NOW IS OUR SEPTEMBER!

As you know by now, the Yankees called up first baseman Greg Bird, a powerful hard-hitting prospect who impressed during the spring, and who is hitting .301 at AAA Scranton. Read BIRDMAN COMETH for more. It’s a much-deserved call-up and I’m excited about its prospects.  However, the promotion raises some additional questions that I’d be more than happy to pose to GM Brian Cashman if given the opportunity.

If this call-up is being done with the hope of giving a spark to what has been a recent lifeless offense, then why aren’t we also seeing Jose Pirela, Rob Refsnyder or Slade Heathcott being called up as well?  God knows that the Yankees’ 2nd base and outfield positions have been gathering hits at about the same rate as the Sahara desert gathers rain water.

Pirela, for one, has been perhaps the hottest hitter at Scranton, batting .394 over the past 10 games (as of this writing) and hitting .341 overall for the RailRiders.  Both Refsnyder and Heathcott have already shown they can handle big league pitching, and at the very least offer the Yankees a legitimate chance for production from the second base and center field spots.

Also called up in the past week was Chris Capuano.  He apparently is Brian Cashman’s Scott Proctor version 2.0.  I can only wonder what about his prior 5.12 ERA with the club was appealing enough to want more?  

In the meantime, as Capuano enjoys his front seat view of real big league pitchers, Scranton has a 24-year-old left-handed reliever by the name of James Pazos who carries a 1.35 ERA and has struck out 28 in 26 innings over 16 games.  He was promoted from Trenton where he had thrown for a 1.86 ERA.  Clearly he’s on the fast track.  Why not bring him up where he’ll offer more of an option for manager Joe Girardi than “Proctor Junior”?

Look, the Blue Jays are legit.  They did what it takes to win prior to the trade deadline while the Yankees stood pat.  It’s not so much that the Yankees didn’t make a deal that has me perplexed as it is that the Yankees haven’t made any changes to the status quo in house.  They’ve wisely decided to save their prospects while at the same time ignorantly passed on giving those prospects an opportunity to show their worth.

We can’t wait for the September call-ups to hope for our boost of energy.  The 6 ½ to 7 ½ game lead in the AL East we once enjoyed has evaporated, and now we are in the position of having to be the “hunter” rather than the “hunted”.  We fell asleep at the wheel and Toronto blew by us.  We can’t remain asleep or soon they’ll be out of reach. Last night, Carlos Beltran reminded up all, that we can do this!

Our veterans have carried us well into the dog days of summer, but their tanks are now quickly approaching “E”.  We need the influx of the stars we have in Scranton to give the team the energy for a final run to the division crown.

NOW is our September.


    

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




 
You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

SCOTT PROCTOR HANGS IT UP

It's being tweeted by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News  that Scott Proctor is going to retire.  Feinsand's tweet is HERE. 

Proctor had a good life in baseball.  Not outstanding, but good.  Proctor is 36 years old. Just recently he was with the Orioles, that was back in March and then he was released in April.   We reported on it in ORIOLES RELEASE SCOTT PROCTOR.

His Yankee career went like this: 11-13 with a 4.51 ERA in 198 games. Quick note about this picture above. I always got a kick out of it because despite whatever the Yanks are talking about on the mound there...Alex Rodriguez still manages to find the camera. Hilarious.

Enjoy retirement Scott.

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.

ORIOLES RELEASE SCOTT PROCTOR

Quick news on Scott Proctor, just because he was a former Yankee and I vowed to give you updates on occasion when some news happens.  Scott Proctor has been released by the Baltimore Orioles. You can read about it HERE.  He was pitching for the Norfolk Tides, a AAA Orioles club... and now he's not.

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 IT'S A SPRING TRAINING I'LL NEVER FORGET

This piece was released originally on February 15, 2012.  I was very popular then and it's also timeless because it's about a father and son.  This was Steve Skinner's first piece with Bleeding Yankee Blue and I'm happy to say, 1 year later, he's given us some terrific material.  Well, because we're still in the final days of Spring Training, I found it fitting to re-post this great story... enjoy. -Casey

In a matter of hours... Spring will be upon us – pitchers and catchers will report to their respective clubs and begin routines for the start of the Major League Baseball season. For a little more than a month, baseball teams will play their “season before the season” in an effort to tweak rosters and fine-tune lineups and rotations. It’s an exciting time of year when every team has new hope and, new prospects. Fans and the media will begin their speculations and fantasy teams will be drafted. For me, it brings back one of the greatest memories of my life.

