2008 Yankee News & Notes Thread

[26 to 6]

Cincinnati purchased the contract of Andy Phillips from Louisville yesterday, and gave him number 46. I hope for the best for Andy out there. He was in our system a longgg time and did nicely when he finally got his shot.

[TheKilo]

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

I still can't blame him for leaving the amazing Pedro Martinez in the game. In hindsight it's easy to second guess, but when your best pitcher tells you he wants the ball in that spot, especially a guy like Pedro, you give it to him end of story. It didn't work out, and Grady has been crucified since. A little unfairly I think..

And here's where you're wrong. Little was under strict orders to remove Pedro after 7 innings or 100 pitches, whatever came first.

He didn't and was fired.

[26 to 6]

This is honestly the first I ever heard of that.
Wow....

[BudLight]

Originally Posted by TheKilo

And here's where you're wrong. Little was under strict orders to remove Pedro after 7 innings or 100 pitches, whatever came first.

He didn't and was fired.

That's the first time I have ever heard that there was a strict pitch/inning count for Pedro in that ALCS. Who issued the pitch/inning count?

[Mr Crunchy]

1st time i ever heard of it as well
and
in the 8th inning of game 7 and i got pedro martinez and a 3 run lead i live and die with him as well....ya the bullpen pitched well in the fall but does anyone remember who our closer was and who the set up guy was and who the long man was or was it the infamous closer by comittee that works so well....
grady lost his job because the best pitcher in the history of boston baseball gagged up a 3 run lead late in the game....
2nd guessing this move is popular but at the time i wouldve thrown the tv out of the fucking window if he brought someone else in that night.
that being said
2004 went a long way to healing 2003
i forgot 2003 even happened after the historic efforts of kevin brown,arod and javier vasquez in 2004

[TheKilo]

None of you have ever heard this? I thought it was common knowledge.

[26 to 6]

This is really as non-issue, just something I thought was interesting and figured I would comment on. I was watching Joe Torre's media conference that he held in the visiting dugout at Shea earlier and he commented how one of the things he likes about being on the west coat is that he's able to watch the 7pm East Coast games in the clubhouse to kill time, and how he was watching when Jeter got hit back on the 21st, and out of concern called the Yankee clubhouse and Jeter happened to be in there after leaving the trainer's room and they had a brief conversation and Jeter let him know he was alright and everything. The relationship that those two have is remarkable. Joe Torre will always be a Yankee...

[yeszir]

Originally Posted by TheKilo

None of you have ever heard this? I thought it was common knowledge.

News to me as well. Do you have a source or somewhere where that was published or is sort of a heard it through the grapevine kinda thing?

[a700hitter]

I don't know if Little was under some sort of formal pitch or inning restriction for Pedro, but he clearly managed to those limits consistently throughout the season. Every one, including Pedro, thought that his night was done after 7 innings.

[CrespoBlows]

Originally Posted by Feeding the Monster

Now, finally, Grady Little shuffled out of the dugout and over to the mound, where he conferred with Martinez. In his seat, Henry was beside himself. At least, he reassured himself, there’s still a two-run lead and Martinez was finally coming out of the game. The, inexplicably, Little walked back to the dugout alone, leaving Martinez on the mound to face the dangerous Matsui. Henry turned to Larry Lucchino. “Can we fire [Little] right now?” Henry asked.

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

I still can't blame him for leaving the amazing Pedro Martinez in the game. In hindsight it's easy to second guess, but when your best pitcher tells you he wants the ball in that spot, especially a guy like Pedro, you give it to him end of story. It didn't work out, and Grady has been crucified since. A little unfairly I think..

I know you hate stats, because they're not tough, clutch, and gritty, but look at Pedro's numbers after the 100th pitch in 2003.

[Gom]

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

This is really as non-issue, just something I thought was interesting and figured I would comment on. I was watching Joe Torre's media conference that he held in the visiting dugout at Shea earlier and he commented how one of the things he likes about being on the west coat is that he's able to watch the 7pm East Coast games in the clubhouse to kill time, and how he was watching when Jeter got hit back on the 21st, and out of concern called the Yankee clubhouse and Jeter happened to be in there after leaving the trainer's room and they had a brief conversation and Jeter let him know he was alright and everything. The relationship that those two have is remarkable. Joe Torre will always be a Yankee...

More like Torre and Jeter will always be friends.

[TheKilo]

Thanks CB, I thought it was in Feeding the Monster.

[rician blast]

I can't let this go. Just can't, it pains me so.

Embree and Timlin were setting up Williamson come playoff time, And that fkn bullpen was lights out...unreal...IIRC their post-season stats up to that game were astounding.
So here you sit, up 5-2, with that bullpen ready to go. Pedro had been hit fairly hard in the 6th and 7th. He was toast, and Little ingnores his bullpen.

