SB Nation - Melky Cabrera

More thoughts on Granderson

Ed Valentine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:00:16 -0000

No doubt by now you have probably devoured just about everything you can find about the New York Yankees acquisition of Curtis Granderson from Detroit via a three-team trade. Well, when it comes to trades you can never get enough opinions, so here is a little more.

I thought I would start by getting thoughts from the writers here at PA, so below are a variety of opinions from us -- and from some other sources.

Here is my take.

Initially, I thought the Yankees were nuts to give up so much for Granderson. I said as much Tuesday morning. In retrospect, I was hasty. I really don't think the Yankees are giving up that much at all.

Jackson could someday be what Granderson is now. But, I doubt it. He doesn't hit with any power, and I think it's hard to project him as a 20+ home run player in the big leagues. It's just as likely that Jackson will be Ricky Ledee, or not as good as Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. We'll see.

Kennedy? Nothing more than pitching depth. He will never be a front-line guy. Coke? He's an average lefty, not really difficult to replace.

As for Granderson himself, I know all about the lefty/right splits. I don't care. He's a good player with a perfect Yankee Stadium swing, and he is younger and more cost-effective than Johnny Damon. If Damon comes back to the Yankees now, he will come back at a reduced rate.

So, all in all, from purely a Yankee perspective, I have no problem with this move. And if it saves them money and resources to go chase Roy Halladay, all the better.

From '3460Kuri.'

If Curtis Granderson was a free agent, he would probably rank #2 behind Matt Holliday on the list of best available position players. Admittedly, comparing him to Holliday or Jason Bay is comparing apples to oranges, but Granderson has been worth 14.4 WARP over the past three seasons, compared to 18.7 for Holliday and 6.5 for Bay. And let's not forget that he's signed for about half of Bay's price tag and a third of Holliday's pipe dream/asking price.

For the Yankees, it now frees up the Melky Cabrera/Brett Gardner combo for fourth outfielder duty, or trade bait, either of which makes sense. Neither hits well enough to start in any outfield position but center, but would make for a useful bench player.

It's hard to say how good Austin Jackson might become, but even if everything breaks right it's probably going to be a few years until we know for sure. Jackson's real value at the moment is that he's probably ready for a major league job but doesn't make much; money being a non-factor for the Yankees, it's a stretch to project anybody to develop into a top-5 center fielder like Granderson. So they've essentially swapped the long-term future for the near-term future. I don't mind it.

I hate to see Kennedy go as well, but it was probably going to take two significant injuries to better pitchers for him to see significant action out of the rotation this year, so perhaps this change of scenery will give him the opportunity to reach the majors, for good, faster.

Overall I think the Yankees came out on top in this deal, and I'm also really not sure what the Diamondbacks were thinking.

From 'Travis', adding to the thoughts he posted last night.

I was surprised, because the Yanks seemed to think very highly of Kennedy and Jackson. But overall, I liked the deal. They got a very good centerfielder (with a reasonable contract) without giving up Joba, Hughes or Montero, and for that, we should be happy.

Jackson was rightfully a highly-touted prospect, but his ceiling essentially is Granderson.

Kennedy has lost a lot of luster in the past couple years, but his minor league stats show a dominant pitcher. If he ever translates that to the majors, he could be a very good starter (especially in the NL West). What we'll miss more in the immediate future is his addition to the bullpen, where I feel he would've been an asset in 2010. But in the long term, it's not a big loss. There are several other pitchers in the minors with higher ceilings (Banuelos, Brackman, Betances, Heredia), and it would've been tough for Kennedy to crack the rotation of an elite team like the Yankees who can sign a CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett in the same off-season.

It's actually hard to get a read on what we'll get from Granderson. He had his worst full season ever in 2009, so are the Yanks getting a declining player or merely 'buying low'? Considering an inordinately low BABIP and a very solid line-drive rate (right in line with his career average) makes me think Cashman is buying low. Throw in Yankee Stadium's 'friendliness' to left-handed hitters, and it makes the trade look even better.

The real question is what position he'll play. Unless he plays a markedly better centerfield than Melky/Gardner in spring training, I believe he should be the leftfielder. His defensive stats from the last couple years have been average at best, while Melky and Gardner have been solidly above average. Another question is whether he'll play against lefty pitchers. Melky has better career numbers against lefties, so will Granderson ride the bench on those days?

From 'jscape.'

All things considered, I dislike the deal. Austin Jackson and IPK represented two of our biggest trade chips; to deal them both and bring back only a position player in return seems like selling low to me, especially because the position player has questionable platoon splits.

Here's my take on it, giving as much credit to Cash and crew as possible:
Just like Cashman overspent on starting pitch last season because he saw the lack of options in the '09 offseason, Cash has looked at next offseason and he sees what its strengths and weaknesses will be. The top players who could be on the market include Mauer, Crawford, Beckett, Halladay, Webb, Lee, plus Jeter and Rivera. No centerfielders in the batch, and cost controlling now could leave more flexibility later.

The folks at SB Nation HQ, or SBNation.com, think the Yankees are the clear winners in this trade. Oh, and they think the Diamondbacks got hosed!

What does Damon think of the deal, since it might have knocked him out of New York? He still thinks he could be a Yankee in 2010.

"I think there’s still a window for me to come back," Damon said. "I don’t know why certain people say certain things about me. The bottom line is, I’ve been one of the best players in the league for a long time, and I’ve shown it the past couple of years. I think early on last season my defense was a little bit erratic, but once I figured out the ballpark and figured a few things out, I got better and I actually was a positive for us. That’s the thing I kind of don’t understand. I think our coaches liked the way I play defense. I know that I can do a lot of cool things."

Damon has to know, though, that the window is now a lot smaller. And it will put a lot less greenbacks in his bank account.

You guys also seem to have a mixed reaction, though the majority who have voted in our poll say they either like it or love it. If you haven't voted yet, be sure you do.

Other opinions

ESPN's Keith Law wonders what Arizona was thinking.
SI.com's Tom Verducci says the Yankees are not only rich, but extraordinarily smart, as well.
Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp is sad to see Granderson leave Detroit.

Melky & Brett: Neither a Starter Nor a Reserve Be

jscape2000 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

Do you think Melky or Brett should get more playing time?

