WE NEED SOME HITTING... & FAST! PART 2

The beauty of Bleeding Yankee Blue is that we all share a common interest in our desire to see the Yankees add to their warehouse of championship trophies.  Let’s face it, we want Number 28. 

Over the years we’ve been fortunate enough to have owners willing to do whatever it takes to put the very best product on the field.  Other less fortunate fans of teams with owners not willing to make the sacrifices the Steinbrenners have made for the Yankees constantly chastise us out of nothing more than jealousy.

The fact is the Steinbrenners are willing to lay down money to plug holes and add depth.   Sometimes their efforts are misguided, much of the time they hit the nail on the head.

This year’s version of our Bombers has some issues that certainly need addressing.  As fellow BYB writer Ike Dimitriadis points out, our recent struggles at the plate have left the team inconsistent and have put undue pressure on our pitching staff.  He rightly offers that a team ranked 12^th out of 15 AL teams in hitting warrants our attention.

Ike suggests a scan of the free agent market is in order.  Talented outfielders like Grady Sizemore, Matt Joyce and fan favorite Raul Ibanez are out there for the right price.

I’ll take it a step farther.  This team needs hitting from the infield spots.

I’m a numbers guy.  I have a Math degree, so naturally the first things I look at are the statistics when researching a topic. 

So, what do I see?

I see that the Yankees have just one infield position ranked higher than 7^th in batting average in the American League – third base (we rank 4^th in the AL with a .267 average from the hot corner). 

In terms of average, the catching spot ranks lowest among our infielders – 9^th in the AL.  But, that is deceiving because in terms of RBI, we have the third most productive catching corps.

First base is similar in that we rank 8^th in average, but 4^th in RBI. 

Where are the most evident problem spots in the Yankees infield when it comes to offensive production?

Well, at second base we rank 7^th in average (.260), 11^th in RBI (20), 9^th in runs scored, and 2^nd in grounding into double plays.  Ouch.  I think we have a spot that is snuffing out rallies more often than not.

How about shortstop?

With all due respect to our Hall of Fame captain, we rank 7^th in average (.257), 12^th in RBI (19), 13^th in runs scored (25) and 5^th in grounding into double plays.  Oh Captain, Our Captain.

The numbers are telling me that we are weak up the middle on the infield. 

What can we do?

Well, I’d be most concerned about second base.  Our primary second baseman has been Brian Roberts.  Signed with the hope that somehow we could tap into some of what he once was, to this point it would appear that very little remains.  Rather than heating up, Roberts is hitting just .235 in June, and for the season is hitting .227 with runners in scoring position.  What’s worse is that he’s not saving his best for the home crowd.  At Yankee stadium, our second baseman is hitting a paltry .216 (he’s batting .264 away from home).

Perhaps it’s time that we explore other options at the position?  Before throwing money away on someone else’s castoff free-agent, let’s try building from within.

At Triple-A Scranton, we have 23-year-old Rob Refsnyder. 

The kid is on a fast track.

He began the year at Double-A Trenton where he hit .342 with 6 home runs in 60 games.  He posted a .933 OPS there.  Things haven’t been much different for him at Scranton.  So far, through 12 games he’s hitting .318 (.333 over last 10…probably needed two games to get his sea legs) with a home run and a .912 OPS.  He can steal bases (7 for 12 on the year) and has a .972 fielding percentage on the year (for comparison, Roberts has a .976 pct).

What could it hurt to give the kid a shot?

If you’d rather let Refsnyder “season” a little more at Scranton, we also have Scott Sizemore.  We’ve seen what he can do, and it actually wasn’t bad.  Right now the multi-positional Sizemore is hitting .270 with the RailRiders and earlier this year hit .313 over six games with the Yankees.

If you’d like Refsnyder to develop more, then Sizemore makes sense.

Either way, the option couldn’t be any worse than what we’ve had.

