Nice to see Pena again. This is such a scary deep team.

Going back to the previous thread, and its discussion of the crapshotty nature of the playoffs:

One of the sillier aspects of baseball is the fact that you play for five months with an off-day only every few weeks, and then suddenly you’re practically playing one game per two days.  Suddenly, the depth, pitching depth particularly, that has been so important for 162 becomes almost irrelevant.  With all the off-days and gaps between series, the teams with top-heavy pitching have an advantage over teams that have relied on a solid rotation and a deep bullpen.

The truest test of the best team is the regular season.  The playoffs are always a crap shoot to some extent and best of 5 series are a joke. Frog is exactly right that the off days distort everything by giving teams without any pitching depth a leg up.

[2] Which is why Detroit will still be dangerous.  Despite their lack of offense, beating a team with Verlander/Jackson in a 5 game series is no easy task.

Or, Froggy, you could say that a team must be both pretty deep (to make the playoffs) and pretty front-line dominant (to win them) to be a champion.

But that doesn’t justify a 5-game series in a sport like baseball.  It’s simply out-and-out ridiculous.  Stupid.  Unsatisfying.  Unfair.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.

The way to beat Verlander in the playoffs is to refuse to schedule day games in NY.

2009

Day: ERA: 1.54 / BAA: .185
Night: ERA: 4.53 / BAA: .269

I think a blanket statement that the baseball playoffs are flawed is valid.

Rich - curious.  Theories?

Did they have more day games at the begining of the season?  He got off to a pretty slow start.  His first 4 starts he compiled a 9.0 ERA, after that he’s had a 2.46 ERA.

Are the numbers for last year similar?

[8]It might be anomalous:

2008

Day: ERA: 5.06   / BAA: .240
Night: ERA: 4.72 / BAA: 260

2007

Day: ERA: 3.32 / BAA: .231
Night: ERA: 3.87 / BAA: .234

2006

Day: ERA: 2.78   / BAA: .250
Night: ERA: 3.99 / BAA: 273

If there is an true effect, it could be that his pitches are tougher to pick up during the day.

Career.  Last year he just wasn’t very good in either situation.

Slightly off-topic, before bolt will destroy gay at the track and fields world championships, a stunningly cute British girl won the Heptathlon.

Matsui has some fluid on one of his knees. Girardi is a little concerned. It’s another reason not to consider re-signing him, almost no matter what.

“ON” one of his knees?  This has nothing to do with the porno collection, does it?

13-I love those cute girls in running shorts.  I jog and I’m really slow and suck at it so I can never keep up with the ultra cuties in front of me who I’d love to “tailgate.”

The 5 game series is by far, the worst aspect. I always thought the number of off-days in the playoffs had just as much to do with television scheduling as it did with giving players some time off.

[14] was there really any chance of Matsui being resigned anyways? He really messes with the teams flexibility. He’s hitting well but I doubt he was in the Yankees’ plans for next year anyway.

Bolt won, of course. new WR, 9.58 seconds.

[13] Pole Vaulters. That is all. And middle distance runners.

High jumpers.  Didn’t Playboy feature a high jumper on their cover last Olympics.

Librarians.

...

...

What did I say?

I always thought the hurdlers were quite attractive.  Could have been SSS at my school though.

[21] Cody Ransom appeared in Playboy ?

[23] depends 100 hurdlers can often fall into the sprinter category of having way more muscles than I do. And I’m definitely not your prototypical skinny distance runner.

Shhhhh.  Why do you think no MLB teams gave him a proper chance.

Can we trade Brackman and Betance for Strasburg?  Throw in Romine?

[18] Someone brought it up after his four hit game, which is what my post referenced. I agree that it wouldn’t be a prudent use of the 25 man roster.

Bike messengers.  The legs go up and down, up and down.

Supermodels

Texas up 3-2 in the 6th.

Porno actresses.  At least the silicone free ones.

[32] I always thought silicone free porno actresses were a myth. Like unicorns or eskimos.

4-2 Texas in the 6th.

Jeter keeps on keeping on.

Do they seriously know how many hits Honus Wagner had as a shortstop?

