The list of American League Silver Slugger Award winners has just two holdovers from 2008. The newcomers are all worthy selectees, although cases can be made for other candidates.
Catcher - Joe Mauer - "Mr. Man Muscles" is a holdover and winner of three of the last four awards. I imagine that he received every vote, except from his own manager and coaches, who couldn't vote for their own player.
First Base - Mark Teixeira (I'm so proud I learned to spell that name - had the second "ei" combo reversed forever) - Tex had a great season in friendly new Yankee Stadium. Kevin Youkilis had a slightly better OPS, but in signicantly fewer games.
Second Base - Aaron Hill - Hill was the very worthy winner of the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award. His gaudy 36 HR and 108 RBI for a second baseman carried him to this award, although Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist, who also had a breakout season, posted a much higher OPS (.948 to .829) in just six fewer games. I would have voted for Zobrist.
Shortstop - Derek Jeter - Jeter claimed his fourth straight Silver Slugger bat with an excellent campaign (.334 BA, 212 hits, .871 OPS). Jason Bartlett of the Rays had a similar season (.879 OPS), but missed a few weeks with an injury. Jeter's not always the best choice for the awards he wins (2009 Hank Aaron Award as the best hitter in the AL; several Gold Gloves), but he was a good choice for this award.
Third Base - Evan Longoria - Alex Rodriguez's off-season surgery left an opening for a new award winner and young Ray star Longoria walked right in with a 33 HR, 113 RBI, .889 OPS campaign. This should be a spirited competition going forward.
Outfield - Jason Bay, Torii Hunter, Ichiro Suzuki - With the highest OPS, homers and RBI among AL outfielders, Bay was an obvious choice. The rhyming name pair of J.D. Drew and Shin-Soo Choo had higher OPSs than Torii Hunter, but Drew missed a lot of time with his usual injuries, and Choo played in almost complete obscurity for the pitiful Indians. The greatest singles hitter of all time, Ichiro Suzuki hit a bunch of them (179 in all - his fifth season in the top 30 all-time) and posted a .352 BA and .851 OPS. Several AL OFs had marginally better OPS, but I probably would have gone with Ichiro. Choo is just 26; maybe his time will come next year.
Designated Hitter - Adam Lind - There were three good candidates - Lind, Twin Jason Kubel, and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui - Lind led the field in every offensive category.
Sorry, no pitcher award for batting in Interleague games. Some day, maybe no pitcher award at all, but I'm not holding my breath.
Derek Jeter won the Hank Aaron Award as the best hitter in the American League in 2009, but the National Pastime Award goes to the amazing Joe Mauer, whose league-leading 1.031 OPS led 21st-ranked Jeter by .160, the same margin by which Jeter led 68th-ranked Vernon Wells.
With more comprehensive, available and well-understood hitting stats, the Silver Slugger Awards are less subjective than their counterpart fielding awards, the Gold Gloves. There were several no-doubters and a few close calls.
Starting with the National League.
Catcher - Brian McCann - The smooth-swinging Atlanta catcher has little competition for this award, which he's won three times in the last four years.
First Base - Albert Pujols - No surprise here. The most fiercesome and complete hitter in baseball wins just his third Silver Slugger, though it seems like he should have won at least six. Best challenge came from Prince Fielder
Second Base - Chase Utley - This award marked the fourth straight for Utley, who like McCann, has little real competition. No NL second baseman matches his combination of power and patience. The Phillies let Ryne Sandberg get away 30 years ago, but they're holding on tight to Utley.
Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez - Hanley won his second straight Silver Slugger by hitting .342 to win the NL batting title and driving in 106 runs, among other impressive offensive feats for a shortstop. Troy Tulowitzki had a fine season, but finished well back in this race.
Third Base - Ryan Zimmerman - The best defensive third baseman in the NL was also the best offensive third baseman in 2009. Now the Nationals just need to get some better players, especially pitchers, to play with him. This was Zimmerman's first Silver Slugger at a position dominated by David Wright the last two years.
