2009 World Series Champion Yankees Thread

[Halfwar]

But why was Lidge not throwing his slider? He kept going at Damon with a fastball and then gave A-Rod a nice fastball too.

The announcers said because their was a runner on 3rd base, and his slider sometimes hits the dirt, they can't take that chance that the runner on 3rd will score because of that.

[NJDevs4978]

if AJ pitches like he did the first time, we could beat Lee. But then with Andy and CC for 6 and 7, with Hamels slated to pitch in game 7, I too am very confident

At this point I think the Yankees finish it off tomorrow even with Lee, but if they don't, be careful about Game 6, Pettite's always been terrible with short rest. And while I don't think Sabathia'll really be effected by pitching twice on short rest, it is still a tall order to pitch three times against the same team in such a short time frame. But yeah push comes to shove, they can put up runs on the ghost of Hamels in Game 7.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Hasan4978

[thefiestygoat]

Lee is an amazing pitcher so it won't be easy. Hopefully the Yankees can get to him early and AJ can pitch like he did in Game 2. It may not be good for the casual fan but I'd love nothing more than for the Yankees to just jump out to a huge lead and never look back. This series is far from over, I want end to end with a Yankee victory asap! Lets Go Yankees!

[nmigliore]

But why was Lidge not throwing his slider? He kept going at Damon with a fastball and then gave A-Rod a nice fastball too.

I would guess... Damon - didn't want to give in on 3-2, A-Rod - tried to get ahead with 2 fastballs and/or Damon was on 3rd so throwing the slider would have been risky, although I think you really have to trust your catcher with that; Lidge isn't beating A-Rod with fastballs.

Lidge has thrown his slider less this year and his fastball more, for whatever reason, opposed to what he did last year - throwing his slider over 50% of the time and throwing the fastball considerably less. Weak confidence, maybe?

His fastball has never been that good to begin with; its pitch value has typically been teetering on average or in some cases (like 2006 and 2009) really bad.

Edited November 2, 2009 by nmigliore

[Triumph]

lidge's control has been pretty terrible this year. if he can't put the fastball in the strike zone, people aren't going to swing at the slider. that may be the reason for the change in pitch frequency.

lidge in general has been pretty awful. then again so has marte. the playoffs are a strange bird.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Triumph

[nmigliore]

lidge in general has been pretty awful. then again so has marte. the playoffs are a strange bird.

Although he only pitched 13+ innings, Marte got ripped apart by RH batters this year but he did own the LH batters (like he generally has throughout his career). Girardi has used him smartly - 7 of the 11 batters hes faced in the postseason have been LH batters, only 1 of which was a pure RH batter (meaning non-switch hitter, and that was Jayson Werth last night).

(edit: Actually, I guess its technically 10 batters since he faced Figgins twice, who is notably worse vs LHP than RHP)

Edited November 2, 2009 by nmigliore

[thefiestygoat]

I was critical of the deal they gave Marte and after the year he had I was critical of him being on the post season roster. With that said, with how he has pitched in the playoffs, if they go on to win this he is worth every cent of that deal.

[Beezer34]

I was critical of the deal they gave Marte and after the year he had I was critical of him being on the post season roster. With that said, with how he has pitched in the playoffs, if they go on to win this he is worth every cent of that deal.

+1

[thefiestygoat]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/yankees/2009/11/cabrera-doubtful-for-game-5-wi.html#ixzz0VgL4RLSC

Not looking good for Melky, it would suck to lose him for the rest of the series.

On another note some analysts have suggested moving Burnett back to Game 6 and going with Gaudin for line up issues. Even though the line up will look something like this:

Jeter SS

Damon LF

Teixeira 1B

Rodriguez 3B

Cano 2B

Swisher RF

Gardner CF

Molina C

Burnett P

I feel you need to go for the all out attack with your best pitchers. Plus Gaudin has ugly numbers against lefties and has hardly pitched for the past month. It'd be nice to have a fourth starter to go with but the Yankees have to make due with what they have. Lets hope AJ pitches well and the offense comes through. With a line up like that Teixeira is going to need to step up.

Edited November 2, 2009 by thefiestygoat

[thefiestygoat]

Ugh way to be AJ, you are the most frustrating player I have ever watched. Lets hope he can limit the damage and the Yankees find a way to outslug them. They may be up 3-1 but I don't feel all that great with Pettitte going on 3 days rest and CC since he looked like he was tired in his last performance. I want to end this tonight.

[devilsrule33]

So we got bad A.J. tonight...

Edited November 3, 2009 by devilsrule33

[nyrsuck26]

Lucky if this inning ends with less than 6 runs for PHI. Looks like we're gonna be comin back to NY.

