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I’m more than content. Cliff Lee was lights out for the Phillies, they have less payroll flexibility for 4 years, and the Phillies could have had both Lee & Halladay leading that rotation together.

Halladay; Lee; Hamels;  Happ; Blanton/Drabek/Moyer would have been Lights Out.

Also I think some other moves fall into place now. The Mariners upgraded already this off season with the Figgins signing and another ace in Lee. I think they’ll next go with power in LF via Bay or Holliday, which then potentially forces the other to accept a little less money from the Mets/Giants/Red Sox/Yankees. However, with Cameron to Boston, the Sox are out of it, and in my opinion Damon (for 5-7 million and 3-4 years less than Holliday) re-signs with the Yankees. Therefore, either Holliday or Bay signs to a slightly less than expected deal with the Mets.

No matter what, I fully expect the Phillies to take the NL East yet again – unlike the past 3 years.

I truly wish the Mets were the 3rd team in the Yankees-Tigers-(D-backs) deal replacing the D-backs. I thought 0f a crazy, but interesting scenario that could have actually worked: Carlos Beltran, Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada or Reese Havens, and Brad Holt or Bobby Parnell from the Mets; Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, Austin Jackson from the Yankees, and Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, and Miguel Cabrera from the Tigers.

Mets receive: Miguel Cabrera/1b, Robinson Cano/2b, Curtis Granderson/cf, Phil Hughes/sp (go on to sign a FA LF & another SP and their offseason needs would have been completed beyond expectations)

Yankees receive: Carlos Beltran, Edwin Jackson, Wilmer Flores (and go on to sign Hudson or FA 2b + FA lf)

Tigers receive: Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Tejada/Havens, Holt/Parnell, Austin Jackson (and get even more payroll flexiblity trading Miguel Cabrera for a decent haul). I of course understand the Tigers got a very nice haul of SP’s from the trade they actually did complete with the Yanks & D-back. I think if Scherzer stays healthy, Verlander through Porcello can still keep them toward the top of the AL Central.

Do you think my proposed 3-way above is irrational, however? It completely depletes the Mets farm system, which isn’t great any way, but I think it instantaneously helps them compete with the Phillies.

I wrote on facebook: “Congratulations to the most spoiled fans in the world, however… Thank you…Becasue I hate the Phillies with a Passion” to which a Yankee friend replied, “But Dan, they’re are 3rd graders who haven’t seen this yet” to which I replied but there are 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th and 12th graders that have.

Oh and I forgot to congratulate the Phillies and their fans 2 seasons ago – for their desire to have us hate them and take them seriously… Well done. Seriously though. Well done.

The Mets have a sundry of needs that Omar Minaya or whomever else assumes GM needs to attend to: mainly c, 1b, 2b, lf, and sp. I say 2b because it seems they are attempting to trade Luis Castillo and then potentially offer a deal to Orlando Hudson, which scares me if the Mets have to provide another multi year deal to an aging 2nd baseman who was benched for Ronnie Belliard during the (p)lay-offs. I’ll stop assuming our prospects pan out and offer a scenario that lands the Mets a 1b,2b,lf,and sp. I also won’t propose trading 15 tier 3 prospects for 4 mlb all stars.

Trade 1) NYM-Jankees: Carlos Beltran(cf), Wilmer Flores/Reese Havens/Ruben Tejada (preferably the later middle infield prospect), Urbina/Moviel/Familia(sp prospect) for Robinson Cano(2b) and Phil Hughes(sp).

* I know the Yankees could have had Beltran for just cash prior to him signing with the Mets, but this provides the Yankees with an every day (when healthy) offensive centerfielder and then they can sign Chone Figgins or Orlando Hudson for 2b and use Flores/Havens/Tejada at ss or 2b when that contract or Jeter’s career is over.

Trade 2) NYM-Brewers: Ike Davis(1b prospect), Fernando Martinez (of prospect), Mike Pelfrey(sp), Brad Holt (sp prospect) for Prince Fielder(1b).Maybe Angel Pagan(of) &/or Daniel Murphy(if-of) can also be involved in the deal for Carlos Gomez (cf) otherwise the Mets CF will come by way of free agency…

Trade 3) NYM-Cubs: The already infinitely proposed deal (except straight up with cash consideration coming the Mets way), Luis Castillo(2b) for Milton Bradley(lf)

Mets 2010 Free Agent signings: Mike Cameron(cf) if Carlos Gomez isn’t involved in the Brewers deal, Randy Wolf(sp), and Erik Bedard or Ben Sheets(sp) contingent on health reports and monetary demands.