Outfield - Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier - Braun is a solid pick for this second straight Silver Slugger. He hit .320 and slugged 32 homers. Kemp and Ethier are closer calls for their first award each over hitters with higher OPS figures such as Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Justin Upton. Maybe Kemp and Ethier get credit for playing in pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium. I would have picked Werth over Kemp. Matt Holliday would have been in here had he played the whole season in St. Louis.
Pitcher - Carlos Zambrano - Zambrano hit four homers, but I would have gone with Micah Owings, who managed a .818 OPS to Carlos's .698. An award for Owings would have tied the score at two each with Zambrano. These guys are the two top hitting pitchers in baseball, though Cliff Lee may give them a run in 2010, now that he can hit every fifth day.
There's no doubt as to the National League's best hitter in 2009 - Albert Pujols, who posted his second straight OPS of 1.100 or higher. He drew 115 walks (44 intentional) while striking out just 56 times, an almost Bondsian ratio.
The list of American League Gold Glove winners includes two perennials, three newbies, and some guys in between.
Catcher - Joe Mauer - I've read some support for Detroit's Gerald Laird, but Mr. Man Muscles, as a female blogger friend of mine calls him, will probably hold this award for awhile. Mauer's diving tag play at the plate was one of the defensive highlights of the year, maybe second only to DeWayne Wise's perfect game-saving catch.
First Base - Mark Teixeira - Tex is the best I've seen at this position in many years. He has great range and reflexes in both direction and an eerie ability to snag bounced throws. He earned this award and part of another that will follow. This is Teixeira's third of what will no doubt be many Gold Glove awards.
Second Base - Placido Polanco - A free agent, Polanco may be asked to play third by his new club, especially if it's the Phillies. Sure-handed and a master of the double play pivot, Polanco is always a Gold Glove contender at second. This is his second GG.
Shortstop - Derek Jeter - Remember Mark Teixeira? I have to believe that he saved enough throwing errors to allow Jeter to win his fourth Gold Glove. Again, the voters went with surehandedness and reputation (?) over range. Exposed and acknowledged as one of the AL's worst-fielding SSs for a couple years, Jeter improved his defense (with Teixeira's help) to average, allowing his excellent hitting to carry him to a fourth Gold Glove. Other than Jeter's future Hall of Fame rep, I really don't get this one. So many balls scoot past him to his right and left that a New York restaurant actually serves Pasta Diving Jeter. He loops most throws to first and when he winds up and throws hard, the ball could end up in the seats. Both Erick Aybar and Elvis Andrus demonstrated much better range and stronger arms.
Third Base - Evan Longoria - Yankee fans don't like him, but AL coaches and managers recognize another Schmidt-alike. This is Longoria's first Gold Glove of many. Brandon Inge was also great at this position, but Longoria hit better.
Outfield - Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter, Adam Jones - With nine Gold Gloves each, the first two are almost automatic. Hunter still covers the ground, and Ichiro has to be the most fundamentally sound right fielder I've ever seen. Jones won out over tough competition for the third spot - Curtis Granderson and Carlos Gomez would seem to be the top contenders along with Jacoby Ellsbury. I probably would have voted for Gomez based on spectacular reports from a blogger who did see him on a routine basis.
Pitcher - Mark Buehrle - Defense starts with pitching and you can't do better than a perfect game. Honestly, if the AL coaches and managers like Buehrle, then I like him.
My choice as AL Defensive Player of the Year is Mark Teixeira, even though he plays the so-called least demanding position.
By happenstance, I found and got involved with the Yankee fan blog, "IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS...caught" this summer. Their editor/chief contributor liked some of my stuff ("Welcome to Baseball Heaven" and "Twenty-Six" in particular) and invited me to become a regular contributor with a password and all. Woo Hoo! Here's my first submission to IT IS HIGH as a contributor, "Why Joe Did Not Go." It appeared on November 10, 2009.
