the playoffs!

[ndebord]

Wow! This doesn't get any better for suspense and for good news for the Bronx Bombers. After 8 innings, Detroit and Minnesota are tied 4-4!

P.S. 6-5 Minnesota in 12 innings. Looks like they used up their bullpen in this, which is the good news. The bad? They're hotter than a firecracker and ready to rock and roll.

[Judy G. Russell]

Wow! This doesn't get any better for suspense and for good news for the Bronx Bombers. After 8 innings, Detroit and Minnesota are tied 4-4! P.S. 6-5 Minnesota in 12 innings. Looks like they used up their bullpen in this, which is the good news. The bad? They're hotter than a firecracker and ready to rock and roll.Yeah, it's either going to be "we're exhausted" or "bring 'em on" (and maybe both!!).

[ndebord]

Yeah, it's either going to be "we're exhausted" or "bring 'em on" (and maybe both!!).

Judy,

Yup... 21 hours and counting to the first game and they (Minnesota) used up a lot of their pitchers in this 12 inning marathon.

Go CC!

[Mike Landi]

Yeah, it's either going to be "we're exhausted" or "bring 'em on" (and maybe both!!).
I hope they are cooked and the Yanks don't take them lightly. We'll see this evening!

[ndebord]

I hope they are cooked and the Yanks don't take them lightly. We'll see this evening!

Mike,

And so we did... they looked tired... 163 games and 12 innings and they go into da City at 3AM... Hey, any little advantage after our draught of the last few years.

<g>

P.S.

Oh yeah, it's JETER TIME!

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2009/10/politi_if_its_jeter-time_in_ya.html

"The $161 million ace was getting slapped around. The veteran catcher was forgetting to catch the ball. The opposing pitcher, a kid who had never even stepped foot in this city, was zipping through this supposedly feared lineup like a Cy Young winner.

The dead-tired Twins had a 2-0 lead on the Yankees, and just three innings into this postseason, the collars were starting to tighten in the Bronx. And then the captain made the world right again."

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh yeah, it's JETER TIME!Couldn't be sweeter...

[ndebord]

Couldn't be sweeter...

Judy,

As much as I enjoyed the 163rd game of the season between Minnesota and Detroit, I really enjoyed this first playoff game. All the pieces of the puzzle worked the way they should of for the Bronx Bombers and that is truly comforting.

Girardi got his new pitchers' feet wet in this game and it just so happened that he did it properly. Hughes 10 pitch marathon with Cabrera which ended with a strikeout using a 95 mph fastball after throwing his new "Mo" cutter on the previous pitch. Then Coke's 1 out on a leftie, Chamberlin showing he can do relief pitching and Mo getting in some work so he won't be rusty in a save situation.

NICE!

[Mike Landi]

Mike,

And so we did... they looked tired... 163 games and 12 innings and they go into da City at 3AM... Hey, any little advantage after our draught of the last few years.

<g>

P.S.

Oh yeah, it's JETER TIME!

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2009/10/politi_if_its_jeter-time_in_ya.html

"The $161 million ace was getting slapped around. The veteran catcher was forgetting to catch the ball. The opposing pitcher, a kid who had never even stepped foot in this city, was zipping through this supposedly feared lineup like a Cy Young winner.

The dead-tired Twins had a 2-0 lead on the Yankees, and just three innings into this postseason, the collars were starting to tighten in the Bronx. And then the captain made the world right again."
A little hyperbole there...CC was not getting slapped around. Posada had a bad game, but CC settled down and pitched well.

Jeter....had a great game, but A-Rod did well and so did Matsui. Tex hit the ball well, just unlucky.

Now, let's see AJ follow suit.

(and I'll be in the Western PA hills camping tomorrow and Satuday! <drat!> I hope Verizon holds out for me.)

[ndebord]

A little hyperbole there...CC was not getting slapped around. Posada had a bad game, but CC settled down and pitched well.

Jeter....had a great game, but A-Rod did well and so did Matsui. Tex hit the ball well, just unlucky.

