Players Had Reason To Question Donaghy's Calls

Have you ever wondered if the referees in sporting contests were on the take or showing a bias toward one team?  Maybe its not as far fetched as one might think and its not a thing of the past.  Recently, an NBA referee was put in jail for conspiring with gamblers to fix games.  After he went to prison, former NBA ref Tim Donaghy was reportedly beaten in prison with speculation that the beatings may have been payback from organized crime.  Guess he shouldn’t have sung.   Now, we find that a couple of professors did a study that was published in the Journal of Sports Sciences.  They concluded that during the 2004-2005 NCAA basketball season, referees showed a bias in the calls that they made, though, in some instances there was a variance in the bias shown given the situation of a given game.  This comes on the heels of another study that shows NBA refs are biased in their calls due to race.

Study Shows Coaches May Have Reason to Be Upset

For a long time, people have claimed refs from one conference might favor a team from their conference.  That is why in bowl games, typically the refs are from a conference that is not associated with either team.   And then there is baseball.  Major League Baseball rotates their umpires from city to city so that there is no risk of cries of an arbitor being a “homer.”  Many people have complained that the umps favor the Yankees so that they can bring their huge TV market into the World Series each year.  There is even an article that charges MLB itself to use its political arm to favor the Yankees!  Then again, Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia seems to think the umps are biased in favor of the Red Sox.  Funny how no one thinks the umps favor the Astros.  Anyway, while there is no study to support the notion that the Yankees or Red Sox Nation is favored that I am aware of, academics have done a study that claims umpires make biased calls based on race.  All of this may raise eyebrows or raise questions. Milton Bradley’s question is why are the umps all against him?  But, I have a question.  Shouldn’t academics be doing research that is a little more important than using money to determine if the refs need glasses?  With universities seeming to be more inclined to entertain the alumni rather than educate students, it almost seems as if the bar for higher education is getting lower and lower.

Just Another Day at the Old Ballpark

The correct conclusion of all such studies probably should be that the refs are human and are subject to all human failings on and off the field of play.  But, perhaps there is some redeeming reason for conducting such studies because sometimes fans viewpoint that a particular referee is biased can lead to violence.  Just this past August, a referee in Kenya was killed on the field by a mob of irate fans at a youth soccer game.  In California, a football referee was attacked by fans and a volleyball referee was assaulted by the president of the high school booster club.  Oh, those crazy fans.  But what about players?  Players often say that they want to “kill the ref” but for real?  A soccer player’s threat to kill a referee was once taken quite seriously.  Do players actually follow up on such threats?  In 2004, the Philadelphia Flyers drafted Ladislav Scurko  in the 6th round.  They may have to wait a couple of decades to see a return on that draft pick.  See, the Slovakian hockey player is in jail for killing a referee.  Now, there are those in society that suggest that allowing citizens to be armed actually deters crime.  So, is it a good idea to have refs packin’ heat?  Back in 1999, a referee did exactly that and successfully defended himself to the demise of a player.  It seems in South Africa, a soccer player pulled a knife on a referee who promptly pulled his pistol and shot the player to death.  What was a player doing with a knife on the field and what was a referee doing with a gun on the field?

Kids Learn From Parents

Cricket Umpire Target of Fans

The fact that there are academics spending time and money studying the calls of referees and that there is violence in the stands at sporting events all around the world and assaults and murder taking place due to sporting events doesn’t need a study.  It is obvious that people on this planet are taking sports way too seriously.  It’s supposed to be “just a game”  but to many that is not the case at all.  One can speculate that the big money in sports is the cause.  But what about those parents and fans at high school events that attack the ref?  No money there.  But there is an increasing number of cases of violence by and among parents at youth league games.  Does the actions of parents affect the kids?  A player in Little League sucker punched an opposing player during the post game handshakes the kids go through to try and teach sportsmanship.   Maybe youth league experience is what taught Oregon star running back LaGarrette Blount to punch out a Boise State player on national TV after a game.  Just think how productive people would be and how robust the economy might be if people would take their jobs as seriously as they seem to take sports.  Perhaps all of this is just a sign of a broader decline in civilization and all participants, fans and officials are human.  Historically, humans seem to have a proclivity for violence rather than peace.  How about examining the true value of sport in society, good and bad?  Now that would be a study.  Trouble is, no one would do anything about it.  Let the games begin.

Monday Morning

Weather Bottom Line:  Looks like I was at least partially right.  I had said I didn’t see how we got to the mid to upper 40’s on Thanksgiving or Friday and that some people may not get out of the 30’s on Thanksgiving.  By afternoon on Thursday, it was in the upper 30’s in many areas and no one got out of the low 40’s.  There were sprinkles but no snow.  And even if anyone saw snow Thursday night, not too many people would believe them because it was worthless if it happened.  I would think that on Friday, low to mid 40’s will work and so it may be a few degrees warmer than I had thought but I still think that its possible that low 40’s may be the max for many people.  High pressure moves to our south moves east and we get  a return flow for the weekend bringing the mercury up to the mid 5o’s each day.  Really not a bad weekend.  Late Sunday, clouds will increase with the approach of another front.  That will probably bring some rain Sunday night into Monday.  The rest of the week looks chilly with most people never getting out of the 40’s each afternoon and overnight lows in the low to mid 30’s.  Later in the week could be interesting as a cut off low in the southwest wanders around and picks up some moisture from the Gulf.

As we leave baseball’s awards season, how did the writers do, as judged by my picks? Pretty well.

AL ROY: Andrew Bailey. I picked Bailey second and Elvis Andrus first. The writers flipped them. Tough to complain too strongly.
NL ROY: Chris Coghlan. Here was my biggest gap with the writers. I picked Andrew McCutchen, who only came in 4th. I didn’t put Coghlan in the top 3. Batting average appeared to rule all in this pick.
AL Cy Young: Zack Greinke. He won with ease, which was the only thing that surprised me.
AL MOY: Mike Scioscia. I wanted Ron Gardenhire to win, but Scioscia was not a bad pick. In particular, holding his team together after Nick Adenhart’s death deserved recognition. I’d have placed him third, behind Gardenhire and Joe Girardi.
NL MOY: Jim Tracy. The obvious pick won easily.
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum. I picked Lincecum and have since wondered if I was wrong. Given the closeness of the vote, the writers agree that this was a tough pick. Given the controversy over votes for Dan Haren and Javier Vazquez, both of whom had great years, I think the Cy Young ballot should be extended to 5 names. This makes easier to honor very good years that have been overlooked, and it would have done nothing to change the outcome of the voting.
AL MVP: Joe Mauer. My only complaint is that he was not unanimous. I am very pleased at how easily he outdistanced Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. I thought it would be closer.
NL MVP: Albert Pujols. I realize this has not happened yet, but I suspect the world might stop spinning on its axis if Pujols lost. The only question: Will he be the first person this awards season to win unanimously?

The writers and I were basically on the same wavelength. I don’t know if that is a compiment to either side, but it happens to be true this year.

For the fifth time, here’s a list of topics that I probably should have written about in separate blog posts, but never did.

Saaaad eyes. Turn the other way ...

Charlie Weis, college dropout

In college, have you/did you ever get the feeling that it wasn’t worth studying for an exam? You know that cumulative final in statistics is tomorrow, but it doesn’t make a difference. Either way, you know you are going to fail that class. You could get 100 and it won’t change a thing. That ‘F’ is coming like tomorrow’s sunrise. Go out. Get drunk. Sleep in. Walk with confidence into that exam session and just wing it for all you’re worth. Guess your ass off. Bubble in all answers as “C.” What have you got to lose? It doesn’t matter. You’ve already failed.

Yeah, that’s how I think Charlie Weis is viewing the rest of this Notre Dame season. Just winging it.

Lawler’s law: More Iranian jokes

In the NBA, especially in Los Angeles, there will never be another Chick Hearn. But Ralph Lawler, who is the long-time announcer for the hapless Clippers, is pretty good in his own right. His “BINGOOOOO!” calls on 3-pointers are well-known throughout So. Cal.

