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 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.

Is it time to panic in the Bronx ? Hughes to start tonight, not Moseley

From the New York Times : "The Yankees, mired in a four-game losing streak and struggling to clinch a playoff spot, decided to start Phil Hughes against the Red Sox on Sunday for his regular turn in the rotation. The Yankees had planned to start Dustin Moseley to give Hughes extra rest for the postseason. Starting pitching has been a particular concern over the course of the losing streak after poor appearances by C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Ivan Nova. After the Yankees’ loss on Saturday, Alex Rodriguez said: “It starts with starting pitching. We have to have someone come in and shut the door and step up. It’s hard to play with an edge when you’re down five or six runs.”

Sounds like Girardi is starting to panic, with the Red Sox taking the first two games of the series and the Yankees playing awful this month (6-13 record) Joe is trying to get something going. I will say that I do believe that the Yanks are going to make the playoffs via the wild card but a collapse is completely possible. With the way the Yanks are playing, then add in the fact that they have strugggled against the Blue Jays this season, and they still have three games left in Fenway Park.

Hughes and the Yankees won't give up just yet.

Girardi has made alot of questionable descsions this month, this could become another one if it turns out to be a Red Sox victory. Sure Moseley doesnt have as much talent as Hughes, but earlier this season on August 8th Moseley pitched phenomenal against the BoSox. I would have liked to see Dustin get a chance to start and if he stunk they could have gone to the bullpen, or even use Hughes to keep the game close.

Seems like Girardi is starting to feel the pressure coming down on the Yanks, lets just hope he doesnt fault under it.