Tag: 2009 World Series (Page 3 of 3)

Yankees bench Swisher for Hairston Jr.

October 29, 2009 /

In a move that will no doubt bring a smile to most Yankee fans’ faces, the Bronx Bombers have decided to bench Nick Swisher in favor of Jerry Hairston Jr. for Game 2 of the World Series.

From Rotoworld.com:

Hairston is 10-for-27 (.370) lifetime against Phillies starter Pedro Martinez and Swisher is 11 for his last 77 (.143) with one homer dating back to the regular season. Of course, it’s also worth noting that Hairston hasn’t faced Pedro since 2004 and hasn’t started in right field since joining the Yankees.

This move won’t be the difference in whether or not the Yankees can even the series, but something had to be done. Swisher has been awful so far in the postseason and Joe Girardi had waited long enough. If Hairston is productive right away, I doubt Swisher will return to the starting lineup the rest of the series.

Then again, if Hairston is just as brutal, then who knows what Girardi will do in order to conjure up some more production from his outfield.

MLB

Martinez sounds off about New York media, fans

October 29, 2009 /

As he prepares to start Game 2 of the World Series tonight against the Yankees, Phillies’ pitcher Pedro Martinez had some interesting things to say about the New York media and fans.

From ESPN.com:

“You guys have used me and abused me,” he said. “I remember quotes in the paper, ‘Here comes the man that New York loves to hate.’ Man? None of you have probably ever eaten steak with me or rice and beans with me to understand what the man is about. You might say the player, the competitor, but the man? You guys have abused my name. You guys have said so many things, have written so many things.

“There was one time I remember when I was a free agent, there was talk that I might meet with [George] Steinbrenner. One of your colleagues had me in the papers with horns and a tail, red horns and a tail. That’s a sign of the devil. I’m a Christian man. I don’t like those things. I take those things very serious. Those are the kind of things that the fans actually get used to seeing, and actually sometimes influence those people to believe that you are a bad person, that you are like an ogre.”

“I don’t know if you realize this, but because of you guys in some ways, I might be at times the most influential player that ever stepped in Yankee Stadium. I can honestly say that,” Martinez said. “I have all the respect in the world for the way they enjoy being fans. Sometimes they might be giving you the middle finger, just like they will be cursing you and telling you what color underwear you’re wearing. All those things you can hear when you’re a fan. But at the end of the day, they’re just great fans that want to see the team win. I don’t have any problem with that.”

He also addressed the fight he had with Don Zimmer when he was a member of the Red Sox:

“It was an ugly scene,” Martinez said Wednesday during a pregame World Series news conference, adding this was probably the first time he was discussing it publicly. “Zim charged me and I think he’s going to say something, but his reaction was totally the opposite, [he] was trying to punch my mouth and told me a couple of bad words about my mom. I just had to react and defend myself.

Zimmer wasn’t having it though:

“Pedro is full of crap,” Zimmer told the St. Petersburg Times. “It’s what, six years later? If Pedro wants to be a big man, I don’t care what he says.”

Zimmer, however, was more forgiving in an interview with the New York Daily News.
“I told the whole world I was wrong and that I was embarrassed by what I’d done and I apologized for it,” Zimmer told the Daily News. “I was definitely wrong and Pedro didn’t do nothing. I told the whole world that, even though the Yankees didn’t want me to hold a press conference because they were afraid I might say something to stir things up more.”

There’s definitely an added element to tonight’s game with Martinez taking on the Yankees in New York. The Yankees are almost in a must-win seeing as how they lost last night and would no doubt love to stick it to their old Boston nemesis.

MLB

Lee, Utley power Phillies over Yankees in Game 1

October 28, 2009 /

The Phillies gave up quite the package to acquire starter Cliff Lee from the Indians at the trade deadline, but that doesn’t matter much now because he was definitely worth it.

Lee shut down the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series, taking a shutout into the ninth inning of a 6-1 Phillies’ win. If it weren’t for Jimmy Rollins throwing the ball away in the ninth to give New York a run, Lee would have earned a shutout, although he’ll certainly take a 10-strike out, zero-walk performance.

Chase Utley gave Lee and Philadelphia all the offense they needed, as he hit two solo shots off New York ace CC Sabathia. With his first home run of the game, Utley reached base in his 26th-straight postseason game, which broke Boog Powell’s record from 1966-71. He was also the first player to hit two dingers in Game 1 of a World Series since Troy Glaus accomplished the feat in 2002 against the Giants.

If the trends from previous World Series hold up, the Yankees are in trouble. In the last six years, the team that has won Game 1 have all gone on to win the series, just as the Phillies did last year when they beat the Rays 3-2 in the 2008 opener.

Philadelphia played like a team that had been to the World Series the year before, while New York seemed a little uptight. Not to take anything away from Lee, but it’s a little absurd for a Yankees lineup so filled with talent to only produce one run – especially given the park they play in. It was impressive how calm and collected Philadelphia’s players were, it almost seemed like they were playing in a spring training game.

Now all the pressure is on the Yankees to win Game 2, because they can’t fall behind 0-2 and then hit the road for three. The Phillies essentially accomplished their goal of winning one game in New York, but if they take Game 2 they’ll certainly be in the driver’s seat when they head back home.

MLB

Phillies knock off Dodgers, head back to World Series

October 22, 2009 /

The Philadelphia Phillies will have the opportunity to defend their World Series title.

Jayson Werth powered the Phils past the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night by hitting two of the club’s four home runs in a 10-4 victory. Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino also homered for Philly, as they easily disposed of L.A. in five games.

The Phillies’ offense shined in the NLCS, racking up 35 runs in seven games. Thus far, Werth has five dingers in the postseason, while Victorino has three. Philadelphia will now await the winner of the Yankees-Angels series to see who will oppose them in the World Series.

A potential Phillies-Yankees matchup would be entertaining considering how well both clubs are hitting the ball right now. Watching CC Sabathia take on Werth, Victorino, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley would be incredibly fun to watch and should draw decent ratings given how big of a market the Yankees play in.

It’s amazing how the Phillies were overlooked before the season. While everyone talked about the Mets, Dodgers and Cubs, the Phillies flew under the radar for the most part and then once again took care of business once the series started.

The Dodgers must be praying they never have to face the Phillies after these last two years.

MLB

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