So I wondered why he wasn’t on the call for last night’s upset win over the Denver Nuggets. Now, at the bottom of the following link, we have the answer.

Personally, that transcript is pretty funny. I understand that FOX Sports had to cover its ass, but that really shouldn’t warrant a suspension. Although I have never liked the term “back-door pass.”

Courtney Lee doesn’t deserve this

I will support my boy Courtney Lee until the end. And I think it’s unfortunate that his talent is being wasted on what could possibly be the worst NBA team this decade: The 0-13 New Jersey Nets. The NBA record for consecutive losses to start the season is 17, set by two teams, including the 1998-99 Clippers. I remember that squad had one of the ugliest professional athletes I have ever seen: Keith Closs.

He got uglier after getting LeGarretted and then beat down in that clip. Also, the background noise at 1:46 just makes me laugh.

Former Rockies and Astros pitcher Ezequiel Astacio is also in that ugly discussion, but I digress.

Looking at the Nets’ schedule, this team has a strong chance to do something special. There is no way that they win any of those upcoming road games. So you would have to figure that their next best chance to win will come at home Dec. 4 against the Charlotte Bobcats. Plenty of good seats still available!

So, over-under 18.5 losses for the Nets before their first win? I’ll take the over.

Also, over-under 15 more games until head coach Lawrence Frank is fired? This is the final year of his contract.

Pierre Thin-derson-Niles

I know that Memphis Tigers forward Pierre Henderson-Niles lost a lot of weight before last season (70 pounds in 3 months?!?! I will personally trade three years of my life to have that kind of metabolism!). But while I watched the Memphis-Kansas game this past week, it was pretty incredible to see the transformation his body has undergone. I remember seeing him on the bench during Memphis’ 2006-07 season. His warmup jersey looked like a king-sized bed sheet. I can’t believe this guy on the left used to weigh 350 pounds.

“The Bill Belichick Play”

I forget which college game I was watching tonight, but an announcer hinted that a team may go for it on fourth-and-short in its own territory. The color analyst responded, “So, you think we could see a Bill Belichick play here?”

I am a bit of a Patriots hater, but man, I can’t express how much I hope that name doesn’t stick. It wasn’t all about the call, people! Blame the execution!

MLB awards: Correct so far

It is turning out to be a very deserving season to those who won MLB awards. Coghlan and Bailey? No problem for rookies of the year. Lincecum? Fine. I was so glad to see Zack Greinke not only win in the AL, but win by a landslide. Although, it’s “negative” for him to win. Mauer and Pujols should be no-brainers to be named MVP this week.

Tracy and Scioscia? Dead on, and anyone who argues for another side in the AL isn’t seeing the whole picture.

Yes, there was Nick Adenhart and while it feels heartless to use him as a campaign point, his death certainly counts for a lot. But also look at what Scioscia had to deal with on the field. Vladimir Guerrero missed 62 games. Torii Hunter missed 43. Yet, he filled the holes and made stars out of players such as Maicer Izturis.

No John Lackey and Ervin Santana for the first five weeks? Oh, no worries. Scios will plug in Matt Palmer and just turn him into a stud. Jose Arredondo and Scot Shields lost for the season? Well, that’s why God created KEVIN FREAKIN’ JEPSEN AND JASON BULGER! WHO? WHAT? I think Ray Bulger could have risen from the dead to give the Angels some quality innings with Scioscia’s tutelage.

And the Los Angeles Angels still won 97 games and came within two of making it to the World Series. That is classic managing.

In closing, I’ll say …

… that I wish Ken Griffey Jr. would just retire. He hit .214, OPS’ed .735 and is slowly ruining all of my childhood memories.

… I hope you enjoy week 11 in the NFL. Unfortunately, it looks like the most important game of the day wil be decided by a horrible backup QB. Downgrade all Broncos for fantasy purposes.

Being carried off the field wasn't enough? Jeez, just leave already!

The 2009 Managers of the Year were announced yesterday. The Angels Mike Scioscia and Rockies Jim Tracy were the award winners, and I couldn’t agree more. Both did a terrific job in managing their teams this season!

On April 9, 2009, Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a tragic car accident that involved a drunk driver and the death of two others. That day, Mike Scioscia had one of the most difficult jobs: leading his team through the aftermath of such a traumatic event. He did that very well. His team went on to advance to the ALCS before being eliminated by the Yankees. He led his team with class and dignity. And he’s always so humble. He did a marvelous job managing his very talented team and he most certainly deserves such an award.

On May 29, 2009, Jim Tracy took over as manager of the Colorado Rockies. Clint Hurdle was fired and Tracy was hired to take his place. Within a week, the Rockies were drastically improving. It’s amazing what a change one can make. Tracy led his club to a 92-70 season and on a playoff run. Tracy did a fantastic job in managing his team this year and received 29 of 32 first place votes, pushing him ahead of Cardinals Tony LaRussa and Dodgers Joe Torre.

Congrats to both Managers of the Year!

Peace,

Love,

& Baseball,

♥ S.

The Los Angeles Angels, who lost to the Yankees in the ALCS, had their manager, Mike Scioscia named as the American League Manager of the Year Wednesday.  Jim Tracy, the manager for the Colorado Rockies was named the National League Manager of the Year.

Scioscia received 14 first place votes and 106 overall points to win the award for the second time in his career.  Ron Gardenhire was second in voting, and Joe Girardi was third.

If you look around the AL, Scioscia was the most deserving.  He took a team that lost pitcher Nick Adenhart to a tragic drunk driving accident.  Adenhart was killed the night he made a stellar debut for the team.  The Angels team pulled together and made it as far as the ALCS, before losing to the eventual World Series Champion NY Yankees.

Congrats to Scioiscia.  He’s always been a top-notch manager.

Manager of the Year – I agree on both selections.

First off, I’m very glad to see Jim Tracy recognized. He was unfairly ousted from the Dodger gig (though it ended up working out pretty well for the squad), it was nice to see him win the award.

In the AL, I can’t disagree with Mike Scioscia’s selection because of injuries/Adenhart. That said, Ron Gardenhire continues to be overlooked for his brilliant work. A team that was going to be a victim of contraction as recently as 2002 has steered the Minnesota Twins to FIVE first place finishes in the last eight years, with a payroll half the league average. One day he’ll get his due, but until then – kudos to the two ex-Dodgers for winning the awards.

The MLB Postseason Awards have been dealt out in the past couple of days, and while word awaits on the NL Cy Young Award winner (Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals won the AL Cy Young Award yesterday), we will assess that tomorrow or when the award is announced.

Today, however, the AL and NL Managers of the Year were announced, and the candidates were well deserving of the awards given, but maybe there was a better choice for one of them.

Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was named the American League Manager of the Year today, and although some people may say Joe Girardi should deserve the award after leading the Yankees to 103 wins and their 27th World Series Championship, but look at what Scioscia and the Angels had to endure: They suffered a devastating blow with the death of their future young ace, Nick Adenhart, and after allowing his players time to grieve for their fallen teammate, the Angels used Adenhart’s death as a rallying point and played for him. The end result was a 97-65 record, and their fifth AL West pennant in six years. The awareness of the circumstances was present among the voters, and it was a good job on their part to give Scioscia the award. The award is his second, after winning it the first time following the 2002 World Series ending in the Angels’ only crown.

Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies won the National League Manager of the Year in a season where he did not even start out as the manager. After an 18-28 and the Rockies trailing by 14 1/2 games in the NL West, the Rockies fired then-manager Clint Hurdle, and Tracy took over and guided the Rockies to a 74-42 record, and a Wild Card berth in the playoffs, before falling to the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the National League Division Series. There was no dispute in this voting, as Tracy was the distant winner and becoming the second manager to win the award after taking over a team, joining Jack McKeon of the Florida Marlins in 2003. The same day he won the award, he was awarded with a three-year contract.

Stay tuned throughout the offseason for MLB news on TSX.

For the second time since 2002, the man New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman called the “Bill Belichick of our sport” won the American League Manager of the Year award.

Of course, that statement was made before Belichick’s meltdown on Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts. I am not going to talk about that fourth and two call because the media has shoved that call down our throats the last three days.