In 2006 my son Matt was in his final year of elementary school. The following year he’d be moving into the middle school of our small city in upstate New York and, with the new school would come new challenges, new faces and a new schedule of things to do.

That year, Matt had a foreign language teacher who knew him to be a dedicated baseball fan – in particular – a dedicated Yankee fan. As luck would have it, that teacher held tickets for the Yankees spring training schedule, because he spent spring breaks in Florida, and the week of Matt’s spring break, he could not make his regular trip south. So, he asked Matt if he would like a couple of his tickets to Yankee games and, Matt came home excited about the possibility of seeing his baseball heroes in action. Knowing that he and I might never have the opportunity again, I quickly cleared my schedule and made reservations in Florida.

Our first game that week pitted the Yankees against the Cardinals. The weather was perfect... 80 degrees, partly sunny. The “Big Unit”, Randy Johnson was the scheduled pitcher for the home team and Legends field (later renamed to George M. Steinbrenner park) was full.

As we walked from the parking lot to the stadium, on our left we could see the field where the Yanks practiced and stretched before games and, as we entered the stadium grounds, to our right, was an area with three mounds on which Mariano Rivera, Randy Johnson and Scott Proctor were beginning their daily routines. You could hear the "pops" of the ball to the mitt and you knew it was baseball was here. A crowd gathered along the fence of the practice field as fans tried to catch glimpses of their favorite players stretching and jogging around the perimeter of the outfield.
Matt and I squeezed ourselves in hoping to see Jorge Posada – Matt’s favorite player. Our efforts went unrewarded and we made our way into the ballpark and to our seats. Regardless of whether or not we saw our favorite players, we were in the ballpark on a perfect day and about to watch our favorite team play. Life doesn’t get any better.
The game began and for the first three innings Randy Johnson and Sidney Ponson, the Cardinal pitcher, matched scoreless frames. In the bottom of the 4th, a promising young second baseman for the Yanks, Robinson Cano, drilled a Ponson fastball over the opposite field wall and, the crowd went wild.

In the 5th inning, Johnson would run into trouble and the Cardinals would get two runs to take the lead. The “Big Unit” would be relieved by Rivera in the sixth and, even though it was still just spring, we would be fortunate enough to see his greatness in full splendor as he struck out two of the three batters he faced. The remainder of the game we saw appearances by the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Tanyon Sturtze and, the Yankees would lose the game 4 – 3.

In spite of the result, our experience lost none of its luster. Matt and I spent a day watching our Yankees and even though our heroes like Jeter, Posada and ARod did not participate in the game that day, others by the names of Cano, Giambi, Sheffield and Rivera more than made up for it.

Following the game we exited the stadium and headed to the gift shop. On the way, we passed an old-style ragtime band playing songs like “Take me out to the ball game”. It only added to the overall atmosphere of the day and I knew at that moment that I was making memories of a lifetime.

That is the beauty of spring training for fans – there is no pressure or stress. It is merely baseball in its purest form played in cozy, throwback stadiums full of sights, sounds and the smells of a promising new season. I cannot think of a better experience for a father and son and, I will cherish the moments at Legends field forever.



--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer

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

REMEMBER SCOTT PROCTOR? HE'S STILL WORKING

The San Francisco Giants have signed Scott Proctor to a minor league deal.  That is being reported by TC Palm, read HERE.

Proctor said of the deal: “It’s an honor to play for an organization that has such a winning tradition... (San Francisco) focuses on the fundamentals that I believe in and to get a chance to play for an organization that does it the right way is quite an opportunity for me.”  Well, good for him.

Man, it feels like just yesterday I wrote about Proctor signing another deal.  I went back just to see when it was.  I found it, it was WHY SCOTT PROCTOR'S MOVED ON. That piece was from January 2012 and he signed on to play in Korea.  Well, he's back, there you go.

I love keeping you all up to date on former Yankees.  Next I'm going to write about Felix Heredia.  I hear he opened a deli in Brooklyn with Wayne Tolleson... I'm kidding.

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 IT'S A SPRING TRAINING I'LL NEVER FORGET

I thought it would be fun to write about Spring Training but I wanted another perspective instead of mine all the time, so here's a story I know you'll enjoy and it brings you back to 2006. A very special Spring Training for a father and his son... my friend Steve Skinner wrote this... enjoy it.