[thefiestygoat]

I am beyond pissed at AJ. Oh well lets hope the Yankees can take one in NY. I don't want to sound like a downer but Andy going on 3 days rest has me worried and even CC has me worried with how he has been and the workload. We've seen our fairshare of devastating collapses in recent years, I truly hope this isn't another. I don't think I can deal with that. If this game is a blowout maybe we can atleast drill Utley in the back in retaliation to A-Rod getting drilled.

[nyrsuck26]

Brett Gardner should not be allowed to pick up a bat ever again after that at bat. All of the pitches were right down the middle, and he just watched as if Lee had some reason to pitch around him.

[thefiestygoat]

Those two runs given up by Cokehead loom large right now. Hopefully the Yankees can find a way to put up another 3 spot if not better in the 9th to complete a miracle comeback. If Hughes holds them here the Yankees would have Posada, Matsui, Jeter, Damon, Teixiera, Rodriguez which is capable of putting up those types of runs. Lets Go Yankees!

[thefiestygoat]

Phil Coke can really go fvck himself. I hope he never pitches again good for nothing bastard.

[nyrsuck26]

I don't care what anyone says, Jeter did not lose this game, Teixeira did not lose this game, Coke did not lose this game... They didn't exactly help, but Burnett was the primary reason that this was a loss.

Oh well. I didn't think that they could beat the Phillies in 5 anyway.

[Beezer34]

I am beyond pissed at AJ. Oh well lets hope the Yankees can take one in NY. I don't want to sound like a downer but Andy going on 3 days rest has me worried and even CC has me worried with how he has been and the workload. We've seen our fairshare of devastating collapses in recent years, I truly hope this isn't another. I don't think I can deal with that. If this game is a blowout maybe we can atleast drill Utley in the back in retaliation to A-Rod getting drilled.

Tonight's game could be looked back upon, as an enormous missed opportunity. Wednesday's game now becomes the most important game of the year for the Bombers. (especially w/Andy on only 3 days rest) If, the Phillies can manage to squeak out a win Wednesday.. then it's panic-time for the pinstripes. I am sure that is how they're taking this series.. one game at a time. All Philadelphia needs to do is manufacture 1 more victory, and the momentum shifts entirely. Granted Game 7 will be @ the Bronx, and we'll have CC.. But at the end of the day, Game 7 is still Game 7... anything can happen. You DO NOT want to risk playing a Game 7 where your backs are against the wall to win.

This series just got uncomfortable, but we're still in the drivers seat. Just make sure you end it Wednesday!

[thefiestygoat]

Someone just reminded me that the Yankees lost the 2001 WS on November 4. How fitting would it be to win this WS on November 4? I'm pumped up. I'm feeling a big game from Andy with all our hitters contributing to a victory. This ends Wednesday.

[DH26]

Someone just reminded me that the Yankees lost the 2001 WS on November 4. How fitting would it be to win this WS on November 4? I'm pumped up. I'm feeling a big game from Andy with all our hitters contributing to a victory. This ends Wednesday.

and with Pedro starting for Philly it will be even sweeter

[thefiestygoat]

and with Pedro starting for Philly it will be even sweeter

It has to end Wednesday. This series. This drought. This pain. It all comes to an end Wednesday.

[thefiestygoat]

I was fortunate to be a Yankee fan born in 1988. My first full year watching baseball in 1995 with my brother the Yankees had a solid team that fell short. Of course at that age you don't feel any pain or disappointment because "it's just a game." The following year the Yankees won the whole thing. I'll never forget jumping up and down in the living room way past my bed time as Charlie Hayes caught that foul ball to seal the deal. Even in 1997 I didn't feel pain since baseball was still a "fun" thing for me to watch. The next 3 years I would get spoiled beyond belief, blessed with 3 championships that as a young fan I didn't deserve compared to the pain of long Cub or Red Sox fans. I remember the thrill of watching that 1998 team just mow down opponent after opponent, game after game with ease. I remember that 1999 team sweeping the Braves with ease defeating them once again in the World Series. I remember the buzz around school the following year when the Subway Series came and how thrilled I was to still have bragging rights after that series was over.

Then it all came to a crashing halt on November 4, 2001. It was a hard series, a long series. After the horrific events that just happened it was amazing to see all the people rallying around the Yankees. Compared to what happened the month before baseball didn't matter at all. It's a silly game that helps us escape reality. With that said I still wanted the win more than ever and to be honest, in my own fault - I expected it. From watching baseball from age 7 to 12 and seeing my team win 4 times, winning was all I knew. As I said earlier I was spoiled beyond belief. I'll always remember right before Rivera took the mound that ninth inning getting a sick feeling in my stomach. It didn't make sense, Rivera is practically a sure thing, I had no reason to feel ill but I did. Sure enough the game would end in a Yankee lose on a bloop single that still replays in my head. I'll always remember screaming and crying as I walked upstairs from the basement. I'll remember that long sleepless night that ensued. For the first time since I became I fan I was experience real pain as a Yankee fan.