What I am going to talk about is how the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim’s Mike Scioscia won his second Manager of the Year award. Scioscia received 15 out of 28 first-place votes to win the award.

Scioscia was the AL's best manager in 2009

The Minnesota Twins’ Ron Gardenhire and the New York Yankees’ Joe Girardi came in third respectfully.

Even though Scioscia probably had his best team in 2008, he did his best managerial job in 2009.

Not only did the Angels overcome a rash of injuries to their pitching staff early in the season, but Scioscia held that team together during the Nick Adenhart tragedy and guided them to their sixth postseason appearance in the last 10 years.

What Scioscia has done is build a “system” in Anaheim–which is very hard to do in baseball. Every player in the Angels’ organization–from rookie ball to the major leagues–plays the game the way Scioscia wants them to play.

A player is going to play the game a certain way and if not, they won’t be around for too long.

Tony LaRussa has built a similar system in St. Louis.

Building a “system” or an “organizational philosophy” is much easier to do in the NBA, NFL, or even the NHL because it is more of a team game and players are drafted more on whether or not they fit the team’s style of player rather than because they have the most talent.

Scioscia has taken talented players and has molded them into the players he wants and ultimately, has made them better players. Very hard to do in baseball.

In terms of the voting, I was a little surprised that Texas Rangers’ Ron Washington didn’t finish higher. The Rangers weren’t expected to compete for a playoff spot in 2009 and Washington had that team in contention all the way till the last couple of weeks of the season.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

John Lackey is the obvious premiere pitcher on the free agent market this winter. Although he is 31 years old, he is going to command quite a contract.

A few knocks on Lackey:

He has a career WHIP of 1.31. He has tossed just 163.1 and 176.1 innings the past two in 2008 and 2009, respectively. He won 19 games in 2007 but otherwise has never won more than 14 games in a season. And, more politically, he has made just one All-Star team and received Cy Young votes just once.

But Lackey is a bulldog; we all saw him yelling at manager Mike Scioscia against the Yankees when he was being taken out. Moreover, he averages 219 innings for every 34 starts. So, if healthy, you can pencil him in for 200+ innings a year.

Alas, that’s the thing: Lackey has not been healthy—51 starts over the last two seasons. And he’s already 31. Do you really want to give him a five-year deal for around $15 million a year?

You have to. Lackey does not put up jaw-dropping numbers on a yearly basis, but he gives you remarkable consistency. He eats innings and, although he gets hit hard, he keeps his team in the game. And he’s post-season proven.

This guy is going to get paid. Whichever team does it will be richly rewarded.

Game Six of the American League Championship Series was postponed to Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. due to rain. If necessary, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the New York Yankees will play Game 7 on Monday at 7:57 p.m.

The weather wasn’t that bad in New York City today. When I went out to get lunch around two, it was about 60 degrees and overcast skies.

But right now it’s drizzling and the weather is only supposed to get worse as the night goes on. Makes sense to cancel the game now instead of sitting through rain delays and having the game end at three in the morning.

The rain out slightly favors the Angels. If they win Game Six, Mike Scioscia can come back with John Lackey in Game Seven on three days rest if he chooses to do so.

Derek Jeter (left) and Alex Rodriguez stand in disbelief as their Yankees batted in the ninth. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

The Anaheim Angels held a 4-0 lead when manager Mike Scioscia walked out to the mound in the seventh inning. Starting pitcher John Lackey had just retired New York Yankees left-fielder and second-place hitter Johnny Damon on a weak flyout after loading the bases. The ace talked to catcher Jeff Mathis on the mound, discussing their strategy against the next hitter, Mark Teixeira, when he saw Scioscia making the slow walk his way. Immediately he was taken aback, and yelled “This is mine!” at his manager, pleading for a chance to retire the Yankees’ power hitter and put up his seventh scoreless frame. Scioscia wouldn’t let him, taking the ball out of his hand then motioning towards the dugout.

Lackey made the frustrating walk towards the dugout, then down the steps amidst congratulations from his teammates. He was none too happy, and wanted to clean up his own mess. He knew he could, but Scioscia didn’t.

The veteran and usually dependable Darren Oliver took Lackey’s place. Lackey watched from the dugout in anticipation, still fuming from a decision by his manager he hoped wouldn’t backfire. Oliver threw Teixeira a first-pitch curveball, which hung. Teixeira waited on the offering and laced it into the left-center gap. Lackey watched Teixeira make contact then, as he saw it sail into no-mans land, stormed down the steps and into the clubhouse. He knew the outcome: three-run double, with the lead down to one.

Oliver remained in the game as Lackey remained in the clubhouse. The 39-year old was allowed to do what Lackey wasn’t, given the opportunity to clean up his mess, but he couldn’t, relinquishing a rbi-single on a third-straight fastball to Hideki Matsui after walking the suddenly postseason-dangerous Alex Rodriguez. The game was tied, and Lackey couldn’t bear to watch. The sell-out crowd was stunned, anticipating the worst with their head in their hands.

The Yankees took the lead when Matsui slid safely, but it was short-lived. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Robinson Cano stepped into the box against hard-throwing 25-year old righthander Kevin Jepsen and took a low 97 mile-per-hour fastball. A usually aggressive hitter who likes to go after the first pitch, went after the second, fouling back a low and inside changeup. Jepsen mixed in another pitch, a curveball, that was placed perfectly, dipping low and into Cano, but the Yankees second baseman adjusted to its movement, and hit it crisply into the right-center gap. The ripped liner traveled all the way to the wall; Rodriguez and Matsui both scored as he slid safely into third.

Jespen recovered, as Oliver could not, and retired the 10th Yankee to reach in the frame, putting an end to the nightmarish frame as Lackey remained secluded in the lonely clubhouse, pondering what could have been.

His Angels offense wasn’t depressed and dejected. The blown lead was tough to take, but they were still in it, with the 8-9-1 hitters due up, hoping to start a rally of their own and get Lackey out of hiding and back in the dugout. Scioscia may have made the mistake in how he managed his starter, but he wasn’t alone. Yankees manager Joe Girardi sent his starting pitcher A.J. Burnett out for the bottom of the seventh.

His pitching count was rather low, as he’d quietly mowed down the Angels after a rocky first, but the long top half of the inning and his still confident opponent ganged up to force him into a Lackey-esque walk into the dugout. He allowed a single to a red-hot Mathis, the career .200 hitter’s third hit of the game, and walked Erick Aybar after jumping out to an 0-2 count.

Guerrero singled in the tying run, deflating the Yankees and sending his Angels fans into a raucous cheer. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

He was replaced by Damaso Marte, who did his job, retiring the two hitters he was summoned in to face, even though a run scored in the process. Phil Hughes, who was lights-out during the regular season as their setup-man, replaced him and threw three straight out of the zone to Torri Hunter then, after a called strike, missed, walking the center-fielder to send Vladimir Guerrero to the plate. Guerrero, a free-swinger, took a cut-fastball for ball-one, another cutter for a strike, and then swung through a filthy curve to fall behind 1-2. He was fooled on that curve, and considering its deception and his miserable hack, all indications were that catcher Jorge Posada would call the same pitch. He didn’t, though, and Hughes said yes to a fastball. The heater was meant to be thrown in on the hands of Guerrero, but it tailed back over the plate. Guerrero has hit pitches that have bounced, so certainly he could hit a straight fastball served on a platter right down the pipe, and he did, lining the offering up the middle, past a diving Derek Jeter to score the tying run.

Hughes fooled the next hitter, Kendry Morales, with a first-pitch curveball, but as with Guerrero, refused to go back to it, missing with three straight fastballs before the first baseman who drove in 109 runs this year plated his fourth of this series, lacing a fourth straight fastball into right, scoring Hunter for their seventh and go-ahead run.

Nine runs were scored in the inning, an inning both starters started but failed to finish. Burnett say glumly on the dugout’s bench. Lackey, donning an Angels American League Championship sweatshirt, reappeared in the midst of the rally and straddled his arms comfortably over the dugout railing, basking in the regained lead.

