ALDS Game 3: Yankees finish off comatose Twins

As the Yankees faded down the stretch this season, many fans scrambling for any semblance of hope pointed back to 2000.

That was the year New York lost 18 of 21 games to close out September, their 87 wins still enough to win the division thanks to a little late period Curse of the Bambino action.

Those Yankees seemed bored by it all, a bunch of Roger Dorn's thinking more about their retirement portfolios than continuing a dynasty. They'd won back-to-back titles and three out of four overall — you couldn't blame them for losing focus. What else did they have to prove?

It turned out they weren't done yet. They outlasted the A's in a five game ALDS, then worked past the Indians and Mets for their third straight World Series victory. It was awesome.

A residual effect of that season was that it gave Yankee fans a template to work off in the future. No matter how bad a team looks in September, the switch can always be flipped.

How else to explain the events of this week? The Yankees looked tired and old during a 9-17 September with a playoff date set against the rolling Minnesota Twins. Yet four days later, New York is back in the ALCS and Twins fans are still staring at their television screens like people who hit the play button in The Ring.

How did this happen? How did a series the Yankees seemed destined to lose become a total walk in the park? My first inclination is to say point to Ron Gardenhire, who buried his uniform after losing one game. Nothing says panic like your 52-year-old manager burying his clothes in the middle of a field somewhere in Minnesota.

Another reason is the Yankees' pitching staff, which entered the postseason as the biggest question mark surrounding the team. And while CC Sabathia needed serious help from Mark Teixeira to claim a Game 1 win, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes were outstanding. Mariano Rivera, meanwhile, proved that the G.O.A.T. needn't ever be doubted until he says so.

A huge factor was the return of a sense of urgency completely absent as the Yankees stumbled from division leader to wild card entry. The seventh inning in Game 1 was the turning point of the season, the Twins going from 3-0 up to 4-3 down and suddenly filled with nagging doubt that they'll never beat the Yankees.

Make no mistake, the Twins beat the Twins as much as the Yankees beat the Twins. Minnesota barely showed up in the Bronx last night. They were mentally shot. There were depth issues here, too. Brian Duensing pitching at Yankee Stadium with your season on the line?

Please. See you next year.

Stray thoughts:

• I organized a search party and canvassed every bar in the tri-state area last night looking for Joba Chamberlain. No luck.

• I know the Yankees are going to have some time off after wrapping up their series so quickly, but no need to bring in Mariano Rivera last night. The G.O.A.T. had two high-stress saves in the first two games of the series. Remember Joe, the road to 28 will need a driver whose 40.

• The Stadium was rocking last night. Here's the equation: Playoff opener + Saturday night + Perfect weather + copious amounts of beer = Good times.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

ALDS Game 2: Cash sees some return on investments

The Yankees have been waiting a long time for Lance Berkman to do something. Actually, they've been waiting for him do to anything.

Before yesterday, his most notable achievement in pinstripes was hitting Alex Rodriguez in the shin with a line drive in batting practice. That happened in early August, and in all the time that followed, one of the greatest sluggers in Houston Astros history managed a single home run in New York.

The Big Puma was suddenly an endangered species. That's not a clever pun. I literally worried a bleacher creature was going to straight-up try to murder him, The Fan style.

But that's the beautiful thing about postseason baseball — you can wipe away months of bad faith with one good series. Or in Berkman's case, one good game.

Berkman had the two biggest hits in the Yankees' Game 2 win over the Twins on Thursday, a long opposite-field homer in the fifth inning, and a booming RBI double in the seventh.

It had to be sweet vindication for Brian Cashman, who brought Berkman aboard to fortify the Yankee lineup and instead got Triple-A production out of a lavishly-paid veteran.

Berkman wasn't the only player who made Cashman look smart on Thursday.

Curtis Granderson continued his resurgence with three more hits, while Kerry Wood officially put Joba Chamberlain's face on the side of a milk carton with a a dominant eighth inning.

