I'll start this off by saying I went to bed after the 8th last night. Early morning and it looking over.

Glad I did't miss anything.

It's not over until the fat lady (or Valverde) sings.

Bunyon, me too. I'm appalled.

Well, zop, I did catch a nice pass of Io and its shadow by the great red spot. That was probably nicer than watching a HOFer break his ankle.

a DET-SFG series will have an Annibel v Maddy matchup? Girls' softball!

After the Nats game on friday, I gave my self a one day baseball time out. looks like i missed a crazy game.

Go, Giants.

Surfing the web and watching MLB network I sense an inevitability about the Tigers in this series the I think is misguided. Certainly they should be favorites but they've got issues. The offense is still top heavy and no one in Detroit can feel good with any ninth inning lead. The other thing the MLBN guys were talking about was the daunting task the Yankees have facing Verlander. While that is true its not like the Yankees are sending some schlub to the mound, Sabathia is close to Verlanders equal and has shown an ability to be very effective on shorty rest in the past.

I'd take the Tigers without much hesitation but I don't think we should be at all surprised if the Yanks win this thing.

My heart is just not in this playoffs anymore. I've got nothing to watch or be interested in. Bud Selig has failed me. He should create a round robin tournament where all teams get to play and if you get eliminated you get a second chance to win it all. Get to it, Selig.

Jose, Hughes is facing Verlander, not Sabathia.

The Tigers are winning the World Series. The baseball Gods were even willing to take out Jeter to clear the path. There is no stopping them.

Jose, Hughes is facing Verlander, not Sabathia.

They're going with Sabathia in game four. That surprises me. I didn't even think to check it, I just assumed that if Kuroda was comin back on short rest so was CC.

I stand by the general point though. I don't think the Yanks are as doomed as they seem.

Jose, Hughes is facing Verlander, not Sabathia.

Anything can happen in any given game, but that Game 3 matchup makes today pretty much a must-win for the Yankees.

Leyland wouldn't say Valverde is done. He's coming back in, and as long as that's the case, the Yankees are going to win the series. Also, the Tigers still can't hit for crap. Girardi using Hughes against Verlander and Sabathia separately is a great move. Sabathia will eat the Tigers alive--his games are guaranteed wins.

Yankees need a repeat of the 2000 ALCS Game 2. Their lineup is impotent this postseason.

Leyland wouldn't say Valverde is done.

He didn't exactly say "he's my closer, and I'm sinking or swimming with him" either. I think there's a decent chance Benoit becomes the closer and Valverde joins Dotel and Coke as 6th-8th inning guys. Not that Benoit is any great shakes either, but at least he's not Valverde.

Leyland wouldn't say Valverde is done. He's coming back in, and as long as that's the case, the Yankees are going to win the series. Also, the Tigers still can't hit for crap. Girardi using Hughes against Verlander and Sabathia separately is a great move. Sabathia will eat the Tigers alive--his games are guaranteed wins.

A+ sandbagging.

You want to hear the funniest thing about today's game? As of right now, the Yanks are listed at -142 with a pitcher who's never started on short rest in his entire life. It's amazing what effect a simple uniform can have on the betting public.

Yankees need a repeat of the 2000 ALCS Game 2. Their lineup is impotent this postseason.

Well, I've checked the latest news reports about 10 times now in eager anticipation, but unfortunately I still haven't seen any notices about the Tigers signing Arthur Rhodes.

Text from my friend:

"People have always loved Derek Jeter's ankles. But what happens when Derek Jeter's ankles say 'No more'?"

I'd take the Tigers without much hesitation but I don't think we should be at all surprised if the Yanks win this thing.

I would be pretty stunned if the Yankees won the series. That's not reverse jinx or my loathing of the team talking, it seems like the Yankees are (a) playing really badly (b) having some injury issues (c) hurt by the scheduling. The third point is somewhat their own fault (if you win Game 4 of the ALDS, no one starts on short rest and CC starts yesterday) and point (a) is, at least in theory, fixable, but I haven't seen any indication they're going to turn it around.