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Melky Cabrera

Brett Gardner

.274/.336/.416

OPS: .752

wOBA: .331

EQA:.259

UZR/150: -2

BB: 8.1% K: 12.2%

LD: 20.9% GB: 49.5% FB: 29.6%

.270/.345/.379

OPS: .724

wOBA: .337

EQA: .264

UZR/150: 15.4

BB: 9.5% K: 16.1%

LD: 18.1% GB: 49.0% FB: 32.8%

All those numbers are just a really long way to say, these guys are pretty interchangeable.

Despite Joe G.'s insistence on treating Gardner as a 4th outfielder throughout the playoffs, Gardner is the more valuable player in my eyes because of his superior batting eye. Melky has an edge in slugging (equivalent to turning 18 singles into doubles over the course of 500 ABs). I also prefer Gardner's greater range over Melky's arm.

Gardner won the starting job out of spring training, then lost it by hitting .220/.254/.271 in April.

As a split-time situation (hard to call it a platoon when Gardner hit lefties better than he hit righties in a small sample, and Melky saw twice as many ABs against righties than lefties) developed, neither player could win the job outright, but each seemed to heat up as the other cooled off. Gardner outperformed Melky in May and June (.937 OPS to .732), then Melky began to heat up in July (.819 to .621).

And when Gardner hit the DL with a broken finger at the end of July, Melky reminded the world why he needs a partner in CF by hitting .260/.322/.395 for the rest of the season.

Either player could probably be a starter on any other team, counting on his above average defense to make up for his bats weakest moments. But, we are the Yankees, with a legacy of slugging center fielders. Patience is, at the best of times, short.

Objectively speaking, we shouldn't hand the starting job to either player, not for Gardner's epic defense (though I'd be ok with it) and not for our happy memories of Melky's walkoff hits.

Poll

How would you handle playing time in CF?

More for Melky!

226 votes

More for GGBG!

215 votes

50-50

240 votes

681 votes | Poll has closed

A happy day in the Yankee Universe

Ed Valentine — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:47:02 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

The New York Yankees celebrate after beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 in Game 3 of the Major League Baseball World Series Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Philadelphia. The Yankees take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

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Life is good as a New York Yankee fan this morning. A 2-1 World Series lead with CC Sabathia heading to the mound tonight -- against Joe Blanton instead of Cliff Lee.

Let's cruise the Inter-Google while we celebrate the Game 3 victory, and see what is being said Around the Yankee Universe.

New York Daily News media critic Bob Raissman was highly critical of FOX for their reporting -- or lack of reporting on the Alex Rodriguez home run that resulted in the first-ever World Series replay reversal. The camera, of course, belonged to FOX -- a fact that was never mentioned. The other question is, of course, why would the network stick a camera in a place where it could interfere with play?
Mike Lupica has plenty of praise for Andy Pettitte this morning, after Pettitte perservered through six difficult inning.

None of it (the comeback) happens if Andy Pettitte doesn't stand in there against the Phillies, like a hitter standing in against the curve. There have been what feel like a hundred October nights when he had more fastball and more stuff than he showed you against the Phillies in Game 3, those three runs in the first two innings, two home runs by Jayson Werth, the second one a monster shot that went off the facing of the upper deck at Citizens Bank Park.

He pitched six innings, gave up five hits, struck out seven, gave up the two home runs. It does not look like a lot. It was. On this night, the night when the Yankees were trying to get ahead and then give the ball to CC Sabathia, Pettitte was as much a champion Yankee as he has ever been. He needed 17 minutes and 24 pitches to get out of the bottom of the first. He threw over to first eight times after Jimmy Rollins singled. He saw Rollins steal second without even drawing a throw from Jorge Posada. It is supposed to be easier stealing from an armored car.

While Pettitte is drawing praise today, Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels is mostly drawing scorn. Including a 'WTF were you thinking?' reaction to that fifth-inning curveball he threw to Pettitte that resulted in a game-tying single. The following is from SI.com's Tom Verducci, and it probably sums up the reaction of Philly fans and knowledgeable baseball people.

If Game 3 is the turning point of the World Series -- 68 percent of teams up 2-1 go on to win it -- then a Yankees championship began with one pitch from Cole Hamels that will be remembered as one of the great gaffes in recent Series history. The beginning of the end for Philadelphia was a first-pitch curveball Hamels threw New York pitcher Andy Pettitte with no understanding of basic baseball. When Pettitte stepped in, Hamels was working with a 3-2 lead, a runner at second base and -- here's the key part -- one out. Pettitte is a career .134 hitter who has come to bat a total of 12 times over the past three years. Hamels could dispose of him with fastballs, the way J.A. Happ would do the next inning, and he would be one out away from being out of the inning. Instead, Hamels threw a first-pitch curveball up, and Pettitte slapped a single to tie the game. Why in the world would he throw something slow -- and up, no less -- to an American League pitcher? "I made the right pitch to Pettitte," Hamels explained. "A pitcher doesn't hit an oh-and-oh curve in a bunting situation." I was incredulous. I had to follow up, and asked him, "Just to clarify, you thought Pettitte was bunting, so you threw a breaking ball up to try to get him to pop up a bunt?"

"Yes," Hamels said. "That's what I get my fair share of the time when I'm bunting. He swung and got a hit. Baseball is very, very difficult to understand sometimes." Hamels emphasized his point by way of explaining he missed location only once, on a fastball to Johnny Damon that became a two-run double that inning. Hamels clearly did not regard the pitch to Pettitte as a mistake. I couldn't believe it. There is no way Pettitte is bunting there. There is virtually no advantage to be gained from moving a runner from second to third and be left with two outs. With no outs, it's an obvious bunt situation. One out? The pitcher swings away, because even if he strikes out, you still have a runner in scoring position with two outs, and on all but rare occasions the runner will be sent home from second on a single. So you have nothing to lose by letting the pitcher swing away. It's Baseball 101.

After a day off, Nick Swisher came up huge for the Yankees Saturday night.

"Skip [Joe Girardi] sat me down the other day and said, 'Hey, just relax. I want you to just watch this game, enjoy this game,' " Swisher said. "And then we talked about some stuff after the game. But I think it really helped me mentally, not necessarily physically because right now you're such on Cloud Nine because you're playing in the World Series and you don't really feel anything.

"But it was nice for my head to just rest and enjoy that game, and especially for us to win, that was great."

After watching him surrender a ninth-inning home run to Carlos Ruiz, Ken Davidoff wonders what the Yankees will do with Phil Hughes the rest of the Series.

