Joe Torre announced that Chien-Ming Wang will be the Game 1 starter and Andy Pettitte the Game 2 starter. He is still hoping that Roger Clemens will be the Game 3 starter. If not, Mike Mussina or Phil Hughes would be that guy. Mussina and Hughes will both be on the roster, Torre said. They plan to take 11 pitchers and 14 position players, though the exact roster makeup is still being determined.
Lineup
Yankees
Cabrera CF
Betemit 3B
Abreu RF
Giambi DH
Cano 2B
Posada C
Duncan 1B
Sardinha LF
Gonzalez SS
Pettitte P
Orioles
Roberts 2B
Mora 3B
Markakis RF
Tejada DH
Millar 1B
Hernandez C
Payton LF
Redman CF
Hernandez SS
Cabrera P
Comments (32)
Let me ask this question as I just watched Trevor Hoffman blow an important save for the Padres (against Tony Gwynn Jr. no less): Has their ever been a more overrated closer than Hoffman? This guy racks up tons of saves every year and everyone acts like he is the best that ever closed games and yet all I can think of is all his blown saves in any important games for the Padres.
Back to the Yanks: I'd hoped for Pettitte to be the game one starter, I guess we'll see how Wang does this time around.
Marianne,
Thanks for the last post. I just got in and saw that BBBEEEYYYAAATTTCCCHHH, I mean BEDOVER was attacking quite a few of us including me.
I wrote a real nasty blog, but it got blocked. Just as well as it was pretty bad.
I was in a good mood last night and HYD and myself were having some fun, then this putrid piece of sh..
opps; gotta be careful of that.
I really love these cowards that hide behind a keyboard. It's like a little weasel that gets brave after a few drinks.
So henceforth, BENDOVER is now known as BBBBEEEEEYYYYAAAATTTTCCCHHH.
Thanks again Marianne.
Jim A,
Completely agree with you. I always thought that he was overrated. Especially since there are a lot of other guys that I would give the ball to to close the game.
I think Joe made the right move in naming Wang as the game 1 starter. If the Yanks are in the extended series, he'll get to pitch game 4 at the Stadium on normal rest.
I don't know which schedule the Yanks are going to get, but Pettitte's ERA is more than half a run "lower" on the road. If the "off" days work out, maybe Wang would pitch a "possible" Game 4 at Yankee Stadium, and Pettitte a "possible" deciding Game 5 on the road.
Thanks John, it helps to know that someone else sees what I see.
I guess it was a toss up with Wang actually being a good choice, I guess Torre really couldn't have gone wrong here.
I just figured he'd give the nod to Andy because of his experience in the post season.
Jim A
Wang is much better at home and they want him to pitch game 4 at home. If there is a game 5, it would be back in Cleveland, so Pettitte would get the call for that one, on the road. I think it is the right order for this round.
Roy,
You're right about Pettitte. In fact, you called the whole thing.
I think that the 5 games in 8 days goes like this:
Game 1
off day
game 2
off day
game 3
game 4
off day
game 5
So if Wang gets game 1, then he pitches on normal rest for game 4 in NY, and Pettitte pitches on normal rest for game 5 in Cleveland.
The other series goes as follows:
game 1
game 2
off day
game 3
game 4
off day
game 5
Wang would get just game 1 in this series. Pettitte would get games 2 and 5
Clemens/Moose/Hughes would get games 3 and 4 depending on who's healthy (Clemens).
You're welcome, John G., always a pleasure...
Rick,
Nice breakdown...thanks.
Very observant on the home-road thing. Wang has been better at home, so if they are in the longer series, he is set up to pitch Game 4 at home.
I really don't like the way that Pettitte is pitching so far. I'm hoping the reason is that he just doesn't care and it's not a sign that something's wrong with him.
HYD, maybe I need to take him off my list for guys in the rotation. LOL
On another note:
I want to offer my congratulations to John Maine for that OUTSTANDING game that he threw today. No hit ball for 7 2/3 innings and the hit that he gave up was a 2 strike dribbler up the 3rd base line.
Not that he's gonna read this.
That's assuming that they are in the longer series. I think that the Yanks/Sox prefer longer and Angels/Indians prefer shorter. Wang makes sense for game 1 based on the game 4 thing, but also because Pettite has been the BEST postseason pitcher the game after his team loses, so if by chance Yanks lose game 1, you'd anticipate an unhittable Pettite.
All of these nicknames for our "friends" are so long. Anonymous the Lesser/Greater, BBBBEEEEEYYYYAAAATTTTCCCHHH, at least there are no new names for Jeff/Cashman. Typing all of these extra letters just to address the idiots seems useless. Ironic in the fact that I have wasted numerous letters in responding to them last night and today.
