Here we go

“Here we go”

I haven’t even packed my suitcase yet - the game’s not on for hours.

I am very, very excited. I’m just as pumped as when I was a kid, during the Thurm/Graig/Willie/Mickey/Catfish/Gator/Sparky days.

Yeah, this is a really close matchup. I’m calling it Phillies 8-3. Reverse jinxer out.

Hasn’t Lee not pitched in at least a week? I’m hoping for some early walks and a lucky Alex poke over the wall.

Have there been many pitchers who never excelled until the age of 29 like Lee?

[5] - He’s had an extra 2 days off compared to Sabathia.  Last pitched on the 18th, whereas Sabathia last pitched on the 20th.

Jamie Moyer springs to mind.

(3) Me too Thurm, but the Mickey I’m thinking of is Mantle not Rivers. As you and I discussed one night this summer, I’m kind of an old dude.  Even so, I’m really excited but very nervous.  Lee has had some good games vs. NY, so even if Sabbathia is really good, well…lets remain positive!

Going way back didn’t Warren Spahn and Koufax really not get rolling until they were in their late twenties?

Al Leiter, too.

Spahn got a late start because of the war, but he won 21 games and led the league in ERA at age 26.  Koufax was a late bloomer due to the bonus baby rule, but he retired at 30, so he couldn’t have been that old in his dominant seasons.

Randy Johnson threw 818 innings of 3.95 ERA through age 28.  From age 29 through this year(age 45), he threw 3317.1 of 3.13 ERA.

Did anyone pay for the BP WS preview?  What did it say?  Just curious…

Randy Johnson threw 818 innings of 3.95 ERA through age 28.  From age 29 through this year(age 45), he threw 3317.1 of 3.13 ERA.

All that is invalidated by his Yankees tenure.

what do these peanuts symbolize?

Pete, Jay Jaffe is calling the Yankees in six:

This series could certainly go either way given the collections of frontline talent on these two teams, but in the end, it appears a number of factors favor the Yankees: the depth of their lineup, the experience of their rotation in working on three days’ rest, the way their lefty starters match up with the Phillies’ lefty hitters and vice versa, and ultimately Rivera. Yankees in six.

“what do these peanuts symbolize?”

Peanut gallery.  Lack of lightning.

“it appears a number of factors favor the Yankees”

Also HFA and the AAAA factor.

But actually, since the Yankees only get HFA if the series goes 7, is it really worth that much?  SG?

The 2-3-2 seems to negate a good portion of the HFA I’ve always thought.

Good point.  I suppose if you’re picking the Yankees in 6, you shouldn’t cite HFA as one of the factors.

Thanks, Dave!

[20]
Unless there’s reduced pressure in a Game 6 due to knowing that, even if you lose, you have Game 7 at home.

Jamie Moyer loves the Phillies grit. Sterling called the Yankees gritty and gutty during the 7th inning comeback in game 5 of the ALCS.

So who really is the gritty team? It has to be the Phillies because they make less money, right?

I’m not sure how much the NL factor would adjust Lee’s numbers. It’s not like he was facing the Padres and the Nationals.

I suppose if you’re picking the Yankees in 6, you shouldn’t cite HFA as one of the factors.

Why not?  The Yankees just won an ALCS in six games, by taking three at home and one on the road.  Seems to me that starting and finishing at home was a clear advantage.

“Seems to me that starting and finishing at home was a clear advantage.”

This requires some momentum factor, no?

But they played the same number of games at home and away.  If the halos had won three at home (Games 3-5) and one on the road (Game 2, e.g.), would you say they had HFA?

Who would have thought we would get a chance against 2 of my favorite players to hate in the same playoffs. Pavano and Pedro.

There’s nothing wrong with Pedro. I wish the Yankees were getting another crack at Big Gangly, especially now that he isn’t any good.

[27] Umm, no.  I’d say that they had overcome the home field disadvantage.  The advantage is that the Yankees only had to win one road game, and even if they had not managed to do that, they still would have played the final game of the series at home.  Batting last and all that.

Besides, what’s up with hypotheticals about the last series playing out differently than it did?  This isn’t nearly as complicated as you seem to want to make it.

“Besides, what’s up with hypotheticals about the last series playing out differently than it did?”

This is about calculating future series.  I still don’t see how starting and finishing at home is an advantage in a non-HFA setup.

LoHud:

UPDATE, 5:35 p.m.: The Yankees have shown a “Win One For The Boss” screen on the big scoreboard a few times already. George Steinbrenner in the house for the first time since Opening Day tonight.

“The advantage is that the Yankees only had to win one road game, “

Actually, the advantage was that the NYY didn’t have to win one road game.  The LAAA had to win one on the road.

Just to be clear, the issue is whether HFA exists prior to Game 7.  IOW, if the first 6 games of a best-of-seven series, does the team that plays games 1, 2, and 6 at home have an inherent advantage over the team that has 3, 4, and 5 at home?

IOW, if the first 6 games of a best-of-seven series, does the team that plays games 1, 2, and 6 at home have an inherent advantage over the team that has 3, 4, and 5 at home?

I would argue that having the first two games at home is an advantage, as it allows one to manage the pitching matchups from a position of strength.

Assuming one wins those two home games, of course.

It’s great to be back, boys! Fuck South Jersey!

