Yankee Talk: World Series Edition – Good AJ shows up

In Yanks biggest, Burnett comes up big

NEW YORK – There are two sides of AJ Burnett.

You never know what to expect. There are stretches of Koufax-ian greatness with Oliver Perez-ian inconsistency that borders on baffling, maddening and just enough to pull one’s hair out.

In the playoffs, we have seen both sides.

The Yankees had zero interest in participating in another of “As A.J Burnett Turns” before Game 2 of the World Series.

What the Yankees wanted was the man they paid $82.5 million last December to deliver them a victory in Game 2 of the World Series to even the series against the Phillies.

On this night, Burnett would deliver.

Emphatically.

With each weak swing, swing and miss and called strike, Burnett threw as Phillies came up and quickly went right back to the bench.

Most of them had little chance.

Even though the Phillies scored the first run of the game on a sharply hit ground ball that eluded the glove of Alex Rodriguez in the second inning, it did not appear as if it would rattle him.

It didn’t.

As we have seen, it doesn’t take much for Burnett to be off his game. Just when you think he has everything working, he’s in a jam looking to avoid trouble and the inning drags out about as long as a terrible movie that you cannot escape because of the locked exit doors.

During Game 2 of the Division Series against the Twins and in Game 2 of the League Championship Series against the Angels, at times he appeared to be unhittable. Burnett’s power fastball would blow by hitters. His two-seamer would freeze hitters with the umpires calling them out on strikes. When they would expect the hard stuff, here came curveball leading to weak hacks and feeble swings.

Suddenly, “Bad AJ” would appear as if it were a Jekyll and Hyde movie. There was that sixth inning against the Twins and then the fifth inning against the Angels where he threw 33 pitches and needed to confer with Jose Molina six times.

In his last start, the Angels rocked him for four runs in the first inning of Game 5. Burnett settled down and pitched into the seventh inning, where the game had now gone from 4-0 down to 6-4 and the Yankees needed just a few more outs from him to seal the pennant.

Those outs never came.

Now it was on Burnett to atone for his previous outing and even this series.

Mark Teixeira’s homerun in the bottom of the fourth tied the game. Burnett continued to hold the Phillies scoreless until Hideki Matsui was able to golf a sinking Pedro Martinez changeup over the short porch in right for go-ahead homerun to give the Yankees the lead.

With the advantage, all that needed to take place was for Burnett to get three more outs.

The bullpen inexplicably has broken down over the course of this postseason. What had been solid bridge to get the ball to Mariano Rivera was now creaky. Phil Hughes was not the same pitcher he was in the regular season. Joba Chamberlain has not fared well. And no one else was simply going to suffice.

Burnett would be the bridge. It was on him to get those final three outs. In the late 90’s, it would be referred to as a “handoff game”.

Ibanez started the inning, walking back to the bench after striking out looking on a beautiful curveball on the black.

One out.

Matt Stairs came up next and three pitches later, he took the slow walk back to the bench as Burnett once again painted a curveball for strike three.

Two outs.

Pedro Feliz would represent the Phillies last hope. Against a pitcher dealing the way Burnett was, he did not stand a chance. On his 108th and final pitch of the evening, Feliz would hit a weak groundball to end the inning.

Burnett’s night was over.

So were the Phillies.

26 men came up to the plate against Burnett. 22 of them saw a first pitch strike.

Certainly, the Phillies were not expecting that type of control from a right-hander who was among the league leaders in walks, hit batsmen and anxiety attacks.

Seven innings strong. Four men reached base on a hit. The final eight did not reach base.

Walking off the mound, he could hold his head up high. It was a masterful performance.

A money-earning performance.

Yankee Talk: World Series Edition – Burn-ing sensation

AJ cools Phils, Yanks even series

NEW YORK – All season long, the Yankees would sometimes hold their breath whenever AJ Burnett would take the mound.

Were they getting “Good AJ” or “Bad AJ”? The maddening swings in his performance left the team, fans and even the opponents wondering what they were going to get.

However, in the biggest game of the Yankees season, the “Good AJ” would play the starring role.

Seeking to prevent the Phillies from taking a commanding two game advantage, the right-hander took the ball and handcuffed them for seven innings, striking out nine as the Yankees evened the World Series with a 3-1 victory.

His mound opponent, long time Yankee villain Pedro Martinez was game, but at his age, could only do so much. Perhaps in another time, he could have dueled Burnett pitch-for-pitch, inning-for-inning.

