World Series Game 1: That was fantastically embarrassing.
WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD ALMIGHTY WAS THIS CRAP?! Sweet sassy molassy.
Did they know we had a game to play tonight or were they still in party mode from finishing off the Angels? Because the Yankees I saw on the field tonight looked woefully unprepared to play baseball. They looked lazy, bored and indifferent and what's worse......this isn't even on CC. 2 ER in 7 IP is what you should expect from your ace. No, this garbage performance is on the offense and our bullpen. I'm aware Cliff Lee is a great pitcher and yada, yada, yada but even against good to great pitching, we should be able to do SOMETHING. ANYTHING. We were swinging at bad pitches, making poor base-running decisions and basically embarrassing ourselves out there. That did not look like the team that won 103 regular season games and 7 playoff games so far. That looked like a bad AA team. Then to add to the fun, fun, fun of this game.....our bullpen spit the bit. Big time. 2-0 we could have come back from. 2-0 would have been manageable. But noooooo.
Edit: I felt I needed to edit this because after the initial anger wore off, I realized I was a little too critical and bitchy. I think we all remember 1996, when the Yankees lost the first two home games, went to Atlanta and won the next three games and then won Game 6 at home to take the title [Jeffrey Maier, where are you now?]. Oh by the way, the Braves were the defending champs at the time as well. They also had Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux all in their prime in their rotation too, a much more imposing force than anything Philly is going to throw at us. For God's sake, we had John Wetteland closing those games for us. Yeesh.
So with that in mind, I am not decrying the end of this series, as frustrated as I am. We have 6 chances now to win 4 games. It can be done. Worry not, Yankees fans. I'm confident we'll take this, if not in 6 games like 1996, then in 7. As Lisa so rightly put it, The Power of Positive Thinking™ is going to get us through this.
Also, I'd like to thank the lovely people at MLBlogs for featuring my site on their front page. If you click on the "Yankees", it'll take you here. Thanks so much!
Did they know we had a game to play tonight or were they still in party mode from finishing off the Angels? Because the Yankees I saw on the field tonight looked woefully unprepared to play baseball. They looked lazy, bored and indifferent and what's worse......this isn't even on CC. 2 ER in 7 IP is what you should expect from your ace. No, this garbage performance is on the offense and our bullpen. I'm aware Cliff Lee is a great pitcher and yada, yada, yada but even against good to great pitching, we should be able to do SOMETHING. ANYTHING. We were swinging at bad pitches, making poor base-running decisions and basically embarrassing ourselves out there. That did not look like the team that won 103 regular season games and 7 playoff games so far. That looked like a bad AA team. Then to add to the fun, fun, fun of this game.....our bullpen spit the bit. Big time. 2-0 we could have come back from. 2-0 would have been manageable. But noooooo.
Edit: I felt I needed to edit this because after the initial anger wore off, I realized I was a little too critical and bitchy. I think we all remember 1996, when the Yankees lost the first two home games, went to Atlanta and won the next three games and then won Game 6 at home to take the title [Jeffrey Maier, where are you now?]. Oh by the way, the Braves were the defending champs at the time as well. They also had Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux all in their prime in their rotation too, a much more imposing force than anything Philly is going to throw at us. For God's sake, we had John Wetteland closing those games for us. Yeesh.
So with that in mind, I am not decrying the end of this series, as frustrated as I am. We have 6 chances now to win 4 games. It can be done. Worry not, Yankees fans. I'm confident we'll take this, if not in 6 games like 1996, then in 7. As Lisa so rightly put it, The Power of Positive Thinking™ is going to get us through this.
Also, I'd like to thank the lovely people at MLBlogs for featuring my site on their front page. If you click on the "Yankees", it'll take you here. Thanks so much!
//i thought CC pitched well today. i know he wasn't as sharp and dominant as usual, but he got out of his beginning troubles and then actually did pitch as good as his usual - the only 2 mistakes were 2 solo HRs.//
CC Sabathia is 100% NOT the problem. He did his job. I feel bad for him actually, our ace pitches his a$s off and gets shafted in the process.
//is this the same team that was able to come back from anything? then, of course all hope was lost when the strange choice of bullpen guys came in and decided to make it an early christmas for the phillies - "here, why don't we just hand you the game in a nice, neat wrapped gift?" !!! crazy bullpen madness!!! //
I actually screamed at the TV, that's how po'd I was. My God. That was textbook "what not to do".
//i am really depressed they lost - and i'm mad as heck that we couldn't go to the game. (hope no one yells at me at work tomorrow now that yankees lost...)//
It's not your fault, so don't feel bad. Sure the good luck charm, but they were winning because they were executing the fundamentals properly, your presence was just a really cool coincidence. Although.....the one game you don't go to, we lose. Hmmmm.
;-)
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i thought CC pitched well today. i know he wasn't as sharp and dominant as usual, but he got out of his beginning troubles and then actually did pitch as good as his usual - the only 2 mistakes were 2 solo HRs. that's not too bad. not with offense - we should've been able to do better than not being able to come back from 2 runs. is this the same team that was able to come back from anything?
then, of course all hope was lost when the strange choice of bullpen guys came in and decided to make it an early christmas for the phillies - "here, why don't we just hand you the game in a nice, neat wrapped gift?" !!! crazy bullpen madness!!!
i am really depressed they lost - and i'm mad as heck that we couldn't go to the game. (hope no one yells at me at work tomorrow now that yankees lost...)
AJ better step tomorrow - if he does, i say they pie him!