-Casey

In a matter of hours... Spring will be upon us – pitchers and catchers will report to their respective clubs and begin routines for the start of the Major League Baseball season. For a little more than a month, baseball teams will play their “season before the season” in an effort to tweak rosters and fine-tune lineups and rotations. It’s an exciting time of year when every team has new hope and, new prospects. Fans and the media will begin their speculations and fantasy teams will be drafted. For me, it brings back one of the greatest memories of my life.

In 2006 my son Matt was in his final year of elementary school. The following year he’d be moving into the middle school of our small city in upstate New York and, with the new school would come new challenges, new faces and a new schedule of things to do.

That year, Matt had a foreign language teacher who knew him to be a dedicated baseball fan – in particular – a dedicated Yankee fan. As luck would have it, that teacher held tickets for the Yankees spring training schedule, because he spent spring breaks in Florida, and the week of Matt’s spring break, he could not make his regular trip south. So, he asked Matt if he would like a couple of his tickets to Yankee games and, Matt came home excited about the possibility of seeing his baseball heroes in action. Knowing that he and I might never have the opportunity again, I quickly cleared my schedule and made reservations in Florida.Our first game that week pitted the Yankees against the Cardinals. The weather was perfect... 80 degrees, partly sunny. The “Big Unit”, Randy Johnson was the scheduled pitcher for the home team and Legends field (later renamed to George M. Steinbrenner park) was full.

As we walked from the parking lot to the stadium, on our left we could see the field where the Yanks practiced and stretched before games and, as we entered the stadium grounds, to our right, was an area with three mounds on which Mariano Rivera, Randy Johnson and Scott Proctor were beginning their daily routines. You could hear the "pops" of the ball to the mitt and you knew it was baseball was here. A crowd gathered along the fence of the practice field as fans tried to catch glimpses of their favorite players stretching and jogging around the perimeter of the outfield.
Matt and I squeezed ourselves in hoping to see Jorge Posada – Matt’s favorite player. Our efforts went unrewarded and we made our way into the ballpark and to our seats. Regardless of whether or not we saw our favorite players, we were in the ballpark on a perfect day and about to watch our favorite team play. Life doesn’t get any better.
The game began and for the first three innings Randy Johnson and Sidney Ponson, the Cardinal pitcher, matched scoreless frames. In the bottom of the 4th, a promising young second baseman for the Yanks, Robinson Cano, drilled a Ponson fastball over the opposite field wall and, the crowd went wild.

In the 5th inning, Johnson would run into trouble and the Cardinals would get two runs to take the lead. The “Big Unit” would be relieved by Rivera in the sixth and, even though it was still just spring, we would be fortunate enough to see his greatness in full splendor as he struck out two of the three batters he faced. The remainder of the game we saw appearances by the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Tanyon Sturtze and, the Yankees would lose the game 4 – 3.

In spite of the result, our experience lost none of its luster. Matt and I spent a day watching our Yankees and even though our heroes like Jeter, Posada and ARod did not participate in the game that day, others by the names of Cano, Giambi, Sheffield and Rivera more than made up for it.

Following the game we exited the stadium and headed to the gift shop. On the way, we passed an old-style ragtime band playing songs like “Take me out to the ball game”. It only added to the overall atmosphere of the day and I knew at that moment that I was making memories of a lifetime.

That is the beauty of spring training for fans – there is no pressure or stress. It is merely baseball in its purest form played in cozy, throwback stadiums full of sights, sounds and the smells of a promising new season. I cannot think of a better experience for a father and son and, I will cherish the moments at Legends field forever.



--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer

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

WHY CORY WADE'S A BRIGHT SPOT IN THE YANKEES PEN

What can you say about Cory Wade? He was a big surprise in 2011, but not the type that's disappointing. Wade came into an already crowded pen and made a spot for himself and he did it by simply delivering each and every time he was handed the ball. To have him back is terrific and the Yankees made the right move to pursue him again. Read about when he re-signed HERE.

Let’s not forget the crappy road Cory Wade drove into the Major Leagues on. He started out with the Los Angeles Dodgers and he got hurt. Some suggested it was Joe Torre's fault for working him too hard. The New York Daily News had a unique quote describing Wade HERE:

"...if Wade had it to do over again as a rookie with the Dodgers in 2008, he would have said "no" once in a while when Joe Torre asked if he was good to pitch."

