Knowing Your Enemy

Travis Hafner turned it on in September, but Grady Sizemore slumped. Ryan Garko's defense worried the Indians, but his bat (.289/.359/.483) and walk-off heroics kept him in the lineup.

Franklin Gutierrez took Trot Nixon's job in June and refused to return it. Jhonny Peralta continues to decline, collecting half the homers and RBI post-all star break as he did pre-all star break: 14 HR, 50 RBI versus 7 HR, 22 RBI.

As is common with catchers, Victor Martinez did his best hitting during the first half of the season. However, he is still extremely dangerous, hitting .301 with 25 homers and 114 RBI on the season. Martinez leads Cleveland regulars in all three categories.

Probable Lineup

Sizemore
Cabrera
Hafner
Martinez
Garko
Peralta
Lofton
Gutierrez
Blake

The starting rotation, as everybody understands, is a two-horse race with Sabathia and Carmona leaving Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd in the rear-view. However, the bullpen is an interesting topic as Cleveland's two young setup men (Betancourt and Perez) totally outclass their closer.

Joe Borowski may have 45 saves on the season, but he also compiled an ERA over 5.00 and a 1.43 WHIP. He has a losing 4-5 record, blew eight saves, served up nine homers and allowed 11 more hits than innings-pitched.

ALDS Game Times Announced

Ed Price has the schedule for the upcoming LDS series between New York and Cleveland:

All games on TBS

Game 1 Thursday at Cleveland, 6:30 p.m.

Game 2 Friday at Cleveland, 5 p.m.

Game 3 Sunday at New York, 6:30 p.m.

Game 4 Monday at New York, 6 p.m. (7:30 p.m. if only game that day)

Game 5, Oct. 10 at Cleveland, 5 p.m. (8:30 p.m. if only game that day)

Strange schedule here. No guaranteed primetime spots and a 6:30 start for Game 1? Interesting, to say the least.

Thursday Night Lights?:

Chien-Ming Wang draws Carsten-Charles Sabathia in game one of the ALDS on Thursday. The times have yet to be determined, though a 4pm or 8pm start is expected.

From Tyler Kepner's article,

Thursday, Oct. 4 — Game 1 at Cleveland (Wang vs. Sabathia)
Friday, Oct. 5 — Game 2 at Cleveland (Pettitte vs. Carmona)
Sunday, Oct. 7 — Game 3 at New York (Clemens vs. Westbrook)
Monday, Oct. 8 — Game 4 at New York* (Mussina vs. Byrd)
Wednesday, Oct. 10 — Game 5 at Cleveland* (Wang vs. Sabathia)

* — if necessary

Time to turn the page to October, fall and some postseason baseball.

And that's something that Alex Rodriguez apparently can't wait to do. A-Rod told the NY Post that he welcomes the pressure:

I felt a lot of pressure coming into this year. Pressure is a good thing, it's part of baseball. During the last three months, we have been under enormous pressure. People will say I played poorly that last two postseasons and I get another crack at it.

Let the games begin.

Billy Wagner Buries Team

Still shocked by the New York Mets and the worst September collapse in MLB history. After all the flack Yankee fans, writers and players took from the Amazin's during the first half of 2007, it's going to be a pretty bitter pill to swallow when they turn on October baseball and don't see their team competing.

A seven game lead with seventeen games to play? Absolutely mindboggling.

Painful as it might be for Yankees fans to admit, it's pretty difficult not to feel bad for Mets fans.

So, in the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood, the Mets closer decided to toss his coaching staff under the bus:

Billy Wagner stabs pitching coach, manager in the back:

“We’ve been throwing four innings a night - for months!” Wagner told the magazine. “Our pitching coach has no experience talking to a bullpen. He can help you mechanically, but he can’t tell you emotions. He has no idea what it feels like. And neither does Willie. They’re not a lot of help, put it that way.”

Maybe Wagner's tendency to choke up huge save opportunities had something to do with it as well... What a team player.

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On the contrary, the Rockies and Padres will duke it out tomorrow night with a one-game playoff contest. Winner is in, and loser goes home.

Yankees Win One for the Gipper

• Jorge Posada managed today's regular season finale, putting together extraordinary in-game strategy in order to pull out the victory.

• Alex Rodriguez notched RBI #156 and raised his season batting average to .314 thanks to his 2-for-2 day. He managed a .314/.422/.645 year with 54 homeruns, 156 RBI, 143 runs-scored and 24 stolen bases.