I also mentioned shortstop.  Now, before you sharpen the guillotine and shove my head into the lunette (the part where the head is held prior to…well….you get the picture), I get that we are talking sacred ground here.  As a matter of fact, I wasn’t going to suggest a change right now. 

The fact is that when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position, Derek Jeter is among the top 10 on the team (batting .258 with RISP).  What might be a better move offensively at shortstop is to move our captain down in the order – perhaps seventh?  (GASP….I know, I know).

I still hold out hope that he has something left in the tank, and I think Joe Girardi believes it too.  After all, he IS Derek Jeter.  Never has there been a smarter hitter or player than our shortstop. 

I think our bigger problem with Jeter lies in the field, not at the plate.  His range isn’t what it used to be.  But, we aren’t talking about that aspect of the game in this article anyway.

If we can keep Mark Teixeira healthy and Yangervis Solarte fresh, our corners offensively can be sound for most of the season. 

I agree with Ike that this team needs help hitting, but offer that it lies in the middle of the infield, not in the outfield.  As a “math guy”, the numbers back me up on this.

I also think that we can solve our issues at second and short in house.  There’s no need to throw more money away.  We have solutions right in front of us.

Most of all, let’s remember that the season is not yet even half over.  There’s still plenty of time to do nothing and see if things will work out.  No team is running away with the East Division yet, so patience is truly a virtue in 2014.

Joe Girardi had us on the cusp of the playoffs with a far inferior team last year.   I’m going to trust that our skipper can get us back into the post season in 2014.

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1



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WE NEED SOME HITTING... & FAST!

With the health of the Yankee lineup seemingly always in question, and the Yankees’ inability to score runs consistently, the Yankees should be looking at some hitters before the trade deadline. The pitching opportunities are getting a lot of attention, but you cannot ignore hitting. Especially when you are in 12^th place out of 15 in the American League for runs scored.

Grady Sizemore cleared waivers this past Friday, and the Yankees should be working the phones. The best part about this deal is that since Sizemore is a free agent, the Yankees do not have to give anybody up to acquire him. After missing almost 2 ½ years due to knee and back injuries which required surgery, he returned to baseball this spring with the Red Sox. In Boston’s first 13 games, he had a slash line of .343/.395/.571, with 2 homers, 4 RBI, and only 5 strikeouts in 38 plate appearances. In the 42 games since then when he played, he hit .187/.263/.267 with no homers and 11 RBI. He struck out 36 times in 167 plate appearances, which effectively doubled his strikeout rate from the first 13 games.

For those who do not remember, Grady Sizemore was a force in the Cleveland lineup for several years. In his first 4 full seasons, he had a combined OPS of .868 and averaged 27 home runs per season. He also had a pair of Gold Gloves for his play in center field and got MVP votes in each season. The Red Sox may have given up too early on Sizemore. Recovering from the injuries that Sizemore sustained is not an easy process. Acknowledging this, Sizemore kept himself out of baseball last year until he felt he could compete professionally. So, , it is not a complete surprise that he is struggling after two months. The fact is that he is only 31 years old and with his history of great play, the Yankees should give him serious consideration.

Matt Joyce is another outfielder that may be available and should get some looks. In the three years prior to this season, he had a combined slash line of .252/.339/.443 and averaged 18 home runs per season. This year is just terrible for him, and playing for a last-place team just does not create for a motivating environment. He is only 29 years old, so it is not insanity to think he can return to his prior form. If he can, he can provide a jolt to the Yankees lineup to get everyone else started too. It helps the Yankees that the Rays may be going into fire sale mode. The Tampa Bay Times published an article by Gary Shelton (read HERE) where the prevailing thought is that it is time to unload and rebuild. Shelton is talking about unloading all the major talent. If there is any truth to this article, the Yankees should put a bundled offer to them for at least Price and Joyce.

Finally, there is Raul Ibanez. As we reported HERE, he was released by the Angels on Sunday. At 42 years of age, and with his batting average on the Interstate, it is hard to see him making a comeback. He had quite a ride with the Yankees, keeping them in the playoffs with several game tying and walk-off home runs. My feeling is that the Yankees owe to him to at least offer him a minor league deal and let him try to work his way back, if he is not ready to hang it up. If he did having something left in the tank, it would be nice to have it for the second half, even if it is a long shot.

