Uhhm, I have taken my fair share of abuse around here-- and justifiably so-- for some of my recent predictions in the World of Sport, but tonight I would like to direct attention to a post I made on the 7th of October:

Quoting myself here, I wrote: "Florida wins the NL Pennent...The Yankees win the AL Pennent..."

I like to give credit where credit is due...Yes, I called both of the League Championship Series...

YoungBrig

YB, congrats on a good call. I mighta picked the Yanks, but there's no way I'd have picked the Fish at the start of the playoffs. In my post yesterday, I tried to nail down the mode of inevitable defeat for the Red Sox, but there's no way I'd have called an Aaron Boone homer in the 11th. (LOL) What a game! And it must suck to be a Bosox fan.

Mariano Rivera is the most unique pitcher in the history of baseball. You watch him pitch, and you wonder how he does it. He makes major-league hitters look helpless despite the fact that he basically throws ONE pitch ALL of the time. They know what's coming, and still can't hit it. The Hall of Fame is biased against closers (I think Rollie Fingers is the only one in there now) but Rivera is a no-brainer first-time selection.

Porker, interesting point about possible Hall of Famers in last night's game. I've always enjoyed debates about Hall of Fame credentials. Here's my take:

Shoo-ins: Clemens, Pedro, Nomar, Jeter, Rivera

Ramirez: Needs at least one more big year to become a lock. He kinda reminds me of Jim Rice, who still can't get voted in.

Giambi: Needs a couple more big years.

Bernie Williams: Interesting case. One of those always-good-but-not-quite-great players. I say he needs one more big MVP-type year to have a chance.

Soriano: If he even comes close to fulfilling his career potential, he's a lock.

Posada: Definitely needs to put together a string of good years. Good, solid player, but he wasn't a full-time starter until a few years ago.

Mussina: Another interesting one. I'd say he's as good a pitcher as Don Sutton or Phil Niekro, both of whom are enshrined. What he DOESN'T have at this point is the 300 wins or the longevity that they had. You can probably put Wells and Pettitte (who didn't play in last night's game) in the same category, but Mussina has by far the best shot of the three.

And, don't forget Joe Torre, who had close-to-borderline Hall credentials as a player, before he even got into managing.

I liked the black cat that walk if front
of the Cubs dug-out at Shea Stadium
back in 1969. Too funny

For baseball trivia buffs: here's some more trivia regarding the issue of Hall of Famers on the field during a postseason series. Since the 1950's (as Porker noted, the number of HoF's in those Yankee/Dodger clashes probably numbered well into the double digits), what postseason matchup had the most Hall of Famers on the rosters of the two teams?

I have neither the time nor the inclination to do a thorough check on this one, but I'll wager it was the otherwise boring '83 World Series matchup between the Orioles and the over-the-hill Phillies. That series sticks in my mind, since I live within an hour's drive of both Philly and Baltimore. Here are the actual or likely Hall of Famers who took part in that one: Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose (he'll get in eventually), Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray (in this year) and Cal Ripken (a lock for 2007). All eight of those guys played in Game 3 of that series, with Palmer being the winning pitcher, and Carlton the loser. Of course, except for Ripken, Murray and perhaps Schmidt, they were all well past their prime.

I think last night's Yankees/Bosox game will surpass that, though, and you couldn't beat the drama.

I am estatic!
I have been a die hard Yankee fan for the last thirty seven years through good times and bad.
Including watching in person the infamous game seven, streak ending loss of Mariano vs the Diamondbacks.

Last night was a mentally tough game to watch.
Easy as a Yankee fan to have given up down 4-0 to one of the best ptichers in baseball. Easy to give up being five outs away from defeat.

But no, I sucked it up and stayed mentally in the game rooting hard for the Yankees and believing the Yankees would pull off another dramatic win.

I was yelling and screaming the whole game especailly at Soriano who struck out 4 times on the same way outside pitch!

I was yelling so loud when the Yankees tied the game and when they won that I am sure you heard me all the way down in TJ. My neigbors certainly did.