• Ross Ohlendorf pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three baserunners and an earned run.

• Chris Britton pitched a perfect inning.

• Kyle Farnsworth (of course) allowed a homer, finishing the season with a 4.80 Earned Run Average.

• Wilson Betemit and The Giambino each contributed 2-out RBI. Giambi with an RBI single and Betemit with a two-run double.

• Yankees final record: 94-68

Playoff Roster Predictions

Controversies:

• Phil Hughes over Mike Mussina

• No Kyle Farnsworth

• Jose Veras and Chris Britton and Ross Ohlendorf ?

So, About That Game Four....

After Mike Mussina's performance Friday, I think it's about time Joe Torre seriously reconsiders his playoff rotation. From this morning:

Not to sound like a broken record, but if the Moose turns back the clock by shutting down a powerful Cleveland lineup, I will gladly eat my words. Until then, I truly believe the best strategy would involve kicking Mussina into the bullpen, and handing Phil Hughes the ball for Game 4.

Mussina better fits into the long reliever role, and is only an 85 mph fastball away from destroying a potential elimination game. This is not to say that the rookie is impenetrable, but I fear Hughes (whose stuff is probably at about 85%) much more than Moose at full strength. Seeing Phil mix in his changeup and slider with astonishing frequency Thursday illustrates the type of versatility he can show batters.

Or from Sunday:

I'm still on the fence in terms of having him start game four of a divisional playoff series. Is it possible to come back from the horrible three game stretch Moose had in mid-August? Absolutely. Has his last three impressive starts erased his inability to hold a lead against Detroit last October? Absolutely not.

Obviously Friday's game wasn't played within the playoff bubble. It wasn't a "must win" by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is indicative of the type of atrocious appearance Moose can hand to the opposition. I still vote for Phil's stuff, over Mussina's experience. We saw last year's Detroit pitching staff, chock full of unexperienced young arms, dismember an offense categorized as "Murderer's Row plus Cano."

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Notes:

* Red Sox top pitching prospect, Clay Buchholz, will not pitch again this year due to "fatigue."

* Bronson Sardinha's middle name is "Kiheimahanaomauiakeo"

Unbelievable Owings

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Micah Owings put together one of the most dominant NL pitcher performances of modern times. Yes, this is the same young pitcher Bronx Liaison considered the best possible piece of the rumored Randy Johnson deal. I also alluded to his ability with the stick:

The article also speaks of his natural athletic ability as [Owings] can still rake: batting .355 with 18homers and 63rbi with the Green Wave last year.

Owings pitched 6.1 innings of shutout ball, striking out four, walking zero and allowing only four hits. Although very impressive amidst a pressure-packed pennant race, the pitching aspect was just a small portion of Micah's night.

The 6-foot-5 Georgia product brought a .291 batting average into last night's action. With exception to a broken bat single to left, Owings would become an extra base machine. He went on to collect three more hits, all doubles, and post a 4-for-4 night. He knocked in three runs and raised his season average to an unbelievable .339.

Postseason Rotation

Ed Price reports Joe Torre revealed his playoff plans for the starting rotation. There aren't any surprises, except an official confirmation that Mike Mussina is slotted in as the Game 4 starter.

Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte will start the first two games of the AL Division Series for the Yankees, manager Joe Torre said.

Roger Clemens -- if he recovers from a sore left hamstring -- will pitch Game 3. If the Yankees are in the series that opens next Thursday, they will need four starters, and Mike Mussina would be fourth. Otherwise, he may be a long reliever.

Not to sound like a broken record, but if the Moose turns back the clock by shutting down a powerful Cleveland lineup, I will gladly eat my words. Until then, I truly believe the best strategy would involve kicking Mussina into the bullpen, and handing Phil Hughes the ball for Game 4.

Mussina better fits into the long reliever role, and is only an 85 mph fastball away from destroying a potential elimination game. This is not to say that the rookie is impenetrable, but I fear Hughes (whose stuff is probably at about 85%) much more than Moose at full strength. Seeing Phil mix in his changeup and slider with astonishing frequency Thursday illustrates the type of versatility he can show batters.

