Yankees, Phillies in it for the long haul
PHILADELPHIA -- After a record five consecutive World Series lasting no more than five games, the 105th Fall Classic is in it for the long haul -- and in the process, this Major League Baseball season has been extended to at least a tie for the latest finish in history.
Did you honestly expect anything less in this matchup?
Game 6 in this powerhouse matchup of the defending champs and the 26-time champs is scheduled for 7:57 p.m. ET on Wednesday back at Yankee Stadium, as the series now shifts to New York following the Phillies' 8-6 Game 5 victory Monday on the last day of 2009 baseball at a National League park. It is going to be the first World Series Game 6 since 2003, when old Yankee Stadium was the scene of Florida's clinching victory. That was the last time a third travel day was required for a World Series.
The last seven-game World Series was in 2002, when the Angels won at home over the Giants in an all-California bash. In '04, the Red Sox reversed the Curse of the Bambino and swept St. Louis in four, starting a run of short-but-sweet World Series. The White Sox swept the Astros in '05, the Cardinals beat the Tigers in five in '06, the Red Sox swept the Rockies in '07, and then last year, these Phillies knocked out the Rays in five here at Citizens Bank Park.
"Definitely what we expected," said Ryan Madson, who retired 2009 American League home run king Mark Teixeira for the final out to earn the Game 5 save -- his first career postseason save. "When we split in New York, they were saying, 'Did you think you were going to go 2-0?' We knew it was going to be a tough series going in -- evenly matched teams in different ways. We're planning on going seven games. That's obviously the goal, and that's the goal for any kid growing up -- to go seven games in a World Series."
Game 6 will be on the same date (Nov. 4) as Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, which was the only previous Fall Classic to go into November. That year, it had been pushed back due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the ensuing suspension of the regular season. This year's season was pushed back a week at the start to accommodate the World Baseball Classic in March. If a Game 7 is needed on Thursday, then this would surpass '01 for the latest finish in MLB history.
The five consecutive years marked the longest stretch of World Series finishing in no more than five games.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Lumber yards? Series could be homer-ific
NEW YORK --- So what do you get when you take Major League Baseball's two most prolific homer-hitting teams and put them in two of the game's more homer-friendly ballparks?
Stay tuned. You're about to get your answer.
No World Series matchup this decade has featured two teams with as many regular-season home runs hit as the '09 Yankees and Phillies. New York's 244 homers this season were the most in the Majors, trailed by the Phillies' 224, which ranked second among all 30 teams.
So if chicks really do dig the long ball -- as that late '90s Nike commercial suggested -- this could definitely be their series.
"Hopefully we can hit more than them," laughed Johnny Damon, who hit a career-high 24 home runs this season. "But you have to deal with the pitchers. These pitchers know how to deal in the postseason. They don't give in too much. Hopefully on our side we can hit a lot of home runs, but these ballparks could play well for both teams."
The numbers certainly suggest that the Fall Classic will see its share of balls leaving the park over the next week. The combined 468 home runs hit by the Phillies and Yankees this season total the most of any two teams meeting in the World Series this millennium. The Red Sox and Cardinals (2004) had owned the previous high of 436.
And in that same time span, never has each league's top home run-hitting team advanced to the World Series. Until this year.
"I think they're very similar lineups," Yankees Game 1 starter CC Sabathia said. "These guys in our clubhouse swing the bat. I've been saying that all year. I'm pretty sure that's the same way it's been in Philly. They're a tough lineup to deal with, just basically an American League lineup. It's just going to be a fun series."
Well, we'll see if the pitchers are saying that after it's all over.
Two teams built around potent lineups alone provide ample intrigue and certainly incentive for fans not to turn off the TV too early. But then, of course, there are also these two ballparks to contend with.
It took just days for hitters to fall in love with Yankee Stadium, which saw 83 balls leave the park in the stadium's first 23 games. Though that pace declined as the season went on, the 237 home runs hit in New York's newest jewel were the most in any ballpark this season. And it figures that ranking third in that list was Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, in which 207 home runs were hit.
