Magical run for Yankee rookie Colin Curtis

You can’t blame Colin Curtis for thinking that life is but a dream.

The 25-year-old rookie joined the New York Yankees less than a month ago, but has been in the middle of some of the biggest moments of the Yankees season. Yesterday, in pinch hitting for the ejected Brett Gardner, he had to go up to the plate with a 0-2 count and a tough reliever on the mound. Unfazed, he worked the count to 3-2 and then blasted a Scot Shields fastball over the right-field wall for his first big-league homer, making a tight lead over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim a lot more comfortable.

Although the turn of events that led to his surprise plate appearance happened very quickly (due to Gardner's uncalled for speedy hook), we probably shouldn't have been surprised to see Curtis thrive in that situation. While he hasn't played much, the youngster has proven to be clutch in his short big-league career, going 4 for 8 in pinch-hitting appearances. He's only had 27 at-bats, but has knocked in seven runs, including his feisty at-bat against 300-pound Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton to tie that Sunday night baseball game that led to one of the best comeback wins of the season for the Yankees.

What makes his story even more compelling is the fact that Curtis would not even be here if he hadn't beaten testicular cancer as a teenager (hear his remarkable story in his own words). For him to overcome a life-threatening disease at such a young age and go on to live a happy, productive life makes you cheer for him even harder.

Despite Brian Cashman's quest to strengthen his bench, I'm rooting for the rookie’s magical run in the big leagues to continue.

Separating Yanks, Red Sox is a no-go

In a bold column today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers some interesting suggestions on how to solve baseball's competitive problem. Actually, first Sherman derided the notion that baseball has a competitive balance problem, suggesting that the real dilemma was that the two biggest, most resourceful teams are in the same division. His first suggestion: moving either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox to the American League Central.

I give Sherman credit for offering a suggestion he acknowledges will be considered blasphemous, but messing with the Rivalry is not the way to go. The timing of it makes sense in a way, with the Red Sox having won two World Series championships to forever banish the curse and the Yanks finally coming out on top to open and close the decade with titles. But it's just unrealistic. Yankees-Red Sox is too much of a box office boon, critical for both the Yankees trying to squeeze every dollar out of their new stadium and the Red Sox trying to squeeze every dime out of their old one. I doubt the suits at ESPN or Fox would go for it either. And Sherman failed to answer a key question: which team moves? Do you really think either the Yankees or the Red Sox would agree to a realignment that would have them making less money and longer road-trips to the middle of the country to play in a different time zone? Good luck with that.

The second suggestion of eliminating the unbalanced schedule doesn't really work either. As much as the Blue Jays and Orioles want to be more competitive, they also love the revenue that comes with frequently hosting the Yanks and Red Sox. I've been to Yankee and Red Sox away games in Toronto and Baltimore and NY and Boston fans fill up the stands, spending thousands of dollars not just at the stadiums, but at the hotels and nearby attractions.

In the other divisions, do the Twins and Tigers really want to face either the Red Sox or Yankees more when their races are already so tight that they needed Game 163 to decide their playoff fate? Plus, the move would essentially concede the AL Central to NY or Boston, leaving the rest of the division fighting over a wild card berth rather than a division title.

I don't see as much of a problem implementing Sherman's third suggestion of adding another wild card team. It would add more spice to the playoff races and probably more dollars to baseball's coffers. My main objection is that I don't want to get into an NBA-like situation where the playoffs last for six weeks so baseball would need to figure out a way to ensure the playoffs don't drag into November. Also, I'm not sure how much benefit it would be for the division-winning teams to have so many days off before their first playoff series. The number of days off last year was great for a Yankees team going on a 3-man rotation, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia hated it and he wasn't alone. An intriguing idea, but let's see if it gets any traction.

Thanks to M@ via en.Wikipedia for the photo.

Yankee brass knows team will miss Matsui

New York Yankees officials finally acknowledged what us fans have known for months, that they are really going to miss Hideki Matsui. During a six-day tour of Asia with the 2009 World Series championship trophy, Brian Cashman and Randy Levine were full of praise for Godzilla, who left the Bronx Bombers to sign with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Cashman called the signing of Matsui one of the best baseball deals he ever made while Levine called Godzilla a great Yankee. They tried to blame timing for Matsui's departure, with a focus on re-signing pitcher Andy Pettitte before they could move on to other players. But Matsui reportedly told a Japanese newspaper that he loved the Yankees, but no longer felt valued by the team.
Matsui's absence presents a real lineup problem. Who will protect Alex Rodriguez? The Yankees could put Jorge Posada permanently in that slot, but he hits into a lot double plays. Robinson Cano is not a good option because he's terrible with runners in scoring position. Perhaps Curtis Granderson, if he can solve left-handed pitching?

