First!

Pretty lame that the game is scheduled the same time as the Giants game.

Is there a way to factor in the extra arms that are going to be available in the bulpen?  SP matchups will mean less in this game, b/c both managers will have quicker hooks and more guys to use.  Kazmir as a loogy, for example. 

Pitching might be a wash when you factor in Kazmir and Lackey giving the angels innings. 

Also, J, go to a bar and watch both games at the same time.  It’s heaven.

Did you guys know Phildelphia Phillies 2009 NL Champs Gears is available, and 3-Day Shipping is only $4.99? PhillyChamps.com!

What would the Yankees odds of a WS win be w/ CC pitching games 3 and 7 vs. 1, 4, and 7?  Just want to make myself sick over how important this game is.

[5] Using my POOMA math:
CC in games 1/4/7 = Yankees 99% Phildelphia 1%
CC in games 3/7 =  Yankees 1%  Phildelphia 99%

Also, in both scenarios Red Sox 0% (Too soon?)

Man. 7 outs away from avoiding all this crap. If they play Jeter two steps to the left, he gets to that grounder and they go to the 8th with the lead and Rivera ready to come in at the first sign of trouble.

Yes, it’s still bugging me.

Anyone ever bought a quarter (or half, or whole) cow from a farm? How long can you freeze beef for. Yes, I’m killing time before the game.

I believe any time past five months and you’re pushing it, j.

simply theoretical.

Not like most of your posts, which directly result in the Yankees’ practical decisions.

I kid because I love.  Actually, this theoretical post is very practical in that it might help us move on to discuss other matters, like that Girardi said that the only player he’d consider starting over Swisher is Hairston, and that he thinks Robertson’s velocity is down, but no, he’s not hurt.

[10]

What?!?!?!  on both issues.  Since when did Gardner fall behind in the depth chart?  Or is he saving him for a chance where he can pinch run (but not steal)?

So Saunders/Petitte followed by CC/Lackey would be .8487 by my calculations

MSM keys to the game.  The Angels must score early to take the crod out of the game.  The Yankees must score early to regain the momentum (far more important then the 3 runs they gave up) they squandered.

[11] Handedness re TSBG.

[9] Thanks. I may have to in on it with my neighbor, then.

[2] Yup, the geniuses at Fox and MLB decided that going up against the Giants in NY on Sunday night was a better idea than either playing this afternoon or moving yesterday’s game up.

I don’t know why one would expect Fox to move up the game’s start time, as it would interfere with their Sunday NFL broadcasts.

I’m sure they’d rather it interfere with NBC’s NFL broadcast, even if it means losing some viewers that are NY Giants fans.

[7] Man. 7 outs away from avoiding all this crap. If they play Jeter two steps to the left, he gets to that grounder and they go to the 8th with the lead and Rivera ready to come in at the first sign of trouble.

I share that view.

NYT:

Guerrero is a pull hitter, Hughes explained, so shortstop Derek Jeter was shading him that way. The ball skipped through the middle instead, past Jeter’s dive, and into center field.

I would really like to see the hit distribution charts and/or scouting reports that the Yankees used to position Jeter.

Vlad’s hit against Papelbon was up the middle also.

18: Guerrero Hit Chart

http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/individual_player_hitting_chart.jsp?c_id=ana&playerID=115223&statType=1

According to charts, he is not an up-the-middle hitter.

This series isn’t over yet???

In all fairness the Yankees have seemed to place their fielders pretty well so far in the PS now if only Joe didn’t feel the need to tinker with his bench and bullpen so much.

[20] It doesn’t breakdown what he does when you factor in pitch type and velocity.

Well if you want to see million dollar scouting you are going to have to steal Joe G’s book. 

Everything else aside, he hasn’t had more than a few up the middle grounders in 2009, compared to pull shots, but nothing like repositioning fielders the next day.

[24] !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope we’ve put this game away by the 4th inning, I only have a few toenails left to bite.  Good thing I took all those Yoga classes.  And if we lose, perish the thought, lets lose quick and big.

Girardi said if he had repaced Swisher it would have been with Hairston, not Gardner.  Now I would play Swisher today also, but if I had to replace him it would not have been with Hairston.  Of course Joe had the brainstrom of PHing Hairston for Gardner the other day which eventually resulted in us losing the DH and Cervelli batting in extra innings.  The scary thing is Girardi believes in all his bonehead moves and he will probably subject us to them for many post seasons to come.

Seriously, I want Weaver in the game by the 3rd inning. And for Battle Cat to go 7.2, 2 ER.

I want Gaudin to pitch 8 and 9 because we’ll be winning like 15-2 and I can watch Dexter and Curb.

[24] Everything else aside, he hasn’t had more than a few up the middle grounders in 2009, compared to pull shots, but nothing like repositioning fielders the next day.

Yeah, no one could have guessed that Vlad, who according to most reports has lost some bat speed, wouldn’t pull a Phil Hughes fastball.

Not to mention that Jeter’s range is better to his right than it is to his left.

Girardi and co. are infallible. I get it.

If we lose this game 6-5 or something despite having a good offensive night I will come back here and tell you all how right I was about CC.

I can watch Dexter and Curb.

Mad Men!

Bernie is throwing out the first pitch.

“Well if you want to see million dollar scouting you are going to have to steal Joe G’s book.

