Martin nearly swung his own arms off on the 2-0.

Dotel could help himself by throwing strikes to Martin.

flip.

Doesn't Octavio Dotel throw a breaking pitch? Like, to righties?

This game needs to go on for at least another inning, so Ibanez can have a chance to hit a walkoff homer.

I went back and watched the Ibanez homer again. Prince Fielder didn't even react, he knew what had happened.

CHECKLIST:
Conradian Play []
Web Gem [X ]
1-2-3-4-5-6 inning [ ]
Strike Out of Side [ X]
Dramatic late-inning homer [X ]
Stolen base [X ]
Caught stealing []
Shapeshifting strikezone [ ]
Replay review [ ]
Inning-Ending DP [ ]
Play at the plate [ ]
Baserunning blunder [ ]
Bunt [ X]
THIS TRAIN! [X]
Bunt [X]
Verlander in dugout [ X]
Sabathia in dugout [ ]
Trout mentioned (fish or ballplayer) [ ]
Miguel Cabrera does something awesome [ ] (Very nice scoring-from-first paly, though)
Ichiro does something awesome [X ]
A-Rod strikes out (assuming he even plays) [ X]
Raul Ibanez is a effing clutch god [X ]
Image of Girardi looking at binder [ ]
Shutdown inning [X ]
Game goes past midnight [ ]
Girardi's playing career [X ]
Prince Fielder goes deep [ ]
Is Cabrera going to be MVP? [ ]
Yogi sighting []
Mention of Jeter getting/closing in on his 200th postseason hit [X]
Ty Cobb mentioned [ ]
Babe Ruth mentioned [ ]
Mariano Rivera mentioned [ ]
Idiot runs on the field [ ]
It gets cold enough that we can see the players' breath [ ]
Balk [ ]
Runner picked off []
Reggie Jackson pointed out in the crowd [ ]

Also, let's dispense with the Ibanez-is-clutch routine. Where was the special gene during his time in Philly?

Raul Ibanez's "clutch routine" is very, very specific. It allows him to hit game-tying home runs in playoff games against closers (and game-winning home runs in extra-inning games that he himself tied in the 9th inning). How many of those situations did he really fail at in Philly (or anywhere else)?

[exhales]

[then starts holding breath again]

Price just isn't letting up: 'I saw enough hangers in the ninth inning.'

game goes past midnight.

Thanks, Jose

Ernie Johnson trying to pretend there's noise there. There isn't.

If Jeter gets a game winning hit here, I might vomit.

Valverde will look great in pinstripes.

Rick Sutcliffe hearts Derek Jeter.

Is TBS deliberately not showing images of the empty seats?

EDIT: It kind of reminds me of pre-2012 Nats games when the jumbotron would show extreme close-ups of the home team's fans, lest a half-dozen Mets/Braves/Phillies caps spoil the shot.

Great, just give him third

Laird seems to be doing a poor job of framing pitches. They look further out of the strike zone on first watch than they really are.

Thank god.

Not Captain Clutch.

Jeter is no Ibanez.

@JeffPassan: Yankees tried to disguise the swaths of empty seats by moving fans from upper levels. Story: http://yhoo.it/P1yj7P

While I understand, and even agree with, much of the hate being expressed regarding various teams and their BS ways of success ...

This postseason just won't stop with the ridiculously awesome games. You know a game is good when half the audience is screaming for joy/disbelief, and the other half are either throwing things or mute with disappointment/anger. And that has been happening routinely. Like at least once per day.

Is TBS deliberately not showing images of the empty seats?

I think so.

####### Bodie.

A single wins the game and he spends the at bat trying to hit the ball 800 feet.

####### infuriating.

Is TBS deliberately not showing images of the empty seats?

It appears so. I think they even used a blimp shot a while ago that was real tight, cutting out nearly any seating.

Passan SMASH!

Brilliant job by Girardi to use his worst relievers in the 7th and 8th and save his aces for the 9th-11th.

This postseason just won't stop with the ridiculously awesome games. You know a game is good when half the audience is screaming for joy/disbelief, and the other half are either throwing things or mute with disappointment/anger. And that has been happening routinely. Like at least once per day.

Pretty much. This one is climbing the list fairly quickly - it was already pretty solid before Ibanez, and it hasn't exactly dropped since then.

I'll bet there will be about 100,000 people who will claim to have been to this game by tomorrow morning.

Alabama Hammer Time!

