WHY IT WAS AN EPIC COMEBACK WIN AT FENWAY

For about the first six innings the Yankees had zero life in this game. None. They fell behind 9-0 through five innings and I would be lying if I wasn’t looking forward to Sunday’s game, hoping the Yanks would win the rubber game. But today I learned that you can never, ever, count out the New York Yankees, no matter how big of a hole they’re in.

Like I said, the Yankees looked dead. Freddy Garcia has become the new A.J Burnett or Sergio Mitre to the fans. Just about everyone’s given up on him, and with Andy Pettitte on the mend, Garcia’s clock is about to strike 12. Freddy failed to get out of the second inning as he collected just five outs while allowing five runs on seven hits. Clay Rapada followed him and allowed a run, and David Phelps allowed three in four innings of work.

The bats were also dead early on. Felix Doubront started for Boston and he was great through six innings, allowing just four hits and a Mark Teixeira solo homer in the sixth. But when Bobby V. pulled Doubront in favor of his bullpen with a 9-1 lead in hand, all hell broke loose.

In the seventh Nick Swisher hit an opposite field grand slam to start the offensive onslaught, his second homer of the series, to pull the Yankees within four runs, and everyone missed it because Phillip Humber of the White Sox was finishing off his perfect game (more on that later). When Fox tuned back to the Yankee game, Mark Teixeira was up with two runners on and the Yankees down four. And like Swisher, Tex promptly hit an opposite field homer over the Monster. Down 9-0 to start, the Yankees cut it to 9-8.

The Yanks took the lead in this epic game in the eighth when Swisher hit a 2-run double scoring Eduardo Nunez and Derek Jeter to give the Bombers a 10-9 lead off old friend Alfredo Aceves. The Yanks would then get 2-run doubles from Teixeira and Russell Martin, as well as a Jeter infield single to give the team a 15-9 lead which would be the final score. The Yankees scored 15, (fifteen!), unanswered runs to beat the Red Sox. Calling this game unbelievable is an understatement.

All in all today was an awesome day to be a baseball fan. Phillip Humber of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners, in which Fox switched over to, so everyone could see the final three outs of his masterpiece. Good for him, and congrats. And of course, the Yankees completed an awesome, awesome comeback against the Red Sox. I thought Friday’s win was one of the better regular season wins in a while, but I think this tops it. What a game. What a sport.

Final score as noted was 15-9, Yankees. The Yanks will go for the sweep on ESPN, weather permitting, as CC Sabathia opposes Daniel Bard. Can’t wait.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse

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WHY THE REDDICK TRADE BRINGS OUT THE GENIUS IN CASHMAN

I have to admit... I was jealous of the Boston Red Sox for having Josh Reddick. He was one of their young guys that really did a great job down the stretch last season when the rest of the team fell apart. He's young and a bad ass I never saw the Red Sox giving him up. To me Reddick was the future of the Red Sox and he is was very much like Jesus Montero is to the Yankees. The fact that the Boston Red Sox gave him up to the Athletics for Andrew Bailey just confirmed to me that Brian Cashman may look like he's dragging his feet and not making moves, but this is exactly the reason why he isn't pulling the trigger on Montero or Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances... he knows they'll contribute down the road and he trusts the kids' talent. It is my opinion that if the Yankees were ever looking at Andrew Bailey and Oakland wanted someone like Jesus Montero in return, they'd hang the phone up on Billy Beane.
Josh Reddick may not be a projected Jesus Montero, but he is in fact a damn good ballplayer and for Boston to give him up is silly. Look, I know Boston is desperate for a closer, but let's face it, how much has the media propped up Daniel Bard as the future closer of the Red Sox? Here's 1 article HERE, but there are plenty. Suddenly they can't rely on that and in turn they move him to "starter" mode and pull the trigger on Andrew Bailey. Wow.... and their Golden goose in Josh Reddick is gone in a flash?

Right now, Cashman, who, while he didn't do anything this off season, looks like a genius for not giving up the kids in desperation trades. How many times was Montero and Banuelos attached to trade rumors? Plenty. While we all may not agree with it not trading them, we really have to respect what Cashman's doing. Sure, Andrew Bailey may become a dominant closer in the American League East, and it may turn out to be a great move for Boston, but immediately, I am scratching my head. Let's not forget, Bailey may also shit the bed moving from the West to the East, there's a different pressure... we just really don't know. It's times like this that I look at Cashman and want to hug it out, and thank him because I now see his vision.

Hopefully in the end, this is a better move for the Athletics than it is for Boston and we'll see Reddick stick it to the Red Sox by kicking ass in Oakland.Bottom line... It's December 29th and Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances are still in pinstripes. That means only one thing... Cashman believes in his guys... and we should believe in Brian Cashman. Because one thing he's not doing is giving up all our kids for a knee-jerk trade, and I think I like it.