Jered Weaver, a 16-game winner, came on in relief and sent the Yankees down in order, striking out Melky Cabrera to begin the eighth and Jeter to end the frame. New York couldn’t bounce back from Anaheim’s resiliency.

The Angels had a good chance to pad their lead in the bottom of the eighth, as Juan Rivera doubled and Erick Aybar singled in between a strikeout by Mathis against Joba Chamberlain, who started during the regular season but was moved into the bullpen for the postseason. Girardi, knowing the top of his order would be due in the top of the ninth, wisely took out the ineffective Chamberlain in favor of Mariano Rivera, their dreaded closer.

Rivera did what he does best, thwarting the Angels rally by retiring both Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu on flyouts. Anaheim closer Brian Fuentes took the hill in the ninth, hoping to have a Rivera-esque outing to send this series back to New York.

He retired Damon on a lineout to Morales at first and Jeter on a flyout to Abreu. In a one-run game with two out, Rodriguez strode to the plate, determined to be the hero he has been all postseason long. Scioscia wouldn’t let him, holding up four fingers from the dugout to signal for an intentional pass. This was a risky move for two reasons. First, it brought the go-ahead run to the plate in Matsui, who hit 28 homers this season. Second, it put more pressure on Fuentes.

He had the ‘deer in the headlights’ look as he faced Matsui, and was clearly flustered. He walked him, bringing up Cano and sending his manager and teammates into anxious panic, and driving his fans to cover their faces with their hands, thundersticks, or rally monkeys. He gave the stadium a minor heart attack as he struck Cano with a wayward curveball, loading the bases.

Now Fuentes looked miserable, like he was going to be sick. Because of his walk to Rodriguez and his implosion thereafter, Nick Swisher could not only tie the game with a single, but give his Yankees their second lead. Swisher, a usually patient hitter, went up their swinging, fouling off the first offering, a fastball. He fouled off the next pitch, too, a changeup. The Angels were one strike away, and nervous claps scattered throughout the stands. Swisher took an outside changeup for ball-one, then ball two after fouling off another change. Fuentes had already loaded the bases with two out, so to create the most suspense possible, he threw ball-three for a full-count.

Another ball could tie the game, but a strike could end it. The 45,113 that packed Angels stadium were hyperventilating as one as Fuentes began his windup, and buzzed in anticipation as his fastball reached the plate. Swisher swung hard at the offering grooved down the middle, but got under the pitch, popping it up into shallow right-center field. Aybar, who let a costly pop-up drop in the second game, corralled this one.

Sighs of relief and cheers of jubilation filled the red-clad stadium. With that, Anaheim stayed alive by surviving a nerve-racking thriller. Now, the series heads back to New York. The Angels need two wins and hope they can come easier than this.

Mike Scioscia and Joe Girardi played a game of “What ever you can do, I can do worse.”

In one of the worst managed playoff games in quite some time, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outlasted the New York Yankees 7-6 to take Game Five of their best-of-seven ALCS and force a Game Six in the Bronx Saturday night.

This was a game that really had three parts to it.

The first part was the Angels ambushed Yankees’ starter AJ Burnett for four runs in the first inning. A walk to Chone Figgins, a double to Bobby Abreu, a single by Torii Hunter, a single by Vladimir Guerrero, and a single by Kendry Morales.

Five batters into the game and just like that, the Angels had four runs. I really thought Burnett wouldn’t make it out of the second inning.

Which leads me to the second part of the game.

From the second inning to the sixth, this game was a pitcher’s duel. Burnett and John Lackey were matching each other goose egg for goose egg.

And let me give credit to Burnett. I was really surprised he settled down and pitched into the seventh inning. I didn’t think he had that type of bounce back ability in him.

Then comes the third part of this game and this is when the wheels start to come off for Scioscia and Girardi.

The last three innings of this game were managed so poorly, you would have thought this was never a playoff game. Let’s take a look at the managerial decisions that transpired from the top of the seventh on.

Top of the seventh – Scioscia takes out Lackey

After the Angels had their *Mark Langston moment on a 3-2 count to Jorge Posada, the Yankees had bases loaded and two outs with Mark Teixeira coming to the plate.

Lackey should have never been taken out last night

Scioscia decides to take out his ace after only 104 pitches with the Angels’ season on the line to bring in Darren Oliver. Are you kidding me?

As Scioscia was approaching the mound, you can see Lackey saying “This is mine.” I’ll be writing another story on Lackey later, but that moment was pretty cool.

There is no way you can take your ace out in that spot. You just can’t. And for what? To bring in Darren freakin’ Oliver?

It’s not like Scioscia was bringing in Dennis Eckersley. There is a reason why Oliver has been on like 20 teams in his career.

And when did Teixeira become a worse hitter right-handed? Here is Teixeira’s OPS splits from the regular season.

Teixeira’s OPS LH – .951

Teixeira’s OPS RH – .911

Not much difference from left to right.

This was without a shadow of a doubt the single worst managerial decision of the postseason.

Of course, Oliver serves up a double on the first pitch to Teixeira and a single to Hideki Matsui. All of a sudden the game went from 4-0 Angels to 6-4 Yankees in a matter of five minutes.

Bottom of the seventh – Girardi leaves in Burnett too long.

First, I have no problem with Burnett starting the inning. I thought he should have been given every opportunity to go as long as he can, as he was getting people out.

But once he served up a single to Jeff “Mike Piazza” Mathis, he should have been out of the game. I thought it was going to be one of those let him pitch until someone gets on situation.

If anyone has watched the Yankees all year, that is how Girardi manages. But I really think all the overmanaging talk from Game Three really was in Girardi’s head.

He was trying so hard not to overmanage, that he actually undermanaged in this situation. Once Mathis got the hit, Girardi should have gone to Phil Hughes or Damaso Marte.

Instead, Burnett is left out there and he proceeds to walk Erick Aybar. That’s when the wheels came off for the Yankees.

Once the Angels got two on and nobody out, the crowd got back into it and from their Hughes unraveled.

Bottom of the seventh – Hughes pitches around Hunter to get to Guerrero.

Did the Yankees not watch Game Three of the ALDS between the Angels and the Boston Red Sox?

I really didn’t understand this move. And don’t tell me they weren’t pitching around Hunter. When you throw a 3-0 slider–you are pitching around a batter.

When did Hunter become Frank Robinson? He can be pitched to. He doesn’t work the count and we have seen in big spots in this postseason, he will chase balls that aren’t strikes.

This move almost worked until Hughes had mental breakdown on the mound. He threw a Papelbon-esque 0-2 fastball right down the middle and Guerrero singled up the middle.

Bottom of the eighth – Girardi goes to Joba Chamberlain instead of Dave Robertson

Did Robertson sleep with Girardi’s wife or something? This guy is pitching lights out in the postseason (three innings, two hits and zero runs) and he continues to sit on the bench.

At what point is Girardi going to realize that Chamberlain isn’t very good. Mr. Mediocre has given up seven hits in 2.2 innings of work and has a WHIP of 2.63.

A 2.63 WHIP is below replacement level. I really don’t understand the infatuation with this guy. He can’t start and now he can’t relieve.

What exactly does he do well?

Bottom of the ninth – Scioscia takes out Jered Weaver.

I am a firm believer that you should always go to your closer in save situations only if he is a top-flight closer.

If you have a Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon, Joe Nathan, etc…That guy pitches the ninth no matter what.

However, when you have a closer like Brian Fuentes, I think you have to go with the hot hand. And the hot hand last night was Weaver.

This guy came into the eighth and just steamrolled the Yankees. I would have left him in for the ninth.

Fuentes is unreliable at this point. You have no idea what on earth he is going to do out there.

And I will say this, once Scioscia made the decision to bring Fuentes into the game, I had no problem with walking Alex Rodriguez with two outs and nobody on base. It was the right move.

Fuentes went on to save the game, but not before giving every Angels fan a heart attack. If you are an Angels fan and you don’t get nervous when Fuentes pitches then:

A. You don’t have a pulse.

B. No other closer will make you nervous ever again.

Now we have a Game Six. If you are a Yankees fan, you have to be a little worried. A late-90’s Yankee championship team doesn’t lose that game last night.

