I would be mad about the Texas Rangers bouncing the New York Yankees right out of the playoffs, but the truth of the matter is the Yankees were never really in it.
It turns out the well-pitched, well-played games against the Minnesota Twins were just an illusion. In the American League Championship Series, the Yankees played more like the team they looked like in September. Perhaps that's the team they really are rather than the world beaters they looked like against the Twinkies. In the ALCS, they got outpitched, outhit and really out managed.
Game 6 was a clear example of how the Rangers played better than the Yankees in every way possible. Phil Hughes struggled right from the start, not that it really mattered. He held the Rangers to one run through the first four innings before imploding, but had to watch helplessly as the offense acted like Cliff Lee was on the mound instead of Colby Lewis. And when Joe Girardi pulled Hughes with the game on the line, the bullpen call went to David Robertson instead of Kerry Wood or Mariano Rivera. I know it was only the fifth inning, but that was the season right there and Girardi made the wrong call.
The Rangers earned the right to represent the American League in the World Series by playing like superstars. The Yankees couldn't put up a fight to save their season and that's why they are going home.
It turns out the well-pitched, well-played games against the Minnesota Twins were just an illusion. In the American League Championship Series, the Yankees played more like the team they looked like in September. Perhaps that's the team they really are rather than the world beaters they looked like against the Twinkies. In the ALCS, they got outpitched, outhit and really out managed.
Game 6 was a clear example of how the Rangers played better than the Yankees in every way possible. Phil Hughes struggled right from the start, not that it really mattered. He held the Rangers to one run through the first four innings before imploding, but had to watch helplessly as the offense acted like Cliff Lee was on the mound instead of Colby Lewis. And when Joe Girardi pulled Hughes with the game on the line, the bullpen call went to David Robertson instead of Kerry Wood or Mariano Rivera. I know it was only the fifth inning, but that was the season right there and Girardi made the wrong call.
The Rangers earned the right to represent the American League in the World Series by playing like superstars. The Yankees couldn't put up a fight to save their season and that's why they are going home.
Thanks to Red3biggs via Wikipedia for the Colby Lewis photo.
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