*I haven’t added monetary figures to this scenario but if you include the salary subtractions of Delgado, Wagner, Putz, Schneider, Sheffield, Tatis, and Cora the Mets would have a payroll at 10-15 million less than last year ( and that takes into account salary and arbitration raises). The Mets Lineup and Rotation (depth) would look as follows:

1-Jose Reyes/ss

2-David Wright/3b

3-Robinson Cano/2b

4-Prince Fielder/1b

5-Milton Bradley/lf

6-Jeff Franceour/rf

7-Mike Cameron/cf

8-Santos/Thole/Free Agent Catcher

1-Johan Santana

2-Randy Wolf

3-Erik Bedard/Ben Sheets/John Maine

4-Phil Hughes

5-Oliver Perez/Jon Niese

6-Misch/Stoner/Nieve/Figueroa/Mejia

That’s an AL East competitor even, but so are the Phillies. The Mets must match up to them lineup spot by lineup spot and rotation slot by rotation slot.

The Red Sox kicked off their offseason quickly, acquiring Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins just hours after the Yankees won the World Series (insert vomitingsound here). The Sox gave up minor league southpaws Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez for Hermida, the 11th overall draft pick in 2002. He hasn’t performed up to expectations for the Marlins, but a change of scenery and a different role could be just what he needs. Hermida had this to say about his first major career move: “I made some great friends and they treated me very well [in Florida]. On the other hand, I’m very excited to go to a city like Boston and a team like that. There isn’t a better team, in comparison. Just the history and the fan base that they have. I’m very excited to go up there and be a part of that as well.”

In other hot stove news, the Red Sox picked up their option for catcher Victor Martinez, who was acquired from the Indians at the Trade Deadline. Martinez will return as the starting catcher in 2010, and a long-term deal may be around the corner.

Boston had three more contract options to make a decision on today, none of which were exercised. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez had a $6 million option, though the Red Sox may have plans to re-sign him for less money. Captain Jason Varitek had his $5 million option declined, but he has three days to decide if he wants to exercise his personal $3 million option that would keep him in Boston for the 2010 season.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefild’s year-to-year mutual option was nullified by a new two-year deal for the longest-tenured member of the Sox. Wakefield is just 17 wins shy of the All-Time Red Sox record of 192 that is shared by Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

All season long I have excoriated Joe Girardi in this space.  I have repeatedly noted his numerous deficiencies.  That list included his incessant overmanaging, his tendency to tighten up in the clutch, his rampant insecurity, and his unwillingness to let the players decide the game.  I have called him incompetent, clueless, and just plain lousy.  And he was.

But his team won 114 games and brought the world championship back to New York.  So much as I would prefer another manager (come home Joe Torre!), I have decided to give Girardi a pass.  He has my permission to return next year.  He can wear 28 instead of 27 and attempt to repeat the victory of 2009.

And maybe he will succeed.  There certainly is sufficient precedent.  Casey Stengel managed the Dodgers and the Braves during the 1930s, and was considered a clown.  Yet when he came to the Yankees, he won ten pennants in twelve years, a record of success that may never be broken.   Joe Torre managed the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals without success, and was deemed a failure as a manager until he came to New York.  Indeed, when he was hired at the beginning of the 1996 season, the New York media referred to him as “Clueless Joe”.

So great managers are made, not born.  Maybe Girardi learned something this year.  Maybe his many failures made an impression on him.  Perhaps he can learn to relax and trust his players to win the game.  Certainly the pummelling he took after the Game 3 fiasco against the Angels should have taught him something.

Only time will tell.  I remain unconvinced that he will ever become a top flight manager; he just does not appear to have the right temperament.  But his team got the job done this year, and joy reigns in the Yankee Universe.

So peace, Joe.  Come back next year and prove me wrong.  I hope you do it.

Tonite the Yankees won their 27^th World Championship, besting a very good Phillies team 7-3 to win the Series in six games. 

There are many reasons to have what one of my old teachers referred to as a Moment of Gloat.  (And we will.)  But for now, the feeling is one of tremendous gratitude.  To the baseball gods, and to the Game in general.  This was one of the best World Series matchups in a long time; not so much for the moment-to-moment excitement perhaps, but because you had two excellent teams that both looked and played like champions, never saying die, and pulling off amazing comebacks en route to the Big Dance.  (Kind of like that year where the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins both went 14-2 and met in the Super Bowl for a showdown.  One team was better.)  This year the Yankees happened to be the better team.  And, as it happens, they were the best team. 