Just not tonight.

Burnett cruised through the first five Philadelphia hitters, but with two outs, he gave up a ground-rule double to Raul Ibanez. Matt Stairs’ grounder went under the glove of Rodriguez into left for a run scoring single to give the Phillies the game’s first run.

Martinez channeled a man from his past early on, going into his reservoir to summon all the guile that made him one the baseball’s most dominant pitchers of his era.

Through the first three innings, Martinez held the Yankees scoreless, piling up four strikeouts.

However, in the bottom of the fourth, Mark Teixeira crushed a 1-0 pitch into the bullpen in right center for a game-tying homerun.

Both right-handers traded zeroes on the scoreboard as Burnett and Martinez kept both powerful offenses off-balance. While Burnett would handcuff the Phillies with his two-seam fastball that would comeback over the inner half of the plate, freezing hitters and a wicked curveball that could not be picked up.

Martinez, working with a less powerful right arm and verbally harassed (not as powerful as it was built up) from the 50,181 at Yankee Stadium, serenading him with the old chant “Who’s Your Daddy?” blocked out all of the distractions to his credit. Yankee hitters were unable to pick up on his changeup, leading to many weakly hit fly balls.

In the sixth inning, Martinez struck out both Teixeira and Rodriguez (0-for 4, 3 strikeouts) to begin, but then Hideki Matsui caught hold of a Martinez changeup and drove it over the short porch in right field to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Only Matsui (2-for-3) appeared to have a beat on Martinez the entire night. He singled to right in his first at bat in the second and drew a walk in the fourth.

Matsui’s go-ahead homerun was all the support Burnett would need as he held the lead through seven innings. For his 108 pitch outing, Burnett gave up the lone run, four hits, walking two and striking out nine.

Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel would lift Martinez after giving up two successive singles to Jerry Hairston and Melky Cabrera to begin the bottom of the seventh, leaving to his usual chorus of boos as he pointed his fingers to the sky.

Chan Ho Park came on in relief and immediately gave up an RBI single to center from Jorge Posada to increase the Yankees lead to 3-1. That closed the night for Martinez, who in six plus innings gave up three runs, six hits, walked two and struck out eight in 107 pitches.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi elected to have Mariano Rivera start the eighth in hopes of a two inning save. The Phillies got runners on first and second with Chase Utley at the plate who hit two homeruns in Game 1 off CC Sabathia.

Rivera’s cutter induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and eliminate the threat. In the ninth, Rivera got the first two outs before Raul Ibanez doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Stairs would strike out swinging to end the game on the closer’s 39th pitch of the evening.

The Yankees needed to win in order to avoid a 0-2 series hole. The Phillies got the split they sought out coming in to Yankee Stadium.

Now the series goes south, down the turnpike to Philadelphia for the next three games. Game 3 is Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Andy Pettitte gets the start for the Yankees against last year’s World Series MVP Cole Hamels.

Yankee Talk: World Series Edition – Terrific-Lee done

Lee chops down Yanks

NEW YORK – Even if you were to take every great Yankee who has ever donned pinstripes and allow Joe Girardi to pencil them into the lineup for one night and they still would not have been able to hit Cliff Lee.

All postseason, the left arm of Lee has been utterly dominant. He shut down the Rockies twice and then the Dodgers in the League Championship Series. The 0.74 ERA that Lee came into the

World Series with was among the greatest in the history of the game.

It was Lee that would give the defending world champion Phillies their best chance of beating the Yankees.

In Game 1, he did just that.

With pinpoint control and accelerated pace from his first pitch of the night to Derek Jeter, Yankee hitters one-by-one went up looking for a good pitch to hit and wound up swinging at air or taking weak hacks and either grounding or popping up.

Lee is not a flamethrower, so the Yankees were not overpowered. Instead, the hired gun Philadelphia acquired from Cleveland before the trade deadline used his incredible prowess and intelligence to systematically break down baseball’s most powerful offense, relegating them to a bunch of minor leaguers.

Jeter struck out on three pitches to begin the night, and Mark Teixeira went down swinging to end the bottom of the first inning. At that moment, you know Lee brought his good stuff to this World Series dance party.

His counterpart, CC Sabathia needed to match zeroes with him in order to have a chance. He would hold up his end of the bargain until the third inning. With two strikes, Sabathia left a fastball over the plate that Chase Utley hooked down the right field line for a solo homerun to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.

In a game with these two pitchers, especially one as great as Lee has been pitching, one run may as well have been four.

Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada each struck out swinging in the bottom of the fourth, giving Lee seven strikeouts and outside of Jeter’s double down the right field line, not one ball was hit hard.

In baseball, there is an old saying that a control pitcher such as Lee can make a hitter a “comfortable 0 for 4”. Seeing his fastball at just over 90 MPH and a cutter that bore in on right-handed hitters mixed in with his changeup and deadly spike curveball and all the Yankees could do was shake their heads.

Utley sealed the game in the sixth inning when he crushed another Sabathia fastball deep into the right field bleachers for his second homerun of the night to increase the margin to 2-0. No way were the Yankees going to come back from that.

Pitching in his first World Series and inside Yankee Stadium you would have figured that a combination of those two things along with the Yankees themselves would be enough to crack a dent in Lee’s invincibility that he has shown thus far in the postseason.

Yet, it did not matter. None of it mattered.

Seven innings in, Lee was still going strong. To show how good he had things going, when Robinson Cano laced a ball back up the middle, Lee somehow fielded it behind his back, flipping to first for the out.

It was as if he could do no wrong.

Effortless.

On these nights, you simply tip your cap and acknowledge the performance. Lee was the winner of this fight on points, giving him a unanimous decision. Sabathia pitched seven strong innings, and in most other games that would have been good enough to deliver a winning performance.

Unfortunately, it was not good enough to defeat Lee.

The Phillies offense would score the knockout in the eighth inning. With a beleaguered bullpen, it was on Lee to carry them. Charlie Manuel summoning anyone would be akin to lighting gasoline with a match.

It would have been easy to remove him with a four-run lead in the eighth, but Manuel stuck with his starter and down 1-2-3. The Yankees would amount a token rally in the bottom of the ninth when the Phillies lead ballooned to six, but Lee would strikeout Rodriguez for the third time and then Posada to conclude matters.

One run, six hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts over his 122 dazzling pitches that only increased his ERA to 0.54, reaching the point where his day to pitch means almost certain victory.

Whether he starts on three days’ rest in Game 4 is anyone’s guess. The rest of Philadelphia’s rotation is not strong enough to beat the Yankees two times if his next start is only going to come in Game 5.
The Yankees can only hope they see just once more after tonight.

Yankee Talk: World Series Edition – Phill-ed up

Lee outduels Sabathia as Phils win Game 1

NEW YORK – CC Sabathia was one of the most dominant pitchers so far in the postseason.

The other was Cliff Lee.

He was going to have to continue his dominance and hope the Yankees could scrape out a few runs against Philadelphia’s most dominant weapon.
It did not happen.

Yes, Sabathia pitched very good ballgame in his own right. Unfortunately, it was not good enough on this night.

Lee was sensational. Add the help of two Chase Utley homeruns and the ability to tack on against the suddenly weak Yankees bullpen, helped the defending world champion Phillies en route to a 6-1 victory in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven.

The Yankee Stadium crowd of 50,207, who had not witnessed a World Series game since Game 6 of the 2003 Fall Classic when Josh Beckett pitched a complete game shutout to help the Florida Marlins win it all, created an electric atmosphere at the start as the Yankees began the quest for their 27th championship.

Both Sabathia and Lee threw scoreless frames over the first two innings before with two outs and a full count in the third, Chase Utley jumped on a hanging fastball and sent it down the right field line over the wall for a homerun to give the Phillies a 1-0 advantage.

Utley worked a deep count before drawing a walk in the first inning. Working the count again, Sabathia attempted to paint the pitch on the outside corner that instead found the middle of the plate.

As it turned out, it was just enough. Lee struck out seven through the first four innings. No Yankee reached past second base and never had more than one man on base.

Philadelphia would gain a decisive margin in the sixth inning when Utley hit his second homerun of the night into the right field bleachers for a 2-0 lead.

Sabathia retired the previous eight batters before Utley, but once again left a fastball over the middle of the plate that Utley crushed.

Sabathia finished the night going seven innings, yielding only those two runs, four hits, walking three and striking out six over 113 pitches.

The Phillies tacked on runs in the eighth inning when Raul Ibanez singled home two runs to increase the margin to 4-0.

Phil Hughes started the inning and walked both Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. Damaso Marte relieved Hughes and struck out Utley looking and got Ryan Howard to fly out for the second out.

David Robertson would come and walked Jayson Werth to load the bases before Ibanez would hit a two-strike curveball on the ground in between first and second that found its way into right field for a base hit.