Now, let's see AJ follow suit.

(and I'll be in the Western PA hills camping tomorrow and Satuday! <drat!> I hope Verizon holds out for me.)

Mike,

Jeter saved the game. He started with a single, then when needed most, he tied the game with a home run to LEFT FIELD.... Jeter, the ultimate opposite field hitter, pulled a ball for a home run. UNBELIEVABLE for anyone but the Captain. Did you read that piece about his off-season regimen? He worked out the entire offseason with a personal fitness guru type who figured out that the sole reason why Jeter wasn't moving well to his left was because he is right-handed and didn't have the proper balance in his muscle groups. The guru said that in his entire career, he had never had a client respond so well and work so hard as Jeter and if you look at the season stats, Jeter has become the 3rd best shortstop in the Majors... WOW! BAM! ZOOWIE!

FWIW, CC was getting slapped around... look at his pitch total for the first 3 innings. He was struggling. Should have only had one run against him, but who's counting.

As much as I have fulminated against Girardi all year long, having done that Yankees magazine years ago, I do realize that utopia and reality are not the same thing. He has to do things that don't make sense all the time, in terms of the hot hands or new talents on the team. After all, we are talking about the Yankees here and the size of the payroll often means that the politically correct thing is done in terms of who plays and who sits.

And his getting all these pitchers into the game was a very, very smart move. For the rookies, he got them over the hump and for his regulars, he kept them sharp so they won't be rusty if they get back into a game which is closer than this one was!

If any cell phone carrier can hold out for you, it is Verizon. On the way in, check on where you get your bars... you can always invent a "task" that requires all of you to drive a few miles down the road at the right moment!

<sly grin>

[Judy G. Russell]

Now, let's see AJ follow suit.Fingers and toes crossed on that one!

[ndebord]

Fingers and toes crossed on that one!

The Yankees win... THE YANKEEESSS WIN!!!


But it was a nail biter all the way. The key was in the bottom of the 10th inning with the score tied and Ace on the mound when things almost went wrong. (The next inning, Tex hit a walk off home run and the Yankees won 4-3!)


D. Marte relieved A. Aceves
J. Mauer singled to shallow center
- J. Kubel singled to shallow right, J. Mauer to second
- D. Robertson relieved D. Marte
- M. Cuddyer singled to shallow center, J. Mauer to third, J. Kubel to second
- D. Young lined out to first
- C. Gomez grounded into fielder's choice, J. Mauer out at home, J. Kubel to third, M. Cuddyer to second
- B. Harris flied out to right center


Can't love Girardi's handling of the pen, but all's well that ends well and that Robertson kid I've loved, did the job. I don't know how he got out of that inning without giving up a run or runs. Magnificent.

[Mike Landi]

Mike,

Jeter saved the game. He started with a single, then when needed most, he tied the game with a home run to LEFT FIELD.... Jeter, the ultimate opposite field hitter, pulled a ball for a home run. UNBELIEVABLE for anyone but the Captain. Did you read that piece about his off-season regimen? He worked out the entire offseason with a personal fitness guru type who figured out that the sole reason why Jeter wasn't moving well to his left was because he is right-handed and didn't have the proper balance in his muscle groups. The guru said that in his entire career, he had never had a client respond so well and work so hard as Jeter and if you look at the season stats, Jeter has become the 3rd best shortstop in the Majors... WOW! BAM! ZOOWIE!

FWIW, CC was getting slapped around... look at his pitch total for the first 3 innings. He was struggling. Should have only had one run against him, but who's counting.

As much as I have fulminated against Girardi all year long, having done that Yankees magazine years ago, I do realize that utopia and reality are not the same thing. He has to do things that don't make sense all the time, in terms of the hot hands or new talents on the team. After all, we are talking about the Yankees here and the size of the payroll often means that the politically correct thing is done in terms of who plays and who sits.

