WHY THE 2012 YANKEES WILL LOOK DIFFERENT: PART 1

Should he stay or should he go? That is the question. Here is one man’s bitter opinion:
Brian Cashman: 13 Playoff appearances, 11 Division winners, 6 AL Pennants, 4 World Titles in 14 years. Well, you can’t argue with success. Cash seems to do well under the New York pressure and even though the checkbook is huge it's often the cheaper, less publicized
moves that pay off. Cash stays as long as he’s willing to master the circus.

Joe Girardi: The Yanks are 384-264 with 1 World Title in Girardi’s 4 seasons at the helm. Joe has done a decent job but there are times where he seems to over-manage. He seems to rely more on his binder and less on the flow of the game; which is strange for a former catcher. Girardi has shown he can handle the New York media but I wonder who is handling the egos in the clubhouse. Maybe it's time for a change…Luis Ayala: 2-2, 2.09 ERA in 52 games. Ayala was wasn’t too bad. He’s serviceable out of the bullpen; a place where good pitching is hard to come by. My gut was to let him go, it seemed like runners were always scoring on him, but after analyzing the numbers he fared quite well
with runners in scoring position. I have little doubt but to bring him back.

AJ Burnett: 11-11, 5.15 ERA, 173 Ks in 33 games. Do I really need to say it? As inconsistent as he was this year, it was actually an improvement over 2010. He’s the victim of his own mind. He can throw good stuff when he wants. It's all mental for this guy. Maybe the pressure is too much. He’s signed through 2013 so it doesn’t matter that I’d dump him quicker than it takes to say AJ.
(Photo: Getty)
Joba Chamberlain: 2-0, 2.83 ERA in 27 games. He was just starting to get it together before he got hurt. Clearly the Joba rules messed this kid up. I say trade him while he still get some value. He’s probably only worth a few prospects, but maybe he could have the same success
as his buddy Ian Kennedy is having elsewhere.

Bartolo Colon: 8-10, 4.00 ERA, 135 Ks in 29 games. At 38, Bartolo pitched better than anyone would have expected, and I thank him for his service and everything he did for the Yanks this year, but if the last 2 months are any indication, I wonder if there’s any gas left in the tank or is it time to head off to the scrap yard.Pedro Feliciano: He lost the entire season to injury. He’s signed for 2012 with a team option for 2013. Right now there’s no guarantee he’ll throw next year either. Looks like Hal will be eating this $8 million.

Freddy Garcia: 12-8, 3.62 ERA, 96 Ks in 26 games. Another guy with zero expectations but delivered mightily. While he is less overpowering than he used to be, he knows how to pitch and still be effective. The Yanks would be crazy not to give him another chance. He was quite the bargain at $1.5 million. Maybe he gets a bump next year!

Phil Hughes: 5-5, 5.79 ERA, 47 Ks in 17 games. While 2011 was another year of highs, lows, and injury; Hughes may not be the starter the Yanks thought he’d be. But as he showed late in the season he might be a bullpen threat. Casey even wrote about it with WHY THE PEN IS WHERE HUGHES BELONGS. I say trade him while he still has some value or
keep him and leave him in the pen.

Boone Logan: 5-3, 3.46 ERA in 64 games. I’m sorry but to be the only lefty in the bullpen you need to be a little more dominating. He gave up more hits than innings pitched and lefties had an OPS of .789. That’s way too high for the only lefty in the bullpen. There’s got to
be something better out there.
Damaso Marte: Marte is 2-6 with a 6.02 ERA in the 4 years he’s been here. He continues to be hampered by the injury bug, there’s nothing that says he’ll ever get back and be effective. The team holds an option for 2012 which should be declined without question.

Sergio Mitre: 11.81 ERA in 4 games. Why did he come back? And what is Girardi’s love affair with this guy. I wouldn’t even trust him to pitch peanuts in the stands. Get rid of him...now.

Hector Noesi: 2-2, 4.47 ERA in 30 games. I see a lot of promise in this guy. Over the last 2 seasons he’s been quite effective at Trenton and Scranton. Even at the major league level he had glimpses of effectiveness. If given the chance he could turn out to be a great # 2
or #3 starter in the rotation.