With a $200 million payroll, a new $1.5 billion stadium despoiled by conspicuously empty seats, anxious, impatient management and fans thirsting for victory after a postseason-less 2008 campaign, and a 15-17 record, 6-1/2 games behind the division leaders five agonizing weeks into the season, a 22-4 loss to Cleveland throbbing in the collective franchise consciousness, how did Joe Girardi avoid joining Bucky, Stump and Gene on the scrapheap of failed Yankee managers, and survive to lead the Yankees to their 27th World Championship, driven by Jeep, thereby ascending to the third position of all-time Yankee heroes named Joe?
IT IS HIGH has researched this important question and presents the Top Ten (actually twelve) reasons why Joe Did Not Go.
1) "Joe Heart Derek" was already carved into the big mahogany desk in the manager's office.
2) Joe babysat A-Rod's kids and they "really liked him."
3) Joe possessed compromising video of the Steinbrenner brothers from the 2008 Yankee clambake.
4) Joe's godfather made Cashman "an offer he couldn't refuse."
5) Yankee team doctor concerned that Suzyn's frail pschye couldn't handle the change.
6) First choice as replacement, Billy Martin, confirmed still to be dead.
7) Second replacement choice, Gary Burghoff, caught up in surprise success of new TV sitcom "My Name is F*cking Earl, What's It To You?", based on the career of retired Oriole manager Earl Weaver, was unavailable.
8) Third choice Buck Martinez admitted to being "fried on baseball" and ready to audition for role as sidekick on the new TBS show, "Lopez Tonight".
9) Cashman was rebuffed by fourth choice Lou Piniella, who proclaimed, "No way, man. The Cubs are going all the way this year."
10) Hank declared midseason managerial changes to be "so eighties."
11) Cashman recounted "Brian's Dream" to the Boss, a showstopping number in which he conveys the objection of George's mom to the proposed managerial change, as revealed to him during a dream.
While National Pastime was taking a well-deserved post-postseason break, baseball time marched on.
Major league GMs are meeting. A few deals have taken place (JJ Hardy for Carlos Gomez). More than 100 players have filed for free agency (the 2010 crop seems a little thin as Angel pitcher John Lackey may be the prize catch). Options have been exercised (Jason Varitek) or allowed to lapse (Pedro Feliz). Media and fans speculate about who will end up where.
But we'll start two sets of awards that were given in the last couple of days. First the Gold Gloves, voted by managers and coaches and ostensibly given to the best fielder at each position in each league.
Starting with the National League
Catcher - Yadier Molina - Reality likely meets impression as Molina has established himself as the best defensive catcher in the National League. The Gold Glove is Molina's second consecutive. Barring injury, he will probably win many more.
First Base - Adrian Gonzalez - Playing for the Padres, Gonzalez gets very little exposure. I saw Albert Pujols make a lot of spectacular plays at first base and know that he set a record for assists by a first baseman in a season, a good indicator of his range at the position. Maybe Gonzalez was better, but I would have voted for Pujols. Cub 1B Derrek Lee would be another strong contender. This is Gonzalez's second Gold Glove.
Second Base - Orlando Hudson - The "O Dog" picked up his fourth Gold Glove, despite losing the starting second base job on the Dodgers to Ronnie Belliard. Brandon Phillips, Chase Utley (notwithstanding his shaky postseason play) and Kazuo Matsui were other strong candidates. I saw the most of Matsui and might have voted for him. He has a shortstop's range and arm and made very few mistakes.
Shortstop - Jimmy Rollins - J-Roll won his third Gold Glove. Reputation and fielding percentage seem to have overridden range, where Rockie Troy Tulowitzki was clearly superior. Jack Wilson of the Pirates was the league's most spectacular shortstop until he was traded to the Mariners. Despite being a Phillie fan, I would have voted for Tulo.