The Yankees also have a marketing problem. Matsui was the main draw with the die-hard Japanese fan base and Levine said he hopes they keep rooting for the Bronx Bombers. Will those fans get up early to watch Yankee games without Matsui? Probably not. But with Matsui now joining Ichiro on the West Coast, at least they can sleep in.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Angels getting a great player in Matsui

Angels fans shouldn't lose any sleep over the loss of Vladimir Guerrero to the Texas Rangers. They've replaced him with former Yankee Hideki Matsui, a great player and hitter and a good guy adored by his teammates.

Although limited to the designated hitter spot last year, Matsui was a key contributor to the New York Yankees championship season. His biggest contribution came in the playoffs, when he carried the Yankees offense in the World Series despite not starting the three games in the National League ballpark. Matsui is a loyal guy and was obviously hurt when the Yanks didn't put up a fight for his services. But he found himself a good home in Anaheim and a good manager in Mike Scioscia.

No doubt Angels fans will miss Vlad. He was a fantastic player for them over six years. He recorded the 400th home run in his career and 1,000th hit as an Angel last year. But he was clearly on the downside, struggling through the playoffs and the American League Championship Series, which his team lost to the Yankees. And he was never the vocal leader that team probably needed. Not that Matsui is that kind of guy either, but he can pick up his team with his bat.

Thanks to Onetwo1 via en.Wikipedia for the photo.

Sad Good-bye to Godzilla

Although it was expected, I am still sad over the news that Hideki Matsui is about to sign a one-year $6.5 million contract to be the designated hitter of the Angels. But I'm happy to see him land a nice deal with another team as it was becoming increasingly clear that he was not a priority for the Yankees.

No matter what Yankee officials say about Matsui's skills, he was an undeniably clutch player. He earned well-deserved honors as the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Series, a feat made all the more impressive because he only started three games with the other three games played in the National League ballpark sans DH. But he still swung a mighty bat, hitting .615 with 3 home runs and 8 ribbies.

Matsui was a good Yankee for a long time, not an easy feat in the city that never sleeps. Despite battling injuries, he hit .292 with 141 home runs and 597 ribbies in seven seasons in the Bronx. He was never subject to any controversy, even with the hordes of Japanese media following his every move. Plus, he was popular with his teammates, most notably Yankee Captain Derek Jeter, who often said Matsui was one of his favorite teammates.

Despite what Yankee officials may say, the team will sorely miss him.

Godspeed Godzilla!

Thanks to edogisgod via Wikipedia for the photo.

Pitching dominoes don't hurt Yanks

In an amazing array of moves, three of the top starting pitchers in baseball are on their way to new homes. The Red Sox and Angels ace John Lackey have reportedly agreed on a five-year, $85 million contract. The Phillies traded Cliff Lee to Seattle to get Roy "Doc" Halladay in a three-way trade with the Blue Jays.

Although I am really disappointed by the Yankees' failure to pry Doc away from Toronto, the dominoes couldn't have fallen any better for Brian Cashman and the Yanks. Their hated rivals do get a good starter in Lackey, but they paid a ton and were probably not thrilled at having to offer that fifth year. More importantly, they don't get Halladay or Lee, who are both better than Lackey, and Halladay goes to the National League while Lee goes West. The Yanks may see Lee or Halladay one or two times a year compared to constantly having to face Doc in a division-heavy playing schedule.

The decision by the Phillies to trade Lee really surprised me. Lee was impressive during the playoffs and his domination of the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series nearly propelled the Phillies to a second consecutive title. I thought they were pursuing Halladay to form an unbeatable one-two punch in the National League. But apparently they had concerns about whether they could sign him. Not that Halladay will be that much easier as he no doubt will demand CC Sabathia money ($23 million per year).

So what does Cashman do next? I imagine he continues to scour the free-agent starting pitching market in the hopes of getting a reasonable deal. Good luck with that. Now that Halladay and Lackey are both off the market, the competition for injured or mediocre starters will be even worse as desperate teams (i.e. the Mets) look for pitching.

Thanks to Nick Ball via Wikipedia for the photo.

