September 26th Vs. The Red Sox
This was a sad game for me…just knowing that this was the last home game and that the season is about to be over. Yes, I know that there’s the playoffs. I just have a love/hate relationship with the playoffs. I love ‘em cause it’s exciting baseball. I hate them cause after that, there’s a long offseason.
This might have been the most impressive start by Hughes all year. They needed someone to shut down the opponents for 6 innings (we get to forget about the 7th, since Robertson came in and did a fantastic job), and he did just that. My problem with it is, now what? Do you skip his last start and let him pitch in the playoffs with all that rest? Do you start him and pull him after 3-4 innings ala Joba 2009? Or do you just say F it and let him go out there again? At this point, I’d say screw it let him take a regular turn. I don’t think 1 start is going to make or break him health wise. I have to admit though, as good as Hughes was pitching the Yankees offense was making it seem like it was a 10 run deficit rather than a 1 run deficit. Up until A-Rod’s homer (which barely went over the wall), I was on the verge of throwing the remote at the TV.
Is Swisher high off of whatever pain meds he’s been taking for his knee? He’s at least playing like it in right field. He’s been a butcher out there the last week or so, time to sit him for a day or two.
Say what you will about Mariano getting hit, I put the blame on Posada. I hope the other playoff teams decided to call it an early night and didn’t see how the Red Sox got to Mo last night. 4 stolen bases is unacceptable. When Hall stole third, Posada’s throw hit the ground half way up the base line and A-Rod made a decent play making sure it didn’t go into left. That’s how you beat the Yanks in the playoffs folks.
Edit
Just wanted to add one last thing that bothered me. Why are the Yankees celebrating like crazy after a walk off walk? I was hoping they’d just do their handshakes like a regular win, not run and chase Juan Miranda for not taking the bat off his shoulders. Does anyone else think the 1996-2000 version of this team wouldn’t have celebrated like the 2010 Yankees?
This whole post-game celebration stuff is a bunch of horse bleep all around baseball these days – not just the Yankees.
From the Milli Vanilli body bumping, to the goofy helmet toss, to chasing a guy around the field like the Benny Hill closing credits so they can give him rib noogies…..it’s stupid.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt – right, Kendry Morales?
And one more thing, the person who forever outlaws the term “walk-off” will forever be my hero.
I get it if the Juan Miranda hits a grand slam in that spot, cause that’s exciting. But a walk? Ya gotta chase the guy for that?
I think it would have been bad ass if the Yanks acted casual about it, lined up shook hands and walked in the dug out. Shown the Sox, and the league, that they expected to do that.
@ Corey Italiano:
Agree 100%.
@ 77yankees:
I never understood this. Why exactly does the term “walk-off” bother people?
Those SB’s were on Rivera, even if Posada made accurate throws, they wouldn’t have gotten the runners.
Corey Italiano wrote:
Given the shots of the dugout during the inning (just about everyone was goofing off), I’d say they probably did expect that something was going to happen.
77yankees wrote:
LOL!
Corey Italiano wrote:
They didn’t expect to win, that’s why Girardi dumped Moseley for Hughes.
@ Raf:
That may be true, but they were running because of Posada’s reputation no?
If I’m not mistaken somebody beat us recently by a “Walk off” Walk and celebrated pretty much the same way. I dont have a problem with it. These guys need to celebrate something right now.
clintfsu813 wrote:
I know this sounds like a retort from Steve but, I don’t care about the other 29 teams. This is the New York Yankees, they should be a cut above the rest IMO.
Corey Italiano wrote:
I’ve never understood that line of thinking. The Yanks might have more trophies in the bank than the next three teams combined (or something like that) but they’re still just a baseball team. When you win, you celebrate. Nothing wrong with that.
It’s odd to me that you’d be against the kind of exuberance that comes from a win in the game’s final AB but you defend the irrational fist-pumping mania of a cruddy middle reliever.
@ MJ Recanati:
Whatever gets Chamberlain going is fine with me as he used to be a high octane guy and when you’re all jacked up this kind of stuff happens. Also, remember many of those strikeouts and fist pumps came in big spots (like the ones he shouldn’t be allowed to pitch in during the playoffs)…
Like I said if it’s an exciting play, I have no problem with it. If Miranda comes up and jacks a double or puts one in the seats. Fine go nuts, I can dig it. But to chase the guy for not taking the bat off his shoulders, which is the right move don’t get me wrong, seems silly to me.
G.I. Joey wrote:
@ 77yankees:
I never understood this. Why exactly does the term “walk-off” bother people?
I wish the late George Carlin was alive to riff on this misnomer for what it is. Isn’t every game a “walk-off”? When Mo got Shane Victorino to end last year’s WS, was that a “walk-off ground out”? Why not just say a “game ending or game winning” whatever…..you know, like they did for the 100 years before this started?
Corey Italiano wrote:
They took off as soon as Rivera went into his windup. He didn’t even bother checking the runners. We all know that Posada’s defense isn’t that great, but if the Yankees are conceding the SB they may as well take it.
77yankees wrote:
Hasnt the term “Walk off” been around a while? Just curious why the complaint is coming up now. FWIW, I hear Walk off, Game ending, Game winning in variance quite often. “Game Ending Double Play” for instance.
@ clintfsu813:
Apparently the term first appeared in print in 1988, but wasn’t widely used until the late 90′s.
FWIW, I was at this game and did not celebrate at all when it came to its conclusion. I was simply relieved that the Yanks were not swept and reduced the magic number for the WC to 1. Any type of celebratory inclings I had were suppressed by intense feelings of frustration that I had witnessed another meeting of the The Dead Bat Society (sans the timely hitting of A-Rod, Cano, and Grandy) and a Mo blown save.
why does everyone seem to forget that these guys are playing a game still… a walk off win is a walk off win… celebrate how you want in my opinion… its fun to win especially in extra innings against your biggest rival that just took 2 from you… and why should the yankees be expected to act differently??