That inflation in home run numbers was obviously aided by the dynamic of the home team's lineup. But the dimensions certainly played to hitters' advantages as well.
So could this be a postseason defined by power over pitching?
"It could if people are leaving pitches up," answered Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, who hit a team-high 45 homers this year. "I don't think people have the mindset of going up here trying to hit home runs and doing all that. We'll just go out there swinging the bat and trying to get runs whatever way we can. If we hit home runs, hey, we'll take it."
However, before getting a box of tape measures out, it's worth pointing out that pitching typically reigns in the postseason. Sure, the cold weather often keeps balls from flying as far at this time of the year, so that could partially be to blame. But more elementary than that is simply the fact that teams that make it this far do so largely on the backs of their pitching staffs.
That's precisely why Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira shrugged off the suggestion that this series will be won with home runs.
"I wouldn't expect it," he said. "We have two very good pitching staffs. In the playoffs, there just aren't a ton of slugfests. There are a lot more pitchers' duels than home run derbies."
Added Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "You take what comes. A lot of times in playoff baseball you see a lot of one-run, two-run close games."
Of the six starting pitchers scheduled to pitch in Games 1-3, four averaged less than one home run allowed per nine innings this season. And remember, this comes with all of them pitching in hitter-friendly parks. And in fact, Andy Pettitte, Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee have all at one point in their careers led the league with fewest home runs allowed per nine innings. In other words, don't discount the potential of these staffs neutralizing the lineups' power.
Still, there's no ignoring the fact that when these two teams met at Yankee Stadium back in May, a combined 12 home runs were hit. Perhaps that was just a prelude for the showcase to come.
"You never know what's going to happen until you go out there," Philadelphia's Raul Ibanez said. "They are both potent lineups and both staffs are good pitching staffs. I wouldn't say that I expect in a series like this for there to be a lot of homers. But both lineups are quality lineups."
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Soap opera? Manny: Bring on hot water
PHILADELPHIA -- The Dodgers were leading the Phillies, 4-3, in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS. Manny Ramirez had been pulled for defensive purposes. Juan Pierre was playing left field for the Dodgers when Jimmy Rollins hit a two-out double into the right-center field gap off Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton to give the Phillies a 5-4 win and a 3-1 lead in the series.
And where was Ramirez?
"I was taking a shower," Ramirez said. "I came out and I saw it on television. Then everybody started coming in and they turned off the television."
One might wonder what Ramirez was doing taking a shower during the bottom of the ninth, but it didn't seem to bother manager Joe Torre, who often sees Ramirez in street clothes afterward if he's come out before the game is over.
"So it's really nothing different than he's done before," Torre said. "I don't think it's disrespect of anything. He wasn't going anywhere until the game was over, and we can't put him back in the game.
"As we say, Manny is Manny. He's a cool customer. But he certainly didn't have any lack of respect because of that. I think the way it turned out, it probably doesn't look good. But it's nothing different than he had done before."
It's that coolness that could aid Ramirez and his teammates as they try to win three straight to save their season, win the pennant and move on to the World Series.
The following day, Tuesday, Ramirez was calm and relaxed in the Dodgers clubhouse. He sat at his locker with his feet propped up on Rafael Furcal's chair and across the room, the movie "Anchorman" was on television.
"I slept like a baby [last night]," Ramirez told the assembled media.
The Dodgers have to win Game 5 on Wednesday night to get the series back to Los Angeles.
"It's like I always say," Ramirez said. "You've got to keep grinding it out and see what happens. That's the key, until they get the 27th out, you don't know what will happen."
This is the 74th time a team has been down 3-1 in a best-of-seven baseball postseason series. Only 10 times in the previous 73 has the team down been able to win three straight.
Ramirez was on two of those teams while with the Red Sox. They were down 3-0 to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and came back to win the series. They were down 3-1 to the Indians in the 2007 ALCS and were able to win three straight.