As a Yankees fan who has watched this Class of 1995 play since they came up, the way the Yankees won tonite’s game was particularly special – with Andy Pettitte pitching strong; and Mariano coming on for the final 5 outs, with Posada and Jeter coming in to meet them when the final out was made.  While Hideki Matsui’s epic performance tonite was incredible, my favorite moment of this game – and of this Series – will be that moment in the 6^th inning when the fans chanted Andy Pettitte’s name, to let him know how much he has meant to us Yankees fans, and how great it is to watch the Yankees win with him on the mound.  This makes the Yankees’ 27^th championship as a franchise, and the Class of 1995’s 5^th world championship ring as the nucleus of the franchise.  After 9 years of disasters and disappointments, and when it looked like this group might never hold the trophy high again, the words of Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president, ring proudly in my mind: “Thank God I have lived to see this day.”

In 1977, the Yankees took a 3-games-to-1 lead over the Dodgers in L.A., lost Game Five decisively, and then came back to the Bronx to win the Series in Game Six in a game in which Reggie Jackson hit 3 homeruns to become “Mr. October.” 

This is what we as Yankees fans hope will happen tonite.  Actually, I’m hoping for a 1985 Game Seven-style Royals-Cardinals 11-0 type victory.  In other words, an easy night at the ball park, where the Yanks “score ten runs in the first inning and then slowly pull away.” 

Given the high-drama nature of this 2009 postseason, however, this may not be a realistic request.  Starting with the Twins-Tigers one-game playoff, there have been more two-out come-from-behind victories, more blown saves and near-blown saves, and more walk-off game winning homeruns than I can remember there being in a long time.  The World Series has followed suit, with both teams’ bullpens providing late-inning drama even in games that in hindsight were really won earlier in the game. 

The net result – for me and for Phillies and Yankees fans I’ve talked to, at least – is that this has been an emotionally exhausting World Series to watch.  My Phillies-loving co-workers and I were in complete agreement yesterday that we were glad to have last night off.  These 8 p.m. start times with games that go past midnight (I don’t think Game Three ended until after 1 a.m.) – combined with the blog writing and occasional drive home after the game, all while still having to get up early for work the next day – have made the experience somewhat physically exhausting as well.  And while I realize all this drama is “good for the Game” and all, dammit, enough is enough!  Indeed, in my heart of hearts, I can’t think of anything that would be better for Baseball than a nice easy Yankee victory in Game Six (can you???).  It would certainly be a nice change of pace.  Like a good changeup that gets a batter for strike three after a flurry of fastballs and sliders. 

Whatever happens, and however it happens, I do think tonite is our night.  Most Yankee fans I’ve talked to didn’t think it would happen in Game Five.  The Phillies have too much pride; they had their best pitcher going at home; and, indeed, they are really too good a team to go down in five games.  That having been said, this Yankee team has too much heart and determination to simply blow a 3-games-to-1 lead and collapse into a miserable pile of rubble.  And while it has been Sabathia’s year, it would be more fitting, in my view, for the clincher to be tonite with Andy on the mound.  At age 37, this could be his last World Series (as indeed it could be for Rivera, who is 39).  It would be very sweet for Andy to go 6 innings strong, and then hand it to Joba and Hughes, with Rivera (who, if the Yanks do win, gets my vote for Series MVP) coming on to close it out in the 9^th. 

It has been a postseason to remember.  It would just be really nice if we could start “remembering” it – champagne and all – starting around midnight tonite.

What do you get when you pit two teams with shaky bullpens but who won’t quit against each other?  Another nailbiter of a game which, fortunately for the Yankees, will qualify for Yankees Classics, as the Yanks took Game Four 7-4 with a clutch two-out, 3-run 9^th inning.

Joe Blanton did all that could be reasonably expected of him: he kept the game close, and gave his team a chance to win it.  When the Phils inched their way back to tie the game at 4-4 in the 8^th, the Phils had effectively neutralized the advantage the Yanks had by starting their ace, Sabathia, against the Phils’ #4 pitcher. 

In doing so, however, the stage for a showdown between the two teams’ bullpens had been set.  The Yanks have questionable middle relief, but the greatest closer in the history of the game in Mariano Rivera.  The Phils, by contrast, have fair-to-middling relief, and a fallen giant for a closer in Brad Lidge, who was so dominant in 2008, but has been such a liability in 2009. 