Game Six is Saturday at 7:57 ET.

Hero for Game Five – Kendry Morales

Goat for Game Five – Phil Hughes

Series MVP – CC Sabathia

*Mark Langston moment. In Game One of the 1998 World Series, with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Langston was in the game for the San Diego Padres facing Tino Martinez in a tie game.

With two strikes, Langston throws a ball right down the middle, but the pitch was called a ball. It was an awful call.

The next pitch Martinez rips a grand slam and the game was over and the Padres never recovered.

John Lackey wierp tot de zevende inning een sterke wedstrijd (Bron: SD Dirk-Flickr)

De Los Angeles Angels hebben de vijfde wedstrijd in de American League Championship Series met 7-6 gewonnen van de New York Yankees.

Door de overwinning van de Angels in LA gaan de twee teams nu naar New York toe om daar de zesde en eventueel de zevende wedstrijd te spelen. De tussenstand in de best-of-seven is nu 3-2 voor de Yankees.

Eerste inning

De wedstrijd begon goed voor de Angels. Startende werper voor de Yankees, AJ Burnett, gaf een gedwongen loop op aan de eerste slagman in de wedstrijd voor de Angels, Chone Figgins. Vervolgens sloeg ex-Yankee Bobby Abreu een dubbelslag en sloeg Torii Hunter -nog steeds met geen uit- een honkslag waardoor Figgins en Abreu over de plaat konden komen.

Vladimir Guerrero dubbelde vervolgens Hunter binnen en Kendry Morales zorgde met een honkslag dat ook Guerrero kon scoren. Dankzij een hoog geslagen bal van Maicer Izturis en een dubbelspel van Juan Rivera bleef het bij 4-0 in de eerste inning.

Yankees’ zevende inning

John Lackey had als startende werper voor de Angels in de eerste zes innings weinig moeite met de slagmannen uit New York. In de zevende inning kwamen de knuppels van New York eindelijk tot leven. Met één uit sloeg Melky Cabrera een dubbelslag en kregen Jorge Posada en Derek Jeter een gedwongen loop, zodat alle honken bezet waren. Vervolgens kreeg Lackey Johnny Damon uit voor de tweede uit.

De coach van de Angels, Mike Scioscia, besloot toen om Lackey van de heuvel af te halen, waar de pitcher het zelf niet mee eens was.

Darren Oliver kwam er in en gaf meteen een dubbelslag op aan Mark Teixeira, waardoor Cabrera, Posada en Jeter konden scoren. Oliver gaf daarna expres een gedwongen loop op aan Alex Rodriguez. Jappaner Hideki Matsui sloeg vervolgens een honkslag, die Teixera over de thuisplaat bracht.

Robinson Cano maakte de zevende inning voor de Yankees compleet door een driehonkslag te slaan voor nog twee extra punten. De Yankees hadden na deze inning door zes punten een 6-4 voorsprong.

Angels’ zevende inning

Burnett zat inmiddels in hetzelfde schuitje als Lackey. Na de eerste inning was er niet veel meer aan de hand geweest en nu had hij zelf een voorsprong te verdedigen.

Burnett gaf meteen een honkslag op aan Jeff Mathis, waarna Erick Aybar een gedwongen loop kreeg.

Yankee-coach Joe Girardi besloot Burnett uit de wedstrijd te halen en Demaso Marte voor hem in de plaats te brengen. Figgins sloeg een opofferingsslag, waarna Abreu, ondanks dat hij een uit maakte, toch een punt binnen kon slaan. Hunter kreeg vervolgens (ook) een gedwongen loop. Guerrero en Morales sloegen daarna beiden een honkslag voor de laatste twee punten van de krankzinnige zevende inning.

De normaal gesprongen startende werper Jered Weaver wierp een sterke achtste inning voor de Angels en closer Brian Fuentes maakte de wedstrijd in de negende inning af, met een eindstand van 7-6.

Zesde wedstrijd

De twee teams spelen zaterdagavond de zesde wedstrijd. Deze zal, als het weer het toelaat, in de Bronx worden gespeeld. De startende werper voor de Yankees is zaterdag Andy Pettitte. De werper voor de Angels is nog niet bekend. Aannemelijk is dat Joe Saunders de bal krijgt.

On this episode of The Wheelhouse: Bower and “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause open the show where we left off yesterday talking about the STEVE PHILLIPS scandal thanks to some “audio” clips. We then look at RICHARD SEYMOUR’s playoff guarantee for the OAKLAND RAIDERS…yes those Raiders. Then we take a look at some of the NFL coaches from JEFF FISHER wearing PEYTON MANNING’s jersey to JIM ZORN almost being fired. Finally we end the show with COPERNICUS and seeing who he challenges in the WEEK 7 edition of STUMP THE SALLY!

Download the Podcast – HERE!

The close-out game is always the toughest one. In a way, the Yankees should be the winners of Game 5 had A.J Burnett was actually himself in that 1st inning. Angels took to it like batting practice, but then no more in innings after that. The Yankees scored 6 while Angels scored 3 more. A stressful, tremendous game nonetheless.

And of course there were the usual missed calls, leaving men on base and the biased commentary on Derek Jeter deal. I actually thought Scioscia’s pulling of Lackey in the 7th inning would be the biggest managerial blunder of his life. It turned out to be the biggest tease. But Teixeira broke through his slump, New York pulled very close, and the alternating leads were the most draining of energy. Still a good sign.

Even though my pick were the Yankees in 6 and that they win the pennant at home; even though I know my prediction still stands, each game is still treated as a must-win. And this one just took every fiber of our being. The most stressful of them all. What a heart-breaker.

But come Saturday, Game 6, Baseball Theatre of the Bronx opens up again to blow the world with its Angels away with a show of a lifetime!

I know many people are big on numbers, especially coaches.  (I know some who are not).  You have all these Mathematics Major’s from MIT coming up with different formulas for these new stat categories.  Some of these “numbers-crunchers” have been hired by professional sports organizations to help them get a better gauge on their club. (Shoot, Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Kevin Durant caught wind of the plus-minus stat and was up in arms about it last week).  So stat guys are making an impact.

Last night while watching the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels in Game 4 of the ALCS, Yankees manager Joe Girardi made a pitching change late in the game which might of cost his team the victory.  He brought in a pitcher to replace a pitcher who had recorded the first two outs in the last half of the 11th.  Now I’m not one to publicly second guess a coach/manager but to me, Girardi was too involved.  I always revert back to what I once heard Phil Jackson say about athletes, ‘You have to let them find their way‘.

Let’s take a closer look, shall we? Both Yankee pitchers were right-handed; the next batter coming to the plate for the Angels was a right handed.  The batter was 1 for 2 lifetime against pitcher A; against pitcher B brought into the game by Girardi, the batter was 0-0 lifetime.  Ok so Girardi makes the change because he looked into his huge binder of numbers/scouting report; I think they call it ‘Sabermetrics’ or something of that nature…

(Courtesy of the New York Daily News)

Two batters later and two hits later; Angels win, Angels win-arrive home safely.

“We like the matchup with Ace better, the two guys,” Girardi said. “And it didn’t work.

“It’s just different kind of stuff against those hitters. And we have all the matchups and all the scouting reports, and we felt that, you know, it was a better matchup for us.”

That’s what Girardi said in his press conference right after the game.

I’ve been following baseball for a very long time-I have never seen a manager make so many moves like Girardi did in the Yankee loss on Monday.  He used 8 pitchers total in the game (as opposed to Angels skipper Mike Scioscia using 6)  The pitcher Girardi took out in the 11th was able to get the first two guys out to start the inning! Why change now?

Mike Baumen from MLB.com writes about Girardi’s moves against the Angels.

The manager did not single-handedly lose this game, and the Angels, in any case, are too good to be swept in four games by anybody. But in Game 3, Girardi opened himself up for a festival of second-guessing. He was in an activist managing mode on Monday. When you manage like this and win, you are a shrewd tactician. When you manage like this and lose, you are guilty of overmanaging.