It's been a tough year for Cash, who watched the acquisitions of Nick Johnson and Javier Vazquez blow up in his face as A.J. Burnett's contract quickly morphed into one of the worst in baseball.

He's no doubt feeling good this morning, as is Andy Pettitte. He won the 19th postseason game of his career, and few were more impressive given the circumstances.

The Yankees didn't know what they were getting from Pettitte coming into this series, the groin injury that wrecked his second half had turned the left-hander into a serious question mark, albeit one on a successful journey to comfort.

Pettitte was dominant for seven innings and 88 pitches, and probably could have went the distance if Joe Girardi wasn't correctly protecting the veteran's health.

I received a couple of texts from friends after the game saying this was the game that makes Pettitte a Hall of Famer. I tend to disagree, because a) it's the ALDS and b) I thought he already was. I will say that if the Yanks go deep into the playoffs, he may finally get his proper national due as one of the great postseason performers in the game's history.

But of all the positives Cashman took out of Thursday, perhaps most fulfilling was the sight of Carl Pavano, the man who had swindled the Yankees out of $40 million, walking off the mound a loser for the second straight ALDS. I would've paid anything to be able read Cash's lips as the American Idle trudged off.

"Nice mustache, d*ck."

Stray thoughts:

• John Sterling is on a roll. His Berkman home run call last night was bananas. "SIR LANCELOT RIDES TO THE RESCUE! C'EST LUI! C'EST LUI!" This was the most outrageous radio I've ever heard, just ahead of Dan the Farter (no relation) setting the world flatulence record on Howard Stern.

• Epic fail is in order for Ron Gardenhire, the Twins manager who told the media before Game 2 that he buried his uniform after the Game 1 loss. Since that didn't work, I say he knocks off a convenience store next. If that fails, assassinate Fidel Castro. Let's see how far we can take this.

• Give Minnesota Twins fans this: They care. My God, do they care. Some serious depression shots by TBS in the late innings. Look at the bright side guys, at least your football team's quarterback isn't a gray-haired old fool who walks with a limp. Oh wait.

• Funny A-Rod quote on Berkman over at the LoHud Blog: "You know these games are important. I actually saw him in the weight room a couple of days ago. I almost had a heart attack."

• I can't tell you how much more I enjoy TBS' incessant Conan promos over last year's incessant Frank TV ads. I still can't believe Frank TV ever existed. Dude got his own sketch show because he could do a bad John Madden impression.

• Mariano Rivera is the greatest of all-time. In shorthand, you can call him the G.O.A.T. Just a friendly reminder.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

ALDS Game 1: You're on the Mark ... Teixeira

I've been pretty hard on Mark Teixeira this year.

This can happen when a star slugger of your favorite team also happens to be the No. 1 pick in your big-money fantasy baseball league. It's kind of like doubling down in black jack — payoff is double the pleasure, but losing hurts twice as bad as winning feels good.

And there were times this season when Teixeira hurt me. Badly. You can make the argument he had the worst season of his life. Nearly all his numbers took a steep drop from 2009, including a batting average that plummeted 30 points below his career mark.

Yes, he hit 33 homers and drove in his customary 100 runs, but let's face it, the Great Hambino kid from The Sandlot could probably cross the century mark hitting around this talent.

Teixeira was obviously pressing at various points in the season, meaning his struggles appeared more mental than anything else. But amidst a September tailspin he, like other Yankees, endured, news came of injuries to Teixeira's hand and foot.

The timing seemed curious. Now he says he's hurt?

I was incredulous to say the least. But on my way back from JFK last night, the sultry and alluring voice of Suzyn Waldman reported that Tex's pain was substantial enough to warrant a cortisone shot.

For those unaware, a cortisone shot is basically a needle so big it looks like a prop from a Carrot Top set being jammed into the part of your body where you're feeling the most pain.

Obviously, this isn't a pleasant experience, and it was proof that Teixeira's injury talk wasn't PR spin.