A 4-0 score may as well have been 40-0 the way Lee was dominating. Stifling Yankee bats with his array of pitches, Yankee hitters were back to the dugout with their heads down.

An illustration of the kind of night Lee had came in the bottom of the eighth when Robinson Cano hit a ball hard ticketed for center field. Instead, Lee was able to field the ball behind his back, turning it into a routine play at first.

The Phillies added two more runs in the ninth off Brian Bruney and Phil Coke for a 6-0 margin. Lee stayed in the game despite the margin to pitch the ninth when the Yankees scored an unearned run, but struck out Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada to end the game.

Lee’s final pitch accounted for his 10th strikeout. In his 122 pitches, he gave up six hits and no earned runs without walking a batter. He is now 4-0 this postseason with an ERA of 0.54.

The defending world champions will leave New York with the split and can take a two game lead back to Philadelphia in Game 2 when Pedro Martinez returns to pitch against the Yankees for the first time in over four years.

AJ Burnett starts for the Yankees.

Yankee Talk: Playoff Edition – World Serious

First trip to new Stadium ends in celebration

NEW YORK – I came to Yankee Stadium feeling tense.

I left Yankee Stadium in celebration.

For me, making the trip to new house was going to be an interesting experience no matter when it was going to happen.

If it took place in the middle of the season, I could treat it in the manner of enjoyment in a relatively stress free situation. However, this first trip was being done under far more stressful conditions.

After seeing the Yankees lose game 5 of the American League Championship Series to the Angels after trailing by four runs in the seventh inning and scoring six runs only to give up the lead in the bottom of the inning, I had visions back to the 2004 dancing in my head. Five games had been played in this series and the Yankees could have legitimately won all five games. This whole thing could have ended in a sweep had Joe Girardi managed things properly.

Instead here we were. Back at Yankee Stadium for Game 6, and the anxiety level among the fans was obvious. On the way to the game on Saturday night, you could sense it everywhere. In previous subway treks to Yankee games, there is always a lot of noise making and conversation among the masses about anything. This time, the subway car was mostly quiet as many braced themselves for what they were about to see.

As it turned out, we didn’t see anything on Saturday. My friend and I were at the 149th street platform attempting to make the connection switch, one stop away from the stadium when the news comes down that the game was postponed due to heavy rains in the area.

Now it was Sunday evening and we were back in the same place. We all had come to celebrate, but we still had old scars from previous postseason collapses. Those Division Series loses, the World Series loss to the Marlins back in 2003 and then of course, losing the final four games to the Red Sox in 2004 after leading three games to none. Over the last eight years, we have been conditioned to think this way. The belief that they would always win has been shattered and the onus is on them to fix that.

Along the route, I met some fellow Yankee fans from Long Island who were looking for directions. We told them to follow us since we were all heading to the same place.

When we got off at 161st-Yankee Stadium stop, the good feelings were coming back. Instead of going left as I used to for years, I would walk straight ahead. Right there, new Yankee Stadium was staring at me. The outside was so beautiful and with the sun setting, it looked incredible. You look at the Hard Rock Café and NYY Steak that is there for your consumption.

It is just after six o’clock and I have nearly two and a half hours to play with. Time to look at every my new home has to offer.

You go inside and it is as if you are in a walking museum. Yankees legends from the past are hanging high atop the walls. Paul O’Neill, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Mickey Mantle, and many more that I could put down but cannot because I wouldn’t be able to write anything else.

I happened to see a photo with Reggie Jackson taking a swing at one of his homeruns from Game 6 of the 1977 World Series and the old scoreboard showing “REG-GIE” and I knew I had to get a photo with that for the collection. Just to be safe, I purchased a four pack of Duracell batteries. I couldn’t take any chances on this night.

We get to the field and the first that sticks out of course is the incredibly massive big screen in centerfield. You have to be blind to miss it. I go down a few rows to get a glimpse of the Yankees taking batting practice. Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez getting their early cuts in as other fans like me are snapping pictures.

I have a seat in the cushy seats behind the plate. No, not the Legends Suites area, but this was good enough. Even had a chance to put the feet up and do my obligatory foot picture that has come to be a trademark of the road trip.

Now as we roam around the concourse area, you can see all of the changes. The big difference being how open it is compared to in the past. At the old Stadium, you would be walking into what looked to be down a tunnel and you would not be able to see any of the action going on. Here, while you are going to get food, you can still see the game.

