11/06/2009

Philadelphia writer names his goat, it’s Pedro
By Paul Hagen

Why did the Phillies lose, they can count the ways
Ryan Howard kept striking out. Cole Hamels had a meltdown on the mound. Brad Lidge imploded in a crucial spot.

Red Sox acquire OF Hermida from Marlins for two lefties
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has a lot on his docket this offseason and it officially began on Thursday with a minor deal that he hopes turns into something major.

Matsui, Series MVP, brings Japan to its feet
TOKYO (AP) — Japan nearly came to a standstill as millions watched on TV while Hideki Matsui, the man they know as Godzilla, stomped around New York to lead the Yankees to the World Series title.

Yankees win one for The Boss; he’s ‘teary eyed’
By JAY COHEN

A-Rod’s embarrassing season ends in triumph
By WILLIAM C. RHODEN

11/04/2009

Jim Donaldson: 27 reasons to root against the Yankees
If you’re a Red Sox fan, there is only one reason to watch the World Series:

World Series has been anything but routine for Mark Teixeira
The frequent off days in the playoffs have taken Teixeira out of his comfort zone. It is showing.

The Daddy of all rivals: Pedro Martinez returns to New York for Game 6
Two old warriors - the Phillies' Pedro Martinez, 38, and the Yanks' Andy Pettitte, 37 - will start in Game 6 of the World Series on Wednesday.

11/03/2009

Bill Reynolds: Major League Baseball’s lack of parity gets to me
Maybe it was watching CC Sabathia going against Cliff Lee in the first game of the World Series and realizing that once upon a time they were teammates in Cleveland, until the Indians no longer could afford them.

11/04/2009

Who will be Phillies' closer? It's anyone's guess
Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has referred to Brad Lidge as "our closer" no fewer than 900 times over the last two months, even on days Lidge does not even leave the bullpen bench to warm up while Ryan Madson pitches in a save situation.

11/03/2009

Philadelphia Inquirer apologizes for crowning Phillies champs
Move over, Alex Rodriguez, because the Phillies fans here in town suddenly have found a new enemy to torment. Their hometown newspaper.

Jim Donaldson: Football, not baseball, is the true ‘National Pastime’
What with the World Series going on, the Fall Classic and all that, this seems like a good time to ask the simple sports question: What is America’s “National Pastime?”

11/04/2009

Short rotation puts Pettitte on the spot
Fans would like to believe that players can will themselves to greatness, particularly those infused with that most intangible quality: grit. There is no way to measure grit, but we know it when we see it, or at least we think we do.

Charlie Manuel trying to cobble together a Phillies comeback on the mound
If you want to win the World Series despite a three-games-to-one deficit and need to finish off the comeback with a pair of wins on the road, the best formula to follow would be the one employed by the Detroit Tigers in 1968.

Utley's performance brings back memories of two Yankees
The Phillies' second baseman is following the legacy of Bobby Richardson, the second baseman who almost lifted New York to victory in 1960.

11/03/2009

Pressure shifts to Yankees in World Series
Now, if the Yankees are to complete their mission and win their 27th World Series, they face an additional challenge. They must dodge the snowball coming their way.

Phillies may start Lee on two days' rest for Game 7
Cliff Lee's perfect postseason might not be over yet.

Yankees turn to Pettitte for Game 6
The last time the Yankees asked Andy Pettitte to do what they will ask him to do Wednesday night, the World Series ended with a visiting team celebrating on the field at Yankee Stadium.

11/02/2009

Damon helps Yankees steal one from shifty Phillies
Johnny Damon slid into second base, saw third was uncovered and swiped that, too. All on a single pitch.

Burnett goes on short rest against Lee in Game 5
The New York Yankees are chasing championship No. 27 by throwing their top pitchers on three days' rest.

Lidge implosion puts Phillies on edge
Five appearances. Four innings pitched. One hit. No runs. That had been the postseason enjoyed by Brad Lidge before Sunday night.

Phillies can't turn back clocks
The Phillies set their clocks back an hour Sunday. They were not able to set them back a year.

11/01/2009

Once Pettitte settled down, Yankees were reborn in Game 3
The Yankees blinked back their disbelief, wondering if their eyes were lying to them. Andy Pettitte had just been ambushed for three runs in the second inning, running up his pitch count to 52. The veteran lefty was sinking fast; at this rate he wouldn't even last another two innings. Even worse, Pettitte looked like he wanted no part of the Phillies or the hostility from the stands.

