MLB FanHouse http://mlb.fanhouse.com MLB FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif MLB FanHouse http://mlb.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Yankees Win the Best Thing for MLBhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/yankees-win-the-best-thing-for-mlb/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/yankees-win-the-best-thing-for-mlb/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/yankees-win-the-best-thing-for-mlb/#commentsFiled under: ,

NEW YORK -- Oh, it was a loaded question, all right. The guy that I expected to answer was Bud Selig, whose role as baseball commissioner expands beyond the new sacred walls in the Bronx that feature the plaques of Yankee greats.

I asked the question anyway.

Given the mystique of pinstripes, television ratings that soar toward the farthest black hole at the sight of the interlocking "NY" in white against blue caps, baseball rock stars Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Mariano Rivera and the rest -- I mean, doesn't it help the entire game whenever the Yankees win it all?

Well, it does. Nobody cares about the Tampa Bay Rays in October or November, for instance, except those with too much time on their hands around the Skyview Bridge over the Gulf of Mexico. The world is dominated by Yankee lovers, Yankee haters and few in-between, and everybody knows it.

Instead, after hearing my question, Selig did what he had to do. He changed the subject involving the significance of the Yankees' slide past the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium in Game 6 on Wednesday night for a 27th world championship.

"This is a year that I guess I'll never forget, given the fact that the economics of the sport were so difficult and because of the environment that we live in, and I said in July (at the All-Star Game) that this was our greatest year, and to have a postseason like that to finish it off, is just remarkable," said Selig, straight-faced, daring me to rephrase my original question, and I didn't. I got the message: the commissioner preferred not to discuss the truth about the Yankees, because he really couldn't.

Since baseball commissioners are into the phrase "politically correct" as much as "in the best interest of baseball," Selig is going to perpetrate the myth that the game is better when the Rays do what they did last season. That is, the Rays bored much of the nation after they sprinted out of nowhere with their slew of no names to take the American League pennant over the famous Yankees.

For verification of the "Who cares?" factor regarding the Rays, you nearly had remotes clicking away from the World Series last season at a record pace.

It isn't just the Rays. Nationally and internationally, nobody wants to see the Colorado Rockies on the verge of a world championship. The same goes for the Houston Astros and the Arizona Diamondbacks, both among the many teams to scare the daylights out of the networks and the rest of us by reaching a World Series since 2000 -- the last time the Yankees won one before this one.

Worse, during that stretch, the Florida Marlins captured a second world championship as a wild card, and they shocked the Yankees in the 2003 World Series. Not even those in Miami care about the Marlins, because they've finished last or next-to-last in baseball attendance after each season for the past 12 years.

You also had the Chicago White Sox taking the 2005 World Series, and they have zero national appeal. In fact, baseball fans in their own city care more about the guys on the north side. Plus, you had the 2002 world champs who were so confused about their lack of notoriety that they didn't know what to call themselves. They still don't know. They are the Los Angeles Angels now, but they were the Anaheim Angels back then, and they were the California Angels before that.

I know. Courtesy of the Boston Red Sox exorcising their curse during the past nine years with two world championships, they have their little Nation in response to the bigger Yankee Nation. But this Red Sox thing is fleeting. Elsewhere, more than a few people in Philadelphia (and I stress in Philadelphia) were pleased that the Phillies spent last season grabbing their first world championship in 28 years, and the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals thrilled their large and loyal fan base with their world championship.

You may yawn now.

It's all about the Yankees.

And the Yankees are all about the Steinbrenner kids continuing as splendid clones of their father -- George. He's the ailing Boss these days at 79, but to hear Yankees general manager Brian Cashman tell it, none of that matters. After all, George's sons Hal and Hank are in charge of a franchise that just collected its seventh world championship since the Boss bought the Yankees in 1973.

"I think this probably is the proudest moment of George's career, because not only has he secured another world championship, but his sons are the ones who delivered it," said Cashman, who fudged a bit with his statement. Courtesy of the $209 million that the Steinbrenner sons allowed Cashman to spend for the Yankees' current payroll, Cashman is the one who "delivered it."

"I think this probably is the proudest moment of George's career, because not only has he secured another world championship, but his sons are the ones who delivered it."
-- Yankees GM
Brian Cashman Among others, Cashman acquired CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Nick Swisher, all key to pushing the Yankees toward a baseball-leading 103 victories during the regular season and this world championship.

Hank Steinbrenner smiled while reflecting on his father who attended Game 2, mostly in seclusion. The Boss was back home in Tampa when Robinson Cano tossed to Teixeira in the ninth inning for Wednesday night's final out.

"We all talked to him, very briefly," said Hank, referring to Hal, as well as their sister, Jennifer, who also is part of the Yankee hierarchy. "He was fine, he said. And he always says the same types of things. You know, when Mo (Mariano Rivera) is in the game pitching, he'll say, 'Oh, he's something, isn't he?' Or he'll say the same thing about (Derek) Jeter, or he'll say the same thing about A-Rod, Andy.

"I mean, he's very proud of all of them, right on down the line. But at the end, it was just emotion on his part."

Just like the emotion of joy or of hatred generated everywhere by another Yankees world championship, which is splendid for baseball.

Whether Selig says so or not.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.


Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Yankees Win the Best Thing for MLB originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>bud seliggeorge steinbrennerTerence MooreFri, 06 Nov 2009 00:40:00 EST Joe Girardi: World Series Champion Manager and Good Samaritanhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/joe-girardi-world-series-champion-manager-and-good-samaritan/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/joe-girardi-world-series-champion-manager-and-good-samaritan/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/joe-girardi-world-series-champion-manager-and-good-samaritan/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Joe GirardiAs if managing the New York Yankees to their historic 27th World Series championship wasn't enough work for one night, Joe Girardi decided to do some more good on his way home from the new-and-improved Yankee Stadium. This time his work came in the form of humanitarian, not just filling out a lineup card full of baseball players for the entertainment of millions.

At about 2:25 AM Thursday morning, a woman named Marie Henry lost control of her vehicle on the Cross County Parkway in Eastchester, New York and crashed into a wall. Not only did Girardi stop to check on her well-being, but he also flagged down the police.
"He was jumping up and down, trying to flag me down," [officer Kathleen Cristiano] said. "You don't expect him standing by a car accident trying to help."
Cristiano had earlier seen Girardi as he passed through a sobriety checkpoint.

Henry did escape the accident without injury and declined to be taken to the hospital. For those who think what Girardi did was minor, though, you have another thing coming.

According to the police, Girardi ran across moving traffic to get across the highway and check on the accident.
"He could have gotten killed," county Sgt. Thomas McGurn said, adding that responding police units take extra precaution in that area because of the blind curve and speeding cars. "Traffic goes by at 80 mph."
Remember, Girardi had no way of knowing the woman in the accident was unharmed and he put himself at risk in the case he would be able to help an injured motorist.

In other news, Girardi's "Bucket List" is likely starting to take shape.

Major League Baseball player -- check.

Wife and kids -- check.

Major league All-Star -- check.

World Series champion as a player -- check.

World Series champion as a manager -- check.

Run through speeding traffic and be first on the scene to a car accident -- check.

Next stop: Mount Everest? Skydiving?

Godspeed, Joe.

Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Joe Girardi: World Series Champion Manager and Good Samaritan originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>joe girardiMatt SnyderThu, 05 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST Yankees Parade 2009: Here's the Planhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankees-parade-2009-heres-the-plan/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankees-parade-2009-heres-the-plan/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankees-parade-2009-heres-the-plan/#commentsFiled under: ,


The New York Yankees parade for 2009 will be held Friday morning, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced after the Yankees wrapped up their 27th World Series championship. Friday's ticker-tape parade will begin on Broadway at Battery Place at 11 AM ET and continue northbound up the Canyon of Heroes to Chambers Street. After that, Mayor Bloomberg will present the Yankees with the keys to the city.

All pretty standard stuff. But of course, there's also the mayoral bet to be settled. And if Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter doesn't want to get dirty, he better bring his apron to the Bronx.
Photos: Yankee Fans Celebrate in the Streets | Celebrity Appearances

See, Nutter made a side bet with Bloomberg before the World Series and now will head to New York to help paint a mural on the side of a recreation center wearing a Yankees jersey.

Here was the statement Bloomberg issued after the Yanks' 7-3 victory:
"Congratulations to the Yankees for bringing the world championship back home to New York City, where it belongs," said Bloomberg. "The Yankees have thrilled the city all year long with their come-from-behind victories and never-say-die attitude, and they did it again in the World Series. What's sweeter than a World Series won at home? The only thing that comes close is a ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes, and that's exactly what New Yorkers will get on Friday. The Phillies were a tough team to beat, but I must admit I look forward to seeing Mayor (Michael) Nutter in pinstripes as he joins me and some of our public school students as we paint the Albert Einstein School in the Bronx."
Yankee fans will surely be in a lovable (and/or rambunctious) mood as the parade festivities kick off. Waiting nine years for another World Series championship may seem like nothing to fans of other baseball teams, but Yankee fans expect excellence from their clubs. The Yankees' last title of course came via a Subway Series victory over the Mets in 2000.

Speaking of love, how about this for something to celebrate: According to the AP report, a man used a television blimp at Yankee Stadium during the game to propose to his girlfriend.
A television blimp circled above the stadium during the entire game, and at one point the electronic lettering on the side beamed "Lisa, will you marry me? Love John."

The blimp circled the stadium again, and on the next round it brought the answer: She said "yes."
Way to go, John. Just don't wear a white pinstriped tuxedo to your wedding. Girls hate that stuff.

Like John and Lisa, hundreds of fans were already rejoicing up and down down the streets of N.Y. into the early hours of Thursday morning. As a matter of fact, I just overheard some random inebriated man scream "Eyyyyyyy!! We got it!!" at 5 AM outside my Astoria, Queens, apartment window.

"[We have the] greatest fans in the world," Derek Jeter said. "I can't say enough about them. They've been here since Day 1. People were always talking about our new stadium, 'Would it be the same?' Well, we got the same fans."

So far, there have been no early reports of disturbances related to the Yankees victory, according to New York City police. Several patrol cars and officers were on watch at street corners just to be sure.