Bernie Williams is more than a good player.
Here is an excerpt from the awesome table book

One Hundred Years
NEW YORK YANKEES
The official restrospective, page 66

"If a player is accomplished in three,four,five areas, it is harder to recognize the breadth of his total accomplishment. Williams spreads his accomplishment all over the statistical map.
He hits doubles and Home runs,he draws walks,he hits for average,he runs well,he plays a key defensive position,and he bats from both sides of the plate. If you really think about it, the following IS NOT an outrageous statement: Williams does more things well than anyone else playing Major League Baseball today. He tends to be overlooked in discussions of the best players because his talent isn't isolated in one area - its everywhere.
....Yet a player who is CONSISTENTLY good year after year tends to fade in to the scenery, just like the stationary object in our camouflage example. That is Bernie Williams - so steady and unwavering he goes unnoticed.
In Yankess history through the 2002 season, Williams ranked ninth in hits, seventh in home runs,fifth in doubles,seventh in runs scored,10th in RBIS,seventh in batting average(in 1000 or more games),seventh in on base percentage,and seventh in slugging percentage. Yet few think to list him as one of the greatest Yankees.
He plays the same position that Dimaggio and Mantle played and yes they are both better players but Williams will probably finish with more hits than both of them.
Here is another perspective. Earl Combs, a fine Yankees outfielder in the 1920 and 1930s, clearly was not as good as Williams is, yet Combs is in the HALL of FAME. Perhaps Williams will get there,too."

GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, what time does the game start tonight?






Oh, no game tonight, bummer, man. I am already feeling withdrawal symptoms.

Erip's a Yankee fan again! Ha ha. Of course this is the same guy who trashed the Yanks starting rotation before the season started ...

I'm pretty sure Milky still likes the Met's and Bitchster still likes the Angels, errr, Twins, errr, my bad, he's been a Marlins fan since he was a kid!

Hell, I bet Ben even likes the Cowboys again.

-Superman-

Milky will always lubba the Mets
This series I am routing for the Marlins. Good Ole Jack deserves a lot of credit here.

Can't just buy a series nowadays can you ?

Farsider, I agree that many of the guys I listed have a long way to go, but unless their names are Samuel or Baerga or 'The Village Idiot' or they get some messed up hip injury like Joey Belle they should all continue with numbers that should eventually land them in the HOF. Bill James used to write lots of stuff on what gets people into the HOF and numerous appearances in the World Series counted for LOT. Some of that would have to hold for guys like Posada and Williams to get HOF consideration.

Maximus, Bernie Williams is a fine player and has been so for many years, but that's A-1 PROPAGANDA that was written in your 'awesome' book. He has never been among the top 20 players in baseball and that's why people 'underrate' him. For all those years that he was putting up good stats, Ken Griffey was making him look like a little leaguer.

Farsider, nice call on the Phils-O's series, but what so impressed me about last night was that all of the players I mentioned actually made it onto the field in the same game. 4 certain 200 game winners in Clemens, Pedro, Mussina and Wells, possibly the best closer EVER, 2 of the 10 greatest SS's to ever play the game, the 2 premier sluggers/MVP candidates in the league in Giambi and Manny R., plus several other regulars on the perennial WS juggernaut Yankees. Amazing!

hola Porker,

trivia question qoute from my awesome book
page 66

When was the last time that Ken Griffey Jr out hit Williams?






answer 1994, when Griffey hit 323 and Williams .289

I have always loved the Reds along with the Yanks but Griffey who I like hardly makes Williams look like a little leaguer.


"He has never been among the top 20 players in baseball and that's why people 'underrate' him."

Also if not in the top twenty ever, how do you account for the fans voting him as one of the starting 9 American league All-Stars?

9 American 9 National make him in the top 18 that year.

That was a very difficult post to read and understand, Maximus, but if you're gonna judge players on batting average only and all-star voting, then I'll certainly give Bernie Williams all the credit in the world. Just as much as the immortal Red Sox 3B's Bill Mueller and Shea Hillenbrand who are the defending AL batting champion and last year's starter at 3B in the pinche all-star game.

Re: Griffey vs. Bernie W., I guess 25 HR's a year extra don't make up for a few extra hits in the BA department? Get serious.

Porker, yeah, that was an impressive collection of talent on the field that night, and the great majority of them are at or near their peak right now. That's unlike the '83 Series, which featured a whole bunch of has-beens.

Maximus, a while back, hidden deep in the archives of this thread, just for fun, I did a position-by-position comparison of the '98 Yankees and the '86 Mets. In it, I said that Bernie Williams was way OVERrated. I'll now retract that statement somewhat. I just think he's the kind of player you need to watch regularly to appreciate. At the same time, I see him as more of a very good complementary player, rather than a guy you build your lineup around. And guys like that are usually out of luck when it comes to Hall of Fame voting.