I just have a wierd feeling that the Yankees are going to hit Lee tonight.

totally POOMA, but i feel like HFA diminishes the longer you are there.  That it’s easier to maintain HFA if it’s spread out at the beginning and end of a series (the 2’s) then to win all three games in the middle.

based on absolutely nothing.

North Jersey vs. South Jersey is a slap fight among the slow kids in the back of the school bus.

[38] WJ?  Is that really you?

[38] WJ?  Is that really you?

I think he’s trying to dupe his computer monitor.

Hard to knock a slow kid down with a slap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTdGJuDZp4I

Larkin and, who is that other guy in the MLB Network studio, Magrane?, both picked the Phillies to win the Series.
If the Yankees pull off a miracle and win it, what are the chances they resort to the payroll blather?

anybody not watching the game?

ozzie guillen? what the hell?

[46] I’m at work.

[44] - If there’s one group that’s universally loved by the commenters here, it’s the Black Eyed Peas.

If the Yankees pull off a miracle and win it, what are the chances they resort to the payroll blather?

It’s a metaphysical certainty that they would, so no bookie would likely take any action on it.

rilkefan, check your inbox for the site.

Slimmer of hope A.Phil?

If the Yankees pull off a miracle and win it

I’d be more worried about the world imploding within the hour.

puppy

I’ll state state the obvious: win or lose, it’s going to be payroll blather.

If the Yankees win it, I imagine there’s 0% chance they go after Holliday, b/c if they got him, a salary cap would be sure to follow.

Man, first WS without Bob Sheppard.

tear

I always have some hope but I’ll never get too cocky. The last time the Yankees won the WS was when I was in 5th grade. I broke the family TV in September of that year. So my dad bought another tv just in time for the WS. This year, that TV that was bought 9 years ago broke down by itself sometime in late August. Is my tv breaking a sign of good things to come? I have no idea. But I’m definitely not going to try and guess who’ll win the series. I can only hope for the best. Go Yanks!!!

You know what I do love about TV’s handling of this year’s playoff?  The pomp of the pregame show is reduced, and 8 o’clock start means 8 o’clock start.

Joel (9) me too. The Mick was the one and only hero of my life.

eelz, what’s up man!!!

Where’s robert merrill?

Not to be a negative nelly but does anyone miss the old stadium right now? I don’t know why…maybe it’s the lack of Bob Sheppard.

Remember when the Angels were going to sign CC because he has a house in southern CA, when the Red Sox were going to sign Teix, and when the Yankees were going to sign Derek Lowe?

I suspect that Swisher will have a positive impact.

[65] Let’s hope so.

The last baseball game I watched with my father was Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS. I was 14. It ended with me crying on his shoulder like a baby while he tried to console me.

He got cancer and didn’t live to see the next season. It was a bummer.

[63] This could have all been solved with my plan of having Sheppard recorded saying the name of every current Yankee, including those in the farm system, and as many generic names as possible.

Sorry if this was already posted above, just woke up for the game here in Taiwan.

What the farns is up with the Empire/Rebel theme they’re playing at the NYS during the player introductions? The Yankees are not the rebel alliance; either embrace the evil empire role, or just acknowledge that the whole dichotomy is a stupid one (e.g. grutty rightway Angels lose series on fundamental errors and so on).

The Phillies graphic on gameday is truly vile.  Is that their actual font and color scheme?

Was Yogi actually part of the D-Day invasion? FOX just said he was.

and as many generic names as possible.

haha..“Joe…Smith.”
    “Bob…Jones”
    “Jose…Ramirez.”

Ugh, fucking Buck.

“Let’s not forget who the defending champs are.”

What a dick.

McBuck McSucks.

I salute the vet but Yogi should toss out the first pitch, or Whitey

I thought Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden were supposed to throw out the first pitch?

Perhaps this was a way to get Yogi out of having to make a throw and look bad?

Man, this is so great! Think about everything it took to get here. The Axe girl and all that

Joe Buck is such a fucking tool. This cannot be repeated enough.

[77] Yogi at this point in his life still has a better arm than Damon.

Whitey could probably still break off a curve on the outside corner

Maybe it’s just me, but Yogi could kick the first pitch to the plate and still look good.

[67] That’s really rough.  I lost my dad one year ago, but he was ready to go - he’d gotten to see a grandchild and the election and wasn’t afraid.

Axe girl, Miguel Cairo playing first base, suffering through the worst offense ever…

[78] Think about how many Evony ads we have all had to look at just to get to this point.

After Caray its hard to be too tough on Buck and Chuck.  Grading on a curve.

Woo! .294 obp!

Rollins couldn’t possibly have looked any dumber on that play.

That’s what you want your leadoff hitter to do..

Scrappiness.

lets do this!

Victorino’s double mud flaps bug me.

Ah, sounds like we have the patented NYS polite golf match crowd.

I approve of this start..

Bunting to Tex.  Keep it up.

Dumb Thing #1 Bunting

Dumb Thing #2 Bunting terribly

Dumb Thing #3 Bunting terribly then running way out of the way to avoid getting tagged out

Victorino in a dress was classic New York Post.

[96] I think he was going for the bunt-home run. Short porch and all.

Can you believe this guys? It’s the fucking WORLD SERIES!!!!

Crowd sounds loud to me.  Can never really judge correctly given that it all depends on how the FOX mics are set up.