Stay safe this weekend, New York. And party hard.

Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Yankees Parade 2009: Here's the Plan originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>michael bloombergmichael nutteryankees paradeyankees parade 2009Tom HerreraThu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST Trio With Uncertain Future Makes Yankees' Present Awfully Sweethttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/trio-with-uncertain-future-make-yankees-present-awfully-sweet/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/trio-with-uncertain-future-make-yankees-present-awfully-sweet/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/trio-with-uncertain-future-make-yankees-present-awfully-sweet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Johnny Damon / Andy Pettitte / Hideki Matsui
NEW YORK -- None of them were on the field Wednesday when Robinson Cano threw out Shane Victorino to clinch the Yankees' World Series championship.

And no one should be surprised if neither Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettitte nor Johnny Damon are on the field in Tampa, Fla., next February for Yankees' spring training.

But this championship would not have happened without them.

All three are potential free agents. And all three may wind up leaving the Yankees, for various reasons.
FanHouse World Series Coverage: Fletcher | Mariotti | Moore | Olson
Game 6: Yankees 7, Phillies 3 | Box Score | Matsui MVP

The Yankees could let Matsui and his balky knees go because they seem to prefer not to have a full-time DH, instead rotating that spot in the lineup to give players some rest (remember, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are all in their 30s).

Damon's defense and durability are in decline, and the Yankees do have outfielders Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher under control for 2010.

Pettitte, meanwhile, would probably be welcomed back next year -- if he wants to play. He wavered on retirement the past three winters, especially after 2006 and '07, and now that he has fulfilled two goals by playing in the new Yankee Stadium and earning another ring, perhaps this is the time to walk away.

General manager Brian Cashman said he spent part of the 1998 World Series, his first as GM, stressing over the upcoming winter decisions, such as whether to re-sign Bernie Williams.

Now he knows to put everything off until after the postseason is over.

"Now is not the time to deal with that," Cashman said on the field after Game 6. "We're going to celebrate. The business side of the game will kick in here at some point."

Matsui drove in six runs in the 7-3 Game 6 victory, tying the record for a World Series game and most ever in a World Series clincher. He earned Series MVP honors even though, as a DH, he got just one plate appearance each night in Games 3-5, as a pinch hitter.

"I hope [to return]," Matsui said, through interpreter Roger Kahlon, upon being presented with the World Series MVP. "I hope it works out. I love New York. I love the Yankees. I love the fans here."

Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman, who was instrumental in recruiting and signing Matsui after his 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, said Matsui grew up idolizing Babe Ruth.

"His dream was to become a Yankee," Afterman said.

"He wanted to play where Babe Ruth played. He wanted to do what Babe Ruth did."

As if he was making a last-ditch case for the Yankees to being him back, Matsui hit .615 (8-for-13) with three homers, eight RBI and a 1.385 slugging percentage -- the second-highest in World Series history.


"I think you've got to think about everything that he's done," Afterman said when asked about bringing back Matsui. "I think you've got to think about everything he's achieved and who he is. And then who he is and what he means to this team. And what he means to this country and his country.

"It's quite a thing to be a hero in two countries at the same time."

Pettitte is such a hero that his postgame speech from the on-field stage was inaudible in Yankee Stadium, drowned out by the fans' chants of "An-dy Pett-ittte!"

He won two games in the Series, including Game 6 -- making him the first pitcher ever to start and win the series clincher in the Division Series, LCS and World Series the same season. His 18 career postseason wins are a record, and only Whitey Ford has pitched in more World Series than Pettitte's eight.

"I'm not sure," Pettitte said of his future. "I'm not. I need to get home, talk to my family. I'll need to talk to the Yankees and find out where they're at. And then I'll probably start trying to figure out what I'd like to do."

Pettitte wasn't great on three days' rest, walking five in 5 2/3 innings. But only one of those runners scored.

"There was really nothing special," Phillies leadoff man Jimmy Rollins said, "but he made one great pitch every at-bat it seemed like. When he needed that pitch he was able to make it, got some double plays that really shortens an inning.

"That's what Andy does. He keeps his team in the game. You walk away shaking your head -- how didn't we get to him? -- but obviously he's pretty good because he's been doing it a long time."

Closer Mariano Rivera wouldn't admit to any recruiting calls last winter but did say he "wanted to make sure that Andy came back."

Because Pettitte's past fence-sitting was based in large part on his health, and he showed with Wednesday's short-rest outing that he is OK, perhaps it won't be a tough sell this time around.

In contrast to Matsui and Pettitte, Damon showed in the finale why it might be wise not to re-sign him. He had to come out of Game 6 with a strained right calf, suffered running home on Matsui's third-inning single.

Damon did score a team-high six runs in the Series, none more important than the one in the ninth inning of Game 4 after his heady double steal. (The Hall of Fame has already taken possession of the cleats Damon wore that night.)

While Damon has said he would like to come back, he also admitted he doesn't know if he will.

Matsui, Damon and Pettitte have something else in common besides their contractual status: they are respected by their peers for their professionalism.

Damon is a goofy free spirit. Matsui shows great respect to everyone around him and seems serious but has a sense of humor that he can unveil, in English, at moments. Pettitte is a tireless worker with great pride.

But when time comes to play, they all show up.

With George Steinbrenner's health in decline, irrationality is gone from Yankees' front office. And Cashman can be cold-blooded in his decision-making; there was a blip of sentimentality after the 2007 season when Steinbrenner's sons -- in the wake of the Joe Torre parting -- signed Rodriguez, Rivera and Posada to over-market contracts, but that seems to have been wiped out.

So in the coming days, Pettitte will ponder his future as Cashman considers how badly he wants Matsui and Damon back, if at all.

The story lines won't play out quickly this winter. But even if all three are somewhere else come spring, their contributions this fall won't soon be forgotten by the Yankees and their fans.
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Trio With Uncertain Future Makes Yankees' Present Awfully Sweet originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Andy PettitteHideki Matsuijohnny damonEd PriceThu, 05 Nov 2009 03:45:00 EST Yankees Quit Playing Games, Start Playing Championship Baseballhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankees-quit-playing-games-start-playing-championship-baseball/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankees-quit-playing-games-start-playing-championship-baseball/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankees-quit-playing-games-start-playing-championship-baseball/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Yankees celebrateNEW YORK -- The biggest World Series choke involved the New York Yankees, but they won back then in 1996 over the gasping Atlanta Braves.

The Yankees won this time, too. It's just that they did so to avoid sliding toward the brutal end of the second-worst choke in World Series history.

On a clear Wednesday night in the Bronx, with Hideki Matsui's sizzling Mizuno bat and various pinstriped chants warming the November chill inside the newest version of Yankee Stadium, the home team got a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. It also got a 27th world championship for the franchise.

Plus, it got these current Yankees off the hook.
FanHouse World Series Coverage: Fletcher | Price | Mariotti | Olson
Game 6: Yankees 7, Phillies 3 | Box Score | Matsui MVP


They would have been dangling by that hook over the edge of the George Washington Bridge with a World Series loss. Not only did they have to win the 2009 world championship, but the clincher had to come Wednesday night in Game 6. The way things were going for the extremely gifted but occasionally wobbly Yankees during this series that should have ended in five games, they couldn't depend on a Game 7. They couldn't spend another night pumping life into what was a World Series corpse after the Phillies won just once in the opening four games.

"It's a great ballclub with a lot of heart," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, telling the truth about the Phillies, the defending world champions.

The thing is, the Phillies weren't superior to the Yankees. Nobody was, and despite many of the World Series results since 2000 -- you know, the last year the Yankees won it all -- nobody has possessed more reasons to hoist baseball's ultimate trophy after the past nine seasons than the team that has done it more than anybody. The Yankees have the money, and they have the talent, and they have the legacy. In fact, the NFL names its world championship trophy after Vince Lombardi. The NBA honors Larry O'Brien, and the NHL has its cup from Lord Frederick Walter Stanley. So, instead of the Commissioner's Trophy, which is the official name of baseball's award, how about something named after any great from Yankees history?

Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle. It doesn't matter.

Given all that Yankee stuff, it's like this: Whenever they don't win it all, they've usually choked. Said Matsui, crowned the World Series Most Valuable Player after he batted a ridiculous .615 with three home runs and eight RBI as mostly a designated hitter, "My first and foremost goal when I joined the Yankees [in 2003] was to win a world championship. Certainly it's been a long road and very difficult journey."

It was another World Series loss from becoming a wretched journey. That's why the Yankees couldn't take the chance of blowing it on Wednesday night, especially since they began the evening with a three-game losing streak whenever they've had the opportunity to clinch a world championship. There were Games 6 and 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, when the Yankees dropped the World Series finale on the road. Then there was their 8-6 loss on Monday night in Philadelphia.

There also was that 2004 ugliness rattling around the memories of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Matsui. It was a quintet that experienced baseball infamy. After the Yankees surged to a 3-0 lead over the Boston Red Sox during that American League Championship Series, the Yankees miraculously spent the World Series at home. They lost four straight with much help in Game 7 from Johnny Damon's grand slam for the Red Sox.

This is the same Johnny Damon who was among those trying to keep the Yankees from grabbing their throats against the Phillies. He left the game before the top of the fourth inning after straining his right calf while scoring one of the Yankees' two runs during the bottom of the third.

The Yankees didn't need him. They had Matsui, along with a bunch of everything else that made this a must-win World Series for them.

Nobody won more games during the regular season than the Yankees' 103. They entered the World Series with a huge advantage over any National League team they would play courtesy of the DH -- as in Matsui, with a record-tying six RBI on Wednesday night. Their pitching was at least a Mariano Rivera (the greatest reliever ever in October and now November) better than the Phillies. In fact, that Yankees pitching was significantly better than that with the trio of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte trumping Phillies' brilliant ace Cliff Lee, a fading Pedro Martinez and Cole Hamels, who confessed during the middle of the World Series that he'd rather be fishing or something.