"It's never easy," outfielder Andre Ethier said. "We'll give it a shot and see what happens."
Ramirez seemed to inspire the Red Sox in 2007. On an off-day before Game 5, he stirred things up by saying there was no pressure on the Red Sox.
"We're confident every day," said Ramirez back then. "It doesn't matter how things go for you. We're not going to give up. We're just going to go and play the game, like I've said, and move on. If it doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like the end of the world or something. Why should we panic?"
And now?
"This is baseball," Ramirez said. "That game is over. All we can control is go out and give 100 percent. That's what we've been doing. The Phillies have just been playing better. They're pitching great, they're playing good, they're getting big hits. That's part of the game."
Ramirez didn't want to talk about 2007 or 2004, but he's not the only member of the Dodgers who has previously been a part of a team that was able to overcome a 3-1 deficit.
First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who missed most of the season with a dislocated shoulder and is inactive for the series, was with the Red Sox when they pulled off the ultimate comeback against the Yankees in 2004.
"We were too dumb to realize what we were up against," Mientkiewicz said. "Sometimes not having knowledge is a good thing. We were never accused of being bright. This group has got some youth and got some swagger, and you need that. Nothing fazes us, now we need to go out tomorrow and prove that.
"Teams that worry about outcomes don't get here. Teams that just focus on the daily grind are the ones that win. You go hard on every pitch and every inning. You break it down into segments and don't worry about outcomes. The hardest game to win is the last one. There is an urgency on both sides to get it done."
The Dodgers will send Vicente Padilla to the mound. He will be opposed by Cole Hamels for the Phillies. Padilla was on the mound in Game 2 when the Dodgers pulled out their only win of this series. That was in Los Angeles. The Dodgers' simple goal right now is get the NLCS back to their home park.
"The unique part about our situation, we win one game and we go home," Torre said. "That to me is a momentum switch, and the fact that Philadelphia has to come with us.
Well, I mean, it's tough, there's no question. But again, you're in postseason because you're tough-minded. We were tested a lot of times during the season ... and I anticipate we'll have the same guys. It's not guaranteeing we're going to win, but it's guaranteeing that we're certainly not going to roll over."
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Jenks takes exception to weight criticism
CHICAGO -- This latest tale concerning White Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks begins with an all-too-familiar premise.
The hard-throwing right-hander would like to remain as the closer on the South Side of Chicago for the 2010 season and a number of seasons beyond. With the White Sox holding control over the arbitration-eligible Jenks, there's a strong possibility he will begin his fifth full campaign as the South Siders' last line of pitching defense.
But here is where this familiar tune goes a bit off-key.
Jenks is not a happy man, and it has nothing to do with another offseason beginning with trade rumors. Instead, during a weekend chat with MLB.com, Jenks took umbrage with the White Sox once again calling out his conditioning at the end of the 2009 season.
"I've done everything I can do, I've done everything that is physically possible, to make myself in better shape this year," said Jenks. "Where the years previously I didn't lose weight in-season, I didn't want my weight issue to be a factor as to why I had an off season."
Jenks, who will turn 28 during Spring Training, was considered to have a somewhat down performance in 2009. Jenks had 29 saves -- the first full season as a closer where he didn't have at least 30 -- and a 3.71 ERA, which marked just his second in the Majors with an ERA over 3.00. His batting average against the past three seasons has gone from .198 to .230 to .250. His slugging percentage against has gone from .247 to .333 to .418. His save percentage has gone from 88 percent to 89 to a career low 83.
During the final weekend of the 2009 campaign, with the White Sox already eliminated from playoff contention, most of the questions for manager Ozzie Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper were directed toward the future, and Jenks stood out as a hot-button issue.
Guillen stressed that the organization didn't want to trade Jenks and even mentioned that he thought Jenks would stay as the South Siders' closer. But Guillen also expressed concern about Jenks' conditioning.
