New York Yankees!

2009 Post Season

AL East - Yankees (103-59)
AL Central - Twins (87-76)
Twins (87-76) beat the Tigers (86-77) in one game playin Tuesday at Minnesota
12 innings 6-5 tied at the end of the 8th 4-4-and 10th 5-5-.
AL West - Angels (97-65)
AL Wild Card - Red Sox (95-67)

NL East - Phillies - (93-69) third in a row!
NL Central - Cardinals (91-71)
NL West - Dodgers (95-67)
NL Wild Card - Rockies (92-70)
West/Wild Card come down to the next to last game!

AL Division Series
Boston vs. Los Angeles A 3-0 sweep!
Yankees 3-0 sweep! vs. Minnesota
Game 1 Yankees 7-2
A-Rod gets 2 RBI breraking an 0-20 RISP post season streak
Jeter hits a home run (18th in post season)
Game 2 Yankees 4-3 in 11 innings
This game had everything! Bad base running, late hits, bad umpiring and two clutch homers in the 9th and 11th
Burnett held the Twins to 1 run with 2 HBP and 5 walks, but survived. The Twins scored 2 more off of Hughes and Mo!
Blackburn held the Yanks to 1 hit through 5. Teixeira and A-Rod get the clutch hits/homer to tie in the 9th off of Twins closer, Nathan.
In the 10th, Posada gets a hit, Gardner pinch ran, but got doubled off thrid on a Damon line drive.
In the 11th, LF Ump blows Mauer 'double', calling it foul! Lefty 'specialist', Marte fails to get two lefies out. Robertson got out of a bases loaded no out jam to hold the game at 3-3.
Mark Teixeira, ends it with a walk off homer.
A-Rod gets 5 RBI in the two games so far.
Game 3 Yankees 4-1
Pettitte and Povano both pitched well, the Twins score 1 in the 6th, but the Yankees go ahead on two homers in the 7th.
In the 8th another Jeter defensive play: runner on second, hit up the middle, Jeter looks at third, sees the runner rounding third and throws home, Posada to A-Rod, the runner is out going back to third.
Another weird one, earlier: runner on first, fly to right, Swisher can't get it, but throws the runner out at second.
NL Division Series
Colorado (1) vs. Philadelphia (3)
Game three postponed for snow, but will Sunday night be OK?
St. Louis vs. Los Angeles D 3-0 sweep!
In the Twins/Yankees and Red Sox/Angels series, the games were won by the closers not being able to do their jobs.
Nathan lost game two and failed to contain the Yankees in game three.
Papaelbam blew the save and lost the game in the 9th for Boston.

I don't get the game times for the champion series. Both will play games in LA and the northeast. On the days that there are two games, why are the eastern games played at night in the cold and the LA games at 1:00pm Pacific Time?
AL Champion Series
Angels (2) vs. Yankees (4)
Game 1: Yankees 4-1 -
Sabathia pitches 8 innings, 1 run, Mo saves it! A-Rod gets the first RBI with a sac fly.
Game 2: Yankees - 4-3 - 13 innings
Burnett cruises through 4 and gets a 2 run lead, then loads the bases with walks and hit batters loads the bases and allows the tying run on a wild pitch.
The game goes into the 11th when Aceves finally folds and gives up the go ahead run..
But A-Rod ties the game with a homer!
And the Yankees win in the 13th on an E4 with runners on first and second. Hairston scores from second on an error and gets the pie. LOB:Yanks 12, Angels 16.
If Burnett hadn't wild pitched, the game would have ended 2-1 in nine.
Errors all over!
Game 3: Angels 5-4 in 11.
Good start, 3 Yankee homers get the lead 3-0 till the 6th, when Andy gives up a solo and 2 run homers to allow the game to be tied. With all the pitching changes made in game 2, it's a wonder Girardi left Pettete in the game. In the 7th he brings in JAP named Joba and he gives up a triple and a sac fly.
Matsui walks, Gardner runs for him and is caught stealing and then Posada hits a homer only tying the game.
Bottom of the 11th, Hughes gives up a lead off double and Mo makes a throwing error to 3rd on a sac bunt. Infield in and Tex gets the out at first and they walk Abreu. Two put outs and an assist by Tex!
Top of the 12th - nothing. Bottom of the 12th Girardi takes Robertson out for Aceves with two out and he gives up a single and double to end it. Sad managing.
Game 4: Yankees 10-1
The umpiring stinks!
Swisher called safe on a pickoff, where he was out at second. Then later at third, called out for leaving early on a sac fly, but he didn't. Is the umpire correcting a bad call.
What was Posada thinking? First he doesn't score from secod on a Cano double. Then he breaks for home on comeback to the pitcher, both he and Cano are tagged off the base at third, but the umps only call Posada out!
Later Posada forgets the outs and almost leaves the plate uncovered with a runner on third.
Gardner pinch runs again and is caught stealing again.
Cano and Cabrara finally get RBI's.
CC goes 8 innings and gives up 1 run on 5 hits! Finally an offensive outburst!
Game 5: Angels 7-6
The good news, Jeter and Damon get lead off hits. Then everything went down hill, including the pie man giving up 4 runs before he got an out.
Then little happened on either side until the 7th when the Yankees score 6 after 2 outs! Tex come through with the bases loaded and then Cano follows with a triple. Yanks up 6-4.
In fairness, Burnett had five good innings, unfortunately they were 2-6. He was bad in the first and seventh.
What is Girardi thinking?
Then Girardi leaves Burnett in and he give up a hit and a walk, then he brings in Marte.
A bunt and then a ground out and it's a 1 run game. Hughes comes in and walks the first batter. Then two more hits. Yanks down 7-6.
Mo comes in to keep it a one run game. Yanks load the bases on two walks and a hit batter, Swisher pops out to end it.
Is this a rerun of 2004? No!
Game 6: Yankees 5-2
Pettitte 6.1 innings, then JAP named Joba and Mo to close it out.
This is the Yankees 40^th World Series. The next two teams combined don't have that many.