The Yanks’ bullpen faltered first in Game One, and then again last night when Joba gave up a game-tying homerun in the 8^th, despite striking out the side. 

But then with the game tied 4-4 and two outs in the top of the 9^th, it was the Phillies’ turn to have a bullpen nightmare.  In what looked at times like a surreal turn-of-events (particularly the part where Damon stole second and then third in the same play when he saw that nobody was covering it), the Yanks surged ahead 7-4, and yet another Lidge meltdown had plunged the Phillies into a 3 games to 1 hole. 

With no room left for error, and the dreaded Lidge meltdown still fresh in mind, it is possible that the Phils’ spirit is broken, and that they will go quietly tonite in Game Five, Cliff Lee notwithstanding.  But if their spirit is not broken, the Phils still have a helluva ball club; and every pitcher they face for the rest of the Series will be on 3-days’ rest. 

Still, with A.J. Burnett on the mound tonite and all the momentum going their way, the Yankees will be primed to end the Series in short order.  Like Blanton, all A.J. has to do is keep the game close.  And there’s nothing to say that A.J. just couldn’t outduel Lee; his stuff at times has been as good as anyone else’s in the game. 

With that in mind, I’ll make a bold prediction and say: expect the Yankees to jump out to an early lead.  I know Cliff Lee is pitching, and that he was great in Game One.  But baseball is a funny game, with momentum and inertia that is bigger than just one pitcher.  I expect that the Phils will put themselves into another hole tonite before they start digging their way out of it.  The key is for the Yanks to pounce and pounce hard, keep adding the runs, and never give the Phils a chance to get up.

Over the past few weeks Girardi has been repeatedly slammed for what has been described as chronic mismanagement, including but not limited to: consistently over-managing; misusing the bullpen; recklessly pinch-running for star players without any consideration for the consequences; and other crimes against humanity.  Indeed, a good amount of this criticism has come from this blog (though not from the authors of this post). 

But the last two games have shown instances of Girardi learning from his mistakes, and showing restraint where he has recently shown panic.  A prime example is the bullpen.  Girardi’s use of the bullpen in the first two rounds of the playoffs was riddled with pitching changes with his best relievers based on shortsighted individual pitching matchups – with many of these changes taking place mid-inning, and after the previous pitcher had obtained only one or two outs.   The result: when these close games went into extra innings, all the best relievers were already used and out of the game, after throwing only a handful of pitches each. 

Tonite’s performance, however, showed a more measured approach.  Andy Pettitte hurled 6 strong innings, handing the bullpen a 3-run lead.  Girardi went with Joba in the 7^th, and Marte in the 8^th, and did not pull either of these pitchers even when the pitching matchups may have favored such a change.  The only mid-inning pitching change he did make was in the 9^th, when Hughes, after getting a quick out, gave up a homerun to Ruiz.  But with slugger Matt Stairs due up next, Rollins on deck, and Utley and Howard lurking soon thereafter, it was important to close this game out before the Phils could amass any more momentum.  And there’s no better dose of Yankee reality than Mariano Rivera.  Girardi made the right move. 

Girardi is also pulling the proper levers with the position players.  For instance, starting Hairston in Game 2 for Swisher, in which Hairston got a key hit, allowed Swisher to take a break and clear his head.  All of this led to a dynamic performance by Swisher in Game 3, wherein he hit a key double, and a solo homerun, to help propel the Yankees to victory. 

In short, rather than repeating the mistakes of the last two series, Girardi is making adjustments in his management style, and appears to be finding a rhythm.  The Yankees, thanks in no small part to Girardi’s steady management in this Series, now find themselves up 2-1 in the Series with Sabathia slated to pitch in Game 4.

Game 3 started exactly the way the Phillies needed it to.  Cole Hamels set down the Yankees quickly through the first three innings, and the Phils jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Andy Pettitte, threatening in each of the first three innings.  The crowd was roaring, and the Yanks were in a real hole.

But then things started to deteriorate.  After a walk to Texeira with two outs in the 4^th inning, A-Rod hit a shot off a camera in right field which, upon further review, was ruled a homerun to cut the Phils’ lead to 3-2.  The Yanks then tied it in the 5^th with an RBI hit by Andy Pettitte (of all people), and then scored two more runs off a double by Johnny Damon to jump ahead 5-3, Hamels having been knocked out of the game after only 4 1/3 innings.  And then the Yanks continued to pick away at the Phils’ bullpen, tacking on an additional run in the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th innings to take an 8-5 victory in Game 3.