Granted that they could beat Verlander, today seems pretty must win for the Yankees. If they lose, they're looking at Verlander going, at home, to put them down 3-0, which is basically game over.

CHECKLIST:
Conradian Play []
Web Gem [ ]
1-2-3-4-5-6 inning [ ]
Strike Out of Side [ ]
2+ pitching changes in single half-inning [ ]
Dramatic late-inning homer [ ]
Stolen base [ ]
Blown call [ ]
Blown call costs game [ ]
Caught stealing []
Idiot runs on the field [ ]
Regular-season starter warms up in bullpen [ ]
Game goes into extras [ ]
Shapeshifting strikezone [ ]
Replay review [ ]
Inning-Ending DP [ ]
Play at the plate [ ]
Baserunning blunder [ ]
Bunt [ ]
THIS TRAIN! [X]
Verlander in dugout [ ]
Sabathia in dugout [ ]
Trout mentioned (fish or ballplayer) [ ]
Miguel Cabrera does something awesome [ ]
Ichiro does something awesome [ ]
A-Rod strikes out (assuming he even plays) [ ]
A-Rod PH for OR pinch-hits [ ]
Raul Ibanez is a effing clutch god [ ]
Image of Girardi looking at binder [ ]
Shutdown inning [ ]
TBS has typo [ ]
Game goes past midnight [ ]
Girardi's playing career mentioned [ ]
Anibal Sanchez's no-hitter talked about [ ]
Yankee Stadium has large swaths of empty seats [ ] (If it's beyond the Legends Seats [ ])
Prince Fielder goes deep [ ]
Announcers talk about Derek Jeter like he died or something [ ]
Valverde meltdown [ ]
Balk [ ]
Reggie Jackson is in the crowd [ ]
WILD BRIAN WILSON APPEARS [ ]
Cardinals crazy comeback retrospective [ ]
FREESE! [ ]
Pitcher gets a hit [ ]
Buster Posey does something awesome [ ]
Barry Bonds mentioned [ ]
FOX personality pointed out in crowd [ ]
NFL reference (beyond reference to NFL on FOX commercials) [ ]
Reference to McCarver's singing album [ ]
Mark McGwire mentioned by name [ ]
Willie Mays is in the crowd [ ]
Triples alley [ ]
Ball goes into McCovey cove [ ]
Pujols mentioned [ ]
"Catching Molina Brother" [ ]
FOX introduces us to a commercial that becomes a meme [ ]
God Bless America is shown on TV [ ]
Joe Buck and Tim McCarver spend extended amount of time talking about Jeter [ ]
"Torture" mentioned [ ]
Cardinals are behind at any point [ ]

I'm sure this was mentioned somewhere else, but I hadn't seen it mentioned until today. All four managers in the post season were catchers in their playing day (note: for me bb-ref isn't working properly when typing in the name Bruce Bochy, but he was a catcher also :) )

Sportsnet in Canada is using TBS's feed instead of Sutcliffe. I could kiss the person responsible for this.

Edit: No, they just used TBS for the seven minutes of pregame show. That's a sucker punch.

It appears Craig Sager has gone with Winter Camoflauge pinstripe today.

Well, I doubt Anibal Sanchez is effective against the Yankees.

Well, I doubt Anibal Sanchez is effective against the Yankees.

If Anibal Sanchez is not effective today, he should be released.

I am so far beyond sick of this "I hate my team" ######## from Yankee fans. They won 95 ####### games and then won their first postseason series in highly dramatic fashion. If you can't root for a 95-win team in Game two of the ALCS, just quit baseball.

EDIT: This originally quoted Larry M, but that was wrong and unfair because his post was just pessimism and reverse-jinxing. Still, there's been a ton of I hate my team-ism around these parts.

Smoltz mentioned "shutdown innings" in the Kuroda profile just before first pitch.

