Free Agent Frenzy

Joel Sherman opines in his column today, that Alex Rodriguez may instruct his agent, the satanic Scott Boras, to avoid an using opt-out clause:

I believe Boras has begun the public bluff about just how many teams can allocate astronomical dollars as a way to lure the Yankees to bid against themselves. Because I think Alex Rodriguez wants to stay a Yankee. He has played in Seattle and Texas, so he knows this stage fits his legendary self-perception. For a man who obsesses on routine and preparation, Rodriguez has formed a comfort level with people, places and patterns that allow him to flourish as a Yankee.

My gut says, right now, Rodriguez wants Boras to make it happen at the highest possible price with the Yanks. That is why Boras has opened the imagination to what the Red Sox or Mets or Angels might pay, even if it is just his hypothesis or fantasy. The idea is to get the Yanks to bid, bid, bid when only they can bid.

More than citing unnamed sources or unsubstantiated rumor, Sherman is relying on a reporter's most important, fickle weapon. His gut.

Meanwhile in Texas, Rangers management is hoping and praying that Rodriguez decides to opt out, thereby suspending the multi-million dollar subsidy remaining on his contract.

Postmortem: Part 2

Time to play who stays and who goes.

After three postseasons ending prematurely, it's time to discuss which players belong on a playoff roster and which do not.

Johnny Damon - proved against the Indians that he is still one of the few true leadoff hitters in the game today. Hits in the clutch, can slap balls past shortstops or plant one in the rightfield upper deck. Bright lights don't bother the Demon.

Andy Pettitte - Lefty quieted every critic during the regular season and then inspired every Yankees fan in the postseason. The perfect veteran to anchor a young rotation. Put his player option on the table and then employ Luca Brasi to make an offer Andy can't refuse...

Derek Jeter - the Captain GIDP'd at inopportune times, but that's lightning which won't strike twice.

Bobby Abreu - some discussion has emerged about rejecting his option in order to acquire a player like Aaron Rowand. His fence-fobia may be tough to watch at times, but his one year commitment and tendency to hit against Boston or in the playoffs makes him a marginal risk.

Alex Rodriguez - if he wants to be a Yankee, sign him up. If he wallows let him go.

Jorge Posada - absolutely indispensable piece of a New York championship puzzle. As far as replacements, the Yanks have no internal options even close to sniffing the bigs and there are even less on the 2008 free agent landscape. Cashman will overpay to secure the resurging backstop, but he'll have no other play here.

Chien-Ming Wang - impossible not to be disappointed and slightly worried by the horrendous effort he put forward in Game 1 and then Game 4, but the kid wins 19 games a season and is still making the transition from "thrower" to "pitcher."

Robinson Cano - after shining this past week, Robbie is emerging as a lethal weapon at the bottom of the order. So much so, that he will be rewarded with the #3 spot in the lineup, forcing Abreu into a #5 hitter.

Mariano Rivera - see Posada, Jorge

Luis Vizcaino - with the dearth of relief pitching becoming more and more problematic, the Viz is a necessary return, regardless of the horrid lone appearance he made in October.

Kyle Farnsworth - dispose of at all costs. His value is restricted to losing clubs like Pittsburgh or Kansas City.

Hideki Matsui - ensure that Godzilla isn't attempting to terrorize foreign cities on a bum wheel. If his physical decline continues, attempt to trade for less powerful but potent righthanded contact hitter.

Jason Giambi - see Farnsworth, Kyle

Doug Mientkiewicz - showed heart in coming back from multiple injuries and contributing in September. An annual logjam at firstbase is not something Cashman desires, however, and Andy Phillips deserves it more.

Shelley Duncan - on the field and off, he earned himself a spot on next year's 25 man roster. Proving himself to be more than just a freeswinging ogre, Duncan put together some outstanding postseason atbats and didn't dwarf under the pressure.

Wilson Betemit - at just 25 years old, he offers the Yankees flexibility for years to come. Now if he could only cut down on those whiffs...