You have to wonder what sort of role Hughes, sporting a 10.80 ERA in eight postseason appearances, will play the rest of the way. If Girardi doesn't trust him to get two outs before surrendering three runs, that doesn't speak much for the manager's confidence.

It is a fair question. My guess is that you will see more David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain. SI.com's Jon Heyman got this tidbit about Hughes from a scout. "He looks frightened, he doesn't look the same."

Other Yankee Doodles

Swisher, Melky Cabrera get back at raucous Philly fans.
Steve Serby hs a Q&A with former Yankee hero Paul O'Neill.
MLB Trade Rumors discusses Hideki Matsui's future.

World Series Game 2: What I want to see tonight

Ed Valentine — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:49:48 -0000

More photos » by Henny Ray Abrams - AP

New York Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner.

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What I want to see tonight starts with the New York Yankees knocking Pedro Martinez all over Yankee Stadium the way he knocked Don Zimmer around a few years back.

That's not really what I'm here to talk about right now, though. There are a couple of things I want to see from Manager Joe Girardi tonight, and I am not at all sure he will do either one.

I want to see Brett Gardner in center field, with Melky Cabrera in right and Nick Swisher playing cheerleader from the bench. I know what kind of weapon Girardi feels Gardner is off the bench, but the guy is way more than a pinch-runner. He's a terrific center fielder, a respectable hitter (.270 regular season, .345 OBP) and Girardi needs to remember he can help the Yankees in ways other than stealing second base. Swisher is still slumping, at .114 for the post-season. C'mon, Joe, give Gardner a chance before it's too late to matter.
I want to see Jorge Posada catching A.J. Burnett tonight. I could care less about all those numbers some of you will point to showing A.J. likes pitching to Jose Molina more than Posada. The Yankees are down 1-0 in this series. Lose tonight, and you can pretty much forget finding time to go to a parade in the Canyon of Heroes next week. There probably won't be one. The Yankees need their best lineup on the field tonight, and that means Posada instead of Molina. Posada is the Yankees No. 1 catcher, owner of four World Series rings and a borderline Hall of Famer (that's for a whole different discussion). Jose Molina is, well, Jose Molina -- the worst of the catching Molina brothers. In the most important game of the Yankee season to date, Posada MUST be in the lineup.
One final thing. I want to see Girardi with a quick, I mean very quick, hook for Burnett tonight. Lord knows what will happpen once Manic Joe gets into that bullpen -- we might run out of pitchers by the sixth inning -- but I don't want him to hesitate. As soon as 'bad A.J.' makes an appearance I want him outta there.

World Series Batting Order Optimizer: New York Yankees

devil_fingers — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:37:07 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Jeter: I'm hitting WHERE at a baseball game? Girardi: (stares silently at a baseball game) A-Rod: (smugly) We're playing this late in the year at a baseball game WHY? I'm going to have to hook up with a second-rate actress who likes hanging out in a warmer place.

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So there's a big game tonight. CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee are facing off in a matchup destined to stab Cleveland fans in the fork with an eye for ages to come. And it's also a chance for me to write about something that, while I it doesn' t matter all that much -- 5 to 15 runs over a full season, so almost irrelevant in a 7 game series -- I obsess over constantly: batting order.

During the season, I had an occasional series called the Lousy Lineup Optimizer. Obviously, the two teams in the World Series have not-so-lousy lineups, and it was a fun chance to mess around with some batting orders full of great hitters. I'd meant to start yesterday, but these things take a while to put together to account for platoon splits, etc. I'll hopefully post on the Phillies tomorrow. Indeed, I'd wanted to do this for all the playoff teams, but 1) it was going to take too much time -- series would be over before I got all the teams posted; and 2) if there's anything we've learned from reading MGL's posts on the Book Blog, it's that you can't just use current season stats to judge a player's ability -- you need something like a projection. Earlier, I was using the ZiPS Rest of Season stats, but the season is over. My pseudo-Marcels spreadsheet was frustrating me. But then Acta Sports made the 2010 BIll James projections to be published in the 2010 Bill James Handbook (now available for pre-order!) available to SB Nation writers. I figure next season isn't that far off. I'm no posting these as "my" projections, but just using them to get an idea of the relative abiltiies of the players of each team for putting together a batting order.

Again, batting order doesn't matter all that much, but you'd think that teams in the World Series would want to maximize their chances any way they can. It's also interesting because they'll need for put together batting orders both with and without a DH. Let's see what the Yankees should do.

Lineup Optimization by The Book

If you've been following the Lousy Lineup Optimization series, you know what all this nonsense is about, so feel free to skim or skip all the way down the the batting order tables in the "Getting to the Point" section. If you aren't somewhat familiar with The Book's ideas on lineup optimization, it's at least worth skimming this section. The general principles are largely drawn from The Book, which is worth checking out on this and many other topics. Sky Kalkman gives a good, brief rundown in this article. While there is already good stuff out there, I like to do this kind of stuff for myself

Here are a few of the guidelines (with my own twists).