Oh, and don't forget about Derek Jeter continuing his Lou Gehrig imitation. Just like Gehrig, Jeter is a Yankee captain. And, just like Gehrig, Jeter is a terror in the World Series. He has hit safely in 32 of the 38 World Series games he has played, including Wednesday night, when he had three hits and scored twice. Just three players with 100 or more World Series at-bats have a higher batting average than Jeter's .321, and in case you're wondering, Gehrig leads the way at .361.

And did I mention the Yankees said before the playoffs began that they wished to win it all for George Steinbrenner, their ailing owner of yore?

The Yankees were just better, period.

As for the biggest choke, it was spectacular. It was Jim Leyritz. It was the Braves doing the unfathomable on the positive and on the negative in the same World Series. First, they won the first two games at Yankee Stadium. Then they roared to a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning of Game 4 while holding a 2-1 advantage in the series.

End of the positive for the Braves.

Leyritz ripped a three-run homer to tie the game along the way to a New York victory, and the Braves crawled into a corner for the rest of the World Series.

The Yankees didn't need Leyritz this time.

They just needed to stop fooling around.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Yankees Quit Playing Games, Start Playing Championship Baseball originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>hideki matsuijoe girardijohnny damonTerence MooreThu, 05 Nov 2009 02:45:00 EST No Fraud: Rodriguez Finally a Champhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/no-fraud-rodriguez-finally-a-champ/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/no-fraud-rodriguez-finally-a-champ/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/no-fraud-rodriguez-finally-a-champ/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Alex RodriguezNEW YORK (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez grabbed the World Series trophy and wouldn't let go.

After the New York Yankees regained the title for the first time in nine years, after the podium presentation before a delirious crowd of 50,315 christened the new ballpark with a title in its first year, A-Rod was the one to carry the trophy back to the clubhouse. He raised it high, showing it off to the fans, a triumph for the team and for himself.

"Look, a lot of people ran the other way. My teammates and coaches and organization stood right next to me. And now we stand together as world champs," he said a few minutes later in the clubhouse, under a shower of Moet & Chandon and Armand de Brignac. "It's been a special year. I know it started rocky for us."

He had piled up money in the bank and MVP awards on his mantle. Now he has the one and only prize he's ever wanted -- a World Series championship ring.

"He's exorcised a lot of demons," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said a few feet from the podium. "There's no reason to take any 'He can't do this; he can't do that.' He's done it all now. So now, he can just continue to write history, because he's one of the greatest players to ever play this game."

After six seasons of hits and home runs, heartaches and headaches, he finally earned his pinstripes in the eyes of the fans the only way Yankees can -- with a title.

"I'm so happy the way they treated me all year," he said. "They stood behind me. Walking around the City of New York, everybody was so supportive."

He arrived in spring training exposed and embarrassed, labeled a steroid user from his years with Texas. His news conference was the low point of his career.

"I just knew then when I had the 25 guys there standing next to me, and organization and my general manager, they meant the world to me," he said. "I said that day that this is going to turn out to be maybe one of the most special years of our lives, and it sure has."

Then, weeks later, he wound up on an operating table in Colorado, unsure whether he'd make it on the field.

When he returned from hip surgery, it was a season of superlatives. He homered on his first swing in Baltimore, rousing the Yankees from the slumber of a 13-15 start, and homered on his last of the regular season at Tampa Bay. His three-run homer and grand slam against the Rays that afternoon gave him 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the 12th consecutive year.

And then he did away with the 0-for-October reputation that had stuck to him as much as his three AL MVPs. Rodriguez put together a performance that matched those of the players he seems to most admire, Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter.

"He's one of the big reasons we're here," captain Jeter said.

A-Rod had been 8 for 59 (.136) in the postseason dating to 2004 and hitless in 18 consecutive playoff at-bats with runners in scoring position.

But this was a new A-Rod, liberated and transformed in his 16th big league season. Finally starting to grow up at age 34, he shed the distractions caused by his $275 million contract and an entourage of handlers he picked up from Madonna. He glowed in his relationship with new girlfriend Kate Hudson.

"I saw Kate, she was smiling so much I barely recognized her," Jackson said. "I think he feels happy. Seeing him, he's just happy."

This A-Rod was a one-man highlight reel.

He chased the Minnesota Twins' starter with an RBI single in the postseason opener, tied the score in the ninth inning of Game 2 with a two-run homer off Joe Nathan and tied the score again with another home run in the seventh inning of Game 3. He hit a tying 11th-inning homer off the Angels' Brian Fuentes in Game 2 of the American League championship series, then homered again in Games 3 and 4.

His only World Series home run, awarded after a video review in Game 3, awoke the Yankees from a 3-0 deficit against Cole Hamels. He led the Yankees in the postseason with a .365 average, six homers, 18 RBIs, 15 runs and 12 walks. After an 0-for-8 start in the Series that included six strikeouts, he was 5 for 12 with six RBIs in the final four games.

When he first joined the Yankees in 2004, the Yankees spurted to a 3-0 lead against Boston in the AL championship series before the greatest postseason collapse in baseball history.

Acceptance delayed. But not denied.

"It," he said, "probably feels better than '04 would have felt."

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.



Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

No Fraud: Rodriguez Finally a Champ originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>alex rodriguezkate hudsonFanHouse NewswireThu, 05 Nov 2009 02:10:00 EST Not the American Dream, but Give Yankees Propshttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/not-the-american-dream-but-give-yankees-props/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/not-the-american-dream-but-give-yankees-props/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/not-the-american-dream-but-give-yankees-props/#commentsFiled under: ,

NEW YORK -- There is something arrogantly American about it, I know. The $210-million Yankees have won a World Series amid a destructive recession, doing it for Boss George Steinbrenner in the first season of their $1.5-billion edifice of excess, where a $275-million lightning rod just happened to overcome a steroids crisis and finally deliver the postseason we've long demanded. None of those elements are universally endearing to the masses, yet all converged on a festive, rocking November night when Championship No. 27 wasn't welcomed by the pinstripe haters as much as force-fed into them like skunk oil.

Fletcher: Phillies Abdicate Throne | Moore: Yanks Quit Playing Games
Price: Uncertain Future for N.Y. Trio | Olson: Phillies Fade Into Night
Box Score | Matsui MVP | A-Rod Finally a Champ | Yankees Parade Plans
Shop: Get Yankees Championship Gear

Look, President Obama might say, "This is corporate America at its bloated, ignorant worst. The White Sox have a better business plan."

"We're supposed to win," said Yankees manager, Joe Girardi. "We know that every day we come to work."

That said, even the bashers have to rise up and give the Yankees props. They came. They spent. They conquered. This time, they didn't spend a fortune and fall short, as they did eight consecutive years since their last championship in 2000. You might say they are supposed to win when their payroll is almost twice as much as anyone else's and eight times higher than that of the Florida Marlins. But unlike other years, they identified the right players to make wealthy. Along the way, their most expensive and problematic player, Alex Rodriguez, found a woman who wasn't Madonna, wasn't a madam but was a good-luck charm and soothing soul, and how fitting that Kate Hudson -- she of the .800-plus winning percentage when attending Yankees games -- partied with the rest of them Wednesday night like the groupie she was in "Almost Famous."

Nothing is almost famous about this franchise, of course. The Yankees, again, are the most celebrated and polarizing team in American sports, if not all the world, finally living up to the highest payroll in baseball and dethroning the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3, in Game 6. Of all the sluggers to dominate the final game, few would have guessed Hideki Matsui, who could have been playing his last game with the Yankees. Godzilla, as they call him, launched the party with a two-run homer and wound up with six RBIs in an epic performance. Is this the way he wants to say sayonara?

"It's unbelievable. I surprised myself," Matsui said through an interpreter during the on-field celebration. "I hope it works out that way that I can stay. I love New York, I love the fans. I feel so great."

Give the man a two-year contract. How can you cut loose the World Series MVP, the first full-time designated hitter to win that trophy? By night's end, as the fans shrieked and police ringed the field, A.J. Burnett had to nail one last triumphant victim with a victory pie. Would it be Matsui? Nada.

It was Girardi, who pulled together several multi-million-dollar corporations and turned the Yankees into a genuine cohesive group.

"A.J. promised me one by the end of the year," he said.

As Sinatra's epic "New York, New York" -- apparently, Jay-Z isn't the new Sinatra just yet -- blasted off the $2,000 cushioned seats, the various theme restaurants and bars, the replicated frieze that lines the roof and the 50,000 worshippers who wouldn't have missed this in a tsunami, it was clear that the Yankees are back to where they ought to be. For eight years, no team in pro sports spent more money with less reward. The Steinbrenner clan and their general manager, Brian Cashman, spent nearly $2 billion in salaries since their dynasty officially ended in 2001, when they were toppled by Arizona upstarts. But at long last, management watched the paid help, one by one, live up to their massive contracts and satsify The Boss, who has been ill for some time and couldn't make it to the new Stadium to see his seventh championship since he purchased the team.

"Dad, I know you're watching at home with mom. This one is for you," said his son, Hal, who has been more front and center in running the club this year than his brother, the combustible Hank. "I think this means everything to him. It's been a while, nine years, and he's proud. This team just fights and fights and fights. They deserve this, for sure."
"This is a dream, an amazing dream, and I waited a long time for it. Twenty-five guys bought into Joe Girardi's system, and I couldn't be prouder."
-- Alex Rodriguez
They finish the decade with as many World Series titles -- two -- as the Boston Red Sox. Some would say that gives the edge to the Red Sox, seeing how they haven't spent nearly as much money. If so, the Yankees could take some satisfaction in beating up a mouthy Red Sox mainstay in 2004, the one who dared to diss the Bambino and may have contributed to ending the curse. Who can forget Game 7 that year, when the Yankees were about to complete an all-time choke job in a silent Stadium and the Red Sox rubbed it in by bringing in Pedro Martinez, the nemesis? Well, there was Pedro again, reincarnated in a Phillies uniform, taking his lumps You thought it was surreal seeing him five years later? So did Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte, who opposed Martinez on the mound. "Me and Derek were talking about it in the clubhouse, just how strange this is after all the battles with him being in Boston," Pettitte said.