Plenty of food choices abound. From Johnny Rockets, to Nathan’s to a sushi place, they had it all, but be prepared to spend. A quick look at the menu showed that chicken tenders and fries cost $10.50, quite the difference from what I’m used to paying.

Saw the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar from the outside, but did not feel like going in. Who goes to a bar inside a stadium during a baseball game? Just a little too excessive for my taste. Also, I’m noticing that there are photographic images from every championship team of the past, starting from the 1920’s all the way until their last championship in 2000.

My early surprise of the night came when the usher told us that Monument Park was open and we were free to go inside, as it was available to peruse two hours before the game. I had never visited it before, and under the impression, you had to reserve time in order to go. For me, it was the ultimate treat.

I saw all of the plaques of the immortal Yankee players and the retired numbers. It was all very nostalgic to take it. It felt like I was a child at holiday season getting all the presents I wanted.

Once that was over, it was time to head to the seats. There was just under an hour to go, but I was ready to sit down. I had taken down most of the stuff I wanted to see and there really wasn’t much left. Whatever I missed I would simply check out next season.

My tickets read that they were wheelchair accessible seats and that had me concerned I would have problems. When we got to our section and showed the security person our seats, he pulled out two folding chairs and set them up for us. It was that easy. Our view was inside the foul line with a dead shot on from left field. Certainly not homerun territory unless the win was blowing out ridiculously and a man hit it about 450 feet, but this was perfect.

No one would be in front and there was next to us to cramp our space. Nothing worse than a 300-pound man, who should be taking up two seats infringing on your turf.

I was slowly revving up into “game mode”. My mental playoff intensity was rounding into form. I’m usually this way before these games, but being in the stadium and being at work (where I was at for Game 5) where my cheering had to be limited to quiet fist pumping and random noises.

Before the game, I had a song being played in the Stadium and I loved every second of it. I asked the usher what the name of it was and he said it was called “It’s My Time by Fabolous”. That song was a perfect theme for the Yankees and this championship series.

It’s was our time.

I look out and there is Andy Pettitte warming up. Joe Saunders for the Angels is in the outfield. The crowd is slowing starting to fill up and it was time for me to get some food.

I spotted a stand that had a pulled pork sandwich, but I couldn’t find it. On my original list were shrimp cocktail, garlic fries, ribs and a Nathan’s hot dog. Looks like I was going to have the sombrero because I couldn’t find any of these items.

Just my luck.

Instead, I settled in with the French fries, hamburger and a Brooklyn Lager beer. Total cost came out to $22.75. The stuff sure wasn’t cheap.

Now it was time for the ballgame and you can hear the electricity in the crowd. The last time I attended for a pennant clinching game was Game 5 in 2001 against the Seattle Mariners. A lot has changed since then, but things felt right being right back here for this.

Admittedly, I was still a nervous wreck. For the first two innings, Pettitte was soothing my feelings, but the offense was not. They had two runners on in the first with two and did not score and then in the second, loaded the bases and could not get the run home to take the early lead.

It was frustrating and it got worse when Bobby Abreu’s run-scoring single gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the third. You could hear nothing but silence in the stadium. 2004 continued to flash into my mind as it was in the fourth inning of that game with no score when Jason Varitek battled Yankee starter Jon Lieber for a 10-pitch at bat before singling to center to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead that eventually became 4-0 when Mark Bellhorn hit an opposite field three-run homer.

Pettitte held the score at just one run and the Yankees put themselves in another good position in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases for Johnny Damon. The crowd was just hoping for a hit, but if you took bets, about 50 percent of the crowd would not have taken action on the Yankees getting a clutch knock. When Damon drove in two runs with a single to left center to make it 2-1, the place roared.

Hearing the noise, it didn’t sound like the old stadium, but we were doing our best to make it feel that way. With all of the open air in the concourse area, the old sound that encapsulated the building now goes into the sky. As Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate, he was met with a thunderous ovation. All of us standing, believing that he would come through. It was one thing seeing it on TV, but watching it in person was quite another. On the 3-1 pitch, he takes a close pitch inside for ball four as the Yankees increased their lead to two.

In the sixth, a little tension comes about as with two out, Pettitte walked Torii Hunter and a double to Vladimir Guerrero, who swung at a pitch about an inch from the dirt and the ball landed fair inside the right field line.

Now, a single by Kendry Morales could tie game. The count grew to 3-0, and that puts all of us on high alert. Pettitte would deal and Morales would hit a ball sharply right back to him, throwing to first for the out to end the inning.

