Yankees Link dump 5-18-2011

Hey we finally won!

Saw a few interesting links this morning  I should pass along....

In today's Daily News, Juan Gonzalez writes about the Yankees parking issue. While this is nothing new at all, and has been covered extensively on this site, it was nice to see some stats finally on the 2011 parking. I can't wait for the city to admit they messed up, they can than lower the prices of the lots and possibly knock some of them down and create some park land for the community around the stadium.


Also in The NY Daily News today was an article about how the Jorge Posada-Joe Girardi goes back deeper then just this season, but goes back to 2005 when Girardi was a coach. Apparently they fought over scouting reports and Jorge skipped the meetings, frustrating Girardi then the bench coach. Really interesting stuff, but after this weekend, Posada looks more and more like a diva. Also this "source" that was used makes me wonder if it was John Flaherty, since he would have been apart of those meetings.

Final article on a lighter note is from the NY Times about babies named after Yankees, of course Mickey Mantle is mentioned but naming a kid Jeter? That seems a bit obvious, either way I plan to name my first born Melky after the former Yankee great.

Time For a Change: Switching The Line Up



Swisher should convince Jeter to get a
mo hawk.

 Six in a row and it's time to panic in the Bronx. Among Yankees fans, I would say that I amongst the cooler heads and won't overreact to a losing streak like this in May. But looking at the losing streak and the games even before the streak the Yankees had not been that impressive. Sure they were out homering everyone, but doing little other wise. So here is my pitch for what Joe Girardi should do with the line up.

1. Derek Jeter - Yes he stays on top of the line up, in the ideal world I would hit Jeter lower, but you can't do that to the captain unless he comes to you and asks to bat lower, especially after this weekend long drama with Jorge Posada hitting 9th. Jeter looked like he was improving, until the Boston series when he turned back into ground ball Derek.

2. Nick Swisher- Before he hits second I think Swisher needs to sit a day, he has looked off and his comments the other day about trying too hard to hit home runs was alarming. Give him a day to clear his head, and then insert him back into the line up hitting after Jeter. Sure the possibility of the ground ball double play could be large, but Swisher was great in this spot last year. He is going to see a ton of fastballs and good pitches to hit, since most pitchers would rather face Swisher then Tex of A-Rod.

3. Robinson Cano- Here is the first big switch, Cano hits third. Robby has frustrated me this season with his lack of patients at the plate but has been the Yankees second best hitter all season long. Other than his slump this past week, Cano has been fairly consistent and deserves the chance to move up and hit third.



If they can play the infield together, they can hit
behind each other

 4. Alex Rodriguez- A-Rod was hitting .385 when he hurt his oblique, since then he has hit just .180 and has looked lost at the plate. Either way, Girardi loves A-Rod in this spot, and it is the best possible spot for him.

5. Mark Teixeira- The move is basically flip flopping Cano and Tex in the line up, Teixeira had a great April and avoided his annual slump, but that seems to have carried over to May. No doubt in my mind Tex will bounce back, but how soon?

6. Curtis Granderson- "The Grandyman can, oh the Grandyman can" that line has been frequently heard on WCBS 880 when John Sterling breaks it out for Granderson. In his second season with the Yankees Granderson has been everything and more from what they expected from him. He already has 14 home runs and has a realistic shot of hitting 40. If Curtis hits 6th, he would be able to collect a few more RBI's. Although I am often against switching guys in the batting order when they are doing well, I do believe that what ever Kevin Long did that night in Texas last August has helped and will continue to show throughout the season.

Granderson has hit many home runs with that bat.

7. Jorge Posada- I hope hitting 7th does not bruise his ego, because this is the best spot for Jorge. I think he is going to turn it around and hit better than the way he has so far, I mean it can't possibly get worse, right?

8. Russell Martin- The Canadian catcher has hit a bit of a slump come May hitting just .167, but he is still getting on base and has had some good at bats. I like hitting him 8th since behind him will be Brett Gardner, and Martin has some speed, so if both get on I wouldn't mind a double steal.

9. Brett Gardner- The way he has played this month has been under the radar, hitting .341 in May and getting on base at almost .100 more than his batting average. The alarming thing has been that Brett has gotten caught stealing more times than he has been safe (CS-6 SB-5). Gardner's hitting may lead to him moving back up to lead off, but I am a big fan of him hitting 9th at this time, creating a double lead off. The one issue I have with Gardner is his lack of base running skills. Sure he is fast, but some of the choices he makes on when to go or not shock me, he also waits way too long to run and the hitter up at the plate take hittable pitches because of this.

The end is near for Jorge Posada: Won't be a Yankee after this year

I don't think the Yanks want to replace Tex with Jorge
anytime soon.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post was the first to bring this up on Twitter the other night, after this year Jorge Posada may no longer wear the Yankee pinstripes. After the 2007 season, the best of the then catchers career, Posada inked a four year $52 million dollar deal, at the time the contract seemed questionable, since Posada was going to be an older catcher. It has turned out to be a bad contract but not terrible, Jorge did miss most of the 2008 season, but was able to play in 2009 and then really declined behind the plate in 2010. This year is the final year of that deal, and now that he can no longer catch, suddenly a place for Jorge is missing.