"It's all relative." Although this isn't directly stated in The Book or in any of the summaries I've seen, I think it's worth noting: the appropriate spot in the batting order for any particular player is relative. People talk about having a "true leadoff man" or a "#4 hitter" or that a player has a swing that's just perfect for hitting #2 or whatever. But the truth is, a player's "best" place in a lineup depends on his skills relative to the other players.
Where should the best hitter hit? The best five hitters (by wOBA or equivalent stat (e.g., not OPS) should be in the top five spots. Of those 5, generally, the best hitters will be in the #1, #2, and #4 spots. Ideally, of these three the hitter in the #1 spot will have the best OBP, the #4 hitter will have the most power, and the #2 hitter will be somewhere in between (relative to the #1 and #4 hitters). The best hitter will probably be in the #2 or #4 spot. The fourth and fifth best hitters will be in the #5 and #3 spots, respectively. Yes, you read that right: the #3 hitter's only advantage in run expectancy over #5 is in home runs. Of the top five spots, this is where you want your low-OBP slugger. As we'll see, platoon issues can make getting the best into the ## 1,2 and 4 slots tough, but getting them into the top 5 is pretty close.
The other half: In slots ##6-9, simply go in descending order of hitter quality, keeping in mind:
Platoon issues: Separating lefties takes a certain precedence, since this prevents the opposing team from leveraging LHPs against your lefties, who generally have bigger platoon splits. Moreover, given platoon splits (more on how these are generated in the next section), different batting orders against RHP and LHP are in order (har har). This also means that if your best hitters are lefties, they may not get into the "ideal" spots next to each other.
Can pinch hitting help? Note that in the chapter on platoons, the authors of The Book show that pinch hitting to gain the platoon advantage really doesn't solve this and other problems since the penalty pinch hitters suffer from the difficulty of hitting off of the bench offsets the platoon advantage they might gain.
Speed on the bases: Baserunning and basestealing are important, but are difficult to place, since often (but not always) the same players are good at both. In general, you want good baserunners (aside from stealing -- those good at taking the extra base, scoring from first on a double, etc.) in front of good contact hitters who can "move them over." Basestealers are best leveraged in front of poor hitters who have trouble moving them over. In both cases, if possible, avoid putting these players in front of high-power hitters, since this negates the advantage of those skills. So while your good baserunner might best be utilized at the top of the order (e.g., in front of a #2 hitter with moderate power), your best basestealer will likely be best utilized in further down the order in front of poor hitters -- say, in the #5 or #6 spot.
The Jim Rice Effect. Some spots have a greater odds of facing double play situations. The spot that sees the most DP situations is #3 by far, followed by #2. Therefore, try to avoid having high GDP players in those spots. The spot that sees the least (particularly in the NL) is the leadoff spot. So some times if you have an excellent hitter who also hits into a good number of DPs, even if he is slow, it might be worth it to move him into the leadoff spot.
Movin' on up: The "second leadoff hitter" theory has some validity -- having a #9 hitter who can "set the table" for the top of the order does increase run expectancy, so putting the worst hitter 8th sometimes helps. However, this worst hitter has to be really, really horrible in order for the advantage to obtain. In other words, in National League parks, hitting the pitcher 8th is the smart move according to The Book, although it is worth noting that Tom Tango wrote the chapter on lineups, and Mitchel Litchman (aka "MGL") is more circumspect regarding the value of the pitcher hitting 8th.
Remember that who is in the lineup is much more important that what order it goes in. So relax -- despite my nitpicking over two points of wOBA here and there, it really doesn' t matter that much. But it sure is fun to quibble...

Projected Stats, Sources, and Ground Rules for this Series

Who gets in? Again ultimately, who is in the lineup is more important than what order they go in. Having said that, in this occasional series my focus is opposite issue -- the order. So I'm generally going to accept whatever group of players the manager is throwing out there, whether I think it is the right group or not. I won't always get this right, since lineups change day-to-day depending on how players are feelings, how much acid reflux the manager had the night before, etc.
Where are those numbers coming from?, the basics: As I said above, I'm using the 2010 projections from the 2010 Bill James Handbook for wOBA/AVG/OBP/SLG and SB/CS (prorated for ~150 games). The other numbers are explained elsewhere.
Who is the better hitter? From these stats, I will generate a wOBA (if it isn't done already, such as at FanGraphs) for each player. wOBA (weighted on-base average), for those who don't know, is the total offensive value stat that has taken the baseball internet by storm. Introduced by the authors of The Book and invented by Tom Tango, wOBA takes care of all the problems OPS had in terms of the weighting of OBP and SLG, doubles and home runs. It's roughly on an OBP scale, so something between .330-.340 is about average. For the version used at FanGraphs, .330 was about the MLB nonpitcher average in 2008. You can read more around the 'net, but in short: if one player has a better wOBA than another, he's a more productive hitter, period. wOBA for players can be found at FanGraphs and Stat Corner, for now, and probably more places as time moves on...
What about platoon splits? As The Book also explains (I'm telling you, you really should read it!), while each player has his own platoon split, it takes a lot longer than you would think to establish it -- it takes about 2,000 PAs against LHP for right-handed hitters to be able to say with some degree of confidence what their platoon split is -- so that's means only guys in the league a long time. For left-handed hitters, since there is more variability, it doesn't take as long -- about 1,000 PAs. Still, only veterans really get that far. Until then, most players should be assumed to have the league average platoon split. So, following the procedure used in by the authors for earlier years, I took the average wOBA and OBP splits for the 2005-2008 AL (it was easier to exclude pitchers that way) and applied them to each player. The only stats I will be adjusting this for are wOBA and OBP. BA, SLG, ISO are the generic ones, just to get a sense of the "kind" of hitter a guy is, obviously, those will change, too. but are harder to adjust for generically. In the "vs. RHP" and "vs. LHP" lineups, the wOBA and OBP figures are adjusted for league-average splits, and are thus italicized. [For more on estimating platoon skills, read this.]
What about Stolen Bases? I took the linear weights SB/CS runs projected by ZiPS before the season and prorated for ~600 PAs.
And baserunning? A bit more complicated... In the previous installments, I used Baseball Prospectus' EQBRR stats minus the stolen basees component. But I realized that what we're really looking here is just the runners ability to advance on hits, so starting with the Giants, I'm just using the EqHAR component. I did a primitive Marcels-type projection with them, without age adjustments, but with regression incorporating the Speed Score listed in the CHONE projections. Just to get a feel for the relative abilty of the baserunners, I projected runs values above/below average per 50 advancement opportunities. The listed numbers are projected baserunning runs above/below average per 600 PAs.
How about grounding into double plays? In short, the new Baseball Reference came out with information on GiDPs, opps, league averages and stuff. So I was able to do another pseudo-Marcel. The number listed is the GiDP runs above (avoided) or below (grounded into ) average per 600 PAs, normalized for the average number of opportunities seen over 600 PAs from 2005-2008.

Getting to the Point

Below are the raw, un-platooned stats from the 2010 Bill James projections for the Yankees with some other stuff. This isn't an any particular order. If it was up to me, Brett Gardner would start in center over Melky, but whatever. Remember, these aren't my projections, I'm just using them for convenience. Get mad at Bill James if you think this is unfair to Damon or whatever.