Exhibition Win & Mets Crucial Loss

Phil Hughes tossed a gem tonight, lasting seven strong innings and allowing only one run on four hits. The Franchise struck out five batters and then handed the ball to Joba Chamberlain. Although Mike Mussina most likely gets the postseason start, the superb finish to Phil's regular season ensures a capable replacement should Moose falter in October.

On the other hand, the J-Man took another step toward the playoff spotlight. After allowing a leadoff double, Joba induced a line-out before striking out two Devil Rays and stranding the runner at second base.

Chamberlain passed his final test by successfully pitching on back-to-back days. The fastball still hit 99 mph on the radar and the slidepiece still buckled batters. As long as his body recovers well tomorrow and Saturday, all systems are go.

....

Meanwhile, Flushing is Burning, as the Mets lost another crucial game tonight. With the Phillies looming one game back, the Mets offense was befuddled by former Red Sox failure, Joel Pineiro. Looking like an ace, the unlikely torment from Pineiro spanned eight shutout innings and former Metropolitan farmhand, Jason Isringhausen shut the door in the ninth.

The Phillies, however, fought their way to a 6-4 victory, creating an improbable tie atop the NL East. Just a few months ago, the Mets fanbase danced the New York City streets, proclaiming their team the newly crowned King of New York.

As September winds down, they are again playing second fiddle to the Bombers and desperately clawing for a postseason berth. Talk about turning the tables. The Mets are on the verge of an unprecedented collapse, considering no division leader ever blew a seven game cushion during the final month of the season.

• The Cherry On Top: By striking out 10 Yankees, another former Mets minor leaguer, Scott Kazmir, became the Major League strikeout leader with a staggering 236. Ouch.

Yankees Playoff Bound

Overcoming an unbelievable barrage of injuries to the pitching staff and outfield, the Bombers played out the second half of the season 24 games over the .500 mark, ensuring they'll spend their thirteenth straight October playing postseason baseball.

Chien-Ming Wang collected his 19th win of the year by throwing six solid innings of two-run ball and striking out an un-Wang-like six batters. The Yankees offense handed Wang back the lead by scoring two runs in the fourth inning. They then handed Wang a certain victory by scoring seven more in the fifth.

CMW now has a 38-13 record over his two full seasons in the major leagues. Remember that Wang made his first start of the year on April 24th, essentially missing the entire first month of the season. It would be hard to believe that a 20th victory would have eluded Wang if he had made those four more starts.

• Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer and picked up 5 more RBI, raising his season total to 95. Having your second baseman and 7/8 hitter knock in 95 runs borders on comical.

• Derek Jeter continues to rake the ball, going 3-for-5, including a game-tying homer.

• The Yankees plated 12 runs, laced 18 hits, were handed a fielding error and still left 11 men on base.

• Assuming Bobby Abreu can tally one more RBI before the regular season concludes, the Yankees lineup will boast a hitter who either holds a .300 batting average or has 100 RBI for six of nine lineup spots.

Looks like C.C. and Fausto are next on the menu. We'll see if New York's offense is hungry.

Santana to Dodgers?

The wheels are turning. My last post pondered the likelihood of a trade involving Cy Young winner Johan Santana.

Baseball Think Factory reports a rumored potential deal between the LA Dodgers and Twins involving Santana, outfielder Matt Kemp and top pitching prospect, Clayton Kershaw.

Foxsports.com is reporting a trade rumor that would send former CY Young award winner Johan Santana to the Dodgers in a deal for OF Matt Kemp.

The Dodgers would also send pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw is regarded as the top pitching prospect in baseball.

The Twins are looking for a young outfielder to possibly replace Torii Hunter.

The Foxsports story reports sources close to the Twins say the offer is being considered by the Dodgers.

That sounds like a pretty credible deal for both sides, though any trade involving the best pitcher in baseball seems like a fleecing. This rumor will probably remain just that, a rumor, until a prominent figure in the Dodgers organization legitimizes it.

Twins Will Shop Santana

Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Minnesota Twins will listen to offers on the centerpiece of their franchise this Winter.

The Twins don't have to trade Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana this winter, but they are expected to shop the left-handed pitcher who can become a free agent after next season. There will be more of a market for Santana, 28, this winter than next July before the trade deadline. The New York Mets, run by Omar Minaya, remain the strong favorite to acquire him if he leaves.

There will be several teams interested, but the price will probably be too steep to pursue. Even if a team comprised an offer good enough to land the lefty, his impending free agency might make the deal moot.