I would be shocked if the Yankees are not working the leads on pulling a deal off before the trade deadline. I would be even more shocked if they are not looking at free agents to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle. The Yankees need starting pitching and they need some power hitting, at least for the short term. Let’s make a move!

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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DELLIN BETANCES TO THE PEN!

It's been a long road for Dellin Betances, and he may have finally found his niche. Years ago he was going to be one of the next upcoming starting pitchers out of the "Killer B's" phenomenon. Years later, he has a new calling....and looking at what he has done this spring he is destined to kick butt in the Yankees bullpen.

I like Betances for a lot of reasons. Granted, I like him more probably because I was actually able to meet him when he was down here in Arizona in 2012 for the Arizona Fall League. He has had a lot of growing pains, but he has finally figured it out. Sometimes you can't meet your full potential until you stop thinking so hard about it and just go. I really think that is what he has been doing all of these years. I got that impression even more after talking to him and his family that was sitting behind me during those Fall League games. Now it is his time to shine.

It is hard to ignore what he did in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Years ago, that would not be the same Betances out on the mound. The old Betances would rely too much on his fastball and eventually a batter would run into one. On Sunday, Betances let his breaking pitches work their magic. After five breaking balls, he could have easily shook his head no at catcher John Ryan Murphy, but instead he kept at it with pitch number six until he finally struck out Matt Joyce....and it was a beautiful sight.

This Betances has confidence. Two years ago I wasn't watching the same pitcher. He has grown, he has a better pitching arsenal, and now he doesn't think too much. He could be the secret weapon that the Yankees need. We still have a lot of question marks in that bullpen and after going 6 1/3 innings on Sunday I think he is forcing the Yankees to take notice. Right now, the Yankees could be thinking about him pitching in Yankee stadium instead of back down in Scranton.

I think Joe Girardi already sees him on this team. I may be jumping the gun here, but Girardi can see it, read his comments HERE. The fastball loving Betances now how a slurve that looks so deceiving. I remember seeing the beginning of it two years ago, and now it looks polished and he is now fooling the big league hitters. Betances has evolved, and he could be a secret weapon that the Yankees need on the team this year.

I may be biased here, but I want to see Betances on this team. He's a local kid who has worked hard and he wants this opportunity. I remember talking to him and telling him that I hoped to see him in Yankee stadium. I also remember the look on his face when I said it. He paused, smiled and you could tell he was imagining it. I just hope it turns into reality. I am on team Betances....are you?




--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ




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HOW THE YANKEES STACK UP: RIGHT FIELD

So far we've examined Catcher, First base, Second base, Shortstop, Third base and Left Field and Center.  Now we look at Right Field. 

Right Field:

When the Yankees lost Nick Swisher to free agency not only did the team lose a fan favorite (well until the end anyways), but it lost a decent bat and outfielder.

In one of the few moves I have agreed with GM Brian Cashman on in recent years, the team re-signed veteran outfielder and certain Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki.

In 67 games with the “Bombers” last season, Suzuki hit .322 including a torrid .385 during the stretch drive of September. Once manager Joe Girardi started playing him every day, he caught fire – just when the team needed him the most. In addition to being a “professional hitter”, he is a smart base runner.  In 2012, Ichiro stole 29 bases in 36 attempts.

On the defensive side, Suzuki remains an elite outfielder with a cannon for an arm and the range to cover whatever field he is playing.

In spite of an advancing age (39), Ichiro has been a perfect fit for the team.

The key will be Girardi going against the book and realizing that Suzuki hits left handed pitchers just as well as he does right handers.  For the season, the outfielder hit .284 against lefties, and .283 against righties.  The man can just flat-out hit and doesn’t require a platoon partner.  If the Yankees manager can pull himself away from his statistical analysis of situational hitting for Suzuki, and allow him to be the full-time right fielder, the team can only benefit from his presence in the lineup and the field.

