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Grading the New York Yankees: Pitchers »
Even more than Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia was the biggest offseason acquisition for the New York Yankees last year. The Bronx Bombers have always had good hitting, but what they really lacked since last reaching the World Series in 2003, was a true ace to lead the staff through the postseason. Take a look at the Yanks' ERA in the playoffs from [...]
Grading the New York Yankees: Position Players »
The New York Yankees earned an A+ for their overall efforts on and off the field during the 2009 season, as they captured the 27th World Series championship in franchise history. But who deserves most of the credit for the rings they will receive in April? In the first part of my grading series, I evaluate the position players. Derek [...]
New York Yankees Golden Infield: Derek Jeter and Mark »
In 2008, Derek Jeter would often range to his left on a ball up the middle, but fail to get his glove down in time to make the play. Even if the shortstop did get some leather on it, a throw in the dirt would rarely get picked by first baseman Jason Giambi and the runner would be safe with a single. This season, however, it seemed like the captain [...]
Worth the Wait: New York Yankees Win First World »
On the night of Nov. 1, 2001, I was sitting alone in the second-floor lounge of Shaw Hall on the campus of Syracuse University, having been banished there after cheering too loudly in the room of two Red Sox fans following Scott Brosius' game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. After Alfonso Soriano singled home Chuck Knoblauch in the [...]
Joe Girardi May Have Cost Yankees World Series by »
There was no reason to start A.J. Burnett on three days' rest in Game Five of the World Series against the Phillies. I'm not second guessing. As I wrote after New York won Game Four to go up 3-1, sending the right-hander to the mound was an unnecessary risk. Sure, Burnett entered with a 4-0 record and a 2.33 ERA in his career on short rest, but [...]
Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter Have Yankees One Win From »
With Johnny Damon down 1-2 in the count against Brad Lidge with two outs in the ninth, things were beginning to look very iffy for the Yankees' chances of winning their 27th World Series. After Joba Chamberlain surrendered a game-tying home run to Pedro Feliz in the bottom of the eighth, the Phillies carried all the momentum into the ninth. With [...]
Dino Daddy: Godzilla Chases Pedro As Yankees Even Up »
The strategy when facing Pedro Martinez is always to just wait him out, get his pitch count up, then pounce on the relievers who take over for him in the seventh inning. In the fourth, everything appeared to be going as planned, as Mark Teixeira's homer tied the game and the Yankees started getting better swings against the future Hall of [...]
Ut-Lee Leads Phillies Past Yankees in World Series »
Driving home from work along Route 3 in North Jersey, I got goosebumps when I saw the Empire State Building lit up in Yankee blue and white. But Phillies starter Cliff Lee quickly turned those goosebumps to shivers as he completely dominated New York's lineup en route to a 6-1 complete-game victory in Game 1 of the World Series. The left-hander, [...]
Yankees-Phillies World Series: A Preview of the »
The Yankees are leaning towards going with a three-man rotation in the World Series against the Phillies. This will be a more difficult task than in the American League Championship Series, when there was an additional off day between Games Four and Five, because A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte will also have to go on three days' rest. The other [...]
Small Ball, Big Win: Yankees Bunt Their Way to 40th »
For five games, the Yankees mostly sat back and waited for home runs. Sometimes they came, like Alex Rodriguez's game-tying shot in the 11th inning of Game Two. And sometimes they didn't, like when the Bronx Bombers stranded 10 base runners in Game Five. But in their 5-2 American League Championship Series-clinching win on Sunday night, New [...]