Jose Molina - the backup catcher we've all been waiting for. The middle-child of the Molina trio, Jose's proven to be more than just a defensive upgrade and held his own with the bat.

Mike Mussina - at the time, the Moose had earned a two year extension. Since a 2006 season in which he tossed 200 innings, struck out 172 and posted an impressive 3.51 ERA, he has suddenly regressed into an aging replacement-level starter. If a national league team will bite, make a value for value deal. If not, allow the Moose to be a solid safety net for a rotation which would potentially house three starters under 23 years old.

Melky Cabrera - unless a Johan Santana deal becomes plausible and Aaron Rowand whets George's appetite, Leche will patrol centerfield in 2008 and beyond.

Joe Torre - The man has done nothing but win ballgames since donning the pinstripes. Unfortunately, the last seven years have seemed an eternity, highlighted by a monumental collapse and a string of early playoff exits. Sometimes a change is a necessary evil. But it only becomes possible if a viable replacement awaits in the wings.

Don Mattingly has been groomed for the position, working his way up the assistant coach depth chart, but he's still never managed a game. Joe Girardi's excellent in-game managing is reminiscent of Billy Martin, but like Martin, Girardi's flashed an ability to burn out his pitchers. Sending, then ace, Josh Johnson back into a game which had been halted by an 82 minute rain delay certainly contributed to the Cy Young hopeful's eventual Tommy John surgery. Nevermind that Johnson supposedly complained of forearm tightness earlier in the year. Applying that level of carelessness to franchise jewels like Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes would be cause for capital punishment in Yankeeland.

The baton goes to Mattingly, with Girardi a tight second. Somewhere on the periphery will remain Tony La Russa and sidekick Dave Duncan.

Announcer Waldman Gets Emotional

Suzyn Waldman, Yankees radio co-host and reliable advertisement reader, was brought to tears while relaying Joe Torre's postgame comments.

In all seriousness, Waldman and John Sterling are an atrocious duo in terms of their on-air abilities. They are extremely biased at times, and Sterling goofs at least two homerun calls per week. However, Waldman's reaction was a genuine display of respect for someone she'd cover closely for a decade.

I'm unsure whether her actions were unprofessional, but I am much more offended by Sterling's tendency to sulk and become embittered when the Yankees aren't playing well.

From Awful Announcing:

“No I was okay actually until I went into the clubhouse and the coaches are sitting in Torre’s office and they are watching this. And the tears you hear in my voice are coming down the faces of the coaches in that coach's room.”- Suzyn Waldman

"Well Suzyn, in life all good things come to an end.”- John Sterling

Captain Culprit

To my surprise, some of the New York backpages overlooked the easy target of A-Rod and actually recognized Derek Jeter as one of the biggest culprits of this playoff elimination. From the NY Post:

Though the Yankees were an offensive mess in last season’s ALDS loss to the Tigers, Jeter hit .500 with a homer. A year earlier he hit .333 in the Yankees’ ALDS defeat to the Angels. The last time he had failed to hit at least .200 in a postseason series was the 2001 World Series, when he batted .148 against the Diamondbacks. But even then, he made his presence felt with a home run that gave the Yankees a Game 4 victory.

There was no such heroic moment for Jeter in this series. He was an October mess, as were the Yankees.

“Last year was frustrating, the year before that was frustrating,” Jeter said. “Every year when you lose is frustrating.”

Newsday didn't run and hide either, noting Jeter's .176 batting average during the 2007 ALDS.

A career .370 hitter in 11 previous Division Series, the Yankees' captain had three hits in 17 at-bats (.176) with one RBI and no runs scored. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI single last night but hit into a crucial double play in the sixth inning with the Yankees trying desperately to claw back from a 6-2 deficit. It was a punch to the solar plexis that the Yankees never fully recovered from

Being realistic, Jeter's compiled an amazing postseason resume and deserves all the kudos for such play. However, it's only fair that DJ's underwhelming performances slide under the microscope with the same objectivity as anyone else's. Insert "but Alex Rodriguez is not a true Yankee" sentiment here.