Here is how the rest of the division will man right field:

Toronto Blue Jays: Jose Bautista missed 70 games last season for the Blue Jays yet still hit 27 HR.  After undergoing surgery on his wrist in September, he declared himself 100% after an aggressive off season rehab program.  With that being the case, he is the heart of the Toronto lineup.  In the two seasons prior to 2012 Bautista hit 97 HR and drove in 227 while carrying a solid .281 batting average.  He is an average outfielder but his presence in the everyday lineup is essential for the Blue Jays to contend.

Baltimore Orioles: In spite of an injury shortened 2012 season, Nick Markakis managed to put up a solid season at the plate, hitting .298 with an .834 OPS.  He is an above-average fielder (.992 fielding pct) and a career .295 hitter.  Like Bautista of Toronto, the much of the Orioles success will hinge upon Markakis name being on the lineup card every day.

Tampa Bay Rays: Matt Joyce gives the Rays decent power and average fielding  (.982 fielding pct) in the lineup.  Last season he hit .241 with 17 HR in 124 games.

Boston Red Sox:  The Red Sox will open the season with a new right fielder in 2013.  Shane Victorino, who played for the Dodgers and Phillies in 2012 was signed to a 3-year $39 million contract this off season.  Victorino brings with him a spirited, heart-filled style of play and is an above average outfielder.  At the plate he is a career .275 hitter - with good speed on the base paths (he stole 39 bases last season).  Is he worth the contract that Boston gave him?  Probably not, but he still will give them solid play.

Here is how we rank the right fielders of the AL East:

Toronto – A healthy Jose Bautista is tough to beat.   His power is unmatched.

New York – Ichiro will be steady in the field and at the plate giving the Yankees at least one player they can depend on – as long as Manager Joe Girardi allows it.

Baltimore – A full season from Nick Markakis will provide the O’s with one of the best right fielders in the game.

Boston – Shane Victorino will win Red Sox fans over with his play.

Tampa Bay – Matt Joyce gives them another power threat but needs to bump up his average to avoid a platoon situation (he hit just .209 against southpaws).

Let us know what you think! 

 
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1






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WITNESSING ANOTHER YANKEE LOSS FROM SECTON 203

Just out of reach, again. Tonight's game began the last home stand for the New York Yankees, and it was a battle of "aces". I put that in quotes because neither pitcher has really pitched well of late. Still, it was a battle of pitching giants, with the potential of a playoff spot on the line. CC Sabathia took the mound tonight for the Yankees and David Price started for the Rays. This one was a little special for me, as I had the privilege of sitting with the Bleacher Creatures during tonight's game. I got to see the game and prepare a recap while feeling the palpable intensity of the crowd.

CC Sabathia came out strong in his first four innings, almost completely dominating the Rays. CC struck out four, one in each inning. He allowed only two base runners, one of those base runners reaching because of a passed ball on a third strike. His fastball was in the low 90s and his slider was in the mid-to-low 80s, creating enough variance that it kept hitters guessing and missing. Sabathia was cruising.

David Price seemed to be behind in the count for much of the night. Even though his fastball was in the mid to high 90s, he seemed to have trouble locating it. The bottom of the second brought out the roar of the crowd as the Yankees drew first blood. Russell Martin led off with a single. After being sacrificed to second by Andruw Jones, was singled in by Steve Pearce.

Sabathia lost his command in the top of the fifth, as Chris Gimenez led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. Carlos Pena walked and Elliot Johnson singled in the tying run. Desmond Jennings singled in the go-ahead run and things started to get nervously quiet in the Stadium. A wild pitch moved the runners forward one base and took the double play - and a quick end to the inning - out of the equation. After Ben Zobrist walked to load the bases, Evan Longoria hit into a 5-5-3 double play that allowed the third run to score. CC finally escaped by inducing B.J. Upton to fly out, but the Yankees were in a hole.