Ivan Nova: 16-4, 3.70 ERA, 98 Ks in 28 games. What a future this kid will have if he keeps this up. He definitely stepped it up this year. He was a big reason why the Yanks won the division this year. Nova was 12-0 in 16 starts from June 10th on. It's clear this kid will be here
for years to come.
Mariano Rivera: 1-2, 1.91 ERA, 44 Saves. He’s 41 and still doing it with just one pitch. The greatest closer ever can stay as long as he wants.

David Robertson: 4-0, 1.08 ERA, 100 Ks in 70 games. How many times did he come in with a runner on 3rd and nobody out and got out of it without giving up a run? He is the bonafide setup guy to Mariano and the heir-apparent for the closer role.CC Sabathia: 19-8, 3.00 ERA, 230 Ks in 33 starts. CC is the ace of this staff and was a workhorse. Maybe he tired during the stretch which led to his less than stellar performance in the playoffs. He’s owed $92 mil over the next 4 years but can opt-out now. After the
A-Rod drama from a few years back, I fully believe CC is opting out. The big question is, then what? I’m thinking with few viable #1 starter options out there, the Yanks will pay and pay big for Sabathia to come back.

Rafael Soriano: 2-3, 4.12 ERA in 42 games. I never liked this signing. Soriano is selfish and does not seem to be happy in the setup role. Bruised egos are a clubhouse cancer. He’s signed through 2013, but has an opt-out clause and I sure hope he uses it.
(Photo: Getty)
Cory Wade: 6-1, 2.04 ERA in 40 games. Wade signed with the Yanks midway through the season after being released by the Rays AAA team. He joined the bullpen and was an instant success. Hopefully Girardi didn’t overuse him and his arm holds up next year and he can become a cornerstone of the Yanks pen.

More is coming... look for Part 2 soon.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer
bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com




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THE DAY THE LAUGHTER DIED

We were in the Bronx. We were with our family, in pinstripes, bleeding blue, ready for the Yankees to beat the Tigers and advance to the ALCS. It's the Yankee way, it's destiny. I never like to climb back in games to win, but that's exactly what the Yankees have done so many times before in the playoffs, maybe tonight would be along the same lines. I tell you what though, I was kicked in the gut as soon as the game started.
The first inning was horrible for Ivan Nova and it made me mad nervous. Yes, Austin Jackson got a quick K as did Miguel Cabrera but Don Kelly and Delmon Young both cranked solo shots.
Now it's 2-0. Fister looked good, but hittable. The Yankees usually go through the order before they start hammering, so, I'm not getting crazy yet. Luckily Mark Teixeira cranked a double. To bad they couldn't get him around to score.
The 3rd inning Phil Hughes came in to relieve Ivan Nova. Apparently Nova had tightness in his arm. I was surprised actually, I was expecting another inning. Hughes struck out to first 2 batters he faced. Delmon Young got a single and then he got Miguel Cabrera to ground out.The bottom of the third, Brett Gardner singled. Jeter struck out and Curtis Granderson worked a walk. Robinson Cano came up and I had hope. Cano popped out to center field. Inning over.One thing I need to point out. The strike zone again was horrible. There were pitches that game in too low or off the plate that were called strikes and strikes that were definitely balls. There were many questions by the Yankees tonight and with good reason. Bad calls. Alex Rodriguez had a very very bad night.

The 4th inning gave me another surprise, after the first out and a single, Girardi made yet another pitching change. I'm thinking... man I hope it's not going to be one of those nights. I prayed at that point that Yankees offense would turn it around and the Girardi binder doesn't insert itself all night, otherwise, there's no way to win this damn thing. Boone Logan came in. I groaned. Yes, Boone struck out the side the last time out in the ALDS, but you never know what your going to get with this guy. I started to get pissed, what the hell is Girardi doing? Logan pitched to lefty Alex Aliva, and of course, the guy gets his first hit of the ALDS. Now we're in trouble, men on first and second. Peralta flied out which was great. Luckily with 2 men on Boone Logan got a strikeout.