Anyone who thought Pedro was going to throw more voodoo, at 38, doesn't understand the physics of the Yankee universe. It became clear in May, when Rodriguez returned with a healthier hip and an unclouded head, that this was their year. It became clearer when the Red Sox faded and the Angels couldn't hang. Only the Phillies had a shot, but when Ryan Howard morphed into Jared from the Subway commercial and was done in by sliders, you knew the defending champs couldn't do it only with "Ut-Lee'' -- a combination of Chase Utley and Cliff Lee, two magnificent performers who made history in this Series but needed help from teammates who rarely showed up.

It was the year when Rodriguez, admittedly at "rock bottom" after he was forced to reveal his steroids use, decided to stop thinking, to stop trying to craft a public image that America loathed and simply relied on the enormous talents with which he was blessed. "With all the stuff I've been through, you have nothing to lose," he said of his approach this season. "For the first time in my career, I've felt like an underdog." Now he is a champion, having shed the awful numbers in his previous three postseasons combined -- .159, one homer, one RBI -- to carry his team with six homers and a franchise-record-tying 15 RBIs. Remember all the stories in the past about the rancor between A-Rod and the captain, Jeter? I watched them hug in the infield for about 15 seconds.

"This is a dream, an amazing dream, and I waited a long time for it," Rodriguez said. "Twenty-five guys bought into Joe Girardi's system, and I couldn't be prouder. A lot of people were running the other way from me this year. My teammates and the manager and the coaches were right there next to me the whole way. Now, we're standing here right now as world champions. And we're gonna enjoy this and we're gonna party!"

It was the year when the starting rotation, such a mess in recent season, was fixed by talent and savvy. Oh, sure, it was easy enough to throw $423.5 million at CC Sabathia and Burnett, but both produced when necessary, particularly Carsten Charles, a workhorse who rarely didn't keep the Yankees in the game and often was dominant. They said Pettitte wouldn't survive on three days' rest in Game 6, but he was the only one hung up on the fatigue issue. He showed why he's the all-time winningest pitcher in postseason history, notching his 18th victory and sixth that ended a series, both all-time records. He was the starter in all three clinching games of the Yankees postseason. Like his former friend, Roger Clemens, Pettitte was nabbed as a juicer in the steroids scandal. Unlike Clemens, he apologized from the heart and was accepted back by the New York crowds. He won't make the Hall of Fame and shouldn't be forgiven for his sins, but there's no questioning his heart.

Joe GirardiIt was the year when Girardi shut up the critics, including some in his own front office, who accused him of not communicating well enough with the players and overmanaging with his Northwestern engineering degree, his ThinkPad laptop and a big, blue, 200-plus-page binder with every imaginable statistic. The New York media jumped him when he tried to play a game of cerebral chess in the American League championship series with Mike Scioscia, the revered Angels manager. But in the end, didn't Girardi win the series? Against the Phillies, he dared to go with a three-man rotation, an old-school device that hasn't been used in a World Series since the Twins in 1991. When Burnett was rocked in Game 5, the Joe-bashers were back. But his strategy made perfect sense: If you're going to pay big money for Sabathia and Burnett, and if you have the all-time postseason winner in Pettitte, why not pitch them on short rest in the final three games and let it all hang out? If the Yankees couldn't win one of those three, then they didn't deserve to be champions anyway.

They did win one of them. And when the critics chided him for using Mariano Rivera in two-inning save situations, guess what? He survived that gamble, too -- to the point RIvera, not Matsui, should have been the Series MVP. Laugh all you want at the binder, but when he was pondering the postseason roster, Girardi noticed that reliever Damaso Marte -- he of the 9.45 ERA in the regular season -- had three strikeouts in three at-bats against Howard. It wasn't the only reason he made the roster, but Girardi looks quite sharp now that Marte has been a revelation the last three weeks. Joe Torre was a god among Yankees fans. His former catcher, Girardi, not only has overcome that shadow but proved he could manage his emotions better after his embarrassing dismissal by the Marlins in 2007, a year after he was voted Manager of the Year.

"I think it would have been somewhat difficult for any manager to do, because he was here for so long -- the relationships he had with the players, the media, with everyone involved. Obviously, I understood that going in," Girardi said of Torre. "It wasn't going to be easy to replace him. I never tried to replace him. I just tried to be myself."

Torre had to deal with the daily meddling of Boss George. Girardi has avoided that burden thanks to Cashman and Steinbrenner's sons, who let the manager manage. "I think for me, pressures always came from within, because I want it really bad," said Girardi, who wore No. 27 all year in hopes it would help inspire title No. 27. "I want it for the organization, I want it for Mr. Steinbrenner and his family, and I want it for the guys in that room."

It also was a year when these spectacular-priced stars, who didn't have to like each other, genuinely formed a bond of love. Girardi was ridiculed early in spring training when he hired a bus one night to take the team to a Tampa pool hall. But these are human beings, believe it or not, and Girardi helped succeed in melding personalities. A-Rod used to be a loner. Now, he hangs out with the guys -- when Kate isn't around, of course. The chemistry was reflected in how they won games. When Mark Teixeira was cold in the postseason, A-Rod picked him up. When A-Rod was sidelined early, Jeter and Johnny Damon carried the club. Yes, the Yankees are the Best Team Money Can Buy. But the Core Four, as they're called -- Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera and Jorge Posada -- formed a foundation that is almost unheard of in modern sports. They've been around for 13 years and five championships, and Jeter and Rivera will be first-ballot Hall of Famers. This team could have gone south after Rodriguez's turbulent spring, but the veteran leadership refused to let A-Rod sulk through the season and bring down the cause. The culture helped him immensely. Because they carried him emotionally, he carried them with his bat. They are not dummies, these Yankees.

There was a sense in the Bronx air, after midnight, that the inevitable finally happened after a nine-year delay. "When you add the top three free agents," Damon said of Sabathia, Teixiera and Burnett, "you should get better." Still, the Yankees never fail to give us intrigue, conversation pieces, controversy and, for the first time since 2004, good TV ratings in the postseason. America needs this franchise playing in the autumn, for love or hate purposes, and it's good to see they're back.

Even if the payroll is hideous and a watered-down beer costs $10.


Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Not the American Dream, but Give Yankees Props originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>alex rodriguezgeorge steinbrennerhideki matsuijoe girardiJay MariottiThu, 05 Nov 2009 02:05:00 EST Yankee Fans Delight on Streets of N.Y.http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankee-fans-delight-on-streets-of-n-y/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankee-fans-delight-on-streets-of-n-y/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/yankee-fans-delight-on-streets-of-n-y/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Yankee fans celebrateNEW YORK (AP) -- Hundreds of Yankees fans poured into the streets of New York early Thursday to celebrate the team's 27th World Series championship, a party that extended uptown and began building hours earlier when the crowd at Yankee Stadium danced and sang to the music even before the first pitch.

Fans in Yankees jerseys and hats who watched the 7-3 victory over Philadelphia at sports bar Stout spilled out onto 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues early Thursday in Manhattan. Greeted by an NYPD van, several patrol cars with lights flashing and officers standing on street corners, they remained well-behaved.

New York City police said there were no early reports of disturbances related to the Yankees victory.

A ticker-tape parade and ceremony to honor the team has been scheduled for Friday.

Outside the team's $1.5 billion ballpark in the Bronx, 16-year-old Ryan Wessel of Somers, N.Y., bought two Yankees hat right after the game. He reveled in the team's win, underscored by Hideki Matsui's record-tying six RBIs. Matsui was named World Series MVP.

"He definitely should have gotten it," Wessel said. "He's my favorite player."

Fans at Stout yelled, "MVP! MVP! MVP!" every time Matsui came to bat.

The three-level bar was packed most of Wednesday evening with fans from as far away as San Diego hanging on every pitch as they watched Game 6 on flat-screen televisions.

"It's phenomenal," said Robert Christiansen, 41, of Malverne, N.Y. "It's all you can ask for."

When Yankees left-hander Damaso Marte struck out Phillies second baseman Chase Utley on three pitches with two runners on to end the top of the seventh inning, a sense of relief overcame the packed house at Stout.

The crowd responded to the strikeout by chanting: "Yankees! Yankees! Yankees!"

Gabriel Ortega, 28, a credit card executive from San Diego, called it "an extraordinary game; it's keeping us on our toes."

"We love Matsui," said Ortega.

Fans had waited nine years since the team's last World Series win, a Subway Series against their crosstown rivals, the Mets, in 2000.

Some were quick to note that before the series began, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had predicted a Philadelphia victory in five games.

But it was a quiet night on Broad Street in Philadelphia, where thousands of fans partied when the Phillies won the National League championship.

There were no postgame troubles in the city early Thursday, Philadelphia police spokesman Officer Stephen Malen said.

At Yankee Stadium, the stands trembled after each key hit.

A television blimp circled above the stadium during the entire game, and at one point the electronic lettering on the side beamed "Lisa, will you marry me? Love John."

The blimp circled the stadium again, and on the next round it brought the answer: She said "yes."

By VIRGINIA BYRNE, AP

Associated Press writer Verena Dobnik in New York City contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Yankee Fans Delight on Streets of N.Y. originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>hideki matsuiFanHouse NewswireThu, 05 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST Hideki Matsui Named World Series MVPhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/hideki-matsui-named-world-series-mvp/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/hideki-matsui-named-world-series-mvp/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/hideki-matsui-named-world-series-mvp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hideki MatsuiHideki Matsui was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2009 World Series after a record-setting performance in the decisive Game 6.

Matsui drove in six of the Yankees' seven runs in their World Series-clinching victory, staking New York to an early lead with a two-run homer off of Pedro Martinez in the second inning and falling a triple short of the cycle. His six RBI were the most by any player in a World Series clincher. Five others -- including Reggie Jackson -- held the record of five RBI previously.

"It's awesome," Matsui said through a translator of his achievement. "Unbelievable. I'm surprised myself.

"It's certainly different. All I can say right now is I feel great," he added.

Due to be a free agent this winter, Matsui is the first native of Japan to win the award -- yet another milestone as Japanese players begin to lay their roots in the major leagues.

Asked whether he would return to the Yankees next season, Matsui, 35, sounded optimistic.

"I hope so. I hope it works out that way," he said. "I love New York, I love the Yankees."