Player	Pos.		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Jorge Posada	C	S	.366	.276	.372	.467	.191	-2.2	-0.3	-0.7
Mark Teixeira	1B	S	.305	.300	.395	.559	.259	-0.4	0.0	1.0
Robinson Cano	2B	L	.359	.309	.347	.489	.180	0.3	-0.5	-0.8
Derek Jeter	SS	R	.365	.317	.388	.444	.127	0.5	0.8	-1.5
Alex Rodriguez	3B	R	.403	.294	.400	.550	.256	0.3	0.7	-0.8
Johnny Damon	LF	L	.347	.278	.355	.430	.152	0.4	0.9	2.1
Melky Cabrera	CF	S	.330	.278	.341	.406	.128	0.2	0.3	-0.3
Nick Swisher	RF	S	.360	.247	.365	.467	.220	0.4	-0.2	0.3
Hideki Matsui	DH	L	.367	.282	.367	.475	.193	0.4	-0.3	1.0

So here we go... I'll start would with the "vs. LHP" lineups since the series is starting with the Yankees going against Cliff Lee.

Optimized Yankees Batting Order vs. LHP w/ DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Derek Jeter	SS	R	.383	.317	.409	.444	.127	0.5	0.8	-1.5
Mark Teixeira	1B	S	.395	.300	.395	.559	.259	-0.4	0.0	1.0
Hideki Matsui	DH	L	.348	.282	.349	.475	.193	0.4	-0.3	1.0
Alex Rodriguez	3B	R	.422	.294	.421	.550	.256	0.3	0.7	-0.8
Jorge Posada	C	S	.366	.276	.372	.467	.191	-2.2	-0.3	-0.7
Nick Swisher	RF	S	.360	.247	.365	.467	.220	0.4	-0.2	0.3
Robinson Cano	2B	L	.340	.309	.330	.489	.180	0.3	-0.5	-0.8
Melky Cabrera	CF	S	.330	.278	.341	.406	.128	0.2	0.3	-0.3
Johnny Damon	LF	L	.329	.278	.338	.430	.152	0.4	0.9	2.1

[NB: The italicized columns have been adjusted generically to account for platoon splits.]

Comments: It's pretty hard to put a bad batting order together with the Yankees. The main problem here was that in my "ideal" order, I had a bunch of lefties back-to-back at the bottom. Swisher really works well in the #3 spot, given his relative expected wOBA, his ability to avoid the DP, and home run frequency. However, then you end up with all lefties stacked up at the bottom of the order. To accomodate all that, I switched Matsui (surprisingly good at avoiding the DP last I updated) into the #3 spot. Most of my adjustments were made with these sorts of considerations -- with a powerful lineup like this, you don't worry to much about leveraging basestealers. Jeter leading off makes sense not only because he's a good hitter and baserunner, but beacause it also puts him in a position to see the fewest DP opportunities. Mark Teixeira hitting #2 might seem strange, but that's just because we're used to seeing sub-par hitters in that spot. He or A-Rod could switch, as A-Rod's baserunning might make sense in front of a contact hitter like Matsui. On the other hand, Teixeira is better at avoiding the DP, and the #2 spot sees them a bit more often. Also, the #4 spot leads off more innings. Damon at the bottom? Talk to Bill James. The Yanks can't use a DH every game, though, so...

Optimized Yankees Batting Order vs. LHP, no DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Derek Jeter	SS	R	.383	.317	.409	.444	.127	0.5	0.8	-1.5
Mark Teixeira	1B	S	.395	.300	.395	.559	.259	-0.4	0.0	1.0
Nick Swisher	RF	S	.360	.247	.365	.467	.220	0.4	-0.2	0.3
Alex Rodriguez	3B	R	.422	.294	.421	.550	.256	0.3	0.7	-0.8
Jorge Posada	C	S	.366	.276	.372	.467	.191	-2.2	-0.3	-0.7
Robinson Cano	2B	L	.340	.309	.330	.489	.180	0.3	-0.5	-0.8
Melky Cabrera	CF	S	.330	.278	.341	.406	.128	0.2	0.3	-0.3
Pitcher	P
Johnny Damon	LF	L	.329	.278	.338	.430	.152	0.4	0.9	2.1

[NB: The italicized columns have been adjusted generically to account for platoon splits.]

Comment: Very similar to above, with Matsui switched out, and Swisher getting into the #3 spot. This is really a "perfect: sort of lineup (you can put the pitcher #8 or #9 depending on how you feel about that issue) -- the top 5 hitters are in the top five spots, the worst DP guy is a good hitter who can lead off. You have the best three hitters 1,2, and 4, the 4th best hitter #5, and the 5th best #3, and the 5th best has a lot of home run power to maximize his more frequent 2 out opportunities. Tons of power in the middle of this lineup, as ##2-4 all have expected (before platoon!) ISOs over .200.

Optimized Yankees Batting Order vs. RHP, w/ DH
Player	Pos		*wOBA*	AVG	*OBP*	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Robinson Cano	2B	L	.369	.309	.355	.489	.180	0.3	-0.5	-0.8
Alex Rodriguez	3B	R	.397	.294	.393	.550	.256	0.3	0.7	-0.8
Hideki Matsui	DH	L	.377	.282	.376	.475	.193	0.4	-0.3	1.0
Mark Teixeira	1B	S	.405	.300	.395	.559	.259	-0.4	0.0	1.0
Jorge Posada	C	S	.366	.276	.372	.467	.191	-2.2	-0.3	-0.7
Nick Swisher	RF	S	.360	.247	.365	.467	.220	0.4	-0.2	0.3
Derek Jeter	SS	R	.359	.317	.381	.444	.127	0.5	0.8	-1.5
Johnny Damon	LF	L	.356	.278	.364	.430	.152	0.4	0.9	2.1
Melky Cabrera	CF	S	.330	.278	.341	.406	.128	0.2	0.3	-0.3

[NB: The italicized columns have been adjusted generically to account for platoon splits.]

Comments: Now this is a revisionary lineup! I personally find the "boy Derek Jeter is overrated I hate him so much A-Rod is so much better!" thing to be tired, even if certain sitcom writers still think it's clever. I guess my feeling at this point is "Duh." But this is just what the projections, platoon, and batting order principles spit out. Cano is a good hitter vs. RHP who also has GDP problems. I don't worry too much about his hitting with runners in scoring position (even if Steven Goldman seemingly can't stop mentioning it for some strange reason), but if you do worry about that, then hitting him #1 also takes care of that issue. Again, A-Rod and Teixeria could switch. I figured that Teixeira would have more power vs. RHP than A-Rod, so I put it this way, perhaps A-Rod's baserunning will be more useful in front of Matsui. It's a testament to the strength of the lineup that not only is Jeter hitting #7, but even against RHP, I have Damon hitting #8. And it works out, since Jeter and Damon's baserunning abilities are better leveraged in front of guys with less power like Melky and Cano than in front of power hitters like A-Rod, Tex, and Swisher.

