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

2010 ALDS review : Yankees over Twins in 3

Last night the Yankees finished off the Twins, and are one more step closer towards the goal of as always, winning the World Series. But the Yankees will need to continue to play the way they did against the Twins, since they will have a tough match up in either the Rays or Rangers. But before we move on to the next series, lets review the last one.


The Good

• Curtis Granderson had a nice three games going 5-11 (.455) while driving in three runs. Granderson had a clutch triple in game one and seemed to be in the middle of a few rallies.
• He only hit .286 but Derek Jeter, had good at bats and hit the ball hard a few times, just right at the fielders.
• Lance Berkman was irrationally disliked by Yankee fans because he got off to a slow start but in game 2, had a pair of clutch hits.
• The hitting in general was great, it was a team effort all around, and all players contributed. Only one batter hit below .273, and that was Brett Gardner (.200)
• What happened to those question marks behind CC Sabathia ? Andy and Hughes came up big for the Yankees. Hughes was lights out in game three, pitching seven shut out innings , while Pettitte gave seven strong innings of two run ball in game two.
• Mariano Rivera is just so good, doesn't matter that he struggled in September.

The Bad

• It is hard to find issues when the Yankees just outplayed the Twins, but their excellent play could come back to burn them. The Yankees now have to wait six days between games, of course rest is always a plus, and the Yanks can set the rotation, but they were playing great baseball and never want to see the momentum broken up.
• CC struggled on a few extra days rest, of course I have the most faith in Sabathia , but he will have to wait an awful long time again before his next start.
• Kerry Wood looked shaky in the bullpen. His command is always an issue, but he did give up a few hits. The only thing I was upset about in game three was that Girardi brought him into a 6-1 game, and then Wood struggled. The last thing they want to do is hurt his confidence after he was so good.
• Joba Chamberlain didn't pitch in a single game,and I cant even remember him warming up once. David Robertson only pitched .2 innings.

Yankees sweep the Twins away, move on to ALCS

After winning the first two games of the series on the road the Yankees came home to a loud crowd Saturday night and finished off the Twins.

Much was made about the question marks in the Yankees rotation following CC Sabathia. Well ironically, Sabathia struggled in his first start, but was still able to pitch well enough to earn himself a victory, but Pettitte and Hughes out pitched him.

The Yanks bats contributed, in all three victories. Derek Jeter looked to be back to old October form, while Curtis Granderson had a nice series in his Yankees playoff debut.

The Yankees will now have to wait six days until they play again Friday night, when they will be the visiting team.
Make sure you check back tomorrow as the ALDS report card will be released to wrap up the series. Until then just eight more victories until the Yankees accomplish the mission for title 28.

Round one resurgence : Two down one to go

The Twins would once again score first, but the Yankees would be the team that would once again have the last laugh. In game two of the 2010 ALDS the Yankees sent Andy Pettitte to the mound. The start was surrounded by question marks, he had three starts since his return from the DL and had an ERA of 6.75. But Andy showed up once again in the big stage, pitching seven inning while giving up just two runs.

Curtis Granderson had a productive night going 3-4 while Lance Berkman had two clutch hits. His first was an absolute Lazar to left center that left the yard and gave the Yankees the lead. His second clutch hit would come with the score tied at two, Berkman stepped to the plate, and after a question pitch that was called a ball , Berkman slashed a double to left center to score Jorge Posada.

Its great to see Berkman who had struggled during his time with the Yankees this season come through in clutch spots in the Postseason. Fans had been losing patients in the switch hitter, but with a few postseason hits all can be quieted.

Pettitte on the other hand showed that he is healthy and still able to get the job done when it mattered. This game was significant for the Yanks since they are unsure what they are about to get out of Phil Hughes when they return home for game 3. It also locks up the fact that if the Yankees do advance that they know that they will have at least to pitchers they can rely on. With the victory tonight Andy has a total of 19 Postseason wins, and although people may argue that he has done it over three rounds of playoffs it is still an impressive stat.

So who is tonight's player of the game in the Yankees 5-2 win ? Well it would've easy to say Andy Pettitte, but Lance Berkman also deserves credit for getting a pair of go ahead hits. They both deserve credit for the Yanks victory so they are the co-players of the game.

One game down, two to go. Yanks win 6-4

Tex and the Yankees roll in game one against the Twins. Some big moments include Curtis Granderson hitting a go ahead triple,and Mariano Rivera getting out of a bases loaded jam in the 8th. But the team hero last night was Mark Teixeira who gave the Yankees the lead after CC blew the previous one. Tex struggled last postseason, so lets hope game one is a sign that Tex is primed for a big postseason.

Favorite Yankees moment at Target Field

Well the Yankees have only played three games at Target Field this season, and won two of three. Hopefully tonight and tomorrow the Yankees will create a memorable moment in the Twins new park. But until they do just that, the video below is my favorite moment to happen there.



If your a bit tense before watching tonight's game one, I hope that made you smile. Last season I was alot more confident in the Yankees and was more excited for the playoffs. This year I am still really excited but coming of the 2009 championship, it is hard to compete. This postseason I'm much more nervous, and that could be because of the September slide of the Yanks.

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.

Let the Postseason begin !

What else could get you more pumped up for the Postseason then getting the tickets you order for the ALDS. Yes it is game four, that might not even be played but hey its that time of year again.

I like the looks of the tickets,but would love to see the season ticket holders version. In my opinion, for games like the postseason, hard tickets are a must, not those crappy print out tickets.