Staked to 3-0 lead, Hamels unravels
The tarp was on the field about a half-hour before the scheduled game time, but Cole Hamels walked out to the bullpen, giving the rain-soaked crowd at Citizens Bank Park something to cheer about.

Yankees' distrust of Game 4 starters is behind risky move with Sabathia
For those of us who picked the Yankees to win the World Series, it is probably better to overlook this question: If you are going to spend more than $200 million putting together a team, shouldn't you have four starting pitchers?

Phillies' season rides on Joe Blanton
So, it is Joe Blanton to save the season Sunday night.

10/30/2009

Phillies probably left Pedro in too long
Ninety-nine pitches. That was the pitch count when Pedro Martinez walked off the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday night.

Molina helps turn things around for Yankees
Molina changed the face of Game 2 without removing his mask.

Yankees get more of the same from the great Mariano Rivera
He just loomed Thursday night because that is what he does, warming up out there in the gloaming, full of portent and history, wearing No. 42.

10/29/2009

Lee dominates Yankees' thoughts, even after the game
The Yankees were tired of trying to hit Cliff Lee's pitches for nine innings. They had exasperating at-bats. But even after a 6-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series, the Yankees could not escape Lee. They spent most of their postgame talking about him, too.

With Game 1 homers, Utley off to historic start
No second baseman on a winning team has ever been named the World Series most valuable player, but Chase Utley is off to a promising start.

Pedro doesn't scare hitters the way he once did
Here's the thing that should trouble Martinez the most: He's not that frightening anymore. At 38, Pedro isn't anyone's idea of a demon.

Yankees have no answer for the Phillies' moxie
The Bombers didn't just lose to the Phillies, 6-1, on Wednesday night, they were embarrassed by the Phillies in front a national television audience that was expecting a full-blown war.

Rollins' clutch play in fifth inning is two good
Ever since his proclamation before the 2007 season that the Phillies - not the Mets - were the team to beat in the National League East, Rollins has been a special target of New York fans.

10/26/2009

Bill Reynolds: Yankees, and A-Rod, have vanquished their ghosts
The game ended shortly after midnight, with the Yankees going back to the World Series, and with champagne.

10/27/2009

Phillies' state of mind involves toppling Yankee empire
Whether it was clever foreshadowing on the part of a slick-fielding shortstop or a simple change in musical taste, the Phillies climbed out of a charter train at Penn Station Monday evening and found themselves exactly where they wanted to be: two days away from their first date with destiny, looking to establish themselves as baseball's latest dynasty by knocking off the sport's first, in New York, New York.

10/26/2009

Recent World Series have been more clunkers than classics
The Yankees have been away from the World Series for the last five years, and in their absence, baseball's showcase has flopped on a national scale.

Yankees respect Phillies' mental toughness
Though, not surprisingly, the Yankees have emerged as the favorite to beat the Phillies in the World Series, general manager Brian Cashman doesn't see it that way.

The last New York-Philadelphia World Series: Yankee pitching dominated in 1950
If the natural nickname for this rare Yankees-Phillies pairing is the Amtrak World Series, consider that when these two teams met in October for the only other time, in 1950, Amtrak didn't even exist.

10/25/2009

Yankees poised for final leap to glory
NEW YORK - If you closed your eyes here Sunday night and allowed your mind to wander, you might not have realized this was the new Yankee Stadium.

Phillies president Montgomery says he wants to face the Yankees
"I think we do want the Yankees," Montgomery said. "We're the defending champs. They were perceived to be the best team this year. Let's see what happens."

Scioscia: MLB's postseason schedule is 'ridiculous'
Angels manager Mike Scioscia called baseball's postseason format "ridiculous" because of the extra off days added a couple of years ago to suit the sport's television partners.

Postseason moves of ALCS managers under the microscope
At this time of year, when the moves of experienced postseason managers like the Angels' Mike Scioscia and Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel are scrutinized as much as a contestant on "American Idol," Joe Girardi has taken considerable heat for a handful of curious decisions in his first playoffs as a skipper.

10/23/2009

Zach Daeges looks to resume promising career following ankle surgery
BOSTON –– Red Sox outfield prospect Zach Daeges is recovering well following ankle surgery to remove an extra bone in his foot last month, and expects that the problem that caused him to miss the entire season is behind him.

Postseason has been a bit different for Phil Hughes
In many ways, the Yankees' season turned around when Phil Hughes became the team's eighth-inning guy.