In many ways, Bernie reminds me of one of the most UNDERrated Yankees of all time, Roy White. (switch-hitting outfielder, quiet contributor, did everything pretty well). Although I'll allow that Williams is certainly a better player than White, you never hear White mentioned as a potential Hall of Famer.

The player mentioned in that retrospective you cited, Earle Combs, is an interesting case. It's hard to compare players who are so far apart in time, but Combs was a lifetime .325 hitter who spent much of his career hitting in front of Ruth and Gehrig, which surely skewed his statistics somewhat. Bill James has Combs ranked as the 34th best center fielder of all time. He has Williams ranked 37th, based on his contributions through 2000. Anyway, and the reason I mentioned this in the first place, I remember seeing a short list of Hall of Famers who didn't deserve to be in there, and Combs was on that list. If I can find the source, I'll cite it.

Batting average is THE most overrated statistic in baseball (with saves being a close second).

Superman...always a Yankee fan since 1961 (I was 9) when my dad started taking me to the Bronx to watch Maris & Mantle chase Ruth. The next year the lovable losers started up in the Polo Grounds and I got in to them to...eventually became more of a Met fan than a Yankee fan during the height of Steinbrenner's daily outrages in the 70's and 80's. Still more of a Met fan to this day...but ALWAYS also a Yankee fan.

If I ever trashed the Yankee rotation before the season (which I don't recall), it would have been no more than an objective evaluation. You can be concerned with the talent (i.e. AGE) of the teams you pull for...Yanks are sort of resembling the Oakland Raiders to me - still plenty of talent but how long can they keep it going? I do believe it is a miracle that the Yanks get so much mileage out of these oldtimers on their starting staff...especially since the middle relief sucked most of the year (Contreras helps now)...lots of pressure on those old boys to get the ball into Mariano's hands.

Ahhh, what the heck...I am officially predicting that the Marlins will win the World Series, in 7 games...

My reasoning?...Chicago, I feel, was the class of the remaining 4 teams-- if Florida can defeat them, they can defeat the Yankees...The Yankees, frankly, were the worst of the remaining 4 teams-- their lineup 1-9 really is not all that strong anymore (Karim Garcia? Nick Johnson? Hideki Matsui? Aaron Boone? Jason Giambi-- nothing more than a .250 hitter this year)...

As for pitching, can the Yankees really trust anyone beyond David Wells and Mariano Rivera?...Which Clemens is going to show-up from start to start?...Rivera, btw, is overdue for a bad outing...You can print this: he will blow a save before this series is over...

The Yankees were done; the Red Sox had them dead to rights and the Yankees wriggled off of the hook...That's okay, because they will now lose to this year's Team of Destiny...

YoungBrig

My prediction, just as Game 1 gets underway...

Marlins win tonight, as YB's prediction comes true and Rivera blows a save... but the Yanks come back to take the series in 6.

Fish win! Fish win!

This means the series can go 5 games now.

YB,

I guess you might want to consider some retractions.

Did you see Andy Pettitte completely shut down the Marlin offense and nearly get a complete game until Boone fucked it up with a second error?

Sorry, Rivera already had his one blown save. It was Game #7 of the Diamondbacks series.
He is not about to fuck up again.

Hideki Matsui not strong? Are you kidding?
HE was 3 for 4 in game #1
He hit the game winning homer last night.

Johnson may not appear strong but he was 3 for 4 last night.
Garcia was 2 for 2 in game 1 but not a favorite of mine or Yankee fan friends of mine.

But that's right I forgot batting average (hits)
are overated. Right farsider?
I understand the saves comment but what the hell logic do you base batting average being overrated?

BTW thanks for your research and opinion
Roy White was certainly a very good player and one of my favorites also.

Porker,
Although I joke around a lot, I am totally serious when I say Bernie does belong in the Hall of Fame.

Let me make my post more clear.

Ken Griffey is/(was) a great player but does not make Williams look like a little leaguer at all.
Williams is always leading his team to the Playoffs and Championships. Little leaguers don't do this.
Bernie Williams is once again batting clean up and playing CF for a World Championship team.
He is three for six after two games.
A little leaguer? LOL!