Third Base - Ryan Zimmerman - Fielding percentage by itself (a record .990) wasn't enough for Padre Kevin Kouzmanoff, as the rangy, spectacular Zimmerman won the award despite making 14 more errors. The Padre Nation (county?) was stunned, but the sports highlight-watching world was not, as Zimmerman appeared there routinely. I would have voted for Zimmerman, who reminds me of Mike Schmidt with his play at third, and reminds me of me with his name.
Outfield - Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, Matt Kemp - Of the three, Bourn seems the least controversial, coming off a season of great range, spectacular catches and strong throws. He'll win more Gold Gloves if his bat can keep him in the lineup. A GG winner in 2008, Victorino was no surprise, despite middle-of-the-pack range statistics. Without pouring over stats, you'd have to go with this guy - he seemingly catches everything between the infield and fence, and has a great throwing arm. With Met CF Carlos Beltran missing most of the season, the vote for the third outfielder was probably pretty scattered. Dodger CF Matt Kemp posted the most votes. He has a great arm, but plays deep and gets by more on speed than positioning and reaction time. The stats guys like Mike Cameron. He seems like a better choice to me. I would have voted for Bourn and Victorino as well.
Pitcher - Adam Wainwright - In the last twenty years, this award has been dominated by Greg Maddux. With Maddux retired, the voters are casting about for another candidate. I think Cliff Lee, assuming he stays in the NL, will end up being that guy, but for 2009, the award goes to Cardinal starter Adam Wainwright. I can't think of a particular standout, so I'll trust the managers and coaches on this one.
My choice as the NL Defensive Player of the Year is Cardinal C Yadier Molina.
I'll be back soon with the American League Gold Glove winners.
Damn headline writer! Gratuitous? This is going to be prime stuff. Welcome to The National Pastime (MLB) Postseason Awards (the Nappies) hosted by me, Dave Zimmerman (Heidi Klum is busy with Project Runway).
The Captain "Sully" Sullenberger Nappie for the Most Valuable Player of the Postseason from the World Champion Team goes to Alex Rodriguez. After a miserable postseason career with the Yankees coming into 2009, Alex responded with .365 batting average (19-52), .500 OBP (12 BB, 3 HBP (ouch!)), .807 slugging percentage, and 15 runs scored. Throughout the postseason (until World Series Game Six, when Series MVP Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui took over), A-Rod was the most potent bat in a potent Yankee lineup. Props to girlfriend Kate Hudson for whatever her contribution was to this accomplishment.
The Sandy Koufax Nappie for Postseason Pitching Excellence goes to Phillies lefthanded starter Cliff Lee. In five starts, Lee compiled a 4-0 record and 1.56 ERA. He pitched 40.1 innings, allowing 27 H and 6 BB while striking out 33. He came within one throwing error of pitching a shutout in Game One of the World Series. World Series pressure? Meh. Well done, Cliff.
The Imodium Nappie for Excellence in Relief (I'm dealing with diarrhea while I write this) goes to who else but Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. Like Gary Cooper in an old western movie, the implacable Rivera (aka "The Sandman") rides into town, shoots down the bad guys, and leaves without fanfare. His stats for the 2009 postseason are Riveraesque (there's no one in MLB to compare him to). 12 AP, 16 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 13 K, 0.56 ERA, 5 Saves and 3 Series Saves, including a five-out effort to end the World Series that somehow did not earn him a statistical save. Every other team in MLB sweats pitching at the end of the game. The Yankees count the outs until "Mo Time." You may hate the Yankees, but you can't hate this guy.