After that the years just seemed to fly by with more pain, except with each one that passed I truly grew to appreciate what I was lucky enough to witness as a kid. 2002 felt like it ended way to soon with an early exit from the playoffs. 2003 gave me one of the best series (ALCS) and games (Game 7 ALCS) that I have ever seen. Unfortunately that series took so much out of the Yankees and they were no match for the Marlins. That series left me more angry than sad, I'll always remember my brother picking me up from my friends house that night and us just screaming the entire way home.

2004 really brought me to my knees. I remember running around the house when the A-Rod trade news broke, feeling that there was no way they weren't going to win the WS. I remember laughing as the Yankees killed the Red Sox in Game 3 of that ALCS. The rest is history. Nothing can ever be worse than that for me as a sports fan. That was my hell.

2005, 2006, and 2007 were similar to 2002 for me. First round exits and big disappointments. Those years didn't so much hurt, after 2004 it was hard to hurt more than that, but they just gave me feelings of hopelessness. Strangely enough I expected 2008 to be a horrible year going in so it wasn't that bad for me. I just tried to enjoy the last year of a stadium that held so many great memories to me.

2009 immediately felt different. After the offseason the Yankees had I expected them to win the World Series. Anything less will be utter failure and bitter disappointment. I have felt that this is the year that closes the chapters on those painful and disappointing years from 2001 to 2008. This is where the Yankees win their 27th championship. Baseball is more than a game for me, somewhere along the line it stopped being fun or enjoyable. However, I appreciate the great things I see in this game a lot more now with that approach.

I guess what I was trying to get at in this entire long post (and thank you for reading it all if you did) is that as a Yankee fan I was extremely fortunate to see more championships in-between 7 and 12 than most people see their team win in a life time. After going through crushing defeats in 2001, 2003, and 2004 and huge disappointments in the other years, I have always known one thing will be true. When the Yankees do eventually win that 27th World Series Title, it will be worth every ounce of pain I have felt. I will appreciate this title more than anything I have ever appreciated in sports. I will count my blessings and thank the sports gods for another title that as a fan I probably don't deserve but will accept with open arms. The sweetness factor of this title will be worth an infinity. I don't want to wait for that title any longer. I don't need to learn anymore lessons to appreciate that title the way I should. Get it done this year Yankees.

Edited November 3, 2009 by thefiestygoat

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I was fortunate to be a Yankee fan born in 1988. My first full year watching baseball in 1995 with my brother the Yankees had a solid team that fell short. Of course at that age you don't feel any pain or disappointment because "it's just a game." The following year the Yankees won the whole thing. I'll never forget jumping up and down in the living room way past my bed time as Charlie Hayes caught that foul ball to seal the deal. Even in 1997 I didn't feel pain since baseball was still a "fun" thing for me to watch. The next 3 years I would get spoiled beyond belief, blessed with 3 championships that as a young fan I didn't deserve compared to the pain of long Cub or Red Sox fans. I remember the thrill of watching that 1998 team just mow down opponent after opponent, game after game with ease. I remember that 1999 team sweeping the Braves with ease defeating them once again in the World Series. I remember the buzz around school the following year when the Subway Series came and how thrilled I was to still have bragging rights after that series was over.

Then it all came to a crashing halt on November 4, 2001. It was a hard series, a long series. After the horrific events that just happened it was amazing to see all the people rallying around the Yankees. Compared to what happened the month before baseball didn't matter at all. It's a silly game that helps us escape reality. With that said I still wanted the win more than ever and to be honest, in my own fault - I expected it. From watching baseball from age 7 to 12 and seeing my team win 4 times, winning was all I knew. As I said earlier I was spoiled beyond belief. I'll always remember right before Rivera took the mound that ninth inning getting a sick feeling in my stomach. It didn't make sense, Rivera is practically a sure thing, I had no reason to feel ill but I did. Sure enough the game would end in a Yankee lose on a bloop single that still replays in my head. I'll always remember screaming and crying as I walked upstairs from the basement. I'll remember that long sleepless night that ensued. For the first time since I became I fan I was experience real pain as a Yankee fan.