"Obviously, this kid has to show up in shape," Guillen said. "That's his problem every winter. Hopefully, he knows about it. That's his career and that's the way he's going to make money, if he takes care of himself a little bit in the winter."
Guillen is not the only one in the organization who feels this way. He relayed comments from White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who in a brief address to the team said that if the players didn't want to prepare themselves for next year, let the team know and something will be done about it.
"For four years now, I've been the same guy, and when I slow down a little ..." Jenks said. "Bad things happen to anyone, not because I need to get into shape. This has been me the whole time, so where is the problem?"
The problem is his declining statistics and lingering health issues. While kidney stones, which Jenks painfully battled through, can't really be controlled, he also dealt with an unexplained back issue for the second straight season.
Cooper made mention of the back problem during a conversation about the pitching staff in that final regular-season weekend. According to Jenks, it's a strange injury because it's on his non-throwing side and not related to his pitching mechanics.
Cooper said he was not singling out Jenks, but rather setting expectations for his entire staff, especially relievers.
"I'm looking for relievers to be ready on an everyday basis," Cooper said. "They are like the Marines, where every day they might have a battle to fight.
"Having them available is paramount. If any of them are losing some time, we are going to look into ways to outsmart it the next time. But aside from the times he has had freak things, Bobby has always been ready when called upon."
Along with the kidney stones and back soreness, a pulled right calf muscle bothered Jenks, cutting his season short prematurely after a blown save on Sept. 17.
The White Sox left Jenks home to rehab the injury rather than take him on their final road trip, and that did not sit well with Jenks, either. Jenks could walk on the injury while wearing a protective boot and said he would have liked to have joined his teammates for those six games.
"They sent me home early, when I could have gone on the road and rehabbed there, instead of going to a place near my house," Jenks said. "I [complained] to my wife every day, 'Why am I home?'"
Cooper said that if Jenks had a problem, he should have talked with him, as the White Sox have an open-door policy under general manager Ken Williams.
Jenks said he lost 15 pounds during the season, which White Sox director of conditioning Allen Thomas verified. But the club's point isn't that he lost weight during the season, it's that he needed to in the first place.
"For me, he's got to be ready to go at the beginning of Spring Training," Thomas said. "That's the only issue I've ever had with Bobby, and he did work his butt off to get that done. But if he maintains in the offseason what he did to lose the 15 pounds, I think we'll see better results."
Jenks says reporting in solid physical condition has become his top priority, and that he will be ready to go come February, with the White Sox or anywhere else.
"Honestly, I've given it a lot of thought these last couple of weeks," said Jenks, who added he's at his lightest big league weight since coming up to Chicago in 2005. "The actions of the last two weeks ... am I unhappy with them? Yes. Anyone in my situation would feel the same way, but I want to be part of the White Sox 100 percent.
"Physically and mentally, I'm going to be ready. If I'm not in the White Sox plan, I know there's a plan for me somewhere."
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Are the MLB playoffs just around the corner?
Despite the one-game playoff The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins will play Tuesday, the 2009 Major League Baseball season officially ended Sunday.
Typically in the past, I would have been incredibly excited.
The playoffs begin this week. The road to the World Series starts now.
But for some reason, this doesn't seem to matter to me anymore.
All I could think about Sunday and Monday morning was the football season.
After I left the office Sunday evening, I drove home and found my fiancee watching one of the music channels on television.
The channel was featuring a concert by her favorite, Keith Urban.
But as I sat there, I couldn't help but think, "Pittsburgh vs. San Diego."
Sure, at the moment, the Steelers were pounding the Chargers. But, hey, it's football and a game was on.
San Diego managed to make a game of it late, but I decided enough was enough. I was ready for bed.
Monday morning rolls around and all I can think about is Minnesota -- my beloved Vikings -- against the Green Bay Packers.
Years ago, I would have been scouting statistics for the MLB playoff teams, preparing for a couple of weeks of baseball magic.
But no longer.
Now, baseball just slides right by.