The Yankees will look to get younger this offseason, so Matsui may not fit into their plans, particularly with some of their other veterans like Jorge Posada headed for more DH duty down the line. It will certainly be a lot harder to let him hit the open market after his performance throughout the 2009 season, but particularly in the playoffs.

Matsui is only the second designated hitter to win World Series MVP after Paul Molitor, who won it with the Blue Jays in 1993.

Molitor played three games at DH, two at first base and one at third base in that series, but Matsui did not start any games for the Yankees when the series shifted to Philadelphia (where National League rules were in play) for Games 3, 4 and 5, being relegated to pinch-hitting duty instead.

Matsui hit .615 in the series, with three home runs and eight RBI.

Hideki Matsui Named World Series MVP originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Hideki MatsuiAndrew JohnsonThu, 05 Nov 2009 00:13:00 EST Yankees Capture 27th World Series Titlehttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/yankees-capture-27th-world-series-title/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/yankees-capture-27th-world-series-title/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/yankees-capture-27th-world-series-title/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Yankees Capture 27th World Series Title
NEW YORK (AP) -- Paint the town in pinstripes! Nearly a decade after their dynasty ended on a blooper in the desert, the New York Yankees are baseball's best again.

Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs, Andy Pettitte won on short rest and New York beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 on Wednesday night, finally seizing that elusive 27th title - the most in all of sports.

It was the team's first since winning three straight from 1998-2000.
Mariotti: Not the American Dream, but Give Yankees Props
Fletcher: Phillies Abdicate Throne | Moore: Yanks Quit Playing Games
Price: Uncertain Future for N.Y. Trio | Olson: Phillies Fade Into Night
Box Score | Matsui MVP | A-Rod Finally a Champ | Fans Rejoice in Victory

Matsui, the Series MVP, powered a quick rout of old foe Pedro Martinez. And when Mariano Rivera got the final out, it was ecstasy in the Bronx for George Steinbrenner's go-for-broke bunch.

What a way for Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and crew to christen their $1.5 billion ballpark: One season, one championship.

And to think it capped a season that started in turmoil -- a steroids scandal involving A-Rod, followed by hip surgery that kept him out until May.

"My teammates, coaches and the organization stood by me and now we stand here as world champions," Rodriguez said. "We're going to enjoy it, and we're going to party!"

During postgame ceremonies on the field, the big video board in center flashed: "Boss, this is for you." And commissioner Bud Selig dedicated the moment to Steinbrenner.

About 100 miles south, disappointment.

For Chase Utley and the Phillies, it was a frustrating end to another scintillating season. Philadelphia fell two wins short of becoming the first NL team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.

Ryan Howard's sixth-inning homer came too late to wipe away his World Series slump, and Phillies pitchers rarely managed to slow Matsui and the Yankees' machine.

"It's important in our next couple years to stay afloat," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I know we can do better."

In a fitting coincidence, this championship came eight years to the day after the Yankees lost Game 7 of the 2001 World Series in Arizona on Luis Gonzalez's broken-bat single off Rivera.

New York spent billions trying to get back. At long last, it did.

"We're looking forward to this parade," Jeter said.

Hey Babe and Yogi, Mr. October and Joltin' Joe -- you've got company. Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and a new generation of Yankees have procured their place in pinstriped lore.

And for the four amigos, it was ring No. 5.

Jorge Posada, Jeter, Pettitte and Rivera came up together through the minors and were cornerstones for those four titles in five years starting in 1996.

Now, all on the other side of age 35, they have another success to celebrate. And surely they remember the familiar parade route, up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes.

Indeed, a New York City-sized party is next. Nine years in the making, with all the glitz and glamour this tony town can offer.

"You never know when you're going to get back here," Posada said.

Carrying flags that read 2009 World Series champions, Joba Chamberlain and Nick Swisher led a victory lap around the warning track. Players high-fived fans, then sprayed bubbly behind the mound.

For the 79-year-old Steinbrenner, who has been in declining health, it was the seventh championship since he bought the team in 1973.

Though he stayed back home in Tampa, Fla., he certainly wasn't forgotten. The grounds crew wore "Win it for The Boss" shirts last week, which were on sale outside the ballpark Wednesday.

New York wasted its chance to wrap things up in Game 5 at Philadelphia, then set its sights on clinching the World Series at home for the first time since 1999.

While nine years between titles is hardly a drought for most teams, it was almost an eternity in Yankeeland.

New York's eight seasons without a championship was the third-longest stretch for the Yankees since their first one, following gaps of 17 (1979-95) and 14 (1963-76).

Reggie Jackson's three homers in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers made the Yankees champs in '77. On this November night, Matsui delivered a sublime performance at the plate that must have made Mr. October proud.

"It's awesome," Matsui said through a translator. "Unbelievable. I'm surprised myself."

By the Numbers
27
World Series championships by the New York Yankees
6
RBI by Hideki Matsui in the decisive sixth game -- a record for a World Series-clinching victory
1.57 Billion
Approximate dollars spent by the Yankees on payroll since their last World Series title in 2000
.373
Alex Rodriguez's batting average in the 2009 postseason. He also had six home runs and 18 RBI. In his previous four postseason trips with the Yankees, Rodriguez hit .245
19
Combined World Series rings won by the Yankees' core four of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera
Playing perhaps his final game with the Yankees, Matsui hit a two-run homer off Martinez in the second inning and a two-run single on an 0-2 pitch in the third.

A slumping Teixeira added an RBI single in the fifth off reliever Chad Durbin, and Matsui cracked a two-run double off the right-center fence against lefty J.A. Happ.

A designated hitter with balky knees, Matsui came off the bench in all three games at Philadelphia. Still, he had a huge Series, going 8 for 13 (.615) with three homers and eight RBIs. His go-ahead shot off an effective Martinez in Game 2 helped the Yankees tie it 1-all.

Bobby Richardson was the only other player with six RBIs in a World Series game, doing it for the Yankees in Game 3 against Pittsburgh in 1960. Richardson had a first-inning grand slam and a two-run single in the fourth.

Matsui's big hits built a comfortable cushion for a feisty Pettitte, who shouted at plate umpire Joe West while coming off the field in the fourth. Still, Pettitte extended major league records with his 18th postseason win and sixth to end a series.

The 37-year-old left-hander, pitching on three days' rest, became the first pitcher to start and win the clincher in all three postseason rounds. He beat Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels in the AL playoffs.

Pettitte lasted 5 2-3 innings, allowing three runs, four hits and five walks. Chamberlain and Damaso Marte combined for 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief before Rivera secured the final five outs.

It had been nearly a half-century since players had won five titles with one team. The last to do it? Of course a bunch of Yankees: Yogi Berra (10 titles), Mickey Mantle (seven) and Whitey Ford (six) in 1962, according to STATS LLC.

For Joe Girardi, a three-time Yankees champion as a player, it was the fulfillment of a mission. When he succeeded Joe Torre in October 2007, Girardi chose uniform No. 27, putting his quest on his back for all to see. His tenure didn't start out so well, with New York missing the playoffs in its final season at old Yankee Stadium following 13 consecutive appearances.

Steinbrenner's well-paid players hadn't soaked themselves in bubbly after the season since Bernie Williams gloved Mike Piazza's midnight flyout at Shea Stadium to win the 2000 Subway Series and cap the Yankees' third straight championship and fourth in five years.

Two outs from winning in 2001, the Yankees stumbled in the desert. New York then spent more than $1.6 billion after that trying to regain glory, falling short with infamous flops such as Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano.

But last offseason the Yankees got smart, adding a trio of top free agents -- Teixeira, Sabathia and A.J. Burnett -- for $423.5 million. They jelled with Rodriguez, the game's highest-paid player but a winner for the first time in 16 major league seasons.

Notes: Howard set a World Series record with 13 strikeouts. ... Jeter batted .423 in the Series. ... Teixeira had been 2 for 20 before his RBI single in the fifth. ... It was the fourth time Rivera got the final out of a World Series. ... Yankees LF Johnny Damon left after three innings with a strained right calf. ... All-Star CF Shane Victorino was in Philadelphia's lineup despite an injured index finger. Victorino was hit on the right hand by A.J. Burnett's fastball early in Game 5 and removed in the eighth inning.

By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Yankees Capture 27th World Series Title originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>alex rodriguezAndy Pettittecc sabathiaderek jetergeorge steinbrennerHideki Matsuijoe girardijohnny damonmariano riveraFanHouse NewswireWed, 04 Nov 2009 23:50:00 EST World Series Game 6 Live Chathttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/world-series-game-6-live-chat/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/world-series-game-6-live-chat/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/world-series-game-6-live-chat/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Shane VictorinoAs if the first Game 6 in the World Series in six years wasn't enough to whet your appetite, it's Pedro Martinez in the Bronx, Round 2, on Thursday night. Oh, there's a championship on the line as well as the Yankees try for the second time to win their 27th championship.

Yes, there will be no shortage of drama as the Fall Classic returns to Yankee Stadium, and the MLB FanHouse crew will be here to take you from the first pitch to the final out and beyond.

Will the Yankees celebrate or will the Phillies deliver the best thing all of sports -- a Game 7? Join us after the jump, starting at 7:45 PM ET for a LIVE chat as we find out.

World Series Game 6 Live Chat originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Andrew JohnsonWed, 04 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST Some Chin Music for Chase Utley?http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/some-chin-music-for-chase-utley/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/some-chin-music-for-chase-utley/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/some-chin-music-for-chase-utley/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Chase Utley World SeriesPhillies second baseman Chase Utley is having quite the World Series. The perennial All-Star is hitting .333 with five home runs, eight RBI and a disgusting 1.651 OPS. Needless to say, he's as locked in as anyone in the series. Four of those round-trippers came in the two Phillies victories (two in each), which illustrates the point that it is paramount for the Yankees to stop him in order to win Game 6.

Doing so is easier said than done, but former Yankees pitcher and World Series Champion David Wells has an idea: a little old fashioned "chin music."
Chase Utley needs to kiss the Yankee Stadium dirt tonight.