I wrote yesterday that the Yankees needed to get something out of their first baseman to win this ALDS. Then he went out and did the heavy lifting, ripping a double that kick started New York's four-run rally off Francisco Liriano in the sixth, then hitting a towering two-run shot to bail CC Sabathia out in the seventh.

It was a majestic shot by Teixeira, a ball I initially believed he got too far out in front of to keep fair. In the funniest moment of the night, Joe Girardi, with a TBS camera right in his grill, implored Teixeira's ball to say on the right side of the foul pole. "Stay fair ball! Stay fair ball! Stay fair ball!"

(Random aside: Is it just me, or is Girardi getting more braces every week? I think I saw some 90s-style rubber band in there last night.)

All in all, it was a great win for the Yanks. Robinson Cano (MVP), Jorge Posada (can't catch, can still hit), and Curtis Granderson (terror to LHP), all stepped up in the sixth, setting the stage for Teixeira's coming-out party.

Boone "No, I wasn't slaughtered in the Alamo" Logan, David Robertson, and Kerry Wood — note, no Joba — got the ball to Mariano Rivera with two outs in the eighth, and the G.O.A.T. took it from there.

Just like old times.

Stray thoughts:

• "I know it's the postseason, but Girardi just looks absolutely tortured by all of this, as he has down the stretch. Looks like no fun for him." That was the tweet last night by ESPN columnist Buster Olney. I couldn't agree more. My girlfriend was shocked by how gaunt the manager appeared, saying the biggest key for the Yankees in the series was too make sure their manager didn't starve to death. Seriously though, something seems up with the guy. I really wouldn't be surprised if this is his last month with the team. Just a gut feeling.

• Here's the thing about Posada as catcher: Yes, he's a complete liability defensively at this point, but what's the alternative? Francisco Cervelli, who made the second most errors by a catcher in the AL despite playing in only half the games? The Yanks were right to give the Frisco Kid his shot, but they could use Jose Molina right about now. The lesson as always: Whenever you have a player whose nickname is the Big Panda, you keep him around as long as humanly possible

• Funniest moment of last night: At about 2 a.m., I'm laying in bed trying to kick some serious jetlag when WFAN plays Sterling's call of Teixeira's home run. As you know, Sterling has specific home run calls for each Yankee, and in some cases, like with Teixeira, he has two. So, the ball clears the fence, and Sterling belts out No. 1 — "A TEIX message!" setting up No. 2, which should be "You're on the MARK ... Teixeira!" But Sterling, in his over-excited state, accidentally led with "MARK! ..." then let it just hang there for a few awkward beats before Waldman jumped in to save him. It was awesome.

• I predict that there's no way David Wells makes it through TBS' postseason coverage without getting fired.The network hired the gout-y ex-Yank to work in studio during the ALDS, presumably to be the unpredictable, filter-free guy the way Charles Barkley is on their NBA telecast. There's one key difference here, though: Barkley is inherently likable, while Wells just sits there looking like he want to beat the sh*t out of Dennis Eckersley for nine hours. Needless to say, I don't see this ending well.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

These things must happen for Yankees to win ALDS

This time last year, the Yankees were the indisputable favorite to win the World Series. They were coming off a 103-win season, an AL East championship, and they had home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

The general consensus was that it was their World Series to lose, and to their credit, they played the role of favorite well, rolling to their 27th championship.

The 2010 season brings quite different circumstances.

The Yankees enter the playoffs as a 95-win team, their second-place finish in the AL East good enough for a wild card bid. By virtue of their wild card status, they won't have home-field advantage in the ALDS or the ALCS. And since the National League won the All-Star Game, they wouldn't have the home-field advantage in the World Series, either.

Four wild card teams have went on to win the whole thing (1997 Marlins, 2002 Angels, 2003 Marlins, 2004 Red Sox), but the Yankees haven't had success in the same position. New York has advanced as the wild card three times since the format was created (1995, 1997, 2007) and was bounced out in the first round each time.

Will this year be any different? The answer is yes ... if these 10 things break right for the Bronx Bombers.