The Meineke Car Care Nappie for Best Clutch Hit goes to Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins for his two-out two-RBI double off fireballing reliever Jonathan Broxton to turn an apparent 4-3 Phillie loss in Game Four of the NLCS into a 5-4 runoff win. Denied a 2-2 series tie by Rollins' hit, the Dodgers didn't have much left for Game Five, losing by 10-4 to put the Phillies in the World Series. (photo Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Honorable Mention - Alex Rodriguez's late-inning game-tying homers. The first came in the bottom of the ninth in Game Two of the ALDS vs. the Twins, when A-Rod took Joe Nathan deep for a two-run game-tying homer in a game eventually won by Mark Teixiera's 11th-inning homer. Rodriguez also homered on a 0-2 pitch off Brian Fuentes in the bottom of the 11th to tie the Angels in ALCS Game Two.
The Warren Buffett Nappie for Best Financial Move goes to Me for declining an even money opportunity to bet on the Phillies before the World Series started, but accepting a $25 bet with the same counterparty on Game Five only, which the Phillies won 8-6.
The Used Tissue Wad for the Least Valuable Play of the Postseason is shared by the LAAAngels infield. Generally a group of athletic, slick-fielding players, the LAAAs came apart like a cheaper brand against the Yankees in the ALCS. In Game One, 3B Chone Figgins and SS Erick Aybar watched an infield popup by Hideki Matsui drop between them, allowing Johnny Damon to score with two outs. Later in the series Aybar straddled second on a DP relay throw, a play in which the umpire correctly ruled the runner safe, though this play didn't cost the Angels any runs. Game Two ended embarrassingly as 2B Maceo Izturis threw wide of second on a needless attempt for a force play. Figgins mishandled the overthrow, allowing Jerry Hairston, Jr. to score the winning run on an err-off. Special mention to 2B Howie Kendrick and P Scott Kazmir, whose lob toss several feet over Kendrick's head on an attempted sacrifice helped the Yankees salt away the deciding Game Six of the ALCS.
The Tim McCarver Nappie for One Correct Observation or Prediction goes to Tim McCarver for using his oft-demonstrated lipreading skills to see Andy Pettitte telling Jorge Posada that he was going to throw a "backdoor slider," which he did. Of course, McCarver mentioned this after the fact, but it was a rare moment of insight by the otherwise clueless and loqacious announcer (the Phillies Key to Victory in World Series Game Six was To Win, among other jewels.) His and partner Joe Buck's commentary about the Erick Aybar phantom DP relay was particularly embarrassing as McCarver changed his opinion several times. They ended up decrying an accurate call and being thankful that the play "didn't affect the outcome of the game."
Dishonorable Mention - TBS analyst Buck Martinez for calling the Phillies both the Yankees and Red Sox before happening on the right name during his description of the postgame celebration when New York, I mean Boston, I mean Philadelphia, won the NLCS.
The Bud Selig Crying Towel for Worst Umpiring Call goes to....please wait while I sort this out; there were SO many...Tim McClelland, who had perhaps the worst game ever by a 3B umpire, maybe ANY umpire. The misery started in the Yankee fourth when 2B ump Dale Scott called Nick Swisher safe on a pickoff attempt by P Scott Kazmir, even though replay showed Swisher to be out by at least six inches. With Swisher on third, Johnny Damon lofted a fly ball to center. Swisher tagged up and scored on the sacrifice fly. But wait, the Angels think Swisher left too early. They throw to third. McClelland calls Swisher out. Replay shows that Swisher tagged. Later McClelland, while admitting his error, said that "I knew in my heart" that Swisher left early (even though he can't see both the runner and catch at the same time). But it gets better (or worse). With runners on second and third in the Yankee fifth (Robinson Cano and
Jorge Posada respectively), Swisher grounds to the mound. The throw
from pitcher Darren Oliver comes home, catching Posada in a rundown
between third and the plate. The play apparently ends with two outs,
as Angel C Mike Napoli clearly tags both Cano and Posada while each
was standing a foot or more from third base. Thinking that Cano was standing on third, McClelland calls him safe and Posada out.
McClelland later admitted his error, etc., etc.
