We remember the disappointment of last season, the $423 million spent on C.C Sabathia, Mark Teixteria, and A.J Burnett. We made our predictions, and how awsome would be if we won it all. We remember Spring Training, the A-Rod scandal, and then A-Rod's surgery. We remember April, how we struggled, Cody Ransom at third, Chein-Ming Wang throwing batting practice to opposing teams, and we remember May when A-Rod came back and got this team going. We remember lsoing 8 in a row to the Red Sox, going into a funk in june against the Nationals and Marlins. We remember Francisco Cervelli's home run to beat the Braves in late June, the night Cashman flew to Atlanta and Girardi had a close door meeting. We remember the team taking off, posting an almost .700 winning percentage after the break, beating the Red Sox 9 out of the last 10 games, and blowing past the competition to the playoffs. We remember last night, as the Yankees won their 40th American League Pennant, and hopeuflly we will remember next week, after ther Yankees try to secure four more wins.
All I heard before the series was about the Angels curse, their fundamental baseball and that the Yankees could not step up to the challenge. Well guess what guys, the Yankees just beat their arch nemesis Angels and our en route to the World Series. I have said all year long, and years past, and people have quoted me on this, "if the Yankees ever get past the Angels, they will win the World Series." I still believe this 100%. Joe Torre never could get past the Angels, now Joe Girardi has. Jeter, Posada, Mo, Pettitte, all never could break the Angels curse, until now. They all knew how big this was, not just the ALCS, but to get past the Angels, and they have done it. Though the Phillies are an EXCELLENT offensive team, I feel that once the Yanks got by Boston in the regular season, the Angels in the playoffs, that a World Series win is just a formality. Its not as close to as big as Boston breaking the Yankees curse in 2004, but it is a HUGE deal that the Yankees just beat the Angels, and I think they very well know that. (By the way, it also says a lot of what I think of Fatcessa that I am not immeditaly listening to him. If this was Mike and the Mad Dog I would have watched the whole show. Now? Not so much. WE NEED RUSSO!!!).
Alright, lets get to this game, and why we are sitting here celebrating a Yankees Pennant.
-Congrats to C.C on the ALCS MVP. Well deserved, though A-Rod might have deserved a share as well. C.C has been disgustinly good, since Aug 2. vs. the White Sox, C.C is 12-1 with a 2.09 ERA.
- This Angels team was not a typical Angels team. This was not only evident in this series, but earlier in the year. The fact that the Texas Rangers competed with them for as long as they did, showed that. The fact the Angels relied on their offense this year instead of their defense and pitching, especially bullpen, is a reason why one should have been concerned. The fact the Angels felt the need to acquire Scott Kazmir, a starter, in Auguest was a caution sign. Yes, they beat the Sox in three games, but we all knew the Sox werent good this year. If the Sox played the Yankees, we might have swept them. So, though this Angels team might have been the third best team in baseball, it was not by any means a team the Yankees usually dont match up well against. Their speed was never show cased, their bats were silent for the most part, their bullpen was brutal, and the Angels starters aside from Lackey and Saunder in Game 2 were awful.
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- I hate to say "I told you so" to those people who said the Yankees would never reach a World Series with A-Rod. Abreu was quoted as saying he has never seem him locked in like this, that the guy is a machine. That is pretty much what he is right now, he hit two SCORCHING balls last night, and I would be very, very surprised if he cooled off in the World Series. Also, did you notice in the postgame how big A-Rod's hands are? Like his hands are HUGE, like Jason Campbell, Shaq HUGE. Just a thought.