Fallout Begins

I'll believe it when I see it, but Mariano Rivera implied he would seriously test the free-agent market:

“They had the opportunities and they didn’t do nothing with me,” Rivera said, according to the Star-Ledger of Newark. “So we’ll see what happens. ... This is a business."

Then there's Jorge Posada who could draw a ton of interest from the Mets should he decide to play elsewhere:

"I'll talk about that later," Posada said, according to The New York Daily News. "We just lost a series. There's nothing to talk about, nothing to talk about Joe Torre, nothing to talk about right now."

Andy Pettitte has a player option for 2008, but barring an offseason injury, appears a probable member of next year's rotation:

"The biggest thing for me is just my family," he said, according to the Star-Ledger. "I have to get somewhere where I can talk to them about it and figure out what I'm going to do."

Last but not least, Alex Rodriguez:

"One of the reasons I came here was to help this team win a world championship," Rodriguez said Monday night. "I have failed at that."

Let the vigil begin. To be fair, Rivera tempered his comments by concluding "I would never hold anything against [the Yankees]."

Postmortem: Part 1

Tonight's "upset" is one of the reasons journalists, talk-radio hosts and analysts need to stop pontificating series finale pitching matchups before game four's even been played. Baseball is far too unpredictable to overlook anyone, even Paul Byrd, whose last start against the Yankees lasted two innings and yielded seven runs.

Instead, the early exit came on the part of Chien-Ming Wang and the Yankees. Though Wang is a very good starting pitcher and seems a good guy, he was the absolute goat of this ALDS. Running a close second was New York's complete lack of clutch hitting. Hopefully, fans will remain somewhat reasonable, leaving the Wang + Melky for Santana trade rumors in the trash where they belong.

Regardless of your stance, Pro-Torre or Anti-Torre, the only way to describe the skipper's post-game press conference is: heartbreaking. Joe Torre's won 4 championships and appeared in the playoffs all 13 years he managed the Bombers. In any other business, and maybe any other town, Torre would live to fight another day. (Think Bobby Cox, who has three less rings in his dresser drawer)

Hell, most teams would give Torre the privilege of stepping down when he desires. Like every baseball fan, I've frequently been puzzled by some of Torre's managerial decisions, but if you don't respect his enormous accomplishments and understand how spoiled he's enabled Yankee fans to become, then you just don't get it.

What baring this has on pending free agents like Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez should not be overlooked either. One thing is for sure. He's proven himself to be much more than "Clueless Joe" and, should he move on, will be sorely missed.

A few notes from tonight's elimination game:

• Eric Wedge does not look like a baseball manager. The shots of him sitting in the dugout more resemble a bored husband unhappy that he is sitting in a multiplex suffering through a chick flick.

• Derek Jeter continued to hit double-play balls in enormous spots, but the focus of the TBS telecast remained on A-Rod's lack of playoff RBIs, or lack of two-out hits, or lack of fill-in-the-blank. (And this was written before Rodriguez went deep in the seventh)

• It's been obvious for years now, but painfully so this go-round. The Yankees continue to lack the reliable shutdown starter that every top team needs. Aside from Andy Pettitte's fearless performance during Game 2, Roger Clemens lasted just over two innings and Chien-Ming Wang's two starts meant 5.2 innings with 12 earned runs. Putrid. Maybe Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes grow into that type of role, but there's no telling if or when that will happen.

• The TBS crew, particularly Chip Caray and Bob Brenly, like to completely make up things and spew them as fact. Just for Monday night's telecast, Caray welcomed back viewers by explaining that Mike Mussina was making his first career postseason relief appearance. Really? I guess he wasn't following baseball during the 2003 ALCS, when Moose pitched three shutout innings in Game 7. Little things, like referencing a frozen rope to rightfield as "a single up the middle" just wreaks of cluelessness.