Don't forget, Torre was also accused of ruining Scott Proctor, but Torre recently defended himself... read HERE. Whatever the case, Wade ended up getting hurt and had a long road back. He signed briefly with the Tampa Bay Rays (READ) and then after that didn't work out, the Yankees took a chance on a cheap investiment in Wade, and they got back on that investment pretty nicely. In 2011, Wade was 6-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 39.2 IP. He had 30 strikeouts and only gave up 8 walks. No bad. The Yankees brought back Wade this winter signing him to a 1 year deal and a raise. Why give up on a good thing right? I like having Wade in the pen. Between he, Boone Logan, David Robertson, Rafael Soriano, eventually Joba Chamberlain and the always reliable Mariano Rivera, I feel like this may be the best pen in baseball. Not only can we hand the ball to the pen in the 5^th inning if we needed too, we can rest guys using other reliable arms when needed. There’s no doubt Cory Wade is a good investiment. 2012 will be another good year for him, I have no doubt about it.

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

WHY SCOTT PROCTOR'S MOVED ON

Just an update for all you Scott Proctor fans… *cricket, cricket*… Mr. Proctor has signed another baseball contract, but this contract makes him part of the Doosan Bears of Korea. That report can be read HERE.

Proctor joined the Yankees briefly last season and really didn’t offer much but I guess it was good to see the guy again. To be honest, I always had high hopes for Proctor when he was with the Yankees the first time, I would almost consider myself a fan at that time. I always felt like the guy could turn into a David Robertson type, but it really never panned out that way. Many blame Joe Torre for blowing out Proctor’s arm. Torre has stated that Proctor wanted to be out there and did it to himself, Read HERE. Who the hell knows if that stuff is true. It is true that he pitched a crap load of games so, who knows.

In 2011, Proctor was part of the Braves and Yankees organization. He had a horrendous ERA of 7.14 in 40 1/3 innings. Whatever the case, we wish Scott Proctor luck in Korea because like I always believe is, once a Yankees, always a Yankees. Good luck Scott.

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.

THE STATE OF THE YANKEES PITCHING

First, let me give you alittle Yankee pitching news. 3 names have moved on according to LoHud, read it HERE.

Aaron Laffey was apparently claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals. Scott Proctor elected free agency as did Raul Valdes.

Now, for other important stuff coming out of Yankeeland. The next logical target for the Yankees as far as starting pitching is concerned is the Rangers lefthander CJ Wilson in my opinion. Yes, the 2011 rotation did much better than anyone anticipated, but there is definitely a need for improvement, so why not “Pretty Boy” Wilson, as Casey calls him? CJ Wilson has improved on his 2010 breakout year, proving more than capable as the ace of the Rangers staff. He finished the season with a 2.94 ERA, 206 strikeouts (8.3 K/9), and a career high 223.1 innings pitched.

Adding Wilson behind CC, assuming CC Sabathia returns, would certainly give the Yankees the most dominant pair of lefties in the game, which could prove to be a valuable commodity when facing the lefty laden lineups of Boston (who despite collapsing, is still an excellent offensive team) and the Rangers. That said, I don’t see the Rangers letting CJ get away. Don’t forget, the Rangers lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes too and have plenty of money sitting around to make sure he stays. Losing their ace in back to back off-seasons would be a PR nightmare, especially given the current free agent market. Sure, the Rangers could abandon CJ and make a run at Yu Darvish, but should they fail in that pursuit, they’re left with a staff led by… Derek Holland and Colby Lewis. And, could Neftali Feliz truly succeed in a starting role with only two pitches? As much as I’d like to have CJ Wilson, I don’t see him going anywhere. He seems to love playing in Texas and the fans love him back. Additionally, I don’t see how a 31 year old with all of 2 years experience starting in a division with the Athletics, Mariners, and Angels is a sure thing to perform in the AL East. If Yu Darvish doesn’t work out (Read WHY I’LL CONVINCE YOU ON YU), I’d go for CJ.

Clearly, Manny Banuelos is another lefty that could prove reliable and dominant for the Yankees, very possibly in 2012. And speaking of Banuelos, what do we do with those other B’s? If their performance in AAA is any indication of how they’ll look at the beginning of next year, Betances and Banuelos should be given a chance to make the rotation out of Spring Training and boot Phil Hughes to the bullpen, but more than likely they need to be sent back to Scranton Wilkes-Barre (or I guess Rochester seeing as they’ll playing most of their “home” games there next season) and given their chance to dominate.

