Gotta Face The Facts
I blew off work yesterday with one thing in mind, seeing the Yankees whipping the Sux on ESPN. I knew it would be a tough game since Tim Wakefield was pitching. The Yanks have some trouble hitting him. Plus Moose can be a slow starter.
The game went exactly as I had thought; the Yankees scratching out a couple of runs against Wakefield and Moose keeping the game winnable. He didn't look sharp at all, but he still kept getting out of jams. It was a pretty good game.
The beanball that Timlin threw made me stand up and yell at the screen. I thought we were going to have a brawl really early in the season after that. Jeter handled it like a pro though. He knew it wasn't intentional and didn't get crazy. That's why he's the Captain. (I'd bet it would be a different story if it had been intentional.)
Then the Yankees get a run to go ahead and I started to wonder if Joe Torre would bring in Rivera or not. I guess I shouldn't have had to think too much about it. Joe is notoriously loyal plus he would have wanted Mo to get some confidence back after blowing the save the previous game. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men.....
Mo came in and immediately I knew we were in trouble. Everything he threw was up and he was staying outside. Almost like he was too much aware of how the sux had been sitting on his inside splitter. He walked the first batter and the rest is history.
The bobble by ARod may make the news as a major issue, but in that situation, I can see where the nerves would get to him. They shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. Granted, he blew the chance to get his pictcher and his team out of the mess, but still.
It's time to face the simple fact that the sux have seen Rivera so much over the past 3-4 seasons that he is not a mystery to them. He can't intimidate them. Joe needs to have someone ready in the bullpen when Mo pitches against them and also be ready to bring someone else in if/when he gets into trouble. He should consider giving someone else the ball too. That doesn't seem to be an option in his mind right now.
Mo is one of the greatest relievers in the history of the game, but even the best can have a weakness. Get some games and some saves under his belt and then let him take on the sux again. They won't get to him every time, but with that team, it's time to face the facts, Rivera may not be the answer.
The game went exactly as I had thought; the Yankees scratching out a couple of runs against Wakefield and Moose keeping the game winnable. He didn't look sharp at all, but he still kept getting out of jams. It was a pretty good game.
The beanball that Timlin threw made me stand up and yell at the screen. I thought we were going to have a brawl really early in the season after that. Jeter handled it like a pro though. He knew it wasn't intentional and didn't get crazy. That's why he's the Captain. (I'd bet it would be a different story if it had been intentional.)
Then the Yankees get a run to go ahead and I started to wonder if Joe Torre would bring in Rivera or not. I guess I shouldn't have had to think too much about it. Joe is notoriously loyal plus he would have wanted Mo to get some confidence back after blowing the save the previous game. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men.....
Mo came in and immediately I knew we were in trouble. Everything he threw was up and he was staying outside. Almost like he was too much aware of how the sux had been sitting on his inside splitter. He walked the first batter and the rest is history.
The bobble by ARod may make the news as a major issue, but in that situation, I can see where the nerves would get to him. They shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. Granted, he blew the chance to get his pictcher and his team out of the mess, but still.
It's time to face the simple fact that the sux have seen Rivera so much over the past 3-4 seasons that he is not a mystery to them. He can't intimidate them. Joe needs to have someone ready in the bullpen when Mo pitches against them and also be ready to bring someone else in if/when he gets into trouble. He should consider giving someone else the ball too. That doesn't seem to be an option in his mind right now.
Mo is one of the greatest relievers in the history of the game, but even the best can have a weakness. Get some games and some saves under his belt and then let him take on the sux again. They won't get to him every time, but with that team, it's time to face the facts, Rivera may not be the answer.
posted by Anonymous at 8:27 AM
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