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WHY THE YANKEES SHOULD BE AMERICA'S TEAM

Jonathan Papelbon darted the Red Sox for the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday, a 4 year, $50 million deal that in my opinion is too high for an arrogant Mariano Rivera wannabe. Boston fans don’t care, they have Daniel Bard or will sign Heath Bell no doubt and before you know it they will have a new makeup of great overpaid players who I once liked, but when they put on a Red Sox uniform, well, they make me see red.

I was thinking about the Phillies and the Red Sox though and how over the past several years they’ve done exactly what the Yankees have been doing, but doing it under the radar and not getting called out… buying All-Star players for the perfect makeup for a championship team. A team that is good enough to win a World Series, if they make it that far of course. Winning has always been the goal and the Yankees have won 27 times and lead all sports teams, so in America, in a world of having the American dream, owning a home, making enough money to support your family and advancing in your career and life and, winning, so to speak, why wouldn't the Yankees be considered America's team? I started thinking about it.

The Phillies have slowly collected everyone and they’re probably not finished. They have excellent pitching lead by Roy Halladay, even without Roy Oswalt and the Red Sox have Adrian Gonzalez, who, admittedly can be a monster and Carl Crawford, who, let’s face it sucks, but there’s no way that lasts, he’s too talented. These teams have took a page from the Yankees playbook, winning at all costs. The Yankees are in act the model for it.By the way, a little hint to Beantown; When it comes to Crawford, a piece of advice... put a veteran outfielder in centerfield, move Jacoby Ellsbury to left. Ellsbury is young, he can learn to play anywhere, Crawford would handle center better and is clearly lost in Left. It doesn’t take a Manager to see that, it’s obvious. Besides, Jacoby Ellsbury will dart when he's a free agent anyway... and probably sign with the New York Yankees if the timing is right and you'll be stuck with an overpaid left fielder in Carl Crawford...great contract, really.

But I'll get back on track...the point is the Yankees sign 1 free agent at a high price and they are “buying” a championship team. Well, what about the Phillies? What about those evil Red Sox? They are doing the exact same thing. America is a wonderful place and the New York Yankees should be America’s team, but sadly, the anti-Yankee bias is seeping out everywhere and that includes anyone who roots against wanting to win. The Yankees have always pushed to get the best players. The goal is always to be in first place and then of course crush the competition in the World Series, right? You don't play to win second, after all. Look, we don’t always win it all, but sometimes, like 2009, we do. For the most part, we’re winners and Yankee brass always does their best to get us fans who we need to win it all. They don’t like loss, either do the fans, hence, getting who we can to win a championship matters.

The Phillies clearly have caught on and the Red Sox slowly did building up to 2004 and with that they got a taste of being champions and stuck to the formula. But after the beer and chicken charade, Terry Francona was forced to step down and while the Beantown ship was sinking, Theo Epstein jumped like a coward and left his team behind. Then came the team Captain old man Varitek who never lead his team and took responsibility for the mess (Read HERE) and then Jonathan Papelbon has darted as well. No doubt the Red Sox will build once again though, because spending big money to get some all-stars is sometimes the way to go, especially if you have the money. The Red Sox will be right back in the mix again against the Yankees come 2012. But, through all of this, no matter what happens with the Yankees this off season, notice what will happen to the Bombers… they will be criticized, crucified and slapped around by the media because they big spent money on good players.

Mark my words and remember this post…11/12/2011 is when I wrote it… We, the New York Yankees, cannot and will not ever win over all of America to become America's team, even though we should be. Instead, we are considered the evil empire and the snobs. It's sad, but the Yankees will never be America’s team, even though we represent what America is all about… pride, courage and winning. Ironic isn’t it...it's almost un-American.

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RUSSELL MARTIN: REVIEWING OUR PROJECTIONS

We've reviewed our projections on the Yankees pitching and now we will review the rest of the players. If you remember, we wrote YANKEES PROJECTIONS 2011: THE INFIELD. Over the next few weeks, we'll review all our projections. We start with Russell Martin.

RUSSELL MARTIN

• Projected: .255 Avg, 13 Hrs, 45 RBI

• 2011: .237, 18 Hrs, 65 RBI

We were pretty much off the mark on everything with Martin. He didn't hit for the average like we thought, and he hit for more power and produced more than we thought as well. At the beginning of the season we thought that Martin wouldn't be the full time catcher by the middle of the season... we were dead wrong with that. Although Martin's numbers don't look spectacular, he's been probably the best offseason pickup for the Yankees. He arguably had the biggest hit of the Yankees season on September 1st against the Red Sox and Daniel Bard when he hit a 2-run, two out double when the Yanks were trailing by a run in the 7th inning. Also, Martin's defense this season has been very solid this season, throwing out nearly 30% of base runners this season.

Read a few of our pieces on Martin. Click and enjoy:

WHY RUSSELL MARTIN HAS BALLS

WHY MARTIN'S A FACTOR

JETER & MARTIN EXCHANGE TEXTS

MARTIN'S COMING TO THE BRONX




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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