Ichiro Ready For His First Playoff Experience In A Decade
"Usually that would be the end of my season," Suzuki said Friday night before a workout at Yankee Stadium. "What I've realized is here, for the Yankees, is that it's the starting point."
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"Usually that would be the end of my season," Suzuki said Friday night before a workout at Yankee Stadium. "What I've realized is here, for the Yankees, is that it's the starting point."
In every game the Yankees lost, they looked old and slow. In September, those old guys played with veteran savvy and experience. So, which is it?
Joe Saunders pitched effectively into the sixth inning, Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and the Baltimore Orioles beat the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers 5-1 in the wild-card game playoff Friday night.
It matters little who the Bombers play in the ALDS, because Mark Teixeira has the winning Rx: Yankee baseball.
The pinstriped recipe for success this season will take a backseat to the sudden surge of southpaw pitching. The Yankees will remain in the playoffs for as long as CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte pitch to the back of their baseball cards.
Regardless of where you stand on the new MLB playoff schedule, one thing is for sure: The new format could hurt the teams with the best records, both on the field and in the pocket
With the new playoff format, the Yankees' next move is to, well, be patient. "To have the best record and not know where you're going is strange," manager Joe Girardi said.
The Yanks are a confident team now, a powerful team. They found their swagger. Now the Bombers go straight to the three-of-five ALDS, where they sit, appropriately, at No. 1.
Brian Cashman and the Yankees' front office should be applauded for finding an ideal, cost-efficient fit for their playoff roster in Raul Ibanez.
The regular season isn't over yet, but make no mistake: Game 162 at Yankee Stadium will have a playoff atmosphere -- and major postseason implications.
The Yankees couldn't have asked for a softer season-ending opponent. The Red Sox are simply awful, and they have been playing out the string since early August. Last season's fried chicken and beer collapse has never ended.
"Are jobs riding on this? Not that I know of," Steinbrenner told reporters outside the Yankees' clubhouse on Monday. "Jobs are not riding on this. We'll look at everything in the offseason, as we always do."
Ivan Nova has been dropped from the Yankees' rotation after a pair of poor outings, and David Phelps will replace him as Tuesday night's starter against the Red Sox.
This is what makes the Yanks so interesting: no one truly knows which team will appear on the field this weekend. Or for Friday's wild card game. Or for a 163rd game in Baltimore.
Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin and Mark Teixeira stepped up the plate, sent the ball over the wall and circled the bases like a conga line in a nine-run second inning.
Mark Teixeira returns to the Yankees' lineup tonight and will play first base.
Get ready for some more edge-of-your-seat baseball. This is the fun part.
The Yankees are totally set for the playoffs, eager to break out the bats, balls and gloves for really big games. Maybe they should log on to MapQuest, Hotels.com and Travelocity, too.
The Yankees' big bats continue to struggle in clutch situations.
The Yankees blew an important game to the Blue Jays as the Orioles are chasing for the AL East lead.
Ivan Nova didn't do much to help his case for a spot in the Yankees' potential playoff rotation. If anything, he made New York's path to the postseason a little tougher.
With a trip to the postseason all but guaranteed, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has pushed all the right buttons to avoid that silly one-game playoff setup.
Yankees starter Andy Pettitte hasn't lost to the Twins in over a decade. Not since April 30, 2001, to be exact.
The Mets have no money, but do they have no future?
In one day, the Yankees found three of their old-timers -- not the ones who show up for pomp, circumstance and a two-inning game during the summer -- making significant contributions once again.