And his getting all these pitchers into the game was a very, very smart move. For the rookies, he got them over the hump and for his regulars, he kept them sharp so they won't be rusty if they get back into a game which is closer than this one was!

If any cell phone carrier can hold out for you, it is Verizon. On the way in, check on where you get your bars... you can always invent a "task" that requires all of you to drive a few miles down the road at the right moment!

<sly grin>
Not only did Verizon hold out, someone had an AM radio and was picking up 880AM from NYC. That was impressive since we were almost 500 miles to the SW of NY. I know AM can bounce around, but it was impressive to hear Sterling and Waldman call the game on a handheld radio. I didn't miss much.

[Mike Landi]

The Yankees win... THE YANKEEESSS WIN!!!


But it was a nail biter all the way. The key was in the bottom of the 10th inning with the score tied and Ace on the mound when things almost went wrong. (The next inning, Tex hit a walk off home run and the Yankees won 4-3!)


D. Marte relieved A. Aceves
J. Mauer singled to shallow center
- J. Kubel singled to shallow right, J. Mauer to second
- D. Robertson relieved D. Marte
- M. Cuddyer singled to shallow center, J. Mauer to third, J. Kubel to second
- D. Young lined out to first
- C. Gomez grounded into fielder's choice, J. Mauer out at home, J. Kubel to third, M. Cuddyer to second
- B. Harris flied out to right center


Can't love Girardi's handling of the pen, but all's well that ends well and that Robertson kid I've loved, did the job. I don't know how he got out of that inning without giving up a run or runs. Magnificent.
Bases loaded and no one out, and no one scored. Amazing. ...and the key to why the Twins lost! We should have lost that game, but they stranded too many runners.

[Judy G. Russell]

it was impressive to hear Sterling and Waldman call the game on a handheld radio. I didn't miss much.Whew!! Thank heavens.

[Judy G. Russell]

The Yankees win... THE YANKEEESSS WIN!!!It was wonderful, truly wonderful. Whatever has been biting ARod's rear in the post season has been taken care of.

[ndebord]

It was wonderful, truly wonderful. Whatever has been biting ARod's rear in the post season has been taken care of.

Judy,

There's a very dirty joke in there somewhere involving Kate Hudson, front and center. <groan>

[Mike Landi]

Judy,

There's a very dirty joke in there somewhere involving Kate Hudson, front and center. <groan>
Hey, if that's what did the trick (<cough>) so much the better.

Maybe having his ex off his back, maybe coming clean about 'roids, who knows? In any case, he is not trying for the 5 run HR anymore and that has made all the difference.

[Mike Landi]

Whew!! Thank heavens.
The scoutmaster was not happy that a scout brought a radio, but a bunch of us were listening to the game so he kept quiet.

There are more than a few Yankee fans around Pittsburgh!

[ndebord]

Hey, if that's what did the trick (<cough>) so much the better.

Maybe having his ex off his back, maybe coming clean about 'roids, who knows? In any case, he is not trying for the 5 run HR anymore and that has made all the difference.


Mike,

I vaguely recall reading that the batting coach (Long??) did something to A-Rod's swing... something like making it more compact like Pujolas's swing???

[Mike Landi]

Mike,

I vaguely recall reading that the batting coach (Long??) did something to A-Rod's swing... something like making it more compact like Pujolas's swing???
There was something about adjusting A-Rod's swing. I forget the details. There is also an attitude change that I think is the biggest part of the improvement.

[Judy G. Russell]

There's a very dirty joke in there somewhere involving Kate Hudson, front and center. <groan>Whatever works...

[Judy G. Russell]

The scoutmaster was not happy that a scout brought a radio, but a bunch of us were listening to the game so he kept quiet.Heck, he's lucky somebody didn't bring a satellite powered television!

There are more than a few Yankee fans around Pittsburgh!Thank heavens!

[Mike Landi]

Heck, he's lucky somebody didn't bring a satellite powered television!

Thank heavens!
We have another outing starting Friday evening. I have to rely on the phone or a radio again. This time, I'll have my headphones so I can listen to the stream from 880!

