WHY THE YANKEES NEED THE HUNGER AGAIN

It’s the off-season early for the New York Yankees and all of us Yankee fans are walking around aimlessly with nothing to do. Yes, we could watch the postseason without the Yankees, and yes, I’ve told you numerous times that if baseball is on, I watch, no matter who’s playing.

But let’s face it, this is October and the Yankees aren’t playing, and I don't want to watch. I want to scream like Mark Wahlberg in the Other Guys, I cannot take it. Sometimes I feel like the more we try to do things right, the more we screw them up. The Yankees need that hunger back and the fans are craving it.

The Yankees looked like scrubs out there as I reflect on the ALDS, with the exception of Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner and even Derek Jeter to some extent. Where was the hunger? Where were the bats? I firmly believe that hot teams move forward and it all has to do with momentum. I don't necessarily believe great teams win it all. I think great teams need to be hot to win it all. The Yankees were great with 97 wins going into the ALDS, but they weren't great and hot, plain and simple. Now all we’re doing is sitting in front of our computers, looking at Twitter and bitching at each other.

I long for the days when Steinbrenner would put out a press release, thanking the Yankee fans for their support and apologizing for failing to win it all. Then, weeks later, we’d go out and find the top free agent out there and all would be well in Yankeeland again, we would forget, just for the moment, that we blew it.

Time is running out for some of our icons. Yes, Jorge Posada was close to possibly getting a 5^th ring, but we fell short. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are close to retirement; wouldn’t it be nice to get one for championship before they sail into the sunset? It would, for all of us.The pitching rotation will be a priority again this year, just like it is every year and while Cashman preached patience and picked up Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia and had lightening in a bottle, that charade won’t work this winter; fans get impatient, Yankee Brass gets impatient and I expect a big splash. Yes, Cashman needs to agree to a deal, but once that is done, CC Sabathia is next and then after what, who? I'm a fan of Mark Buehrle and I would love to get him, but who else? CJ Wilson? Matt Cain? Yu Darvish? Felix Hernandez?

Look, Felix is my top name after CC Sabathia. I’m not too big on “Pretty Boy” Wilson because I hate his pompous attitude. I’m also not sold on him. Matt Cain, yeah, he good, but we need him to be great. Yu Darvish…we’ve been through that Japanese pitching thing before. Felix Hernandez is the guy and if that means waiting until he’s a free agent, so be it; If it means being creative with you we unload for him, so be it. I have no desire to trade off someone like Jesus Montero for the King. After seeing him hit, it reminded me a hell of a lot like Miguel Cabrera. I can’t part with the guy.

Something needs to be done about Nick Swisher, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Look, no doubt they are pissed that they didn’t deliver and they looked foolish in the ALDS, but let’s face it, they always do. 2009 is long gone, these guys get paid a fortune to perform, bottom line and October is the biggest show on earth, and they need to show up. They didn’t and it’s pathetic. If I’m the Yankees, I pick up Swisher’s option and I’m bringing in a bright young outfielder this spring and have him compete for Swisher’s job. Light a fire under Nick’s ass and let him know, no job is safe.

Alex is Alex and he’s owed a ton of money. You can’t eat his contract and you can’t trade him and the Yankees won’t, they want him to hit 700 and they want him the break the home run record in pinstripes... he’s not going anywhere. I also believe ARod wasn’t healthy and while nerves were a factor in the ALDS, he’s not better yet because of injury. Hopefully a long winter’s nap will heal this guy and in Spring 2012, he’ll be back.

Mark Teixeira seems to shrivel up at the wrong time...October. Not sure what happened to this guy. He’s a great hitter…when he hits, and I would never suggest we cut Tex lose for someone better, because; let’s face it, who’s better? Tex is one of the best defensive first basemen we’ve ever had; he just needs to get his swing tweaked by the King of Swing…Kevin Long. Maybe the pressure gets to Tex, who knows, but something‘s got to happen.

The Yankees hunger is gone while the hunger by the fans grows. We need something drastic, a shakeup… so we can stand up and say, “The Yankees put the best on the field and we will return to win it all.” Because, let’s face it, 1 championship in 11 years is not a dynasty, it’s average.