Should a contending team's last piece of the puzzle be a #1 starter, they might feel it necessary toward making a championship run. However, this would be an expensive six-month rental considering the type of super-prospects it would take to acquire him.

Sheffield Hangin' Em Up?


Gary Sheffield will be mulling over a possible shoulder surgery this off-season. He has already had untold amounts of cortisone shot into his body, and any potential steroid use would also contribute to his 38 year-old body breaking down.

When it comes time to decide whether to have offseason right shoulder surgery, Sheffield has to think of himself.

Some think Sheffield won't walk away because he has $28 million left on the table for the next two seasons. Others believe the lure of 500 career home runs or another World Series ring is too great.

They are wrong.

This is not about glory or money. It's about pain.

That's why it would come as no surprise if Sheffield retires.

Wouldn't that just be a shame. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

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In other news:

Cubs President John McDonough squashed any rumors of an A-Rod deal being in place. The Chicago Tribune agrees.

"I laughed when I heard it - it's outrageous," McDonough said.

Added Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who managed Rodriguez in Seattle when A-Rod broke into the league: "There's no truth to that story. Do you think his agent (Scott Boras) would fall into a trap like that? He wouldn't do that."

So now that that is settled, Alex Rodriguez can focus on hitting a homerun per playoff game played this October.

Clemens Out Until Playoffs

The above ESPN article reports that Roger Clemens will miss the remainder of the regular season due to his "lingering left hamstring injury."

"I fully expect to be out there," Clemens said. "I still think it's improving. A little swelling, but I ran quite a bit in the deep end of a pool to try and get that motion going. They're really going to try and just let it rest."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Clemens could have pitched Tuesday if it had been a must-win game.

Sounds like Cashman and Co. are playing this one as safe as possible, and understandably so.

Torre + Bullpen = Trouble

Alex Rodriguez hit his 53rd homer of the year in style, bashing a grand slam that raised his RBI total to 151. Kei Igawa fought tooth and nail through five scoreless innings, walking five and throwing 87 pitches.

Unfortunately, the 5-0 lead Igawa handed the bullpen would be blown the very next inning with Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney doing the heavy lifting. The assist goes to Torre, who after seeing Edwar walk two batters decided to go to the man who could walk a dead dog. That of course, is Bruney, whose pitch arsenal includes a 93 mph fastball, a 94 mph fastball and a 95 mph fastball. All of which are straight.

He followed Edwar's example by walking two of his own, including one with the bases juiced, and then served up a grand salami to a career minor leaguer. If you TIVOed the game, go back and watch Bruney's appearance. He didn't thrown one off-speed pitch. Just grooved fastball after fastball, graduating from Kyle Farnsworth U. and securing his unconditional release.

And just like that, a night of celebrating a playoff berth became an absurd loss. Maybe the playoff auditions should wait until after the playoffs have become a certainty, Joe. Maybe tossing a reliever out onto the mound who can throw strikes would help the team escape a pitching jam.

After only 87 pitches, Igawa probably could have gone another inning, and if Torre was that hellbent on getting him out of the game, he could have gone batter-to-batter with him. I first guessed on this one, thinking Torre went to his bullpen too early...again. I also first-guessed that Bruney would walk as many batters as Edwar did, and throw nothing but fastballs. It was a bad time to be right.

Torre also could have used Ross Ohlendorf in that spot. His uncanny ability to throw strikes and induce groundballs would have been a better answer than Bri and Eddie. And before you say that Ohlendorf pitched on Monday afternoon, remember that Jose Veras threw just as many pitches on Monday (22), but still managed to pitch Tuesday night. Before Monday's appearance, Ohlendorf only faced one batter on Saturday, meaning he was more than capable of tossing an inning last night.

Sure, Ohlendorf's future is more important to the Yankees than a guy like Veras, but an innings cap is far from necessary. After throwing 180+ innings for the Diamondbacks farm system in 2006, he's been limited to under 100 innings in 2007, due largely in part to several minor back injuries.

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Any dreams of a divisional crown have fallen by the wayside, and because Detroit won last night, New York's magic number remains at 1

Rocket Goes Tonight, Reinforcements Wait

UPDATE:

Looks like Clemens will not start tonight's game against the Devil Rays, and Kei Igawa will take his place. LoHud reports that Clemens will not pitch at all during this series. Could be aggravated injury, but it's more likely that Joe Torre wants to rest the 45 year old as much as possible.