As for Andrew Brackman, I say he should be in the bullpen on Opening Day 2012, ready to work late innings. He proved last season that he has huge flaws as a starter, but towards the end of the season, he was an utterly dominant setup man for the Yanks’ AAA affiliate. His fastball + power-curve combo works fantastically out of the bullpen, and adding him into a bullpen with Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera would pretty much a guarantee that the Yankees have the best bullpen in baseball for the second year in a row.
If all went according to my plan, we’d have a rotation resembling Sabathia, Darvish, Ivan Nova, Phi Hughes, AJ Burnett for Opening Day, and as the season progresses, I believe Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances could both try their hardest to beat out the latter three. That’s a damn nice 1-2-3, and if Hughes maintains the form he displayed in the end of the season, he’ll be one of the better 4th starters in the game.

Finally, an important part to all of this is an extra lefty in the Yankees bullpen. Casey has been ranting about the need for an extra one in the pen, and he’s right. Boone Logan is a fine relief pitcher, but a lefty specialist he is not. We were all set for Pedro Feliciano to be our hero, but his entire career may be in jeopardy, so forget about depending on him in 2012. Damaso Marte was never any good, except of course the 2009 postseason, but let’s face it, that was 2009. I’m not sure who’s out there, but it has to be done.

Look, at the end of the day, I have a plan, it may not be perfect or realistic to some, but in my opinion, I think it could work. Do you agree, maybe disagree? You can comment… let me know what you would do.

--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



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 ARE A STATE OF MIND

The past 20 hours have been quite insane. When I watched the Yankees lose to the Tampa Bay Rays and saw the Red Sox’s Carl Crawford miss a liner and Jonathan Papelbon walk off the field, it may have been the greatest feeling of my life since the worst feeling of my life, that 2004 collapse of the Yankees when the Red Sox won 4 in a row. I still don’t know how that happened there. I just remember this… the Red Sox fans made every single one of us Yankee fans feel like shit and when I think about it, I still get pissed. Now, the payback is sweeter. I don’t hate 1 Red Sox fan. I hate the franchise and love my Yankees beating them, and if that means they don't make the playoffs, that's terrific... plain and simple.(Photo: Getty)
Then I got to thinking about last night’s Yankee game, you know the one where Joe Girardi single-handedly lost the game being cute using every pitcher we had, I realized that you can’t even blame Scott Proctor for that loss last night. He was throwing around 60 pitches at that point where Evan Longoria homered. You have to expect a homer to happen eventually. Even though that game didn’t matter to the Yankees, I thought about something interesting. If the Yankees were playing the Red Sox last night but were in the same position, meaning that they had already clinched, and already had the best record in the AL, would we have played the same way? Would Girardi had used all his pitchers the way he did? No. Would Mariano Rivera had come in to try and shut down the Sox? Yes. If last night we played the Red Sox, it would have been a must win.

It goes back to my theory, winning every ballgame counts. Look, the Yankees and Red Sox don’t mix, they’ve never mixed and trust me, if Dan Johnson was David Ortiz last night, the Yankees would have brought in the top closer in the world to shut him down.
(Photo: Getty)
You know me. I hate to lose and in my opinion, walking into a playoff against a potential Cy Young winner like Justin Verlander scares the everliving shit out of me. Why? Because we’re riding a 4 game losing streak. Now, the ALDS is a whole new season, this is true. Do I have faith in CC Monster and my Yankees? Yes, but losing is easy to do and once you do it a few times, it becomes easier and easier and all I’m saying is our Yankees need to and will have to turn it around tomorrow. We need to set the tone.

Luckily for us, this Yankee team is loose. This Yankee team forgot about last night, because, let’s face it, it was more of a celebration of the Red Sox being out of it than the Rays winning the Wild Card. Today is a workout day, tonight, a light dinner, talk alittle strategy, early bed of an early rise and my Yankees will be ready to go. They’re over it so I’m over it... I’m ready to see my Yankees do damage.

