ALCS Game 1: A Comeback To Remember For Yankees

In the 1999 movie Unbreakable, the character played by Samuel L. Jackson explained that the incredible fragility of his bone structure, the reason he was derisively known as Mr. Glass, was directly tied to the fact that Bruce Willis' character was seemingly invincible.

Mr. Glass reasoned that if there's someone in the world who represents the extreme on one end, then the universe must have a person somewhere who represents the opposite end of the spectrum.

It made Jackson and Willis natural foes, and their relationship served as the crux of one of the last decent movies M. Night Shyamalan made before people started exiting theaters saying things like, "Hey, how long do you think M. Night has been hiding his brain injury?"

I bring this up because if you caught the camera shot of Nolan Ryan after the Yankees rallied to go ahead of the Rangers on Friday night — rotten scowl, arms folded, chin melded to his chest — you know that I was 1,500 miles away with the exact opposite expression.

If you've been caught off-guard by this resourceful, tenacious side of the Yankees, you're not alone. This was a championship-caliber win, the type of victory I never thought this team had in them as recently as 10 days ago.

CC Sabathia gets knocked out of the game after four innings, you expect to lose. Your offense goes silent for six straight innings to begin the game, you figure you have no shot. Fall down five runs, on the road, in a playoff game, you should probably pack it in. And yet, the Yankees will wake up on Saturday morning with a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS.

It couldn't have been done without the following people:

Dustin Moseley: The casual Yankee fan sitting next to you at the bar had no idea who Moseley was when he entered the game. Even you may have only known the right-hander as the guy who is (slightly) better than Chad Gaudin. But Moseley's two scoreless innings turned out to be huge for a Yankee team that trailed 5-0 by the time Sabathia was pulled from the game. Moseley was credited with his first postseason victory. It was much deserved.

Brett Gardner: He's gritty, he's gutty, and now he has his signature moment as a Yankee. Gardner's hustle infield single leading off the eighth inning — including poorly thought-out headfirst slide! — seemed harmless at the time, but it became the spark that ignited the Yankees' winning rally. Bonus points are in order for Gardy giving Craig Sager the "You don't expect me to take you seriously?" look throughout his postgame interview.

Derek Jeter: I wrote on Wednesday that I thought that Jeter would rise to the occasion in the ALCS; his usual October brilliance melding with a final opportunity to gain leverage in upcoming contract negotiations. So far, so good for Jeter, who doubled twice in Game 1. His first two-bagger drove in Gardner, sending New York's classic rally into overdrive.

Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod was having a night to forget until the top of the eighth (0-for-3, error), when his bases-loaded double quieted the Arlington crowd and drew the Yankees within one run. It was type of hit that Rodriguez regularly delivered during the 2009 postseason, and it proved No. 13's flair for the dramatic remains intact.

Ron Washington: I don't want to be too hard on Washington, who was betrayed by his bullpen and probably would be a great dude to listen to old jazz records with. But his decision not to turn to Neftali Feliz as the game unraveled in the eighth was ripe for first-, second- and third-guessing. Having a lefty come in to face Marcus Thames in a tie game wasn't the wisest move, either.

Ian Kinsler: Can't get picked off there, bro. Just can't happen. This is the playoffs, meat.

President George W. Bush: In fairness, Dubya wasn't really to blame for the Rangers' mess, but his attendance at the game did lead to the tweet of the night by ESPN the Magazine senior writer @jorgearangure: "I bet George W Bush authorized a sign that read "Mission Accomplished" after the 7th inning." Ouch.

Mariano Rivera: You can gauge how big a win is by how Mo reacts after getting the final out. In this case, it was both a passionate fist pump and shout. That's a 9/10 on the Mo Scale. Allowing the leadoff single to pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland led to some tense moments, but Rivera got it done like he has so many times before. Beating Michael Young and Josh Hamilton to end it was no easy feat, the G.O.A.T. just made it look that way.

Stray thoughts:

• It seemed like glorified mop-up duty at the time, but at least Joba Chamberlain can finally say he has a place in the 2010 postseason. Pretty amazing that he's went from future of the franchise to playoff fringe guy in little over a year. Will this reality serve as a wake up call that makes him work harder to improve himself in the offseason? Or are we watching the start of a descent into oblivion? Vegas has even odds.

• Derek Jeter Contract Watch: Four years, $52 million (up one year, $7 million since beginning of ALCS).

• Must admit I was pretty disappointed by Sabathia's performance. There was an undeniable Chien-Ming-Wang-in-'07-ALDS stench to the whole proceedings. Clearly the layoff affected him, but he seemed genuinely rattled at times as well. The big man needs to be better. A lot better.

• Funny how the "Yankees suck!" chants in Arlington died down by the late innings. Weird how that works.
  