New York weather could slow Angels' momentum
The Angels appeared to be bothered by the weather elements in Games 1 and 2.

Phillies trying to remain ship-shape during waiting season
For the first time since late February, the Phillies have six days without a baseball game.

For Yankees, the pressure is on Andy Pettitte
In the wake of the Yankees' six-run seventh inning in Game 5, there was most definitely a sense of excitement flowing through their dugout.

Jeter helps keep Yankees on even keel
Derek Jeter hasn't been in this spot for five years: a victory at Yankee Stadium away from making another World Series.

Bullpen failure costly for Yankees in Game Five
It would have ranked among the greatest of their all-time postseason comebacks, an improbable six-run charge in the seventh inning that turned a four-run deficit into a two-run lead.

Angels show Yankees they can take a punch
Twenty boxes of Korbel California Select champagne bottles sat unopened in the hallway separating the Angels and Yankees clubhouses some 20 minutes after the game ended, perhaps the most indicative sign of what the Angels accomplished last night.

Yankees aiming to avoid repeat of 2004
Now, they are two losses removed from the worst postseason collapse in their history. Yes, this would be worse than coughing up a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in 2004.

Swisher misses out on chance to be Yankees hero
In a postseason that has been mostly full of failure for him, Nick Swisher had a chance to have a bona fide Yankee playoff moment.

After rehab, Wakefield expects to be ready for start of season
A day after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, Tim Wakefield was upbeat and said he fully expects to be ready to pitch at the start of the 2010 season.

10/22/2009

Phillies want to take their place alongside Yankees and Red Sox
When they go to bed at night, the Yankees dream about hitting like the 2009 Phillies.

Yankees don't want a repeat of 2004
Jorge Posada has been here before, at the doorstep of the World Series, only to watch as the welcome mat was shockingly pulled out from the Yankees' cleats.

For Phillies, now comes the hard part
With each round of baseball's postseason, the stakes get higher, the competition gets better and advancing gets a little tougher.

A.J. Burnett eager for chance to close out Angels
A.J. Burnett followed CC Sabathia in signing with the Yankees. He follows him in the Yankees' rotation. He's hoping to follow him in pitching the Yankees to an ALCS win.

Win or lose, Lackey is high on free-agent list for 2010
Forget the money. John Lackey already is a lot richer than most people you know.

Wake has operation to fix ruptured disk
Tim Wakefield is recovering well after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair on a herniated disk in his lower back, and he expects to be ready to pitch well ahead of spring training.

10/16/2009

Mike Lowell's future with the Red Sox is cloudy entering the offseason
Unlike the Red Sox team, Mike Lowell ended the year strong, but his position at third base is not guaranteed for next season.

10/21/2009

Sabathia to the rescue for Yankees in Game Four
Tuesday night, with another Yankee season approaching the brink in Angel Stadium, Sabathia didn't just provide Joe Girardi a masterful performance and a 3-1 ALCS lead. The man on short rest rescued the manager on no rest.

While his Dodgers teammates lost lead in Game Four, Manny Ramirez was already in the shower
As Ramirez casually joked his way through an off-day workout Tuesday, Dodgers manager Joe Torre made a decision that underscored the gravity of the situation for Los Angeles. Instead of going with 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw to pitch Game 5 on Wednesday, Torre chose the veteran Vicente Padilla, a former Phillie, to face Cole Hamels.

Umpiring problems continue to plague MLB playoffs
The 2009 playoffs have at times been one big slapstick routine for Major League Baseball's umpires, who have executed some calls with all the clarity of Abbott and Costello. Tim McClelland and his crew provided more head-slapping moments in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series when they missed three calls.

With pie in their faces, Phillies mirror Yankees
Whenever the Phillies used to win games at Citizens Bank Park in their final at-bat, Shane Victorino would build a shaving cream pie and stuff it in the hero's face. But then he stopped - until he became aware of the antics of A.J. Burnett, the Yankees' pie-crafting ringleader.

Yankees playing with smart money
New York invested $161 million in CC Sabathia; Scott Kazmir cost the Angels three minor-leaguers and a commitment of slightly more than $20 million. They got what they paid for, both teams did Tuesday.

10/20/2009

Joba was no match for the rally monkey
Chamberlain used to be a feared relief pitcher before the Yankees started messing with him as a starting pitcher. All their rules for him - low pitch counts, abbreviated starts, occasional layoffs - have left him ineffective, not fit to be among the team's top three starters and not fit for relief, either.