The top of the 5th brought Alex Rodriguez to the box. I noticed ARod had a quicker swing in the last game. I'm hoping I'm right and he cranks it out. I told someone on my train expect hits by ARod tonight. Yeah right... who am I kidding? Luckily ARod walked this time. Nick Swisher then singled to right. 1 out. Jorge Posada came to the plate. A huge single and now the bases were loaded with 1 out. After a Martin pop up, Brett Gardner was up, our hottest hitter and the whole stadium was into it, Gardner popped out. I was crushed.
CC Sabathia came in to start the 5th. So strange to see him in relief. He allowed a run to score and at this point it's 3-0. I am shocked and I know the Yankees are running out of time.

The bottom of the 5th there were 2 quick outs in Jeter and Granderson. Wimpy outs. Then Robinson Cano came up. He buried the ball into the right field seats and suddenly it was 3-1. I realized right then that this was Yankee Stadium, the best place you want to be in a playoff game. I realized, we can do this, but our pitching needs to be solid and keep the Tigers from scoring. Luckily our pitching was great, the hitting was crap.

Rafael Soriano came into relieve CC in the 6th inning. He immediately got the double play. Good job RaSo.

Looking at the bottom of the 6th, Max Scherzer came in. Mark Teixeira was the first Yankee batter and flew out to Austin Jackson. Nick Swisher continues to disappoint and ground out and then Jorge Posada had a single. Russell Martin came to the plate with Jorge at first. He struck out. Way to kill a rally.

Rafael Soriano had a good second inning in relief. The Tigers looked off balance at the plate, I placed my Bucky Dent / Mike Torrez autographed bat on the floor in front of the television. I was desperate.In the bottom of the 7th, Delmon Young came out of the game. I felt the ghosts of Yankee Stadium coming out. I prayed this game would be in our favor. Gardner came to the plate and struck out. Jeter came up and fought hard waiting for his pitch, then, he beat out an infield single and at that point I saw a glimmer of hope. Say what you will about old man Jeter, he can easily set the tone. At this point Scherzer came out and Granderson came to the plate against Joaquin Benoit who had an enormous band-aid on his face and Girardi strategized and asked to have it removed, hopefully it rattled Benoit. Granderson rips one for a single. Now, men on first and second and Robinson Cano comes to the plate. An easy dribbler next to Benoit and he missed it. Bases loaded for ARod. Alex struck out. Unbelievable! Something's got to be wrong with this guy. How could that happen? Teixeira then came to the plate. He walked. 3-2 at this point and the bases are still loaded for Nick Swisher. If anyone needs to deliver tonight, it needs to be Swisher. Swisher struck out. The biggest opportunity of his career and he blew it. Based on this post season alone, I would not pick up Nick Swisher's option. You can't be all flash and show no bash in the playoffs. Pathetic.

David Robertson came in the top of the 8th and showed me why we love him. The inning went quick. The bottom of the 8th needed to be big for the Yankees, they needed 1 run. I took out my 1956 autographed Mickey Mantle Sports illustrated. I was clearly desperate at this point.
Jorge Posada came up in what could be his last at bat as a New York Yankee. Posada has been one of the hottest Yankees all playoffs. He needed a hit right now. We all did. He grounded out. Martin came up and he was overdue. I was sure he'd deliver here with a base hit. Martin struck out. Are you freaking kidding me? 2 outs and we look like crap. Shortly later, with Gardner on base, Jeter cranked one high to the wall, but caught by Don Kelly. So close...but not close enough.
Mariano Rivera came in in the 9th inning. The score is still 3-2 by the way, I'm not getting this, but whatever, this is what Girardi does, he either doesn't pull the pitcher quick enough, or the binder tells him all about match-ups and changes pitchers like Kool-aid. Mo was brilliant, a 1,2,3 inning.

This is it, 3-2 game. The Yankees are down in the Bronx. I have been at games and seen games on TV that have blown me away, always with the ghosts coming out and always with the Yankees winning. I've prayed, I have all my favorite collectibles out. We need alittle hitting now to win this God damn ball game. I do not want to see this clown Valverde dance in the Bronx, we must beat him.