• Brenly stated in the seventh inning that Rafael Perez should pitch Robinson Cano "away, away, away" because New York's second baseman doesn't have enough pop to left-centerfield. Guess Bob missed this August's regular season game in which Robinson hit not one, but two bombs over the wall in left-center. Over the course of the series there were countless other mistakes made, but none of us have the time or desire to sift through them all.

• Farnsworth worked a scoreless seventh?!? Wait, the Yankees were down four runs at that point. Now it makes sense.

• Shelley Duncan hugging the dugout fence, tears welling up may be a heartbreaking image for Yankee followers, but it's also a refreshing reminder that some professional athletes still care as much as their fans.

• 15-2 Cleveland outscored New York in two-out RBIs.

2008 begins now. Ideally, it starts with a Boston beatdown and Troy Tulowitzki World Series MVP award before being punctuated by a Johan Santana deal involving Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi. Unrealistic?

Clemens Out, Villone In

When Roger Clemens left the mound Sunday night due to an aggravated hamstring injury, baseball fans probably witnessed Rocket's final moments on a big league mound. Because of an amendment to the playoff roster rules, the Yankees are able to replace an injured Clemens with another player. The replacement must be a pitcher, though, and Joe Torre decided on Ron Villone.

Because Clemens has been replaced on the roster for the final game or two of the series against Cleveland, he is ineligible to be included on the League Championship Series roster, if the Yankees advance that far. So, even if the Yankees make it as far as the World Series, it is possible that Clemens pitched the final game of his career on Sunday.

No speculation on whether Ian Kennedy was a possibility, or even available, but a vague injury concern and maxing out his innings-cap for the year surely made that decision simpler.

Two More or Die

With his manager's job on the line, Roger Clemens went 2.1 innings, looked completely shot and left the game after re-aggravating his hamstring. Yankee-killer Trot Nixon homered off of Clemens in the second, but made a ghastly fielding error in the sixth, assisting Robinson Cano's 3-run base-clearing double. Yankees came from 3-0 down to win their first game of the series.

There were no outlandish post-game celebrations, no overzealous expressions, just spirited relief before the poker faces took hold.

Though Johnny Damon's 3-run homer may turn this series on it's head, Phil Hughes gets the game ball for entering the biggest situation of his young career and pitching 3.2 innings of dazzling ball, striking out four and walking zero. Joba and Mo pitched the final three innings, and shut the door on an 8-4 victory.

Tomorrow night, Chien-Ming Wang is offered something which rarely comes along during a particular postseason: a second chance. After making the mistake during last year's ALDS against Detroit, Joe Torre's learned his lesson and will pitch the Wanger on three days rest Monday night.

In 2006, Torre decided to leave Wang in New York, hoping to extend the series to the deciding fifth game. Instead, the Yankees witnessed Jaret Wright pitch garbage ball for a 2+ innings, and Wang waited for a start that never came. This go-round, Torre wisely passed over an overmatched Mike Mussina.

For Wang, it's redemption time. It will be exciting to see how he responds. Another poor performance would label him "The Goat." A strong outing culminating in a win may leave all forgiven and forgotten.

George Speaks

Bergen Record columnist Ian O'Connor broke the big story this morning, after speaking to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner last night.

Apparently, The Boss was in good spirits and as sharp as ever, stating that 1)a loss today would mean the firing of Joe Torre, and 2)Alex Rodriguez will be a top priority regardless of his performance the remainder of this series.

"His job is on the line," the Yankees' owner said in a phone interview. "I think we're paying him a lot of money. He's the highest-paid manager in baseball, so I don't think we'd take him back if we don't win this series."

"I think we'll re-sign him," Steinbrenner said of Rodriguez. "I think he's going to have a good run the rest of the [postseason]. I think he realizes New York is the place to be, the place to play. A lot of this [postseason] is laying on his shoulders, you know, but I think he's up to it."

