That 5th spot in the rotation has been cause for debate as far as the Yankees are concerned.

Some say Hughes should start. Others root for Joba. Some clamor for Halladay or Lackey. It seems that Chien-Ming Wang, a 19-game winner in seasons past, has been left out of the mix.

Halladay Shopping:I like Halladay. I think, as far as SPs are concerned, he's the best out there. He can finish games, keep the team in the ball game, strikes out people. The man is one of the best. But, to get Halladay, the Yankees must sacrifice one of their young arms in Hughes or Chamberlain. Losing Phil Hughes would spell doom for the bullpen. Fine, he wasn't that good in the postseason. He blew leads here and there. But, through most of the season, he kept the Yankees in the game. He gave the chance for a late-inning Yankee rally. He handed the key to Rivera to close the door. He is one of the keys to those 103 wins and, therefore,must be kept.

Longing for Lackey?: Lackey wants more than Burnett's 82M/5 deal. Do you think he should get a better pay? :D He would make quite a good 2-starter, though. I'd much prefer Lackey over Halladay. Although Lackey's a notch lower than Halladay pitching-wise (who isn't?), playing for Lackey, a free agent, would spare Hughes and Joba from the trade mill.

The Joba Sitch: Enough with the experiment. Joba either gets regular starts or he goes to the bullpen. Either way the wind blows, I say enough with the Joba Rules. He's an athlete with a lot of potential. I think the Joba rules are holding him back. If they don't push him to the limit, how else would he realize his true potential?  Athletes should be tested, not cradled or fenced in. My say on the Youngsters Sitch: Hughes should be a starter, Joba should rein his temper in and succeed Mariano or at least be a dominating SU.

Can Wang Revive His Career?: Many are counting this guy out. And with good reason. He's had foot and shoulder injuries, and he seems to have lost command of his sinker. His lack of a back-up pitch when his sinker's not going well also poses a problem. But, prior to the injury, he's been a good,reliable pitcher. Question is: Will he be the same? If he proves that he can hold the fort behind the CC-AJ-Andy triumvirate, then the Yankees can afford to leave Halladay and Lackey alone. Maybe call up somebody from the Minors? Or play for a good (but not great), reliable pitcher who can be relied to hold the fort at the end of the rotation.

I can't wait for the headlines. Predictions say that Lackey will most probably be a Yankee, though.

But, we'll see. We'll see. ^_^

I know it's a mortal sin to like anything Red Sox. But, all throughout the 2009 season, I have been impressed with their outfielders, particularly with CF Jacoby Ellsbury and LF Jason Bay, one of the offseason's biggest free agents.

A Play for Bay: I have no idea if it would happen, considering that the rumors say that Angels SP John Lackey would be as far as the Yankees would go. But, I do wish they'd get Bay (instead of Holliday). I quite like his quiet demeanor and batting statistics. Not that I'm against Matt Holliday and his Great Bobble. But, I just find Bay a fit in that fifth spot in the line-up that would become a revolving door when Matsui leaves. I think Bay would be a perfect fit to bat behind A-Rod. 36 HRs. .300+ AVG. I hear his defense is a bit suspect, though.

Gardner Everyday: I'd flip if Brett Gardner doesn't get that center field role. I know his offense is far from, well, major league level. But, the range of that guy in the outfield? You would think there's two of them out there.

No Way, Jorge: I love Jorge. I think he's the most passionate and proud Yankee in that roster. But, it's pretty obvious that age has gotten to him. He's slow in reacting to breaking balls. His arm strength's not as good as it was in the late 90s. And, is it  just me or has he been a bit absentminded lately? Jorge's offense, however, is as potent as ever. So, I vote Jorge as 80% DH and 20% behind the plate. Maybe give youngster Cervelli a chance? Or wait for Joe Mauer to join the Yankees?

Damon or Matsui: They should keep one. I really think they should. Thing is, which? Still undecided. :/

Gosh, with the Yankees, the sky is the limit. They say they'd stop spending. Then, come offseason, they'd just surprise you with a big-time free agency market haul. :D But, I do hope they get Bay.

Out of all them Red Sox, he's the one I like the most. :D

Yankees 6-8 Phillies

World Series Game 5

Starting streaky AJ Burnett was a roll of the dice. In the case of the Yankees, it was a bad one.