Sure he could be the DH again next year, but the Yankees have a bunch of older players that need their half days off, and Girardi and Cashman agree they like to leave the DH slot open to resting some of the players. Add in that Posada has yet to hit this year, and that is what he getting paid the big bucks to do, the end of Jorge's Yankee career will likely come to a close after this year.

It's never easy to say goodbye to a modern day Yankee hero, when Bernie Williams was not asked back following the 2006 season, fans were outraged. The truth was their was no place on the team for him, and in 2012 that same fate will loom for Posada.

This whole "Posada-gate" with him asking out of the line up did not help the possibility of him re-signing with the Yankees after this year. If he is not willing to be a team player and hit 9th, when he's hitting .165, than what will he be like as a part time player next season?

Thanks for the memories Jorge.

If the Yankees don't make the playoffs then, we will know that Jorge Posada's final home game in pinstripes is September 25th 2011 against the Boston Red Sox, the same team he had one of his biggest hits of his career against in the 2003 ALCS. Posada's career might not be done, of course another AL team could add him as a DH, or an NL team may have him as a pinch hitter, but going to another team at the end of a players career always takes some shine away from playing with the same team your entire career. But after this past weekends events, and his declining performance on the field 2011 looks to be the farewell tour.

2011 Yankees starting line up predictions

We are less then 24 hours away from the start of the 2011 Yankees season. This off season seemed much longer then the past few, in the past the Yanks were coming off a championship and had added high priced free agents. This off season? Neither, the best off season addition was Rafael Soriano, as we know no championship parade and worst of all Andy Pettitte retired and left the Yanks rotation very thin.

But opening day is a time for optimism, along with predictions on how the Yanks will do. So with that here is a break down of my predictions for the 2011 Yanks starting line up and pitchers.

Russell Martin: Last season Martin played very poorly, but part of that was because Joe Torre treated him as if he was Scott Proctor and played him at third during his off days. But will a bad hip and a change from the NL West to the AL East help or hurt Martin?
Best case: .290/12 home runs/ 70 RBI, plays in over 125 games
Worst case: .240/6 /42  and has to go on the DL for any amount of time
My prediction: .276/10/60 Martin stays healthy, other then the occasionally day to day stuff.

Mark Teixeria: Will this be the season that Tex gets off to a decent start? Well everyone sure hopes, I think that Tex wont be as bad as he was the past two seasons, but he will hit around .250 in April, a respectable but still low for Mark. Last year Teixeria was never able to really get hot, and suffered so many nagging injuries, the key this season, would be to just stay healthy and get off to a decent start.
Best case: .300/38/139 Tex manages to get off to a nice start and never looks back, putting up MVP like stats.
Worst case: .250/30/100 85% of big leaguers would love to have this line, but for Tex it indicates a poor season and a slow start. Also fans begin to lose some patients with Tex in this scenario, they start to compare him to the old A-Rod and say hes "not clutch".
My prediction: .280/34/120 Mark gets off to an OK start, and then heats up and has a year similar to 2009.

Robinson Cano: I love to watch Cano play, and that starts with the fact that I have really gotten to see his game grow since 2005. The Yankees are really counting on Cano to have a season similar to 2010, but are the expectations too high?

Best case: .340/35/125 Cano turns into an absolute beast, hitting for a higher average and adds more power to his game

Worst case: .281/22/88 Cano starts to swing at balls over his head and in the dirt, and the famous "lazy" tag comes back out.

My prediction: .324/30/108 I will say right out that Robbie is my favorite  player, but it seems like everyone expects his to improve by alot, I think Cano will be consistent and have a slightly better season then last year.

Derek Jeter: Ah the captain, this is a tough one since not many shortstops have managed to put up a decent season over the age of 35, but Jeter is determined to change that.

Best case: .330/16/70 The man gets his 3,000 hit, and the fans forget about 2010.

Worst case: .250/9/60 Yankee fans watch Jeter declining right in front of their eyes, suddenly rumors are popping up that Jeter will be moving to the out field, since his defense has gotten worse.

My prediction: .296/10/66 Jeter improves from last season, but still hits into the famous double plays, still lacks range and short and we still hear the rumors. But its Derek Jeter! We look past the flaws and love him anyways.

Alex Rodriguez: uh oh its 2011, an odd year, you know what the means right? A big year for A-Rod, or atleast you would think so since he won the MVP in 2003,2005,and 2007 and shut up the critics in 2009 with a postseason for the ages. But does the trend continue?
Best case: .300/45/136 A-Rod stays healthy and has the big season that everyone expects
Worst case .268/25/110 A-Rod struggles with little injuries or is forced to spend a large chunk of time on the DL. His defense declines more and he still cant catch up on fastballs.
My prediction: .278/33/128 It might be an odd year, but that doesn't equal a huge season in my eyes. But the third basemen finds a way to stay healthy and still have a very very good season.

Nick Swisher: Every ones favorite goof ball had his best all around season last year, but was it a mirage or is he for real.

Best case: .300/30/100 Swish still improves, and suddenly a big pay day will be awaiting him.
Worst case: .255/24/73 Last season was based off luck, and the old Swisher comes back.
My prediction: .284/30/93 It was a quiet spring for Swisher, but don't expect him to be so quiet with the bat this season, I expect alot of the same from Swisher, including an increase in RBI's since he will be batting behind Cano.