This is play-off time.  Money time.  October-this is where the big boys with the huge contracts step up and make things happen.  This is no time for numbers, pitch counts and batting averages against certain pitchers. You go with your best!

Here’s SI.Com’s Ben Reiter on Girardi.

It might soon be time for Girardi to realize that the fact that his roster is the most talented in baseball means that he can get by with doing less, not more; and that sometimes it’s better to simply trust in that talent than to seek whatever slight advantage might be indicated by a printout of a scouting report that’s been slipped into a plastic sleeve in a thick binder. In fact, one expects that after Monday, he won’t jump up from his seat in the dugout nearly as much.

Sabermetrics and Plus-Minus stuff are ok but it’s too bad Girardi’s book doesn’t consider things like how the pitcher is throwing on that day.

Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up.

~Bob Lemon

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I am now on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter @CoachFinamore

]]> http://josephdelgrippo.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/los-angeles-angels-were-never-in-the-new-york-yankees-head/ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:35:58 +0000 josephdelgrippo http://josephdelgrippo.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/los-angeles-angels-were-never-in-the-new-york-yankees-head/

Heading into a three game series at Anaheim in late September, the Yankees were in the middle of another West Coast road trip, and the Boston Red Sox were casually in the midst of a nice winning streak. The Yankees lead in the AL East had shrunk to only five games, and the Yankees were heading into a Stadium which they had not fared very well over the last half decade.

Over the prior five seasons the Yankees were a combined 5-18 against the Angels in Anaheim, including an embarrassing three game sweep at Anaheim this season just before the All Star break. In that July series, the Yankee pitchers allowed 29 runs in the three games, and entering the middle innings, the Yankees had leads in all three contests.

In addition, the Yankees have played in two playoff series with the Mike Scioscia led Angels.

In both the 2002 and 2005 ALDS Series, both Yankee losses, the Bombers were 1-4 at Anaheim.

Then, the Yankees proceeded to drop the first game of that September series, and sat five games ahead of the Red Sox who had lost to lowly Kansas City. But the Yankees still had two more against the Angels and the Sox still were playing the last place Royals.

Why do the Yankees, team with arguably the best track record in the last 15 years, have a problem with the Angels?

Several reasons.

First, the Angels are good, with good players and a good, secure coaching staff. I say secure because the coaches have pretty much been the same since Mike Scioscia took over. No hotheaded firings over lost playoff series, no cannings because your cleanup hitter decided to go into a funk during September and October. No pitching coach turnstile because of too many sliders left hanging over the middle of the plate.

The hitting coach, Mickey Hatcher, first base coach Alfredo Griffin, and bench coach Ron Roenicke have all been with the team since Scioscia was named manager.  The third base coach this season, was the bench coach before switching with Roenicke. The only change on Scioscia’s staff was at pitching coach when then Angel pitching coach Bud Black became manager of the San Diego Padres.

The coaches know how to do things as a team. But while the coaching stability and team concept are so important during the regular season grind, it is up to the players to perform in the post season. And the Angels had better teams than the Yankees those years, playing better baseball when it mattered.

One great thing I heard during the Yankees telecasts from Anaheim in September is that the Angels are first in MLB in going from first to third on a single. That is immensely important in putting pressure on a defense. The cool thing, however, was that the Angels also want their minor leaguers to attempt more stolen bases to learn how to improve and do it correctly, and to attempt to go from first to third. They do not mind getting thrown out on either play because they want their farmhands to play Angel baseball.

I remember a town (Union, NJ) near where I grew up (Cranford, NJ) which had tremendous high school football and baseball teams. They played in the top division in the state, and won many Group and State titles in both sports. The revered high school coaches taught the “Union HS way” to the local Pop Warner and Little Leagues, teaching the kids what they would expect to do at the high school level. When the kids arrived in high school, they were well versed in the proper methods of play.

Anyway, the Yankees won to win the final two games of that September series, built up their AL East lead again. But many pundits said the Yankees got that proverbial monkey (the Angels rally monkey perhaps?) off their back.

But the Angels never were “in the Yankee heads.” It is tough to win against a good team when you are on a cross country trip. Even the Red Sox were only 7-12 at Anaheim, but their 3-0 record in two playoff series during that span outweighs their less than .500 regular season record. 

It is tougher to win on the West coast during the regular season because teams are usually in the midst of seven to 10 game trips away from home, and it is a grind day after day. Combine that with the talent the Angels have had, and the pressure their style of play put on the opposition, and it makes sense that the Yankees did not play well there.

The Angels have been a  good team the last eight years or so, winning five division titles and one World Series title in 2002. It is based upon stability of the coaching staff, as many players have come and gone through their system. Only #1 starter John Lackey has been there since 2002. This team is not afraid to play their youngsters, evidenced by starting the rookie Lackey in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.

The Angels have been a successful over the last eight years or so, and they have had the team concept better than anyone.

But they have never been in the Yankee heads.

Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees

OVERVIEW

The Yankees and Angels were the two best teams in the AL during the regular season, and both are looking particularly impressive right now. They are each coming off sweeps in the ALDS (in which they each came back once against the other team’s dominant closer down two in the ninth). These teams have met in the playoffs twice already this decade, with Los Angeles bumping New York in the ALDS in 2002 and 2005. In 2009, the two teams split the 10 regular season games they played against each other, but the Yankees, and their fans, certainly remember when the Angels swept them in the last series before the All-Star break, when the Yankees were at their hottest. New York was better in the regular season, but expect the teams to be pretty evenly matched in the ALCS.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

The pennant! Well, the Yankees are also in a World Series drought of NINE YEARS, and this is a chance for a new team, with additions like Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Nick Swisher, plus young guys like Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, to all get their first shot at the World Series. New York could also improve its case for “Team of the Decade” by winning its fourth ALCS in ten years. You should never underestimate Team of the Decade plotlines.

THE LINEUPS 

The Angels proved how dangerous their offense can be against Boston, particularly in the ninth inning of Game 3. With two outs against Jonathan Papelbon, one of the game’s best closers, the Angels got a big single from Erick Aybar, a well-earned walk from Chone Figgins, and then a double from Bobby Abreu. This shows how many ways they can beat you: long at-bats, good baserunning, a solid middle of the order. A lot has been made about how the Angels like to be “pesky” and run around on the bases—and they probably will run on Jorge Posada—but the truth is that the Angels just out hit the Yankees in their head-to-head games this season. Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, and Kendry Morales are threats no matter who is on the bases.

The Yankees still have the best offense in baseball, and now Alex Rodriguez is a clutch player! Rodriguez is coming off a great series against the Twins, and his numbers against Los Angeles throughout his career are better than his numbers against any other team. Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, and Jorge Posada also hit well in the ALDS, to less acclaim than A-Rod, illustrating once again that New York has the deepest lineup in baseball right now. Concerns surround Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Johnny Damon—particularly Damon, who hasn’t been hitting well for about a month now—all of whom never found groves against Minnesota pitching and are now about to face a superior Angels’ staff.

THE ROTATIONS

As someone predicted, John Lackey had a dominant performance against Boston in LA, pitching 7 1/3 scoreless innings. He’s also the only guy still in the league to have started and won Game 7 of the World Series, so he’s got that going for him, which is nice. Joe Saunders, who didn’t get a start in the Division Series thank to the sweep, will go in Game 2; it’s always a little unpredictable to see how guys will respond to the long layoffs like that, but Saunders usually does well on extra rest. Jered Weaver, who also pitched well against the Red Sox, will be held for Game 3 and a possible Game 7, while Kazmir will be bumped to a Game 4. He didn’t have the exceptional ALDS that I predicted.

It seems likely, and wise, that the Yankees will go with a 3-man rotation in the ALCS. Joe Girardi mentioned that the weather would play a role in this decision, but they should probably forego a fourth started no matter what. The superfluous off-day between Games 4 and 5 means that only Sabathia would be going on short rest, and even then only once. He proved last year in Milwaukee that he’s capable of being dominant on short rest, so it’s probably better to go with him than the unpredictable Joba/Chad Gaudin tandem. Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burtnett, of course, round out the rotation.

LINGERING QUESTIONS

TIM: You gonna miss the Chipster?