Enough is enough, already. I would never advocate throwing at somebody's head, but there comes a time when you've got to make an insanely hot hitter like Utley squirm.
This was written by Wells himself in a column for the New York Post. He also uses the statement, "Show some guts and knock him on his butt," and discusses the fact that five Yankees hitters have been hit with a pitch while only one Phillies hitter has suffered the same fate.

Wells does point out that, once brushing Utley back, he needs to be pitched outside, "like he's Babe Ruth."

I don't want to completely argue with Wells, as he's an accomplished former major league pitcher with some rings (plus, he threw a perfect game half-drunk!), because I can see the value of brushing someone back off the plate and messing with their comfort zone.

But, instead of chancing automatically putting Utley on base in the first inning of a pivotal Game 6, shouldn't they at least broach the philosophy of not feeding him fastballs in the strike zone? Or at least not directly down the middle of the plate? I understand the menacing presence of Ryan Howard is in the on-deck circle protecting Utley, but Howard's doing his best impersonation of a real-life Pedro Cerrano right now (.158 average, World Series record-tying 12 strikeouts, looks overmatched against breaking pitches).

I'd rather walk Utley with four breaking pitches out of the strike zone -- in hopes he goes fishing and gets himself out -- than take the chance of hitting him with a pitch in order to prove some sort of point. Boomer obviously disagrees. We'll find out the Yankees' decision Wednesday evening.

Some Chin Music for Chase Utley? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>chase utleyChaseUtleydavid wellsDavidWellsryan howardRyanHowardMatt SnyderWed, 04 Nov 2009 09:10:00 EST Older, Wiser, Better? Pedro vs. Pettittehttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/older-wiser-better-its-pedro-vs-pettitte/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/older-wiser-better-its-pedro-vs-pettitte/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/older-wiser-better-its-pedro-vs-pettitte/#commentsFiled under: , ,


NEW YORK -- Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte both used the same word to describe how they felt about getting the assignment to pitch Game 6 of the World Series: "Blessed."

Martinez, understanding the similarities between the pitchers go beyond their statistical resumes, added another description: "Two old goats out there doing the best they can and having fun with it."

With the Yankees looking to close out their 27th World Series title on Wednesday night, they'll turn to the 37-year-old Pettitte, while the Phillies will lean on 38-year-old Martinez to try to force a Game 7. The matchup would have plenty of drama because of the situation in the series, but it certainly has an added bit of texture because of what could be the final major league game for either or both of these iconic pitchers.
More Coverage: Playoff Pulse | Phillies Take Game 5 | Short Rest Issues?

Martinez and Pettitte have each seen better days, but neither is a has-been. Martinez pitched brilliantly in one of his playoff starts this year, and pretty well in the other, in Game 2 of the World Series. Pettitte is 3-0 with a 3.24 ERA in four playoff starts, including victories in both of the Yankees clinchers so far this postseason.

Both are pitching well -- on the biggest stage -- at a time when their careers each looked as if it might be over, which is why they both said they feel "blessed."

Pettitte considered retiring two years ago, before returning to the Yankees, specifically because he wanted to try to win another championship.

"I just feel very blessed, very fortunate to be able to have this opportunity," Pettitte said Tuesday.

Follow Jeff Fletcher Martinez had not publicly said he was considering retirement, but it may have been forced upon him. He sat out the first half of the season, waiting for a team that made him what he deemed a suitable offer. Just when he may have been ready to slip out of the collective consciousness of Major League Baseball, Martinez signed with the Phillies at the All-Star break. Since then, he's pitched better than just about anyone could have imagined.

"I look at this situation as a blessing," Martinez said. "I mean, what else would I want? I'm doing the job I love. I'm doing something not everybody gets to do. If you consider the fact that I was, two months back, sitting at home not doing anything. None of you were thinking of me whatsoever. None of you were asking me questions, and today I am here, probably pitching one of the biggest games ever in the World Series."

Further adding intrigue to the matchup, Martinez has said that he will probably retire if the Phillies win the World Series, and there's a reasonable chance that Pettitte might call it quits if the Yankees win.

Before that, though, there is the matter of this game, which will be not be decided by a debate about career totals amassed over the past 15-plus years, but by which pitcher can bring more to the table on this November night at Yankee Stadium.

Each faces some issues.

Pettitte will be pitching on three days' rest for the first time since 2006. The issue of a pitcher's rest between starts has been debated ad nauseam throughout this World Series, punctuated by CC Sabathia's success and A.J. Burnett's failure. Pettitte, though, is older than both of them, so it remains to be seen how his arm will react.

"I really don't think there's that big of a difference ... I guess you'd probably fatigue a little bit quicker than you normally would, just because your body gets so into a routine of pitching on every fifth day and then you're shortening your rest time a little bit," Pettitte said.



Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said all postseason that the Yankees limited their pitchers' workload in September specifically so they could pitch them on short rest in the playoffs, if necessary. He hasn't really had much of a choice -- Chad Gaudin is the No. 4 starter -- about sticking to his big three. Girardi said he'll be watching Pettitte closely, but the signs that he may be losing it are no different, whether he's on three or four days' rest: lack of velocity, lack of command. Pettitte said he felt like he had nothing in his previous start, on six days' rest, and he still pitched well enough to win, so that's encouraging for the Yankees.

As for Martinez, he is pitching on five days' rest, but that's still short compared to what he has been doing. His previous three starts, including his final one of the regular season, were on at least 10 days of rest.

"I've got no choice but to expect that it will help me," Martinez said of the more typical rest time. "I feel really good. I feel like I had enough time to rest, plus the previous two outings with all those days, I guess this is just a makeup for all those days of rest I had."

Tale of the Tape

Pedro
 Pettitte
Regular season
 219-100, 2.93
 229-135, 3.91
Postseason
 6-3, 3.22
 17-10, 3.91
World Series titles
 1
 4
Cy Youngs 3
 0
All-Star Games 2
 		8
Age
 38
 37
Martinez is also going to be asked to pitch against the same team in back-to-back starts for the first time all season. While that may not have been a big deal to him when he was 28 and firing 97 mph fastballs, now that he has to rely on trickery, it may be even more difficult to confuse a lineup of veteran hitters a second time in a week.

"It's such a good team, you just go out there and do the best you can, adjust to the moment as they develop and pray that you do an acceptable job and come out of it healthy," Martinez said. "That's all you can do."

Martinez used an array of slow, slower and slowest -- rarely hitting 90 mph -- to hold down the Yankees for six-plus innings in Game 2.

"I expect it to be more of what he did last time, mixing up pitches," said Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long. "Hopefully he doesn't bounce back as well. You feed off emotion, and a lot of guys it's hard to come back and be as good as they were the prior outing if they're maxed out. He was really into that last game, so hopefully it drained him a little bit."

Both pitchers will definitely need to rely on their wits and experience to wade through the opponents' powerful lineups in this game.

When it's over, we'll see which one was more "blessed," after all.
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Older, Wiser, Better? Pedro vs. Pettitte originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>andy pettittepedro martinezJeff FletcherTue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST Yankees Need More Hits, Fewer Excuses From Teixeira, Canohttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/yankees-need-more-hits-fewer-excuses-from-teixeira-cano/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/yankees-need-more-hits-fewer-excuses-from-teixeira-cano/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/yankees-need-more-hits-fewer-excuses-from-teixeira-cano/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mark Teixeira New York Yankees World SeriesNEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui couldn't be a big part of the Yankees offense the past three World Series games because there was no DH for the games in Philadelphia.

As for Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, what's their excuse?

Actually, Teixeira was glad to offer up an excuse.

"Unfortunately, during these playoffs, it's been tough to get into a rhythm," Teixeira (hitting .172 in the postseason) said Tuesday before the Yankees worked out. "When you're in a rhythm during the season, you're going to fail seven out of 10 times. When you're not in a rhythm, you're going to fail a lot more than that. And unfortunately for me, that's kind of been the case right now."
More Coverage: Playoff Pulse | Phillies Take Game 5 | Short Rest Issues?

Oh, so it's all those off days in the postseason schedule. Even though the Yankees played five of the past six days.

Funny, Derek Jeter, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley don't seem bothered.

"I'm not going to make any excuses, because everyone's got to deal with it," Teixeira went on, before returning to his excuse. "But it hasn't been easy. It definitely hasn't been easy.

"You have more time so you watch more tape, you take more batting practice. Maybe that works against you, I don't know. Maybe during the season when you're a little tired, when you just kind of just go out there and play the game because you've played 20 games in a row, your natural ability just takes over."

So, of course, Teixeira was the first one in the indoor batting cage Tuesday and, according to hitting coach Kevin Long, took even more swings than he has lately.

And then, there's that darn postseason schedule again.

"I don't make excuses, I'm not going to make excuses, because everyone has to deal with it," Teixeira said. "But being a switch-hitter, being a guy that kind of lives off hot streaks, lives off rhythm, it doesn't help.

"Over a 162-game schedule, the approach that I've had my entire career has always worked. When you play a game here, a day off, two games, day off, four days off -- sometimes that approach doesn't work."

Despite being 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position this postseason, Teixeira does have seven RBI, since four of his 10 hits have been for extra bases.

"I hope he comes up in a big situation," Long said. "The hits that he's got have been big ones.

"He's not down. He's not not himself. He's just got to keep plugging away. There's really no secret remedy."

The Yankees offense, by their standards, has been OK through five games, averaging five runs a game. And they lead the series 3-2. But there's no doubt the Yankees could use more production from Teixeira and Cano.

" 'Tex,' he's struggled a little bit," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's had some big hits, had a big hit [in Game 5, an eighth-inning double] that kind of got us going, got us back in the game. I felt good about him, and I felt Robby swung the bat pretty well last night, and I feel good about him."

Those two ranked first and fourth, respectively, in the AL in total bases for the regular season. But Cano is 3-for-18 with no walks and one RBI in the World Series while Teixeira is batting .105, with seven strikeouts on 19 at-bats.

"I'm not going to make any excuses, because everyone's got to deal with it. But it hasn't been easy. It definitely hasn't been easy."
-- Mark Teixeira "Maybe I'm expanding the [strike] zone a little bit -- I don't know," he said. "Maybe I'm trying to do too much."

Cano has definitely been chasing, and he admitted it.