Curtis Granderson: It was the tale of two seasons for the Grandy man. The first half: awful. The second: amazing. What half held the real Granderson?
Best case: .291/30/90 Kevin Long shows why he is the best at what he does and suddenly the Granderson trade looks like a steal.

Worst case: .244/16/60 Granderson cant hit lefties and is benched while Austin Jackson has a good season with the Tigers.

My prediction: .273/26/78 Granderson will struggle at times, but he is more consistent and has a nice season.

Brett Gardner: Back in 2008 I hated Gardner, and begged for the Yankees to either send him down or just keep his around as a pinch runner. Good thing I'm not a scout, because Gardner has turned into a great all around player.
Best case: .300/10/52 Brett continues to play great defense, and steals alot.
Worst case: .260/4/36 Gardner battles injuries, and struggles. But still steals alot.
My prediction: .283/8/49 Gardy has another impressive season, and steals...alot.

Jorge Posada: We saw the first core four member retire this past winter, could this be the final season of Posada in pinstripes?
Best case: .285/25/80 Posada is healthy, happy and hitting. Girardi even tosses him a bone and lets him catch every now and then.
Worst case: .240/15/48 Posada battles injuries and has a tough time ajusting to DHing full time. To make things worse he complains about it to the media, causing an issue.
My prediction: .255/22/73 Posada will still hit as long as hes healthy, and aside from the occasional grumble he takes DHing well and the Yanks welcome him back in 2012.

The suprises of spring training

Well this the last week the Yankees will be down in Tampa training until 2012. On of my favorite things is how the storylines are resolved and the unexpected, becomes a reality.

First example, Gustavo Molina as the back up catcher.
 A few weeks back on Talkin Baseball: The Hot Corner I joked the Molina would make the team over Jesus Montero or Austin Romine. Well each day it looks more and more like a solid possability. Molina has had a nice spring, while Montero has struggled and would not get the chance to play everyday in the bigs. Romine missed time, and many feel he is also not ready. I would have said Jorge Posada, but he has yet to catch a single inning in spring training and I doubt he will for the remaining few days. So that leaves it to Molina.

I actually like the Molina idea since, he will just play once a week if that, and when Cervelli comes back they can cut Cervelli they can either send down Molina or Cervelli.

Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia all make the team, with the last two being the fourth and fifth starters.
Yes two of them would have to make the team as the starting pitchers at the back of the rotation, unless the Yanks were going to go with four man rotation. But Sergio Mitre was sadly cut as the long man, and that opened up the role for big Bartolo.

I never expected Colon to be on the roster once opening day hit, I also had my doubts about Nova (I was assuming the Yanks would make a trade) but they both will be pitching in the bigs to start 2011.

Eric Chavez does not get hurt! And makes the team

Whats more shocking that he didnt get hurt or that he made the team? I would say that he was healthy enough, cause I had a feeling Girardi would add him to the roster if he played well, and he has done just that hitting close to .400 this spring.

The winter doldrums are over!

Today Yankee pitchers and catchers report to spring training, symbolizing that winter is over and the warm weather aint far away.

                    So while some players are excited to start a new season

                                                         Others arent

Things to watch for in Spring Training

Hughes,CC and Burnett

Ah the green grass, the crack of the bat and the fresh breeze of a new season starting. No that is not happening in New York yet, but rather in Tampa, Florida where the Yankees pitchers and catchers report tomorrow. With a new season, it brings new questions and things to look for..

The battle for the back end of the rotation: The sky began falling once the Phillies swooped in and signed Cliff Lee, and then completely fell just last week when Andy Pettitte announced his retirement. The pitching rotation starts out strong with workhorse CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and AJ Burnett. But that is followed by a pair of question marks. The main candidates include Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova, and Sergio Mitre along with many rookie long shots.
My prediction before a single pitch is thrown is that the last two starters are Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova.

Montero, Cervelli and Posada

Who's behind the plate? In Gran Torino Clint Eastwood often muttered "Get off my lawn", one of these days I'm expecting Jorge Posada to tell the young catchers to get out from behind his plate. The proud catcher has been told that he will be DHing this season although he insists that he could still catch if he wanted to. The Yanks have top prospect Jesus Montero lined up for the job but are afraid to rush him, Cashman signed Russel Martin this off season and has said on numerous occasions that he will be the starter, and you cant forget about Francisco Cervelli.

My prediction is that Yankee fans will have to wait to see Jesus Montero later in the season, Russell Martin will gain the starting job with Cervelli as his back up.

Eric Chavez in better
and healthier days.

Who's benched: Normally being benched is a bad thing, but in spring training the chance to win a job as a bench player is the goal of many young players and aging veterans. Last season the bombers had Ramiro Pena, Austin Kearns and Marcus Thames as the main stays coming off the bench. The only one of those returning is Ramiro Pena and his job is no longer secure. Former World Series villain Andruw Jones was signed to a guaranteed deal so one spot on the bench is already filled. To fill the infield spot include Pena, Eduardo Nunez, Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard. The first two are more defense oriented and can play multiple infield spots while Chavez and Bellaird are the more famous players, but are known for their bat and aren't as versatile. If the Yanks wanna carry two outfielders instead of two infielders then Greg Golsen and Justin Maxwell could earn a job, but both are long shots.