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i HOPE and i mean HOPE! that we are able to do something tomorrow... we didnt got and offense, we didnt had a manager. ok that's all gone away today... get me AJ tomorrow, and we HAVE to beat Pedro.
as a dominican, i LOVE pedro, but im a yankee fan, and i want the yankes to make 12 runs in his 15 first pitches.
now, nothing happened today. LET'S WIN TOMORROW.
WAKE UP GUYS, WE'RE ON THE WORLD SERIES NOW.
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You win one, you lose one. It's time for the Yankees to take game 2. That's all I'll say.
Matthew T.
http://matt7.mlblogs.com/
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//i HOPE and i mean HOPE! that we are able to do something tomorrow... we didnt got and offense, we didnt had a manager.//
Why is this on Girardi? CC did his job, he threw 7 innings of 2-run ball. The bullpen imploded, but he made no bad moves. I have no problem excoriating Joe when he does something boneheaded, like in Game 5 of the ALCS, but he wasn't not the problem last night. I agree about the offense, though. I don't know who was wearing our uniforms, but I hope they give them back in time for the game tonight.
//get me AJ tomorrow, and we HAVE to beat Pedro. as a dominican, i LOVE pedro, but im a yankee fan, and i want the yankes to make 12 runs in his 15 first pitches. now, nothing happened today. LET'S WIN TOMORROW. WAKE UP GUYS, WE'RE ON THE WORLD SERIES NOW. //
Pedro is not afraid of us. He's beaten us before, we've been beaten him before. I hate the punk, I always have. Great talent, piss-poor personality. When he was in Boston, he was Public Enemy #1 and for some Yankees fans, probably still is. I'd love to knock him out before he can record an out, but the offense needs to show up first.
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//You win one, you lose one. It's time for the Yankees to take game 2. That's all I'll say. //
Absolutely. We cannot go into Philadelphia down 0-2. Holy Hannah, that cannot happen.
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Beth: GREAT post. The end is so comforting. Thank you so much. I am freaking out a bit, too. I spent my entire study hall this morning drawing a "***** the Phillies-go Yankees" picture. Complete waste of time, but it helped me relieve some anger. Whatever. I pray to God that Burnett can control himself tonight, and that the BATS WAKE UP!! I'm blog when I get home...It's gonna be a long day...
-Virginia
http://southernbelle.mlblogs.com
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//Beth: GREAT post. The end is so comforting. Thank you so much. I am freaking out a bit, too. I spent my entire study hall this morning drawing a "***** the Phillies-go Yankees" picture. Complete waste of time, but it helped me relieve some anger.//
I broke dishes, I screamed at the TV, I punched a pillow. Then I put some some music, turned off all the lights and closed my eyes. I breathed deep, I relax. That's how I relieved my anger. And you're welcome re: the ending. I felt the need to remind people [and myself] that it has indeed, been worse and we have indeed, gotten through it.
//I pray to God that Burnett can control himself tonight, and that the BATS WAKE UP!!//
I think a lot of people are sharing that divine request.
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I think your reassessment is right, Beth. Yes, Game 1 was a ****, no question. Getting in a hole, losing home field, squandering a solid if not brilliant start from C.C., the anemic offense--all killers last night. But it was a reminder to us, and unquestionably the Yanks, that they face a formidable foe, and their best is required. They need to step up their game to match and surmount that. It starts with getting more--any--offense, and not simply jacking homers (though I would take that and anything at this point). Mount rallies with patience, plate discipline, and using all fields, top to bottom in the order. Next, A.J. has to be money, especially facing Pedro and especially with his caddy Molina in the lineup.
Historical perspective (and yes, I am biased in that regard) is crucially informative here. 1996 was painful to start, really painful for those of us who sat through every inning, waiting for a strong Yankees team to awaken against another formidable defending World Series champion. This Series will require patience and support for the boys. I say that not to admonish you, Beth, but for myself and for everyone. Such things are never easy.
Even it up tonight, Yanks. Let's Go, Yankees! Clap clap clap clap clap.
Jason from The Heartland
http://heartlandpinstripes.wordpress.com
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And they evened it up; outstanding. Great start, A.J. Good clutch hitting. More would be great, but I will take it.
I do not see Philly winning three straight at home; no way.
Jason from The Heartland
http://heartlandpinstripes.wordpress.com
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//I think your reassessment is right, Beth. Yes, Game 1 was a ****, no question. Getting in a hole, losing home field, squandering a solid if not brilliant start from C.C., the anemic offense--all killers last night. But it was a reminder to us, and unquestionably the Yanks, that they face a formidable foe, and their best is required. They need to step up their game to match and surmount that.//
I don't think the Yankees underestimated their opponent, I just don't think they were ready to play baseball last night. Is that bad? Probably. I hate thinking that about them.
//This Series will require patience and support for the boys. I say that not to admonish you, Beth, but for myself and for everyone. Such things are never easy.//
Oh I know, trust me. I hardly thought the whole thing was over after we lost last night, but the overriding urge to be ********** and rant sort of canceled out the common sense portion of it.
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//And they evened it up; outstanding. Great start, A.J. Good clutch hitting. More would be great, but I will take it. I do not see Philly winning three straight at home; no way. //
These would be the pitching match-ups:
Andy vs. Hamels
CC vs. Lee
AJ vs. Blanton
Now, both CC and AJ will have to pitch on 3 days rest. We know what CC can do with that kind of turn around, but AJ remains up in the air. On paper, those match-ups favor us. It's all going to come down to the offense.
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