To A.J. Or Not to A.J.

Here's the million dollar question: Do you want A.J. Burnett starting game 5 over Chad Gaudin? I'm not sure myself. There are pros and cons to both and I'm not sure which side has better arguments. This decision could end up proving to be a colossal mistake. It could definitely end up biting the Yankees right in the rear.

The lineup is likely going to be very weak tonight. The 5-9 spots are likely going to consist of Swisher, Cano, Molina, Gardner, and Burnett. Cliff Lee is the Phillies best pitcher and should do very well against a weakened Yankee lineup. A.J. may have to be near-perfect tonight just to keep the team in the game. If Chad Gaudin starts, Jorge Posada would get the start behind the plate and that would make the lineup somewhat formidable. But is a Posada/Gaudin pairing better than a Molina/Burnett pairing when you consider what happens on both sides of the plate? Hard to say. I'm not sure which way I go.

Burnett is also pitching on short rest. He's done that before and he's done it well. If the Yankees fail to close it out tonight, then Andy Pettitte will start game 6 on short rest. Andy hasn't done that in a while and who knows how he'll fare. Are the Yankees better off with Burnett/Pettitte, each on short rest, in games 5 or 6 as opposed to Gaudin/Burnett, both on full rest, in games 5 and 6? Is it better to have Burnett with a weakened lineup start against Cliff Lee as opposed to have Burnett start with a powerful lineup against Pedro Martinez in game 6? Again, hard to say. Again, not sure which way I go. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I usually have an opinion one way or another on pretty much everything. I'm torn when it comes to this. I am just getting the feeling that using Burnett tonight could be a wasted start. A great pitcher is facing a weak lineup. As I wrote above, A.J. may need to be near perfect just to keep the team in the game. A.J. has to know this. Talk about pressure.

Before the series started though, I was all about the Yankees using a 3-man rotation. But, i didn't really expect them to be up 3-1 when game 5 rolled around. The only way I would ever consider giving Gaudin the ball would be with a 3-1 lead. And here we are. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

There is one solution that would make me feel much better. Start Posada over Molina. That would make the lineup much better and might just give A.J. the ability to recover from a mistake or two. I really think he needs to be near perfect tonight and I'm not sure he will be. I'd hate to see this be a wasted start because the Yankee offense doesn't score. I think that's what I'm more worried about.

What say you? If you're Joe Girardi, who do you start and why? Not sure how much of a response I'll get as 1st pitch is bout 3 hours away, but if you feel so inclined to leave a comment, please do.

This decision could prove to be a colossal mistake. It could blow up in the Yankees face. It could work out. Who knows? If the games were played on paper, it's a no-brainer. Philly is winning game 5. A.J. gives the team it's best chance to win so I'm OK with him getting the start. You never know what'll happen. As John Sterling likes to say, you just can't predict baseball.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Sunday, November 1, 2009

3-Run 9th Inning Puts Yankees 1 Win Away From 27th Title

The ending of tonight's Yankees/Phillies World Series game was one for the ages. It's amazing the range of emotions one goes through while watching a baseball game and how quickly they change. Joba blows a 1-run lead with 2 outs in the 8th and the mood sours. Brad Lidge retires the 1st 2 in the 9th and has 2 strikes to Johnny Damon. At that moment I was having visions in my head of watching the Phillies celebrate a walkoff series-tying victory. Johnny Damon had a great at bat and singles to left and my mood improves a little. Damon steals 2nd and then bounces up and heads for 3rd and I'm ready to throw the remote because I think Johnny thought the ball skipped into center. Feliz chases Johnny as if it's a run down and he slows up?? What? No one was at third. Now I'm on the edge of my seat hoping Teixeira can come through. HBP. Oh boy. A-Rod v. Lidge. Here's your chance Alex. Double to left!! Johnny scores! To quote Phil Rizzuto, "Holy cow!" Jorge follows it up with a 2-run single. Mo closes it out. Ball game over. Yankees win. Thuhhhhh Yankees win! Talk about a roller coaster ride. I love October, or should I say November, baseball. Nothing beats it. Nothing even comes close.