After that the years just seemed to fly by with more pain, except with each one that passed I truly grew to appreciate what I was lucky enough to witness as a kid. 2002 felt like it ended way to soon with an early exit from the playoffs. 2003 gave me one of the best series (ALCS) and games (Game 7 ALCS) that I have ever seen. Unfortunately that series took so much out of the Yankees and they were no match for the Marlins. That series left me more angry than sad, I'll always remember my brother picking me up from my friends house that night and us just screaming the entire way home.

2004 really brought me to my knees. I remember running around the house when the A-Rod trade news broke, feeling that there was no way they weren't going to win the WS. I remember laughing as the Yankees killed the Red Sox in Game 3 of that ALCS. The rest is history. Nothing can ever be worse than that for me as a sports fan. That was my hell.

2005, 2006, and 2007 were similar to 2002 for me. First round exits and big disappointments. Those years didn't so much hurt, after 2004 it was hard to hurt more than that, but they just gave me feelings of hopelessness. Strangely enough I expected 2008 to be a horrible year going in so it wasn't that bad for me. I just tried to enjoy the last year of a stadium that held so many great memories to me.

2009 immediately felt different. After the offseason the Yankees had I expected them to win the World Series. Anything less will be utter failure and bitter disappointment. I have felt that this is the year that closes the chapters on those painful and disappointing years from 2001 to 2008. This is where the Yankees win their 27th championship. Baseball is more than a game for me, somewhere along the line it stopped being fun or enjoyable. However, I appreciate the great things I see in this game a lot more now with that approach.

I guess what I was trying to get at in this entire long post (and thank you for reading it all if you did) is that as a Yankee fan I was extremely fortunate to see more championships in-between 7 and 12 than most people see their team win in a life time. After going through crushing defeats in 2001, 2003, and 2004 and huge disappointments in the other years, I have always known one thing will be true. When the Yankees do eventually win that 27th World Series Title, it will be worth every ounce of pain I have felt. I will appreciate this title more than anything I have ever appreciated in sports. I will count my blessings and thank the sports gods for another title that as a fan I probably don't deserve but will accept with open arms. The sweetness factor of this title will be worth an infinity. I don't want to wait for that title any longer. I don't need to learn anymore lessons to appreciate that title the way I should. Get it done this year Yankees.

No offense intended, if you started watching baseball in 1995 and you've been a Yankee fan all those years, you don't have slightest concept of what "pain" is.

Your team has the resources to go buy whomever it wants, whenever it wants, and has a sex appeal that only the Dodgers can compete with. Players everywhere dream of what it would be like to wear the pinstripes. Heaven forbid the Yankees make the kind of mistake(s) that would cripple other teams' payrolls and flexibility? No problem...just hose it off and go buy someone else. I'm not begrudging them doing this, BTW...the Yankees aren't doing a single thing wrong...they're operating within the rules of MLB and they're paying a luxury tax for doing so. The game needs a cap with a ceiling AND a floor (at least the Yankees use their resources, unlike some other teams who barely even try...that's why the game desperately needs a cap with a hard floor), but that's a debate for another day.

"Pain"?! C'mon man! Your team is practically a lock to make the playoffs every single year, and that's something you shouldn't take lightly. MLB is not like the NHL, where making the postseason season after season isn't nearly as difficult as it is in MLB. The regular season has almost become kind of a preseason for you. Even though recent postseasons haven't worked out for you, and yeah, some of them have been tough, you're still going to the dance, season after season after season, with the lone exception of last season of course.

You want to know about pain? Try being a Mets fan. Our team is an embarrassment on and off the field, and from the ownership to the front office. Regardless of how fans feel about your team's spending the cash, at least when your team senses an opportunity they'll go all the way...unlike my team. Your team plays every season with one goal and one goal only...to win the World Series. My team plays for "meaningful games in September"...which we got in 2007 and 2008, and they sure were meaningful in the worst possible way. The Yankees have had their share of dark days (I graduated high school the year you were born, and the late 80s-early 90s Yankees were as much laughingstocks then as the Mets are now), but their best days far far FAR outweigh the embarrassing ones. I just hope you appreciate how lucky you are and what you've got. As much as you think you might know what "pain" is in a baseball sense, trust me...you don't. Count your blessings.

[westcoastdevfan]

You annoying Mets fans whine and complain all the time. You want to know what pain is? How about listening to you whine all the time. It's down right excruciating!

END THE DROUGHT! GO YANKEES!

Edited November 3, 2009 by westcoastdevfan

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

I was fortunate to be a Yankee fan born in 1988. My first full year watching baseball in 1995 with my brother the Yankees had a solid team that fell short...

This is so riduclous, it's borderline parody. Other teams fans' read posts like these and that is why they hate the yankees and their fans. Your sense of entitlement is insulting. Most teams are happy to even make the postseason.