My prediction is that Ramiro Pena and Ronnie Belliard join Andruw Jones as the main bench guys. I would love to see Eric Chavez get a shot, but the injury risk is too large.

The invited: I have called this off season "The year of the minor league deal" since Brian Cashman was handing these out like it was Halloween. Each season teams invite minor league and major league players players to spring training on a non guaranteed contract. Once in spring training the players battle for any available jobs, the losers of those competitions are either released or sent to the minor leagues. Some noticeable names on the list are former big leaguers Mark Prior, Neal Cotts, and Luis Ayala. Will any of them make the team? Yeah, except that team is the Scranton Yankees.

The Yankees have lost their Miranda rights

Yesterday the Yankees traded away Juan Miranda for A-ball pitcher Scott Allen. This is not loss as at all for the Yankees considering they have both Tex and Swisher who could play first base and if they ever needed an emergency first basemen they could always look to Jorge Posada. The Yankees get back a very young arm, that has a decent curve ball, for the whole scouting report check out River Ave Blues.

I will always remember Miranda for his two walk offs, one a hit in 2009 the other a walk in 2010. But I always felt he looked like Ruben Sierra, thus earning him the nick name Sierra Mist from the guys at WCWPSports and myself. Check it out for yourself..

What does Jorge think of DHing?

Seems safe to say that Posada still thinks he can catch, but stats show otherwise. Earlier this week Jorge's wife Laura tweeted that Posada will be the DH all next season, other news outlets had reported similar things. It makes the most sense that at this time the Yankees use Jesus Montero and add a defense minded catcher as a free agent.

Jesus could be with the Yankees in 2011

From today's NY Daily News : "The consensus among the Yankees' high command is that Montero who turns 21 on Nov. 28 - is ready to assume the starting catcher's job, according to a source with knowledge of the team's thinking."

Its about time, I could no longer watch Jorge Posada constantly running to the back stop to retrieve the ball or not even attempting a throw to second. Scouts have claimed that Jesus Montero is not the best defensive catcher, but is one of the best offensive players in the minors. I'll admit that while I am unsure if Montero is ready it cant hurt to give him a shot, in the mean time, they should go out and sign a catcher who may not produce much with the bat, but is great defensively. Think Jose Molina. If they could do that, they would be able to trade away Francisco Cervelli, and not be forced to call up Montero till after Memorial day and save a year before his is arbitration eligible.

Yankees vs Rangers preview

Tuesday night it was decided. The Yankees would be traveling to Texas, and the AL East champions season was over. After the Rangers lost two straight at home, and the Rays tied the series I though that it would be a Rays/Yanks match up in the ALCS, but the pitching of Cliff Lee proved me wrong. So starting tomorrow night the ALCS will start up in Texas for the first time ever. The Yankees have had their way with the Rangers in the past during the Postseason (1996,1998,1999) but can that was long ago, can the Rangers start a new trend? Here are the position by position break down of the clubs.

Catcher : Jorge Posada vs Bengie Molina

The battle of the aging catchers, the difference? Molina is much better defensively while Posada is the better hitter. Molina can still hit, and we saw that last season while he was with the Giants, but this season had a huge drop off. That said Molina had a nice series against the Rays, blasting a home run and even stealing a base. Posada also had a nice three game series against the Twins, my biggest concern this series with Jorge is will he be able to throw runners out? The Rangers have alot more speed then the Twins, and over the last few weeks of the season Posada only threw out one base runner in 26 attempts. That said it should be interesting to see if in game four of this series when A.J. Burnett pitches if Joe Girardi will ask for Posada or Francisco Cervelli to catch him.
Winner : Slight edge to Posada,because of his hitting, but defense will be key in this series for him.

First Base : Mark Teixeira vs Mitch Moreland

We have our first mismatch ! Moreland is a rookie who has been in just 47 games in his career. While Tex is a player who can hit 47 home runs in a season. Jorge Cantu is the other option at first for Texas, but that doesn't seem to be too frightening, although he has improved since his Rays days. Tex hit well in the ALDS, including a clutch home run in game one. The Yankees would love to continue to get production out of him, something they didn't get much of last postseason.
Winner: Mark Teixeira, c'mon was it that hard?

Second Base : Robinson Cano vs Ian Kinsler

This is close, if you had asked this a few seasons ago, the easy answer would be Kinsler. But after Cano had an MVP caliber season, the answer is no longer that easy. They both play great defense, and are much better then the average second baseman. Kinsler hit three home runs in the ALDS, and could be another weapon to the Rangers powerful line up since he is now healthy. Cano is already a valuable weapon, and should be be fazed about facing Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson.
Edge: Robinson Cano, can't deny a guy coming off an MVP type of year.