Joh-nny Dam-on. Clap clap clap clap clap. Joh-nny Dam-on. Clap clap clap clap clap. Johnny had an epic 9th inning. His AB against Brad Lidge was epic. His "double-steal" was epic. Johnny is without a doubt the hero of the game. His single and double steal set everything up. Lidge's best pitch is a slider. It's often a pitch he throws in the dirt. It's not a pitch he's likely to throw with a runner on 3rd. Damon getting to 3rd set up the rest of the inning and Lidge's eventual downfall. I suppose I should thank the Phillies' defense for over-shifting on Teixeira as it took the 3B out of the picture. Johnny often gets knocked for being not so smart. That swipe of 3rd was one of the smartest plays I've ever seen. You the man Johnny.

My buddy Scott started calling Alex Rodriguez "Choke-Rod" after his 1st 2 games. I'm sure he wasn't alone in his feelings towards Alex and I'm sure "Choke-Rod" wasn't the worst thing people were calling him. Alex may not be hitting for a high average this series but nobody should say he's choking. His tie-breaking double in the 9th pretty much erases any thoughts of Alex choking. He's had 2 huge hits in the last 2 games. If you're still on his back, get off it.

Question: Who better than Derek Jeter? Answer: nobody. The Captain remains locked and loaded. He picked up 2 more hits tonight and is now hitting .412 in the World Series. Jeter is having a monster postseason. He's now hitting .333 and has hit safely in 12 of the 13 playoff games and he walked 3 times in the game he went hitless. He's just the man. I don't know how anyone can call him overrated.

CC didn't look like the CC we all know and love but he still pitched a really good game. He gave up 3 runs in 6.2 and to be honest, one of those runs was all on Posada (not getting a throw off on Howard's steal and not catching and holding onto the ball when Howard "scored"). It wasn't his sharpest outing of the year but it was still pretty good. It was very similar to his game 1 start. I'll take a start like tonight from him any day of the week. He just needs to find a way to get Chase Utley out. This series would be over right now if not for Utley's ABs against CC. If the series goes 7, I hope CC figures out how to shut him down.

Joba was looking incredibly awesome until he gave up that game-tying HR. He was pumping out some serious heat and was 1 strike away from whiffing the side and then the wheels fell off. My heart sank as soon as the ball left Feliz's bat. I don't know what's up with the bullpen but it's becoming extremely hard for them to get the ball to Mo with a lead. I'm nervous when anyone not named Mariano comes in to pitch. One of the Yankees' greatest strengths coming into the postseason was their bullpen. Right now it's arguably their biggest weakness. What's the most difficult thing to believe is that outside of Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte is their most consistent performer. You know something is wrong when that's the case. Joba is extremely lucky that the team bailed him out. I hate seeing him pick up the win. It's definitely not deserved.

How awesome is Mariano Rivera? He picked up yet another save, getting 3 outs on 8 pitches. In the last 2 games, he's gotten 5 outs on just 13 pitches. In a word, dominant. I love how stupid Mo is making Jimmy Rollins look. After game 1, Rollins was asked a question about facing Mo. His response was, "I think we saw some things." Oh yeah Jimmy? What did you see? I know I what I see and that's Mo breaking your bat and getting you to pop out weakly in the infield. Sounds like you didn't see much of anything. J-Roll isn't having the best postseason. First, he predicts that the Phillies will win in 5. Then he comments about Mo and pops out twice against him. J-Roll is looking foolish. I love it.

The win tonight puts the Yankees 1 win away from their 27th world title. 1 win. 27 outs. They could be 27 outs away from winning it all. I have tickets to game 7 and I'd be more than happy not to have to go. As it stands right now I'm either going to game 7 of the World Series or I'm watching the Yankees win it all sometime between Monday and Wednesday. Again, I'd be more than happy if it doesn't go 7. It's going to be tough to win game 5 against Cliff Lee. Lee dominated the Yanks in game 1. He's the Phil's ace and he's been absolutely lights out all postseason. It won't be easy. A.J. Burnett is getting the ball for the Yanks and he'll be making the start on short rest. I'm conflicted about having A.J. start. I was all for it at the onset of the series but now that the Yanks are up 3-1 I'm starting to think Chad Gaudin should go in game 5 and A.J. should go in game 6. A.J. for some reason has pitched better at home so there's that benefit. The Yankees have also made Jose Molina A.J.'s personal catcher for the playoffs. Since the game is in Philly, A.J. will have to hit and having Molina and A.J. at the bottom or the order is not ideal. The Phils definitely have the advantage going into game 5. But like John Sterling likes to say, "You just can't predict baseball." Anything can happen.