I wrote a piece simply titled WHY THE YANKEES WILL LOSE ALDS WITHOUT MOMENTUM. I was sick of losing the last few games of the season and was shooting from the hip. Luckily, you die-hards talked me off the ledge. @jenjeter2211 said it best. “Casey, we have momentum… home field, CC, Nova, Freddy... Jeter, Grandy."
She’s right. We DO have CC and the others. The Yankees CAN make their own momentum. Yankee Stadium during the playoffs is the best place in the world. We have the best fans in the world and the Yankees know that. They feed off that, they feed off each other. Can we win this ALDS? Yes, damn straight! Will it be tough? Yes, but there is one phrase that I forgot about in my 48 hours nervous insanity... “One game at the time.” We can do this, we WILL do this and we will advance… Why? Because we’re the God damn New York Yankees, that's why.

A few quick notes: Alex Rodriguez will be in the lineup tomorrow night for the start of the ALDS. Read about ARod HERE.

Jesus Montero’s X-Rays have come back negative and he’ll be ready to play. Read about it HERE.

Freddy Garcia will be the #3 starter in the ALDS behind CC Monster #1 and Ivan Nova #2.
The Yankees won 97 games this season. That’s no fluke, that’s not luck... that’s solid offense and solid pitching… and we were worried about our rotation all season...remember?

Get Ready Ladies & Gentlemen… here come our New York Yankees…Quest for 28 coming up!

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 THIS YANKEES LOSS TO RAYS MAKES HISTORY

OK, it was the final game of the season, Game 162. Everything has been wrapped up, the American League East, and the home field advantage throughout the American League Playoffs. Now, I know Casey doesn't like these losses, but I'm fine with it. You can read his take of Tuesday's loss in WHY THE YANKEES WILL LOSE ALDS WITHOUT MOMENTUM.

If the Rays won this game and the Red Sox lost their game against the Orioles the Red Sox would have blown a nine, yes NINE, game September lead and miss the playoffs. That has never happened in the history of this great game. And you know what? It happened, it really happened!
Anyway, onto the Yankee game. Although most have probably forgotten by now, Yankee pitching prospect Dellin Betances started this game. After shitting the bed last week against the Rays, Dellin got a second chance. Although he looked shaky at times, he was able to pitch out of his own mistakes. Betances pitched 2 shutout innings, allowing one hit on two walks and two strikeouts. He didn't throw a first pitch strike to any of the nine batters he faced, as he clearly didn't have his best control. But he got through it, and it was against a desperate Rays team. Awesome.
(Photo: AP)
The Yanks wound up taking a 7-0 lead by the fifth inning in this one. Mark Teixeira hit two homers, one a Grand Slam, his 38th and 39th of the year. He was batting third against the lefty David Price for the Rays--who went four innings allowing five earned for Tampa--so it looks like Tex will bat fifth against righties and third against lefties in the playoffs after hitting third on Tuesday against the righty Jeremy Hellickson. The Yanks also scored an un-earned run in the first, and Andruw Jones hit a solo shot in the fifth.By the time the Yanks got their 7-0 lead, Joe Girardi got cute with his bullpen. I tell you, it's that stupid binder he has. Casey wrote about it last night.... I know he was flipping out, Read WHY I'M NO FAN OF A LACKADAISCAL GIRARDI. Girardi used 11, ELEVEN, pitchers in this game. The list includes Betances of course, George Kontos, Phil Hughes--for one inning--AJ Burnett--for one batter--Andrew Brackman, and Scott Proctor--among others--who allowed the game winning homer to Evan Longoria in the 12th inning, his second homer of the game.(Photo: AP)
Boone Logan and Luis Ayala each allowed three runs in the Tampa six run 8th inning, before Cory Wade allowed a two out, solo home run to Dan Johnson to tie the game at seven in the bottom of the ninth. Folks, if these last two games of the regular season meant something, I'd be beyond devastated. The Tampa Bay Rays now win the AL Wild Card with the help of Robert Andino and the Baltimore Orioles beating the Red Sox. The almighty Red Sox miss the playoffs while blowing a nine, NINE, game September lead. Did I mention that's NEVER happened in the history of the game? Sweetness.

Final Score- Rays 8 - Yankees 7 in 12 innings

OK, enough about the Rays comeback and the Red Sox choke. I'm sorry, but I'm still pumped from this happening. I jumped out of my seat for joy when the Sox lost. Anyway, the Tigers won and so did the Rangers, so the Yankees will play the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. The Chase for 28 starts Friday.