"I have full control," Steinbrenner said. The owner maintained that rumors of his declining health were false.

The portfolio.com story which painted Steinbrenner as a man deep in the throes of dementia may be as inaccurate as Yankees management stated it was. Should Torre fail to move his team into the ALCS, he will most likely face retirement. Whether A-Rod goes 11-for-15 during a three game winning streak, or goes 0-for-5 tonight amidst a LDS sweep, the Yankees want him back for a long, long time.

Big Stein put his cards on the table. If the core of the most recent Yankees dynasty want to secure their beloved manager's future, they'll have to be playing Boston next week.

Not much more needs to be said. The Yankees season may have been ended prematurely by a swarm of punctual mosquitoes. That... and an absolute lack of offense. Together, one of the most courageous pitching performances of Andy Pettitte's career was overshadowed by a gut-wrenching defeat.

Say whatever you want about the Yankees lineup. That they get fat on bad pitching and cringe against good pitching. They sure seem capable of hitting tough starters during the regular season, but for whatever reason, the past three postseasons have seen them completely collapse.

And the A-Rod detractors should take a look at the entire lineup before ridiculously mounting an entire series of playoff failures on him. Whether it be an 0-for on Posada's part, or a Matsui who obviously does not belong in the lineup, something has to change.

Joe Torre's loyalty to his players is an honorable trait, but it should remain in regular season scenarios. Once the calendar turns to Octobor, veteran allegiances become moot. Or at least they should.

With that, the series is not yet complete. The Yankees could win three games in a row, though it would be an amazing feat considering how flat this group's performed during the first two games.

Beatdown in C-Town

Ugly. Very, very ugly.

Going into the game, I thought CC Sabathia would dominate the Yankees lineup. Instead he begged them to knock him out of the game, and the Bombers refused to comply.

On the other hand, Chien-Ming Wang looked like a middle schooler whose sinker wouldn't sink, two-seamer stayed up and slider was unreliable. Everytime Wang needed to bare down to get the last out of an inning, he coughed up a two-out RBI.

By the way, TBS needs to think seriously about pulling Brenly and the other yokel out of that broadcast booth. Absolutely horrible announcing, biases at times, and clueless during others.

All-around atrocious performance gives way to another enormous pressurized start for Andy Pettitte.

This can't be good.

Maybe it's nothing serious, but seeing Jason Giambi at first would be an ugly harbinger for the Yankees.

Update:

Mike & The Mad Dog report that Doug Mientkiewicz has his ankle wrapped after a camera-man rolled over it. Apparently the Yankees believe he will be ok, but they will watch him closely during pre-game warmups.

This potential injury situation has heightened importance because of who is starting the game for New York. A power-sinker pitcher like Chien-Ming Wang needs as good a defensive supporting cast as is possible. Giambino or Shelley Duncan are not their best options in that regard.

Maybe this clumsy camera jockey 1)works for a Cleveland network, 2)is a disgruntled Indians fan, or 3)bet his Christmas bonus on an Indian sweep.

Playoff Lights Shine Brightest

The playoffs have arrived.

A 27 year-old hefty southpaw may well decide the Yankees fate. The weight of the world leans over his husky frame, wondering if the hometown team will continue its reputation as The Mistake By The Lake.

His team flashes a lineup filled with power potential, though they inconsistently slug. (Sound familiar?)

The back of their bullpen is strong with two talented Rafael's, though this makes for an inexperienced setup man. (Sound familiar?)

Their closer is a bulldog, but often times becomes a goat. (Where the similarities end.)

But the 6-foot-7 horse will be the focus of everyone's attention. Along side Josh Beckett, CC Sabathia is one half of a two man race for the American League Cy Young award. Last night saw Beckett dominate, compiling an impressive complete game shutout.

Tonight, Sabathia will attempt to put a bad history against the Yankees behind him, hoping to prove that the '07 version is a pitcher which New York's never laid eyes on; with exception to clips looped on Baseball Tonight or Sportscenter.

