April 4th DRays @ Yankees- the Prodigal Son Returns

[jacksonianmarch]

.........VS.........
3-12 5.33ERA.............14-13 4.20ERA

Andy Pettitte will make his Bronx return on Wednesday against the Devil Rays, suiting up in pinstripes and taking the mound at Yankee Stadium for the first time since he departed following the 2003 World Series.
The 34-year-old left-hander may be a little grayer and riding with a few more miles on his left arm, but he is projected to be a vital contributor of the Yankees' 2007 starting rotation.

Be prepared for at least one loud, long ovation as the home crowd welcomes back No. 46 in style.

"I think the fans are going to let him know how much they missed him and we miss him," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "When they look at Andy Pettitte, they associate him with the championships that we've had here in recent years."

Pettitte's return to pinstripes means he can resume his chases of the all-time legends in the franchise ledgers. He ranks fifth on the Yankees' all-time strikeouts list with 1,275, and ninth on the all-time wins list with 149 victories.

The Devil Rays will counter with right-hander Jae Seo, a former Met who went 1-8 with a 5.00 ERA last season.

Pitching matchup
TB: RHP Jae Seo (1-8, 5.00 ERA in 2006)
Seo will be making the 93rd start of his professional career, his 17th in the American League with the Rays. Seo allowed five first-inning runs in his final Spring Training outing against the Reds on Friday.

NYY: LHP Andy Pettitte (14-13, 4.20 ERA in 2006)
Pettitte will be making his first regular-season start for New York since Sept. 26, 2003, against the Orioles. The left-hander made three Grapefruit League starts for the Yankees in a spring that included a lengthy bout with back spasms. He last pitched in a Minor League game against the Blue Jays' Double-A lineup.

Player to watch
Ty Wigginton likes to double his fun against Pettitte. The first baseman has seen more of Pettitte than any other Rays player -- 18 at-bats -- and the left-hander has had the advantage so far. Still, all three of Wigginton's hits against Pettitte were doubles.

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

[jacksonianmarch]

love it!

[yankees228]

Game was just postponed. Heard it on WFAN. No makeup date announced but everyone will be pushed back and Pettitte will pitch tomorrow.

[Gom]

Good. I have tickets to this game, and had no intention of going due to the weather.

[yankees228]

The Johnny Damon injury appears to be more serious than it initially appeared. He was not supposed to be in the lineup today and from the sound bite I heard, he is not optimistic about playing anytime soon.

[Gom]

Then Melky plays. No big drop off. I wouldn't play him today either if I was the manager. Give him all the time he needs to heal. It's the first week of the season, and it's only Tampa Bay.

[yankees228]

Yeah, I understand that, but from what I've heard the DL may be a possibility. The other problem is that it takes away the Yankees leadoff hitter. Although they have two other capable leadoff hitters in Jeter and Abreu, I don't think Torre wants to move Jeter out of the two spot or Abreu out of the three. Cano was going to bat leadoff today. Mistake if you ask me. Obviously, in this lineup it doesn't really matter where everyone bats, but Damon was the sparkplug last year. If they lose him for an extended period of time, it will be a loss. I guess Kevin Thompson would be called up if Damon sees time on the DL.

[jacksonianmarch]

I hadnt heard that. I read the article on him where he said the same issue came up a few times last yr. I'd assume he'd be in the lineup tomorrow, but I agree with Gom. If he isnt absolutely 100%, why even bother? Melky is a serviceable CFer and has the potential to be Damon-esque in his career. ANd we'd just move Jetes to leadoff, Cano to the 2 hole and have Melkman bat in the 8 hole. Its great to have depth.

[TheKilo]

Strongly disagree on the "no huge dropoff from Damon to Melky" comment.

[yankees228]

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

I hadnt heard that. I read the article on him where he said the same issue came up a few times last yr. I'd assume he'd be in the lineup tomorrow, but I agree with Gom. If he isnt absolutely 100%, why even bother? Melky is a serviceable CFer and has the potential to be Damon-esque in his career. ANd we'd just move Jetes to leadoff, Cano to the 2 hole and have Melkman bat in the 8 hole. Its great to have depth.

I think the thing about it happening before and not being a big deal is old news. Apparently he woke up today and could barely walk. And, in my opinion, Melky is a significant drop off from Damon, in terms of the way he can spark the offense.

[jacksonianmarch]

let me rephrase that. Melky is better than your typical 4th OFer. He will give you OBP and make very good contact like Damon will. Damon is a much better player at this juncture and losing him at the top of the lineup would be bad for a long period of time. But if it is for a short amount of time, the difference will be minimal.

[jacksonianmarch]

you were right.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/ba...on_update.html

[Optimist]

Well it didn't take long for the first rain out.

[VA Sox Fan]

Originally Posted by Optimist

Well it didn't take long for the first rain out.

Is jacko's fault for whining about the NYY schedule.....