"I feel I was a little off," he said. "I was trying to hit everything way out front, not waiting. I feel much better right now."

Cano did hit the ball hard a couple of times in Game 5, including a single to center.

"Last game was very good," Long said. "The two games prior to that, he got a little out of whack -- as everybody does."

After the rest of the team finished batting practice Tuesday, the always inventive Long set up a special drill for Cano, Nick Swisher and Freddy Guzman.

For 23 minutes, as Long flipped balls underhand from about 20 feet away, the hitters took their swings while a large screen was placed across home plate (running toward the mound), leaving about two-thirds of the plate for the swing.

That forced the hitters to keep their hands in toward their body through their swings so the bat wouldn't hit the screen.

"Something we've been doing with Robby all year when he kind of gets a little funky," Long said.

If Cano and Teixeira don't break out, perhaps Matsui will add a boost.

Despite being limited to one pinch-hit plate appearance in each of the three games in Philadelphia (going 2-for-3 with a solo homer), Matsui leads the team with 11 total bases for the Series. He is slugging 1.222 and the rest of the club has a .348 slugging percentage (the team had a .478 mark in the regular season).

"Getting Matsui back is always important to our lineup," Girardi said. "He's been a huge hitter in our lineup during the course of the year, a great RBI guy, big hits, home runs. So that's a very good thing."

Something else the Yankees could bring back: a killer instinct.

Twice this postseason, in Games 5 of the ALCS and World Series, they have had a chance to clinch and lost. And since the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees are 2-7 when they need a win to wrap up a series.

Contrast that to the 1996-2000 dynasty Yankees, who were 12-4 when needing one win to clinch. Of the 13 postseason series they played in those years, the Yankees closed out 10 as soon as they got within a win of clinching.

They have lost their last three possible World Series clinchers, inclduing Games 6-7 in 2001, after having won five straight such games.

"I think there is a killer instinct," Girardi said. "We were down 8-2 [in Game 5] and we were right back in the game. To me if you don't have a killer instinct you go home and lose the game 8-2. You don't take your at-bats seriously, you don't take the pitches seriously. So I think there is a killer instinct in that clubhouse.

"We lost a game. That's going to happen. We're playing a very good team."
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Yankees Need More Hits, Fewer Excuses From Teixeira, Cano originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Mark TeixeiraRobinson CanoEd PriceTue, 03 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST Hamels Earns Manuel's Trust for Possible Game 7http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/hamels-earns-manuels-trust-for-possible-game-7/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/hamels-earns-manuels-trust-for-possible-game-7/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/hamels-earns-manuels-trust-for-possible-game-7/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cole HamelsNEW YORK -- Cole Hamels may still have to fight a public perception that he's not ready to pitch a possible Game 7 of the World Series, but his manager apparently has no qualms about giving him the ball.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel isn't saying whether Hamels would pitch that game, but he said on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium that he is convinced that the flap over a Hamels comment following Game 3 was overblown or misunderstood.

"He came in and talked to me [Monday] night, and we sat in there for 10 or 15 minutes and we talked about some of the things that were said, and I felt very good about it, really," Manuel said. "I know Hamels. I've been a Hamels guy ever since I seen him pitch in Lakewood and when I first came to work here. I never, ever -- I want you to listen to this -- never ever questioned his mental toughness because he's just as tough as anybody on our team."
More Coverage: Playoff Pulse | Phillies Take Game 5 | Short Rest Issues?

Manuel isn't ready to say who would pitch Game 7, because the Phillies aren't there yet, but he didn't rule out Hamels.

"I'm not hesitant to pitch him no time, but we've got [Game 6] to play," Manuel said. "I'm not going to say who's going to pitch. Cole Hamels can pitch for me any time."

Manuel also said that the reported confrontation between Hamels and Brett Myers was misinterpreted.

"You say 'Manny being Manny, well that was 'Brett being Brett,' " Manuel said. "Brett likes to throw that jab at you, and sometimes it doesn't matter who's around. I think people when they hear that, sometimes they don't know how to take it. And I think that's what happened."

There was a report on Monday night that Hamels and Myers needed to be separated, but another reporter who witnessed the exchange said it was not heated. Myers on Tuesday apologized for the poor timing of his comment to Hamels.

The controversy began after Game 3, when Hamels said "I can't wait for the season to end. It's been mentally draining." Hamels explained after Game 5 that the comment was misinterpreted, and he still wanted to pitch, to redeem himself.

All of that said, there is still no guarantee that Hamels would get the ball in a potential Game 7, even though it would be his turn in the rotation.

Even if Hamels has the right attitude and mental toughness, his stuff still may be an issue. He has struggled with his curveball throughout the postseason. Often he's been able to get through the lineup once or twice, but then he hits a wall.

In Game 3 against the Yankees, Hamels didn't allow a hit through the first three innings, but then he gave up five runs without getting out of the fifth. He has a 7.58 ERA in four postseason starts this year, a performance that has come after a disappointing 10-11, 4.32 record in the regular season.

The general consensus, which includes Hamels, is that last year's heavy workload -- 262 innings, including MVP awards in the NLCS and World Series -- contributed to him doing too little work in the offseason. That caused him to start slowly, and created a cycle in which poor performance led to frustration, which led to more poor performances.

Hamels Earns Manuel's Trust for Possible Game 7 originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>brett myerscharlie manuelcole hamelsphilliesyankeesJeff FletcherTue, 03 Nov 2009 19:08:00 EST Joba Chamberlain's Mother Facing Prisonhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/joba-chamberlains-mother-facing-prison/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/joba-chamberlains-mother-facing-prison/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/joba-chamberlains-mother-facing-prison/#commentsFiled under:

Joba Chamberlain mother New York YankeesAs the Yankees prepare for Game 6 of the World Series at home Wednesday, short reliever (at least for the postseason) Joba Chamberlain may be a bit distracted by an off-field issue. His mother, Jackie Standley, pleaded no contest to felony drug charges Monday and is facing up to 20 years in prison.

Standley was arrested back in May after selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer and is charged with delivery of a controlled substance. She will be sentenced Dec. 16, pending recommendation from a drug and alcohol treatment center.

Chamberlain, 24, is a key cog in the Yankees' bullpen as they look to close out the Phillies for their 27th World Series championship. He has allowed just a solo home run in two World Series innings, retiring every other batter and striking out three. While he's known about his mother's arrest for a while, the news that she may be facing 20 years could have an effect on his psyche. The two have reportedly been estranged for a while, due to her drug and alcohol problems, though Chamberlain has reportedly said, "She's still my mom and I still love her."

Standley, on the other hand, is going through enough on her own that the World Series is likely far from her most pressing thoughts. She's also been in trouble for leaving threatening messages on a woman's cell phone and has admitted to not being a very good mother. For now, she'll await her lengthy jail sentence.
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Joba Chamberlain's Mother Facing Prison originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>joba chamberlainMatt SnyderTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST Playoff Pulse: It's in the Manuelhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/playoff-pulse-its-in-the-manuel/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/playoff-pulse-its-in-the-manuel/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/playoff-pulse-its-in-the-manuel/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ryan MadsonPlayoff Pulse is our morning rundown of the night that was and the night that will be during the MLB postseason.

Looking Forward ...

Much will be made in the lead-up to Game 6 of another Yankees starter -- Andy Pettitte -- going on three days' rest, assuming of course that that is officially announced Tuesday. Of course, there wasn't much of a choice for Joe Girardi.

The Phillies do have some interesting options as they head back to New York. Game 6 starter Pedro Martinez was the easy part, but you can't expect him to go all nine innings, so, especially if the Phillies have a lead, what happens then?

Ryan Madson apparently supplanted Brad Lidge in Game 5 after Lidge's meltdown in Game 4, but even though he closed out a win, Madson hardly inspired a ton of confidence, allowing three hits and an earned run.

And what happens if Philadelphia gets beyond that? Cliff Lee on two days' rest seems like the longest of shots. Cole Hamels -- the guy who is ready for the season to be over and has a 7.58 ERA in the playoffs -- hardly seems like the best option. Joe Blanton? J.A. Happ? That could be Charlie Manuel's toughest choice of all, one we're sure he'd gladly make.

In Their Own Words
"If I can steal signs, I will. I mean, if I can. That means we're definitely not. I mean, or if they do, I don't know nothing about it. Usually I do. No, we're definitely not stealing. We don't have their signs and we're not stealing their signs. But we are trying." -- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel clearing up (we think) the accusation that his club is stealing the Yankees' signs.
By the Numbers
2

Home runs allowed by Phil Coke in 2/3 of a inning of work in Game 5. Coke is the first pitcher in World Series history to allow that many homers in an appearance and not record at least three outs. -- Ed Price
More From FanHouse
Mariotti: Lee's Too Late
Fletcher: Champs Swing Away
Price: Yankees' Short Story
Looking Back ...

It looks like fans aren't the only ones who have noticed the numerous mound meetings between Yankee catchers and pitchers throughout the course of the postseason.

Major League Baseball is planning to discuss the near-constant mound meetings, which are unlimited as long as a coach or manager isn't involved, during the offseason. MLB has, at times, made a point of trying to speed up the game.

The Yankees naturally defended all the meetings, with Jorge Posada pointing out the gravity of every at-bat in the playoffs and pitching coach Dave Eiland pointing out MLB's hypocrisy on the matter.

"Don't take three minutes between innings," he said, referring to the extended commercial breaks that come with baseball in primetime on network television. "You know how many times a pitcher is standing on the mound waiting for an umpire's call to throw the first pitch?"

That's well taken, but Eiland went on to admit that the Yankees sometimes use mound conferences as a "momentum-breaker" and that while it might upset fans it's -- that old standby -- "part of the game."

Well, OK, the Yankees may care mostly about winning and being able to employ whatever methods they can to do so, but it's Major League Baseball's job to, in most facets, serve the fans. You'll be hard-pressed to find any who would miss all those strategy sessions/time-wasters.

Scout's Eye View ...

Chase Utley has, for the most part, been pitched away by the Yankees in this World Series. One has to wonder when that strategy will change as the Phillies' second baseman continues to tear apart Yankee pitching. Utley likes to crowd the plate and has the ability to lean out and hook any mistakes on the outer third of the plate. Unfortunately for the Yankees, he has not been missing even the slightest mistake.