Dishonorable Mention to Phil Cuzz, LF umpire for Game Two of the ALDS between the Yankees and Twins. MLB goes to six umpires in the postseason to get outfield line calls right. Amazingly, Cuzz, standing along the LF line, called Joe Mauer's fly ball, which hit a yard in fair territory and bounced into the stands for an apparent ground rule double, a foul ball. To his credit, Mauer followed up with a single, but never scored in what then was a tie game. Standing on second he would have scored on two subsequent hits.
The Frank Caliendo Slightly Damp Tissue Wad for the Heavily Promoted Show That I'm Very Unlikely to Watch - TIE - Lopez Tonight (TBS) and the Wanda Sykes Show (FOX). Both may be genuinely funny people, but enough already. And Wanda looks too much like Pedro Martinez, not that that's a bad thing, but it might bring back unpleasant memories of World Series Game Six. Lopez reminds me of golfer Lee Trevino, a star in the '60s and '70s, and a very funny guy. Maybe Lee should have a talk show.
Ending on a High note, the last Nappie for Best Single-Team Postseason Coverage By a Blog goes to none other than the Yankiverse's most entertaining website, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, it is...caught. This group of manic depressive poets, graphic artists, videographers, audio engineers, letter writers, election officials and list compilers kept me in stitches over the postseason exploits of the New York Yankees and their beloved/despised radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling. It didn't hurt their chances to receive this award when they published an excerpt from my story Welcome to Baseball Heaven and my poem Twenty-Six.
Honorable Mention goes to MyTeamRivals' site Phightin' Phils Phorum, and its co-writers Bill Zeltman and Jenn Zambri-Dickerson. Bill provides the best pre-game minutiae (that only a Phillies fan could truly appreciate). He also invited me to become a writer for MyTeamRivals. Jenn's emotional attachment to her team and her reports and photos (and Photoshopping) from the games are unsurpassed. I'll never forget her bunny-with-an-axe-through-its-head graphic after Chase Utley (Jenn's idol, after whom she named her kitten) made his second ugly throwing error.
A final WOO HOO!
40,000 word milestone left in the rearview mirror!
A new personal blogging record!
40,608 words! (subject to final accounting review after all editing)
By now the headline is no news. The whole story of the New York Yankees 27th World Championship, driven by Jeep (video courtesy of It Is High, It Is Far, it is caught ...), won with a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 World Series in New York, has been pushed out of the public consciousness by the hideous killing of thirteen people at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, less than 250 miles from where I write this in Houston. The news comes on the heels of a personal story - the grown daughter of one of my dearest senior citizen friends (she's 87 or so) died suddenly on Tuesday of a massive heart attack.
But for three-plus hours on Wednesday night I plugged into Game Six of the 2009 World Series, hoping and praying that the Phillies could pull out a win that would extend the Series to the first Game Seven since 2002. Wednesday's Game Six was the first since 2003, a game in which the Florida Marlins, led by the stellar pitching of Josh Beckett, shut out the Yankees to claim the world championship of that year.
OK, I'm rambling. Wednesday's game, despite it's almost four hour length, was pretty cut-and-dried. Both veteran starting pitchers, Pedro Martinez for the Phillies and Andy Pettitte for the Yankees, seemed to struggle on shorter than usual rest (three days for Martinez, four days for Martinez), but Pettitte limited the damage much more effectively.
After a routine first inning, Martinez opened the second by walking Alex Rodriguez, then throwing a cookie fastball (his speed in the early innings topped out at about 86) in the middle of the strike zone that Yankee DH Hideki Matsui drove deep into the right field seats for an expensive home run. A deep foul presaged the blast. Matsui kept the second shot fair. It was clear that Carlos Ruiz and Martinez didn't want to throw Matsui a curve ball like the one he hit out off Martinez in Game Two.