Maximus... here's the deal about batting average. It's always been viewed as the most accurate measure of a player's offensive contributions, down through the years. It shouldn't be, because it ignores 1) the value of extra base hits and homers, and 2) walks. If you want to measure how good a guy is offensively, slugging percentage (which gives extra weight to extra base hits) and on-base percentage (which brings walks into the picture) are better. Statistics are deceptive... numbers don't lie, but batting average doesn't really measure a player's offensive efficiency all that well.

Well, since I've gone this far into the analysis, let's post the numbers and see how they compare. I'm adding Barry Bonds to the mix here, because he illustrates my point. Since 1993, here are the batting averages, slugging averages and on-base percentages for Williams, Griffey and Bonds:

WILLIAMS
BA SA OBP
1993 .268 .400 .333
1994 .289 .453 .384
1995 .307 .487 .392
1996 .305 .535 .391
1997 .328 .544 .408
1998 .339 .575 .422
1999 .342 .536 .435
2000 .307 .566 .391
2001 .307 .522 .395
2002 .333 .493 .415
2003 .263 .411 .367

GRIFFEY
BA SA OBP
1993 .309 .617 .408
1994 .323 .674 .402
1995 .258 .481 .379
1996 .303 .628 .392
1997 .304 .646 .382
1998 .284 .611 .365
1999 .285 .576 .384
2000 .271 .556 .387
2001 .286 .533 .365
2002 .264 .428 .358
2003 .247 .566 .370

BONDS
BA SA OBP
1993 .336 .677 .458
1994 .312 .647 .426
1995 .294 .577 .431
1996 .308 .615 .461
1997 .291 .585 .446
1998 .303 .609 .438
1999 .262 .617 .389
2000 .306 .688 .440
2001 .328 .863 .515
2002 .370 .799 .582
2003 .341 .749 .529

Looking at these numbers for the first time myself, I'll admit I might have been selling Williams a tad short. He consistently measures up with Griffey not only in BA but in on-base percentage as well. Plus, if you discount his off-year in 2003, he's amazingly consistent. Junior blows Bernie out of the water in slugging percentage, as you might expect, and remember that Griffey's last three seasons have been injury-plagued.

Take a look at Bonds' last three seasons. His batting averages, while great, aren't off-the-charts extraordinary. But the numbers in the other two columns are, and they do a much better job of illustrating just HOW MUCH better of an offensive player he has been than anyone else.

BTW, you're right about Matsui, he's an excellent player. He may never put up the home run totals he did in Japan, but he does a lot of things well.

Maximus, if you hit twice as many home runs as the other guy, you make him look like a little leaguer. Little league is the land of kids hitting .600 but nobody ever hits the ball over the fence. Bernie has more power than THAT, but come on, the late 90's was the era of Griffey, Sosa, McGwire, et al. putting up HUGE power numbers. Compared to all of that Bernie W. is just a nice little player that got overhyped by the East Coast NY-based media.

Bernie's got a shot at the Hall of Fame because of all his post-season success. Otherwise he'd need 3,000 hits to even be considered -- something he MIGHT get someday anyway, but he's gotta go back to playing 155+ games a year again, which isn't likely. Meanwhile, if Griffey doesn't turn into Darryl Strawberry and just fail to continue his career, he is a LOCK to hit 600 HR's, something only four people in the history of the game have ever done (though Sammy will do it soon)

Farsider explained the problem with batting avg. very well, but another example as to the value of batting average can be summed up in comparing the relative worth of Tony Gwynn and Barry Bonds. Both were excellent defensive outfielders and baserunners in their primes. Bonds hit homers, Gwynn hit singles (a lot of them). Gee, I wonder which were more valuable? Or this year... Bill Mueller was the AL batting champion -- according to Maximus the best hitter in the league. Jason Giambi hit .250. Who would you rather have?

Farsider,

Excellent research and explanation.

Porker,
Good explanation about little leaguers in general but I still disagree about Ken vs Bernie being a little leaguer.
Of course I agree on the late 90's being about those guys knocking balls out of the park.
but also remember they are using supplements that the Yankee greats Ruth,Dimaggio, Gehrig, Mantle never had.
Also the equipment bats and balls are juiced up now as well.
I would gladly take Giambi,
batting in the 7th spot though,
since it pisses him off enough to do better.

Hola Porker,

I called Bernie last night and told him you called him a little leaguer becuse he could not hit it out of the park.