Is it because the playoff games are scheduled for the evening, making it difficult to stay up to watch?
I don't think so. But that might be it.
Is it because of the pace of the game? That is a possibility, but the pace of baseball never bothered me before.
In fact, I loved it. Baseball always seemed like the ultimate chess match.
It could be a variety of factors.
More than likely, it probably has something to do with the fact that my favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds, was -- in reality -- eliminated from playoff contention several months ago.
When that happens, it makes for a difficult season.
Sure, I scan the division race and check statistics to see how the Reds are doing, but when they fall so far behind, it just seems like the season can't end soon enough.
The Tigers and Twins are in the same position the Reds were in in 1999.
Cincy won 96 games that year and were led by manager Jack McKeon. However, the Reds lost their one-game playoff to the New York Mets.
The following year, McKeon guided the Reds to an 85-77 finish. But since 2000, the Reds have not had a winning season.
Long summers can take a lot out of a person.
It really is sad because the Reds have a good mix of veterans and youngsters.
the pitching has started to come around in recent seasons. Pitching has been incredibly thin for the Reds.
They have a good amount of really good young players, led by Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson and Laynce Nix.
But they can't find their way to a winning record.
And that gives even more meaning to the football season. At least for fans of teams that are perennial cellar dwellers.
The 2008 MLB playoffs looked a little like this. From the National League, you had the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
In the American League, you had the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.
The Phillies and Dodgers advanced to the NL League Championship, while in the American League, it was Tampa Bay and Boston.
From there, the Rays and Phillies advanced to the World Series, with Philadelphia winning its second World Series.
The 2009 MLB playoffs will look like this. In the National League, we have the Phillies facing the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals taking on the Dodgers.
Two of these teams were there last year. The Rockies advanced to the World Series in 2007 and the Cardinals won the World Series in 2006.
In the American League, the 2009 playoffs will feature The Red Sox against the Angels and either the Twins or Tigers against the Yankees.
Last year, the Red Sox and Angels faced each other in the AL Division Series. The Yankees made the playoffs in 2007, falling to Cleveland in the Division Series.
Minnesota's last trip to the playoffs was in 2006, when the Twins were defeated by Oakland in the AL Division Series.
Likewise for the Tigers. Detroit's last playoff appearance happened in 2006, when it advanced to the World Series, only to lose to the Cardinals.
Fans of these teams should take note as they always seem to have something to be excited about.
Their teams always seem to make the playoffs or are in contention year in and year out.
But my Reds? Well, fans can always think back to 1999 when they almost made it.
Or fans can remember the glory days of 1990, when Cincinnati defeated the Oakland A's for the World Series title.
And we can always cherish all the titles that were won in the 1970s.
But as far as this year is concerned, none of that seems to matter.
(c) 2009 Brazil Times.
Questions surround potential tiebreaker
DETROIT -- The Twins currently sit two games back of the Tigers with five games left to play in the season, including two more head-to-head matchups -- after a 3-2, 10-inning win in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader and a 6-5 loss in the nightcap -- so there is a growing possibility that the two teams could end up tied atop the American League Central.
The Twins have already won the season series against the Tigers, meaning that they would host the one-game tiebreaker at the Metrodome.
The National Football League has already said that it would not relocate the Vikings-Packers contest scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5, at the Metrodome to accommodate a potential AL Central tiebreaker. Major League Baseball typically prefers to have tiebreakers on the first day after the regular season ends.
So the question becomes, when would a one-game tiebreaker between the two clubs take place?
The most likely scenario is that the Twins would host the game at the Metrodome on Tuesday, Oct. 6, but a decision has not yet been made.
"The Twins have not received any official word from MLB," Twins president Dave St. Peter said Tuesday. "I would expect we will in the next 24 hours. We will keep you posted."