It's a rematch of the Opening Day pitching match up, but with MUCH bigger ramifications. CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.00) goes against the almighty, no doubt Cy Young winner, possible MVP winner, and pitching Triple Crown winner, Justin Verlander (24-5, 2.40 ERA, 250 K's) Friday night at the Stadium. Let's Go YANKEES!




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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 I'M NO FAN OF A LACKADAISICAL GIRARDI

When this game started, the Yankees were treating it like a game, but not a big game. The Yankees quickly took a big lead, going 7-0 and Michael Kay said it best; Joe Girardi was being all cute with his pitching never thinking he'd be in a 7-7 situation...I'm paraphrasing. Kay's right.

Joe brought in pitchers like he was changing wet socks... constantly, but all the while, treating it not like a must win, but instead, a bridge game to get to Friday...warm everyone up and get through the game. It seemed very lazy to me, it seemed like he was going through the motions.

I sit here now, watching a game in extra innings in Tampa, in our last game of the season with our last pitcher...Scott Proctor and while the Yankees can lose this game, I don't like to lose ever, no one does, not even the Yankees. The Yankees didn't get into this spot though, Girardi did and when you're stuck with 1 pitcher in an extra inning game, you didn't think like a manager, you thought like an amateur.Suddenly this game that was light, laid back and carelessly fun has become a tense game that the Yankees must win. Well, it's alittle late for that I think. If it was a must win, Joe may have taken a smarter approach with his revolving door of pitchers. Do you notice the tension is much different in the 10th inning?

Suddenly, Joe Girardi's back's against the wall and while the Yankees are going to the playoffs, bringing in 11 pitchers in a single game for the sake of pitching them may be one of the most idiotic managerial decisions I've ever witnessed, because if we lose this game tonight, it's not a big deal in the record books, we still go to the playoffs, but it's a big deal to any players mentality. No one wants to leave on a low note and this loss in my opinion is not a Yankee loss, it's a Girardi loss. Hey, just an observation though, what the hell do I know.

Let's hope Joe thinks more clearly on Friday.

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 THIS YANKEES LOSS STINGS

Leave it to the Yankees and Red Sox to go extra innings in the last game of the year between the 2 clubs. No one ever said it would be easy and while the Red Sox are dear death, they clearly aren't dead yet. Long game.(Photo: Getty)
Mark Teixeira had a beautiful 2 run double in the first inning for the Yankees, it appeared we were on our way. Chris Dickerson had a sac RBI in the game.

Ivan Nova pitched OK. In 6 innings, he gave up 4 runs on 8 hits. He's been better, but I ain't made at him. After Nova, the Yankees used 7 pitchers and held down the Sox until Scott Proctor blew it but, more on that in a moment.

(Photo: Getty)
In the 6th inning, an amazing play by Austin Romine tagging Dustin Pedroia trying to get home. The picture above clearly captures the out. But look, this is athletic on both ends and for Romine, a rookie to be thrown into that and succeeding is something special. They always said Romine's defense was great, here's a great example of that.

In the extra innings, there was a horrendous call at first. Dustin Pedroia sliding into first and a running quick throw from Ramiro Pena at third to Nick Swisher at first base. Pedroia was clearly out with the naked eye, but when I saw the play in YES-mo, I became a crazy person. Joe Girardi was right to fight that battle and he getting thrown out, was better than risking Nick arguing the call and getting tossed. It also was a tactic to energize the Yankees who weren't hitting in the later innings, but it didn't work.

Scott Proctor, who's really not too great, allowed Jacoby Ellsbury to give one a ride in the 14th inning, a 3 run shot to make it 7-4. Not too good. The Yankees really wanted this game, and it was a mistake by Proctor and perhaps, may I suggest, a mistake by Tony Pena to put him in. Look, I like Scott Proctor, but the numbers don't look too good. Clearly there's a reason why he let up that home run to Ellsbury. Why wouldn't we use Luis Ayala? He was available. Well, what can you do.

One final thought. Anyone hear Baba O'Riley by the Who being played when Brett Gardner came out? My take on this is simple, that's Paul O'Neill song. It's sacred and it shouldn't be played for any other player ever. Just saying, I loved the Warrior and everytime I hear that song, I think of Paul O'Neill.

Final Score of Game 2: Red Sox 7 - Yankees 4

Don't look now, the Red Sox aren't dead yet.

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.