JOHN: Absolutely not. If Chip Caray had been calling the ALCS, I would have considered rooting for the Twins.

TIM: Surprised by the Saunders move? How has he traditionally done against the Yankees? And is it just to get a lefty in NYS?

JOHN: I’m not really surprised by the Saunders move. It seems like Sciosa’s way of saying he has confidence in all four starters. Saunders doesn’t have good numbers against New York, but maybe he wants to see Teixeira and Swisher hit right-handed, and Girardi maybe sit Matsui.

TIM: How much street cred would Torii Hunter lose if his first name were Tori? You know, like Amos. Are we talking 5-10% or something bigger like 25-30%? Where does Torry fit in this equation?

JOHN: Well, if Torii Hunter were named Tori Hunter, then he’d most likely be a porn star. I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules.

TIM: So, wanna help me out and explain why the Mets were right to not sign Vladimir Guerrero and pay Carlos Beltran a lot more instead?

JOHN: Well, I guess Guerrero’s had some injury prob—oh right. Um, well, Vlad’s only won the MVP once….And Beltran IS a better fielder…..Money well-spent.

TIM: Scale of 1-10, how terrified are you of this Angels team? And who scares you the most?

JOHN: I guess I was at 2 for the Twins, and I’m a 5 for the Angels. I’m actually most worried about Bobby Abreu. Dude hit .556 against Boston, and now he has the vengeance factor. Plus, he knows how to wear down pitchers and get on base in front of Hunter and Guerrero.

TIM: Sooooo, not Brian Fuentes?

JOHN: I wasn’t even afraid of K-Rod when they had him. So, no, I’m not worried about the shut-down capacity of Fuentes.

TIM: What Yankee scares you the most?

JOHN: Probably A.J. Burnett for his proclivity to lay an egg in his starts. He pitched well against Minnesota, but you never know how much to rely on him.

TIM: Is the plan still to put Molina behind the plate with Burnett? And will Posada DH Game 2 against the lefty, or does Girardi stick with Matsui? And how much of this catching platoon is Girardi retroactively venting for having to share time with Jorge?

JOHN: Well, Jorge responded like a petulant child to that decision last time, but I think it was the right one. I’d rather see Matsui in the lineup than Posada, even against a lefty (Matsui’s numbers against LHP were actually better than his against RHP this year), but I could see Girardi leaving Posada in to appease him. But come on, Tim. Girardi is a big enough man not to make this personal.

TIM: Speaking of Jorge, how long until Mike Scioscia calls the suicide squeeze with Posada behind the plate? I think he runs it the first time he has a guy on third, regardless of all other circumstances.

JOHN: I’ve always wanted to see more playoff suicide squeezes. I actually wanted Girardi to call one with Brett Gardner on third in the tenth inning of Game 2. Damon lined into a double play, so I think that proved me right.

TIM: Do you look at the AL Playoffs as a Tournament for the MVP, and now it’s down to Teixeira and Morales (with Mauer and Pedroia eliminated)?

JOHN: What kind of stupid way to award the MVP is that? Joe Mauer should win it.

TIM: If Sabathia goes seven in Game 1, who do you want getting the ball in the eighth? Joba, Hughes, or Mariano?

JOHN: I mean, it obviously depends on the score and who’s up, etc., but I would start with Hughes, bring in Joba if he looked shaky, and bring in Mariano if there was a real threat brewing. I never like bringing in Rivera to start the eighth, particularly when you have two reliable eighth-inning guys available. I have more confidence in Hughes to start an inning, but Joba with guys on base because of his strikeout ability.

TIM: How are Yankees’ fans approaching this series? Are you excited to be back; are you scared of losing; are you intrigued by maybe not being the head-and-shoulders favorite in a series for the first time since the ‘96 World Series?

JOHN: I’m not as nervous as I would be if we were playing Boston (despite the fact that I said I would prefer to play Boston), but I’m not simply “excited to be back.” I would still be disappointed if the Yankees didn’t make the World Series, but I’m not that nervous since, in my mind, the Yankees have never lost an ALCS (What? 2004? Never happened.).

TIM: Who ya got?

JOHN: I’ll take the Yankees in six, with the Angels taking Games 1 and 3 behind great starts by Lackey and Weaver. But I think Sabathia does well on three-days rest, Burnett outpitches Lackey in Game 5, and the Yankees win easy at home in Game 6.

Look for a big ALCS from A-Rod.

Because the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have made it to the postseason nearly every year this decade, it’s easy to forget that these teams have not had much success in October in recent seasons. The Yankees’ ALDS sweep of the Minnesota Twins earned them a berth in the ALCS for the first time since 2004. The Angels advanced to the ALCS for the first time since 2005.

The Angels have had the Yankees’ number since Mike Scioscia became their manager. As great as the Yankees’ roster is this season, the Angels’ success over them in October casts a shadow of doubt over the Yankees’ chances to move on to the World Series.

Lineups

The Angels hit the Yankees really well this season (.315 team average), led by Mike Napoli (.500, 2 HR), Kendry Morales (.375, 3 HR), Chone Figgins (.333, 3 3B), and Bobby Abreu (.314, 8 RBI, 4 SB). Vladimir Guerrero and Howie Kendrick, normally Yankee-killers, are both healthy. While much is made of the Angels’ propensity to steal bases, they were caught stealing 30% of the time against the Yankees this season and the normally pesky Figgins was only 3 out of 5 in steal attempts. Perhaps the base-stealing dynamic to the Angels’ offense won’t be the big factor most expect.

The Yankees scored more runs than every team in the league, and a few of their hitters enjoyed success against the Angels. Most notably, Alex Rodriguez destroyed the Angels, hitting .333 with 5 HR in just seven games. Jorge Posada (.308, 3 HR, 10 RBI) also torched the Angels’ pitching. Melky Cabrera (.393) and Robinson Cano (.341) could be X-factors for New York. Interestingly, the Yankees were 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts against the Angels. They could apply further pressure on the basepaths, depending on if their somewhat aggressive baserunners (Derek Jeter, Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Brett Gardner, Cabrera) get on base.

Starting Rotations

The Angels’ game one starter, John Lackey, had only one start against the Yankees this year and pitched well. Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir, and Jered Weaver, however, did not fare well against the Bronx Bombers, combining for a 4.99 ERA over 39.2 innings. While it is entirely possible that the Angels’ rotation will come through in this series, the track record this season suggests otherwise.

C.C. Sabathia may have won 19 games, but he struggled mightily against the Angels. The Yankees’ ace went 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in two starts against the Angels. The possibility he may face the Angels three times in this series could turn out to be a negative for New York. Of the Yankees’ likely starting pitchers, only A.J. Burnett (1-0, 4.26 ERA in two starts) had decent numbers against the Angels. Andy Pettitte (0-2, 7.88 ERA in three starts) was absolutely blistered by Angels’ bats.

Based on how each teams’ starting pitchers fared against these strong lineups, we could be in for short outings and a long series.

Bullpens

Collectively the Angels’ bullpen, like their rotation, struggled against the Yankees, albeit in limited sample sizes. Only the Angels’ most consistent relievers on the season, Darren Oliver (3.60 ERA, vs. NYY, 2.71 overall), and Jason Bulger (3.86 ERA vs. NYY, 3.56 overall) pitched reasonably well in games against New York. Closer Brian Fuentes struggled at times during the season, but saved 48 games. Kevin Jepsen, who has pitched better lately, could be the Angels’ X-factor.

The Yankees’ most important relievers, Mariano Rivera and Phil Hughes, fared well against the Angels this season. Should the Yankees present them with leads, the team should feel good about its chances to win games. However, the other likely relievers on the ALCS roster (Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, David Robertson, Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves) collectively struggled against the Angels, in small sample sizes of course. Based on overall regular season numbers though, the Yankees could dominate the late innings.

Benches

The Angels don’t have a deep bench. Maicer Izturis hit .300 in nearly 400 at-bats; his versatility in the infield, his speed, and his defensive prowess makes him the most valuable reserve on either team. Gary Matthews, Jr. is the Angels’ top outfield reserve, but his .250 average and limited defense makes it unlikely he will fill in much.