Shortstop : Derek Jeter vs Elvis Andrus

Well it would be easy to say that after the type of season Jeter had that Andrus is the better player, and I think that is correct in the long run. But Jeter impressed me in the three games against the Twins and late in September Jeter seemed to be righting himself. Andrus plays a better shortstop then Jeter, but can also hit, he may not be a player with much pop (6 career home runs in 293 games) but he can run. Against the Rays Andrus stole three bases, so it will be key for the Yankees to keep him off base.
Winner: Derek Jeter, its October a.k.a his month

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez vs Michael Young

A-Rod had three of his best seasons of his career in Texas, then asked to be traded, became a Yankee, was booed by the fans in the Bronx, then won a ring last season and it seems like now all is forgiven. Texas was also the place that A-Rod allegedly began to take performance enhancing supplements. Michael Young on the other hand, has remained a Ranger through out his career and during that time has spent time at each infield position. I consider Michael Young to be one of the most under rated players in baseball, even though he isn't the same player that he was a few seasons ago he always provides solid defense while putting up respectable offensive numbers. But with that said, he still isn't in the same class as A-Rod.
Winner: Alex Rodriguez, He may not have the same type of Postseason like he did last year , but hes still A-Rod.

Left Field : Brett Gardner vs Daniel Murphy

Josh Hamilton had been playing left, but I plan to list him as the center fielder. Until then Daniel Murphy will be out in left field for the Rangers. Murphy had a big hit against the Yankees earlier this season off Mariano, to win a game for the Rangers. Murphy is a solid player, but doesn't have much power. The same could be said for Brett Gardner, but Gardner is a game changer with his speed. If the Yankees are going to score runs off Lee and Wilson, they are going to have to get Gardner on base so he can run.

Winner : Brett Gardner, I like the versatility of playing all outfield spots and for his speed.

Center Field : Curtis Granderson vs Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton comes into the series struggling. After sitting out most of the last month of the season JHam looked rusty, and was swinging at pitches out of the zone. Granderson on the other hand was having a great three games against the Twins. So even while Granderson had a great series and swung the bat well the entire month of September, it is hard to go up against the likely AL MVP. Granderson will once again have his hands full with facing Lee and Wilson, both tough lefties. Hamilton will be a key out for the Yankees because if he starts to hit, look out.

Winner: Even an injured Hamilton, beats out a hot Granderson.

Right Field : Nick Swisher vs Nelson Cruz

This is one of the toughest match ups. Both play at the same level of defense, Cruz does have suprising speed for a large guy, and Swisher isn't too fast. Both have about the same power, Cruz may have more, while Swish hits for a higher average. Cruz was banged up most of the season, and Swisher has dealt with a knee injury over the last month of the season.
Winner: Even, too many similarities to choose a clear cut winner.

Designated Hitter : Lance Berkman/Marcus Thames vs Vlad Guerrero

Berkman had a big game two for the Yanks in the ALDS, while Thames added a homer into the mix in game three. But Vlad Guerrero has had a tremendous season, and shows no sign of slowing down come the postseason. Guerrero is a tough bat to get out because he has great plate coverage, he also has tremendous bat speed even for a guy who is getting up there in age, so you cant sneak a fastball by him. The best thing to do would be throw him breaking balls that are just off the plate, this way even if he does hit them, they shouldn't be leaving the yard.
Winner: Vladamir Guerrero

Bench:
Neither bench jumps out at you, the Yankees will have either Thames or Berkman to pinch hit. But neither can play the field or run so once they enter the game it really is just to hit. Ramiro Pena and Greg Golsen could come in for defense or steal a base if needed, especially Golsen. The other option off the bench would be Austin Kearns, who is a solid player. The Rangers counter with ex-Met Jeff Francoeur, who has some pop and a great arm  in the outfield. Julio Burbon is a threat to steal, although he doesn't have the best steal percentage, he is still very fast. Jorge Cantu can hit one out and Christian Guzman was having a decent season with the Nationals before being traded. Guzman does have a bit of speed left also.
Winner: Rangers just have more well rounded players on the bench compared to the Yankees, who have a player who can do just one thing well.

Starting Pitching:

Not long ago they were teammates.

Girardi announced that it would be Sabathia,Hughes,Pettitte and Burnett in that order. I am a big fan of that since Hughes has pitched great on the road,especially in Arlington these past few seasons. The first three have minor question marks, that may not even matter. With Sabathia it will be if he has too much rest and trys to over throw, Hughes still is young and his struggles late in the season and in the 2009 Postseason are still fresh in my mind. Pettitte will be making his fifth start off the injury, and will be against Cliff Lee in what should be a cool evening in the Bronx. The last thing the Yanks would need is for the groin to feel tight. The Yankees do catch a major break in only seeing Cliff Lee only twice in the series. Lee,who could be a future Yankee, has had great success against them and throws strikes. I would recommend that the Yankees don't attempt to wait him out, but swing at the first fastball or flat breaking pitch in the zone. C.J. Wilson did lead the AL in walks, so the Yankees should work the count on Wilson and try and get him out of the game quickly. Lewis and Hunter both were shaky in ALDS starts, especially Hunter. If the Yankees can rattle them, it would be a major benefit.