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DEREK JETER: REVIEWING OUR PROJECTIONS

DEREK JETER

• Projected: .302 Avg, 11 HR, 72 RBI, 20 SB
• 2011: .297 Avg, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 16 SB
  

Man, were we close with this one or what? No one, and I mean, no one predicted this but Bleeding Yankee Blue. It just goes to show that we still have faith in our Captain and we know he's too good of a hitter to have back to back rough seasons. But, he did get off to a very rocky start this season. In his first 62 games from March 31 up until June 13 when he suffered his left calf injury which forced him to go on the Disabled List, Jeter hit .260 (68 for 262) with two homers and 20 RBI while stealing just seven bases. He was out until July 4 rehabbing his calf injury and he also worked on some things with his swing and stride down in the spring training complex in Tampa. And boy, did that extra work help. From Jeter's return on July 4 until the end of the season he hit .331 (94 for 284) with a .384 OBP, four homers (one of them being his 3,000th hit coming on July 9 against the Rays), 41 RBI, and nine stolen bases. Jeter will turn 38 years old next June 26, he's certainly no spring chicken anymore, but he's shown that he's still got some magic left in his bat.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JACK CURRY

I've had my share of being star struck in my lifetime. meeting Joe Torre after the 1996 win was in my mind, one of the top 5 moments ever. But there are others. Being able to interview Jack Curry, someone whom I've admired for a while now is up there as well. The whole YES gang is terrific; Along with Curry, Bob Lorenz, Kimberly Jones, David Cone, Ken Singleton, Michael Kay, Paul O'Neill and John Flaherty do it better than any other sports people out there.

Jack Curry is tops in that group and of course, that passion he has stems all the way back to childhood. You remember when you were a kid, we all tried to make a newspaper, writing about sports or news, or whatever, handwriting it and then drawing pictures in boxes on several pages, then secured it with staples. Well, Jack probably did that too, but then followed through and became an actual sports news guy and now a top sports analyst. He's a huge success and had a drive for that success. Luckily for me, I got to interview one of my idols and Bleeding Yankee Blue is bringing it to you, as an Exclusive. So enjoy it...here's Jack Curry.
BYB: Growing up, were you always a sports fan and more specifically a baseball fan and is this the career path you dreamed of?

Jack Curry: I liked every sport as a kid and played whatever was in season, but baseball was, by far, my favorite sport. I played it in high school and attended one practice at Fordham University before I gave up on playing. It just seemed like it would be too time-consuming to be a backup outfielder (if that). But I still play in the New York-Boston media games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park and I still get pretty excited about a game of Wiffle ball.

When I was 12, I started a newspaper at my elementary school. I was fortunate to have a teacher who understood my passion for writing and for sports and he helped me produce these little newspapers. I loved the idea of reporting and writing on things that were happening around the school so, in some ways, I kind of knew what I wanted to do with my life by the time I was in the seventh grade.

BYB: You were with the New York Times as their national baseball correspondent. Tell us how that came about?

Jack Curry: During college, I worked for The Jersey Journal for three summers. About a year after I graduated from Fordham, I was hired by The New York Times. I started at the bottom. I had to prove to them that I deserved a chance to write. Eventually, I began covering some college sports and then I became the New Jersey Nets' beat writer for one season. I took over the Yankees' beat in the middle of the 1991 season and stayed on that position through the 1997 season. From 1998 until 2009, I was a National Baseball Writer at The Times. I loved my years at The Times. I got to cover the Yankees during their dynastic period and got to travel to places like Cuba, Japan, Venezuela, Colombia and Puerto Rico to cover baseball.

BYB: I hope you realize that since you came to YES there is a much different energy. You and Lorenz are appointment television because of your complete analysis. How did that develop and is it because of your passion of the game?

Jack Curry: It's nice of you to compliment us on the energy you see. Bob Lorenz is as selfless as anyone I've ever worked with. He wants the people around him to do well and he works to make that happen. I think the reason we provide thorough analysis is because we study the games and the story lines and work with Jared Boshnack, our producer and another team player, to present this information to the viewer. All three of us have a passion for the game and for our jobs.

