Game 1. I got some questions, Joe...

by mickey07 on Oct 5, 2007 12:25 AM EDT

So everyone on the planet knows that Wang is not as effective when not at the Stadium, but we start him in Game 1 anyway, even though Pettite has the experience to keep us in a game and hopefully get the win in a short series.

Everyone also knows that Wang is not effective when working after too much rest...his sinker does not sink. Bad for a sinker ball pitcher. All his pitches were up, but you left him in.

He was charged with 8 runs, some of those inherited by Ohlendorf. Ross Ohlendorf. That would be the pitcher who has a grand total of 6 innings of professional ball behind him. Did we throw him to the wolves or had you Joe decided this game was over? We had the full bull pen available.

When the game was further out of reach and a mop up was called for you sent in Phil Hughes. Phil can give your team more than one inning, so why not go with Farns at that point? Is Phil now done until Sunday?

Joe, you have been criticized, and I think deservedly so, for inept bullpen management. But, Lets take a look at the lineup...

Matsui had a terrible Sept. He has terrible numbers against Sabathia. He is a lefty on lefty. So did he sit? No. He was 0-4. Were it not for a freak accident, Duncan would have sat as well. Duncan did get in and started a rally with a hit.

Bases Loaded, none out Jorge up with a 3-0 count. Sabathia had walked more Yankees in the first four innings than he had in any full game this year...did we have Jorge taking pitches? No. Did Jorge deliver? No. WTF? My Little League coach once told me if we have a pitcher who is wild, we don't want to knock him out, because he will give us runs and we don't even have to swing. You went for the KO, it backfired and Sabathia went on limping to get the win.

In the post game I saw you say that we did not get good starting pitching. Right. But you control how long a pitcher stays out there and there were signs that Wang did not have it, so I blame you for not pulling him.

Joe, you need to do a better job.

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I disagree

The only move I really question is using Phil Hughes at the end of the game.
If you use him early (instead of Ohlendorf) it makes sense.

Wang pitched well last year in game one. Yes, he's struggled with extra rest, but I would have hoped he would have worked extra on his throw days to tire himself and that now 3 years into his MLB career he was begining to figure out how to work around it.

Joe changed the lineup last year (putting Sheffield and Matsui in) and it nearly cost him his job. This year he left it the same. If they win the next 3 he'll look brilliant again.

They greenlighted Jorge in one of the final games of the season and he missed a homer by a few feet and settled for an RBI double. Joe puts a lot of faith in his impressions of the players. He thought Jorge could handle it.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Oct 5, 2007 12:46 AM EDT reply actions

I agree

I had no doubts Posada should be swinging.

As for Wang, when were we going to start if extra rest is the problem? That logic argues for benching him once he passes four days of rest.

Bringing in Hughes however was a mistake. We want him available if Clemens or Moose is shaky early. Now it is not clear he will be.

by stusviews on Oct 5, 2007 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions

edit

We want[ed] him available {if} WHEN Clemens or Moose are shaky early.

by detroit yankee on Oct 5, 2007 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Phil was a mistake

This is where I lose it with Joe. Phil can easily be a starter in whatever game you need him and he'd likely give you a quality start--a chance to win.

I never liked the idea of starting Wang--because of the excess rest. Sinkerballers pitch better on short rest. I sensed this could be ugly because of it. If I were starting Wang, I would have had him pitch a simulated game 3-4 days ago (85-100 pitches). Based on his performance I don't believe that was done.

In my opinion it should be Hughes starting game 3--not Roger.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Oct 5, 2007 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Jorge should not have been swinging

That he was showed how anxious Joe was. Sabathia was beating himself. He would have walked Jorge, scoring a run, and making a larger rally more likely. We needed to play it cool and act like we've been there before. Instead we were jumpy.

"You play the game to win the game, and not to worry about what's on the back of the baseball card at the end of the year." - Paul O'Neill

by yankee come lately on Oct 5, 2007 10:24 AM EDT reply actions