He hit that one last night for you.

You think having the MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD for postseason HOME RUNS AND RBIS will get him some extra Hall of Fame votes.

If not still not bad for a little leaguer.

I am also glad "weak" Matsui is on my team as for the THIRD STRAIGHT GAME he has come up big.

Yes, Porker I know you did not call Matsui weak.
Just giving you a friendly hard time YoungBrig as you very humorously did with Gannon headlines etc.

Maximus, let me know when he approaches 500 big ones, OK?

Maximus:

Matsui has been playing rather well this postseason, I will grant you that...He's had a very consistent bat...

Series tied 2-2; Edge goes to the Yankees and Wells-Pettite-Mussina in these final three games, but that's nothing new to the Marlins...

We shall see...

YoungBrig

Is baseball season over yet? I hope that all of you are enjoying and maybe even understanding the THG designer steroid scandal. I'm not sure what is more amusing -- the fact that all the players are being exposed as steroidally altered, or the fact that people are still stupid enough to watch them. I suppose there's some amusement in watching these over-pumped behemoths perform, then burn up, sort of like watching gladiators in ancient Rome.

Being fat and 40+ must make it tough to be a professional athlete. I bet Sr. Steinbrenner was REAL DAMNED HAPPY with the stellar effort turned in by Contreras after that. What a joke that guy turned out to be.

Torre benching Soriano and Giambi would be called suicidal if the manager hadn't won multiple recent world series. Fucking stupid is what I call it. Giambi's limping... SO FUCKING WHAT. Are they worried he'll pull a Buckner in the field? HE'S JASON FUCKING GIAMBI, YOU DON'T BENCH HIM IN GAME 5 OF THE WORLD SERIES, MORON! Ditto for Soriano. I don't give a shit how many times he's struck out, he's a star, play him, especially when the alternative is the immortal Enrique PINCHE Wilson!

Maybe Torre will be managing in Boston next year?

The Fish win! The Fish win!

What are the odds that the Yankees will win Game 6? Gee, has anyone won a Game 6 to clitch a series in the last 10 years? When was the last 6 game World Series?

Anyway, tonight's edition of the Yankees was the weakest I have seen since the pre-Torre years.

All the Cubs haters should get a kick out of this website.

http://www.knup.net/CubsSuckcessories.asp

It is currently taking forever to load though, probably due to heavy traffic load.

Dogster,

I find it hard to believe that Barry Bonds is on steroids.

Soriano is more lost at the plate right now than my mom would be if she were beamed over to Callejon Coahuila. He needed to be out of there...certainly not leading off. Look for him to bat 8th or 9th when they return to the Bronx...they couldn't have a guy swinging at pitches 6 feet outside, in the dirt, and 6 feet high batting in front of the pitcher in Florida. I think it was a courageous move by Torre. Baseball isn't all magic and Soriano's supply is used up for now. Torre was right to make a decision based on his performance. As for Giambi, he apparently registered no complaint that his physical condition was too poor to start. The Bombers lost for one reason only...Wells's aborted start and the lack of a rested and prepared long reliever...not to mention a slightly too distant power alley for Bernie Williams.

According to reports, it was more Giambi's idea than Torre's that he sat out Game 5. He made the call right before game time. I have a feeling if the Yankees lose this series, you'll see criticism from Steinbrenner directed at Giambi. Luckily for the Yanks, he can DH in Game 6.

Soriano? If he doesn't learn to lay off that low outside breaking pitch, he might turn into the next Juan Samuel.

Torre did not blow it by benching Alf and Giambi. Yanks lost because fat wells hurt himself.

Torre definitely blew it by putting Jeff Weaver into game 4. I think every Yankee fan in the free world knew he would give up a homer ... it was just a matter of when.

Soriano has had some absolutely horrible at bats in the playoffs. Hopefully they will leave Jeter at leadoff and put Alf somewhere in the 8 or 9 spot.

Giambi has been playing hurt for a long time now. I don't see much difference in a hurt Giambi and Nick Johnson to be honest. Nick's a much better first baseman too.

Pettite will win Saturday night with his back against the wall, just like he always does, and Mussina/Clemens/Rivera will win the series for the Yanks on Sunday.

-Superman-

(Message edited by Superman on October 24, 2003)

Luuuurrrp! Bitchster once again posts in the thread he despises, as predicted. "look at me mommy!! look look!!" LOL.