NL Champion Series
Dodgers (1) vs. Phillies (4)

World Series
One of Three:
I 95
I 5
Cross Country via I78/70/40/10

it's an I-95 (NJTP) WS!


Phillies (2) vs.Yankees (4)
Game 1: @ Yankees - Phillies 6-1
(first post season loss at the new stadium)
CC loaded the bases in the first, but escaped. Then he set everyone else down not named Utley.
Hughes comes in and walks the first two batters. Marte gets the two lefties, but Robertson walks one and gives up a hit scoring two.
Bruney blows it open in the 9th, giving two more runs.
Jeter 3-4, but the rest of the Yankees could do nothing against Cliff Lee - complete game.
A-Rod 3 K's
Game 2: @ Yankees - Yankees 3-1
Pedro Martinez vs. AJ Burnett, both excellent, AJ left with a 2-1 lead.
Jeter tries to bunt with 2 on and no out with 2 strikes. But the umpire at first blows another call after Posada gets an RBI hit.
But the same ump blows a 1st and 2nd, 1 out and calls the double play.
A-Rod 3 more K's and 0-8. Howard 0-4 all K's
Mo gets a 39 pitch 6 out save.
Game 3: @ Phillies - Yankees 8-5
Pettite gives up 3 runs in the 2nd on a home run, a bases loaded walk and a sac fly. The sad thing is they couldn't get the pitcher out on a sac bunt attempt.
A-Rod gets out of his slump with a reviewed homer to right field, that hit the camera just over the fence.
In the 5th Pettitte gets the tying RBI and scores the go ahead run on Damon's double.
JAP named Joba and Marte each get 1-2-3 innings in the 7th and 8th. In between, Matsui gets a pinch hit homer!
Hughes comes in the 9th and gets the first out, but then a homer making it a 3 run lead.
Mo nails it on 5 pitches, but no save!
Game 4: @ Phillies - Yankees 7-4
CC is spotted 2 runs in the first, but gives one back on a double by Utley. CC finally got him out in the 3rd.
The Phillies tied it at 2-2, but the Yankees got back on top 4-2.
And Utley gets CC again. CC pitches 6.2 innings and leaves leading 4-3
This time JAP named Joba gives up a game tying homer on a 3-2 pitch after strking out the first two batters. But he strikes out the side anyway.
Phillies closer Brad Lidge comes in with the score tied in the top of the 9th. Now the wierd play of the series: with 2 out and no one on, Damon gets a hit, and with the overshift on Tex, Damon steals second with the third baseman covering second, he pops up on the slide and beats the third baseman to third getting credit for two stolen bases on one play. Then A-Rod gets a hit to put the Yankees back up 5-4. The Yankees score 2 more making it 7-4.
Mo gets an eight pitch save and Joba got the win.
Game 5: @ Phillies - Phillies 8-6
Girardi has two choices: Go with AJ Buernett (on short rest) or Chad Gaudin (hasn't pitched in weeks) against Cliff Lee, who shut the Yankees down in game 1.
Either one as the negative of the opposing pitcher. However, if Burnett loses, that leaves both Pettitte and Sabathia each on short rest to win one of the two games at the stadium. If Gaudin loses, the Yankees have Burnett on full rest for game 6 and Pettitte on full rest in game 7, with Sabathia as a back up on short rest.
What to do?
It started well, the Yankees scored a run in the first, but pieman again gave 3 back in the bottom of the inning.
Then he didn't last through the 3rd inning. So much for Burnett on three days rest!
The Yankees wind up scoring 5 runs on Lee, but Burnett and the bullpen gave up 8runs. Phillies lead 8-5 by the 8th
In the 9th, Posada and Matsui each get hits, but Jeter bounces into a double play with Posada scoring.
Deja vu - Damon gets a two out single, but Tex K's, so no A-Rod heroics!
Game 6: @ Yankees Yankees 7-3
Now the Yankees are in the positon of having to win one of two at home, but with both pitchers on three days rest.
Pettitte vs. Marinez. Matsui gets a 2 run homer and a bases loaded 2 RBI single for a 4-1 Yankee lead by the 3rd.
The Phillies score was on a center field carom played into a triple and a sac fly.
In the 5th, Matsui gets 2 more RBI on a double.
In the 6th, Andy is careful with Utley, but gives up a 2 run homer to Howard. 5.2 innings
JAP named Joba gets the 3rd out in the 6th and 2 outs in the 7th, but then gives up a hit and a walk, setting up Marte against Utely, 3 pitch K.
Matsui batting in the 7th, has a single double and a homer. The only way he'd hit a triple is if he beans an outfielder with a fly ball and the other two can't get to the ball fast enough! He K's.
Mo comes in with 1 out in the 8th after Marte strikes out Howard. He give up a double that Gardner was playing too shallow to get, but gets out of the inning.
Mo gets a 5 out 41 pitch non-save.
Matsui series MVP! .615 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI, with 6 RBI in clincher, tying the record with Bobby Richardson of the NYY in 1960.

