Posted on 10/15/2012 5:19:10 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano are using these playoffs to make a powerful case for avoiding a mega-long-term commitment to Cano.
Rodriguez is just now at the halfway mark of his 10-year, $275 million contract and to say he looks helpless against righties is an insult to the helpless. The Yankees don’t want to see five more minutes of this, much less five more years. He is the cautionary tale about erosion during the life of an extended deal.
Cano is supposed to be the logical heir to A-Rod as both middle-of-the-order thunder and top-of-the-pay-scale wage earner. Brian Cashman had even hinted during the season about breaking Yankees’ policy and trying to sign Cano long term before he actually reaches free agency after 2013.
But the Yankees will have pause now with Cano and also Curtis Granderson. Plus, if there was even a lingering thought of retaining free-agent-to-be Nick Swisher, that has probably evaporated, too, in yet another postseason to forget.
The foursome has been so woeful that Raul Ibanez and Russell Martin were Joe Girardi’s choices to bat 4-5 yesterday in ALCS Game 2. Still, within that failing heavyweight quartet, the biggest responsibility belongs to Cano.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The funny thing with the Tigers is that the 3, 4, and 5 batters haven’t been producing that much in the post season. Hopefully the trip back to Detroit will be the spark they need.
I’d even put Valverde back on the mound if the Tigers have enough of a cushion to hold the lead if he allows some runs. His confidence has been shaken and there’s really no other way to get it back. Barring that there’s not much they can do short of sending him to Toledo to work on it. People often forget that he’s always allowed runs even in his 49 in 49 season.
Can't wait to see who they pick as manager. My vote's for Varitek..heck, look what Matheny and Ventura have done..The Toronto skipper is a good guy, but they'll want too much in compensation.
OTOH, the Yankess were/are owned by Republicans, specifically, George Steinbrenner, who was a big time GOP backer. The president of the Yankees, Randy Levine, I believe has $upported and endorsed Scott Brown.
Steinbrenner and Levine have both give to Dems and Repubs. Recently Levine changed his tune.
2 year contracts to every athlete in every sport with 3 one year retention rights for free agency.
You do better than the previous year, you go up X%. Do worse, go down X%. After 5 years you are up for negotiations with whatever a club wants to spend on you.
Then apply the same formula.
Owners can get a better handle on costs, players have to perform (Sorry A-Rod, when the joke is I am going as A-Rod for halloween because all I have to do is glue a bench to my a$$) and the fans get their monies worth because no player is going to dog it.
Ok.
Another drought like 1979 - 1995? (Okay, there was the 1981 Series loss to the Dodgers in there but...)
Don’t go putting champagne on ice for the Tigers just yet. I seem to recall the playoffs in 2004 when the Red Sox were down three games to none. There’s a reason we watch the games.
I can't wrap my brain around that. Anytime I've, or my favotite team lost, I would want the person or team that beat me to go all the way. I'd much rather lose to the Champion than some also-ran.
For me, the ‘mighty’ New York Yankees in disarray is very pleasing to see.
Oh Please Yankees, sign Josh Hamilton, make my day.
The Cardinals are using up all the luck.
they need to shed the payroll and give opportunities to younger guys to make the team. I’m not sure that the commish will allow another salary dump like the Red Sox got away with. They need to continue to draft pitchers and then the best available player and see how they develop. By all accounts, they have a great development system and they just need to restrain the desire to get the big free agents and work towards more of a development model, like they did in the early 90’s.
Most fans would welcome a few years of rebuilding but this team has too much invested in only a few salaries over the next five years to just rebuild right now.
You know, I admired and respected the 1996 - 2001 Yankees, those were great teams. And the late 1970s teams too. But the current version I just can’t get behind. I don’t know if it’s A-Rod or what .... Jeter and Rivera are two of the all-time greats though and even Gehrig and Ruth would be proud.
I hate that the Tigers are only in cause the White Sox CHOKED , I’m rooting hard for the Yanks but it looks like big D is getting a bye into the WS.
I would probably rather had all 4 division series went the other way. Though I shed no tears for Dusty Baker or the Nats who think shutting down a healthy pitcher as a precaution is a good idea (though it didn’t impact the series his replacement pitched well), and the manager not pulling that closer from game 5, what a moron.
I hope STL wins again out of these 4.
But my prediction is Detroit is gonna win. Just like the Packers of a couple years ago who shouldn’t have made the playoffs either.
with the rainout ... Sabathia can only start one game in the series! 4 games in 4 days now. maybe it ends THUR eve.
6-0 Tigers in the 4th, fat man pulled. Number of Yankee hits, 0.
Flashback to 6 years ago seeing then Tigers Pitcher Jeremy Bonderman take a fan’s “LELAND FOR GOVERNOR” banner and waving it around.
Girardi did a lousy ass job of managing the pitchers ... they needed to keep it close and he failed. He had Soriano available for 2 innings and even Pettite. Instead we got to see Derek Lowe.
Detroit/St. Louis should be a good WS.
I’d hate to be the Yankees and have 5 years and ~!20 million of ARoid left to deal with...
Lynn doesn’t have it. WHo gets the game 4 start if STL makes the series? Garcia is injured. Kelly?
the remaining schedule is:
NLCS: Sun, Mon
WS: WED, TH, SA, SUN, TU, WED, THUR
therefore a 7-game NLCS leads to:
SF: Vogelsong or McCain in game 4, giving that pitcher only 1 start. Lincecum (or Bumgartner), gets 2 starts.
STL: Carpenter or Lohse in game 4, giving that pitcher only 1 start. Lynn (or other 4th starter, Kelly?), gets 2 starts.
The alternative is to go with the SUN starter on THUR, short rest (Carpenter STL or Vogelsong SF). Highly unlikely for Carpenter, coming off injury.
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