As exciting as it is to be 1 win away from winning it all, nobody should get ahead of themselves. The team has been here before and failed to bring it home. If the great Yankee collapse of 2004 happened once it can happen again. Like Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over." Wow, I'm quoting everybody today, aren't I.

10 down, 1 to go.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yankees Come From Behind To Beat The Philles, Take 2-1 Lead In World Series

Man it's late. I've been up since about 5:15 and I'm exhausted. You think that'll stop me from doing a little postgame blogging? Please. The Yankees did what they do best and that's pull off another come from behind victory. It didn't look good early but the team fought back and walked away with the W and a 2 games to 1 lead over the Phillies. Yankees win! Thuhhhhh Yankees win!

Pettitte battled his way thru the game tonight. He really only had 1 bad inning and he pretty much locked it down after the 2nd inning. He had to keep the Phillies off the board to allow the team to get back in it and that's exactly what they did. Well done Andy. Way to pick up yet another postseason win.

I'm shocked by how many Yankee fans write the game off so early in the game. Seriously guys. You should know better. It wouldn't be a Yankee game if they didn't play from behind. A 3-run deficit is nothing to these guys. Especially in the 2nd inning. There were a lot of "tweeters" or "twitterers" (whatever they're called) lining up to jump off their nearest bridge when it was 3-0. I remained cool, calm and collected. I've watched this team enough to know you can never count 'em out. I'm surprised people forget that. Shameless plus: You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

I got a text from my friend and fellow Yankee fan Tom after the 2nd inning asking me when this team was going to wake up and score? My response to him simple said, "the 4th inning." Nailed it. The flood gates opened on Cole Hamels once A-Rod broke out of his slump and a 2-run HR off a TV camera. With how the umpiring has gone this postseason I thought for sure they were going to keep it a double. It was obviously a homer. Glad they got it right.

I can't believe Nick Swisher finally decided to show up. "The Rally Killer" as I affectionately call him had a pretty good day at the plate. I hope he gets his act together for these final games.

Phil Hughes is killing me. The last thing I wanted to see tonight once the 9th inning started was Mariano Rivera. I don't know what's wrong with Phil but he sucks right now. Actually, saying he sucks might be an understatement. My theory would be is that he's lacking confidence which is a shame because it should be through the roof after the regular season he had. Kudos to the rest of the pen for pitching so well. Damaso Marte has been a pleasant surprise this postseason. He seems to be the new Phil Coke, meaning he's Girardi's preferred lefty. Hey, go with it. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

The Yankees are absolutely owning Ryan Howard. I wrote before the World Series started that the Yankees would be best served by throwing as many lefties as possible. I said it would shut down the Phillies, specifically Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. CC starts tomorrow night. It shouldn't get any easier for these guys. Speaking of Jimmy Rollins, I wonder how he's feeling about the prediction he made that the Phillies would win it in 5. Looks like someone should have kept his mouth shut. J-Roll also made a comment that when it came to facing Mariano Rivera, that the team "saw some things." You know what I saw tonight there Jimbo? The same thing I see every night Mo pitches. The Yankees fist-bumping each other on the infield grass celebrating a win. I especially love how Rollins did what most lefties do against Mo. He broke his bat on a weak pop up in the infield. Go watch some more game tape there Jimmy. It still wouldn't help.

CC makes the start tomorrow night on short rest against Joe Blanton. After game 2 I said that I really liked the Yankees' chances in games 3 and 4. The team got the job done tonight. If they can get it done tomorrow they'll be 1 win away from winning the franchise's 27th world title. CC has been awesome lately and does well on short rest. I don't want to get ahead of myself but I'm liking their chances.

9 down, 2 to go.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie