Pulling a Jordan
Your attention please, ladies and gentlemen … now returning to the Yankees blogosphere … number 88 … Smoov … number 88 …
That’s how Bob Sheppard would announce my return to the blogging. (Hope retirement is treating you well, Mr. Sheppard.)
Anyway, yes everyone — I’M BACK!!!!!
After nearly another month away from the blog, I’m back at it again. I’m sure everyone has seen what has happened the last couple weeks, so I won’t get into why the Yankees can’t wait for Monday’s off day — their SECOND this month (17 games in 16 days, including the Detroit doubleheader) and FIRST since May 6.
Instead, in light of this weekend’s matchup with the Mets at Citi Field I decided to run another seven-game simulation (courtesy of the talented folks at WhatIf Sports), similar to the one I posted before the season opener. This simulation features the 1996 Yankees and the 1986 Mets — I didn’t wanna do neither a matchup with each franchise’s 2000 team (for obvious reasons), nor a ’98 Yankees vs. ’86 Mets matchup (already done by Lisa and Josh at Subway Squawkers). Here’s the schedule:
TONIGHT: Games 1, 2 (at Shea Stadium)
TOMORROW: Games 3, 4, 5 (at Yankee Stadium)
SUNDAY: Games 6, 7 (at Shea Stadium)
All I will say is this: one of these teams will lose the series in a very disappointing fashion.
Enjoy seeing the results from Games 1 and 2, coming up very soon!
April in Review
I leave the blogosphere for three weeks and the Yankees have the third-best record in the American League?
WHAT?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about the Yankees’ fast start. It’s just that we are more used to the slow starts coming out of Spring Training — hell, the 1998 team that won 114 games started 1-4. The last (only?) time I remember seeing this good a start to a season from the Bombers was 2003 — that team lost Derek Jeter to a shoulder injury on Opening Night and had Erick Almonte replace him for over a month.
No matter, the first month of the season has been very enjoyable to watch. Some of the highlights:
- Two near no-hitters in less than two weeks — CC Sabathia in St. Pete and Phil Hughes in Oakland
- Andy Pettitte’s time-traveling back to 1996 (3-0, 1.29 ERA in 4 starts)
- Robbie Cano’s emergence as a true threat in #5 spot (team leader in H, AVG, SLG, OPS, HR, RBI, TB)
- Brett Gardner making us forget Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera
- Heartfelt hero’s welcome for World Series MVP Hideki Matsui at 4/13 home opener. I think it’s safe to say Damon won’t get the same type of reception
Get ready, Yankees fans — it’s gonna be one helluva ride to title #28.
*****
Don’t forget to check out the video that Ross of NYY Stadium Insider took of me at the game on Jackie Robinson Day!
Five Burning Questions
The defending World Series champion New York Yankees.
Doesn’t saying that give you chills all over your body?
Starting tomorrow night, it’s a phrase the baseball world will have to deal with all season. And the first victims? None other than the hated Red Sox. As much as we may gripe about starting the season on the road after winning World Series #27, it’s probably going to be much harder for Sox fans to stomach the idea of their chief rivals as defending World Series champions.
Now, the Yankees winning the title last season doesn’t mean they are without questions. Fan favorites were replaced. Team roles were shifted. Worries of team complacency were echoed. The key will be how the Yankees respond to these questions in this the second season of the new Yankee Stadium.
1) How will the Yankees fight complacency?
No one knows the difficulty of repeating more than the Yankees. They’ve only done it a record 12 times (1928, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1978, 1999, 2000) and are looking to add to that in 2010. The moves that Brian Cashman made over the winter show that he is very dedicated to put a team on the field that will not succumb to the complacency issue and bring home World Series #28. It also doesn’t hurt to have veterans like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera to keep the team hungry (insert CC Sabathia joke here) and focused at all times.
2) What can we expect from Brett Gardner in 2010?
It was believed that with the acquisition of Curtis Granderson, Gardner would fill the same role as he did in 2009 as an defensive upgrade and pinch-runner off the bench. That changed once negotiations with Johnny Damon broke down and Melky Cabrera was traded to Atlanta for Javier Vazquez. Now Brett The Jet is expected to start in LF alongside Granderson and Nick Swisher. As long as he doesn’t play outside his talents, Brett should have himself a good season. Oh, and don’t forget to check out his hair.
3) Can Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson make Yankees fans forget Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui?
We all know how important Damon and Godzilla were to the Yankees’ run last season — both came through with clutch hit after clutch hit and provided some veteran presence in the clubhouse. Both men were also on the wrong side of age 35, and questions about their durability led the front office into a different direction. While Granderson (LH pitchers) and Johnson (injuries) both have question marks, both also make the lineup more dynamic. Granderson hit 30 HRs last season in spacious Comerica Park and has a swing that should translate well in Yankee Stadium, not to mention he can run and field with the best of them. Johnson’s biggest asset is his .402 career OBP and should also benefit from the famed short porch. No matter if you prefer Damon-Matsui or Granderson-Johnson, you have to love what the two new imports bring to the Yankees offense.
Judging by his numbers last season (.320 average, 204 hits, 25 HR, 85 RBI) and his track record so far, one might ask why Cano wasn’t already hitting higher in the lineup. Then you see his numbers with RISP last season (an atrocious .207 AVG). He may be tremendously streaky, but Robbie can rake with the best 2B in the game. With an improved approach and torrid Spring Training, look for our 2B/ninja to successfully fill the void left by Hideki Matsui in the #5 spot — and hopefully NEVER bunt on 3-0 again (No matter what I do, I can’t get that sequence out of my head).
5) Will David Robertson be this season’s breakout pitcher?
I believe this kid can be Mariano’s successor (yes, I still believe Joba Chamberlain will be a starter beginning next season). In his first significant action last season, D. Robby pitched in medium spots — he would come in when the Yankees were losing but still had a chance to win in the middle innings. With his sneaky-fast fastball (Michael Kay absolutely butchered explaining this in a game last year) he garnered 13 K/9 and delivered the relief performance of the year by escaping a bases-loaded jam against the Twins in the ALDS. With a likely expanded role as the late-inning right-handed counterpart to Damaso Marte, D. Robby should only improve his numbers and establish himself as one the best-kept secrets in the American League.
For those of you that don’t know, 161st & River colleague Hiba, author of Pretty in Pinstripes on MLBlogs, has developed a major-league crush on Logan. Unfortunately Logan is headed for the dreaded Scranton Shuffle, but can be called up at any point to take pressure off Marte as the lefty specialist. As stated on her blog Hiba will be visiting her native New York City from Dubai in August, and her sights will undoubtedly be on using her Lebanese lovin’ to her advantage. Beware, NYC — a Biba-storm is coming in August!
Look for these questions to be answered over the course of the season. Remember, tomorrow is Easter Sunday as well as Opening Night — enjoy the whole day and however you celebrate, please be safe.
Say it with me one more time — LET’S GO YANKEES!!!!!!
1996 vs. 2009: Game 7
In preparation for Opening Night on Easter Sunday, I will be posting
results of a simulated seven-game series between the 1996
Yankees and 2009
Yankees. I am doing this for two reasons, both mentioned in the
previous post: it pits two World Series champs coming off championship
droughts in eerily similar boats against each other, and it is a great
way to break the monotony on the blog. CC Sabathia dominated in Game
1 and the 2009 squad pulled out a close Game 2
victory. While the 1996 offense came up huge in a Game 3
rout, Game 4
saw Joba Chamberlain push Joe Torre’s squad on the brink of
elimination. However Andy Pettitte would outduel Sabathia in Game 5 and Jimmy Key did the same against A.J. Burnett in Game 6.
And now without further ado, the compelling all-or-nothing Game 7:
Here we are — Game 7. Do-or-die. Win or go home. All-or-nothing. It was fitting that Joe Torre and Joe Girardi have the guys they wanted on the mound — Andy Pettitte and David Cone. Judging by the pitching matchup and the stakes, this Game 7 had the makings of a classic.
But Coney apparently didn’t get the memo. He was atrocious in his brief stint — 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 wild pitches. A four-run 1st inning helped the 2009 Yankees on their way to an 8-6 win and proverbial bragging rights. Jorge Posada (3 hits), Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon (2 hits each) helped pace the attack. Pettitte wasn’t too sharp early on (3 runs in 1st two innings), but he recovered nicely but pitching out of danger in the 3rd & 4th and breezing through the 5th to notch the win. The 1996 Yankees would not go down without a fight, getting two RBIs each from Cecil Fielder and Darryl Strawberry, and nearly came through with a walk-off win with three runs in the last two innings. However, like so many times before, Mariano Rivera came in and closed the door on any hopes of a dramatic end for the home team. It was a rather fitting end to a great series.
View
box score here
*****
I hope you guys enjoyed seeing the simulations on here; maybe I will do this again during the All-Star break or sometime before the playoffs. All credit goes to the talented people at WhatIf Sports — make sure to check out their website (blog roll to the right) and take advantage of all their features. I want to personally thank them for running these simulations for me, and I can’t wait to do so again.
With that out of the way, enjoy the last moments before first pitch on Sunday night vs. the hated Red Sox. Say it with me, y’all …
LET’S GO YANKEES!!!!!!!
1996 vs. 2009: Game 6
In preparation for Opening Night on Easter Sunday, I will be posting
results of a simulated seven-game series between the 1996
Yankees and 2009
Yankees. I am doing this for two reasons, both mentioned in the
previous post: it pits two World Series champs coming off championship
droughts in eerily similar boats against each other, and it is a great
way to break the monotony on the blog. CC Sabathia dominated in Game
1 and the 2009 squad pulled out a close Game 2
victory. While the 1996 offense came up huge in a Game 3
rout, Game 4
saw Joba Chamberlain push Joe Torre’s squad on the brink of
elimination. However Andy Pettitte would outduel Sabathia in Game 5, staving off elimination for the 1996 team. Check out what happens in Game 6:
Joe Torre is well aware of the situation at hand, and realizes that it’s never over until someone wins four games. Fresh off winning one elimination game, the 1996 Yankees did so yet again with a 5-1 victory over the 2009 Yankees in Game 6. Jimmy Key proved to be the better pitcher in this game, throwing 7 innings of one-run ball in an economical 97 pitches. The 2009 offense looked lost against Key and Mariano Rivera, stranding 15 runners on the bases (including 6 from Nick Swisher and 4 from Robinson Cano). While not overly terrible, A.J. Burnett was far from sharp in giving up all 5 runs and 10 of the 11 hits in 6 innings. Paul O’Neill and Cecil Fielder each hit a home run in the 11-hit attack. With this victory, we find ourselves with a 3-3 series headed for a potentially epic Game 7 where almost ANYTHING can happen — especially on the hollowed grounds of old Yankee Stadium.
View
box score here
*****
Next in Game 7: Andy Pettitte
(2009 NYY) vs. David Cone (1996 NYY) — It’s do or die for both teams. Can the 1996 Yankees complete the comeback from being down 3-1? Or will the 2009 squad finish the job on the road in a very tough ballpark — albeit one some of them are familiar with?
1996 vs. 2009: Game 5
In preparation for Opening Night on Easter Sunday, I will be posting
results of a simulated seven-game series between the 1996
Yankees and 2009
Yankees. I am doing this for two reasons, both mentioned in the
previous post: it pits two World Series champs coming off championship
droughts in eerily similar boats against each other, and it is a great
way to break the monotony on the blog. CC Sabathia dominated in Game
1 and the 2009 squad pulled out a close Game 2
victory. While the 1996 offense came up huge in a Game 3
rout, Game 4 saw Joba Chamberlain push Joe Torre’s squad on the brink of elimination. How would Torre’s team respond in Game 5? Let’s find out:
Just like in Game 1 we find ourselves with two of the best young pitchers in their respective seasons facing off against each other with the series. Unlike the first game where CC Sabathia was far and away the better pitcher, he and Andy Pettitte turned Game 5 into a little pitcher’s duel. Together both teams managed 13 hits — all but TWO were singles. One of the two extra-base hits, a three-run 2B by Bernie Williams, provided all the offense needed for Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland to close out the 3-2 victory for the 1996 Yankees. Pettitte did not factor in the decision, going 5 2/3 IP allowing just two runs. Sabathia, on the other hand, took the loss going 6 1/3 and allowing the three runs.
*****
Tomorrow in Game 6: A.J. Burnett
(2009 NYY) vs. Jimmy Key (1996 NYY) — The 1996 Yankees proved that they don’t go away quietly and will turn to the veteran Key to open the door for a potential Game 7. Burnett will be looking to build on his quality start in Game 2 and pull out the series win. What will happen? Find out tomorrow!
1996 vs. 2009: Game 4
In preparation for Opening Night on Easter Sunday, I will be posting
results of a simulated seven-game series between the 1996
Yankees and 2009
Yankees. I am doing this for two reasons, both mentioned in the
previous post: it pits two World Series champs coming off championship
droughts in eerily similar boats against each other, and it is a great
way to break the monotony on the blog. CC Sabathia dominated in Game
1 and the 2009 squad pulled out a close Game 2 victory. With the 1996 offense coming up huge in a Game 3 rout, they are looking to tie the series at 2. Check out what happens in Game 4:
Coming into Game 4 it was believed that Joe Girardi would go against the grain and use CC Sabathia on short rest. But he shocked the world like the Fab Five and went with the pride of Lincoln, Nebraska — Joba Chamberlain. Joba would no doubt answer the call, giving up only two runs in seven innings and throwing a surprisingly economical 95 pitches. Fresh off his Game 3 benching, Nick Swisher helped pave the offense with a two-run HR off beleaguered lefty Kenny Rogers. Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada added home runs of their own. The 1996 Yankees looked helpless against Chamberlain despite Bernie Williams’ three htis, squandering run-scoring chances in the 3rd, 4th and 7th innings. The 8-2 victory gives Girardi’s team a 3-1 series lead and brings them within a game of claiming bragging rights.
*****
Tomorrow in Game 5: Andy Pettitte (1996 NYY) vs. CC Sabathia (2009 NYY) — If you remember correctly, Pettitte recovered quite nicely from a rough first start in the ’96 World Series by outdueling John Smoltz. Can he do it again against CC? Will we see a repeat of Game 1 of this series where Sabathia overmatched Joe Torre’s offense? Perhaps most importantly — will we see Tino Martinez in the lineup for Game 5?
1996 vs. 2009: Game 3
In preparation for Opening Night on Easter Sunday, I will be posting
results of a simulated seven-game series between the 1996
Yankees and 2009
Yankees. I am doing this for two reasons, both mentioned in the
previous post: it pits two World Series champs coming off championship
droughts in eerily similar boats against each other, and it is a great
way to break the monotony on the blog. You can refresh your memory with Game
1 and Game 2 here, and here is the Game 3 recap:
Finding himself in a quick 0-2 hole with his offense struggling, Joe Torre made the bold decision to bench starting 1B Tino Martinez and insert Tim Raines into the lineup — subsequently moving Cecil Fielder to 1B and Darryl Strawberry to DH. The move proved successful as the 1996 Yankees smacked the 2009 Yankees 11-4 to put themselves back in the series. “Rock” went 1-3 with two key walks that lead to runs. Straw delivered two home runs, including a three-run shot that put the game out of reach in the 4th inning. Neither David Cone nor Andy Pettitte made it out of the 4th inning, for different reasons: Pettitte gave up 8 ER and 7 BB in 3 1/3 IP; Coney, while not allowing an ER in 3 2/3 IP, was not fully stretched out after having the aneurysm removed from his shoulder. Jorge Posada did all he could for the ’09 Bombers with a three-hit game including a HR, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
NOTE: Game 3 also saw Joe Girardi bench Nick Swisher for Brett Gardner,
moving Melky Cabrera to RF. Gardner drew two walks and scored a run, but
he and Cabrera combined to go 0-7 with 10 runners LOB.
*****
Tomorrow in Game 4: Kenny Rogers (1996 NYY) vs. TBA (2009 NYY). Can “The Gambler” keep the momentum going and tie this series at 2 apiece? Judging by the offensive explosion in Game 3, will Torre keep Tino on the bench? Who will Joe Girardi tap to start — the clutch CC Sabathia on short rest or the young fireballer Joba Chamberlain on extended rest?
1996 vs. 2009: Game 2
In preparation for Opening Night on Easter Sunday, I will be posting results of a simulated seven-game series between the 1996 Yankees and 2009 Yankees. I am doing this for two reasons, both mentioned in the previous post: it pits two World Series champs coming off championship droughts in eerily similar boats against each other, and it is a great way to break the monotony on the blog. You can refresh your memory with Game 1 here, and here is the Game 2 recap:
After Game 1 saw CC Sabathia easily outpitch Andy Pettitte, Game 2 saw a classic pitcher’s duel between A.J. Burnett and Jimmy Key. There wasn’t much offense to speak of on either side, but Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano provided all the offense Burnett would need. Mariano Rivera nailed down the save for the 2009 team. Paul O’Neill provided some excitement in the 4th with a rare inside-the-park HR, a solid recovery from being thrown out at home plate in Game 1 by Johnny Damon, of all people. Key, as always, pitched tough but came out the hard-luck loser. With this loss, the ’96 Yankees head out on the road (granted they’re only going across the street but still, it won’t be a home game) down 2-0 — similar to the situation in the 1996 WS vs. Atlanta.
NOTE: Game 1 saw Derek Jeter ground out to himself to lead off both halves of the first inning. Game 2 saw Mariano Rivera throw a combined three scoreless innings for both teams. Don’t you just love simulations?
*****
Tomorrow in Game 3: David Cone (1996 NYY) vs. Andy Pettitte (2009 NYY) — can the 1996 Yankees pull the same magic they pulled in Atlanta? Or will the 2009 squad push them to the brink of a four-game sweep?
1996 vs. 2009: Game 1
So I’m going through my Facebook newsfeed early this morning and came across an interesting update from Lisa at Subway Squawkers — she came up with the idea to run a simulation (courtesy of WhatIfSports) involving the 1986 Mets and 1998 Yankees. Why, you may ask? She, like many other NY baseball fans, was disappointed with fan favorite Darryl Strawberry’s decision to offer himself to be fired from “Celebrity Apprentice” (Donald Trump’s reality show on NBC, for those who live under a rock). Subway Squawkers will be running simulations of this 7-game series throughout the week leading up to Sunday’s season opener with the Red Sox.
This got me thinking: last year’s World Series-winning team shares some similarities to the team that kicked off the most recent dynasty in 1996. Both had a mix of homegrown talent (Jeter/Pettitte/Bernie/Rivera/etc in ’96, Jeter/Pettitte/Rivera/Posada/Cano/Hughes/Joba/Melky/etc in ’09) and imports who bought in to the team concept (O’Neill/Tino/Boggs/Cone/Key in ’96, CC/AJ/Tex/Damon/Matsui/Swisher in ’09). Both teams had managers named Joe under pressure to win (Torre and Girardi). Both teams were starting new eras (Don Mattingly retired after ’95, Brian Cashman stop spending foolishly in ’08). So the question must be asked: who would win in a seven-game series?
Thanks to WhatIfSports, we can answer this question. All this week, I will let WIS simulate a seven-game series between the ’96 Yankees and ’09 Yankees as a warm-up for Opening Night on Sunday. With the ’96 team winning home-field advantage, game recaps will come every morning this week until a winner is decided. For instance, here is a recap of Game 1:
Game 1 featured two young, gifted left-handers in a marquee matchup: CC Sabathia for the ’09NYY and Andy Pettitte for the ’96NYY. A four-run 4th inning from the ’09 team, thanks to back-to-back HRs from Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada, was more than enough support for Sabathia as he easily outdueled Pettitte. Godzilla would go 2-4 with the three-run homer, while Mark Teixeira added a two-run single in the 9th. The ’96 team looked overmatched at the plate, mustering only six hits against CC and Phil Hughes.
Tomorrow: Game 2 (A.J. Burnett vs. Jimmy Key)
*****
So there’s a little taste of what’s in store for this week here. With the 25-man team all but set, there isn’t too much commentary to be made — plus the simulations are a great way to break the monotony of The Gospel of Smoov. Hope you enjoy the simulations!
cjsmoov
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