In what could have been a turning point for the night, the Yankees offense responded immediately. Curtis Granderson led off with a monster shot over the center field wall just beyond the reach of the center fielder Upton, bringing the Yankees within one. Eduardo Nunez and Derek Jeter hit back-to-back singles, putting the tying run in scoring position. Nevertheless, the RISP goblins came back out again, as the Yankees threat ended right there. Here's a thought. Fill-in first baseman Steve Pearce batted 1.000 with men in scoring position tonight. The rest of the team batted .000 with one walk. What's wrong with this picture?

Derek Jeter's single was number 3284 of his career, and moved him past Willie Mays to #10 on the all-time hit list. The crowd was on its feet for what felt like a 5-minute standing ovation, as we chanted Jeter's name well into Nick Swisher's at-bat. Sorry Swish - nothing personal.

After a good sixth inning for CC, the seventh inning would be his last. Elliot Johnson reached first on a fielder's choice and stole second. A Ben Zobrist single brought Johnson in for a 4-2 lead and CC would hand the ball over to Cody Eppley. Eppley got out of the inning, but gave up a home run to Upton to lead off the eighth.

David Price settled down after the Jeter single, retiring the next eight batters before handing the ball over to Joel Peralta in the bottom of the eighth. Price's line for the night was 7 innings, six strikeouts, five hits, 2 runs. The box score makes him look dominant on a night when he was probably more hittable than usual.

With Peralta on the mound in the eighth, Jeter singled to lead off the inning. Alex Rodriguez hit a 420-foot home run into the second deck in left field, bringing us to our feet screaming our lungs out. More importantly, it was a meaningful home run that brought the team to within one. However, that would be all the offense we would see tonight.

Joba Chamberlain came in for the ninth. After retiring Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings singled and stole second. Joba then retired Ben Zobrist and would have retired Evan Longoria to end the inning, except that Eduardo Nunez inexplicably lost a routine grounder, scoring Jennings. This would be the final deathblow to the Yankees tonight. Fernando Rodney would retire the side in order in the ninth.

Tonight was another frustrating loss. It was not that the Rays played better than we did. It was that we did not play well at all. Championship teams do not let the opposition steal second at will (three times tonight), failing to throw out a single runner. They do not issue a pair of wild pitches and a passed ball, putting men in scoring position in each case. Someone mentioned to me tonight about checking the score in the Baltimore game, how we needed the Orioles to lose. The problem with our playoff hopes is not the Baltimore Orioles. The problem is the New York Yankees. From July 18, when we had the 10-game lead, if we had just played .500 ball, we would be holding a 4-game lead now. Time is running out to get back on track.

Final Score: Rays 6, Yankees 4

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

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WHY DAVID ROBERTSON IS STILL MY KING

Our Houdini, "Mini-Mo" David Robertson, blew the save in the ninth, giving up four runs and a three-run homer to Matt Joyce and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Yankees, 4 to 1.  David takes his first loss on the season. 

What is the impact of this game?  Well, his ERA jumps to a whopping 2.64, just a bit above Rafael Soriano's.  Where was it before tonight?  ZERO.  He had 13 games, 23 strikeouts, a WHIP of ONE and his opponents were hitting a measly .170 off him.  The Yankees dip to 16-14 and the AL East becomes a little more competitive, with the Red Sox and Orioles losing.  (Yesterday's Rangers-Orioles game was rained out.)

Cue the Bandwagoner Nation...

It is no surprise that fans are looking to David as a possible temporary replacement for Mariano Rivera, who will most likely miss the rest of the season due to his injury.  Between he and Soriano, Robertson is the likely candidate.  There will naturally be comparisons.  I became sick of the "We miss Mo" tweets (not that I don't miss him) and was so disgusted by anyone who had the gall to boo him at the Stadium.  They are clearly not true Yankees fans.  However, if we are comparing, let us compare comprehensively.