While they have occassionally gone inside to keep him honest, New York is going to need to establish the fastball in there if they plan to slow him down. However, that will be a tough task for Andy Pettitte, a pitcher who usually lives on the outside part of the plate against left-handed hitters. To Utley's credit, the Yankees have made good pitches on him early in some counts but he just doesn't seem to be missing that one mistake. Right now, it's taking perfect pitches to put him away.

-- Frankie Piliere

Wednesday's Tale of the Tape ...

Phillies (Pedro Martinez) at Yankees (Andy Pettitte?), 7:57 PM ET: Martinez lost Game 2, but he was terrific in doing so, pitching backwards and using every ounce of guile he had to limit the powerful Yankees. Virtually every corner of Martinez's history against New York has been scoured, so what about this year's Pedro? This will be only the third time he's facing a team for the second time in 2009. In the previous two -- against the Braves and Mets -- he went 1-1 with a 2.46 ERA, so it doesn't appear he'll suffer from overexposure based on that limited sample. Pettitte will become the third straight Yankee starter to start on three days' rest. He's done it before, with success in the postseason (2.80 ERA) and hardly any at all in the regular season (4.70 ERA), but as FanHouse's Ed Price points out, the most important number of all is 29. That was the 37-year-old Pettitte's age the last time he started on short rest after throwing 100-plus pitches in his previous start.

Playoff Pulse: It's in the Manuel originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Charlie ManuelDave Eilandplayoff pulseRyan MadsonAndrew JohnsonTue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST Selling Short: Will Pettitte Be Better Than Burnett on Three Days' Rest?http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/selling-short-will-pettitte-be-better-than-burnett-on-three-day/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/selling-short-will-pettitte-be-better-than-burnett-on-three-day/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/selling-short-will-pettitte-be-better-than-burnett-on-three-day/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Andy Pettitte / A.J. BurnettPHILADELPHIA -- Ready and willing is one thing.

Able is another.

"Oh yeah," Andy Pettitte said with a definitive nod when FanHouse asked if he'd be able to pitch Game 6 of the World Series on short rest. "Whenever they tell me to pitch."

But how will it go?

CC Sabathia was fine on three days' rest in Game 4. A.J. Burnett -- less durable than Sabathia but younger than Pettitte -- was awful in Game 5.
FanHouse World Series Coverage: Mariotti | Fletcher
Game 5: Phillies 8, Yankees 6 | Box Score | Series Home

And while manager Joe Girardi stopped short of committing to Pettitte, he has no real choice, and Pettitte said, "I'm plenty up for it."

Pettitte, who started and won Saturday while throwing 104 pitches, said he threw Monday and felt fine.

So what to expect from him on Wednesday?

Pettitte is 37 with a history of elbow problems -- and he skipped a start in September with "shoulder fatigue."

Of course, he is the all-time leader in postseason wins, and he has made five playoff starts on three days' rest, going 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA in them.

In his 12 regular-season starts on short rest (not counting those following a relief outing), Pettitte is 2-6 with a 4.70 ERA. The most recent of those games was Sept. 30, 2006, for Houston.

But perhaps the most germane fact is this: Pettitte has not come back to start three days after throwing 100 or more pitches since July 19, 2001.

When he was 29 years old.

And in that game, at Detroit, he allowed seven runs on 10 hits in four innings.

Girardi said he would check with Pettitte during Tuesday's workout at Yankee Stadium before committing to him in Game 6.

"Physically I've got to see how he is," Girardi said. "He threw a side [session] today and felt good. But I'll check with him tomorrow."

Girardi said his decision would be based solely on Pettitte's state and would not factor in Burnett's struggles Monday.

"If Andy physically feels good, he's going to go on Wednesday," Girardi said. "This is something that we talked about all throughout. We check with our guys.

Pedro Martinez vs. Andy Pettitte head-to-head (all regular season, all Red Sox vs. Yankees, have never faced each other in postseason):
Date Pedro Pettitte
5/31/98 (@NY) W, 5.2 IP, 4 R L, 2.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R
9/10/99 (@NY) W, 9 IP, 1 ER, 17 K L, 6 IP, 2 R
6/10/00 (@Bos) L, 8 IP, 3 R, 9 SO W, 7.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R
9/9/00 (@Bos) L, 7 IP, 3 R, 9 SO W, 8 IP, 1 R
8/30/03 (@Bos) L, 4 IP, 9 H, 5 R W, 7 IP, 4 R, 7 SO
9/5/03 (@NY) W, 6 IP, 1 R, 9 SO L, 2.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R
TOTALS 3-3, 3.86 ERA 3-3, 5.88 ERA
"If he feels good, he's going."

Burnett said he felt good, but this is what he did Monday: two-plus innings, six runs, four hits, four walks and a hit batter.

After beginning the third inning by going walk-walk-single-single he spent the rest of the inning in the dugout hanging his head.

"I let 25 guys down," he said later, "and I let the city down."

Burnett threw 28 strikes and 25 balls and started nine of 15 batters with a strike -- a far cry from his Game 2 outing, when the Phillies were looking for fastballs, and got them, but didn't attack because Burnett was putting them on the corners at 95 mph.

Not so in Game 5.

"I didn't throw strikes," he said.

Girardi said he didn't think there was "any correlation" between Burnett's short rest and his outing, the shortest by a World Series starter since Roger Clemens in 2005.

"He just lacked command tonight," Girardi said, "similar to what he did in [Game 5 of the ALCS in] Anaheim. But he was able to recover better there. Tonight he just wasn't able to get it going."

Said Burnett: "No, I felt good. I felt strong. It was a matter of locating pitches, and I didn't do that."


Asked if the short rest might have affected his command, Burnett said, "I don't think so. ... I felt great in the [bullpen]. I was throwing strikes in the 'pen. I just didn't get it done in the game.

"I just couldn't get the ball where I wanted to. Everything was up. I had no hook [curve] tonight."

Who really knows when short rest is a factor? All we can really tell is Sabathia seems built to do it when necessary, because of his frame. Whether short rest caused Burnett to implode is impossible to tell.

So we have no idea what to expect from Pettitte.

And it will almost certainly be Pettitte, because Plan B is Chad Gaudin -- who has thrown one competitive inning and 13 pitches in the past month.

So the Yankees will try to become the first team since the 1991 Twins to win the World Series with a three-man postseason rotation.

The Yankees are in this situation because, even with a $200 million payroll, they don't have a reliable fourth starter.

Chien-Ming Wang got hurt, Phil Hughes was too valuable in the bullpen (until the postseason) to move back to a starting role and the self-imposed innings limit on Joba Chamberlain screwed him up in so many ways -- pitch selection, aggressiveness and length of outings late in the season -- that he wasn't a starting option in the playoffs.

Thus Pettitte will become the third straight Yankees starter going on three days' rest.

And the Yankees need a long outing from him, since their relievers other than Mariano Rivera have allowed 34 hits and walked 11 in 28 1/3 innings.

If Pettitte isn't up to the task Wednesday, then there will be a Game 7.

With Sabathia starting.

On short rest, of course.
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Selling Short: Will Pettitte Be Better Than Burnett on Three Days' Rest? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>A.J. BurnettAndy PettitteJoe GirardiEd PriceTue, 03 Nov 2009 01:57:00 EST World Series Game 5 Live Chathttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/world-series-game-5-live-chat/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/world-series-game-5-live-chat/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/world-series-game-5-live-chat/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Phillies FansIt's now or never for the Philadelphia Phillies, who, for the first time in the last two postseasons, face elimination in Game 5 of the World Series Monday night at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

The defending champs will have the raucous Philadelphia crowd on their side as well as ace Cliff Lee, who has been virtually unhittable so far in the playoffs, but they'll have to tangle with A.J. Burnett, who shut them down in Game 2, and the rest of a Yankees team that can smell its first title since 2000.

Join the MLB FanHouse crew after the jump for a LIVE chat throughout Game 5. The festivities start at 7:45 PM ET.

World Series Game 5 Live Chat originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Andrew JohnsonMon, 02 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST Philly Paper Isn't Into Waiting Around For Actual World Series Resultshttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/philly-paper-isnt-into-waiting-around-for-actual-world-series-r/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/philly-paper-isnt-into-waiting-around-for-actual-world-series-r/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/philly-paper-isnt-into-waiting-around-for-actual-world-series-r/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Excited for the fifth game of the World Series on Monday night? Sorry to burst your bubble, but the cat is already out of the bag. The Phillies win. They win Game 6 on Wednesday night, too. And in an epic battle of baseball goodness that your grandchildren will tire of hearing you talk about, they win Game 7 and repeat as world champions.

I'm not making predictions here, people, this is all true. Why else would the Philadelphia Inquirer be running ads, via PhillyTalk.com, advertising a sale on T-shirts and other memorabilia celebrating the momentous occasion hours after Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez teamed up to beat Brad Lidge and give the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the World Series?

Oh, right. It's because someone in the advertising department drank way too much on Halloween and screwed up royally sometime on Sunday. Somewhere Harry Truman is smiling and beating Thomas Dewey all over again.

The Inquirer has apologized for the mistake and reminded their readers that Macy's, the store offering the fanciful attire, is "a great corporate citizen, supporter of this region and our sports teams." I bet they claim to be big supporters of Christmas, too, but we all know what happened when Santa Claus tried to get a job at the store.

It's easy to rip on the paper for dropping the ball on proofreading the ads during such a heated time in the city, but given the economic state of affairs for newspapers it's easy to understand why they wouldn't turn down an advertisement no matter how fraudulent the claims in it. They've gotten so much attention for this foul-up that it is easy to imagine the Washington Post running come-ons from local businesses offering specials celebrating the 2010 World Champion Nationals or several of the nation's newspapers running ads from the Franklin Mint for a limited edition set of plates commemorating Sidney Ponson's third Cy Young Award.

Philly Paper Isn't Into Waiting Around For Actual World Series Results originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Sidney PonsonSidneyPonsonJosh AlperMon, 02 Nov 2009 17:35:00 EST