ALDS preview coming tomorrow, so make sure you check back for an update.

Yankees win the Wild Card

The Rays and Yankees seemed to wanting the other team to win the division, both teams losing at an alarming pace for teams that had been so good during the regular season. When the Yankees lost the last two games against the Red Sox it was a done deal that they would indeed be the Wild Card champions.

This brings me to the fact that the while the Rays popped corks in Kansas City as AL East champs, the Yankees did not celebrate winning the wild card, and why would they? The Yanks goal was to win the east and then go ahead and win # 28. To some the wild card could be looked at as a disappointment for the Yanks, but they gave the Rays so many opportunity's in September.

The Yanks will now head to Minnesota to face the Twins. The bombers have beaten the Twins in the ALDS in 2003, 2004 and 2009, but this season it will not be as easy. I will have a playoff preview sometime in the next few days.

The last thing about this wild card stuff, why on earth do they bother to print up wild card champion shirts? I mean I could understand if it was the Pirates or Royals that just made the postseason and they want to celebrate making it, but when your the Yankees their is no need to celebrate the fact that they came in second place. In fact I would be ashamed of any Yankees fan that goes out and gets wild card champions shirt, unless they find it on the discount rack. Although I must admit that I do like the design, but I intend on getting a World Series Champions shirt like that.

Do the Yankees really want to face the Twins this year?

Ah so the other day on Twitter, I saw that someone I followed was taking a poll on who as Yankee fans, they would like to see the Yanks face in the first round. Majority were fine with losing the division and facing the Minnesota Twins in round one, instead of having home field advantage against the Texas Rangers.

So many fans may remember the Twins as the team that the Yankees have beat up on every season since 2003, both during the regular season and during the postseason. In fact this year the Yankees have played better against the Twins (4-2) then they did against the Rangers (4-4). The Yankees faced the Twins twice early in the season when the bombers were playing much better then now, however against the Rangers they would be 1-4 outside of a three game sweep of the Rangers in early April when Texas was still struggling.

What many forget is that even last year when the Yankees swept the Twins in the first round that it was much closer then it seemed. The Twins had used up much of their pitching just to get into the postseason and were forced to start Brian Duensing in game one. Of course that was no match for CC Sabathia who dominated the Twins and gave the Yankees their first postseason victory since 2007.

Game two was not as easy for the bombers, but there were helped out by Carlos Gomez who over ran second base before Delmon Young could score. Nick Blackburn shut down the Yankees bats, even though AJ Burnett was doing the same. Eventually the Twins took a 3-1 lead, scoring two runs off Phil Hughes in the top of the eight. This was when Alex Rodriguez and his magical 2009 season came into play in the bottom of the ninth, when he hit a two run homer off Joe Nathan. To many Nathan was considered to be the best closer outside of Mariano Rivera until this season when he had season ending elbow surgery. The Yanks and Twins went to extra innings, in the top of the 11th inning of play the Twins had the bases loaded with no outs, but the Yankees managed to overcome a miracle and get out of the jam. The bottom of the 11th Mark Teixeira hit a line drive down the left field line and just like that the Yankees had a 2-0 series lead. This was a game the Twins could have easily had, but blew so many opportunity's.

In game three the Twins had old pal Carl Pavano on the mound against Andy Pettitte. From the start the Yankee hitters could hit Carl Pavano who earlier that season had quieted the Yankee bats. Pettitte was doing the same thing but the Twins drew first blood against Andy in the bottom of the sixth to give them a 1-0 lead. The Yanks had struggled against Pavano all night, but once again A-Rod came up and homered to tie the score, and moments later Jorge Posada also hit a solo shot,this time to give the Yankees the lead. Pavano struck out nine Yankees that night, and gave the Twins every chance to win. But the Twins pen gave up two more runs and the Yanks pen gave up none.

The Yankees of course won, but many forget that it wasn't as easy at it seemed. It helped in game two that the bombers had home field advantage (along with a effective Burnett), but this time they wouldn't.

The Twins this season have already won the division and are just waiting on who the opponent will be. All the talk is about the Rangers pitching since it has the big name Cliff Lee, but the Twins may have a better staff overall. They have Pavano again who is having a revival season (17-11 3.83), Francisco Liriano (14-9 3.48) and Scott Baker. The Twins also have a stacked bullpen and have three relievers that have been closers on other teams in Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes and Matt Capps.

The Twins may not have the same offense that the Texas Rangers have, and suffered a blow when Justin Morneau went down (Morneau has begun to work out with the team, although it is unlikely he will see any game action). Jim Thome has stepped it up in Morneau's absence, Michael Cuddyer and Justin Kubel have been having great seasons as well. Joe Mauer has only hit nine home runs this season and is day to day with inflammation in his left knee. But when the playoffs come around that shouldn't stop him from at least being the DH.

The Yanks would be at Target Field for ALDS games 1,2 &5

The only thing that I do like about the possible match up is that the Twins don't steal bases. In fact they only have one player (Denard Span) that has double diget steals (26). Posada will be behind the plate, most of the postseason and it has been noted that his defensive skills have declined with age.

With the way the Yankees have played in September (12-15 record), a lot of negativity and questioning surrounds the club. The Rays also have struggled in September, practically giving the Yanks a shot at the division title over these past few days. It seems as if neither team wants the crown, but along with the division comes home field advantage and a chance to avoid a first round match up in Minnesota.