BYB: We wrote JACK CURRY: NEW YORK BAD ASS because we felt as though you needed "Props". What was your reaction the first time you saw it?

Jack Curry: When I saw the "Bad Ass" headline on your blog, I laughed. Not sure how many times I've been called a bad ass in my life, but I can assure you that I wouldn't need more than five fingers to recount those times.

BYB: What advice can you give young people that have a dream in becoming a baseball analyst like you?

Jack Curry: If you want to become a baseball analyst or a sports writer, the path to those positions is like the path to any other job. You have to work at it. It sounds like a cliche, but it's true. If you want to be a sports writer and you're not even working for your college newspaper, you're already adversely impacting you future. My advice to someone who wants to get into the news media business, whether it's TV or newspapers, is to try and focus in on what type of job you'd like to have. Once you answer that question, you need to do everything you can to get an internship in that field and network with other professionals. Make yourself stand out. Companies will make room for someone who shows he is exceptional at what he does.

BYB: If you had to name 1 player on the Yankees that was most impressive, approachable and kind, who would it be and why?

Jack Curry: In more than 20 years of covering the Yankees, I've developed a working relationship with a lot of different players. If I had to pick one player who was always a pleasure to deal with, it would be David Cone. Interestingly enough, we're now colleagues at YES. If David's baseball career hadn't worked out, he talked about how he wanted to be a sports writer. What I liked about David was that he gave thoughtful answers and didn't act as if every interview needed to be conducted as if there was a 30-second play clock over his head. They were conversations, not interviews. He didn't dismiss questions or issues. He embraced them. Cone was so approachable that his willingness to talk to players ended up helping his teammates. Since Cone was willing to deal with reporters and was very good at it, other players were allowed to avoid interviews.

BYB: My son wants to know, is what you do the best job in the world?

Jack Curry: Tell your son it's a very cool job, but Derek Jeter has a cooler job. Seriously, I love being an analyst at YES. I get to talk about baseball. Your son is right. Very cool.

BYB: Do you ever read Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think?

Jack Curry: Ever since your called me a "Bad Ass," I've been checking out Bleeding Yankee Blue. Keep up the solid work.

Jack, I can't thank you enough for doing this interview with us. You are truly great at what you do and you bring sports analysis to another level because like I've said, you actually know what you're talking about and you never talk down to the fans. You deserve everything good that comes your way. The best to you!

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WHY CHRISTIAN LOPEZ IS A STAND UP GUY

There is actually a bright spot coming out of the Bronx. After the game, we were hanging out by the VIP section and guess who walked by... Christian Lopez and his girlfriend Tara. I walked over and we chatted. They are a really great couple and loved their company.

You can read BYB EXCLUSIVE: CHRISTIAN LOPEZ and find out what you didn't know about Mr. Lopez the day he caught Derek Jeter's 3000th hit. A fun interview and a good read. Enjoy!




--Beth Hucke- BYB Guest Writer & Creator of We Want Nick Swisher to host SNL on Facebook.



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WHY IT'S A YANKEE LOVE STORY

On October 26, 1996 I woke up with one thing on my mind, the Yankees had an opportunity to clinch the World Series against the pesky Atlanta Braves in what was Joe Torre’s first year as Yankee manager. It was huge for me, because in that winter of 1995, the headlines creamed Joe Torre calling him “Clueless Joe” and it was George Steinbrenner that believed in Joe, no one else. The fans, well, we just wanted a winning season and at that moment, some of us were disappointed that Buck Showalter had to go, yet others thought we didn’t need him around because they felt he didn’t do enough against the Seattle Mariners in the 1995 playoffs. Me? I wanted change, but at the time I didn’t know what that meant.

My wife and I were still dating and it was about a year in and things were great, and slowly but surely she knew I was a Yankee fan. I tried to keep it cool, not fanatical in front of my babe, but just enough. It was about not overdoing it. As the Yankees advanced to the World Series, the cat was out of the bag, I was over-excited. It was huge, we were about to win it all!