I really don't get why so many people on here care so ####### much about whether people at the Stadium are in their seats...

Nailed.

So are we all, players included, just killing time until Ibanez's next at-bat?

I know Benoit was hit pretty hard, Ron, but don't put the blame on the "bullpen." Only one reliever gave up two two-run home runs.

Avila HR time.

I really don't get why so many people on here care so ####### much about whether people at the Stadium are in their seats...

People got on the Braves and the city of Atlanta for their empty seats in the playoffs. This is a longstanding thing. It's especially peculiar because NY is such a great baseball city.

I really don't get why so many people on here care so ####### much about whether people at the Stadium are in their seats...

It looks awful and more importantly it sounds awful, especially in comparison the the previous Yankee Stadium.

I really don't get why so many people on here care so ####### much about whether people at the Stadium are in their seats...

Because Yankee fans get great teams year after year and don't seem to give a crap enough to actually go to games? I mean, seriously, this isn't even like Atlanta where there were going out in the NLDS every year...

Also, it goes to pointing out the terrible choice the Yankees made in constructing their stadium to have the special luxury 1% bowl.

Because Yankee fans get great teams year after year and don't seem to give a crap enough to actually go to games?

Just look at this thread. The Yankees are in the LCS, and all some Yank fans want to talk about is how much they HATE this team.

Some fan is too close to the microphone.

Has Robertson thrown his curve yet?

HAMMERED!

Who was it who was fired for pointing out how empty Yankee Stadium was becoming during the franchise's time in the wilderness? It's on the tip of my keyboard....

In case no one has posted this already, check out this Verlander GIF from the Ibanez home run.

Alabama Hammered.

[edit] Damn, but Robertson's easily one of my favorite Yankees of the last few years. I just love watching him pitch.

The announcers talked about all the fans who've left, and TBS later showed an unusual slow right-to-left pan of several sections of mostly vacant seats. They just ended the Tigers' 11th with a low shot of the dugout that showed the empty loge. Not seeing the coverup.

The thing I hate about Robertson is how wrong I was about him. I never thought he'd be close to this good. His fastball was better than I thought, and then he improved the #### out of it.

Who was it who was fired for pointing out how empty Yankee Stadium was becoming during the franchise's time in the wilderness? It's on the tip of my keyboard....

Red Barber, circa 1966.

Who was it who was fired for pointing out how empty Yankee Stadium was becoming during the franchise's time in the wilderness?

George Costanza?

Yankee fans leave early when the team is down. So dk Mets fans, jets fsns+, giants fans and rutgers fans....something about people here.....they have a crippling terror of traffic jams

@JeffPassan: Yankees tried to disguise the swaths of empty seats by moving fans from upper levels. Story: http://yhoo.it/P1yj7P

Potemkin Stadium.

Who was it who was fired for pointing out how empty Yankee Stadium was becoming during the franchise's time in the wilderness? It's on the tip of my keyboard....

Red Barber, circa 1966.

That's it! /Lucy Van Pelt

If it can't be Ibanez, let it be Ichiro.

Yankee fans leave early when the team is down.

Old Yankee Stadium never looked or sounded like this in the playoffs.

But yes...whoever thought up field level luxury boxes should rot in hell.

Ichiro!

I will say, before he inevitably blows it, that Smyly was a good call. Good pitcher, tons of lefties coming up.

Perhaps I'm going to hell for this, but I actually want to see the Yankees walk off with a win at this point, just for the sake of poetic justice.

[287]

Whats the record for most bases loaded jams gotten out of without allowing a run in a playoff game ?

I think it's 4 (out of 4), in Game 3 of the 1957 World Series:


Saturday, October 5, 1957, County Stadium

Yankees 12 - Braves 3

W: Don Larsen (1-0)
L: Bob Buhl (0-1)

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN195710050.shtml

Inn Score Out RoB Pit(cnt) R/O @Bat Batter Pitcher wWPA wWE Play Description

Bottom of the 1st, Braves Batting, Behind 0-3, Yankees' Bob Turley facing 1-2-3
b1 0-3 0 --- MLN R. Schoendienst B. Turley -4% 72% Single to RF
b1 0-3 0 1-- MLN J. Logan B. Turley -6% 66% Walk; Schoendienst to 2B
b1 0-3 0 12- O MLN E. Mathews B. Turley 5% 72% Popfly: 3B
b1 0-3 1 12- O MLN H. Aaron B. Turley 4% 76% Popfly: SS
b1 0-3 2 12- MLN W. Covington B. Turley -3% 73% Walk; Schoendienst to 3B; Logan to 2B
b1 0-3 2 123 O MLN J. Adcock B. Turley 7% 80% Strikeout Looking