Pettitte got one out in the seventh and left to an amazing round of applause from the home fans. He was brought back this season at a minimal salary (for his terms) and now with eight more outs to get, had put them in a great position to get back to the World Series.

Joba Chamberlain got the remaining two outs to close out the seventh and Mariano Rivera was brought in to get six outs. He would give up an RBI single to right by Guerrero to trim the deficit to a run, but got Morales to ground out to end the inning.

Three outs to go.

Everyone (including Robinson Cano) was stunned when he drew a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the eighth. When Nick Swisher’s bunt attempt was fielded by new pitcher Scott Kazmir and dropped at first base by Howie Kendrick, good vibes filled the air. Now Melky Cabrera would look to bunt the runners over. Kazmir fielded and his sailed high over the head of Kendrick and went into foul territory. Cano scored and the Yankees now lead 4-2. The stadium was literally shaking.

Because of the seats that we had, normal cheering could not be done because they were technically “wheelchair seats” and I was impeding the view of those who had standing room tickets behind me. However, I could not help but to react in complete jubilation. Security did not mind either. We were all rooting for the same team and us closing in on a celebration.

The rules be damned.

Mark Teixeira’s sacrifice fly made it 5-2 going into the ninth inning. There was no doubt this was ours. The Angels, who have had a hex on us over the last seven years, were close to being extinguished. Actually, the way the series had gone, it was amazing the Angels had even won two games, more or less one. The Yankee thoroughly outplayed them for what were now six games and somehow the Angels had won two games.

Now, with Rivera staked to a three-run lead, it was time to turn off the lights.

Kendrick, a noted “Yankee killer”, grounded out to second.

One out.

Juan Rivera flew out to Swisher in right.

Two out.

Now the stadium, criticized for not being too loud, too corporate and missing some of it old feel was a madhouse. It was just like old times. One more out to go, and fans everywhere were banging on mats, chairs, anything they could that would make noise.

Think of an airplane leaving the ground and how ear splitting that is. This is what Yankee Stadium had become.

Gary Matthews Jr. was the Angels last hope. With the count 2-2, the noise got louder. I held up my video recorder on my camera trying to capture the final out. Suddenly my memory card ran full after all the pictures I had taken during the night. By the time I get everything straightened out, Rivera had blown a fastball past him up and away.

Ballgame over.

The Yankees win the pennant.

Hugs and high-fives were in order to anyone within reach. Young and old, male or female, it did not matter. The Yankees were going to the World Series. It had been so long since any of us could say that. Now it was official.

After the final out, both Rivera and Jorge Posada had a lengthy embrace while giving each other a hug near the mound. Derek Jeter was doing his victory fist pump. Rodriguez held up his arms in celebration along with Teixeira. Suddenly, everyone was jumping in as the pile began to grow.

It was a long time coming. After years of frustration and near misses, this team had given us a season to die for. Now, they were four wins away from being world champions. For me, this was one hell of a way to make a first trip to the new house. Leaving the building and walking the street on the way to the subway, the celebration was on outside. Chants of “Let’s go Yankees” and an eventual “Phillies Suck” broke out loudly.

Fun times were here again.

Maybe Jeter was right, perhaps the ghosts were moving across the street.

I was glad to move along too.

Yankee Talk: Returning to Fall Classic

Yanks slam door on Angels, advance to World Series


NEW YORK – There was a prevailing thought that even after 103 victories during the regular season that the Yankees would find a way to let everything slip away against a team in which they were clearly the better team.

Old memories die hard, and with memories of 2004 fresh in the minds of every fan, the Yankees set out to squash any lingering doubt to that horrific collapse.

Mission (almost) accomplished.

In front of a raucous 50,173, the Yankees finally extinguished their old demons and advanced to their first World Series since 2003 with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series to win the series 4-2 and sets up a showdown starting Wednesday night against the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Andy Pettitte, the all time leader in postseason victories was given the ball with the task of leading the Yankees to the Fall Classic. Manager Joe Girardi elected to continue to use him in Game 6 after the rain out on Saturday instead of using CC Sabathia, who had won Game 1 and 4 and completely shut down the Angels offense.

Pettitte held the Angels scoreless for the first two innings and the Yankees got five runners on base in the first two frames, but were unable to push across a run against starter Joe Saunders, who pitched seven strong innings in Game 2.