After the 7th, Nomar went to Petey and hugged him...he appeared to be all done. The body language exhibited by Pedro and his teammates said so. Then he takes the mound for the eighth and I'm screaming at the TV. I call a couple friends, they're reacting the same way. The network shows the Sox FO group and THEY TOO were shaking their heads and couldn't believe what they were seeing.

The manager makes that call...not the pitcher. No way he should listen to his pitcher in that case when he can see with his own eyes that it's time to go to the 'pen. And this "go with your ace" bullshit is a cop out. You go with the winning formula you've developed. That formula was Embree and Timlin, then Williamson. Not Pedro for the 8th and having him throw 110+ pitches.

I've never heard that Little had been instructed to limit Pedro to 100 pitches. Little didn't need to be told, though, because everything that unfolded that evening (and that season for that matter) told him to go to the 'pen. Why he did not is anyone's guess. Is he that stupid? Did his pitching coach convince him to stick with Pedro, even as things fell apart in the 8th? Was it blind loyalty to his player? Was he tired of being fucked with by the FO and said I'll show them by winning without adhering to their demands? Who knows.

Still, hands down, the worst managerial move I've seen by a Sox manager and the most dissapointing and gut-wrenching game result I've ever experienced in all my years. Fuck Grady Little and his apologists.

[26 to 6]

If Pedro got out of the 8th untouched and the Sox won it in 9 are you guys still complaining that Little left him out there too long? Are you still putting forth this argument about how he shouldn't have been out there due to pitch-counts, ownership wishes, and winning formulas? I'm serious, not trying to be a dick..my point is that like in every other baseball decision gone wrong it's easy to second guess. You might call it a cop-out, but if your ace and arguably the most dominant pitcher in the recent history of baseball wants the ball then I give it to him. In the postseason and big spots you need to not rely so heavily on numbers, because it's not just another game. Winning in those spots takes guts and intestinal fortitude. Randy Johnson wanted the ball in 2001. He threw a complete game in game 2 and took the ball to finish out game 7 after throwing the night before. That's just one of many examples I can throw at you. But when you have a pitcher of that caliber and he wants you to entrust the biggest game of the year to him, you do it.. Plain and simple. I dont care if he threw 200 pitches. Another point is that everyone wants to blame Grady for that loss, but even still, there were plenty of chances for you guys to re-take the lead after Pedro left. The offense just couldn't touch Mo in the 9th, 10th, and 11th. And by the logic you guys are throwing out there for the Pedro decision, Mo shouldn't have even been in there for 3 innings, but he WANTED the ball, and got it done. If Mo blows it there's probably tons of people second-guessing that move, just as you guys are with Pedro. But he didn't; sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don't.

[rician blast]

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

If Pedro got out of the 8th untouched and the Sox won it in 9 are you guys still complaining that Little left him out there too long? Are you still putting forth this argument about how he shouldn't have been out there due to pitch-counts, ownership wishes, and winning formulas? I'm serious, not trying to be a dick..my point is that like in every other baseball decision gone wrong it's easy to second guess. You might call it a cop-out, but if your ace and arguably the most dominant pitcher in the recent history of baseball wants the ball then I give it to him. In the postseason and big spots you need to not rely so heavily on numbers, because it's not just another game. Winning in those spots takes guts and intestinal fortitude. Randy Johnson wanted the ball in 2001. He threw a complete game in game 2 and took the ball to finish out game 7 after throwing the night before. That's just one of many examples I can throw at you. But when you have a pitcher of that caliber and he wants you to entrust the biggest game of the year to him, you do it.. Plain and simple. I dont care if he threw 200 pitches. Another point is that everyone wants to blame Grady for that loss, but even still, there were plenty of chances for you guys to re-take the lead after Pedro left. The offense just couldn't touch Mo in the 9th, 10th, and 11th. And by the logic you guys are throwing out there for the Pedro decision, Mo shouldn't have even been in there for 3 innings, but he WANTED the ball, and got it done. If Mo blows it there's probably tons of people second-guessing that move, just as you guys are with Pedro. But he didn't; sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don't.

This is not second guessing...I've clearly stated that AT THE TIME HE WENT OUT FOR THE 8th, many of us KNEW it was the wrong decision. I know I was going crazy, my friends were, hell even the Sox FO even was. Why? Because we saw him all season and we saw him starting to get hit hard in the 6th and/or 7th.

So yes, if everything turned out ok I'd be saying Little dodged a huge bullet and they won despite his fuck up.

The Mo comparison is ridiculous. Mo for 3 innings IS THE BEST the Yankees could have put on the mound. Pedro at 100+ pitches in the 8th WAS NOT THE BEST the Sox could have put on the mound.