Note To Naysayers This Ain't 2004

Talking to fans before the start of the game at the stadium last night, I got the sense that reports by some sports reporters suggesting that the Yankees could "crash and burn" in this ALDS series like they did in the 2004 ALCS to the Boston Red Sox, had really riled them up.

"Are they kidding me?," a young woman sitting three rows down from me asked. "This isn't the same team that played back then. And, uhh, this [opposing team] is Minnesota."

An older gentlemen sitting in my row, who jokingly claimed to have uttered the word "Yankees" at birth, shared the young woman's sentiment. "You can't compare the '04 team to this one. This is a better team and they play better together. We own Minnesota, but maybe these media hacks haven't noticed that. It's stupid."
Maybe we should all just take a moment and try to give the reporters the benefit of the doubt on this one.

One...two...three...

Nah, that didn't work.

What more do the Yankees have to do to convince the naysayers who still hold on to 2004, that this is a different team? How much more would they have to bear witness to in order to recognize that the caliber of this team, the cohesiveness of this team and the drive of this team are in stark contrast to the team in '04?
And the irony of it, is that the loss in '04 is why this team is a far better team.

TheYankees slept on the Red Sox in that ALCS series. After pummeling Boston with a 19-8 win in game 3, the Yankees thought they had the series in the bag. They played with no sense of urgency, their hitting sputtered and they committed costly errors in 3 of those last 4 games.

What the Yankees did last year once they had the Minnesota Twins on the ropes, and what they've done again this year, is to play each deciding game knowing that being ahead in the series is no guarantee of taking it all. In yesterday's deciding game 3, the Yankees attacked early, getting things started with a triple off the bat of Sir Robinson Cano in the 2nd inning, who would eventually score on an RBI single from Jorge Posada. In the 3rd, Nick "Swishalicious" Swisher doubled to left and scored on a laser off the left field wall from Mark Teixera, putting the Yankees up 2-0. And then in the 4th, Marcus Thames sealed Minnesota's fate with a 2-run blast to right field, giving the Yankees a 4-0 edge.

And Phil Hughes pitched like a madman on a mission. His "stuff" was as good or maybe even better than it was at the beginning of the regular season. He dominated Twins' batters for seven innings with a sharp cut fastball and nasty changeup, changing speeds on all his pitches. As Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley joked on the TBS postgame show: "He had that wristy cheese!"

Different team. Different year. Different approach. Same winning results.

Puttin' Some Good Wood On It

When it was clear that Andy Pettitte would not be returning to the mound for the eighth inning in last night's game 2 of the ALDS, I must admit that I was a little disappointed. As I had predicted the day before, Andy sparkled once again, mind you with a few hitches in his giddyup, but he sparkled nonetheless. It would have been pretty cool to see him pitch through the eighth, thus handing the ball to Mariano Rivera to close. So, yeah, I was a little disappointed.

But like this ALDS series for the Minnesota Twins, my disappointment didn't last very long.

Kerry Wood proved to be the right call for Joe Girardi in choosing his eighth inning guy. In game 1, Wood pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit, no runs, and one strikeout. In last night's game, he upped the ante by striking out two Minnesota batters and allowing no hits, pitching a full inning. He now sports a .167 ERA with two holds in this ALDS series.

In his postseason career as both a starter and reliever, Woods boasts a 3.52 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 38.1 innings over 10 games. Not too shabby for a guy who seemingly faded into obscurity following Tommy John surgery while a pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, after having been the toast of Chi-Town during his "lights out" rookie season in 1998.

Wood clearly tapped in to his old self, baffling Twins batters with a fastball that seemed to disappear once it reached the plate. He has a distinct "across-the-body" delivery which allowed for great depth of his pitches and deception of his breaking ball.

Three months ago, the Yankees' biggest issue was their bullpen. But since coming to the team, Wood has provided the depth and experience that makes this bullpen a force to be reckoned with down this stretch in these playoffs.

2010 ALDS Game 2: What To Expect

Don't be surprised if you see the Minnesota Twins head back into their clubhouse after the final out tonight with looks of gloom and doom. Minnesota pretty much sealed their fate last night by squandering a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning of game 1 in the ALDS to the Yankees.

Tonight in game 2 should be no different unless perhaps the Yankees take the lead first and keep it.

The Yankees continue to baffle Minnesota in what is becoming an embarrassing, continuous scenario. Expect that to continue tonight when Andy Petitte takes the mound in what I'm betting will be his record 19th postseason win. Yankees fan have to be a little squeamish about Andy's performance tonight having lost his last two games during the regular season. But true fans also know that somehow, some way, Andy will grind it out and lead the squad to a 2-0 lead against the Twins.

Carl Pavano gets the start for Minnesota tonight having yet to win a game against the Yankees since leaving the team in 2008. He's pitched well against them, but not well enough.

The way the ALDS has gone between the Yankees and Twins in recent years, you can almost taste series victory on Saturday in game 3 at Yankee Stadium.

Pull out the hankies Twins fans. That's if you aren't already holding on to 'em.