The Yankees win #27!

Andy Pettitte got the win in all three clinching games of the post season.

Rivera was the only closer of the eight teams that made the playoffs that did not blow a big game lead. That is what separates him from all the rest.
On November 6, it's reported that he was pitching with his right side hurting!

An observation: the Fox Trax ball-strike indicator is useless, unless the umpires learn the strike zone!

On November 6, The U.S. House of Representatives honored the Yankee Championship!
House Resolution 893
The Official Vote

2009 Season

Opening day! April 6 - In Baltimore CC was so-so, giving up 6 runs in 4.1 innings. Yankees lose 10-5.
Finally in the third game, everything comes together and the Yanks win 11-2.

Home Opener! April 16 - At the new Yankee Stadium. Trivia: the Yankee catchers team up to hit the last homer at the old and first homer at the new Stadium.
The Veras and Marte imploded, allowing 9 runs and the Yanks lose 10-2.
April 26 - The lost weekend in Boston. After Mo blows a save in the bottom of the 9th Friday, allowing a tie game, it went down hill from there! They score 11 runs, but lose on Saturday and couldn't score more than one run on Sunday.
With injuries, they now have no 8th inning pitcher, no 3rd baseman, and so-so pitching.
May 2 - With a still shaky bullpen, the Yankees manage to take 4 games in a row, including an 8th and 9th inning come from behind win over the Angels on Friday May 1.
May 7 - So Torre has led the Dodgers to a record 13-0 at home to start the season, Manny has failed a drug test and is suspended 50 games. He said his doctor gave it to him, but he and his doctor should have known better.
Oh, the Yankees are officially in stinky town. No offense again (but Long is praised as a great coach) and the bullpen is auwful most of the time. And the Ynakees have given away expensive seats behind home plate and still can't fill them.
May 8 - With the Yankees reeling and never having a lead since mid game last Saturday, A-Rod comes to the plate for the first time with two on and hits the first pitch for a homer. CC then bears down and pitches a complete game four hitter to win for the first time in a week.
May 17 - Five wins in a row, three walk off wins, two in extra innings, all comebacks!
May 23 -Nine in a row, before facing the Phillies the same week that the Mets face the Red Sox! The Yanks lose the first, but pull the second out in the bottom of the 9th. A-Rod homers to tie and Melky gets the gamer with Cano on second.
In the same night, the Mets beat Papelbaum and the Yanks beat Lidge!
May 24 - The Yankees again tie the game off of Lidge. But the Yanks lose it in the 11th and can't make another comeback.
The good news, though they went 8-2 on the home stand and are in 3rd palce a game out.
May 30 - The Mets and Yankees are each in first place a ½ game up on their respective arch rivals!
June 1 - The Yankees set a major league record of 18 straight games without an error.
June 6 - So after that record, the Yankees commit at least one error in each of the next five games, but the good news, they are in first place ½ game ahead of Boston.
June 7 - Another come from behind victory, this time Mo gets a 1-2-3 9th. On June 6th, Mo blew the tie in the top of the 9th and took the loss. With Boston's loss, the Yankees are back in 1st by ½ game (33-23).
Joba belongs in the bullpen, today he collapsed in the 6th and left losing 3-1. He either gives up runs in the first or only goes 5+ innings. He had no decision in four of his last five starts.
And the Dodgers (39-19) have the best record in baseball (with Torre and without Ramirez).