Everything else aside, he hasn’t had more than a few up the middle grounders in 2009, compared to pull shots, but nothing like repositioning fielders the next day.”

“Girardi and co. are infallible. I get it.”

X: “Here’s the hard data I have access to, it argues for option A.”

Y: “If you disagree with me, it must be because you stupidly think Girardi is perfect.”

[34] Here’s what I was reacting to: “but nothing like repositioning fielders the next day.”

I don’t accept the premise that any questioning of a strategic decision is a second guess.

I thought that was obvious.

Well, we can all agree that the Yanks lost. And, we all agree we wanted them to win.  Better to blow a game up 3-1, then down 3-1.

[33] Over/under on number of bounces before it reaches the plate?

On the positioning on fielders scandal - if Hughes throws that pitch were it should have been (waayyy up and out of the zone) or doesn’t shake off Jorge’s call for the curve, it’s totally moot. Should they position fielders on the assumption pitchers will be missing their spot by a mile?

Should they position fielders on the assumption pitchers will be missing their spot by a mile?

They should position fielders where they are most likely to hit the type of pitch thrown, while also considering its velocity and in some cases, a fielder’s skillset. I don’t think you can count on pitch being thrown to a pinpoint location.

One more point: It’s possible that Jeter was positioned where the most advanced data and scouting reports would dictate, but it sometimes seems that if you dare to question a decision, that you are out of line no matter what the underlying facts are.

The pitch was supposed to be up and in.  The pitch was low and in the middle.  There is no way to position a player for a pitch that is so off.  If the pitch stays up, but veers over thew middle, Jeter is there.  If the pitch is inside, but lower, Jeter is there.

You have to make decisions based on the relative location of the intended pitch. Hughes pitching mistake, not Girardi’s or Pena’s. Vlad isn’t the Vlad of old, but if you lay it in there, he will place it where he wants to.  The Yanks were lucky it wasn’t a little higher and he didn’t humiliate them with a HR.

Of all the mistakes to question, I just don’t see how this is one of them.

I’m watching Game 1 of the 2000 WS on YES right now, if Pettitte is anywhere near the pitcher he was then, pitching location won’t be questionable tonight until the pen is called again.  And hopefully Hughes will come close to making his pitches.

“I don’t accept the premise that any questioning of a strategic decision is a second guess.”

Then instead of reaching for the snide, why not write, “That’s a good dataset supporting your point, which would be further strengthened by noting Vlad’s resurgence, but I’m not relying on hindsight - I thought and in fact wrote here at the time that Jeter should have been playing straight up.  Compare earlier ABs by Vlad this series, yadda yadda.  Maybe you haven’t considered my cited point about Hughes’s fb being faster/specialerthan average so less likely to be pulled”.

FWIW I don’t see the premise you claim above being asserted, just the well-known psychological fact that expectation bias is insidious.

[38] I’d be surprised to learn that location doesn’t affect where the ball goes.  Two steps is only a degree or two.

“but if you lay it in there, he will place it where he wants to.”

Is this true?  I figure he’ll make more and better contact on pitches down the chute, but he can’t aim ground balls even on bad pitches, can he?  And for that matter he didn’t even make good contact.

I am SOOOOOO happy with HD.  This 2000 game looks like $hit.  I feel like there is something wrong with my eyes.  I don’t know how we were content with this view of the game just 5-8 years ago.

“I feel like there is something wrong with my eyes.”

Maybe your modern system isn’t optimized for showing old-format data?

I guess 50” is a bit much for a non-HD stream.  Looks perfect in 1080i.

I can’t take this waiting…......
I watched Milk last night. It was pretty good, not the “great” film I’d been led to expect but purdy good.
Has anyone seen A Serious Man yet?  I’ve read nothing but great reviews.
I know we have a lot of Coenheads on board.
I think I’ll go see it after the Yankees WIN THE ALCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eat me doomsayers. I don’t mean you lads, unless of course you dare to say doom.

This waiting is killing me. I really want to crack my Guinness, but must wait. Be patient and good things will come.

If you can find it, Sugar(2009) is a good movie about players coming up through the system from the Dominican Republic.

[49] I wanted to see that earlier this year at PIFF, but had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t make it. Also, one of the At The Movies guys (the real critics that took over for the awful Bens) highly recommended it a couple weeks ago.

I think its out on DVD.

“A Serious Man yet?  I’ve read nothing but great reviews.”

The New Yorker (Denby) pretty much hated it.

Definitely have a lot of loomsayers on the board.

I am still optimistic.  I really like this Yankees team.

Then instead of reaching for the snide, why not write, “That’s a good dataset supporting your point, which would be further strengthened by noting Vlad’s resurgence, but I’m not relying on hindsight - I thought and in fact wrote here at the time that Jeter should have been playing straight up.  Compare earlier ABs by Vlad this series, yadda yadda.  Maybe you haven’t considered my cited point about Hughes’s fb being faster/specialerthan average so less likely to be pulled”.

FWIW I don’t see the premise you claim above being asserted, just the well-known psychological fact that expectation bias is insidious.

You’re going to counsel others about the inclusion of a snide remark in a post? If you don’t see the hypocrisy in that, you’re as self-aware as Ronan Tynan. (That’s meant as a joke, btw.)

Seriously rilke, stop stalking me. We don’t have a high opinion of each other. BFD.

If you are ever in NJ, we can discuss it over drinks (on me), but this has become beyond boring.

Until then, try to move on.