After years of losing, Yanks finally need to beat Angels
NEW YORK – In all of baseball, no team has given the Yankees more problems than the Los Angeles (previously California, then Anaheim) Angels have.
There has not been a clear explanation as to why. Over the last 13 years, no other team in baseball has been able to compile a winning record against the Yankees then the team that plays in Orange County.
Beginning this Friday night at Yankee Stadium, both of these teams will take the field in the AL Championship Series with a trip to the World Series on the line, the team from The Bronx will finally get a chance to vanquish the team that even more than the Red Sox, has been their long time nemesis.
To say the team with the Halo on its cap has not had some wicked spell over the Yankees would be to ignore past history. It exists and there is no way to run away from it. 53 of the last 91 times the two teams have played since 2000, the Angels have been victorious.
Twice in this decade, the Angels have eliminated the Yankees in the postseason, each in the Division Series.
During the regular season, the Angels win. When the games are played in Angel Stadium, they win even more. The bounces go their way. Homeruns stay in the park, they pull off defensive gems, and never is a lead safe no matter how big the deficit is. Angel Stadium has been the place where dreams go to tie. New York is 7-18 over the last five years.
The numbers certainly do not fall into their favor. As the old cliché goes, “They have the Yankees number.” However, as we saw in the Division Series, the Angels had never been able to beat the Red Sox in the postseason and were finally able to overcome previous disappointments to sweep Boston. They won in dramatic fashion in Game 3, rallying for three runs in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and no one on base trailing by two runs.
If the Angels can get over their “Red Sox Hex’”, it would make sense that the Yankees should be able to get over their “Angels Hex” and be able to advance to the World Series.
At some point, this has to end. In previous years where the Angels eliminated the Yankees, pitching has been the primary cause for the falls. In that 2002 Division Series, the Angels relentless lineup wore down the veteran core of Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and David Wells as the Yankees drowned in a sea of red.
Three years later, Randy Johnson was bombed in Game 3 at the old Stadium, in a game where the Angels were starting Paul Byrd and what looked to be a clear mismatch. In Game 5, leading 2-0 in the game, Bartolo Colon came out, replaced by Erwin Santana, who preceded to shutdown the Yankee lineup. They would rally against Mike Mussina with help from Bubba Crosby and Gary Sheffield colliding for a fly ball in right center.
There has always been “something”. Chone Figgins becomes a complete pest both at the plate and on the bases. Howie Kendrick turns into Mickey Mantle and cannot make an out. Even little known players like Erick Aybar find a power stroke and are able to hit balls out of the park. This is all before the big thumpers, Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales step to the plate.
They put pressure on you to make plays to get them out and in the past, the Yankees defensive that was below average to begin with, could not keep up with the Angels fast-break style of play. No team in baseball goes first-to-third better then they do and they force you to make plays that the Yankees couldn’t make. When it came to stealing bases or making the perfect, they were able to do it at will.
This time, the Yankees have beefed up their pitching staff and improved their defense immensely. Having CC Sabathia on the mound in Game 1 gives them a slight edge over John Lackey. Having AJ Burnett at home with Jose Molina catching and Andy Pettitte on the round in that Rally Monkey and thunder stick environment on the road finally can neutralize what were originally old deficiencies.
Then, you have “The A-Rod Factor”.
In case you haven’t been paying attention or having been living under a rock, Rodriguez is hot and appears to be putting his past postseason history behind him. In addition, he has hit more homeruns against the Angels than any other major league team. If he is able to continue what he did in the Division Series against Minnesota, he will force them to put him on base and take their chances with the other hitters of the lineup, who despite not hitting well in the first round, are more than capable of coming through.
The Yankees have the advantage in starting pitching for a change. They have the much better bullpen by miles. They have the better offense, utility men to bring off the bench in certain situations.
They are a more flexible and diverse team despite being somewhat homerun reliant. While the Angels may be a better team than in past years, the Yankees have caught them.
In September, with nothing to prove outside of improved mental psyche, they were to overcome any psychological hurdles of playing in Anaheim by winning two of three games. During the season, the two teams split the 10 game series.
If they are not even, the Yankees have a slight advantage.
Having the Angels as one of the final hurdles to overcome in a year that has seen them breakdown every barrier, maybe it is apropos that it is them standing in the way from a trip to the Fall Classic.