10) Brett Gardner needs to play every game. No offense to Austin Kearns, but Austin Kearns is not a good baseball player. That actually was offensive, which leads me to the offense, which leads me to Gardner, who needs to be at the top of the lineup every game making things happen. While the numbers may say Kearns is a better start against left-handed pitching, Gardner adds a much-needed extra dimension to a Yankee offense that has relied too much on the three-run homer.

9) Keep A.J. Burnett off the mound. I'm serious about this. At some point this week, Joe Girardi is going to be tempted to bring Burnett out of the bullpen to get a big strikeout. Two problems with this idea, though: a) Burnett has been a starting pitcher since he was 8, and b) He's terrible right now. Cut your losses and just try to get him right for the ALCS if you're lucky enough to advance.

8) Jorge Posada needs at least one big hit. Derek Jeter isn't the only member of the Core Four who suffered through a serious decline in production in 2010. Posada struggled throughout the season, and at 38, it's quite probably we're starting to hit the beginning of the end for this great, underrated Yankee. Posada isn't close to the stud who hit .334 with 30 homers and 100 RBIs in 2007, and he may not even be close to the Posada of 12 months ago, but he still has enough pop in his bat to change a game. Think back to that game in St. Petersburg last month, when Posada turned a fastball around and smoked it 440-feet to beat the Rays. The Yanks need some more protection behind Robinson Cano, and Georgie will need to deliver.

7) Nick Swisher must bury his postseason demons. It's pretty amazing how much better Swisher is at baseball than he was a year ago. He struggled mightily in the playoffs in 2009, and it became the impetus for a rigourous offseason workout program. He got into serious shape as a result, and his more serious approach paid off with big gains, both offensively and in right field. If he can reverse his playoff fortunes, the season will be a complete success.

6) Joba Chamberlain needs to build the bridge. Chamberlain's winding career with the Yankees reaches a critical point this week as he appears in his third postseason in New York. The 2010 season has seen his star power dim considerably, his inconsistencies leading to his loss of the setup role. If the Yankees go deep in the playoffs and Chamberlain has a lot to do with it, the talk of successor to Mariano will be back. But if he bombs out and costs the Yankees a game or series? You could see him sitting in the Kansas City Royals bullpen next April. Your move, Hoss.

5) Mariano Rivera must be, well, Mariano Rivera. The G.O.A.T. had one of the shakiest months of his career in September, blowing three saves and sporting a decidedly un-G.O.A.T.-like 4.76 ERA. At 40, it's fair to ask if age or a hidden injury caused his struggles after the five typically brilliant months that preceded his September swoon. Call me an optimist, but I get the feeling Rivera will be Rivera if and when he gets the ball this week.

4) Mark Teixeira needs to give us something. As his season spiraled into a deep abyss in September, Teixiera made sure everyone knew he wasn't playing at 100 percent. Hand and foot issues have turned a run-producing machine into a liability this season, and the Yankees can only hope he can figure out a way to make a difference batting out of the three-hole. His defense remains brilliant as always, but the Yankees need more from Teixeira than what he gave them these past six weeks.

3) Andy Pettitte must be healthy. The sad thing about Pettitte's season is that in July, he was having the best year of his life. A groin injury blew the whole thing up, however, and now he's trying to play catchup when the games count the most. Like Sabathia, the Yankees are leaning heavily on their veteran lefty, as the flameouts of Burnett and Vazquez have amplified the pressure on everyone. Make no mistake: If Pettitte isn't close to 100 percent, the Yankees won't come close to repeating as champions.

2) CC Sabathia needs to be El Hombre. As you may have heard, A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez were abducted early this season and replaced by talentless drones devoid of any winning mentality. Beyond that, Phil Hughes has been average at best in the second half and Andy Pettitte hasn't proved to anyone that he's healthy enough to be a No. 2 pitcher in the playoffs. This all means Sabathia needs to be on top of his game. A loss in Game One could signal a death knell — they simply can't afford its ace to have a bad night. Other than that, no pressure, Carson Charles.