In 1997, in Mo's first year as the "true" closer, he had 52 save opportunities and blew NINE of them.  According to Baseball-Reference.com, that year was the highest "Average Leverage Index" he's ever experienced, if you believe in that statistic.  I don't have to tell you what the result of that year was for the Yankees.  It was his lowest save percentage until this year, when he's blown one save (forgot, didn't you?) and is now out with an injury.

What does this mean?  Bandwagoners can ride their happy caravans into town to hitch onto whatever team they decide to next.  David Robertson is clutch.  He is a class act.  He embodies and represents everything the Yankees stand for and can live up to the legacy this team maintains.  Personally, he is among the league of Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, some of our recent favorites, and he has the talent and potential to professionally reach the ranks of Boomer, Mariano and Roger Clemens.  In 2011, he had a 1.08 ERA after 70 games with 4 wins, a .113 WHIP and held his opponents to a .170 BA with ONE HUNDRED STRIKEOUTS.

The numbers, the man and the name speak out for themselves.  You can boo the bats, boo Joe Girardi or boo the Rays but, if you boo David Robertson, you don't know the Yankees and you don't know baseball.

--Fox Luu, BYB Guest Writer



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WHY DAVID ROBERTSON GETS MY BLESSING

David Robertson has answered your call because he wants #28 just as bad as us fans do and when the Yankees needed a closer, he just wanted to help.  You can't fault him for that.  He's hungry and has ice running through his veins when he's on the mound. He's Houdini...and we love him  He's been great all year, so yeah, it's true, he was bound to have a bad outing.  But don't go hating, he's still the man. Jack Curry surprised me tonight in the post game. People can criticize the job David Robertson did tonight, but you can't criticize him wanting to be there for this team trying to close out a game. Curry was trying to be neutral, but instead, he came off a bit more harsh than I expected coming from a YES guy. Sure, Robertson was handed the ball tonight and blew it, but this is a guy with a great track record and let's face it, he was just introduced to a new role.  Over time, he will gel... but tonight, it wasn't in the cards. 

Sure, DRob ISN'T Mariano Rivera...he's DRob. He's got a different approach, hence, Sweet Home Alabama coming out of the pen.  He handles closing differently. You want to know why? Because he's new at this...cut DRob alittle slack.  There's 1 bright side to this loss as a closer.  David Robertson got stung tonight...it won't again.

The Yankees were cruising 1-0 the entire game.  Then as the rain began to fall in the Bronx and my satellite went out, I relied on Twitter.  Message to self... don't rely on Twitter.  Andrew Marchand's annoying tweet was the first I saw, and suddenly I was aggravated.  It was so smug, he probably couldn't wait to write it... in fact, I know that's what happened...he even spelled "first" wrong. 

In a rush to be first Marchand? Relax. When Matt Joyce hit a 3 run home run in the 9th inning to make the score 4-1, I realized that the Yankees can't win 162 games. They can however win the series against the Rays.  You do that all year and you're in the playoffs... and that's the goal.  David Robertson had a bad game, that's it, game over. Tomorrow we start over, it's all you can do.

The pitching was great tonight on both sides.  David Phelps went 4.2 innings, allowed 3 hits and walked 4.  Those walks didn't score which was a good thing.  Boone Logan, Cory Wade and Rafael Soriano did fine.  Then DRob came in and he was off, but again, that's life...I ain't mad at him. 


The Yankees had 9 hits tonight and Robinson Cano had the only Yankees RBI and it happened because of incredible hussle by old man Derek Jeter who scored from first. 

 That was it offensively for the Yankees.  I was hoping for more runs on those 9 hits, but it didn't happen.  So you know what? It will happen tomorrow. Let's bet on it.

Final Score: Rays 4 - Yankees 1.  Don't go saying the Yankees suck...they don't.  They just lost, that's it. Tomorrow we win the series.