Granderson came up and popped up. Robinson Cano had a broken bat hit that was caught all the way in center field by Austin Jackson. Then, once again it was up to Alex Rodriguez...and with a strikeout, the Tigers won.
Just like last year, Alex Rodriguez strikes out for the last out. Remember when he struck out and Bengie Molina jumped up and ran out to the mound to celebrate? I'm so crushed right now.
(Photo: 2010)
I cannot tell you how disappointed I am. The Yankees season is over. Jorge Posada's career is probably over in pinstripes. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 4 days or so, you start hearing whispers of CC Sabathia wanting to opt-out and questions about whether or not Nick Swisher should come back. After having the best record in the American League, the Yankees lost to the Tigers. The Tigers didn't beat the Yankees, the Yankees beat the Yankees tonight. The pitching was good, the timely hitting was not.

Tip your hat to Jim Leyland, I love that man. He's a true baseball guy and he managed a good team.

If Bleeding Yankee Blue takes a day off, I know you'll understand.

Final Score: Tigers 3 - Yankees 2

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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 IF THE ALDS ROSTER WAS A TEST...

I'd get 2 wrong. So I’m not a total screw up, am I? The Yankees ALDS roster was revealed earlier today and if you read WHY I KNOW THE YANKEES 2011 ALDS ROSTER, you know that I chose a few players that others disagreed with. That’s why this is a blog, so I can give my opinion and you can give yours.Chris Dickerson was a name I mentioned for bench help. He has an OK bat but more importantly, he has wheels and can play the outfield. To me, he was a perfect choice for the ALDS bench. I was right. He’s joining the Yankees on this trip.

You’re Welcome.

Look, let’s be honest, I had a tough time thinking about having Dickerson or Andruw Jones on my roster. In the end, Jones didn’t make the cut. The reason was because I wanted an extra lefty pitcher and I picked Raul Valdes. Because of that, I lost a bench spot. Now, it turns out the Yankees are sticking with 1 lefty, Boone Logan in the pen for this Series. In turn, they picked Andruw Jones to join the rest of the bench. Good choice.

I also made a bold statement and went against the grain on 1 more pick. Because I believed Hector Noesi earned a spot on the ALDS roster, I picked him over an often injured and non-battle tested Phil Hughes. To me, it was obvious. Noesi was pitching all season and really handled himself. Hughes, on the other hand was hammered with injury and didn’t really do anything this season. I was clearly overruled. The Yankees picked Hughes over Noesi. I’m fine with that, I just thought my reasoning made sense.

Every other roster spot was correct. It just made me smile, that’s all. Am I still just a blogger who gets it wrong more than I get it right? Yes, I don’t take myself too seriously, I just thought it was cool. That’s it.

Whatever the roster, one things for sure, it’s ALDS time… Sabathia vs. Verlander. LET’S GO YANKEES!

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PHIL HUGHES: REVIEWING OUR PROJECTIONS

PHIL HUGHES

• Projected: 17 wins, 3.85 ERA, 206 innings, 184 K's

• 2011: 5 wins, 6.00 ERA, 72 innings, 45 K's

Obviously this prediction was way off. But, you can't predict injury.We all know he suffered from a dead arm and shoulder inflammation that kept him on the shelf from the middle of April to early July.When he came off the DL he went 5-4 with a 4.67 ERA. But coming into the season we all wanted to know if he would incorporate a third pitch, like a change up. As a matter of fact he did. Hughes used his change up 6.6% of the time. That may not sound like a lot, but it is compared to the 3.5% of the time he used it last year. Check out Hughes' Fangraphs numbers HERE. But it looks like Hughes will end up in the bullpen for the remainder of the regular season and at least the first round of the postseason, or he could end up not being on the postseason roster all together. You can check that story out HERE.