So on that October morning, I remember I needed to get a few items at the store, drinks, food and I was planning my entire day around the Yankee game, a historic event. The last World Series the Yankees were in was 1981 against the Dodgers. This was huge for me, because I was able to attend Game 2 at the stadium. I was just a kid with my dad. The Yankees lost that World Series and I was crushed. Now, on October 26, 1996, I knew it wasn’t going to happen again.

“My family is going to a big Haunted House in New York. We should go with then…It should be fun,” She said. I felt my face getting flushed. I was in a dilemma right now and I didn’t know what to do. Do I fake a stomach ache? Do I say I need to go to work?

“Well the Yankees are on tonight, they could clinch.” I said, worried. “Don’t we have a VCR,? just tape it.” Yes, that’s right, VCR. For those of you that don’t know what that is, here is the official definition.

VCR: Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. The first commercial VCRs were marketed by Sony Corp. in 1969. VCRs are used to record broadcast TV programs for later viewing and to play commercially recorded cassettes. They have from two to seven tape heads that read and inscribe video and audio tracks on magnetic tape. Home movies can be made with a camcorder system, a VCR connected to a simple video camera.

I caved. Look, you have to understand, she caught me off guard, she’s drop dead gorgeous and she was right, I just have to tape it bro. So I did. What the hell, we can go up to the Haunted House, knock it out and I’ll be back by the 8^th inning, why not? Piece of cake.

The ride up was nerve racking but I listened to the game in the car. While everyone was talking about fun we were about to have, I was worrying about Cecil Fielder, Derek Jeter and Charlie Hayes and whether or not we were going to win the damn game. We got to the Haunted House and the line was very very long. I shit myself. “My God, I think I just made a bad bad decision,” I thought. “I don’t even like to be scared, what the hell am I doing here?”

The line luckily had televisions throughout the barn we were walking through, so I saw pieces of the game, but it really just sucked to try and pay attention. The sound was down and people are drunk, walking through the line, talking about how great the haunted house will be. Well, it was great, for them. We got in and to tell you the truth, it’s not my cup of tea, people scaring you, midgets with fake chainsaws. I think there was a lady with no head, I’m not sure, but I swore I saw that as I ran out.

At that point, I was happy. “Let’s go! I need to watch the World Series!” I walked quickly to the car and as I walked in the parking lot, 4 dudes were sitting their car with the door opened and the radio was blasting. Sterling was rattling off play by play with Kay. I realized at that moment, those guys were Yankee fans. I walked over to the car, “Move over,” I said and I sat in the back seat with these guys, I had no idea who they were. Then I heard Sterling scream when Hayes squeezed the foul ball “Hayes, MAKES the Catch!!"

We high-fived each other and I was on my way. I got back in my car and my wife was laughing at me. “Did you know those guys from college or something?” She asked. “No.” I said smiling. “So who were they?” she asked. “Yankee fans, we just won the World Series.” She didn’t get it until we got home and I pressed rewind on the VCR. I watched the last inning. I watched Charlie Hayes catch the last out and I watched the celebration over and over and over again. Wade Boggs was on the horse, the champagne and I cried like a girl for hours by myself. My wife walked in around 2am and saw me there in the dark watching the whole thing, over and over again. Right then... she got it. She was dating a Yankee fan, a true Yankee fan and she gave me a big hug…before mocking me or course.

I told you this story because every October, I think about it. I’d do absolutely anything for her and that includes going to a haunted house during a clinching World Series game. Yes, baseball matters to me, the Yankees definitely do, but as I’ve said so many times before, my family matters the most.

Telling all of you this story was important to me. Enjoy it, share it, laugh or cry, whatever you want. One thing's for sure though, my wife is the strongest, greatest person in my world and every day only gets better, even if she thinks I’m a baseball nerd, it’s just the way it is.

Tonight, I will be in my basement for Game 5 of the ALDS. Tonight, we need to advance. LET'S GO YANKEES!

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WHY THE YANKEES NEVER SAY DIE

(Photo: Getty)
The Yankees are going back to the Bronx and Jose Valverde can suck it. Whether he was joking or not, it doesn’t matter, the Yankees have a message; “No one speaks out of turn against the Yankees and gets away with it.”