Optimized Yankees Batting Order vs. RHP, no DH
Player	Pos		*wOBA*	AVG	*OBP*	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Robinson Cano	2B	L	.369	.309	.355	.489	.180	0.3	-0.5	-0.8
Alex Rodriguez	3B	R	.397	.294	.393	.550	.256	0.3	0.7	-0.8
Nick Swisher	RF	S	.360	.247	.365	.467	.220	0.4	-0.2	0.3
Mark Teixeira	1B	S	.405	.300	.395	.559	.259	-0.4	0.0	1.0
Jorge Posada	C	S	.366	.276	.372	.467	.191	-2.2	-0.3	-0.7
Derek Jeter	SS	R	.359	.317	.381	.444	.127	0.5	0.8	-1.5
Johnny Damon	LF	L	.356	.278	.364	.430	.152	0.4	0.9	2.1
Pitcher	P
Melky Cabrera	CF	S	.330	.278	.341	.406	.128	0.2	0.3	-0.3

[NB: The italicized columns have been adjusted generically to account for platoon splits.]

Comments: Once again, Matsui's absence allow Swisher's home run power to get into the #3 spot where it belongs. Other than that, not much of a difference here. I should mention than in all four batting orders, I strongly considered putting A-Rod first because the best hitter could be in #1, #2, or #4, he's a good baserunner, and he also has a bit of a GDP issue (although it's not like Jeter's).

So that's it! What are the odds Joe Girardi does something like this? Greater than the odds of Kate Hudson making a movie that isn't a crappy romantic comedy? Greater than the odds of Ken Tremendous not bitching about a bunt? I dunno. I do know that I like talking about this stuff even if (wait for it) ... it doesn't matter all that much. Tell me what I did wrong!

Yanks vs. Phils: The Tale of the Tape.

Rubie Q — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Is CC Sabathia enough to shift the tale of the tape toward the Yankees?

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You're a discerning baseball fan. You're an intelligent baseball fan. You can seamlessly work 'WAR' and 'wOBA' and 'FIP' into a barroom/restroom debate and impress the pants off of whomever you're talking to. You're ready to get your last fix of baseball before the long, cold winter of rampant speculation -- followed, of course, by the spring of irrational exuberance -- but, you're wondering: How do the Yankees and Phillies stack up against each other ... in matters beyond the box score?

You're in the right place, friend. After the jump: Yanks vs. Phils: The Tale of the Tape. (Note: we're required by federal law to note that this breakdown is for entertainment purposes only. However, should you choose to use this information in a friendly, handshake wager with an acquaintance: God help you.)

THE MASCOTS: WHAT'S A YANKEE? WHAT'S A PHILLIE?

YANKEES: Depends where you're living. If you're in the South, it's a person who lived in the Union during the War of Northern Aggression. (Er, Civil War. Sorry.) If you're in Europe, it's all of us across the pond in the States. If you're in Boston, it's an [CENSORED] with a [CENSORED] [CENSORED] who loves to [CENSORED] his [CENSORED] with a [CENSORED] like a typical [CENSORED] [CENSORED] and sometimes invites his [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] to join in, when he's not [CENSORED] [CENSORED] to pictures of Derek Jeter. [CENSORED].

PHILLIES: It's just an abbreviation of "Philadelphia." Lay-zee. I'm glad that trend didn't catch on; I wouldn't want to follow the Milwaukee Walkies. (Or Milwaukee Millies.) Though it would be fun to make fun of the Minnesota Minnies. (Side note to our friends in Minneapolis: send me a note next April from your open-air stadium. Give me an update on Joe Mauer's frostbite. I'm sure the sight of icicles forming on his sideburns will be stunning.)

ADVANTAGE: Yankees.

UNDERRATED PLAYER:

YANKEES: To the extent that any Yankee can be underrated (and, at this point, I feel like I know more about Phil Coke (favorite band: Genesis, but when Peter Gabriel was in the group, not when Phil Collins took over the vocals and they started churning out crap like I Can't Dance) and Phil Hughes (favorite movie: A Walk In The Clouds) than I do about members of my immediate family), I guess it'd be Nick Swisher. Did you know he put together a 3.7 WAR year? (Yes, TheJay, I know you did. I'm talking about the non-cyborg members of BCB.)

PHILLIES: Chase Utley. Yeah, I know, he gets plenty of pub, but I've seen people (cough Jon Heyman cough) voting Ryan Howard ahead of Utley in the MVP voting. This, in a word, is insane. (Don’t believe me? Talk to Jordan. I believe he’s prepared a multi-volume treatise on this topic, in case you’re looking for bedtime reading.) .282/.397/.509 from a second baseman with plus defense? Yes, please. Where do I sign up?

ADVANTAGE: Phils.

NUMBER OF "TRUE YANKEES" ON THE TEAM:

YANKEES: Four. (Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera. That's it. The rest of yous can't hold a candle to Scott Brosius and Chad Curtis.)

PHILLIES: None.

ADVANTAGE: Yanks.

TREASURED TEAM RELIC:

YANKEES: They've got a whole monument park. Pick anything out there behind the left field wall.

PHILLIES: Jamie Moyer.

ADVANTAGE: Phils.

PLAYER WHO MOST RESEMBLES A WWE SUPERSTAR:

YANKEES: This is tough. I'll be honest: I really just wanted to talk about the Phillies on this one. The best I could come up with is CC and the WWE's Mark Henry:

via z.about.com via www.criticalbench.com

PHILLIES: Jayson Werth. I'll bet you a two-liter that he's moonlighting as the WWE's Edge.

via www3.allaroundphilly.com via www.poptower.com

Eerie, ain't it?

(Wait, hold on: I've got another Werth picture for you:

via www.baltimoresun.com

AWESOME. Kinda looks like Matt Damon in The Informant (sans mustache, of course), doesn't it? Jeyson Werth is like Hannibal on The A Team.)

BIG ADVANTAGE: Phils.

POLITICIAN/STATESMAN WHO LOVED THE LADIES:

YANKEES: Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.

PHILLIES: Founding Father Benjamin Franklin (though rumors of his demise due to syphilis are, reportedly, greatly exaggerated).