June 11 - I was worried about the come from behind victories, since they would come against weak bullpens. Boston has a strong bullpen, and guess what, 7-0, 6-5 and 4-3 losses making 0-8 this year against Boston. Sad state of affairs. Now the Mets over the weekend.
The good news, next are 15 games against NL east teams, six against the Mets. Should Matsui play the outfield in the NL parks? He's got the lowest batting average, OBP, but is third in home runs among the outfielders.
June 12-14 vs. the Mets
June 12 - Game 1 - Yankees luck out 9-8.
After Mo blows the tie game, the Yanks mount a 9th inning win on a
two run error by Castillo at second!
Joba Chaimberlain threw 100 pitches, one hit, two runs, two hit batters and five walks in four innings!
June 13 - Game 2 - Mets 6-2
The Yanks again can't beat a guy they've never seen before, sad.
June 14 - Game 3 - Yanks 15-0 (6 hits)
A 9 run 4th inning knocks Santana out of the game, the most he has ever given up. But A-rod come this|close to hitting into a triple play on a liner that Cora caught on a bounce, tagged Damon there and stepped on second to get the runner from first. A-rod put on the speed and beat the relay. Then the Yankees scored more runs.
The crazy thing about baseball: in Boston Burnett was awful and Beckett was great. Today it was reversed as the Phillie handed it to Beckett.
Yesterday the Yanks couldn't buy a hit, today they score 9 runs off of the best pitcher in the NL.
June 18 - The Washington Nationals easy? Right! The Yankees manage to lose two out of three, including the first shutout by the Nationals this season. What is it about the Yankees going against pitchers they have never seen before? And this, days after giving Santana his worst loss ever.
Mid June thoughts:.............................................
Joba has become a mediocre starter. His fastball is off, he walks way too many and his first inning era over 7.00. He belongs in the bullpen, where he can come into a close game, empty his tank in a inning or two and turn it over to Mo. Then he can concentrate on becoming the next closer. However if his arm and psyche have been damaged too much he may be just another pitcher.
More and more, I think that Girardi is on another planet.
The Yankees have to get better against good teams and MUST destroy bad ones.
Absolutely pathetic - after winning the Friday game in Florida, the only hit by the Yankees in the first six innings on Saturday was by AJ Burnett! Then they lose 2-1 on an error by Damon and DP grounders by Jeter and Cano.
Things looked good when Sabathia took the mound...until he had tightness in his biceps. Yanks lose another to the NL east 6-5.
Sad.
June 23 - So finally Wang has a good outing, but the hitting has left the team agian. The second shutout in a weak week.
Then the bats woke up and they took two games from Atlanta.
June 26-28 vs. the Mets at Citi Field
June 26 - Game 1 - Yankees 9-1
CC was unhittable for 5. Sheffield hit a homer and then two other hits and that was it .
June 27 - Game 2 - Yankees 5-0
The Mets got 1 hit, 3 walks, and 10 strike outs
Burnett went 7 innings, with Bruney and Robertson taking one each.
June 28 - Game 3 - Yankees 4-2
So Mo comes in and gets the 3rd out in the 8th. Then with 2 on and K-Rod pitching, the Mets intentionally walked Jeter to pitch to Mo, loading the bases. The Yankees were trying to convince the Mets that someone would would be pinch hit for Mo. K-Rod walked Mo giving him his first RBI, he's now 0-2 with one walk in 3 at bats, oh and that was his 500th save.
Wang pitched into the 6th and got the win.
At Citi Field, the Yankees held the Mets to 8 hits 3 runs. The Yankees take the season 5-1.
The Yankees aren't out of the woods yet. the Mets team they played were not 100% due to injuries. They are 3 games behind Boston and won't face them again until August. Let's see what happens.