Check out more stories by us of Phil Hughes, click and enjoy:

WHY PHIL HUGHES IS ON A MISSION

WHY HUGHES NEEDS A TIME OUT

WHY HUGHES MAY BE DONE

WHY WE LOVE PHIL HUGHES




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY I'M NOT UPSET WITH THIS YANKEES LOSS

(Photo: Getty)
Yankee fans, let's admit, this game for the Yankees meant absolutely nothing to us. The Yanks have already clinched the American League East and home field advantage in both rounds of the American League playoffs. So with that in mind, it was OK that the Yankees lost this game to the Tampa Bay Rays. There's very few of these games a year, if any at all, that mean absolutely nothing whether it's a win or loss. So let's recap...Hector Noesi squared off against James Shields for the Rays in this one. Noesi was on a pitch count as he was starting just his second game of the season. He went 2 innings while allowing five hits and three runs on 59 pitches. He allowed all three of his runs in the third inning, so it seemed like he ran out of gas. We very well may have seen Noesi for the final time this season as he finishes the year with a 2-2 record with a 4.47 ERA in 30 games while pitching in quite a variety of roles. It's his rookie season, and we give him kudos for pitching in a number of important games for the Yanks this season. Phil Hughes also made an appearance in relief. He went an 1.2 while allowing two walks on a hit and a strikeout. Andrew Brackman made his second career appearance as he recorded the final two outs in the 8th.

This was a huge game for the Rays. Pretty much a must win for them since they were one game back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card race entering play on Monday. He went 8.2 innings for them while allowing six hits on two walks and three K's. Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth finished off his former team by recording the final out in the 9th.The offense for the Yankees pretty much came from one source, and that was Robinson Cano. Cano went 2 for 4 with a solo homer and and RBI single in the first and third innings, respectively. The rest of the team combined to go 4 for 27 (.148 AVG), which includes Jorge Posada's 0 for 4 in what may have been his last start at first base this season. Although he went 0-for he made a couple of nice plays at first.

Final Score: Rays 5 - Yankees 2
I'm not upset with this loss whatsoever. The Red Sox lost, again, so they're now 6-19 during the month of September, which means the Rays and Red Sox are tied in the Wild Card race with identical 89-71 records. Boston's collapse has been very fun to watch all month long and it'd be awesome if they can complete it. Bartolo Colon (8-9, 4.02 ERA) goes for the Yanks against Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.90 ERA) for the Rays on Tuesday.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY HUGHES TO ALDS A NO-GO

Look, Phil Hughes has had a tough year. We all know he can pitch, after all, he’s young and talented, but sometimes when your back’s against the wall, literally, and it’s the last week of September, you need to come to the realization it ain’t happening this year. Luckily for Phil, Girardi has an idea.

After the most recent setback with Phil's cranky back followed by the epidural shot, Joe suggested that maybe the best thing for the Yankees and Phil would be the bullpen for the ALDS.

Joe said: “I think you have to think about it. Just because he hasn’t thrown in a while.”

Now, I think that's interesting, although to tell you the truth, in the first round of the ALDS, I would suggest NOT bringing him. Phil hasn't contributed. He's not 100% and even tonight, he didn't impress me against the Rays.

Now yes, it's true, I wrote a piece awhile back called WHY THE PEN IS WHERE PHIL HUGHES BELONGS and at the time, I meant it. But Ladies and Gentlemen, this is September and it's way too late. I personally don't think Hughes can add anything to the first round of the postseason. If anything, let him work out some kinks now, have him throw bullpen sessions while the Yankees take care of business in the ALDS and if things look promising, Hughes is welcome to the ALCS. Otherwise, time to move on in 2011, see you in 2012. Sorry to sound harsh, but that's the reality in my opinion.

Phil Hughes is a talent but since that injury in Texas where he was pitching a no-hitter back in 2007, I feel like Phil's got a case of Nick Johnson-itis. Bad luck and injury is Phil Hughes right now. Can we straighten out the ship? Yes, but much like Eric Chavez, who’s incredible when he’s healthy, bad luck follows you everywhere.

So, what do you think? Should Hughes stay home in the ALDS or should he join the bullpen. Be sure to vote in our poll.