In the third, the Angels would get on the scoreboard when Bobby Abreu singled to right, scoring Jeff Mathis, who had doubled to start the inning as they took a 1-0 lead.

That lead would remain until the bottom of the fourth when the Yankees finally struck. Robinson Cano walked to start the inning and Nick Swisher, 3-for-35 coming in, singled to left to put the first two runners on. Melky Cabrera sacrificed both man over and Derek Jeter walked to load the bases.

In stepped Johnny Damon, who on a 2-1 pitch lined a single to left center that would score both Cano and Swisher to give the Yankees a 2-1 advantage. An infield single by Mark Teixeira loaded the bases again and Alex Rodriguez drew a bases loaded walk on a close pitch inside to score Jeter and make it 3-1.

That would be all for Saunders who struggled from the outset and was unable to remain stable on the tight rope he was walking throughout the game as Manager Mike Scioscia took the ball from as the season began to slip away.

In 3 2/3 innings, Saunders allowed three runs, seven hits and five walks in 83 pitches.

Pettitte now armed with the lead, set sail on trying to deliver the pennant. His only potential trouble came in the sixth when after getting the first two outs of the inning, he walked Torii Hunter and gave up a double to Vladimir Guerrero to put the tying runs on base. Pettitte would snare a sharp chop off the bat of Kendry Morales for the final out of the inning. He would work into the seventh inning, getting the first out before Girardi came to the mound to take him out of the game, leaving to a thunderous ovation from the fans.

In 6 1/3 innings, Pettitte gave up one run and seven hits, walking one and striking out six on 99 pitches.

Joba Chamberlain came in and got the final two outs of the inning and Girardi for the eighth, went to Mariano Rivera to pitch two innings and close the show. However, Rivera did not have his pinpoint control.

Chone Figgins lifted a bloop single to shallow left to begin the inning and after groundouts by Abreu and Hunter, Rivera gave up a run scoring single to right by Guerrero to make it 3-2.

In the bottom half, Cano once again started the inning with a walk. Swisher’s sacrifice back to Angels (now) reliever Scott Kazmir, was dropped by Howie Kendrick at first. Melky Cabrera would attempt to move the runners along with a bunt and when Kazmir fielded, his throw sailed over Kendrick’s head and trickled into foul territory, scoring Cano to give the Yankees a two-run advantage. Teixeira would make the lead 5-2 with a sacrifice to deep center.

With Rivera staked to a three-run lead, Rivera would make quick work of the Angels in the ninth. Kendrick would ground out to second. Rivera would fly out to right for the second out. Gary Matthews Jr. pinch hit and on a 2-2 pitch, struck out swinging to clinch the Yankees 40th American League pennant as the celebration began.

Sabathia was named the series MVP going 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA. Rodriguez continued his torrent postseason reach base all five times in the game and hit .429 in the series with three homeruns.

Wednesday, the Yankees will seek their 27th world championship when they meet the Phillies at Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Talk: Playoff Edition – Blown opportunity

Loss brings memories of ‘04


ANAHEIM – As you were watching the Angels creep back into this game, a game that the Yankees had dramatically rallied from a 4-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning by scoring six runs to take the lead and were nine outs away from winning the pennant, you were reminded of a similar moment just five years earlier.

It was Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series. The Yankees trailed the Red Sox by 2-0 in the sixth inning and appeared as if they were not going to hit Pedro Martinez. They got one run on the board and had the bases loaded with two out and Derek Jeter was at the plate.

Jeter would drive in three runs with a triple to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. All of the air was taken out of Fenway Park and as the outs began to dwindle, it looked as if the team’s 40th American League pennant was in reach if they could get nine more defensive outs without giving up two runs.

It never happened.

Boston got two runs in the eighth and the game winning run in the 14th to win Game 5 and bring the series back to New York for a Game 6 where Curt Schilling pitched the Red Sox into a Game 7 and completed their 0-3 comeback when they turned Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez into personal punching bags.

Here we were now, five years later.

The Yankees, anchoring one of the more dramatic comebacks you will ever see in a playoff game, had it all right in their hands. A two-run lead again with nine outs to get. A date with the defending champion Phillies in their sights and nearly a week of rest that came with it. All they had to do, just like five years ago, was get those final nine defensive outs.

It never happened.