July 4 - Tradition has it that the team in 1st place on July 4 will win the pennant. But that was before divisions and wild cards. The Yankees have the second best record in the AL behind Boston and 3rd overall behind the Dodgers. They are 2nd in runs scored behind Tampa. In the race for NY, the Yankees are 7 games ahead of the Mets.
July 5 - It's confirmed, Joba is a JAP. He had a 4-1 lead, got flustered on an error and left the game losing 8-4. However, with some timely hitting, the Yanks pull another one out 10-8.
Going into the All Star Break, the Yankees have the third best record in baseball, but after sweeping the Twins, lose 3 to a injured Angels team. In all three games the Yanks took the lead, and in two games hit well, but the pitching fell apart. Joba is definately JAP. Pettitte and CC both fell apart in the first part of their games. I won't even talk about the bullpen that couldn't buy an out. Maybe they need a rest.
In the last game, what was Girardi thinking? Molina can't hit, Garder can't steal first, and Hinske can't hit Lackey. But he puts all three into the line up and they lose 5-4. The only good news, they loaded the bases in the 7th & 8th with no outs, but failed to deliver.
The AL won again, with Jeter going 0-2, but scored two runs! Mo got the save.

July 17 - Back to the race and the sweep the central division first place Tigers. JAP Joba was very good on Sunday. With Boston losing 2 of 3 to Toronto, the Yanks are 1 game back and lead the wild card by 3½ games. They are also the first team to score 500 runs! If they can hold it all together!
My cousin says: There were more hits by Paul McCartney this weekend in CitiField than has been all season.
July 21 - Boston loses 4 of 5 and the Yankees win 5 since the break and take first place!
July 23 - White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game in Chicago vs. the Tampa Bay Rays! He owes Dewayne Wise dinner for a week at least for the home run saving catch in the 9th for the first out of the inning.
July 26 - I never expected the Yankees to take all ten games in the home stand following the All Star break, but the pitcher that the A's put up certainly made nine in a row possible, but he held the Yanks to 1 run over seven. Then the A's Bullpen managed to stop another Yankee comeback win, Jeter flied out as the winning run in the bottom of the ninth after hitting a homer to get them within two runs of tying the game. Oh well.
They did win the last game making it 9-1 since the break! Boston was 4-6 in that stretch, so the Yankees are 2½ games in front, only 2 games behind the Dodgers for best record.
July 29 - OK, so Joba is a pitcher! 8 innings, no runs, 3 hits, 2 walks, and 5K's. But there's talk of limiting his innings. So with Wong out for the season what are the Yankees to do? Roy Halladay is being offered by the Blue Jays, but is the price too high?
The Yankees and Dodgers are tied for the best record in baseball.
Did David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez cheating help Boston win in 2004?
This has former teammate Johnny Damon upset.
Aug - 1 All good things. . . The Yankees lose the first 3 games of the set against the White Sox. The hitting with runners on base went south again. Pettitte was great, but got no run spport, then the pitching from Mitre and Burnett and the bullpen was awful.
Why is Jeter swinging at the first pitch? He's done that in the last few games.
CC Sabathia has never lost a game to Mark Buehrle.
The last time the White Sox swept the Yankees in Chicago was after the Phil Linz harmonica bus ride.
Melky Cabrera hits for the cycle!
And the Yankees win 8-5, with Mo getting his 30th save, 7th year in a row, joining 3 other pitchers.

The showdown with Boston
After a dismal 0-8 stretch with the Red Sox, the Yankees face them, but this time two different teams. They have reversed roles and fortunes. The Sox are hurt, the Yanks are healthier.
Big Papi, David Ortiz, gave an explaination of his drug issue.
Game 1: Thursday 8/6 - Yankees win 13-6
fallout: Smolts, the Boston starter is released, Trabor is designated for assignment
Game 2: Friday 8/7 - Yankees win 2-0 in 15 innings!
A-Rod hits his first homer in 70+ at bats to take the walk off win.
Game 3: 8/8 - Yankees win 5-0
First time since 2002 that the Yankees shut out Boston two games in a row and shut them out for 24 innings.
Sabathia was perfect for 5 innings.
Game 4: 8/9 Yankees 5-2
Yankee pitchers held Boston scoreless for 31 innings until Coke gave up a 2 run homer. But the Boston lead was short lived with two out back to back homers from Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira and 2 more runs on a hit by Swisher in the 8th. Mo got the save, though he did have to pitch to the tying run.
The Yankees end the weekend in first place 6½ games in front of Boston and the best record in baseball by 2½ games!
Aug - 11 - Joba is back in JAP mode. Given a 3 run lead, he gave it up and a homer made it 4-3. But the Yankees went ahead to stay on back to back homers and hits in the 8th making it 7-4. Mo gave up a one out homer, but struck out Marco Scutaro as the tying run to end the game.
Aug - 13 - Then on to the west coast: Seattle and Oakland, then back to Boston!
In Seattle the Yankees get off to the best post All Star game start at 23-6. Then Jeter breaks the record for the most hits by a shortstop. But Joba is still in JAP mode, leaves the game down 4-3 after the 5th. Aceves battles a 13 pitch at bat against Lopez to keep the game 4-3 in the 6th. However in the 7th, the bullpen colapsed. The final 10-3. I guess you can't win them all.
The Yankees remain 7½ games in front in the east, and 2½ games ahead for best record.
A month ago, the Yankees designated Bret Tomko for assignment. He wound up in Oakland and . . . he beat Burnett and the Yankees 3-0! Burnett pitched the full 8 innings and was the victim of no offense and shakey defense.
Sabathia backed up Burnett with 8 innings of 2 run pitching in a 7-2 win.