As discussed yesterday, Sabathia's biggest weakness may be his ability to consistently throw strikes, particularly in early counts. Will the Yankees hitters march up to the plate hacking away? This would be a bold move, but not necessarily the wrong one. If CC tends to be most hittable in 0-0 and 0-1 counts, then Joe Torre would be wise to have his hitters institute an aggressive approach.

Implementing an impatient lineup goes against an entire methodology which got New York into the playoffs, but it could lead to success and a Game 1 win. The greatest gift of the Yankees offense relies on them grinding atbats, taking pitch after pitch, and tiring the man on the mound. When they face the ace of a staff, like Sabathia, their strategy forces the starter to throw an inordinate amount, until he ultimately finds himself in the dugout wondering how he threw 110 pitches in 5+ innings.

Sabathia, however, does not tend to tire easily and consistently works deep into games by economizing his pitches and showing extraordinary stamina.

It will be extremely intriguing to see how the Yankees adjust to Sabathia after his first time through their lineup. The first turn through, Yankee hitters will refer to their experiences three years ago, when they last faced the Indians star. The entire lineup will hug the the fence atop the dugout steps, peering for some previously unforeseen flaw in Sabathia's delivery.

Eventually, the plan Torre and his staff decide on will reveal itself. Spectators will recognize if the Yankees become unusually aggressive in the early innings, or instead exercise stoic patience in the hopes of tiring Sabathia and delving into the Cleveland bullpen. In all likelihood, attempting to "wait out" the starter may result in eight scoreless innings. By the time he's been removed from the game, the game might already be in hand.

Not that the Yankees lineup ever backs down from a talented pitcher and not to imply that their unyielding offense is stoppable. But, with the last two postseasons witnessing early, unlikely exits for the boys from the Bronx, the pressure to deliver is that much more magnified.

Regardless of which team separates themself in the first of the five-game series, one thing's for sure. It's playoff time. When words like "intangibles," "heart" and "glory" ring a little longer. When lifetime dreams are realized, and the stories of championship teams are written.

When the bright lights shine brightest.

Postseason Roster is Here

The Yankees announced their postseason roster for the American League Divisional Series. My preferred roster included 12 pitchers and 13 positional players. Joe Torre decided to take Bronson Sardinha as a fifth bench player who will serve as the pinch-running option, and consequently decided on 11 pitchers.

The roster:



So the Yankees bullpen will lack a LOOGY, and quite frankly, Villone is not a lefthanded specialist in the first place. The Bull Dog from Bergen was a good middle reliever for Seattle, and has been a serviceable long-reliever for New York. The Yankees coaching staff were smart in recognizing that you do not have to take a southpaw if a righty can do an equal or better job.

I am probably among the minority, but I think that the inclusion of Jose Veras is the right move. His plus stuff, a 93-96 mph heater along with a solid power-curve, pushed him past other options, and rightly so. Veras has a lot to prove, but if he can avoid walks I have some unjustified belief that he can be a valuable piece out of the pen.

Wisely, Torre also chose Ross Ohlendorf over Edwar Ramirez, Ron Villone and Chris Britton. Ramirez showed too many weaknesses down the stretch, though an improved command of his fastball could result in an extended career with New York. It seems probable that Britton will become a fixture in the 2008 bullpen, but the Big Boy from Baltimore needs to work on his armstrength.

While with Baltimore, I vividly remember Britton flashing a plus fastball 91-94 mph with a tough low 80s mph slidepiece. His fastball in 2007 was league average, hovering between 88-91 and the slider was 77-79 mph. That power aspect to his pitching didn't just get up and walk away, so his mechanics could be to blame. Whatever the case, next season might see a new and improved version of Britt.

Swing Like the Rays

WasWatching.com has some sound advice for Yankee hitters once they dig in against C.C. Sabathia. Mainly, New York's lineup should swing early. However, should the hitter find himself mired in an 0-2 hole, they might as well say a prayer.