Andy Pettitte's brilliance on full display in the Bronx

Andy Pettitte had a brilliant playoff start. Again. We Yankee fans feel confident anytime Andy is on the mound for us in the playoffs. He may not always win, but there's no one that's going to try harder. His intensity is inspiring. Sometimes I think he is too hard on himself, like when he gave up the run-scoring hit to Vlad and proceeded to yell at himself in the dugout. But it works for him. It gets him through these pressure-packed situations and more often than not, leads to another Yankee playoff win.

Things went almost perfectly according to plan for the Yanks due to Andy's ability to pitch into the 7th inning. With Joba Chamberlain easily getting 2 outs to close out the frame, it was Mo time. Mariano Rivera had a shaky eight inning, giving up one run and a couple of hard-hit balls although his defense helped him out with an amazing grab by Mark Teixeira and a lucky snag of a ball up the middle by Robinson Cano.

But after the Yanks gave him a couple of insurance runs, helped out by really bad defense on bunt plays by the Angels, Mo closed it out. The long hug between Mo and Jorge Posada spoke volumes. It had been a long and unexpected absence from the World Series for the Yanks and as many title bouts as those two have been in, they were thrilled to be going to one more.

Struggling Yankees come up big in Game 6

The best thing about last night's Game 6 is that the Yankees got contributions from almost everyone, including guys who had rough postseasons up until that point. Nick Swisher was the prime example. Not only did he make a couple of great plays in the field, including a heads-up throw to first to nail Vlad for straying off the bag, but he got a key hit to set up the first 3 Yankee runs. I guess the Mohawk worked. It's hideous, but effective.

Mark Teixeira saved Mariano Rivera from giving up a couple of runs in the top of the 8th inning with another fantastic grab and then got a sac fly to give him some insurance in the bottom of the 8th.

Johnny Damon came through with a clutch 2-run scoring base hit after the Angels unintentionally intentionally walked Derek Jeter. After a tough division series, Damon had a couple of timely hits for the Yanks in the last few games against Anaheim.

But as someone who believes in strong pitching over hitting, it was refreshing to see Joba Chamberlain come in to relieve Andy Pettitte and get two weak ground balls to close out the 7th. I was worried that the bridge to Mariano Rivera was going to crack again, but Joba easily dispatched the Angels and beat his chest in triumph, the emotion being a good sign that Joba is almost back to being the Joba of old.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Fallen Angels! Yanks going to the World Series!

Andy Pettitte just showed why he's the best, big-game pitcher in the playoffs today, with another powerful performance to end the Angels season. His intensity was palpable and if the Halos thought they had a chance going in, he quickly disabused them of that notion on his way to claiming sole possession of the record for the most postseason wins at 16.

"There's no other guy we want on the mound," said CC Sabathia.

Mariano Rivera, after a stumble in the 8th inning, came back to close the game for his record-extending 37th postseason save.

In accepting the American League Championship Series trophy, Joe Girardi seemed very emotional, particularly when he was thanking George Steinbrenner for giving him the opportunity to be the Yankee manager. "We're trying to do this for Pops," he said.

In his first playoff tour with the Yanks, CC went 2-0 to pick up a well-deserved Most Valuable Player award. It could have gone to Alex Rodriguez, but it seems right to give it to their bulldog starting pitcher.

The Yanks really let loose during the post-game party. Even Derek Jeter, normally quite composed, looked like he was having a lot of fun tonight. The Yanks deserve to enjoy this celebration. They'll think about what comes next tomorrow. Bring on the Phillies, baby!

John Flaherty not afraid to say no on YES

In baseball, there is a lot of talk about how former catchers make great managers. But former Yankee catcher and current YES Network broadcaster John Flaherty is showing why they also make great broadcasters too, both during his pre and post-game appearances as well as his in-game calling during the regular season.

I love listening to Flaherty, namely because he is not afraid to call out underperforming Yankees. On tonight's pre-game show, he talked about Joba Chamberlain's bad body language and sagging confidence. While he said Joe Girardi would still be quick to call on Phil Hughes in a tight spot, he said the Yankees manager wouldn't be as eager to call on Joba.

"If you're Joe Girardi, it's hard to have confidence in this guy right now," he said.

A lot of former players, especially ones who have retired relatively recently, are unwilling to criticize current players because they have played with many of them. But Flaherty is not one of those guys. Last week, he was asked about Girardi's decision to pull Damaso Marte in favor of Phil Coke, which seemed strange because it replaced one lefthander with another. But Flaherty quickly called out Marte, saying he has had no confidence in Marte since last year's trade that brought him to the Yanks from the Pirates.