As for Burnett who I did not mention above, I do have alot of faith in him against the Rangers. This season he had a few decent outings, and will be going against Tommy Hunter who stunk against the Rays. If the Yankees can rattle Hunter at Yankee Stadium, and Burnett gives a decent five innings, it is a simple gain for the Yankees.
Winner: Yankees, especially since they wont see Lee three times

Bullpen:

The Rangers have alot of young arms, but they are all effective and can really dial it up. The Yankees pen has been solid through out the season, and Kerry Wood has been above expectations. Wood did struggle a bit in the series against the Twins, but his aggressive style is good against a aggressive Rangers team. The Rangers did rally twice against Rivera this season, but that was the regular season. Neftali Feliz is a great closer, who throws hard, but also can get wild. The Yankees did get a big come back win against Feliz in Arlington earlier this season.
Winner: Yankees, only cause of Mo

Prediction : Yankees win in six

Yankees vs Twins : 2010 ALDS Preview

The weather has changed in New York, just like the calender and it definitely feels like October. Unlike last season when the Yankees steam rolled into the playoffs, this year has been a different story. The Yankees slide down the stretch with a record of 13-17 in September and the three game series against the Red Sox in October. If the Yanks continue to play like they did the last month of the season, they could be quickly done. So lets take a look at the series for the Yankees by a position by position break down against the Twins.

Catcher : Joe Mauer vs Jorge Posada

Both catchers had "down" seasons, but are by far still part of the elite catching group. Mauer struggled to find his power stroke in Target field, and saw his home run total drop by 19. Mauer did however still hit for an .327 average, but most of his stats were the lowest since his 2007 season. The bigger concern for the Twins and their fans is the fact that Mauer had hurt his knee earlier in the month,but has caught a game since and says that it is fine. Mauer may have not had  a similar season to last year, but Mauer is still one of the best catchers in the game both offensively and defensively.

Jorge Posada had a rough season, the 39 year old catcher had one of his worst seasons of his career. Sure Posada can still hit, but hes always banged up behind the plate, and may be one of the slowest runners in all of baseball. His defense has really declined over the past few seasons and suddenly runners have run all over him resulting in just a 15% (13-72)caught stealing rate.

Winner : Joe Mauer,  best catcher in baseball , even in a "down" year. Posada gets lucky this series that the Twins only have one player (Denard Span) that had double digit steals.

First Base : Michael Cuddyer vs Mark Teixeira

A common theme among these Twins players is a decline in production from last season to this year. The biggest reason is because of the large, out door Target field. Cuddyer saw a large decline in production this year, after a career year in 2009. Cuddyer will be playing first this series, for the injured Justin Morneau but normally plays right field. Cuddyer is an OK defender but nothing special.

Mark Teixeira struggled early in the season but really turned it on right before the break. Tex's final numbers look good, and that's with the early season slump. Tex is banged up a bit with a hand and toe injury and last year had a rough postseason. Teixeira is still one of the best defensive first basemen in all of baseball, and saves the other Yankee infielders from errors.

Winner: Mark Teixeira. Cuddyer is a good player, but Tex is an elite player, even if hes not 100%

Second base : Orlando Hudson vs Robinson Cano

Orland Hudson is one of the best defensive second basemen in the league, but his offensive production has declined over the past few seasons. Last season when Hudson was with the Dodgers, Joe Torre benched him during the postseason.

What can you say bad about Robinson Cano this year? Going into the season, many questioned if Cano would be able to hit fifth behind A-Rod. Well know we know that Cano can not only hit fifth but also third or fourth if needed. Cano, like Hudson is a great defender, and at times i feel his defense has gone under the radar.
Winner: Robinson Cano. He has had an MVP caliber season, not many second basemen are in the same category as Robbie.

Shortstop: J.J Hardy vs Derek Jeter
J.J Hardy was brought over in a trade with the Brewers for Carlos Gomez over the off season. Hardy is an above average fielder, but doesn't bring much else. Hes been a below average hitter the past few seasons, and his power numbers have declined each year. Hardy is also a free swinger, who doesn't draw many walks.

Derek Jeter may have had a down year but when the calender turns to October, Jeter is known to turn it up a notch. Jeter has hit .321 against lefties this season, a good sign for the Yankees who will face two lefties in the first three games.

Winner: Derek Jeter. We could create a whole highlight real with clutch moments in Jeter's career,he isn't called Mr. November for no reason.

Third base : Danny Valencia vs Alex Rodriguez

Valencia came up in June and got off to a hot start, then cooled off a little and had a nice September (5HR, 17RBI). So the rookie can hit, but will he get frustrated and stumble in the postseason under the pressure? Valencia has hit .374 against lefties this season in just 99 at bats.

Its is funny to think back to when A-Rod was once called a choker and fans wanted him out of the big apple. Heck if this was 2006 some fans may have even said they would rather have Valencia on their team. But last year A-Rod changed his image in many Yankees fans minds with a big postseason. I expect much of the same from Rodriguez this year, and they are going to need it if Tex and Cano struggle.

Winner: Alex Rodriguez. C'mon we are talking about comparing the future home run king to a rookie.

Left field: Delmon Young vs Brett Gardner

For years Delmon Young was expected to have a break out season, well 2010 was that year. Young will be hitting in the middle of the Twins line up, so he will have plenty of protection. The key is for the Yankees to allow Young to get himself out, Young is a free swinger who doesn't walk often (28 BB).

Brett Gardner is a fan favorite amongst Yankees fans, and its understandable. Gardner hustles all the time, and is never afraid to lay out for a ball. Gardner could be one of the fastest players in the league, and should be a great challenge against Joe Mauer.

Winner: Delmon Young. These players are as opposite as black and white, but after the year Young just had it's hard to pick against him.

