A.J. Burnett, Center Square, For The Block
Ya know, if you were up three-oh, and playing with house money, I’d have no issues with going with Burnett in Game 4 – especially if it meant avoiding having to use some or all of your other starters on short-rest in the games to follow.
However, this ain’t three-oh. It’s hoping to hold the line and avoid falling behind three-one with three to go. That’s pressure folks. And, we know how poorly Burnett pitches when his sphincter is puckered.
As much as Felix was once sure that the mechanic said “I much fear trouble in the fuselage, Frederick.” I’m pretty sure, once my head hits the pillow tonight, that I much fear having flashback nightmares of Kevin Brown pitching Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS and Jaret Wright pitching Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS with the notion of Burnett starting tomorrow being my last conscious engram.
That’s fair.
AJ’s not likely to pitch very well.
If he’s mediocre, that might be good enough.
I don’t get how CC isn’t pitching this game
Corey Italiano wrote:
Because Joe Girardi has invested a lot of his money in a horrible crack addiction that has left his body looking gaunt and his mind a mess of half-thoughts.
All kidding aside, however, I don’t think pitching Sabathia on short rest is the way to go here. He’s been bad in both of his playoff starts so there’s no sense putting him out there in sub-optimal conditions — especially with the threat of rain tonight — and ask him to save the season. If Burnett pitches horribly (as I’m sure he will), then Sabathia can stave off elimination on regular rest. And if he can’t, well, it wasn’t meant to be anyway.
Take a look at the larger picture here a second. Suppose the Yankees do throw Sabathia in Game 4. Who pitches Game 5? Phil Hughes on short rest or AJ Burnett? Or maybe Dustin Moseley? And yes, that is Cliff Lee over in the jacuzzi there, getting his full, four days rest for a possible Game 7…in Texas.
Jim TreshFan wrote:
Exactly my point. Sabathia on short rest is no lock to save the season and then the rest of the rotation is in shambles anyway.
If the Yankees are losing this series in five games, it should be in a game where Sabathia is on full rest and simply fails to get it done.
Posada need to set up center and let his fastball move in or out. it does it on its own. and throw changeups this ranger idiots and hitting weak stuff besides hamilton. Girardi needs to toughen up and let aj peg him tonight
@ MJ Recanati:
I thought you were of the school of thought that you should throw your best pitchers as many times as you can? I recall talking about this last round…
If you could potentially have CC for 2 of the remaining 4 games, wouldn’t/shouldn’t you do it?
Corey Italiano wrote:
Correct, but that situation didn’t contemplate short rest or ineffective pitchers. The ALDS situation was a question of having Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes pitch Game 2 and be in line for a Game 5 spot. Since I think Pettitte is a better pitcher than Phil Hughes, I wanted Pettitte pitching earlier in the series AND being in a position to pitch a second game vs. the Twins if necessary.
In the ALCS, each of Sabathia, Hughes and Pettitte will earn a second start (the latter two if necessary). The question thus is no longer about giving your best pitchers a greater opportunity to performn, it’s about putting them in the best position to succeed.
Notwithstanding the fact that Sabathia successfully pitched on three days rest in the 2008 regular season, 2008 playoffs and 2009 playoffs, the fact remains that it’s still a sub-optimal choice to have him pitch in any sort of compromised state. Further, given his two poor starts thus far in the 2010 playoffs, I’d hesitate to put him in a more vulnerable situation tonight instead of tomorrow.