Speaking of Hughes, MLB Network tried to make a big deal about the fact that he didn't show up for Friday's optional workout, noting that Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher all showed up, among others. They even quoted Posada as saying, "Optional is not a word you use in the playoffs." But Hughes is a young kid and maybe he just needed a day to clear his head after his troubles in Anaheim. I have absolutely no problem with that.

Rainout helps Yanks as much as Angels

The consensus seems to be that yesterday's rain-out gave the Angels a huge advantage against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series because it will allow them to start John Lackey in Game 7 if they win tonight. But the Yankees can take Lackey out of the equation with a victory tonight and yesterday's rain-out puts them in a better position to win because if gave Andy Pettitte an extra day's rest. By his own admission, the extra rest helps Andy as he gets older and the numbers back it up: 6-1 with an extra day this season.

Game 7 should be avoided at all costs, but I would feel pretty good about our chances with CC Sabathia on the mound. I was a little concerned during the offseason when the Yankees were pursuing him because I didn't think he was enthusiastic about coming to New York. I had no problem with him holding out for as much money as he could get from the Yanks, but I was worried that he didn't really want to pitch in NY and we don't need guys like that. But he has thrived in his first postseason with the Yanks, carrying the team on his big back and putting them in a great position to win.

Even against Lackey, I have a lot of confidence that CC could pitch the Yanks to the World Series and a date with Philly. But I really don't think it will get that far. The Yanks will close it out tonight in a game that's going to be a must-see. Sorry, football Giants, can't pay attention to you until after the World Series.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Mother Nature sucks!

Because of Mother Nature, the Yankees won't be able to finish off the Angels tonight. Given a nasty thunderstorm quickly approaching the stadium and a clear forecast for tomorrow, Major League Baseball decided to postpone the game, which will start Sunday night just after 8pm. It's the right call.


You would hate to have a situation where you start the game and have to postpone 3 or 4 innings in, wasting both starters. Worse, you don't want to risk the chance of someone getting hurt on a sloppy field.


Joe Girardi was asked in a pre-game conference how he would handle it if the game was started and then postponed after 3 innings. He said he would not start CC Sabathia in a resumed Game 6, that he would try to piece together 6 innings from his bullpen, which is amazing to me given the struggles of the pen outside of Mariano Rivera.

I would have tried to finish off the Angels by putting CC in, if not for the rest of the game, then at least to get the ball to Mo. You're going to have pitch CC anyway, why wait until Game 7 when you can try to crush the Angels in Game 6? Maybe Girardi would be as nervous starting AJ Burnett in a Game 7 as I would be so he's saving CC for that, but it's a moot point if you can close out the Angels in Game 6.


But no matter. Now Andy Pettitte and Joe Saunders will start in Game 6 tomorrow night. Pettitte said it was frustrating to have to wait another day after a long day today. But Pettitte's numbers with an extra day's rest are great this year: 6-1 with a 3.63 ERA with a higher-than-normal walk total, although that doesn't seem to have affected his performance. Pettitte is such a tough guy, the MLB Network just showed a live shot at the stadium of him playing toss in pouring rain.

Yankee fans just have to be patient for one more day. Pettitte will clinch it tomorrow night. At least we have a couple of good football games tomorrow afternoon to distract us until then.

Thanks to Axel Rouvin via Wikipedia for the photo.

Jeff Nelson hasn't lost his touch

One of the things I've missed from the Yankees is that blunt honesty that was characteristic of the team when they had players like reliever Jeff Nelson, who was on Mike Francesca's show before today's game got rained out.

Nelson was known as being an outspoken guy. He brings interesting insight as he and Mike Stanton formed the bridge to Mariano Rivera that won the Yankees all those World Series titles. Francesca asked him about the struggles of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain and he said they were going to make mistakes, but the Yanks needed to stick with them. He talked about the need of players to have a steady temperament, be consistent and not try to do more in the playoffs than they did in the regular season.

"The only guy (in the bullpen) they trust is Mo," he said.

Nelson also said that Joe Girardi's frequent trips to the bullpen were hurting the confidence of his relievers, which is problematic because "you need the other guys." But he noted that it's Girardi's job to try to win games and he doesn't have the luxury of experimenting by leaving guys in the game to try to get out of jams.

