"Now, what is this site about, how Joe Torre ruined pitchers' arms? Is that it?"
-Michael Kay, August 18, 2009

Friday, October 5, 2007

Don't blame the bugs

The Canadian Soldiers didn't make the Yankees lose the game.

The Yankees lost the game themselves. You don't win in the playoffs with three hits and one run in 11 innings.

You don't win in the playoffs by walking two batters and throwing two wild pitches - bugs in your face notwithstanding.

I am mad. Mad at myself. Mad at the players. Mad at my roommates who make watching the games almost impossible.

I am mad at myself for believing. Since Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees have only won three playoff games. The Yankees I am watching are not the same Yankees I watched growing up and this is hard for me to take. I was 12 when the Yankees last won the World Series. I wasn't old enough to truly appreciate how much it means. I am going to be 20 next year, which is why I'm hungry for a championship.

Each year I think the Yankees can win. What's especially disheartening is that if the Yankees were able to get to the World Series these last three years, they could have potentially won the World Series each year.

Much is made out of the Yankees' lineup. However, every year it wilts in the playoffs. When they get good pitching, they can't hit (see: tonight). When they get good hitting (see: ALDS 2005 Game 3), the pitching isn't there.

Maybe they're better off without Alex Rodriguez. I don't know. I think we've all learned that the all-star at every position doesn't work in the playoffs. It helps you beat Kansas City and Tampa Bay in June and July, but it doesn't help you beat Cleveland in October.

One thing I do know is this: this offseason will be very eventful. This team will look very different in February.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even if they win the WS, they'll look different?

Andrea said...

I blame the bugs. 7th inning, Joba is awesome so he's obviously not affected by the buzz of the playoffs. Then the swarm hits and he just can't find the playoffs. He threw 2 while pitches in 1 inning when he threw 1 all year? couldn't have been nerves JUSt setting in. WIthout that, and we assume the rest of the game goes as it did, the Yankees win 1-0.

Yes, we'd like them to score more runs and it shouldn't have to come down to extra innings and the Yankees should score more than 1 run, but Joba was obviously messed up by those bugs.

It's ok. Fate wants this to be an unforgettable series.

Yakyuu Shonen said...

A-Rod hasn't hit in two games.... but it's not like the rest of the batters are on fire; why blame him over anyone else?

The Yankees have won three games in a row before.... In fact, they've won three games in a row against Cleveland this season. I know the payoffs are a whole different thing and whatnot, but it's not a wild stretch that they'd win.

Unknown said...

Hey. First I wanted to say great job with the blog. It's one of the better ones and I read it a lot.

I was 20 when the Yankees won the first championship I could remember. And I had to endure the Mets dominating the town in the 80's. So, it could be worse.

I'm hungry too. But this year is not over yet. And with the kids we have now, even if we don't win it this year I am optimistic about the years to come. We won't have to be piecing the team together the way we have been for the last few years.

John102355 said...

Someone please take all of Andrew's belts and shoe laces. I think that you will all see that, even is the Yankees lose, life goes on.

Anonymous said...

Andrea is a fool, because apparently she believes that the bugs only went after Yankees players and only landed on Yankees players' necks, and only got in Yankees players' eyes and ears.

Andrea said...

Andrea doesn't believe that the bugs only went after the Yankees. Andrea believes that the bugs obviously had an adverse effect on Joba, quite a bit more so than anyone else. There were more bugs out when Joba was pitching, and he was also bothered by them more than anyone else. Carmona could handle it, and Perez could handle it. And good for them. One of the things Joba needs to get used to--distractions. I guess that's one of the things they dont' teach you in the minor leagues.

Charles L. Wallace said...

Hang in there, Andrew.
Not winning the WS sux,
but having a losing record
year after year feels a hell
of a lot worse.

daaamiz, stop being a hater.
You disagree with someone, so
that makes them a fool?
Grow up, loser.

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