ADVANTAGE: Phils.

And, most importantly:

BREWERS CONNECTION:

YANKEES: Besides CC, there's Melky Cabrera. He was almost a Brewer this season, although (legend has it) we would have had to take on the bloated corpse of Kei Igawa to complete the deal. (And, speaking of Igawa, here's a question I've been mulling for the past 12 seconds: if the Brewers had traded for Igawa, they probably wouldn't have signed Braden Looper, and we would've been spared the historically awful season Looper put together. [Cue Mykenk.] HOW-EVAH, Igawa only went 10-8 with a 4.15 ERA in AAA this year, and made $4 million, plus the $8 million he's owed for 2010 and 2011 Which option is preferable -- or, to be more accurate, slightly less painful?

PHILLIES: With World Series hero Geoff Jenkins put out to stud, the best I can come up with is former Brewer Matt Stairs. That's still pretty good, I think. I love Matt Stairs. Tell me you wouldn't drink Labatt Blue with Matt Stairs. He'd drink you under the table, for sure, and you might wake up listening to Bryan Adams and watching "The Stanley Cup: 100 Years of Glory," but still: I'd party with Matt Stairs. If nothing else, maybe you could get enough Labatt in him that he'd say this again.

(Oh, wait. There is another connection: Davey Lopes. Ugh. Now I have to think about the Davey Lopes Era again. That was a fun time, wasn't it? That reminds me: remember, towards the end of the season, when Macha had that quote about his door always being open, and that the players could come talk to him whenever they wanted to -- with the strong implication being that the players weren't coming to talk to him, and that Macha wasn't going out of his way to talk to them, either? You know who else was famous for not talking to his players? Davey Lopes. Ugh, again.)

ADVANTAGE: Push (though I don't think it's out of the question to root for CC in this series).

So, there you have it. Final breakdown: Yankees 2, Phillies 4 (with one tie), and it's not even that close. Go Phillies!

I'm happy for...

Travis G — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:45:28 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

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Watching the Yankees celebrate in person last night was exhilarating. It got me thinking about the guys we've gotten to know, who 'deserves' it the most, and who I'm most happy for.

For some reason, I was immediately most happy for Melky Cabrera. The guy is a bundle of energy that always has fun playing the game - but more than that, I feel like I've literally watched him grow up: from his disastrous start in centerfield in Fenway Park in 2005 (at the age of 20) to playing in his first World Series. It felt like watching my nephew grow up (is that strange?).

After him was Robbie Cano. Y'all have to remember this wasn't just the first time for Melky and Cano in the World Series, but also their first time in the ALCS. They debuted in 2005, so missed the Yanks consecutive LCS trips in the previous seasons, and saw their team lose in the first round every year (or miss the playoffs entirely) until this season.

Then there's Alexander Emmanuel, the poster-boy for overpaid, under-performing athletes. Someone at SI (either Tom Verducci or Jon Heyman) called out A-Rod (and CC Sabathia) for being 0-7 in their team's chances to clinch the ALCS. Alex ended that by hitting good enough to be the MVP runner-up (.429/.567/.952).

Joba, Hughes, Coke and Robertson: they all played integral parts in the playoffs, and never experienced a postseason series win. Now they each have two under their belt.

CC Sabathia pitched like the perennial Cy Young contender he is, (along with A-Rod) dispelling the 'can't perform in the clutch' stigma he acquired over the last few seasons.

Joe Girardi has now gone farther in his Yankee managerial career than Joe Torre has in L.A. He certainly made some questionable decisions, but all's well that ends well. For as bad as he might've been, his team is in the World Series.

Nick Swisher, the clubhouse pressure-reliever, and who is as fun to watch as any player I can remember, is also getting his first taste of late October baseball.

Who are you happiest for?

Player Development Origins for the 2009 New York Yankees

John Sickels — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:18:15 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees first round draft pick in 1992. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Here are the player development origins of the 2009 American League Champion New York Yankees. I'll do a comparison of the Yankees and Phillies tomorrow.

PITCHERS

Alfredo Aceves, RHP: Signed out of Mexico as a free agent in 2008.

A.J. Burnett, RHP: Drafted by the New York Mets in the eighth round out of high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1995. The Yankees signed him as a major league free agent for 2009.

Joba Chamberlain, RHP: Drafted by the Yankees in the supplemental first round in 2006 from the University of Nebraska.

Phil Coke, LHP: Drafted by the Yankees in the 26^th round in 2002, out of San Joaquin Delta Community College.

Chad Gaudin, RHP: Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 34^th round in 2001, from high school in Harahan, Louisiana. The Yankees traded for him in the summer of 2009.

Phil Hughes, RHP: Drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2004 draft, from high school in Santa Ana, California.

Damaso Marte, LHP: Signed by the Seattle Mariners as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 1992. Yankees acquired him in a 2008 trade.

Andy Pettitte, LHP: Drafted by the Yankees in the 22^nd round in 1991 out of high school in Texas, signed as a draft-and-follow from San Jacinto JC in '92. Went to Houston as a free agent in 2004 but re-signed by the Yankees for 2007.

Mariano Rivera, RHP: Signed by the Yankees as a free agent from Panama in 1990.

David Robertson, RHP: Drafted by the Yankees in the 17^th round in 2006, from the University of Alabama.

C.C. Sabathia, LHP: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 1998 draft, out of high school in Vallejo, California. Signed by the Yankees as a major league free agent for 2009.

POSITION PLAYERS

Melky Cabrera, OF: Signed by the Yankees as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2001.

Robinson Cano, 2B: Signed by the Yankees as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2001.

Francisco Cervelli, C: Signed by the Yankees as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2004.

Johnny Damon, OF: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the supplemental first round in 1992, out of high school in Orlando, Florida. The Yankees signed him as a major league free agent in 2006.

Brett Gardner, OF: Drafted by the Yankees in the third round in 2005, from the College of Charleston.

Freddy Guzman, OF: Signed by the San Diego Padres as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2000. Acquired in a trade in late August 2009.

Jerry Hairston JR, INF: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11^th round in 1997, from Southern Illinois University. Acquired by the Yankees in a trade in July 2009.

Derek Jeter, SS: Drafted by the Yankees in the first round in 1992, out of high school in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Hideki Matsui, OF: Signed by the Yankees as a free agent from Japan in 2002. I am counting him as a "major league free agent" on the list below, not as a Yankee farm system product, since he was already an established star in Japan.