In 2007, on the whole, batters had 975 Plate Appearances (PA) against (the Indians') C.C. Sabathia and had the following BA/OBA/SLG results: .259/.292/.392.

However, in the 123 PA where batter puts first pitch in play (meaning on a 0-0 count) the numbers against Sabathia are: .407/.402/.695.

Further, in the 86 PA where batter hit the pitch on a 0-1 count against Sabathia, they went: .305/.298/.488.

...Looking at the stats some more tells you that you're dead once Sabathia gets two strikes on you. The batting average allowed in those counts is less than .200.

Kevin Long will have to hope Joe Torre listens when he instructs the skipper to jump on CC early. Long, however, probably won't pay too much attention to Sabathia's career numbers against New York. Having a 1-7 record and 7.13 ERA against the Yankees isn't pretty, but he hasn't faced them in over three years.

Things have changed since then.

Contrasting 2007 with 2004, CC's posted an ERA a whole run better, he's struck out 70 more batters, walked 35 less, and thrown 50 more innings than the pitcher New York last saw. That's a drastic disparity.

Yankee fans will have to hope Sabathia's Yankee woes remain the status quo.

Clemens Ready For Game 3

After throwing 49 pitches on Monday, Roger Clemens again tested his tweaked hamstring in Tampa today. From the LoHud Blog:

Roger Clemens threw 69 pitches in a simulated game in Tampa today, facing minor leaguers.

Assuming his left hamstring feels fine today when he gets to Cleveland, Clemens will start Game 3 in New York on Sunday.

There will be no word on the roster today. The Yankees are carrying a few extra pitchers and the final decisions will be made tomorrow.

Joe Torre appeared on WFAN radio, confirming Clemens came through his bullpen well. Torre continued to play with the idea of Johnny Damon starting in leftfield and Hideki Matsui falling into the DH spot. Matsui has been bothered by a bum knee which needed to be drained of fluid over the weekend.

Ian Kennedy may well become available should the Yankees move on to the ALCS, but he is currently working out and making preparations for his October 6th wedding. Though Torre again insinuated Mike Mussina would start Game 4, the manager did not proclaim Phil Hughes a part of the postseason bullpen just yet.

Wake is Out, Lester is In

The Providence Journal reports that Tim Wakefield will be unavailable for the ALDS against the Angels with Jon Lester filling in. Boston will utilize a three man rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling for the division series, but any playoff advance would conjure question marks for game four.

Wake may be joked about as a niche-pitcher, but confining him to such a one-dimensional summary doesn't do the knuckleballer justice. His career numbers in the postseason are not dazzling, 4-5 record with a 6.12 ERA over 64.1 innings-pitched, but Wakefield is a leader in that clubhouse. And, at any point in a season, his knuckleball can dance for eight scoreless innings, leaving batters baffled in its wake.

Lester, on the other hand, has never appeared in a postseason game.

Why Hoffman Will Never Be Rivera

After Saturday saw him blow his last save opportunity, forcing his team into a Wildcard tie and subsequent one-game playoff, Trevor Hoffman then blew a two-run lead in that play-in game. The devastating loss results in the San Diego Padres sitting at home during October as the Rockies dance around Coors Field.

If the playoffs were on the line, and Mariano Rivera were the on the mound with a two-run lead, you better believe the G.O.A.T. closes that ballgame. Bringing up Hoffman in the same conversation as Rivera has always been an aberration and now it's just a joke. The saves statistic has always been overrated as a true barometer of a closer's worth and Hoffman is the prime example.

Though he is consistently good, he never converts the "life or death" save opportunity. Scott Brosius in the '98 World Series comes to mind. Blowing a 2006 all-star game where NL home field advantage in the Series was at stake is another. Then there is Saturday and Monday's successive choke jobs, each of which would have meant San Diego playing postseason baseball.

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.