Yankee Fans Praying For Jeremy Giambi

The Yanks have been here before. In 2001, the Yanks were down 2-0 to the A's in the ALDS. Then came a Derek Jeter play for the ages, with a little help from Jeremy Giambi. Thanks to a Posada homer, the Yanks eked out a 1-0 win. After that, the Yanks won two more en route to shocking the A's.

But most fans forget that the difference-maker that game was Mike Mussina. Moose's postseason record is mostly disappointing (5-7 as a Yankee), but he pitched the game of his life that night, shutting down an A's offense featuring Tejada, Chavez, and the well-juiced duo of Jason and Jeremy Giambi.

Tomorrow night, the Yanks do not have Moose in his prime going for them. They have Roger Clemens, a Clemens way past his prime. The Yanks have no idea what they're gonna get from the guy. His career ERA in ALDS games is 4.36. The last time he pitched a must-win game in pinstripes, he did not get the job done. It was Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, and he did a lousy job (3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER), only to be redeemed by Grady Little and Aaron Boone.

But the biggest thing going for the Yankees is that ex-Yankee Jake Westbrook is a far cry from the 2001 version of Barry Zito. He got pounded by the Yanks this year (12.46 ERA in two starts), and the Indians will have to keep hitting if they want to wrap this thing up. They've batted .329 in the first two games, and if they keep that going, they should have no problem sending Joe Torre and Co. to the golf course.

- To the commenters: The 22-0 Indians win took place in 2004.

- A telltale sign that Joba still hasn't fully grasped the Yankee way:

"They bugged me, but you have to deal with it," Chamberlain said. "I will never make an excuse. I let my guys down."

I'm sure he got a good talking-to from Mike Mussina and Torre after that one. Real Yankees make excuses.

Yanks Bounce Back- Yankees 5, Red Sox 3

Today's one of those days where I've gotta tip my cap to Andy Pettitte. Truth is, I've always liked Pettitte more than most other Yankees. The guy seems like a genuine nice guy, and I still feel bad that George gave it to him for his kid wearing a Mets cap in the dugout years ago. And I like the way he got the heck out of the Bronx after '03. And last night, he got the job done.

Joba Chamberlain nearly lost it last night, allowing a couple of baserunners. J.D. Drew bailed him out, but let's face it - it wasn't pretty.

Anyway, I think Boston just needs one win in the series. Like this, they come out 7 ahead, a comfortable lead. And barring an utter collapse, seven games should be enough for Boston to grab their first division title since '95. So the Yanks' win last night is disappointing, but not painful.

But with another Mariners loss, the Yankee-free October is in jeopardy once again. I am not looking forward to next week's series.

- And Ian Kennedy will replace you, Moose.

Quick Update

I didn't catch this piece in doing the roundup, but it looks like Torre is already trying to get his way with Joba Chamberlain. As a Yankee-hater, I'm rooting for Joe.

And the Tigers eke out a win against the Yanks. Another bad outing for Hughes. I have no idea what the future holds for Hughes, but the Yanks cannot rely on this guy in a big game this year. All you can say about him is that he's better than alternatives like Igawa and Clippard. The Despiser was right the other day; the Yanks have big starting pitching issues, and that might be the difference-maker over the last 5 weeks of the season.

Sunday Roundup 8/26/07

Been a while since the last roundup, but we're back.

Many Yankee fans relish the idea of having Joe Girardi take over as skipper when Torre hangs 'em up. And the PR factor, the positive vibes from the dynasty years, and the Marlins' surprisingly good performance in '06 will help Girardi's cause. But Joel Sherman's piece will make them think twice. If you thought Joe Torre was lousy when handling pitchers, just ask Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, and Ricky Nolasco about Girardi. Good for Sherman for not falling for the Yankee mystique.

There's a lot out there about the "Joba Rules." It's nice to see Nardi Contreras' name back in the papers. My take on the rules? I'm surprised they've lasted this long, and I'd be very surprised if they last much longer. You get the feeling Torre's been somewhat marginalized in the organization. I'm sure if he had his way, Chamberlain would be used like his name was Tanyon Sturtze. And if the Yankees play in October, they're gonna have Joba out there every night.

Mike Lupica reminds us that for the Yankees, it's still all about October. Really now!

And after another Yankee win, John Harper gives Joe Torre the genius treatment, because Torrre had a meeting with the players before the game. Yeah, and if Igawa is out there instead of Wang and gets his butt kicked, then what, Torre's an idiot? This crap has got to stop already.

And in this piece, Jim Leyland complains that the long rain delay Friday night threw his team off their game and contributed to their loss on Saturday. Actually he doesn't. Other teams don't do that.

Pick of the week: It wasn't in Sunday's paper, but a chat with Peter Gammons? I'll take it any day of the week.

Rivera Back In Trouble

The Yankee fans will say it's just been a bad week for Mariano, but I'm not so sure. Mariano had that rough stretch early in the year, then returned to vintage form for a while. But right now, the April Mariano is back.

And it's possible that he never really left. Opposing batters are now hitting .260 off Rivera. That would be his highest BAA since his rookie year of '95, when it was .266. I know his control has been phenomenal this year, and he has an un-Yankee-like 10.60 K/BB ratio, but those are a lot of hits allowed.

The guy is 37 years old. The Yanks have to start worrying about Rivera, because the guy's lost a step. He's still one of the better closers in the game, but he's giving up a lot more hits than usual, and it's starting to catch up to him.

- I think the Yanks should start grooming Chamberlain to take over for Rivera. I know Chamberlain is supposed to be a starter in the long run, but so was Jonathan Papelbon.
Then again, let's see just how long the guy stays hot.