Centerfield: Denard Span vs Curtis Granderson

Span is a pesky slap hitter, that can steal. It just seems like Span is always is the middle of a Twins rally, and could be a pesky player for the Yankees to get out. Span is hard to double up and doesn't strike out often. Span can play all outfield positions, and is a great defender.

Granderson came up with big hits all season (In April against Papelbon and in June vs Arizona) but in the last few weeks of the season Granderson really turned it on. His defense is suspect at times, and he has been known to take weird routes to the ball but is never afraid to dive for a ball and has an decent arm. This year Granderson hasn't stolen as many bases as in the past, but still has great speed. Nobody can replace Hideki Matsui, and the postseason he had last year but if I had to choose a Yankee to have a big playoff run I would choose Granderson.
Winner: Curtis Granderson. Both players are fast, but after that the comparisons end. Granderson will have his hands full with two lefties in the first three games.

Rightfield : Jason Kubel vs Nick Swisher

Kubel is known for his hitting, and even with larger park this year it still didn't stop him. He may not play the best defense, but his bat will make up for it. Kubel may be able to hit but this season his biggest offensive weakness has been facing lefties (.225 BA), so expect to see Boone Logan late in the game.

Will Swisher's knee be alright? Because Swish plays a large role in extending the line up, and with him not at full health it makes for a weaker Yankees line up. Swisher is an alright defender, who gives it his all, again they need his knee to hold up or else Greg Golsen or Austin Kearns will be getting some playing time.
Winner: Even. Its close because of Swisher's injury and the fact he struggled last postseason. If I was forced to make a decisions I would go with Swish.

Designated Hitter: Jim Thome vs Marcus Thames/ Lance Berkman

Thome was signed to be a role player and occasionally start in Minnesota, they never expected him to become an MVP candidate. Once Morneau went out Thome stepped up and has gotten so many clutch hits for the Twins, especially down the stretch. Thome has the experience of being in the Postseason, so he wont be frightened by the bright lights, but he will face the challenge of facing two tough lefties in games one and two.

Marcus Thames also was never expected to produce the way he has this season. When he was signed they wanted him to step in against Lefties and he has done great in that role, but Thames can also hit right handers  and actually has more home runs in less at bats against right handers. The down fall of Thames is if the game is late, expect to see a pinch runner, and for no reason should he ever step foot in the outfield.

When the Yankees got Lance Berkman, I felt it was a great pick up. But Berkman has not hit like he was suppose to, even with a hot streak in late September Berkman hit only .255.

Winner: Jim Thome. Even if the Yankees platoon is suppose to hit the opposing pitchers well, Thome carried this Twins club down the stretch, hard to argue against that.

Bench

Both bench's aren't that impressive but the Yankees will have either Thames or Berkman on the bench along with Austin Kearns, all players that could start on other MLB clubs. The Yankees also will have Ramiro Pena on the bench for defense, but he can steal a bag. Bringing Greg Golsen as a pinch runner is a good move, could be like Dave Roberts in 2004.

The Twins bench is loaded with young inexperienced players. Alexi Casilla can back up all the infield spots, and could be a threat to run late in the game. Back up catcher Drew Butera has thrown out 43% of runner attempting to steal and is great behind the plate. Jason Repko is a good defensive out fielder off the bench, he can hit a bit and steal a base if needed.

Winner: Yankees bench. Not the greatest bench, but well rounded.

Starting Pitchers

The Twins will throw Francisco Liriano in game one. Liriano had a great season, but faultered in his last few starts of the season. In game one CC Sabathia will be up against Liriano, Sabathia was key to the Yanks postseason run last year. CC has been a CY Young candidate all year, and against a lefty heavy Twins line up should be at his best.

In game two the Twins will throw Carl Pavano, the guy who once pitched for the bombers and never earned his paycheck. Pavano has been dominate against the Yankees over his career and will be at home in Target Field. Andy Pettitte is the key to this series if you ask me. Pettitte has had one great start, one bad start and one OK start since coming back from the DL. If the Yankees are going to make a run deep into October, they will need an effective Pettitte.

Game three will be a wild one in the Bronx. Phil Hughes will get the ball at home, a place where he has struggled this season and given up alot of home runs. Opposing him will be Brian Duensing, who was 10-3 with an ERA under three. But Duensing is a young pitcher and could be rattled by coming into Yankee Stadium for a rowdy Saturday night crowd. If the series is tied at one, this would be a huge game.

Winner: Twins. Both teams will be going with just three pitchers, so if the game goes the distance of five, expect to see the game one and two starters again. That should be interesting since Pettitte is coming off an injury and last threw on three days rest for game six of the 2009 World Series.

Bullpen

The Twins loaded up on closers this year after Joe Nathan went down with an injury. They had planned to use Jon Rauch as their closer, but then traded for Matt Capps. Both players are having great years. Then the Angels released Brian Fuentes and the Twins added him to their roster, so they have three players that could be closing elsewhere. Aside from those players they still have Jesse Crain who is always a work horse out of the pen and also Matt Guerrier who has held batters to a .219 BAA.