We, the fans will be ready for a performance of a lifetime in Ivan Nova, someone who has grown before our eyes and proven he’s the real thing. With today being a day off, it's great for all of us to recharge the battery. Let's face it, since that Friday night rain out, it's been a non-stop roller coaster. One things for sure, the bats came alive last night and everyone has finally started hitting. The big guys showed and even though the hits weren't 3 run home runs, the bat quickness of Alex Rodriguez is now visible and guys like Brett Gardner no longer need to carry us on our back to the finish line. If everyone contributes Thursday night, there is no reason why we don't advance to the ALCS and play the Texas Rangers...NO REASON.

Derek Jeter, the guy who's proved to the world that he could turn a lousy 2010 season into a brilliant 2011 season needs to lead us. Last night when the Yankees needed a must win...he did and back in the Bronx, no doubt, it will continue. He’s been there before, he knows how it works.

Look, I don’t need to tell you how important this is. It’s been a long battle, everyone’s tired. Mother Nature messed with us and the fan base was worried before last night, but now there's faith. I always have questions about my team... why guys don't always hit and why Joe Girardi makes certain moves because, let's face it, I do get frustrated, I’m human. But for the love of my New York Yankees, I need to sit back and watch a ballgame Thursday night and have confidence, just like I did last night.

The Yankees are now in the driver's seat. We’re home. I wrote a piece in September titled WHY THIS LOSS MEANS HOME, NOT PANIC and the title says it all. Home is where we are comfortable. Home is where the fans are. It’s like a kid who's lost in the store. An officer walks up and says what’s wrong, the kid says “I want my mommy, I want to go home.” Home’s safe. The Yankees are home, we're all home...together as a family.

I’m not going to preach, I’m not going to bitch, I’m going to watch my team Thursday night. It’s go time. We win and we move onto the ALCS, plain and simple. The bats need to show up and the pitching needs to be fantastic.

So let’s do this, it’s what we play for all year long and it’s come down to a Game 5. Let’s win it. Bottom line.

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THE YANKEES ARE ALIVE!

The Yankees had their backs against the wall and no one was hitting Burnett was to pitch...and all day today, it was the only thing on my mind. Then, like I said in WHY I'M IN AN EMPIRE STATE OF MIND, something happened. I felt better because my iPod was telling me something. Why else would Empire State of Mind just randomly play on shuffle? It was a sign...The Yankees are back and tonight proved it.
(Photo: AP)
The first inning for AJ Burnett was horrendous, but I had hope. After walking 2 and 1 more intentionally, the bases were loaded with 2 outs. Don Kelly then hit the crap out of the ball to deep center and Curtis Granderson made a tremendous catch. Brian Anderson, the announcer called the play a "big break" for the Yankees. A big break? He also called it "kind of a mis-play". How about an outstanding catch? I'll never understand the TBS guys. I will give Ron Darling some credit. He's complimentary to the Yankees while trying to give constructive analysis. Smoltz is terrible. Sorry John.

The top of the second inning, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher went fast. One positive though, Alex and Tex hit the ball hard, which led me to believe they are close to snapping out of their rut. The bottom of the second went quick for AJ. Thank God. He started to get into a rhythm and actually looked good.

The top of the 3rd was beautiful. The Yankees actually had Ducks on the Pond and got them home. Jorge Posada was hit by a pitch. Russell Martin then singled. Brett Gardner stuck out on a lousy, high third strike call and then Derek Jeter came up. He cranked a double to center field and Posada and Martin scored. Martin's slide was sweet around Avila and touched home with his hand as he slid by. He was pumped.(Photo: AP)
The 4th inning just showed me Nick Swisher striking out and looking ridiculous. Let's face it, Swish can't do a thing in the postseason right now. The bottom of the 4th Victor Martinez took the ball yard. He just crushed it, there was no doubt about it. At this point, the score was 2 to 1 Yankees. Then Jhonny Peralta doubled. This is right about the time where AJ starts to feel the pressure. Right around the second time around the order, the opposing team sometimes gets to AJ. At this point, I was wondering what was up Girardi's sleeve. Then, AJ struck out Wilson Betemit stranding Peralta... inning over.