- What a huge hit by Johnny Damon last night. He was struggling all series, though he did hit two home runs in Game 3 and 4, and left the bases loaded in the 2nd, and for him to come up with that hit in the 4th was huge. If Johnny can come up big in this World Series I might start think about forgiving him for 2004. In addition, Pettitte was simply Andy Pettitte. He has gone 6 1/3 in every postseason start so far, and so you might as well expect another 6 1 3 start from him in Game 3 (depending on the situation if he is up with the bases loaded etc.). Now, I am not a believer he is a Hall of Famer, or that his number should be retired, but take a look at the numbers:
Pettitte is 229-135 in the regular season, 12 with the Yankees, 3 with the Astros with an ERA of 3.91. Hes managed over 2,100 strikeouts in just over 2,900 innings, which isnt great, but the 2100 strikeouts is fairly impressive for a guy who did not usually strike guys out. With his win last night, Pettitte is 16-9 in the postseason, which is the most wins all time by a pitcher. (This is misleading because guys like Bob Gibson did not have the division series, and if you go back further, guys like Walter Johnson only had a World Series). His ERA is 3.83 in the playoffs in 38 career starts, he is now going to pitch in his seventh World Series, and has so far won four rings. He has finished top 5 in the Cy Young voting five times, went to two All-star games, and won 2001 ALCS MVP. He is most compared to Frank Viola, who some argue should be in, and Tom Glavine who of course WILL get in. Its a compelling case, especially if he wins another Postseason game and wins another ring.
- I am starting to think that the throwing error made by Scott Kazmir is going to start a downfall of his career. He is not the same pitcher he was in 2006 and 2007, and of course was even traded to the Angels this year. That error was just inexplicable, and you can start to see things falling apart for Kazmir. He pitched poorly in Game 4 and in relief in Game 6 and I would not be surprised that by 2011 he is wearing yet another uniform.
- You think Giambi makes that play Tex makes in the 8th? Tex is just so valuable, yea he hit .222 this series, but he also saved at least five runs with his glove. He rarely makes an error, and changes the game so drastically on defense that it doesnt always matter about his bat. Lets also not forget how big a hit that was in Game 5.
- Mariano is just so good you get spoiled. When he is gone (hes 40 and is like wine, he gets better with age) he will by far be the most missed NYC sports figure in history. No ifs, ands or buts. I have more faith in Mariano than I do with my own president.
So, now that its official, lets circle November 1st, or next sunday as maybe the start of the Philly-New York rivalery that goes beyond football. Yea, the Mets and Phillies is a quasi-rival. Think about it, the Mets DOMINATED the Phillies in the 80's, then the Phillies returned the favor and DOMINATED the Mets in the early 90's. They were both horrendous in the mid-late 90's and then in 1999-2001 the Mets started to dominate the Phillies again. Then they both became atrocious again, and then in the mid 2005-2006 the Mets beat up on the Phillies again, which reveresed fortunes in 2007 and 2008 when the Mets collapsed and the Phillies won the division. Wheeeeeew. So you see, not until 2007 did these teams really start hating each other, and thats because the Mets were inept and collapsed.
Obviously we all know the Eagles DESPISE the Giants and the Giants DESPISE the Eagles. This has been a hated rivalary since Chuck Bednarik's hit on Frank Gifford in 1960. I still hate Chuck Bednarik whenever he is interviewed, he epitomizes Philly; a bunch of lowlife scum bags. There has never been a Yankees-Phillies thing, they have not matched up in a series since 1950. But also because Philly never cared for baseball until the team gets good, you know what I am talking about Mets fans. Mets fans used to go into that stadium and it was 70% Mets fans. Now, the Phillies are good, they woke up from their Rip Van Winkle slumber, and they think they run the MLB. Let me tell you something Philly, your a football and hockey town, nobody questions your loyalty with those two teams, the Eagles and Flyers. But dont start acting now like a Phillies town just because they are good. I remember you not selling out the 2001 NBA Finals when the 76ers hosted the Lakers. I also remember the stadium half empty 3 years ago. It wasnt because people could not afford the seats, I will say that much.
So, let the games begin. New York. Philly. Two teams from two cities that really, REALLY dont like each other. This is a Mets fan worst nightmare; A Yankees and Phillies fans dream. Four more to go to number 27. Lets get it done.
- Lew
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