Derek Jeter girlfriends

Wow, this ump has no consistent zone either.

Good Joba, please.

Even though it’s more random, and may disadvantage the Yankees a bit this year, I prefer the 5 games series.  I’d rather have both the DS and the CS be 5 games (like the CS was in the 70’s) and save the 7-game series for the World Series.

The playoffs are too long.  Plus, 2004 would have been avoided.

Nice play, Swish.

I think this is one of the recent Yankee teams best constructed for the post season. With a top two like CC and AJ and a choice between Joba and Battle Cat as 3 that’s a really strong post-season rotation.

Remember when we thought Swisher could possibly play center field? Can you imagine him playing center field now that we’ve watched him all year?

Nice 1-2-3, Joba!

A 6 pitch inning!

good Joba, thank you.

Stupid Pedroia - 4-3 Rangers.

Cy Fister.

Was there even a top of the second?

I once got hit in the face by a flyball in the sun like that.

this umpire is really, really bad.

We must hope Chris Berman is not aware of Fister’s existence….

How’s the velocity?

90-94

93-95 that inning 90-93 in the first.

The Yankees will likely get to Fister for a few the second time through.

Slider is ranging from the low to upper 80s.

Since Joba knows he is not going to be pitching again for awhile, do you think there’s anything to be said for the “he’s giving his pitches more ‘oomph’” theory that Flaherty and Singleton were suggesting?

Because he looks amazing so far.

Pena breaks up the no hitter.

Beautiful bunt.

That is a dandy bunt.

Jeter got a hit, Rich.

[51]
Hehehehe

Setting up the DP.

[61] I am an idiot.

Brian Anderson, your Red Sox starting right fielder!

Hilarious.

I half-expected the ump to call that last ball a strike.

Jeterian.

What a job scoring on that hit by Pena!!

Pena is faster than I thought.

Jeter!

RUN(S)!

No more Mordecai Three-Finger Fister.
(Speaking of Berman…)

So Jeter has the most hits ever by a shortstop (we presume). That’s pretty darn cool.

Jeter doesn’t get what’s the big deal with Fister.

Pena looked like he was cruising to a stop at third, then took off again.

True or False: If Derek Jeter retires tonight he goes into the Hall of Fame 1st ballot.

Fister? I hardly kno-

I’ll stop.

According to GD, 2 of the three balls to Tex were strikes.
Although near the bottom of GD’s zone, which Rilke tells me is almost never called…

75- True. Tied for most hits as a SS + Clutchitudity + Plays the game The Right Way

Fister? I hardly kno-

Winner.

[75] True to 200%

It would only have been a question if his entire career was with the Expos/Nats. With the rings and the media attention (love)? It’s already a no-doubter.

[75] They already have his exhibit in place with a tarp thrown over it. Yes.

[75]
Even if he had no statistics - just for Being Derek Jeter(c).

The press loves him like he was a Red Sock.

This is going to be the final score.

[83]
Zing!!!!!!!!!!!

Sick movement on that fastball.

The BoSox’s #8 and #9 hitters are bee-root-al right now. Anderson and Gonzalez both struck out with the tying runner on second base. Going to the bottom of the eighth now.

The Sox WILL have the top of the lineup up against Frank “Throws chairs better than he threw pitches to Boston the other night” Francisco, so that’s scary.

There will be no ballot for Jeter.  The Pope will declare him a HOFer the day he retires.

Walking Lederhosen wasn’t cool, Joba.

[87] “The Pope”

George Mitchell?

Joba went from AMAZING to giving up a hit to Josh Wilson.

Odd.

[87] Does the flip throw count as a miracle?

That was really nice baserunning by Langerhans reading that ball off of the bat well.

Nice leap.

Why face the terrifying .230 of Langostino when you can walk him and pitch to Wilson’s .160-something?

Actually, Damon holding Wilson to a single on that hit may be a miracle.

76, 79—uh, 51, people…..
but thanks for spelling it out for the slow kids

[96]
And referenced and elucidated upon in [71]

(not to mention 71 and 73…ok, now this is getting like the joke about the convicts…)

Bad Joba!

That sucked.