Bottom of the 2nd, Braves Batting, Behind 0-3, Yankees' Bob Turley facing 7-8-9
b2 0-3 0 --- MLN B. Hazle B. Turley -4% 73% Walk
b2 0-3 0 1-- MLN D. Rice B. Turley -6% 67% Single to CF (Ground Ball); Hazle to 2B
b2 0-3 0 12- O MLN J. Pizarro B. Turley 6% 73% Flyball: LF
b2 0-3 1 12- MLN R. Schoendienst B. Turley -2% 70% Wild Pitch; Hazle to 3B
b2 0-3 1 1-3 R MLN R. Schoendienst B. Turley -7% 63% Single to RF; Hazle Scores; Rice to 2B
b2 1-3 1 12- O MLN J. Logan B. Turley 5% 68% Strikeout Looking
b2 1-3 2 12- MLN E. Mathews B. Turley -4% 65% Walk; Rice to 3B; Schoendienst to 2B
Don Larsen replaces Bob Turley pitching and batting 9th
b2 1-3 2 123 O MLN H. Aaron D. Larsen 8% 73% Flyball: RF
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Yankees 3, Braves 1.

Bottom of the 6th, Braves Batting, Behind 3-7, Yankees' Don Larsen facing 8-9-1
b6 3-7 0 --- O MLN D. Rice D. Larsen 2% 94% Groundout: 3B-1B
Frank Torre pinch hits for Ernie Johnson (P) batting 9th
b6 3-7 1 --- O MLN F. Torre D. Larsen 1% 95% Groundout: 2B-1B
b6 3-7 2 --- MLN R. Schoendienst D. Larsen -1% 94% Single to RF
b6 3-7 2 1-- MLN J. Logan D. Larsen -2% 92% Single to LF; Schoendienst to 2B
b6 3-7 2 12- MLN E. Mathews D. Larsen -3% 89% Walk; Schoendienst to 3B; Logan to 2B
b6 3-7 2 123 O MLN H. Aaron D. Larsen 6% 95% Groundout: 3B-1B
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Yankees 7, Braves 3.

Bottom of the 9th, Braves Batting, Behind 3-12, Yankees' Don Larsen facing 3-4-5
b9 3-12 0 --- MLN E. Mathews D. Larsen -0% 100% Walk
b9 3-12 0 1-- MLN H. Aaron D. Larsen -0% 100% Single (CF-RF); Mathews to 2B
b9 3-12 0 12- O MLN W. Covington D. Larsen 0% 100% Flyball: LF
Andy Pafko pinch hits for Don McMahon (P) batting 6th
b9 3-12 1 12- MLN A. Pafko D. Larsen 0% 100% Hit By Pitch; Mathews to 3B; Aaron to 2B
b9 3-12 1 123 O MLN B. Hazle D. Larsen 0% 100% Popfly: SS
b9 3-12 2 123 O MLN D. Crandall D. Larsen 0% 100% Strikeout Looking
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Yankees 12, Braves 3.

"They just ended the Tigers' 11th with a low shot of the dugout that showed the empty loge. Not seeing the coverup."

not taking the anti-Yankee fan stance here, but a chilly midnight doesn't necessarily resound against home fans. If there was a point to be made, and a camera shot, it would be bottom 9 at 4-2 with Ibanez coming up. And then reasonable people can differ on the results...

No it didnt the new stadium sucks and nobody hates it more than me. But im sure you can find somehalf empty yabkee stadium late innings from yesteryear as well. Still....pretty lame.

Drew Smyly ? Isn't that a Sesame Street character?

Again the terrible framing job, this time by Avila. That was a strike, he made it look like it came in at the ankles.

I'm hoping for another crazy Ichiro base-running moment.
Say, 1st-to-3rd on a sac bunt, then scoring on the overthrow at 3rd?

The thing I hate about Robertson is how wrong I was about him. I never thought he'd be close to this good. His fastball was better than I thought, and then he improved the #### out of it.

The thing that I love about the Robertson is that he's a true outlier. It's not the velocity of his fastball that makes it effective, it's his release point. He gets such extension on his delivery and his stride that it makes it as if the ball is coming in 3-4 mph faster than it actually is (according to the radar gun).