A tiebreaker on Tuesday could add to more postseason drama, since the Division Series could begin on Wednesday, meaning the AL Central winner might have to begin the ALDS without an off-day. The Yankees are guaranteed to finish with the best record in the AL, so they will pick which day the ALDS starts -- Wednesday or Thursday. There have been reports that the Yankees would prefer to begin on Wednesday.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Tulo started in slump, finishing with vigor
DENVER -- The difference in Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's status between now and his golden rookie season of 2007 can be measured by the change in clubhouse real estate, and in locker decor.
He no longer dresses right near the entrance. Instead, he's across the room and beside the team's pitching elder statesman, Aaron Cook. Tulowitzki has the extra space that traditionally goes to team leaders. But one feature didn't make the move across the room -- handwritten numbers that served as a running count of all of Tulowitzki's hits from T-ball.
It started in 2007, when at the prompting of teammates, he came up with a number, and pitcher Josh Fogg updated it with each knock. Now Tulowitzki and the Rockies have moved on to other fun pursuits, although the count is near an impressive level.
"I've got to be at 3,000 by now, but, nah, I don't know," Tulowitzki said. "The only thing that counts now is big league hits and big league wins."
After a slow and strife-filled start for himself and the team, the lowlight of which was a one-game punitive benching from former manager Clint Hurdle, Tulowitzki is putting up grown-up numbers and leading a Rockies team that appears headed back to the playoffs.
The club has surged since Jim Tracy took over as manager on May 18, when the team was 18-28. At that point, Tulowitzki was hitting .224.
Since then, Tulwoitzki has brought his average for the season to .289. Of his 29 home runs, 24 have come since June 8. He has 45 RBIs since the All-Star break, including 13 that have given the Rockies leads in games.
Even more, he has committed just one error in his past 41 games. With a fielding percentage of .988, he has a shot to become the first shortstop in history to hit 20-plus home runs and have a fielding percentage of .990 or better. He also is two steals form the significant total of 20.
The slow start reached the point of frustration on May 19. In the eighth inning of an eventually 9-1 loss to the Braves, Tulowitzki came to the plate after Dexter Fowler had walked, swung at the first pitch and hit into a double play. Tulowitkzi's decision is supported by stats. He is hitting .458 with eight home runs when swinging at the first ball. But Hurdle, trying to emphasize situational hitting to the club as a whole, benched Tulowitzki the next day.
It's a long way from the bench to front-and-center in a playoff run.
But it's not entirely unusual. In a career that included him leading the Rockies to the National League title and finishing second to the Brewers' Ryan Braun for Rookie of the Year honors in 2007, Tulowitzki has hit .249 with a .328 on-base percentage in the first half of seasons, and .308 with a .376 OBP afterward.
"To get off to a slow start and once again be able to respond, it's not easy to do," Tulowitkzi said. "I'm proud to have accomplished that. But at the same time, I did believe in myself. It wasn't like I didn't think I was going to not come out of it."
Now, a season that started with slumps and discord could finish with honors.
His numbers suggest that he should receive consideration from managers and coaches as an alternative to two-time defending Rawlings Gold Glove shortstop Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies. The solid overall numbers also make him a prime candidate for the Louisville Silver Slugger Award.
"He's put himself in the echelon to be considered for a lot of things -- a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, and what else do we want to talk about when it comes to that position?" Tracy said. "At the real old age of 24, this guy is going to be around for awhile. And there are a lot of things about that person that's very, very special. This is a franchise player that you're talking about."
However, he already has what he really wants -- a role as a front-and-center producer for a team with high aspirations.
Last year, he started slowly, missed time with a torn quadriceps tendon and a lacerated hand. He came back to hit .327 in the second half, but it went unnoticed because the Rockies finished 74-88 and out of the playoff picture. No thought was given to him winning a postseason award, either.
"I take the most pride in my defense," Tulowitzki said. "There are some great guys in this league, but I feel like I put myself in a good position to be mentioned for a Gold Glove. The Silver Slugger would be quite an honor, but it's just nice to get mentioned with the great shortstops in this league.
"But if someone were to ask me what award I'd like to win, obviously, it would be a World Series ring."
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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