The showdown with Boston part 2
After catching half way back to make the record 4-8 against the Red Sox, the Yankees faced them at Fenway.
Game 1: Friday 8/21: Yankees 20-11
You can never score enough runs! It was a slump buster, the pitching allowed it to get dicey. The combined score was the most ever between the Sox and the Yanks. The second highest was in 1903 with 19 between the Highlanders and the Americans.
Game 2: Saturday 8/22: Boston 14-1
As good as Burnett was in the game at the stadium, he stunk today! Seven runs in two innings and nine in five. The bullpen stunk for five more runs and the offense disappeard. Swisher hit a home run.
Game 3: Yankees 7-4
Sabathia was great, three earned runs, but some of that was due to dropped balls that went for hits. He is 15-7, leading MLB. Beckett gave up five home runs to the Yankees, including one from Jeter on the first pitch of the game.

The Yankees leave Boston to return home 7½ games in front in the east and 3 games ahead for the best record in MBL. They are now 6-9 against Boston with three to play in Yankee Stadium.

Poor Poor Mets. They were down by two runs to the Phillies with runners on first and second and no outs in the 9th. The runners break on the pitch and the hitter lines into an unassisted triple play to end the game at second base! Are there any ways they haven't yet found to lose?

Aug - 13 - So they give Joba extra rest, 9 days worth. He's still JAP, he gets a four run lead in the second and gives it back plus three by the fourth. The Yankees almost make it back with four in the ninth, but a line drive double play ends it!
Though in all honesty, if Swisher hadn't bunted a foul pop for the first out, the Yankees may have wound up with a METS ending, a triple play! That would have been ironic.
After Dandy Andy won one, Burnett struck out 12 in 6 innings, but gave up a two out home run after walking two in the 4th. Then once again the bullpen fell apart. Yankees lose 7-5.
Aug - 28 - If only Burnett were as consistant at pitching as he is in throwing pies after a walk off wins.

Aug - 29 - Sergio Mitre pitched a one hit one walk gem for 6 + innings. He left the game after being hit by a shot back to the mound. Yankees win 10-1.

Aug - 30 - On the other hand, Joba, who is JAP, didn't need a line drive to be taken out of the game. He gave up 2 runs in 3 innings and was just taken out to keep his innings down.

The Yankees sweep the White Sox to maintain their 6 game lead in the AL East and a 5 game lead for the best record in MLB.

Sept - 1 - Burnett once again follows a great Andy Pettitte game with a terrible game, giving up the lead three times in five innings. But the Yankees pull it out 9-6 with five home runs.

Sept - 4 - JAP named Joba allows 3 runs, 6 hits, 2 walks in 3 innings. Meanwhile Halladay was perfect for 4+ innings and gave up 1 hit in the complete game. Yanks lose 6-0. Oh the humility.
Sept - 6 - So they split the four games in Toronto both the pitching and defense went south, but with an 8 game lead, this is the time to get this out of their systems.

Sept - 7 - Poor Derek Jeter, three hits away from tying Gehrig for most hits as a Yankee, goes 0-4 in the first game and then goes 0-2 in ONE INNING of the second game of a double header. He finished the game 0-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Oh, the Yankees win 11-1 and all of the starters had hits, but not the captain!

Sept - 9 - JAP named Joba allows a home run to the first batter. Then gives up more hits, but strikes out the side in the first. But is down 2-0 before the Yankees come up to bat. He only pitches three innings!
Jeter bunts for his first base hit in 14 at bats! Then gets a ground rule double and a single to tie Gehrig at 2721 hits. But the Yankees are still behind 2-0. Posada took care of that with a 3 run pinch hit home run. Yankees win 4-2.