1) A-Rod must provide a representative encore. I've said it once, I'll say it again: It. Always. Comes. Down. To. A-Rod. The Yankees needed the playoff MVP-type performance Rodriguez gave them last season, and they'll need big production from their third baseman even more this season. Another way to say this? The Yankees need A-Rod to carry them to the World Series. It's a lot of pressure, but the dirty little secret about No. 13 is that he's better about pressure than people give him credit for.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

Benching Burnett a No-Brainer for Girardi

It's being reported this morning that A.J. Burnett will not be part of the Yankees' plans in the ALDS against the Twins.

Not exactly shocking news, I know. Dudes who lose 15 games and and post a 5.26 ERA don't typically inspire the faith of their manager come playoff time.

The good news? After this season, Mr. Burnett only has three years left on his five-year, $82.5 million contract! God bless capitalism!

It's almost amazing to think how far Burnett has careened off the rails this season. Remember, it was only 11 months ago that the same Allan James Burnett essentially saved the Yankees' season in Game 2 of the World Series.

I remember having to medicate myself with cheap vodka in the hours leading up to that Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. Burnett had floundered against the Angels in his previous start, and after Cliff Lee shut New York down in the World Series opener, it almost seemed predetermined that the Yankees would have to pull out a 1996-type comeback to win it all.

Burnett stepped up, however, striking out nine over seven strong innings in a 3-1 win that righted the ship and set the Yankees on their way to the title. But like always with Burnett, it was ultimately a tease. He was bombed by the Phillies in Game 5, leading to a post so scathing the FBI probably placed me on a no-fly list.

It's been all downhill since for Burnett, who is no doubt embarrassed that it's come to this. You can tell he cares, even if his natural demeanor sometimes seems to say otherwise. You know he wants to be more than the "pie guy" who occasionally pitches well. But at 33, he is what he is.

In a perfect world, there's no way Phil Hughes is pitching at Yankee Stadium in Game 3, a place where he often resembled a Home Run Derby pitcher this season.

Unfortunately, the Yankees are in no position to be choosy. Concessions need to be made. With the help of a forgiving schedule, the Yankees were able to maneuver their way through the playoffs in 2009 without a back-end to their rotation. It was no simple feat.

The Yankees now have to try to pull that off again. Maybe it's just me, but at some point it all starts to feel less like baseball and a lot like Russian Roulette.

Click ... click ... click ... click ... click ...

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

The dirty little secret true Yankee fans take into October

Now that the regular season has concluded and the playoffs are about to begin, you're going to notice a lot of new Yankees fans suddenly showing up around the office.

You'll realize this when Hal From Accounting saunters in at 9:00 9:15 with a Yankees cap awkwardly affixed to his skull and a big smile on his face. Just 45 minutes earlier, Hal was frantically searching for the hat in his closet — he literally thanked God when it finally announced its presence beneath his lucky Train "Drops of Jupiter Tour '06" T-shirt.

He wears this hat for the commute to work, but mostly it's for those 60 or so steps that separate the key-card entrance from the cramped cubicle he's given his life to since 2003.

He shoots over to the break room, where he pours a fresh cup of coffee into the World Series champion mug he purchased from MLB.com last Nov. 4. He takes a sip then recites — to no one in particular — something about A-Rod's OPS that he read on ESPN.com the previous morning.

He heads over to his desk, where the first order of business is to pick out a Nick Swisher screensaver to replace his ironic The Situation screensaver that replaced his Derek Jeter screensaver last December.

Yes, make no mistake, Hal From Accounting is excited to watch baseball again. More specifically, he's excited to be a winner again. The way Hal looks at it, there's no reason why the fate of the 2010 Yankees will be any different than that of the 2009 Yankees.

And that's when you'll realize: Hal From Accounting is more excited about watching the Yankees this week than you are.

