Morning Bits: Game 3, Gardner could start, Hughes vs Verlander & more…
Good morning all. It’s now or never for the bombers tonight and no easy task as they face Verlander. Will the Yankee bats come to life? Let’s hope so.
Let’s start the morning off with some links…
– Cashman spoke to Michael Kay and mentioned that Gardner could start.
– Mark Simon of ESPN Stats looks into the decisions that Girardi will need to make for tonight’s lineup.
– Lyle Spencer of MLB.com writes that the Yankees need to channel the spirit of the 1996 ALCS.
– Ian Browne has the story that Hughes feels no pressure matching up against Verlander.
– Kristie Ackert of The Daily News mentions Yankee bench coach Tony Pena interviewed for the Red Sox job.
Posted on October 16, 2012, in Notes & Links. Bookmark the permalink. 10 Comments.
Brian D.
fishjam25
jimmytoucan
Matthew B
Delia E.
Dan H.
Matthew S.
Michael P.
Mike D.
The biggest obstacle the Yankees face is the umpiring tonight. Guess who the home plate umpire is? LOL!! It’s Sam Holbrook, the genius who botched the infield fly rule play in the Cardinals-Braves wildcard game!!
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/umpire_cards/ump_cards.php?umpire=155
There’s his card from Brooks now here is his report from Vegasinsider:
http://www.vegasinsider.com/mlb/stats/umpire-report/
Let’s see if he’s fair and umpires the game like he normally does or extends Verlander’s strike zone.
There are only THREE umpires in all of MLB who have a lower K/BB ratio than Holbrook has(Cousins, Tschida, and Tichenor)
This means that Holbrook normally has an incredibly tight strike zone.
Lost in this mess is the Yankees inability to sellout playoff games ,never happened before and is an omen of bad things to come.Hal has broken off from the things his father did to build this dynasty.Hal ‘s current direction will have the Yanks turning into the METS in 2 years if he doesn’t change.
The Yanks had the second best attendance in the majors this year. I see the lack of attendance due to 60 inch TVs, inconvience, parking prices, soft society who need domes, and apathy of Yankee fans due to making the playoffs every year, going up again’st football, as some of the reasons. The main reasons is the new park is more like a resort than a ballpark, and it doesn’t rock anymore, no more 10th man.
LOL! The Yankees will never turn into the Mets! It’s sexy and hip to root for the Yankees. As long as they keep overpaying guys who date movie stars, they will be okay.
How much they pay people is kind of funny since the Red Sox had the third payroll in baseball this year and wound up last. The Phillies were 2nd and missed the playoffs as did the 4th highest payroll team in the Angels.
http://baseball.about.com/od/newsrumors/a/2012-Baseball-Team-Payrolls.htm
Of the teams that are left in the playoffs, the Yankees had the highest payroll, The Tigers the 5th highest payroll, the Giants the 7th highest payroll, and the Cardinals the 9th highest.
Noone lower than 9th is alive, so no Cinderella stories to be had this year.
To be successful in baseball you have to spend money, which is the only way to keep good players you develop and and recruit impact players to play.
I agree. And the Red Sox are a huge disgrace. So are the Mets. My point was when you have guys on your team who date movie stars and supermodels, it brings a whole new fan base around…and the yankees have this. Not they need it but it certainly helps. The averge 30 year old girl who works with me couldnt name a single player on the Phillies but they know A Rod, Jeter and heck even Swisher married a supermodel. Its very fashionable to sport a Yankee cap. Just look at Tom Brady.
I don’t think anyone roots for a team because of who the players are married to. It would never cross my mind to do so.
You arent most or some people. You have loved the Yankees since being a child, but there are many out there who just root for the hippest team and that will always be the Yankees.
Gardner could start tonight??? YES!!! Swisher (or Granderson) needs to SIT!
Granderson is a joke, in every meaning of the word. He has no chance of coming out of this, as his “slump” has been going on since August 1st. Two and a half months isn’t a slump, it means you rot.
Swisher was hitting well before the postseason, his swing is nowhere near as bad as Granderson’s. Granderson is the guy who should sit.