Sept - 11 - In Memoriam of the WTC, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania
Jeter gets his 2722 hit, but Marte gives up four runs, putting the Yankees down 7-4 against Baltimore. Then Jeter hits into a double play to end the 6th. The Yankees lose to last place Baltimore, 10-4 with another bullpen implosion.
Sept - 12 - I wish the Yankees had gotten a pitcher, not a pie thrower. AJ, once again gets a one run lead and in the next inning gives up a homer and loads the bases with one out. Then Roberts hits a grand slam. Give me a break.
The Yankees lose this one 7-4, Jeter struck out swinging for the last out...sad.
Sept - 13 - After dropping two to the last place Orioles, they pound them late for an 8 run 8th inning and win 13-3.
Sept - 14 - JAP named Joba actually pitches well for 4 innings while the Yankees beat the Angels 5-3 in a makeup game in the Bronx.
Sept - 18 - Well it had to happen sometime. AJ pitches a gem (one run in seven innings), but the Yankees can't get more than two of their own. You figure Mo in the bottom of the ninth is a lock on the game, but with two outs he gives up a double and a homer to lose the game 3-2, bummer.
Boston is climbing back in it.
Sept - 20 - Jeter and Damon got base hits in the top of the first, then nothing. JAP named Joba gives up three two out hits in the first inning 2-0 Seattle. In the second, the Yanks go 1-2-3 and Joba gives up two more hits and walks in a run. Then a sac fly and and a three run homer by Griffey, the Mariners are up 7-0. Joba lasted only three innings again! The Yankees lose 7-1, however Mitre, from the bullpen, held Seattle to NO additional runs for the remainder of the game.
Now they have to play the Angels.
Sept - 22 - Finally with a win against the Angels in LA, the Yankees cliched at least the wild card.
Sept - 23 - AJ Burnett came through again with a 2 run 11 strikeout game. The Yankees used their C lineup and won the game 3-2, again showing the Angles that playing the Yanks on the west coast is no longer a gimme! Yankees take the LA series 2-1.

The final showdown with Boston - 2009
The Yankees enter the last week of the season with a 5½ game lead and a magic number of 5 over Boston. Win three and it's over!
Game 1: Friday 9/25: Yankees 9-5
JAP named Joba pitches well and gets the win! Six innings, 5 hits, 3 runs.
Game 2: Saturday 9/26: Yankees 3-0
Sabathia 1 hit through 7 - bad news the Yanks were 0-13 with RISP before Damon in the 8th.
Game 3: Sunday 9/27: 4-2
Cano gets his 200th hit. this is the first time since the 19th century that a 2B-SS combo have each gotten 200 hits in the same season.
After dropping the first 8 games to Boston, they wind up with a 9-9 season series. That never happened before!
The Yankees clinch the AL East!
The Yankees are the only team with 100 wins.
Sept - 30 - To close out his season, JAP named Joba once again pitched only 3.2 innings and gave up 3 runs. It's sad what they did to him. The Yankees tied the game, but poor play in the field led to another KC run.
Oct - 2 - I hope this is just the post clinch let down. CC was awful facing Tampa trying for his first 20 win season. He was rocked for 9 runs in 2.3 innings. Let's hope they are over this.

Oct - 2 - The Yankees, with an A-Rod 3 run homer, set a new team record of 243 home runs. Then in the same inning, Tampa intentionally walks Teixeira to pitch to A-Rod and A-Rod delivers with a grand slam (7 RBI in one inning - an AL record). Giving him 30 HR and 100 RBI after missing 38 games for the hip surgery. Homers on his first and last pitch he saw.
In relief in the 7th, JAP named Joba used only 7 pitches for three outs
The Yankees finish with a MLB best 103 - 59, with 244 homers and 915 runs scored.

Read about the Post Season

2009 Preview

Sept 30 - no post season - Cashman signs for at least three more years.
Oct 7 - Hitting coach Long is the only coach with a multi-year contract (corrected 10/10) that has a few years left on it. The hitting was a collective 1.1 runs per game down from 2007. The top scoring team was 5.9/ 5.5 last year vs. this year, a loss of only .4 runs a game. While the pitching wasn't terrible, the offense went missing with runners in scoring position.
Rumor has it that Mecham will be let go (or reassigned) in favor of Willie Randolph.
Summary of Yankee player issues for 2009.
Oct 15 - It's official, Bobby Meacham will not return as third base coach in 2009. It seems to me the old saying, If my kid misbehaves, discipline the kid in the next seat. He was one of Girardi's choices for coaching and worked with Joe in Florida. How do you blame him if the HITTERS weren't hitting with runners in scoring position.

On October 16,
Tom Tresh passed away at the age of 71.
He was the first next Mickey Mantle I remember.
He was Rookie of the Year and hit WS homers off of Gibson and Koufax
Rest in Peace, Tom.