• Will be interesting to see how Rangers bounce back from a truly wretched defeat. A weaker team (see: Twins, Minnesota) would lay down and die after a loss like that. We'll find out how Washington's bunch reacts on Saturday.

• Phil Hughes' career numbers in Arlington: 15 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 13 K, 1 no-hitter ruined by a douchechill hamstring. I'm just sayin' ...

• Important River & Sunset program note: I will be live blogging Game 2 of the ALCS right here on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Join me won't you?
  

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

ALCS Preview: Sabathia must stand up and deliver in Game 1

I'm so sick of Cliff Lee.

It's nothing personal against the guy, and I'm choosing my words carefully here, since he's probably going to pitch every fifth day for my team next season.

But the three days separating the end of the ALDS and tonight's ALCS opener has spawned a level of hero worship not seen since Sully defeated the seagulls.

It's literally all people can talk about. Roy Halladay throws a perfect game? Who cares. Tim Lincecum strikes out 14 (probably while high)? Big deal. Cliff Lee mows down a pathetic Rays offense twice? American hero.

You could tell the Yankees were sick of hearing about Lee this week, too. The Rangers ace was the main line of questioning for the first two days of workouts at the Stadium, this despite the fact that New York won't see the left-hander until Game 3.

"Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, but all we're worried about right now is Game 1."

I usually get frustrated when players fall back on stock answers like this, but in this case, what other answer could they give?

"Cliff Lee is the best pitcher ever. We're not even thinking about the first two games of this pennant-deciding series because we can't stop thinking about how easily Cliff Lee is going to defeat us next Monday. Us guys in the clubhouse actually started the #cliffleefacts Twitter hashtag. He's hot, too."

That doesn't make sense, right? Well, especially the last part.

I'll get into more when Lee's turn actually does come up, but the reality is that the Yankees have had some success against him. Everyone knows about his dominant performance in Game 1 of the World Series last year, but few mention Game 5, when he allowed five runs over seven innings.

To quote Duke from Rocky IV: "He's not a machine, he's a man, he's a man!"

As the Yankee Haters amongst you have no doubt told you, this postseason has broken just right for New York thus far.

I love all the ridiculous grassy knoll theories that Joe Girardi tanked the end of the regular season so the Yankees would miss Lee and the Rangers in the ALDS. To me, it was simply a fortuitous twist of fate, like when you blew the opportunity to hook up with the hottest chick at the office Christmas party only to find out later she has a vicious strain of herpes.

The Rangers and Rays going five games obviously helped the Yankees as well. The fruits of this good fortune is immediate with tonight's matchup of CC Sabathia meeting not his friend Lee, but C.J. Wilson.

Wilson is a left-hander coming off a breakout season in 2010, two facts that lead you to believe he should have success on Friday night. But his splits tell the story of a pitcher that excelled against most teams, but not against the Yankees.

Wilson was winless in three starts against New York, pitching to a 5.65 ERA over 14 1/3 innings. The Yankees batted .300 as a team against him.

Then you have Sabathia, who received some good fortune himself in the opening round of the playoffs. The lefty wasn't sharp against the Twins, but still got the win when teammates rallied off Francisco Liriano in the seventh inning.

The Yankees need Sabathia to revert back to form on Friday. When he's at the top of his game, Sabathia is every bit the pitcher that Lee is, possibly even better. Sabathia proved that at this time last year, when he won twice against the Angels in picking up the ALCS MVP.

Every Game 1 is important, but in a series that seems too close to call, this Game 1 means even more. Time for the big man to stand and deliver.

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

2010 ALCS: Jeter has much to gain as October rolls on

I imagine the Tampa estate that Derek Jeter calls home has a room (or wing) devoted to all the awards and trophies he has amassed over his Hall of Fame career.

I'm guessing he takes the room and what it represents for granted at this point in his life. He probably won't truly be able to appreciate all he has accomplished until his ride as a professional athlete comes to an end. This may explain why he's using his 2004 Gold Glove award to prop open his attic closet.

That said, something tells me there's one accolade that brings him instant gratification ... and it belongs to his fiancé, Minka Kelly.

The Friday Night Lights star was recently named Esquire magazine's "Sexiest Woman Alive" for 2010. Past winners include Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, and Scarlett Johansson.

(In case you're keeping track at home, Jeter has bedded two of the last five women named by a globally respected publication as the hottest chick in the world. This is awesome.)

Yes, it's been a good October for Jeter, a man who has made his reputation in the fall. His team, the New York Yankees, will begin the quest for their 41st American League pennant on Friday when they kick off the ALCS against the Texas Rangers.

The 36-year-old shortstop has always had impeccable timing — his first year as a pro doubled as the Yankees' first championship in 18 years, after all — but the timing hasn't been great in regard to the end of the massive 10-year contract Jeter signed in 2000.

Jeter was third in AL MVP voting in 2009, but he had the worst season of his career in 2010, batting just .270 as his production dropped precipitously across the board.