The Yankees bullpen has also been a bright spot this season. Mariano Rivera had a great year until September, but Mo is still Mo and should be great come October. Kerry Wood may have been the best deadline deal that Cashman has ever made, but walks too many batters, I wouldn't be surprised if he blew up in a big spot. Joba, Logan and Robertson all have pitched well in the second half of the season.
Winner: Twins. The Yankees have a good bullpen, but the Twins have better relievers and have more depth.

Prediction : Yankees in four

The Yankees have beat up on the Twins since 2003, even with the Yankees limping into this postseason, this team is too stocked with talent to lose. The Yanks may have questions in the rotation, but if all works well I expect the Yanks to win this in four games.

Jorge Posada on the Today show talking about his son

Jorge and Laura Posada were on the Today show this morning talking about their new book in stores today. Glad to see his son is doing better.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Yankee Stadium Experience 8/18 Yanks vs Tigers

8/18 tix with Jorge and Mo on them.

It was time to head back up to the Bronx, this time to see former Yankee Johnny Damon and the Tigers. I had on my Yankees Damon jersey and was looking forward to seeing him during batting practice in left field. Once I got to the stadium, it was drizzling and Damon was shagging fly balls in center field. Damon would eventually head in to take his turn hitting but by that time security had kicked all the fans out of the field level that didn't belong.

So it was up to my seats in the bleachers, I had noticed it a few times but in the bleachers behind section 237/238 area there is a sign that says "Advanced ticket kiosk", yet no kiosk is in sight  only hot dog and beer vendor.

Wholly Guacamole nachos for $8.50

Since my friend and I had some time to kill before the game we grabbed nachos from Wholly Guacamole. For $8.50 they gave you a fair amount of nachos along with as many toppings as you want. In other stadium news I also saw somebody actually buy a shirt and program from the souvenir stand located below my seats. For most of the season, it seemed as if nobody even would look at the small stand but i guess tonight was their lucky night. I'll never understand paying $30 for a player tee when if you go to modells you can get them for $18.

The line ups were announced and Damon got a warm reception, nothing Matsui like but still a nice cheer, Damon was 1-3 with a stolen base. It was Jeremy Bonderman who was once suppose to be a star against Dustin Moseley. The Yanks got a quick lead on back to back homers by Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano, but not before Brett Gardner was hit by a pitch. The Gardner hit by pitch was something I had expected after Monday when he slid hard into second to try and break up a double play, Carlos Guillen was hurt on the play and has missed the past few games.

Moseley was so-so for his five innings he was in the game, he did give up two bombs to Miguel Cabrera (who had hit a ball 15 rows up in the left field bleachers during batting practice and left a dent on the bench). But the Yanks offense woke up, even Ramiro Pena joined the cause with a RBI triple (who needs A-Rod !). Curtis Granderson also would add a homer against his former team. Granderson seems ready to break out of his season long slump, although he did strike out against a lefty with the bases loaded later in the game.

For this game I was sitting in my bleacher seats in 235, at the start of the game even with the Yanks offense putting some runs on the board the crowd really didn't seem into the game. By the fifth with the Yanks holding a 7-4 lead the bleachers got a bit rowdier. It started with a fight a few sections over between two girls, both being ejected. Thought out the game I heard a few Detroit sucks chants and the ol' A-hole chant (not exactly that way but you should get the point).

As the Yankees pounded away at the Tigers holding a 9-4 lead in the eighth, the Yanks called Chad Gaudin in. Gaudin hit the first batter Miguel Cabrera and then proceeded to load the bases. A grand slam would have lead to the lead cut to one, but apparently to some it didn't matter. The people in section 235 were to busy trying to start the wave. The wave starters kept trying and started to get off the wave a few times, and since 235 of the bleachers is right below, yet next to the main section. One fan was trying to convince the wave starters to start the wave towards the main section, while leaning over the railing I made sure to tell him to jump. The Yanks managed to get out of the inning by only allowing one run, and for myself I was lucky that the fans finally stopped trying to do the wave.

This is not the same sign, but you get the point

The Yankees would nail down the 9-5 victory by bringing in the great Mariano Rivera to finish it. Through out the game I had noticed that the security at the stadium now holds small stop signs at the top of each section. On the sign it reads to please be curtious and wait until the end of the at bat to go to your seat. It is a great idea since it can get really annoying with people walking up and down sections, but the bleacher guards didn't have any sign. I guess the figure that for the fans paying the cheapest tickets, it doesn't matter if they get bothered with people moving around all game.

Overall it was one of the rowdier games of the season, even though it wasn't against an opponent that the Yanks have had a long history with. It should be noted that this was the bombers first win that I had attended since June, I had been on a three game losing streak. The final from the Bronx : Yankees 9 Tigers 5

Next probable game September 1st vs the Oakland A's.

Oh, and one last note, when Jorge Posada comes up I am all for the hip,hip Jorge chants. But if nobody is responding please do not continue to yell it. It just seems silly when a fan keeps yelling hip hip.

Some Pictures from the game :

Looks like this places has closed down, it was right across from the old stadium.

Over cast Yankee Stadium.

View from left field during batting practice.

What was once a tray of nachos is now empty. Nice Yankees logo at the bottom.

The shop that I never see anyone buy stuff from until tonight.

The crowd early in the game.

May have been a quiet crowd at the start but once the camera guy comes around people wake up and try and get on the big screen.

The people in my row kept moving over and eventually this is what my size of my seat turned into.