Phillies' Howard and Rollins enjoying magical postseason run
The Yankees-Phillies matchup in the World Series, a meeting of the best teams in their leagues, is hardly a done deal. But it keeps looking better by the day. The Phillies have just about done their part.

Philly and New York prove better baseball markets than L.A.
The story is that the Los Angeles market is being drubbed by New York and Philadelphia.

Halos become the Yankees' demons once again
As the Yankees try to make it to Halloween, the Angels were the last opponents they wanted to see rising from the dead.

Phillies' thrill ride not about to end soon
Wednesday night, the Phillies will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Cole Hamels will be the starting pitcher. Win and the Phillies will go to the World Series.

10/16/2009

CC keeps Yankees on winning track
More than seven months back, in a far different climate than the one that wrapped Game 1 of this ALCS in a raw sheet of ice, CC Sabathia threw his very first fastball in the role of $161 million ace.

Phillies spoil Pedro Martinez's masterpiece
"It wasn't something I like to watch," said Martinez, who took care of the first seven innings by himself and then watched the Phillies need five more pitchers to get out of the eighth. "But I've been there. It's not like we blew it away so bad. Just a couple of little things we should have done that we didn't do."

Dodgers momentum may not last through Game 3
If what we've learned about these Phillies the last two Octobers remains true, they will leave the mess they made in the eighth inning right here in Dodger Stadium.

Phillies' Manuel not a fan of Hamels' histrionics
Asked about Manuel's comments, Hamels said: "He can say that all he wants, but I'm not going to change my emotions."

10/15/2009

Red Sox want Ortiz to be a force once again in 2010
With one year left on his contract, management expects David Ortiz to be his old menacing self next season if he is to remain in Boston thereafter.

10/14/2009

Red Sox rotation is far more settled heading into 2010 than it was at the beginning of '09
Barring trades, the Sox pitching rotation should look a lot like it did in October, without the complications of fitting in a Smoltz or Penny.

10/15/2009

ALCS prediction: Yankees in six
The Yankees' power hitting is the biggest edge in a good series.

NLCS prediction: Phillies in seven
There's not a lot of difference between these teams, who met here last season.

Johnny Damon trying to break out of the doldrums
Damon's .213 career postseason batting average and .260 on-base percentage in three Yankees playoff series isn't exactly awe-inspiring - he did have three homers and eight RBIs in the 2006 and 2007 first-round eliminations combined - but his 2004 heroics for the Red Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium are seemingly still well-remembered.

Manny Ramirez looking forward to another shot at Phillies
A year ago, which also means a 50-game drug suspension ago, Manny Ramirez hit .533 against the Phillies in the 2008 National League Championship Series, with two homers and seven RBI in five games.

Yankees in catcher quandary
Although the manager hasn't officially announced it yet, you can bet the A.J. Burnett/Jose Molina battery will remain intact for Games 2 and 5.

Joba Chamberlain says he's a relief pitcher, until further notice
From the way Joba Chamberlain stares down hitters to the fastballs he darts over the plate, he certainly seems more confident, focused and perhaps even more comfortable out of the bullpen.

Yankees concerned about Angels' base-running ability
The frustrations of playing the Angels are many, and Derek Jeter started ticking them off on Wednesday.

Angels will ensure Adenhart is not forgotten
As a crosschecker for the Orioles, Dean Albany typically roots for an American League East team to represent the AL in the World Series.

Ryan Howard becoming a big-time performer
It's fun Phillies legend already, that final inning in Colorado the other night. "Just get me to the plate, fellas," Ryan Howard said repeatedly at the end of the Phillies' bench.

For Dodgers' Jim Thome, the ring is the thing
Jim Thome was comfortable playing for the White Sox, with playing so close to his home. He didn't have to accept a trade to the Dodgers and, honestly, there were plenty of reasons why he might have wanted to stay right where he was.

10/13/2009

Baldelli reflects on season with Red Sox, which may end up being his last
BOSTON –– Rocco Baldelli stood in the corner of the Red Sox clubhouse Sunday evening and watched his teammates sit in despair.

10/14/2009

Bobby Abreu has stats worthy of a future Hall of Famer
He is an important reason the Angels are here, but Abreu played down his contributions. Understated star is the role he fits best.

Angels-Yankees series should be must-see TV
In short, my friends, this is your World Series, beginning Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Pitching changes will be a big factor in Phillies-Dodgers series
Can the new-look Phillies beat the new-look Dodgers and advance to their second straight World Series? Here are some of the questions they'll have to answer.