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Roger Clemens is scheduled to start tonight's game at Tampa Bay. Should he have any issues before or during his appearance, Tyler Kepner reports that Kei Igawa and Matt DeSalvo are waiting in the wings. In Oz terms, that means a Clemens setback could give way to a Flying Monkey or a Lollipop Kid taking the mound tonight. How's that for generating confidence.

Ian Kennedy probably will not pitch for the rest of the regular season, and may only pitch again in 2007 if a long man be needed. One would think that Phil Hughes offers an ability more applicable to the bullpen than Kennedy, but that remains to be decided. This is also under the assumption that Mike Mussina pushed Hughes aside in attaining the #4 spot of the Yankees playoff rotation.

Drop by WasWatching.com to take a look at playoff predictions from myself and several other Yankees bloggers.

- Magic number is now 1, with a Yankees win or Detroit loss clinching a playoff berth.

Rookie Hazing Photos Unleashed

As is customary for major league teams on their final roadtrip of the season, the Yankees dressed up their rookies in embarrassing costumes this afternoon. The motif this year? The Wizard of Oz.

Edwar Ramirez faced a more difficult dilemma: How to shimmy into that little Wicked Witch of the West dress?

He eventually made it, then pulled on his pointy black hat and looked into a mirror. Just for confirmation, he called across the clubhouse to Derek Jeter.

"Jeet! Jeet!" the pitcher said. "Nice?"

Jeter studied the ensemble and smiled.

"Yep," he said. "Bueno."

Joba Chamberlain plays the Cowardly Lion. Phil Hughes is the Tin Man. Upon further review, Shelley Duncan is not a country western singer, but the Scarecrow. Ian Kennedy uncomfortably donned the Dorothy attire. Ross Ohlendorf was a palace guard and Kei Igawa appropriately dressed as one of the flying monkey things.

Here they are:

Bartender, Jobu Needs A RePhil

(Photos taken from The Hardball Times)

As Joba Chamberlain continues on an effortless path toward dominant superstardom, there has to be some sense of disregard for the previously celebrated Yankees prodigy. Somewhere between a potential no-hit bid in Arlington and Joba's first major league save, Phil Hughes got lost in the shuffle. After all, it was Phil who was touted as "the future," not Chamberlain. It's Hughes who is known as "The Franchise," not The Hutt. How quickly the other shoe can drop in the Yankee universe.

Over and over again, the question returns to Phil's velocity, or lack thereof. "Where'd his plus fastball go?" or "Why's his curveball look so flat?"

I don't pretend to have the outright solution to Phil's struggles, and nobody else does either. But here are the facts: 1) Hughes made his major league debut at age 20 after just three starts at AAA-Scranton; 2) After the butterflies of his first big league start subsided, Hughes pursued history, with only a hamstring tear sidetracking what seemed like a no-hit night; 3) Hughes is now 21 years old. Aside from any difference in his stuff, every starting pitcher takes some lumps before easing into the professional athlete he will become.

The pitcher I saw in the minor leagues was more aggressive and athletic. Check out the video from Phil's appearance in the 2006 Future's Game. I spoke to Carlos Gomez, a former big leaguer whose exemplary work can be found at The Hardball Times, including his first and second articles discussing Mr. Hughes. Though I believe a great deal of Phil's woes stem from his serious hamstring and ankle injuries, Carlos makes several strong points. Points that I totally agree with, and have sensed since Phil's "comeback."

One of the major points Gomez makes with his analysis revolves around the noticeably different arm-slot which Hughes uses now in comparison to 2006. During the previously mentioned Futures Game, Hughes used a release much closer to "three-quarters" delivery, whereas 2007 has seen him come much more "over the top." This adjustment alone zaps some of the velocity from his fastball, although it contributes to a truer 12-to-6 curve. Phil's delivery in 2006 also shows off his athleticism, producing a more aggressive, tight motion toward homeplate.

Because I completely agree with this difference in arm-slot, I asked Gomez if a return to Phil's 2006 mechanics would be a major undertaking:

One thing I've noticed on Phil is that he can change arm slots seemingly at will. If you look at his start vs Tampa, his arm slot that day was the lowest I've seen from him in the majors. However, while I prefer his '06 arm slot because of movement purposes and his head not moving out of the way, it seems like he has been more successsful with a more over-the-top delivery. I'd want him to throw harder if he's going to stick with a higher release point, since it minimizes lateral movement and sink.