When he's on, he's ought to be outlawed, but it's this unique blend of stuff and mirrors.

Perhaps I'm going to hell for this, but I actually want to see the Yankees walk off with a win at this point, just for the sake of poetic justice.

I want to see that just for the sake of seeing whether or not Ichiro tries to run away from his teammates as he sometimes does.

Drew Smyly ? Isn't that a Sesame Street character?

A Muppet who is impersonating a Film Noir character?

DAMN he had that easily stolen.

Because Yankee fans get great teams year after year and don't seem to give a crap enough to actually go to games?

They did lead the league in attendance. Again.

Guy Smiley is the Sesame Street guy. Also a Mitt Romney look-alike.

The thing that I love about the Robertson is that he's a true outlier. It's not the velocity of his fastball that makes it effective, it's his release point. He gets such extension on his delivery and his stride that it makes it as if the ball is coming in 3-4 mph faster than it actually is (according to the radar gun).

Yup. That's the "better than I thought" part - it was better in a way that was practically imperceptible.

But a couple years ago, he also didn't really know where the fastball was going. Now he can locate it better than most major league pitchers.

Shockmaster up fourth this inning.

They did lead the league in attendance. Again.

Yes, but when fans don't show up to postseason games, it reinforces the notion that they take reaching the playoffs for granted.

[672] http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly7zhbYUBU1qeawdho1_500.jpg

Yes, but when fans don't show up to postseason games, it reinforces the notion that they take reaching the playoffs for granted.

Are there significant empty seats elsewhere than the masters of the universe field boxes? Because those seats are redonkulous expensive.

After listening to Smoltz a while longer, I am now tempted to agree that there's an anti-Yankee sentiment embedded in his comments. Not that I mind, of course...

Smyly's move looks like a balk every time. He does this little shoulder bobble that seems wrong to me.

Did they not show up...i thoguht people just left early.

I say he won't homer. The streak ends.

I'm going to bed. If the Tigers lose, it's the fault of their manager's decision in the 9th, which I've already seen. If the Tigers win, I'll have a nice surprise in the morning, and can use a GameDay audio archive to catch up.

AHHHHH, IT'S HIM!

Walk off triple.

Drill him.

Did they not show up...i thoguht people just left early.

See the comments from the first page. The low box was empty from the start. (Apparently empty. I was out at dinner for the first several innings, didn't see the crowd clearly on the tv over my shoulder.)

Are there significant empty seats elsewhere than the masters of the universe field boxes? Because those seats are redonkulous expensive.

I mean, I don't think it's very fair to judge Yankees fans that harshly, especially since it was only yesterday that they actually learned the team would be playing in the ALCS, the seats are so expensive, and the stadium has such a large capacity, but that's still how it looks if you come in with the "Yankees fans are spoiled idiots" mindset.

Another clear strike missed on the first pitch to Ibanez.

Oh, this has gone after midnight. [X]

Passan's article says there were about 3800 empty seats (announced vs capacity).

Another clear strike missed on the first pitch to Ibanez.

Avila stabbed at it and carried it down and in. The Tigers catchers keep doing that.

Are there significant empty seats elsewhere than the masters of the universe field boxes? Because those seats are redonkulous expensive.

Yeah, but they're sold.

They're *all* sold.

It's just that the ########## that can afford to buy them would rather hang out at the buffet, or the bar, or somewhere, anywhere, else (talking to other ##########), rather than sitting in their seats and being an actual fan.

I *hate* NYS and everything it stands for.

Choker.

Did he hit a homerun yet?

I'm going to bed. If the Tigers lose, it's the fault of their manager's decision in the 9th, which I've already seen. If the Tigers win, I'll have a nice surprise in the morning, and can use a GameDay audio archive to catch up.

Leave the light on in the bathroom, as I'm about to do the same. Screw you, Leyland.

I *hate* NYS NYY and everything it stands for.

Passan's article says there were about 3800 empty seats (announced vs capacity).

It's a good thing for Jeff that Randy Levine doesn't have a seat on Yahoo's board of directors.

I *hate* [li]NYS[li] NYY and everything it stands for.

That's some shitty code ...

Passan's article says there were about 3800 empty seats (announced vs capacity).

There were many, many more empty seats beyond the unsold seats available.

To add insult to injury, Valverde is probably polishing off the post-game spread.