Brett Gardner (.270, 26 SB) could be a major late innings threat in a pinch running role and a defensive replacement in the outfield for the Yankees. Eric Hinske (7 HR in 84 at-bats) has shown some pop and can play the OF corners if need be. Jerry Hairston is a versatile infielder who has some speed and a decent eye at the plate. Jose Molina will likely catch A.J. Burnett when he pitches and can occasionally contribute with the bat, but is usually a non-factor offensively.

Defenses

On the left side of the infield, Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar are above average defensive players for the Angels. Torii Hunter may have lost a step in CF, but he remains one of the better defensive outfielders in the game. Juan Rivera has a good arm in LF, but Bobby Abreu has defensive shortcomings in RF. The right side of the infield (Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales) is average. Primary catcher Mike Napoli only threw out 22% of would-be base-stealers, something the Yankees could take advantage of.

The Yankees are a better defensive club than they’re given credit for. Much-maligned Derek Jeter had one of his best seasons with the glove, and Alex Rodriguez’s range improved over the course of the season. Robinson Cano, showboat plays aside, is one of the best defensive 2B in the game, and Mark Teixiera should win a Gold Glove at 1B this season. In the outfield, the Yankees are at their best when Melky Cabrera is in RF, Brett Gardner is in CF, and Johnny Damon is in LF, which is the usual alignment in the late innings. As a CF, Cabrera makes a great leftfielder, and rightfield is often an adventure for Nick Swisher. Jorge Posada nailed just over 30% of potential base-stealers, so the Angels’ speed could be impacted by Posada.

Prediction

In the regular season, these teams split 10 games. Neither pitching rotation has been impressive in head-to-head matchups, which means fans could be in for high-scoring games featuring a large number of innings from relievers.

The Yankees’ bullpen as a whole has more potential and ability, and with Mariano Rivera there to close out games, the Yankees hold a sizeable advantage over the Angels in close games, or games in which the relievers are heavily used. If either team’s rotation comes through with strong performances, it will tip the scales in the favor of that team. I don’t see that happening though.

I believe we’re looking at high-scoring games and a lot of relief innings. Based on that premise, I pick the Yankees to win in six games.

Angels manger Mike Scioscia announced his playoff rotation today, and it’ll be John Lackey in G1, Joe Saunders in G2, Jered Weaver in G3, and Scott Kazmir in G4. While they’ve opted for a 4-man rotation, the Yankees seem to be leaning towards a 3-man.

A-Rod got the postseason monkey off his back against the Twins. Is the Angels' Rally Monkey next on his list?

It’s a tale as old as time. Light versus dark, good versus evil, heaven versus hell, and of  course, Angels vs Demons Yankees. It’s difficult to find two teams more diametrically opposed than L.A. and New York, and fittingly the bi-coastal rivals meet in the 2009 ALCS to determine who will represent the American League in this year’s World Series. The Yankees and Angels were 1-2 in the AL in wins, but got there in vastly different ways. One team relied on speed, timely hitting,  sacrifice bunts and the dreaded “productive out”. The other team found success with sheer brawn, overpowering inferior opponents with an offensive barrage that made the U.S.’s invasion of Normandy look like child’s play. Which style will prevail when the two meet head-to-head in a no-holds barred cage match? Let’s break it down:

Torii Hunter is good. But can he keep up with A-Rod and Teixeira?

Offense: Though the Yankees trio of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira receive more recognition than any L.A. hitter, the Angels had one of the most balanced lineups in all of baseball. The Halos averaged 5.5 runs per game in setting a single season franchise record for runs (the Yanks were slightly better at 5.6 runs per game). Although they’re not as explosive as New York, eight of L.A.’s starters hit .287 or better on the year, leading to a tremendous .285 team average. The team’s sparkplug is leadoff man Chone Figgins who stole 42 bases to go along with a .395 OBP. He sets the table for Bobby Abreu (.293-15 HR-103 RBI-30 SB), Torii Hunter (.299-22-90), Vladimir Guerrero (.295-15-50), Kendry Morales (.306-34-108) and Juan Rivera (.287-25-88). There are no easy outs in the lineup, and the Angels combination of patience at the plate and speed on the basepaths will make them a difficult matchup for Yankee pitchers. New York counters with the league’s highest scoring lineup headlined by Teixeira (.292-39-122), A-Rod (.286-30-100) and Jeter (.334-18-66). There’s great depth in the Bronx Bombers lineup, as players like Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Hideki Matsui produce in whatever portion of the lineup that Joe Girardi employs them. Both teams are solid top-to-bottom, but there is a reason that the Yankees led the AL in runs, OBP, slugging and OPS–they’re really good. Advantage: New York

Can A.J. Burnett pitch effectively and help led the Yankees back to the World Series?

Starting Pitching: It sounds like Girardi is planning to go with a 3-man rotation for the series, a good idea given that the Yankees’ rotation drops off precipitously after C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite. Sabathia looked sharp against the Twins and New York will rely on the hefty lefty to get them a win in game one. The Yankees #2 starter, Burnett, is consistently inconsistent and got a win in the ALDS despite issuing 5 walks; he won’t be able to get away with that against the Angels. The savvy vet of the group, Pettite, has an impressive postseason resume and enough guts and guile to keep the Yankees within striking distance. The Angels starting pitching has been sub par all season, finishing 9th in the AL with a 4.45 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. The ace of the staff is John Lackey, a proven winner who bounced back from an early injury to post a strong season (11-8, 3.83 ERA). Jered Weaver will likely get the start in game two, and despite the fact that he is Jeff Weaver’s brother and sports a wicked mullet, was solid throughout the season and against Boston in the ALDS. After Lackey and Weaver, the Angels could go with either Scott Kazmir or Joe Saunders, two players who had horrendous starts to the season, but looked much better in the second half. Neither of these pitching staffs is a sure thing, but the Yankees get the nod because of Pettite’s experience. Advantage: New York

Relief Pitching: The bullpen is the only facet of this series where these two teams don’t match up at all. Despite the fact that they led the majors with 51 saves, the Angels relief pitching is still a major question mark. Closer Brian Fuentes was erratic all season long, finishing the year with a 3.93 ERA and an even more unsightly 1.40 WHIP. Fuentes blew 7 saves in the regular season and he can’t afford to keep putting extra runners on base against a potent Yankees’ attack. On the other hand, New York counters with arguably the greatest postseason pitcher of all-time, Mariano Rivera. The “Panamanian Canalligator” is 8-1 in the playoffs, with 35 saves and a redonkulous 0.74 ERA; Rivera makes Michael Jordan look like A-Rod in crunch time–he’s as clutch as they come. The Yankees also found a dependable setup man in Phil Hughes and will have Joba Chamberlain available if need be. This one’s a no doubter. Advantage: New York

With lights-out Mariano Rivera in the bullpen the Yankees are built for a return to glory.

Coaching:  There are few managers more respected in the game of baseball than Mike Scioscia and for good reason, his teams love him and he wins games. Scioscia guided the Angels to a World Series title in 2002 and has only recorded one losing season since taking over in L.A. following the 1999 season. He’s a great X’s and O’s guy who emphasizes a National League style of play, which his team is perfectly suited for, and he consistently gets the most out of everyone on the Angels’ roster. Girardi rebounded after a tumultuous season to led the Yankees to the best record in baseball (103-59) and has done an admirable job managing some of the games highest paid players. Scioscia’s been here before, expect him to have the Angels ready to give the Yankees a run for their money. Advantage: Los Angeles

Outcome: This is a matchup that baseball analysts call “intriguing” simply because there isn’t much else to say about it. The Yankees are a markedly better team than the Angels with advantages in offense, starting pitching and relief pitching. New York looks like a team on a mission, and now that A-Rod discovered how to hit in the postseason (thank you Kate Hudson), Los Angeles will have their hands full trying to stop the Yankees from returning to their first World Series since 2001. The Angels will sneak out a couple of wins but New York will ultimately win the series in 6 games, as Teixeira garners ALCS MVP honors, and fans worldwide will once again have to put up with the evil empire in the World Series.