Nelson also said the media has paid too much attention to his long-ago spat with Joe Torre after Francesca asked him about it today. Back in 2000, he publicly criticized his manager for not naming him to the American League all-star team. Nelson left as a free agent after that season, but he returned and pitched well for the Yankees team that lost the World Series in 2003 so obviously whatever hard feelings were there weren't enough to prevent his return.

In talking about how catchers often become managers, he said Jorge Posada would be a great manager. I never would have thought of Posada as manager material, given his fiery temperament, but Nelson said he would be great exactly because of his intensity and the knowledge of the game he has gleaned as a catcher.

Thanks to MLB via Wikipedia for the photo.

Rain, rain go away!

Come back, well, in mid-November after the World Series! I know, not going to happen. I've been at too many rain delayed and postponed games this year, but we can always hope.

Latest weather report says heavy rain will start around 10pm so hopefully the Yanks will get at least half the game in tonight. Per Bud Selig's new official rules (he did it on his own during the World Series last year), there are no rain-shortened games in the postseason. So if tonight's game started and rain forced a postponement, play would resume on Sunday from the exact point the game was halted.

But that leads to a host of problems, namely that you lose both starting pitchers, creating a situation where Andy Pettitte and Joe Saunders could be replaced in Sunday's continued Game 6 by CC Sabathia and Jered Weaver. The Yanks don't want to see that scenario, especially if they only manage to get 3 or 4 innings in tonight. Because then you have to use Sabathia to finish Game 6 and that would make it a must-win for the Yanks because a loss means AJ Burnett in Game 7, probably against John Lackey again. That would be a nightmare. I would not trust the biggest game of the year to AJ Burnett.

Please rain go away!

BTW, this whole notion that Andy could be skipped over in favor of CC if tonight's game is rained out is just silly. First of all, Andy's tied for the most wins in postseason all-time. Second, if CC were to pitch Game 6 and lose, Andy would have to come back in Game 7 anyway.

Yankees Core 4 on cusp of another World Series

The Yankees old-guard of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada are getting a lot of ink with the Yanks on the verge of the World Series. The gist of the coverage revolves around two central themes: that they are still playing together after all these years and that they are so close to another World Series and perhaps a 5th ring, in large part due to their own significant contributions in the postseason this year.

It is remarkable that the four have managed to play together so long, given free agency and the Yankees' propensity to pull the trigger on trades involving their young players in the late 80s and early 90s. The hiccup was Pettitte's choice to leave for Houston via free agency after 2003, a decision the Yankees team shared the blame for after not aggressively pursuing him during that offseason. But when Andy made the decision to return to the Yanks, it seemed like the quartet had never been apart.

The sportswriters are correct in pointing out the valuable contributions of the Core 4 this postseason. While Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia are quite deservedly getting a lot of the attention and credit, the old-guard has played a tremendous role in helping the team get to this point. Mo has been amazing, closing out the Yankee wins and keeping them in the games during their two losses. Jeter has hit some crucial home runs. Posada has had some key hits. And of course, Andy has had two good starts already and the Yankees will be counting on him for a third to close out the ALCS tomorrow night.

Andy's not an 8-inning pitcher, but I'll be looking for him to throw long enough to narrow the gap to Mo and minimize any possibility of a bullpen meltdown or mismanagement by Joe Girardi. Pettitte has been clutch in so many of these situations, I expect him to bear down on the Angels and pitch the Yanks into the World Series so that the Core 4 can go after Ring 5.

Phil Hughes showing maturity despite struggles

Despite his struggles, Phil Hughes continues to impress me with his maturity. To his credit, Hughes stood up and took responsibility for last night's loss after failing to close out the 7th inning and giving up the Yankee lead. He was missing his spots with his fastball, which Hughes said was due to his trying to be "too fine." I love the fact that he was mature enough to put the loss on his shoulders, even though it wasn't completely his fault. Outside their half of the 7th, the Yankees had chances to score and failed to do so.

Hughes could have lost his composure after Game 2, when the Yankees defense collapsed behind him. Instead, he stood in front of his locker and resisted any urge to take shots at his teammates. His mature responses stand in sharp contrast to John Lackey's tantrums during this postseason. Yes, he should not have been taken out of the game, but he also didn't have to pout like a four-year old after his team's comeback. Hughes is behaving more like the veteran than Lackey.

Hughes said he hasn't lost confidence and I hope that is true. I'm rooting for him to return to his regular season form and be the dominant set-up man that Mariano Rivera deserves.

Thanks to Mandalatv via en.wikipedia for the photo.