Yankees in seven.
NEW YORK – In all of baseball, no team has given the Yankees more problems than the Los Angeles (previously California, then Anaheim) Angels have.
There has not been a clear explanation as to why. Over the last 13 years, no other team in baseball has been able to compile a winning record against the Yankees then the team that plays in Orange County.
Beginning this Friday night at Yankee Stadium, both of these teams will take the field in the AL Championship Series with a trip to the World Series on the line, the team from The Bronx will finally get a chance to vanquish the team that even more than the Red Sox, has been their long time nemesis.
To say the team with the Halo on its cap has not had some wicked spell over the Yankees would be to ignore past history. It exists and there is no way to run away from it. 53 of the last 91 times the two teams have played since 2000, the Angels have been victorious.
Twice in this decade, the Angels have eliminated the Yankees in the postseason, each in the Division Series.
During the regular season, the Angels win. When the games are played in Angel Stadium, they win even more. The bounces go their way. Homeruns stay in the park, they pull off defensive gems, and never is a lead safe no matter how big the deficit is. Angel Stadium has been the place where dreams go to tie. New York is 7-18 over the last five years.
The numbers certainly do not fall into their favor. As the old cliché goes, “They have the Yankees number.” However, as we saw in the Division Series, the Angels had never been able to beat the Red Sox in the postseason and were finally able to overcome previous disappointments to sweep Boston. They won in dramatic fashion in Game 3, rallying for three runs in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and no one on base trailing by two runs.
If the Angels can get over their “Red Sox Hex’”, it would make sense that the Yankees should be able to get over their “Angels Hex” and be able to advance to the World Series.
At some point, this has to end. In previous years where the Angels eliminated the Yankees, pitching has been the primary cause for the falls. In that 2002 Division Series, the Angels relentless lineup wore down the veteran core of Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and David Wells as the Yankees drowned in a sea of red.
Three years later, Randy Johnson was bombed in Game 3 at the old Stadium, in a game where the Angels were starting Paul Byrd and what looked to be a clear mismatch. In Game 5, leading 2-0 in the game, Bartolo Colon came out, replaced by Erwin Santana, who preceded to shutdown the Yankee lineup. They would rally against Mike Mussina with help from Bubba Crosby and Gary Sheffield colliding for a fly ball in right center.
There has always been “something”. Chone Figgins becomes a complete pest both at the plate and on the bases. Howie Kendrick turns into Mickey Mantle and cannot make an out. Even little known players like Erick Aybar find a power stroke and are able to hit balls out of the park. This is all before the big thumpers, Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales step to the plate.
They put pressure on you to make plays to get them out and in the past, the Yankees defensive that was below average to begin with, could not keep up with the Angels fast-break style of play. No team in baseball goes first-to-third better then they do and they force you to make plays that the Yankees couldn’t make. When it came to stealing bases or making the perfect, they were able to do it at will.
This time, the Yankees have beefed up their pitching staff and improved their defense immensely. Having CC Sabathia on the mound in Game 1 gives them a slight edge over John Lackey. Having AJ Burnett at home with Jose Molina catching and Andy Pettitte on the round in that Rally Monkey and thunder stick environment on the road finally can neutralize what were originally old deficiencies.
Then, you have “The A-Rod Factor”.
In case you haven’t been paying attention or having been living under a rock, Rodriguez is hot and appears to be putting his past postseason history behind him. In addition, he has hit more homeruns against the Angels than any other major league team. If he is able to continue what he did in the Division Series against Minnesota, he will force them to put him on base and take their chances with the other hitters of the lineup, who despite not hitting well in the first round, are more than capable of coming through.
The Yankees have the advantage in starting pitching for a change. They have the much better bullpen by miles. They have the better offense, utility men to bring off the bench in certain situations.
They are a more flexible and diverse team despite being somewhat homerun reliant. While the Angels may be a better team than in past years, the Yankees have caught them.
In September, with nothing to prove outside of improved mental psyche, they were to overcome any psychological hurdles of playing in Anaheim by winning two of three games. During the season, the two teams split the 10 game series.
If they are not even, the Yankees have a slight advantage.
Having the Angels as one of the final hurdles to overcome in a year that has seen them breakdown every barrier, maybe it is apropos that it is them standing in the way from a trip to the Fall Classic.
Yankees in seven.
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