How can that be? You're the true fan! You went 162-deep with the team this season, even stayed up for all those West Coast games when John Flaherty and Ken Singleton didn't even try to hide their contest to see who could put you to sleep first. You sat through 59 combined starts from A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez — dear Jesus, did you hear me?!?! I said 59 combined starts!!! — because you knew a game like Wednesday's ALDS opener against the Minnesota Twins may be on the other end of all that pain.

But you know something that Hal From Accounting could never know, something that five innings of that one Subway Series game he watched in June never could have told him.

The Yankees are ripe to be picked off. It's the dirty little secret that the true Yankee fan doesn't want to admit even if he knows it's true.

The starting rotation is in tatters. The lineup looks haggard. Even the great Mariano may not be himself. 90 percent of baseball is about timing; who gets hot at the time of year when it matters most.

The Yankees are 30-31 since Aug. 1. They just kicked away home-field advantage through the ALCS for no good reason.

You would love to be as blissfully ignorant as Hal From Accounting, but you know too much.

Even still, you hold out hope, because you're a fan, and that's what you do. You think back to 2000, when the Yankees fell apart in September only to snap back into form when the playoffs began. "There's a precedent," you'll say, and you might even believe your own words.

But then your eyes will drift back to Hal's cubicle, where the sounds of "Empire State of Mind" being played on repeat cut into you like a freight train running through the middle of your head.

The song's the same. But everything else feels different.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached via e-mail at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

AL East Is There for the Yankees ... If They Want It

Full disclosure: I wasn't really feeling the playoff-clinching celebration on Tuesday night.

I know, I know. It's a long season. Making the postseason is an achievement, and the players deserve to blow off some steam. I get that. But there's a part of me — okay, all of me — that was rubbed the wrong way by how satisfied the team seemed with itself.

Please understand that I — more than any man or woman on earth — love watching Kim Jones get doused by champagne and beer. It may be the main reason I follow the Yankees. Like Kim, it never gets old.

I also love clubhouse celebration shots that beg for perverse photoshopping (see: Chamberlain, Joba). I even get a kick out of worthless MLB-sanctioned schwag like the "PLAYOFFS" hats the players wore in the clubhouse.

My biggest problem is that the Yankees still have business to tend to before the playoffs start. Why celebrate like you have nothing left to achieve?

Here's how I'd rather have watched it play out:

Kim Jones: Derek, other teams around baseball have raucously celebrated clinching a playoff spot. Why not the Yankees?

Derek Jeter: We decided as a group that we'd celebrate in Boston when we clinched the division. Every spring, the first goal we set is to win the AL East and we haven't done that yet.

KJ: So what are you going to do with all these refreshing beers and ice cold bottles of champagne?

DJ: (Pauses for a beat)

(The whole team douses Kim with beer and champagne. She's totally into it.)

Annnnnd scene.

ANYWAY, I'm not sure it's clear to Joe Girardi — who may be too busy daydreaming about brick walls covered in ivy to even care — but winning the division can very well make or break this season.

This is a flawed team, but the Yankees are fortunate in that the other three teams left standing in the American League have weaknesses as well.

It's a wide open field to see who plays the Phillies in the World Series. Doesn't it make sense that with the Yanks, Rangers, Twins, and Rays all at about the same level, a deciding game at home could be the difference?

The good news is that Tampa Bay seems just as nonchalant about the whole situation. The Rays were shut down by Zack Greinke and the Royals on Thursday night, and have lost three of four this week. The Twins have also slumped, possibly allowing a golden opportunity to clinch home-field throughout the AL playoffs slip away.

The Yankees head into Fenway this weekend to face the Red Sox, who have lost three in a row and clearly are in "Let's see who can clean out their lockers the fastest on Sunday" mode.

Tampa Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, so in the case of a tie the division goes to the Rays. Without CC Sabathia, asking for a sweep may be difficult, but if you can at least win of two of three, you put the pressure on the Rays to earn it.

There's no shame in going into the postseason as a wild card. But going in as a division winner gives you a better chance to win the World Series. Isn't that worth fighting for?

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached via e-mail at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.