Oct 16 - Andy Pettite says he wants to play in 2009.
Nov 4 - The Yankees decline Giambi and Pavano options.
Nov 5 - The Yankees main need is C.C. Sabathia and a center fielder.
Nov 6 - Tony Pena will be the bench coach in 2009, Rob Thompson moves to third base and Mick Kelleher will coach at first.
That should make the hitters hit better with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees declined Damaso Marte's option, but are in negotiations with him to stay. On Nov. 12, they announced a 3 year $12 million contract.
Nov 13 -The Yankees traded Wilson Betemit and two minor leaguers for firstbase/outfielder Nick Swisher who is a lifetime .240 switch hitter.
Nov 14 - The Yankees offered C.C. Sabathia $140 million for six years, and that's before negotiations began!
Nov 19 - Mike Mussina is retiring after his only 20 game winning season. He's the first pitcher to retire after a 20 game winning season since Sandy Koufax (41 starts and 27-9) in 1966.
Hall of Fame, maybe. He is one of 20 pitchers with 100 games over .500. Sixteen of the others are in the HOF, but the other four aren't eligible yet.
So the quest for big pitchers continues. In addition to C.C. Sabathia, they are looking at both A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.
Hal Steinbrenner was approved by the owners to head the Yankees in fact, and immediately told Sabathia that the offer will not stand for ever.
Dec 10 - So, forever was about three weeks. The Yankees and CC appear to have agreed to a $160 million, seven year contract! Now the Yankees are going after Derek Lowe and AJ Burnett.
To put the Mets and Yankees new pitchers into perspective:
Mets - K-Rod: 3 years, 70 innings, $176,000 per inning
Yankees - CC: 7 years, 200 innings, $115,000 per inning
Dec 11 - The Yankees trade Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron (Brewers). Cameron will get $10 million for one year (waiting on Austin Jackson to become ready for the majors).
But as of Dec 14 this is still on hold.
But as of Dec 18 this is will not happen.
Dec 12 - The Yanks come to an agreement with AJ Burnett and drop trying for Lowe. Reported $82 million five years.
Pettitte is mulling a final $10 million offer.
Dec 18 - With the Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron deal dead, rumor has it, the Yankees may go after Manny Ramirez.
Dec 23 - the Yankees sign Mark Teixeira for eight years. He will play first base with Nick Swisher in the outfield and backing up at first.
Jan 26 - Andy Pettitte agreed to a one year $5.5 million contract with incentives that could bring the total to $12 million.
Jan 28 - Our old buddy Joe Torre writes a tell all book that so far many folks panned as being harsh on some players and management of the Yankees. Though I probably won't buy it for myself, from what bad things I've heard, none of them seem to be counter to my opinion of the players mentioned. One telling thing I did hear was the conflict between Lofton and Bernie Williams pertaining to which would be on the All Star ballot. Bernie was put on it by a random drawing (only one player per position could be included) and Lofton wanted proof that the pick wasn't rigged!
Feb 8 - A-Fraud, as metioned in Torre's book turned into A-Roids when Sports Illustrated announced that A-Rod was one of 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. These players were the group that were tested as a preliminary to finding how widespread steriods were in use in baseball. The current testing/penalty system was implemented because this test show over 5% of the players tested positive. These tests were supposed to be kept confidential, but the Players' Association failed to destroy the samples and the associated list of players. The federal probe into the BALCO case led to the samples/list being subpoenaed.
In an ESPN interview, he contradicted himself. At first he said he was sorry for using steroids, but later said that he was unsure that he tested positve when spoke on CBS 60 Minutes and said he never used steroids.
Feb 18 - Stupid excuse or the excuse was stupid?
A-rod held the "I'm sorry and stupid" press conference on the 17th. Most sports writers and psychologists think he was insincere and incomplete in his statement. He claimed youth (he was 24-27) and stupid for listening to his cousin, who got over the counter drugs from the Dominican Republic. They then injected them two or three times a month for six months in each of the years. He claims he didn't know if the treatments helped him or not, citing that his best years were before and after (1999 and 2007) the three years in question (2001 to 2003). When asked if his records should be expunged or his Hall of Fame potential should be denied, he said it's not up to him to decide. He's also entitled to bonuses when he reaches certain milestones in various offensive categories. It will be interesting to see what he does with those bonuses when the time comes.
March 6 - Now A-Rod is hurt and can't play in the WBC and perhaps a few weeks of the season. It started just after he reported to the Dominican team. He was diagnosed with a cyst on his hip. He took an MRI and they drained the cyst, but found a muscle tear. He'll be out for anywhere from weeks to four months, depending on surgery or not.
March 8 - A-Rod (Hip-Rod) elects for surgery and will be out for 6 to 9 weeks. Return by June?

On March, 25
Johnny Blanchard passed away at 76.
He was one of the three catchers in 1961, who hit a collective 60 home runs on the team that hit a record at that time of 241.
At one time as part time player, hit four homers in a row over three games and came six inches from hitting a fifth.

See Archive for 2008 and earlier

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