The Angels are the favorite, they have owned the Yankess under Mike Scioscia, but not for any good reason. They game plan and execute well, but dont have overwhelming pitching anymore. They added a n=minis in Kazmir who has clearly lost something; Fuentes has a great record but seems vulnerable as a breaking ball closer must be. Juan Rivera and Abreu are firmer Yankees for good reasons..Abreu replaced by a better all -arounf player- Teixera, and Rivera had a joib given to him and could not discourafge the signing of Damon. This Yankee team has dimensions: two strong starters, CC and AJ, a deep bullpen( Rivera, Hughes, Joba, Gaudin, Aceves, Robertson and Coke all going well). They can hold down a good offense for 9 innings. Power from 1-9 in the lineup, some speed and some talent(Jeter, Matsui, Cano, and Posada can flat out rake it!) Now the ARod &Teixera combo has come on...a 3-4 tandem that can wreck a defense with power hits. Look for one of them to have a monster game...2 HR, 5RBI stuff.
The Angels have winners, Scioscia is the most important, id he slumps they are cooked. Tori Hunter is the key, he is the power guy who can deliver in the clutch. Vlad is the big talent, once the best in the game...seems his back is limiting him now. Speed is their thing to upset pitching and defense, won't work this time unlike Boston, the Yankees don't have to fear being down three-four runs, they can correct those situations... Yankees in five.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Something happened...last night
truly, something happened, you tell by the sound, you could feel a certain pent up emotion coming out into the open...down two runs in the botttom of the 9th and ...like a script in the movies, the hgh point of the show...an explosive home run from a player the fans wanted so much to see succeed...and the amazing thing..it was ARod.
ARod is an important player to the Yanks but has been much les beloved and embraced by the fans. Even the litle children who go to the stadium to gawk and idolize these very faulted men, even they would get resiusitance all around ...ARod is not Jeter, he is not clutch like Matsui...not like Munson, Jackson, Nettles, Bernie, O'Neil...on and on...such a lucky franchise to have had so many wondeful players. ARod is not a winner...
But last night he connected in the ways he had not before, at that level where the crowd exhales as one, roars its feelings; makes the ground shake and the air feel different. In life every day is a chance at redemption, improvement to the point of a rebirth of one's spirit...last night, a slugger...simply reborn.
ARod is an important player to the Yanks but has been much les beloved and embraced by the fans. Even the litle children who go to the stadium to gawk and idolize these very faulted men, even they would get resiusitance all around ...ARod is not Jeter, he is not clutch like Matsui...not like Munson, Jackson, Nettles, Bernie, O'Neil...on and on...such a lucky franchise to have had so many wondeful players. ARod is not a winner...
But last night he connected in the ways he had not before, at that level where the crowd exhales as one, roars its feelings; makes the ground shake and the air feel different. In life every day is a chance at redemption, improvement to the point of a rebirth of one's spirit...last night, a slugger...simply reborn.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Now the season starts
Its like summer and autumn, ending and beginning, the championship season starts now, everyone is even and there is an unforgiving smallness to it all, five games will decide if your year has been an on-field success or not.
The Tigers can beat the Yankees, they have more talent everywhere except relief. They have a better GM, Manager too. Their fans are not as good or intense or knowledgeable...or as much fun to be around...but that is the end of Yankee advantages.
Verlander is better than CC, Jackson is better than Burnett. The Yankees do not have a player as talented as Miguel Cabrera, they cannot match Ordonez and Carlos Guillen with their outfield talent either. The Yankees have an advantage with Posada as a hitter but he is not the defender that Laird is. The Yankees will be hot or cold they don't play in the steady middle. If the Yankees are hot they might win if Detroit plays beneath its talent...as they have done most of the year. Jim Leyland has in the past been able to bring the best out of his teams to the playoffs, he seems confident against the Yankees. They have exploitable weaknesses. The Yankees don't field well, especially in the outfield, don't hit well in situations, they have been stopped often with runners on third and second with no outs or one out. They rely on the long ball for confidence, and play close games like they are sorting hand grenades.
Yet, this season, the fans and I am included have this sense that this team finds ways to win, finds a hot starting pitcher, finds relievers that can put up late game zeros, finds Matsui when things look bleak, finds ARod to pad a big lead; has the determination of Jeter and Rivera. The fan believes the Yankees will find a way to beat the more talented teams in the playoff field. So here's to playoffs and the hope that the Yankees come in hot.
The Tigers can beat the Yankees, they have more talent everywhere except relief. They have a better GM, Manager too. Their fans are not as good or intense or knowledgeable...or as much fun to be around...but that is the end of Yankee advantages.
Verlander is better than CC, Jackson is better than Burnett. The Yankees do not have a player as talented as Miguel Cabrera, they cannot match Ordonez and Carlos Guillen with their outfield talent either. The Yankees have an advantage with Posada as a hitter but he is not the defender that Laird is. The Yankees will be hot or cold they don't play in the steady middle. If the Yankees are hot they might win if Detroit plays beneath its talent...as they have done most of the year. Jim Leyland has in the past been able to bring the best out of his teams to the playoffs, he seems confident against the Yankees. They have exploitable weaknesses. The Yankees don't field well, especially in the outfield, don't hit well in situations, they have been stopped often with runners on third and second with no outs or one out. They rely on the long ball for confidence, and play close games like they are sorting hand grenades.
Yet, this season, the fans and I am included have this sense that this team finds ways to win, finds a hot starting pitcher, finds relievers that can put up late game zeros, finds Matsui when things look bleak, finds ARod to pad a big lead; has the determination of Jeter and Rivera. The fan believes the Yankees will find a way to beat the more talented teams in the playoff field. So here's to playoffs and the hope that the Yankees come in hot.
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