Before I go, let me say this; The Q & A with Joe Girardi tonight was also disappointing.  I don't know who asked the question, but they asked, and I'm paraphrasing here: "Do you think your team is now like every other team because you don't have Mo?"  I'm sorry... what the hell does that mean and why was it even asked? That's stupid.  Listen, we need to move on.  Mariano Rivera is out for the season...let's just assume that. No one died, he just got hurt.  I know it's shocking, but baseball goes on and for the love of God, back DRob.  How insulting is it to ask if the Yankees are "just like every other team" because David Robertson is now the closer for the New York Yankees. It's not the season, it's 1 game.  Give the kid a shot for crying out loud.

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, 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.

WHY THE YANKEES WILL LOSE ALDS WITHOUT MOMENTUM

The Yankees lost tonight and yes, they are Eastern division champs, but don't we want to win? We need momentum and we need to build momentum tomorrow, the final game of the season, just in time for the playoffs. Without it, we lose the ALDS.

Tonight Matt Joyce was the hero for the Rays, and when that happened, momentum changed...the Rays got hungry. Ben Zobrist homered tonight as well and the Wild Card race between the Sox and Rays is crazy right now...it's unbelievable.Rafael Soriano looked lost tonight when Joyce cranked out his home run. He didn't look too promising. Again, it's all about momentum and earlier in the game when Russell Martin hit into a triple play and blew a chance for the Yankees to break it wide opened, it changed momentum away from New York and toward Tampa Bay.

In addition to the triple play, Martin hit a solo shot off of Jeremy Hellickson. Nick Swisher hit an RBI double to give the Yankees their 3 runs.
Bartolo Colon, whom I have hammered as of late pitched decent tonight. Not outstanding and not shitty, but good. He allowed 2 runs and 7 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He finishes the season with a 4.00 ERA. Not too shabby for a guy we found on the scrap heap. Thank you Bartolo for your service. You did us proud.

Look, we lost tonight, I don't like losing...we lost.

Final Score: Rays 5 - Yankees 3

My only thought on the last few days is this; The Yankees may not need to win these games, but they should win them. I know they are playing games because they are on the schedule, but these are still regular season games and the goal is to win as many as you can, regardless of clinching an Eastern Division. Tomorrow, Ladies and Gentlemen I consider a must win, for tune up purposes, for momentum purposes... for rhythm. Here come the New York Yankees.

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WHY THE YANKS STILL NEED TO WIN

Admit it, it's a weird feeling... you sitting there watching the Yankee game but knowing it doesn't matter. Well, it matters to me, I want a win. Why? Because momentum is key when you enter the playoffs. I don't like this feeling of, "Well, it's OK that the Rays took the lead, we already won." Bullshit, Yes, we won the Division, but you want to go into the postseason cold? I don't.
You want to break stride, lose a few and then go full steam Friday and expect a win? (Photo: Getty)
What about CC Sabathia? CC is used to short rest,and he's been talking about it all September when the Yankees were bumbling around with a 6-man rotation. Do you think CC will be ready Friday after not pitching for several days? Sure he had a bullpen session Sunday, but it's a bullpen session... and it was Sunday. You see what I mean?

Look, I worry about this stuff, I'm a fan, I know what my guys are capable of.

Tonight was a perfect example of letting things go because "We already won the division." Girardi is playing to keep pitchers warm, and balance the rest. He's not playing to win. Is it the right thing to do in my opinion? I half agree with it. Because if momentum's not high going into a short series like the ALDS, it's bye bye early. You want to go in hard, without getting hurt and win.
Yes, you we all want the Red Sox to die at the end of this, but the Rays just changed the momentum in tonight's game with that Matt Joyce home run and to me, that says a lot. Listen to the crowd, look at the body language of the Yankees, there are alot of emotions going on.

Bottom line, I don't want the Red Sox in the playoffs, but I also don't want the Yankees walking into the playoffs either, I want to see them running in. Yes we are winners, but losses bring the negative emotionally. It doesn't matter if you clinched a division, it's a mental thing. All I'm saying is, as much as tonight doesn't matter, it does... for the state of our Yankees going into the playoffs, it does matter... that's all.

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