But Jeter, more than anyone, knows that being a Yankee means producing not in April and May, but October. He had a quiet first round of the playoffs, with four singles in 14 at-bats against the Twins, but there is much money to be made by excelling in the ALCS.

I know, I know, how much money does one guy need? I'll hand that over to Yankees season ticket holder Bruce Springsteen from his classic "Badlands": "Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, and a king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything."

Jeter has reached the "king" stage of his life. ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney told Bill Simmons on Monday that he believed the Yankees will offer Jeter a contract in the range of three years for $45 million, obviously well below the three years, $75 million that has been widely speculated.

Olney's logic makes sense: They'll offer Jeter the deal and invite him to find a better one. When that doesn't happen, they'll have their icon.

The Yankees aren't dumb. They know Jeter doesn't have any leverage. Six months of mediocre baseball will take that from you. But Jeter still has one more chance at balancing the scales before the last big contract negotiation of his career.

He can go off for the rest of this month.

Say Jeter bats .400 in the ALCS and then wins the World Series MVP. You think the Yankees will be able to stand pat with the original offer they had in mind? No chance.

What's exciting as a Yankee fan is that you know Jeter lives for this type of thing. He's an epic self-motivator. I just don't see any way he doesn't rise to the occasion.

He has the money, the girl, the respect, and the success ... but you know the captain wants more.

The King ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything.

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

2010 ALCS: Yankees prepare for the great unknown

I am a fine connoisseur of movies that fall under the banner of "so bad, they're good."

If it has stilted dialogue, gaping plot holes, poor special effects, and gratuitous sex scenes, I am in.

Classics like the Thomas Ian Griffith thriller Crackerjack (1994), Shannon-Elizabeth-gets-violated-by-a-carrot horror flick Jack Frost (1997), and Billy Ray Cyrus action epic Radical Jack (2002) are shockingly dreadful movies that I've watched multiple times, usually while inebriated, with great delight.

This weekend I reached the peak of the "so bad they're good" mountain with The Room, a 2003 indie melodrama written, directed, produced, executive produced, financed, and starring a strange looking and even stranger sounding man by the name of Tommy Wiseau.

I was a little late to the game on The Room. Seven years after flopping in very limited release, the film has become a fairly substantial cult hit with weekly Rocky Horror-type screenings here in L.A. and around the country. Wiseau himself is known to frequent these screenings, apparently unaware that the joke is on him.

The movie makes no sense on several levels. The dialogue is loaded with non sequiturs and is heavily overdubbed. Entire plot elements and even characters are introduced and then completely forgotten. But part of the movie's charm is its unpredictability. Since it doesn't follow any rules previously thought to be understood, anything can happen. It's a complete free-for-all.

In other words, it's kind of like the MLB postseason so far.

We've had a no-hitter (Roy Halladay), a Bill Buckner reincarnate (Brooks Conrad), and a five-game series in which the home team lost every game (Rangers-Rays). We've even had a character introduced then completely forgotten as if they never existed (the Minnesota Twins).

People have asked me what I think about the Yankees' chances against the Rangers in the ALCS. I have no idea. I literally have no feel whatsoever. I didn't think either team was even going to make it out of the ALDS. We're in total crapshoot territory here.

The good news if you're a Yankees fan is that your team has some mojo working right now. Six days between games isn't the greatest way to keep your edge, but it does reinforce the feeling that the struggles of September were from another century.

You also have to feel good about avoiding Cliff Lee until Game 3 of the series. With all due respect to Halladay and Tim Lincecum, Lee is the most dangerous pitcher left in this postseason. He's a bulldog, completely locked in and pitching for a contract that will set his family up for generations. I just peed myself a little thinking about Lee on the mound in a Game 7 at Arlington.

Count me out of the camp that was thrilled when the Rangers knocked off the Rays. Make no mistake, I think Texas won because it was the better team. I was never convinced that the Rays were any good; it's almost amazing to think they won 96 games with some of the stiffs that littered their lineup.

But in sticking with the theme that the 2010 postseason has as much logic to it as the football catch scenes in The Room, I think the Rays would have been the tougher matchup in the ALCS. The two teams played roughly 30,000 times this season, while basically the same Rays roster played in an ALCS (and World Series) just two years ago. Yankee aura and mystique would serve no purpose here.

That could be a different story for the Rangers, who had never even won a postseason series until Tuesday night. And like a washed up hair metal band, the franchise is still dealing with the hard realities of the '90s, when the Yankees won nine straight playoff games over three years.

Everything in my gut is telling me this is a seven-game series. Both teams have strengths and weaknesses that can, and probably will be, exposed. But that's the thing about this postseason — there's no way to tell what's going to happen next.

In other words, be prepared for anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go purchase some adult diapers.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. His favorite line in "The Room" is easily, "You're tearing me apart, Lisa!!!" Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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.