Jose Molina, C: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14^th round in 1993, from high school in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. The Yankees acquired him in a trade from the Angels in 2007.

Jorge Posada, C: Drafted by the Yankees in the 24^th round in 1990, out of high school in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round in 1993, out of high school in Miami, Florida. The Yankees acquired him in a trade with the Rangers in 2004.

Nick Swisher, OF: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2002 draft, from Ohio State University. Acquired in a trade with the White Sox in November 2008.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round in 2001, from Georgia Tech. Signed by the Yankees as a free agent in December 2008.

ACQUISITIONS

Trades or Waivers: Gaudin, Marte, Guzman, Hairston, Molina, Rodriguez, Swisher.

Yankees Farm System Products: Aceves, Chamberlain, Coke, Hughes, Rivera, Robertson, Cabrera, Cano, Cervelli, Gardner, Jeter, Posada.

Major League Free Agents: Burnett, Pettitte, Sabathia, Damon, Matsui, Teixeira.

ORIGINS

Drafted from North American high schools: Burnett (8^th), Gaudin (34^th), Hughes (1^st), Sabathia (1^st), Damon (1-S), Jeter (1^st), Molina (14^th), Posada (24^th), Rodriguez (1^st),

Drafted from junior colleges: Coke (26^th), Pettitte (22^nd).

Drafted from four-year colleges: Chamberlain (1-S), Robertson (17^th), Gardner (3^rd), Hairston (11^th), Swisher (1^st), Teixeira (1^st).

Undrafted free agents from North America: none.

Latin Free Agents: Aceves, Marte, Rivera, Cabrera, Cano, Cervelli, Guzman,

Asian Free Agents: Matsui

Angels Yankees ALCS Game 6 Lineups Remain the Same?

Rev Halofan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:04:36 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

about 1 month ago: Los Angeles Angels' Joe Saunders, scheduled starter for Game 6 of the American League Championship baseball series against the New York Yankees, walks back to the dugout after the game was postponed because of rain Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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These lineups for the Angels and Yankees were posted before Saturday's postponement and there is no reason to think they will change for Sunday... What do you think of them? There was talk that Figgins would be demoted to batting 9th, but lo and behold, he remains atop the lineup and the hot bat of Banjo Mathis stays in the mix as well.

Angels
Chone Figgins, 3B
Bobby Abreu, RF
Torii Hunter, CF
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Kendry Morales, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Juan Rivera, LF
Jeff Mathis, C
Erick Aybar, SS

Yankees
Derek Jeter, SS
Johnny Damon, LF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Jorge Posada, C
Hideki Matsui, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Melky Cabrera, CF

Joe Saunders (LHP) @ Andy Pettitte (LHP)

What do you think of these batting orders?

All CC, all the time: Yankees win 10-1, take 3-1 series lead

Travis G — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:56:53 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Heeeere it comes!

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Wow... just wow. What else can you say about the Yankees' ace? He matched his phenomenal game one performance with another eight innings of one run ball - and on short rest to boot! Things looked a bit iffy in the fifth, when he allowed a solo homer to Kendry Morales and then consecutive singles, but Sabathia escaped with no further damage. Then in the seventh, the first two batters reached before then he induced a GDP and a groundout.

His postseason stats: 3-0, 22.2 ip, 1.19 ERA, 17 H, 3 BB, 20 K.

Only slightly outdone was Alex Rodriguez (3-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB), who continues to mash the ball. He's also apparently the best baserunner on the team - while Brett Gardner is getting thrown out, Robbie Cano isn't stepping on third, and Nick Swisher's getting picked off (despite the call), A-Rod is stealing a base, tagging up (successfully), and scoring on grounders with a drawn-in infield... remarkable.

The big hit came off the bat of Melky Cabrera - the Yanks were up 1-0 in the fourth, the bases were loaded with one out: he lined a sharp grounder between third and short that scored two. Just when Melky was being doubted, he came through with three hits and four RBI (and it all started with a gorgeous bunt single).

Scott Kazmir was fortunately just as ineffective as his last game: 4 ip, 4 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 89 pitches. For whatever reason (perhaps it's as simple as the AL West isn't the AL East), he hasn't been the same pitcher in the postseason that he was for the Angels down the stretch.

The umpiring has to be addressed. It was again atrocious. The umps blew two clear calls in one inning! Nick Swisher should have been picked off at second, but was called safe. He later scored on a sac-fly only to have it negated on appeal for supposedly leaving early - he didn't. Then, inexplicably, the Yankees were gifted an extra out when Cano and Posada were both tagged out standing near thirdbase. Why neither of them decided to actually stay on the bag, or why Tim McLelland called only one of them out is beyond me. (In his postgame interview, McLelland admitted his multiple screw-ups.)

Don't let any Angel fans bother you with 'conspiracy theories' about the umpires: Swisher's non-pickoff was made up for with the appeal at third (where he was actually safe), and the shoulda-been DP with Cano and Posada made no difference as the next batter grounded out to end the inning. Plus the Yankees happened to win the game 10-1, not 2-1.

(Not to get off topic too much, but the New York Football Giants game this past Sunday had numerous poor calls go against them, yet I can still admit Naw'luhns was the better team... they did win by 21 points after all, about the equivalent of nine runs in baseball.)

Speaking of poor baserunning, how could Posada not score on Cano's double (that occurred right before the apparent DP)? He was standing on second and Cano doubled... Posada made it 90 feet. Inexplicable.

As for more bad baserunning, what is it with Brett Gardner and his sudden inability to steal? He was gunned down for the second straight game, and is now 1-3 in the playoffs (in SB attempts). In Monday's game, Jeff Mathis made a ridiculous throw, but that wasn't the case tonight - it was just your run-of-the-mill toss, yet Gardner was clearly out (again). It appears that a couple reasons are behind it: 1) he's not getting as good a jump as normal, which may be due to Angels pitchers making an extra effort to keep him close; 2) Erick Aybar seems to be excellent at quickly catching the ball and tagging the sliding runner. Anyway, it's ironic that the two Yankees that were caught stealing were Gardner and Jeter while the two successful base-stealers were A-Rod and Posada.

Game 4 is on Thursday at 8 p.m.: Burnett vs. Lackey.