Seven reasons the Yankees will return to the World Series
Yes, the Yankees will outlast their nemeses, the Angels, in a seven-game extravaganza that will light up both coasts. The Steinbrenners' club will end a five-year drought and reach its first World Series since 2003.

Alex Rodriguez is suddenly Mr. Clutch
Rodriguez's performance in the three-game sweep of Minnesota a .455 average, two homers, six RBIs is a stunning departure from his past October struggles and a huge positive as he seeks his first career World Series appearance, and the Yankees their first championship since 2001.

Yankees may turn to Sabathia for three starts in ALCS
To get back to the World Series, the Yankees are willing to ride CC Sabathia all the way.

Angels so much more than a team of destiny
You could call the Angels the team of destiny in 2009, deferring respectfully to the memory of Nick Adenhart. It makes for a nice theme for the AL Championship Series, but the Yankees aren't buying it.

Angels ready to open in homer-friendly Yankee Stadium
"It's very, very - very - hitter-friendly," Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said of the new Yankee Stadium, pointedly emphasizing the third "very."

Joe Torre says he'll return for 2010, but probably stay no longer
"I don't anticipate doing more than that," he said. "Of course, I've said that before, and my wife doesn't believe me."

Phillies are ready for prime time
Their thrilling division series against Colorado may have gone unwatched in many precincts, but it did not go unnoticed. The Phillies are just as formidable as ever, flashing the same swagger and resilience in edging the Rockies as they did in winning a World Series title last fall.

Dodgers' Larry Bowa knows the Phillies, and their fans
"You can go zero, zero, zero with them and then they put up a 5," Bowa said. "They don't put up a 1. They don't put up a 2. Then, you go zero, zero, zero, 4."

10/13/2009

Angels exposed Jonathan Papelbon’s flaws
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ error-aided comeback against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of their division series is hard to top. But the Los Angeles Angels pulled off a riveting two-out rally of their own in the ninth inning on Sunday to finish off the Boston Red Sox.

Looking forward: Bay, shortstop, offensive production are on to-do list
BOSTON — While the Yankees and Angels have a date to find out who will reign supreme in the American League in 2009, the Red Sox packed their bags Monday and are turning their focus to 2010.

Looking back: Warning signs were evident all season
BOSTON — Like the creaky house that doesn’t survive the hurricane, the 2009 Red Sox fell apart all at once. But the cracks in the foundation were visible long before the storm came and swept it all away.

Red Sox journal: Dice-K needs to shape up, Epstein says
BOSTON –– The forgotten man in the Red Sox postseason was once the talk of the town, and of two countries’ baseball worlds: Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Mills, Bogar among candidates for manager job with Houston
BOSTON –– It’s becoming the norm during the offseason for members of Terry Francona’s coaching staff to become candidates for vacant managerial jobs with other clubs.

Bill Reynolds: Sox were undone by their weak hitting
What happened?

10/11/2009

Angels 7, Red Sox 6: Papelbon falters, Sox ousted
The Sox' closer can't hold a two-run lead with two outs and nobody on in the ninth, and Boston is swept by L.A.

Bill Reynolds: Bang the drum slowly for the season that never was

Angels 7, Red Sox 6: Suddenly vulnerable Papelbon loses more than a game

Angels 7, Red Sox 6: Bard provides the bright spot on a dark afternoon

Angels 7, Red Sox 6: Abreu and Guerrero come through when it counts for L.A.

Red Sox journal: Bay plans to test free-agent market; Wakefield headed for surgery

Buchholz knows the season rests on his right shoulder
BOSTON – Clay Buchholz has dealt with all sorts of feelings, good and bad, in the 2009 baseball season.

Red Sox journal: If there’s a Game Four, Lester will pitch on short rest
BOSTON — Terry Francona knows that the Red Sox will be going against their usual philosophy by pitching Jon Lester Monday, if they can force a game four. But the special circumstances have brought it about.

Red Sox are hoping for a Hollywood ending to this series
BOSTON — There was much commotion around Fenway Park on Saturday.

Bill Reynolds: Red Sox have dug themselves a deep hole
Bring out all the old clichés:

04/19/2009

Jim Donaldson: Ortiz is not scaring anyone, except Red Sox fans
BOSTON –– Just as we know the white-hot Kevin Youkilis isn’t going to continue to hit .468 this season, we know that the slow-starting David “Big Papi” Ortiz isn’t going to continue to hit .170.