Yankees must shake off disappointing loss

I can't even imagine what that plane ride back to New York was like after the Yankees failed to close out the American League Championship Series last night. Obviously, they are disappointed, but you have to wonder how high the level of frustration is. The Yanks could have ended the series against the Angels in Anaheim if they won either Monday or Thursday, with both games within their grasp. Now, they have to spend the next two days listening to people invoke the memory of the 2004 ALCS versus Boston.

Joe Girardi has been under intense criticism for several days about his questionable handling of the bullpen and I wonder if he felt skittish about going to his bullpen last night because of it. But I doubt many people would have taken him to task for taking AJ Burnett out after six innings and a long wait on the bench while the Yankee offense came back to life in the 7th inning.
If it's CC Sabathia or Andy Pettitte you're taking out of the game with only 80-odd pitches, then it's a bad move. But no one would have faulted him for taking AJ out of the game, knowing how erratic he is and how prone he is to putting people on base via walks and HBPs.

But the Yankees should look on the bright side. They are coming home to Yankee Stadium, where they have played extraordinarily well, winning all four playoff games this year and posting a 57-24 record during the regular season. They also have a big-game pitcher in Andy Pettitte on the mound for them, followed by their horse Sabathia if it gets that far. But I don't think it will get that far. I think Andy's going to give them a strong performance and I expect the offense to show up, led by Mark Teixeira, who looked like he was getting closer to getting out of his hitting funk. The Yankees will finish the job tomorrow, have a quick celebration and prepare to meet the Phillies in the World Series.

AJ's collapse not a surprise

I wish I could say AJ Burnett's first-inning meltdown was a surprise, but in truth, I had been expecting it for a while. You can't walk or hit that many batters without it coming back to bite you. He obviously had nothing early on, but he rebounded well in the next few innings and kept the Yanks in the game until losing it again in the 7th inning.





What was more disturbing was the regression of the Yankees offense, that one huge inning aside. I was feeling pretty good after Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon got on to start the game. But then Mark Teixeira struck out, Alex Rodriguez popped out and Matsui weakly grounded out. I thought Joe Girardi was going to make the right move and DH Jorge Posada. He went with Matsui because he has more experience DHing, but you can't let that be the deciding factor when a hitter is swinging the bat that poorly.

Home run aside, Nick Swisher continues to struggle. He had a chance to erase all the bad karma from the previous 7 playoff games with one good swing or even a walk in the 9th inning and he couldn't come through.

The postseason struggles of Phil Hughes are really surprising. He was so dominant as Mariano Rivera's set-up man in the regular season, but he struggled in the division series and he looked awful tonight. Joba Chamberlain is having a hard time in the playoffs too, although that's less surprising because the Yankees completely screwed with his head in the regular season. Again, they had to bring in Mo to keep from falling further behind and that shouldn't be happening.

Best I can say for the Yankees is that they're coming home to Yankee Stadium for two games with Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia scheduled to start. But they will have to hear about the 2004 ALCS collapse for the next two days. I hope the doubt doesn't start to creep into their heads.

Sorry Torre Phils in the World Series

For my friend Scott, a die-hard Mets fan, his worst nightmare is about to come true. The Phillies are already in the World Series, having easily dispatched the Dodgers for the second straight year in five games. Now, unless the Angels can pull off a miracle comeback, the Yankees will ascend to the World Series for the first time since 2003. If I were Scott, I'd move south for the winter right now.

I was personally rooting for a Yankees-Dodgers World Series, a reminder of some classic title bouts of decades ago, plus the drama of Joe Torre leading his new team in a tough fight against his old team after being rather unceremoniously dumped. But it was not meant to be. The better team won that LCS and the Phillies will be a tough opponent.

Starting Jorge Posada at DH the right move

Since Jose Molina will be catching AJ Burnett in tomorrow's Game 5 start, Joe Girardi is considering starting Jorge Posada as the designated hitter. It's the right move. Jorge is swinging a hot bat while Hideki Matsui continues to struggle, hitting pop-ups and striking out with runners in scoring position and helping to kill several Yankee rallies.

I also think Nick Swisher has one more game to regain his swing. If the Yankees clinch a World Series berth tomorrow and Swish has another fruitless night, then Girardi will have to add Eric Hinske back to the roster. While everyone else has shown some signs of life (except maybe Robinson Cano), Swisher continues to struggle and may have to take a seat on the bench. You can't let one player drag down your entire offense.