Since it's attention that he seeks, I will oblige ...

So Bitchster hates baseball players because they are steroid monsters, yet loves basketball, where nobody uses steroids at all! Ha!

I don't know what I find more amazing when I watch ESPN classic ... how skinny the players were as recently as the 1980's or how tight their shorts were (bitchster loooovvvveeeess the tight shorts, BTW).

Magic was skinny, Kareem was rail thin, the great and legendary Doctor J was super thin ... who wasn't? Not Bird, McHale, Parish, MJ (who bulked up A TON from the 80's to the 90's), Dream, Clyde, or Ewing. Moses was known for his strength, yet had not even an ounce of definition to his body. The few guys who had nice muscle definition looked huge compared to the vast majority of the players. Today the super skinny thin guys like Allen Iverson are the exception.

It's all a conspiricy! I'm sure it's just those better "training methods" and the "better diet techniques." Riiiiiggggttt.

Seriously now, has someone hijacked bitchster's logon? Each post is dumber than the one prior, and he wasn't exactly on a high intellectual plane to begin with. I'm officially worried about bitchster!

-Superman-

Damnit ... conspiracy. Now dumster be rubbin' off'n me. Duh-heee.

-Superman-

6 more outs in Joe Torre's Yankee career.

Wow probably the best postseason I have watched since 1986 !!!

This will be great for baseball and fans everywhere.
Now that is managing !!! Big Jack deserves manager of the year and maybe the decade for what he has done to this team that was once about 10 games below .500 this year and then come back and win it all !!!

Who will win next year ?
Milktuff

FUCK!! Yankees lose again. Congrats to the Marlins.

Well, at least the Yanks ended the Red Sox season. That's almost as good. LOL.

Since my Saturday night is ruined, I'm heading to TJ to take it out on some whores. If ya see a PO'd Yanks fan, it's probably me.

-Superman-

Marlins played great and deserved to win. Great job by McKeon for getting his guys to buy into the concept of good old-fashioned winning baseball.

That said, I had a hard time warming up to this Marlins team for a couple of reasons. First of all, their fan base is largely composed of bandwagon jumpers who will abandon ship if they are slow out of the gate next year. Secondly, those fans haven't suffered nearly enough to deserve two world championships in eleven years. And no, I'm not a Cubs or Red Sox fan.

That was the second-best postseason of all time (after 1986). It was on pace to become the best, but the Series was kind of anticlimactic.

The Series sucked as the Yankees left tons of runners on base. THe Yankees are the better team
I do like skipper JAck but none of the other Marlins are likeable and yes the fans are pure
bandwagon LA Laker type fans.
Should not have been a contest.
I unfortunately was at a wedding and missed the game putting my faith in Petite.
I am so pissed off and depressed and Superman will not be the only pissed off Yankee fan in the zona tonight.
It is 11:30 pm and I will be there at 2:30
ready to take out my loss on some AB hotties.

BTW any other Stadium than Florida and the Series is a whole other story.

Some facts about this Marlins team, over their 11-year history:

1) They have won two world championships
2) They have had two winning seasons
3) They have never won their division
4) They have never lost a postseason series

I'm not knocking them by any means, but how bizarre is that?

The Yankees lose. The.... Yankees lose. (To quote that lame Yankees radio announcer).

Looks like ANOTHER wrong prediction by what's his name. Translation of all of "superman"'s posts up till now: "Waaaaahhhh!"

Quoting YoungBrig from a post dated Saturday, Oct. 18: "I am officially predicting that the Marlins will win the World Series..."

Say what you will, but once the chips were down and push proverbially came to shove, I was butter...3-0 from the League Championships on...

As the only Monger-- err, Hombre-- with the guts-- err, foolhardiness-- to call-out the Yanquis, allow me to pontificate just a bit:

Even a cursory analysis of the Yankees 2-9 revealed some glaring weaknesses going into the Series...I don't know how you guys missed it:

2:Posada, marginal behind the plate;
3:Nick Johnson at 1st? Please;
4: Alfonso Soriano at 2nd? He was striking-out from the on-deck circle during the Red Sox series;
6: Jeter at Short? Off the scale;
5: Boone at 3rd? The guy sucks, period;
7: Matsui in Left? Okay;
8: Williams in Center? Off the scale;
9: Garcia in Right? Come on;

The DH, btw, was .250-hitting Jason Giambi, who-- according to the New York tabloids-- spent the bulk of his ingame down-time in the clubhouse looking at porno mags...