When AJ Burnett, who blew up in the first inning as many predicted beforehand, spotting the Angels four first inning runs before recording out, took the mound to start the bottom of the seventh, he was a different pitcher than those first 12 pitches he threw to start. His pitch count was at 80 and in the world where pitch counts are the bible; he was able to go back to the mound because his “limit” had not been reached. Never mind the fact that he had been resting for over 30 minutes as the Yankees mounted their comeback.

Jeff Mathis started the inning with a solid single to left, his third hit off Burnett.

No pitching change made.

Then followed a walk for Erick Aybar, the Angels ninth place hitter.

Finally, Girardi comes out to make the move. Burnett was either obviously done, or the moment and enormity of the situation was getting to him just as it did in the bottom of the first inning. Enter Damaso Marte, who has not endeared himself much and he gets two outs as the Angels sacrifice to give up one out and then Bobby Abreu grounds out to drive in a run.

Now the score is 6-5 and Girardi turns to Phil Hughes, a man who was nearly unhittable during the regular season, but has not pitched well in October. All he needs to get is one more out to preserve the lead and get this game to the eighth inning and after having a day off yesterday and the potential for a weeks worth of rest, would have brought in Mariano Rivera for two innings.

Hughes convincingly walks Torii Hunter to load the bases and has Vladimir Guerrero down in the count 1-2 after flailing at a nasty curveball. All Hughes needed was one more strike. Hughes tries to elevate a fastball but it hung in the middle of the plate, ripped to centerfield for a single to tie the game. Kendry Morales then followed with a single to right to give the Angels the lead.

Just like that, it was all evaporated. An instant “Yankees Classics” production now being put on hold. Five years earlier, the Yankees lead by two runs in the eighth inning before David Ortiz homered off Tom Gordon, a walk, double and sacrifice fly tie the game and the Yankees never got control of the series again.

Only Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui remain from that 2004 team who were on the field that night. Every fan watching had seen this story play out once before.

Now they were in the ninth inning. Brian Fuentes being called upon to preserve the Angels season and fly along with the Yankees back to New York for Game 6. He had already blown Game 2 when Rodriguez took his 0-2 pitch over the right field fence. Trailing by one run, there was no doubt the thought process would be the Yankees would find a way, any way of tying the score and eventually winning.

Johnny Damon hits a bullet right at Morales for the first out.

Mark Teixeira, who finally checked in for the first time in the series with a three-run double in the seventh, swings at the first pitch and flies out to right for the second out.

By fate or baseball gods, Rodriguez is the Yankees last hope. However, Mike Scioscia is going to see to it that he isn’t. After being burned once and seeing him hammer everything in sight, he is not taking the chance again as the famous four fingers are put up signaling for an intentional walk.

Now the Yankees have a slight chance. Matsui works a walk to put runners on first and second. In steps Robinson Cano who takes a curveball off his back to incredibly, load the bases.

Now Nick Swisher comes up. Swisher has been worse than having the pitchers spot in the lineup all postseason with only three hits in 31 at bats. However, in this situation, see what the Yankees have done all year coming from behind to win 52 times this season, with heroes sprinkled all over, it would be only good fortune that it could be him to finally erase off his struggles with a hit.

Fuentes quickly gets ahead 0-2 and that’s when the battle begins. Swisher begins to work that count and suddenly it goes to 1-2, 2-2 and now 3-2. The ghosts may have traveled with the Yankees out to Anaheim. From two outs and no one on base to bases loaded situation with a 3-2 count. A walk or wild pitch ties the game and a base hit all but clinches the pennant with Rivera set to pitch the ninth.

Instead, Swisher just misses on Fuentes’ fastball and pops it up to Aybar to end the game. It was highly reminiscent of when Tony Clark hit that double into the right field corner in the ninth inning at Fenway Park off Keith Foulke. Somehow, that ball bounced over the wall instead of staying in play that would have scored Ruben Sierra from third. He was forced to hold up and the Yankees never got that extra hit to put them in a position to win the pennant.

Just like last night.

Maybe this is all just another blip much like Game 3 when the Yankees could have went up 3-0 in the series. Perhaps the Angels are just prolonging the inevitable and the show finally closes in Game 6 back at Yankee Stadium.

Or perhaps this is all a repeat of a show we have seen once before. A horror tale that no one us wanted to relive. As they get ready for Saturday night and the first pitch, everyone’s mind will be of the belief that the Yankees will somehow choke this series away just as they did to the Red Sox.

Beating the Angels in this series only completes half of the circle. Beating the Phillies erases that bad memory.

It was a blown chance in 2004. Hopefully the Yankees don’t blow this chance now.