[ndebord]

We have another outing starting Friday evening. I have to rely on the phone or a radio again. This time, I'll have my headphones so I can listen to the stream from 880!

Mike,

Hmmmm..... sounds like this Scoutmaster has found a way to get back at youse guys for your desire to intrude upon pastoral quietude with radio broadcasts of Yankee games! <yuck>

[ndebord]

Whatever works...

Judy,

Well, I gotta think that Kate works better for A-Rod than kissing his reflection in a mirror!

<g,d&r>

[Judy G. Russell]

We have another outing starting Friday evening. I have to rely on the phone or a radio again. This time, I'll have my headphones so I can listen to the stream from 880!Have you considered getting the boys involved in another activity... or at least another TROOP?

[Judy G. Russell]

Well, I gotta think that Kate works better for A-Rod than kissing his reflection in a mirror! <g,d&r>I would sure HOPE so!

[ndebord]

I would sure HOPE so!

Judy,

So far, so good... knocking hard on wood.

[ndebord]

A few reasons to be concerned about facing the Angels for the pennant.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/angels_blog/2009/10/yankees-will-be-favored-but-.html

"The Angels' running game will be in full gear. The Yankees have a catching controversy on their hands. They love Jorge Posada's bat in the lineup, but he doesn't throw many runners out on the bases anymore. If they use Posada as the DH, it means they can't have Hideki Matsui's bat in the lineup. Chances are that Posada will catch most of the time, instead of Jose Molina, who is better defensively but isn't much of a hitter. If that's the case, the Angels will begin running as soon as they get off the team bus."

(They ain't lying out there in La-La land on this one.)

Hitting: The Angels have four who hit 20 home runs and five whose RBIs match up well with the Yankees.

Figgins (3B) .298, 114 runs
Abreu (OF) .293, 103 runs
Hunter(OF) .299 90 runs
Morales (1B) .306 108 runs
Rivera (LF) .287 88 runs

Starting Pitching: The Angels have four, the Yankees three.

Edge? Yankees are solid 1 through 9 and the bullpen is exceptional.

[Mike Landi]

Mike,

Hmmmm..... sounds like this Scoutmaster has found a way to get back at youse guys for your desire to intrude upon pastoral quietude with radio broadcasts of Yankee games! <yuck>
:)

Oh well....he knew where I came from when he accepted me as an assistant scoutmaster.

[ndebord]

:)

Oh well....he knew where I came from when he accepted me as an assistant scoutmaster.

Mike,

Knew where and just wanted to remind you who is the assistant and who is da boss. <sigh>

Let's see... maybe we can airdrop in a satellite connection and a 60 inch LCD screen!

[Mike Landi]

:) Boy would I be despised for that.

[ndebord]

:) Boy would I be despised for that.

Mike,

Wouldn't it be great?

VBG

[Mike Landi]

Mike,

Wouldn't it be great?

VBG
Considering it is supposed to rain here Friday night and Saturday. I'm going to miss watching the first two games.

It should be a great series. Very different teams, but probably near-evenly matched.

[Judy G. Russell]

Considering it is supposed to rain here Friday night and Saturday. I'm going to miss watching the first two games.It's supposed to rain HERE Friday night and Saturday, too. There may not BE any games then to be missed!

[ndebord]

It's supposed to rain HERE Friday night and Saturday, too. There may not BE any games then to be missed!

Judy,

The bad news is IF there are rainouts, Fox Sports will squeeze together games, making it next to impossible for the Yankees to do this series with just 3 starters.

[Judy G. Russell]

The bad news is IF there are rainouts, Fox Sports will squeeze together games, making it next to impossible for the Yankees to do this series with just 3 starters.We'll just have to see how this plays out (or doesn't...). Looking good so far...

[ndebord]

We'll just have to see how this plays out (or doesn't...). Looking good so far...

Judy,

And Moses said to the Red Sea: part and let my people through! And the Yankees said: Rain? Fuggetaboutit!