In the 5th inning Russell Martin singled again. Man was he pumped tonight. Then red hot Brett Gardner singled moving Martin to second. At this point there were no outs and Jeter coming to the plate. Jeter bunted and give credit to Rick Porcello, he threw to third and nailed Martin. 1 out. Curtis Granderson then rips one down the right field line, base hit and it scores Brett Gardner. Jeter moves to third. Robinson Cano was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Alex comes up the plate and you know he had home run on his brain. Instead, he sacrificed and Jeter scored. 4-1 Yankees. Mark Teixeira shit the bed and stuck out. Between he and Swisher, I really don't know who's worse at this point.

The bottom of the 5th, Austin Jackson singled to left. Then a quick double play and a beautiful scoop by Teixeira in the dirt to complete the double play. Delmon Young then knocked it back to AJ and the inning was over. Nice work so far AJ.

In the 6th, Nick Swisher now came up for his third time of the night. A hit to second and out number 1. I tell you... I have no use for Swish right now, what is going on with this guy? Will he ever hit?

In the bottom of the 6th with 2 outs, Girardi came out and relieved AJ of his duties. At this point I was excited to see the team pat him on the shoulders and tell him "Good job." We fans tend to forget that these guys are human. Rafael Soriano came in and his first batter cranked one to center field. Now I've seen outstanding catches in my 40 years of life, but seeing Granderson horizontal and making that catch to end the inning is something I have never seen. You think the Yankees want to win this one? I do.

The bottom of the 7th was smooth for Soriano who got out of the inning fast, 1,2,3.

In the 8th inning Alex Rodriguez finally got a hit. I said it earlier, you can tell by the swings, he was going to get a hit soon. Now, all I wanted is for that to rub off on Teixeira and Swish. Then a dribbler for Tex down third and suddenly 2 men on and no one out for Swisher. Then, it happened... Swisher got a single. See? There are 2 things that are addictive in baseball, losing and hitting. The Yankees are hitting in this Game 4 and now, everyone is starting the hit. That's a good sign.

Jesus Montero came to the plate with the bases loaded as a pinch hitter. It's good to see this kid in a postseason game. Phil Coke was replaced by Al Alburquerque and suddenly, a balk. ARod scores and it's 5-1. Montero crushed a single through 3rd and Short and Tex scored. 6-1 Yankees at this point. Alburquerque was replaced by Schlereth and Gardner keeps on hitting and another run comes into score. At this point I cracked open a beer and sat back. I felt the need to finally relax. With the bases loaded, Jeter came to the plate and struck out. Then a wild pitch brings in a run... 8-1. Cano came up to the plate and looped a single over shortstop. 2 runs scored and at that point it was 10-1. Another pitching change and then Alex came up and cranked a single. He hit it hard...he's hitting now. Like Ron Darling said, the bat speed is there now, Alex is back. Remember I said that.

Mark Teixeira then ripped one to right field and deep, but it was caught to end the inning. "Mark" my words, pardon the pun, Tex is back too.Phil Hughes came in and he got the Tigers 1,2,3. He looked great and it was a relief to see because who knew what he'd have. Girardi used him perfectly, a non-pressure situation to get some confidence and it worked.

In the 9th, Jesus Montero got postseason hit number 2. Martin then hit into a double play and the inning was over. The bottom of the 9th brought in Boone Logan. I knew it was 10-1, but why was I nervous? I shouldn't have been, Logan struck out the side.

Final Score: Yankees 10 - Tigers 1

The Yankees are going back to the Bronx, and Jose Valverde can suck it. The New York Yankees are back and just in time, we have everyone hitting and we're headed home, just where I love to clinch. I believe. I know we can do it.

I leave you with this:



Looking forward to seeing my guys clinching the ALDS at home in the Bronx bitches!!!!! Go Yankees!