That's two Off the scale and an Okay...Even tossing in Mr. Porn in the clubhouse, you do not have the stuff of a World Champion...Boone's HR was an aberration; the Yankees had no business winning that Red Sox Series...

Frankly, the Yanquis were done the minute that Martinez fed "old Metalbrain" Zimmer a mouthful of Boston sod on that glorious Saturday afternoon in Fenway...

YoungBrig

Jeez, YB, while it's true every dog has his day, the analysis here is overkill. Don't see you doing a post mortem on the Minn/NYY series or the Oklahoma/Miami disaster or the 'bet the nest egg' UW over USC prediction, now do we? You got lucky. So what? EXPLORER AND I ARE NOT IMPRESSED!!!

Porker:

The UW, evidently, has the sort of "depth" problems that currently are not encumbering that 3-letter school in LA...Anyone could've missed that...

Indeed...

Ummm, Moving on:

Minn/NYY? Okla-Tex? Mia-Fla St.?...Well, you win some, you lose some...To quote an old Mormon proverb: "Some revelations are of God; Some revelations are of Man; and some revelations are of the Devil"...

YoungBrig

Rumor: Texas Rangers lighting up the Yankee GM phone lines...trade proposed centered on Soriano for A-Rod (yeah, Texas wants to dump the contract if they're not going to compete). I guess his good amigo Jeter moves to 2nd or 3rd base. Me Gusta!! But who is going to pitch?

Meanwhile, I'd like to see the Mets enlist Tejada (although they have a good prospect at SS).

Where'd you hear that rumor, Erip? A-Rod in pinstripes would be rad. Yanks courted him last time, but the rumor is Jeter balked at giving up his position.

Miguel Tejada is a free agent too, but the Yanks last MVP acquisition from Oakland has been a relative bust. Jeter is really not a GREAT defensive shortstop anyway ...

-Superman-

Fuck A-rod.

I was against the Giambi trade as Martinez was a clutch winner

Even though I have a better eye than Soriano these days I say keep him.

A-rod is another overpaid athlete that I will not support.

Bad enough the Yanks have a 7 million dollar 3rd baseman who makes three errors in the WS and leaves three runners at third base in one game they should of won and which would of swng momentum to the Yankees.

If it were not that he beat Boston,
Boone would be the first player I would boot.

A-Rod is great, no matter how much money he makes. What do you care anyway? It's not your money. How can you be pissed at guys just cuz they make what they can get?

If it's Soriano straight up for A-Rod, then it's a no brainer. I would imagine Texas would want more than just Alf though.

Giambi is a definite upgrade from Tino. LOL. But Nick Johnson is the Yanks first baseman anyway.

Who would you have played at third, Maximus? Enrique Wilson, who seemingly made an error per inning? Boone beat the Red Sox. He deserves a little respect at least.

-Superman-

(Message edited by Superman on October 28, 2003)

No WILSON, find someone else
Wilson definitely fucked up the game worse than BOONE
with that dumb ass throw in the run down. Did he never play little league and learn the basic run down procedure?

I give Boone respect for beating the hated Choke Sox.
However Boone sucked in the World Series and when you command big pay you better produce especially when you have not one but three chances to personally win a big game with a measley base hit.
Of high paid athletes more is expected.

WHY do I care about the money?

Because the cost is passed on to the fan and it did come out of my pocket when I went to four Yankee games this year.

For years I used to be a front row right field line Dodger season ticket holder, hoping the Dodgers win and bring the Yankees to LA in the WS.

Now with out of control salaries, I have been pirced out of those seats long ago.

Same with my former 6th row blue line Kings seats.

THat is why I get angry at these ridiculous salaries

Gaimbi does not even play defense anymore.
That sticks us with Nick.
NY press has themselves been qouted as saying Giambi is no longer the feared palyer he was in Oakland.

Jeter is a enthusiatic Clutch Player and I like him alot.

I forgot to mention that the extortionist player salaries not only effect the ticket prices but also the food and drinks.

I will not pay $5 for a fucking hot pretzel, etc.
$8 for a beer, etc

I am glad I don't have any kids in the sense that I would not be able to bring my kids out to the park as much as my Dad did with me and my friends to Yankee Stadium.

Just way out of line.