Essentially, Phil has the capability of adjusting his armslot with ease. The fact that Phil is so robotic in repeating his delivery helps him in that regard. Another solid point from Carlos revolves around the lack of movement which comes from his present over-the-top slot. If his curveball benefits from this delivery, the lateral movement on his fastball suffers. Therefore, the 2-3 mph currently missing from his fastball are all the more important. On the topic of lost velocity, Gomez had this to say:

Look at the first article I wrote on [Hughes]. The first clip. Do you notice the difference in "drive" between the one on the left and the one on the right? He's more "drop and drive" on the left, more "tall and fall" on the right, in my opinion. More than anything, I think that this whole idea of "not drifting" through the "balance point" is what has cost him the extra velocity.

If you visit the article Carlos mentions, the first pair of photos (pictured above) completely support his claim. The first one, from the 2006 Futures Game, shows Hughes with the drop-and-drive mentality. Think of Daisuke Matsuzaka and how his lower half, particularly his backside, seems to drop and sit, while his legs drift toward home. This is where many power pitches generate their velocity. In 2006, Hughes had more of that power and drive directed toward the batter, but this season has seen him become a "tall-and-fall" pitcher.

This type of delivery sees Hughes almost "stay put" after his legkick reaches its highest point. As his landing leg makes its way back down, his lower half stays pretty still, lacking the drift I mentioned earlier. The result is a much less athletic, powerful movement. Whether or not this alteration is purely mental - meaning Phil's never regained enough confidence to again trust the hamstring he injured - is a possibility. Recovering from such an injury may well cause for Phil's lack of drive, but there is also a chance that the Yankees pitching hierarchy intentionally pursue such mechanics. Frightened by the thought, I asked Gomez:

I have a feeling, however, that the pitching gurus for the Yankee organization like "the new" Phil Hughes mechanics, but I sure don't. I'm slightly joking here, but it makes Phil look like a 33 year old pitcher instead of the athletic, aggressive gunslinger I think he should be.

His reply:

Well said.... This would be my fear as well.

Frightening indeed. After all the discussion, the real hope here is that Yankees pitching "gurus" like Nardi Contreras or Billy Connors are perceptive enough to realize how much better off Phil would be, now and in the future, if he returned to his 2006 style. Driving toward home, instead of waiting for his landing leg to drop. Gliding over the rubber as opposed to falling downward. Jim Callis could also be correct in asserting that Hughes will not again be "right" until next season when his body returns to 100% health.

We'll have to wait and see, though it appears that Phil's already begun to put more cheddar on his fastball. During Phil's last start against Toronto, MLB Gameday calculated his fastballs as follows:

89 mph 3 times
90 mph 6 times
91 mph 22 times
92 mph 31 times
93 mph 8 times
94 mph 2 times

- Much thanks to Carlos Gomez for his insights and accessibility.

Joba Rules: The First Amendment

The Yankees made their first amendment to the strict set of rules regarding Joba Chamberlain's usage. The flamethrowing righthander celebrated his 22nd birthday by entering yesterday's game with men on base for the first time in his relieving career. He also pitched the 9th inning in a save situation for the first time.

In what seemed to be an inevitable decision, the "Joba Rules" have been modified in lieu of the postseason. Yankee fans can expect Brian Cashman to relax the restrictions on Chamberlain, so that he is available with much more regularity. The Yanks will still be extremely cautious with his pitchcounts, but the training wheels are officially off. Joe Torre, however, will be watched like a hawk.

In his column today, Joel Sherman talked to Mike Mussina about the recent tweak of these rules:

“When you put on a uniform in the postseason, you’re available every day,” Mussina said. “That’s just simply the way it is.”

When asked if this represented a team-wide view, Mussina said, “I am pretty sure you can take a survey, and it would be the same opinion.”

...“If we want to do what we want to do come October, we are going to need him [every day],” Mussina said. “Joe believes in him and Joe wants to use him.”

If Torre can’t use him in obvious situations in October, the Joba Rules very well may become the Chamberlain Conflict.

Moose, speaking the truth.

Chamberlain's innings high at the University of Nebraska was 118.2 in 2005. Through three minor league levels and the majors, Joba's compiled 120 innings in 2007.
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