What about the guy who can't root for an 87-win team? I think fans of both teams are pretty down right now, and for good reason, relatively speaking. Granted, I suppose it is marginally more defensible to be down on the 87-win team.

Smoltz loves his shutdown innings. It's a song he sings every broadcast. It's certainly gotten stale.

What about the guy who can't root for an 87-win team?

You mean the 87-win team with Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder and Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer? And a guy with the name Al Albuquerque? Yeah, if you can't root for them, you've got a problem.

Smoltz mentioned "shutdown innings" in the Kuroda profile just before first pitch.

I more have it as in an actual shutdown inning, not necessarily mentioning it.

If you can't root for a 95-win team in Game two of the ALCS, just quit baseball.

Larry plays the 'low expectations' game as effectively as anyone on Primer. As his comments suggest, he is supremely confident, in fact, of winning this game.

EDIT: Your edit trumps my post!

I'm sure this was mentioned somewhere else, but I hadn't seen it mentioned until today. All four managers in the post season were catchers in their playing day (note: for me bb-ref isn't working properly when typing in the name Bruce Bochy, but he was a catcher also :) )

Since 98% of managers were once catchers, this is no surprise. OK, not literally true, but in addition to those 4, Bob Melvin and Fredi Gonzalez were also catchers. And among the close also rans, Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon.

If you can't root for a 95-win team in Game two of the ALCS, just quit baseball.

I take issue with this. I root for them, I want them to win, passionately. But I don't like this team. They have a nummber of flaws, and they have been playing, pretty much since Labor Day, like they want to make sure everyone in baseball has a chance to see them over-and-over-and-over again. That's not fun to watch.

It seems like a lot of people object to this, but I don't really see why. Liking a team and hoping they win are not one in the same.

Since 98% of managers were once catchers, this is no surprise. OK, not literally true, but in addition to those 4, Bob Melvin and Fredi Gonzalez were also catchers. And among the close also rans, Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon.

The funny thing is how new this is. Back in the 70s, managers were all former middle infielders.

####### pathetic, Cano.

At least pretend you want to be here ...

Well Detroit won 88 so that changes everything.

Sanchez no-hitter mention

Since 98% of managers were once catchers, this is no surprise. OK, not literally true, but in addition to those 4, Bob Melvin and Fredi Gonzalez were also catchers. And among the close also rans, Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon.

The funny thing is how new this is. Back in the 70s, managers were all former middle infielders.

And you never seem to have any pitchers managing...


Sanchez No-No [X]

As his comments suggest, he is supremely confident, in fact, of winning this game.

...

No, I'm pretty sure the Yankees are done. I'm pretty crushed by Friday night, and last night was a smackdown on top of it. I'm surprised I'm watching, I'll just be hurt more if they do more of that "can't get a fly ball" ####.

I am so far beyond sick of this "I hate my team" ######## from Yankee fans.

I don't hate the Yankees. They just frustrate the hell out of me. They seem to become more "all-or-nothing" every season. I watch baseball to be entertained, and they don't excite me as much as they used to. I was much more entertained by the Nats this year, because they didn't carry the same expectation.

Sanchez is doing well hitting the blue box. Not so good getting the calls, though.

But I don't like this team. They have a nummber of flaws,

Flaws! They have flaws. Oh come on. They have a team ERA+ of 109 and a team OPS+ of 112. They were fourth in the league in RA/G and second in RS/G. You have no idea what an actually flawed team looks like.

Walk the clutch god. Wise. The most feared man in the Yankees lineup is Raul Ibanez. Who knew.

For some reason, I am totally incapable of separating Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco in my mind.

And you never seem to have any pitchers managing...

I'm pretty certain Bud Black is the only one.

Way to pick it, Anibal!

That neat fielding play was totally ruined by that basketball announcer.

Cano is now 0-for-his-last-23. That is the longest hitless streak in NYY postseason history.

From Alex B. over at Bronx Banter.

Yeah, that about sums things up.