Hoping for a Game 2 repeat from Burnett albeit a 3-day rest, Yankees manager Joe Girardi dismissed starting lossless SP Chad Gaudin and favored #2 starter Burnett. However, after allowing 3 runs in the 1st inning and bleeding for an out in the second and third, his hopes to clinch the title for the Yankees faded as quickly as (2008 version) Cole Hamels' change-up.

Right off the bat, AJ proved that his command of the ball was not there. Burnett made a costly mistake to 2B Chase Utley who turned on the pitch and belted a 3-run homer out of a peculiarly short porch in right field. (It really is a hitter's park out there.) Previous batters SS Jimmy Rollins and CF Shane Victorino also reached base. Rollins singled to center, while Victorino got caught on the wrist with a pitch inside. After an uneventful second inning, things started to unravel for Burnett in the 3rd. After walking Utley and 1B Ryan Howard, who has been a near-automatic out as of late, he allowed the next two batters, Werth and Ibanez, to drive the Phillies in for another two runs. That was enough carnage for Girardi who called on RHP David Robertson to relieve Burnett. C Carlos Ruiz grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Jayson Werth. And, the third inning ended with the Phillies on top 6-1.

SP Cliff Lee didn't look as sharp as he was in Game 1, but was sharp enough to deliver the goods. He allowed the Yankees to climb to 4-6 before he was pulled out. LHP Phil Coke, who had a perfect ERA in the postseason, allowed two key HRs that proved to be the difference in the final box score. The Yankees threatened in the ninth by scoring two more to make it 6-8. But, SS Derek Jeter failed to contribute to the rally as he cleared the bases of runners with a double-play ground out. LF Johnny Damon restarted the offense with 2 outs by squeaking out a single after a long battle with SU Ryan Madson. However, the still-scuffling 1B Mark Teixeira again fails to convert under pressure, striking out on an off-speed pitch that was inches from the dirt. 

In spite of the 3-day rest going bust today, Joe Girardi will still go to 37-year-old lefty Andy Pettite to clinch the World Series as the teams travel to New York for Games 6 and 7 (if necessary). It can be expected that, despite Pettite being a notch lower on the starting rotation, Andy would fare better than AJ in these kinds of postseason games. He seems to find a way to win, whether he's as sharp as a razor or not. New York should treat this as a must-win situation because CC has shown a little bit of vulnerability in Game 4. A Game 7 against any Philly pitcher other than Hamels would be a game too close to call even with CC on the mound. And, that being said, Andy might just be the man to giftwrap this one up.

The question that's on everyone's mind (or in my mind, at least): Is a 70% Andy Pettite good enough to start? And, despite Rick Sutcliffe bashing the idea to the ground until it looks like fresh roadkill on a summer day, I trust Pettite to deliver. Yes, expect him to give up 3 or 4 runs. But, as the Yankees have proved time and again, 3 or 4 runs are chicken feed. They have shown the ability to rack up runs in a hurry and produce late-inning hits whenever necessary (except tonight, of course). I personally think that, despite the loss, it was good that they managed to shag 6 runs in a high-scoring affair. That ought to salvage a little bit of  the momentum that has shifted to the Phillies' side. All Pettite and the bullpen (a shout-out to you, Phil Coke, for giving up those 2 differential runs) have to do is to take care of the lead or, on the flipside, keep the Yankees in the ballgame. As for the Phillies, they better hope that Pedro Martinez's age catches up to him at another day. If Pedro makes even one mistake, shows fatigue, or doubts his stuff, the Yankees hitters are gonna eat him alive, whether they be his "daddy" or not.

Game 6 is gonna be loads of fun. You have two pitchers who have seen better days but feel like they could have some more. You've got a locked-in, back-against-the wall Chase Utley. You've got 2 struggling first basemen who could catch wildfire mighty quick (Has Ryan Howard broken the record for most  whiffs in a World Series?). Home-run bats in Rodriguez, Werth, Ibanez, Matsui and Posada. And, for every Yankees fan, there's Derek Jeter, whose mere presence provides an Achilles-like influence that could rally a team after losing what could have been a World Series-clinching Game 5.

It ain't gonna be a walk in the park for anybody. Not for the Phillies. Not for the Yankees.

But, the park aint gonna be any ordinary park. It's Yankee Stadium. THE Yankee Stadium.

And, cross your fingers, that may just be the needed one-up for New York.

Yankees 8-5 Phillies

Game 3 World Series

 Let me tell you. This game is the start of the World Series. 