After the Phillies countered with a run in the third on Ruiz's triple and a Jimmy Rollins sac fly, the Yankees tacked on two more runs in the third. Derek Jeter opened the inning with a single to center on a knuckling fly ball that Shane Victorino misjudged. Johnny Damon walked Martinez then hit Mark Teixiera with the first pitch. After A-Rod struck out looking (thanks, Centaurman), "Godzilla" Matsui came to the plate again. Again, Martinez stayed with the fastball. On a 3-2 count, Matsui found one for a clean single to center that brought in Jeter and Teixiera. The Yankee lead expanded to 4-1, about all the Phillies could hope to overcome against lefty Pettitte, the Yankee middle relief and two-inning closer Mariano Rivera.
The Yankees and again that man/monster Matsui made the hill even steeper with a three-run fifth. Jeter boomed a double past the outstretched glove of Phillie LF Ben Francisco. Jerry Hairston, Jr, in for calf-muscle-impaired Johnny Damon, moved Jeter to third with a sacrifice. Teixiera drove him in with a line drive hit to right center. As with his Game Two homer, Teixiera, who'd guessed nothing right for most of the week, guessed right on the pitch and was able to pull an outside pitch for an RBI-hit. Phillie manager Charlie Manuel got J.A. Happ up in the bullpen, but stayed with Martinez to face both Rodriguez (another walk) and Matsui, who got another two-RBI hit, this one a double off the wall that could have been a triple if Matsui could run at all. Happ came in, but the damage was done - a 7-1 Yankee lead with the game more than half over, and just two innings left before Rivera time.
Not as sharp as in Game Three, Pettitte walked five Phillie batters. Only one walk hurt him, when he, as many recommended, pitched around Chase Utley in the sixth to get to slumping Ryan Howard. Howard launched a two-run homer into the first row of the left field stands. A followup double to the gap by lefty Raul Ibanez spelled the end of the night for Pettitte. Joba Chamberlain came in to get a grounder from Pedro Feliz and end the threat. Yankees 7 Phillies 3.
The Phillies best chance to get back in the game came in the seventh. Ruiz, who reached base on all four plate appearances, walked. After a fielder's choice, Shane Victorino drew another walk, bringing Chase Utley to the plate with two on. Another of Utley's frequent homers would bring the Phillies to within 7-6, striking range against even Rivera. But Yankee manager Joe Girardi wisely brought in young lefty reliever Damaso Marte, who, with a 9.65 ERA in the regular season, had been perfect in the World Series. He quickly struck out Utley to get the Yankees with a 7-3 lead to Mo Time.
Marte pitched one batter into Mo Time, striking out Howard to open the eighth. What seemed like an impossible task, scoring four off Rivera before making five outs (he's 203 for 204 with a four-run or better lead), was that, though the Phillies hit some foul balls well and Raul Ibanez doubled over CF Brett Gardner's head in the eighth.
Ruiz's walk in the ninth got the fantasy wheels turning in Phans' heads. Just two more baserunners and we can bring either Utley or Howard up with the bases loaded. Instead, Shane Victorino grounded out meekly to Teixiera to end the game and start the celebration. I tuned out.
Congratulations to the Yankees for fulfilling my preseason prediction of a 27th World Championship, and my head pick for the Series. They were the better team - better pitching by Burnett and Pettitte, the all-time best closer in Rivera. Their tablesetters, Jeter and Damon, were way better than their Phillie counterparts. Rodriguez and Matsui picked up slumping Teixiera with RBI hits. Even Nick Swisher, who was mostly terrible and annoying, had a strong game against Cole Hamels in Game Three. 2B Robbie Cano was really the only non-contributor. I read something about the cold weather being a problem. Put on a sweatshirt and get your head in the game, Robbie, don'tcha know!