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WHY THE YANKEES & BYB ARE PERFECT TOGETHER

The Yankees are preparing for the Postseason, but that doesn't mean that we can take rest. There are still games to be played and still news out of Yankeeland. Check it out:
Jorge Posada: Jack Curry, our New York Bad Ass talked to Joe Girardi today and tweeted that Girardi expects Jorge Posada on the post season roster. Look, Posada may not have had much in the tank, but he can still hit. No, it's not all the time, but trust me, after his game winning hit against the Rays on Wednesday, you have to bring him. Plus, a veteran with post season experience and 4 rings means something, doesn't it? Read Curry's tweet HERE.

Derek Jeter: Anthony McCarron has a piece HERE and discusses how Derek Jeter had sat down with Cal Ripken Jr. for an interview on TBS that will aire before the Yankees Red Sox game this Sunday. In that meeting between the 2, Ripken asks Jeter to admit that the Jeffrey Maier HR was a huge break for the Yankees in that 1996 ALCS. Surprise, surprise, Jeter admits it. Now I'm looking forward to seeing this interview.Phil Hughes: Hughes had an aggravated, herniated disc and the Yankees gave him an epidural shot to help with his recovery. The plan is to hopefully have him throw a bullpen session this weekend if he's feeling up to it. If that works out, maybe, just maybe he gets one more start this season before the playoffs. Hughes has been through hell this year, you have to feel bad for him. Anyway, read Bryan Hoch HERE.

CC Sabathia: It looks like CC won't get 20 wins this season, according to Jack Curry once again, read HERE. The plan is to shut down CC and get him ready for game 1 of the ALDS. That worries me slightly. We just got finished talking about how the 6 man rotation was messing CC up and he voiced his displeasure and how he liked pitching on short rest. Too much rest scares me a bit.

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WHY BYB YANKEE NEWS IS GOOD FOR YOU

A few notes about some of the Yankees that are such brief updates, I wanted to just let you know about them and didn’t want to waste your time with an entire post. I added alittle of my opinion as well... so sue me. Check it out:

Joba Chamberlain: Joba sent about a tweet earlier today to let all of Yankeeland know that he started catch today. It is important for 1 important reason, Joba Chamberlain is on schedule. That’s good, especially after Tommy John Surgery, it takes several weeks to get back on track. Joba's up to his 14th week. I know, everyone’s forgotten about good ol’ Joba. With the bullpen we have right now, who needs him, right? I like the kid and I'm looking forward to him returning. No doubt if Joba Chamberlain was healthy he’d be contributing in that amazing pen too. It just so happens he got hurt... that’s life and that’s baseball. By the way, speaking of our awesome pen, be sure to read WHY THE YANKEES PEN IS THE BEST IN BASEBALL.

Francisco Cervelli: Cervelli has been battling concussion symptoms for a few weeks now and it was revealed today by Joe Girardi that Cervelli will not be on the postseason roster. Read HERE. This is Cervelli’s 3^rd concussion. Well, look, my only point is, do we really need Cervelli anyway at this point? We have Russell Martin as our primary catcher and kids like Austin Romine and Jesus Montero anyway. Plus, Jorge Posada is on the bench and I’m sure ready to pounce if needed. The other underlying question are of those three guys, which of them will make the postseason roster to back up Martin. With Cervelli now on the shelf and normally the backup catcher, the Yankees will clearly need to bring 1 backup and 1 bench guy, I would guess. I suspect if the Yankees had to choose, they would pick Jorge Posada for bench help as well as for veteran experience. I suspect they’d bring Jesus Montero because of his power bat as well as his back up catching abilities. Who knows, maybe they can bring Romine too. I'd love to see Romine and Montero both on the postseason rosters.

Phil Hughes: Phil was supposed to pitch today but due to back spasms, they scratched him at the last minute for Hector Noesi. What a year for Hughes, he’s had plenty of problems this year. It seems the back spasms have been bothering him for about a week and started when the team was in Toronto. This is the first time in Hughes career that he’s experienced back issues. Read HERE.

When more Yankees notes come about, I’ll be sure to bring them to you here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Promise.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.