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WHY THE YANKEES FELL SHORT

The Yankees started off aggressive in the Motor City. Not knowing what to expect from CC Sabathia tonight, we needed to strike early and we did. Yankees had a 2 -0 by the end of the first, but it was clear that CC Sabathia wasn't doing his best CC impersonation. Instead he was doing his best AJ Burnett. Not good and walks galore.

By the bottom of the 3rd, the game was tied at 2. It was the second time around in the Tigers order and CC clearly didn't have it. Luckily for us, he did what he does best... fake it and get through the innings, not giving up a ton of runs and he kepy his team in it. On the other side Justin Verlander started out not looking great either. But that's what makes baseball great... you never know what's going to happen. In what was billed as a pitching duel, it wasn't. 2 pitchers on short rest, but only one would look good. It wasn't CC. Michael Kay said that the umpire was calling the same game for CC and Justin Verlander. I disagree. Clearly I wanted CC on top, but I tell you what, the strike zone for CC Sabathia was mysteriously small tonight, no doubt. I noticed several pitches that were strikes, were never called strikes for the Yankees. I'm not saying Verlander wasn't throwing them in the zone, he was, but so was CC. Bottom line.

In the 5th, it was clear that CC was laboring. Ramon Santiago put the Tigers in the lead 3-2. Both he and Brandon Inge were 2 for 2. You know, it was strange, Verlander appeared better than CC later, like he had something in reserve, striking out the side in the top of the 5th inning, making Brett Gardner and Russell Martin look silly. To me, I felt terrible. Yes, CC was doing his best dance, but the stuff wasn't there. But say what you will about CC, the guy showed heart and never gave up and never let the runs get out of hand. He did his best under the circumstances, I give him that.In the 6th, Derek Jeter got his second hit of the night. Granderson struck out and was clearly over-matched. He looked like a Little Leaguer up there. ARod struck out and looked ridiculous. To be honest, back to calling balls and strikes, 2 pitches to ARod both were the same pitch, one was a ball, one was a called strike three. I don't get it.(Photo: Getty)
CC Sabathia got knocked out in the bottom of the 6th and Rafael Soriano came in and took care of business. At this point it was 4-2 Tigers and I felt confidence again, my stomach wasn't in knots. I know that if we have stability on the mound, we can get some runs... or can we? We've done nothing since the first inning.

The 7th was nerve racking but there was hope. Posada walked and Martin got hit by a pitch and suddenly Verlander didn't look so good. Of course we needed a base hit for Brett Gardner just to keep the rally going with 2 outs and take the Detroit crowd out of it. Gardy delivered big, 2 RBI double and the game was knotted at 4. I was screaming in my basement at that point, Detroit was silent. But, you know what ticks me off? The announcers sounded sad about it. What the hell is that all about? I thought maybe I'd blow it off,
then Rafael Soriano made a pitch that Delmon Young drove into the right field seats and Brain Anderson, the announcer, was overjoyed. What a dick. At this point, it's 5-4 and I am longing for Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling. I can't stand the way TBS does baseball.

The top of the 8th, Granderson gave one a ride, but it was an out. Cano struck out on a crappy high called third strike. Alex Rodriguez came up and walked. But he looked slow and disoriented the whole at bat. Teixeira came up with 2 outs and a man on first and popped out weakly to Inge. Again Brian Anderson, the announcer sounded thrilled. John Smoltz actually made a comparison of Justin Verlander to hall of famer Nolan Ryan saying he's never seen anything like "this" since Nolan. Are you kidding me? The guys pitching a good game, can't we just we just leave it there?
David Robertson came in in the bottom of the 8th inning. Robertson struck out the first batter but then nails Peralta. It happens.

Then, Valverde came out to try and close out the 9th against the Yankees. Nick Swisher came up and popped out. Unbelievable. One out and Jorge Posada stepped into the box. He's 4-8 at this point. Posada worked a walk. Man on first and 1 out. Running for Posada was Eduardo Nunez and when Russell Martin came up, he gave the pitch a ride, but it was caught in right and Nunez could not advance. 2 outs and Gardy came to the plate. Nunez stole second and now he's in scoring position. Next thing you know, Gardner works a walk and men are on 1st and 2nd for Derek Jeter. The table is set. But there was not joy in Yankeeland... Derek Jeter had struck out.