For the Phillies, it's hard to say enough about the performance of mostly-overlooked catcher Carlos Ruiz, who was a rock behind the plate and at the bat for the entire postseason. "Chooch" has quietly become one of the best catchers in the National League. With his five Series homers and all-around play, Chase Utley was phenomenal, though sometimes curiously ineffective against certain lefties - Pettitte and Marte. Jayson Werth's tape-measure homers and flowing hair make sure that he won't be in the balloting for Unsung Hero next year. He'll be on the watch list for NL MVP instead. On the mound, the Phillies will enjoy the work of cool and athletic Cliff Lee for at least one more year before he becomes a free agent. It would be great if they could sign him to a long-term deal. The rest of the Phillie pitching staff performed spottily. Hamels, Blanton, Happ, Madson, and Lidge will be back. I'm not sure about the rest.
Personally, the postseason was a blast. The Phillies dispatched both the Rockies and Dodgers in quick and exciting series. Their comeback for an 8-6 win in Denver and Jimmy Rollins two-out, two-RBI double off Jonathan Broxton won't soon be forgotten. I loved writing National Pastime and became a regular reader/contributor to the Dark Side view at It Is High, It Is Far, it is ... caught, the satirical Yankee fan website. I'm getting a password to become one of their writing team. In the vernacular, woo hoo!
I'm not sure if this post brings National Pastime to the 40,000 word mark. Hold on while I check.
39,138. Gratuitous thousand-word essay to follow when I get back to Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge - As the 2009 World Series nears its conclusion, either tonight or on Thursday, once again an important blogging milestone stands in sight.
Baseball blog "National Pastime", a part of the MyTeamRivals network, reports that its MLB 2009 postseason coverage is approaching the coveted 40,000 word level. MTR's IT department puts the current word count (not including this announcement) at 37,549, as measured by Microsoft Office Word 2007's word counting feature. This total does not include recently written or republished features about past World Series (the so-called World Series and Remembrance series) or preseason predictions for the current contest (e.g Welcome to Baseball Heaven).
Once thought to be the exclusive bailiwick of lexicographers and late author David Foster Wallace, the 40,000 word barrier was breached earlier in 2009 by the MyTeamRivals blog "March Madness Mayhem," which covered the 2009 NCAA basketball tournament. That blog concluded with 40,071 words published.
When asked about the prospects for reaching the 40,000 word milestone once again, Dave Zimmerman, principal blogger (OK, only writer) for both blogs remarked, "40,000 is within reach. If the Series goes seven games, it's a done deal. A Yankee victory tonight will require a bit of additional hand-wringing and florid phrasing about the Phillies loss, but it's definitely doable. This superfluous announcement will add a few hundred words. And if we reach 40,000, that previous record of 40,071 by March Madness Mayhem will fall too. National Pastime takes pride in being the most verbose site on the MTR network, and will do what needs to be done to maintain that position. As they say on Bravo, watch what happens."
MTR wishes "National Pastime" the best of luck as it approaches this magical blogging milestone.
I felt a little guilty about writing a poem that prays for a Yankee win tonight (albeit satirically), so I came up with this list.
Robinson “Double Bubble Trouble” Cano loses popup in bubble. Compounds error with gum-laden overthrow.
Mark Teixiera literally comes out of shoes on swing and is
beaten by a toenail on a play at first base that ends the game.
Bloomberg reelected.Yankees
have never won a World Series with Bloomberg as Mayor.
Don Zimmer races from stands to attack Pedro Martinez.Ensuing riot causes Yankee forfeit.
A-Rod sulks, commits multiple fielding errors, after Kate
refuses big screen marriage proposal.
Rivera announces retirement during fourth inning of
six-inning save.Replacement Chad Gaudin gets
“lit up.”
Joe Girardi takes advice given by Tim McCarver during
manager interview segment.
Name of infamous Yankee fan website "It Is High, It Is Far, It Is caught" is invoked by Yankee radio voice John
Sterling as Shane Victorino hauls in apparent game-winning three run homer by
Alex Rodriguez on the center fieldwarning track.
Derek Jeter contracts H1N1 (now known as “Jeter Disease”).Roster replacement Freddy Guzman commits
three errors.
Surprise appearance by Dave Roberts as pinch-runner triggers franchise flashback and subsequent meltdown.