Games 1 and 2 were split between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. The Phillies rode SP Cliff  Lee's complete game outing and 2B Chase Utley's offense to win Game 1, while SP AJ Burnett's good side surfaced to lead the Yankees to a 3-1 Game 2 victory against SP Pedro Martinez (amidst "Who's your Daddy?" chants).

While the first two games were pitching gems from Lee and Burnett, Game 3 was an offensive fiesta just like the experts predicted it to be. Usually, bats come alive against Game 3 starters. And boy did they tonight. But, it was the Yankees offense that prevailed, pounding former World Series MVP Cole Hamels with 5 runs and the Phillies bullpen with 3 more. SP Andy Pettite's rocky start and defensive key errors allowed the Phillies to jump the gun 3-0 in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Early, it looked like Pettite was in danger of being chased out of the game early and Hamels turning his so-far un-MVP-ish postseason around.

The Phillies came out of the gates swinging as RF Jayson Werth continued to punish left-handed pitchers. He blasted two home runs, 2 off Pettite. Gosh, you should see how this guy approaches the ball--no leg kick, just a subtle swing of the hips-- and still is able to crush the ball deep. He looks like a video game. His homer  in the 2nd inning started the ball rolling for the Phillies. After an intentional unintentional walk and a bunt defense miscue later, the Phillies were up 3-0 and it looked like Hamels and the Phillies were in control.

But, the sleepers have woken up. Alex Rodriguez, hitless in the World Series, blasted a 2-run shot down the right field line in the top 4th. Rodriguez was originally awarded a double as the ball was seen to have bounced from the wall and back in play. But, Yankees manager Joe Girardi appealed to the umpires for another look. The replays showed that the ball hit the camera jutting out of right field (stupid interfering camera man) before caroming to Jason Werth in right field. As per MLB rules (I think...), any interference of that kind is ruled a home run. That put the Yankees 2-3.  In the top of the 5th, another slumping Yankee joined the seemingly rejuvenated offense that scored only 4 runs in their last two outings. RF Nick Swisher, who was benched in Game 2 for his sub-par performance in the postseason, drilled a double to left. And, the next sequence just proved that luck is on the Yankees side. Andy Pettite (yes, the starting pitcher) blooped a liner to that Bermuda triangle down shallow center that neither left fielder, center fielder nor shortstop could reach.  That allowed Swisher to score the tying run. Then, another Yankee bomber woke up as Johnny Damon, who has had a modest postseason so far, doubled this time to deep right center. This brought home Pettite and SS Derek Jeter who had a base hit after Pettite's RBI single. 

And, the Bombers never looked back after that. They scored a run with Swisher's HR in the 6th to make it 6-3, Yankees. Hideki Matsui, who had to come off the bench because of the non-DH line-up played in the National League, belted another homerun shot in his lone at-bat of the game. C Jorge Posada, who has been a little bit absent-minded as of late, blooped an RBI single to drive in Johnny Damon. The Phillies threatened with a Werth HR in the 6th and another HR by Carlos Ruiz in the 9th against slumping pitcher Philip Hughes. But, the bullpen, particularly RHP Joba Chamberlain and LHP Damaso Marte, got the job done. Chamberlain, Marte and Hughes retired 7 batters in a row before Hughes allowed Ruiz to go yard to make it 8-5, Yankees. But, it was all too late as Girardi tugged on Mariano Rivera's strings to drive the loud Phillies crowd home in disappointment.

Despite the loss, it was still a productive outing from the Phillies. During high-scoring games like this, it is important that the losing team does not get shut out. It's better to lose scoring runs than to lose with nothing to show for on the scoreboard. Yankees manager Joe Girardi, on the other hand, has shown off his critics by making the right decisions in the past two games. In Game 2, he benched the then-struggling Swisher and went to utility man Jerry Hairston, Jr.. Hairston got key hits in that game. He opted to pair AJ Burnett with 2nd-string catcher Jose Molina which meant that a home-run bat in Jorge Posada was unavailable in the early innings. Aside from blocking troublesome wild pitches from Burnett, Molina made a spectacular snap throw to get Jayson Werth out in the 6th inning of Game 2. That seemed to have ignited the sleepy Yankees offense.  So far, his decisions have been money. He will again have another crucial game on his hands as SP CC Sabathia will pitch on short rest for Game 4. Although it can be argued that Sabathia is the best lefty in the game today, he's still on 3 days' rest and is not expected to last 7 innings.

The Yankees have come to play. The Phillies are raring to bounce back. 

Crunch those knuckles. The World Series has begun.