Final Score: Tigers 5 - Yankees 4

Tomorrow IS do or die.

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2011 ALDS YANKEES VS. TIGERS GAME 3 PREVIEW

Game 2 yesterday sucked. The Yankees couldn't hit Max Scherzer who has been terrible, to say the least, on the road this season. But guess what, he dominated the Yankees. 6 innings, just two hits on four walks and he didn't allow anyone to cross the plate. The offense came on late against Tigers' closer Jose Valverde, who made a bold guarantee after the game (HERE),
but they failed to complete the comeback.
But today is a new day as the Yankees took batting practice in Detroit earlier today. This is a huge game for the Yankees, as they'll send out their ace CC Sabathia against Detroit ace Justin Verlander tonight. By the way, look for Casey's take on Valverde tonight during the game.

Although most people call this a "must win" game tonight, it's really not, because if the Yankees lose tonight they're not eliminated. Sure AJ Burnett would be going tomorrow with the season on the line which is certainly ideal, but it's no guarantee that he'll implode. But, with that being said, this is still the biggest game of the year. If the Yankees can win this game it'll be huge. It will obviously give the Yankees a 2-1 series lead, thus having to win one more game to advance to the ALCS. It also guarantees that worst case scenario that there will be a Game 5 back in the Bronx with Ivan Nova against Doug Fister. We've seen that movie before.
CC Sabathia has started 32 career games against the Detroit Tigers and has gone 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA. This season he's started against them twice, technically three times though if you include Game 1 of this series. His first start against them was on Opening Day in which he went 6 innings, allowing three runs--two earned--while striking out seven and getting a no-decision. His second start against Tigers came on May 3 in which he went 7 innings allowing four runs while striking out six. He got the loss, and he also allowed a season high tying 10 hits in Comerica Park that night. His third start against Detroit came last Friday, and we all know what happened that night, 2 innings, one run on a solo homer--a Yankee Stadium special to Delmon Young--and four strikeouts before the skies opened and washed the game out.

There's really only one hitter on the Tigers who has "owned" CC in his career, and that is Miguel Cabrera who has softball type numbers against Sabathia, a .529 average (9 for 17) with two homers and 11 driven in. Other than that, no one really else has hit Sabathia well. Victor Martinez is hitting .231 (6 for 26) with a couple homers, and Magglio Ordonez is hitting .264 (19 for 72) with three homers and 18 RBI. Sabathia has "owned" guys like Jhonny Peralta (.059 average in 17 AB's) and Brandon Inge (.190 average in 58 AB's) during his career.Justin Verlander has also faced the Yankees three times this year. On Opening Day he went 6 innings allowing three earned on three hits and three walks while also striking out eight. He also had to throw 114 pitches during his outing. His second start against the Yanks came on May 2 in which he allowed three runs in six innings while striking out eight, but he allowed eight hits and threw 127 pitches during his outing. His most recent start against the Yankees was Game 1 of this series. He allowed one run in one inning, but had to throw 25 pitches in the process. So, this season Verlander has had to average over 20 pitches this season against the Yankees. That will be key, because if that trend continues, Verlander may not be able to go as deep into the game as he would like to.

Verlander career against the Yankees is 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 career starts, and there aren't too many players who have hit Verlander well in their career for the Yankees. Derek Jeter has hit .345 (10 for 29) and Jorge Posada has hit .333 (7 for 21) against Verlander in their careers. But what's really concerning is that the middle of the order, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez--who is 0 for 8 in the series while hearing the Boo birds in Game 2--and Mark Teixeira have combined to hit .161 (11 for 68) with two homers and eight RBI against Verlander in their careers.

This is close to a must win game as they come for the Yankees. You do not want A.J Burnett to have the ball with the season on the line tomorrow if the Yankees lose tonight. There's a reason why CC Sabathia got paid the big bucks before the 2009 season, it's to pitch in these games aginst the best pitchers and to pitch well and more importantly, win.

And one more note, incase you missed it, check out our BYB EXCLUSIVE: DANTE BICHETTE JR.

Go Yankees!!!




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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