What the heck is going on here? I cannot stand this! I know the game means nothing but our # 2 starter in the playoffs should not be getting his butt kicked right now.
Somebody please tell me I don't have to be worried about Pettitte. Please. I think he is trying to ensure that he finishes the season with an ERA of over 4.00.
HYD,
I got you back, Bro!
I just don't understand why some people just want to be nasty about someone's opinion. If you don't agree with someone, either state your reasons in a normal, adult manner, or ignore that person's response.
The personal attacks are not called for.
As I told Jim the other day I usually ignore them, but sometimes.....
The three hairs on my head stand up!!!
Sure, why not John G. Maybe the Yankees can convert Joba back to a starter for the playoffs. Ask him to pitch complete games every time around and always pitch on three days rest. It sounds viable.
NOTE TO THE RETARD(S): THAT WAS PARODY IN TALKING WITH JOHN G.
Anytime Pettite has a bad outing, I think of '96 against the Braves. He got LIT, but then came back to pitch a gem against Smoltz in one of my favorite pitching duals ever in a WS game. That win was the series changer.
In my mind these are like spring training games. I'm interested but in an entirely different way than I was last week. Maybe this is 'fall training' syndrome.
Today I decided that not only do I think that Hughes should be one of the 4 startes, but I think that he should be the planned game 3 starter.
Marianne,
This game sure has that look and feel, doesn't it?
HYD,
Good pull on Pettitte in 96.
Jim A,
I know that it doesn't mean anything, but I don't like it at all! But, I'm not going to worry about it.
Just another Yanks-O's silly slugfest I guess. No matter who is wearing the uniform, these two teams think they're playing slow pitch softball.
At least order was restored and the Good Guys tied this puppy up.
"The Good Guys" huh John? Isn't that what the oh so annoying Hawk Harrelson calls the White Sox? Has their ever been a bigger homer than that guy? All teams have their announcers who just love the team (Scooter was ours) but Hawk is on his own level.
Well all, I have to get ready for our dinner guests tonight.
I'll check in later after I throw these mouchers out of my house.
Just kidding.
I know Jim. I honestly didn't even think about him when I wrote it. LOL
But I like Hawk!
YANKS ARE DOING IT NOW! As Ant would say, WOO-HOO!
Tonight begins the stats analysis of Cleveland. The first interesting thing I will point out is that every player on their team that qualifies for the batting title has at least 18 homeruns, but no more than 25 (Victor Martinez, Hafner only has 24).
PUT IT ON THE BBOOAAARRRDDD, YES!
I really hope Cano picks up 3 more RBIs between today and tomorrow to get 100.
That's it!
I've got a new nickname for HYD:
STATS!
He can also go by the name of BOLT. Why you ask?
He loves the Trenton Thunder.
Disagree that the Indians would prefer the short series. I would think that they would do anything they could to start Sabathia and Carmona twice. Do they want Paul Byrd pitchingagainst the Yankee lineup --OOCH.
Its funny that it helps the Yankees to have the longer series (no Mussina), but at the same time a four game series against the Indians could turn into 2001 Schilling/Johnson -- not that Carmona is in that class yet, but Sabathia is.
I just hope Wang is the dominant Wang this post-season. I think that he is the key to their success in the post-season this year - He puts together a stretch of great games - which he is very capable of - they go very far in the playoffs.
Sox still scare me. I have a bad feeling that Dice-K is going to come up big and Schilling will be pitching with a ton of emotion in his last go around with the Sox. I hope Francona continues to trot out Wakefield though - that may be the competitions best chance
I know my buddy John G. hates him, but I'll say this: I think Giambi is warming up and I also will play "HYD" (aka "The Great Prognosticator": Giambi will come up big in the playoffs somewhere, somehow. It's just a gut feeling I have.
Fair assessment Jim, but my question is will his one big moment outweigh the rest of the negative?
I'm HOPING that Torre has a good head on his shoulders for this 1b situation and will only be using Giambi in smart, PH, situations.
HYD: I'm not saying Giambi should start the game or play 1B, but I can see a PH appearance here and there, or a game or two at DH.
I like "The Hawk". Annoying or not, there isn't a more straight forward, honest, play-by- play announcer on the air. "Put it on the board...Yes", "He gone", and his stories about when he played, make the W\Sox games both informative and entertaining. His "tell it like it is" style, is very refreshing when compared to the "stuff" I'm subjected to by ESPN and their collection of "vanilla" play-by-play announcers.