Needless to say, this was a huge victory for the Yankees.  With Sabathia slated to start in Game 4 against Joe Blanton, the Phils really needed to win Game 3 behind Cole Hamels, their recent ace, and last year’s World Series MVP.  A win in Game 3 would’ve put the Phils on track to maybe win the Series in five games and close it out in Philly like they did last year.  It would also shift the pressure to the Yankees to win Game 4 behind Sabathia on short rest.  And if for some reason the Yankees and Sabathia stumbled in Game 4 – a game they really should win given the pitching matchups – the Phils would have a rested Cliff Lee to close things out in Game 5.

Instead, the Yankees’ victory in Game 3 now puts Philadelphia in the hole.  For one, it means the Series will definitely go back to the Bronx – unless of course if the Yanks win the whole thing in five games.  It also means that the Phils now have to try to win tomorrow with their #4 starter against Sabathia.  Given how good Sabathia has been (even in his Game 1 loss to Cliff Lee), there is now an excellent chance that the Phils will find themselves down 3 games to 1 after tomorrow night. 

Clutch performances in Game 3 included Nick Swisher, who finally broke out of his slump with a rally-starting double in the 5^th, and then a solo homerun in the 6^th.  Welcome back, Swisher. 

Robinson Cano continues to suck, going 0 for 4 again.  What bothers us most about Cano is his apparent nonchalance about the whole thing.  It may be that he cares very much about not producing; but it sure doesn’t look like it to us. 

Finally, the Yankees’ bullpen put in a decent performance, with Joba and Marte putting in strong 1-2-3 innings in the 7^th and 8^th.  Phil Hughes, on the hand, continues to struggle, as Mariano had to come in for the last two outs in the 9^th.  Fortunately, Mariano only threw 4 pitches, and so will be fully available to pitch in Game 4. 

On the whole, an outstanding team effort that has knocked a very good Phillies team back on its heels.

The answer:  Probably not. 

Sure, there are certainly other ways the Yanks can win.  The Phils could fumble and collapse of their own accord (not likely).  The Yankees’ starters could all go 8 innings every start, with Mariano Rivera closing out the 9^th (tough, but can be done).  Or the Yankees’ offense could just knock the cover off the ball and win every game by a blowout, such that the performance of the Yankees’ bullpen becomes irrelevant (not likely, especially in light of Lee’s performance last night). 

But other than that, the Yanks really need the bullpen to pitch up to form – specifically, the middle relievers – or they will not win this Series.  The middle relievers have been mediocre at best; but for the most part, they’ve been lousy – and it’s primarily because Phil Hughes has not pitched as well as he has in the regular season.  Indeed, the only reason the ALCS went six games was because Hughes and the middle relievers gave Game 5 away after the offense rallied to go up 6-4 late in the game. 

They did it again last night, with Hughes opening the 8^th inning with 2 walks, and the rest of the middle relief following suit, giving up 4 runs in the last 2 innings to put the game out of reach.  True, when a pitcher like Cliff Lee has a dominant outing like he did last night, there’s not a lot a ball club can do, except wait until he shows a weakness and then pounce.  (And if that doesn’t happen, you tip your cap to the opposing team’s fine play, and you put that game behind you.)  But you have to be in it to win it – which the Yanks might have been if the score in the bottom of the 9^th with runners on first and second and no outs had been 2-0, instead of 6-0.  After the bullpen’s collapse, however, this was not to be.  And while this was a collective failure of the middle relievers, it is Hughes’ failings that have been the most significant. 

This is not to knock Hughes.  As we all know, back in April and May the Yankees were a 3^rd place team because they had a big gaping hole in the 7^th and 8^th inning between the point when the starter ran out of gas, and the point where Rivera got the ball.  The whole season turned around when Hughes went to the bullpen and became that reliable middle reliever that was missing.  Since then, Hughes has been the glue that has held the Yankee pitching together for 9 innings … and, apparently, he still is. 

But now that Hughes is not pitching up to form, are the Yankees not as vulnerable as they were back in April and May? 

It’s not clear why Hughes hasn’t pitched as well – whether it’s because he’s just had a bad couple outings; whether it’s the colder weather; or whether its because he’s now facing the best teams in baseball. 

The good news is that Hughes remains an extraordinary talent, and is the future of the franchise.  He’s got excellent stuff; and when he’s on, he’s the perfect complement to Rivera.  And, as previously discussed, great Yankees are born in the post-season.  So with that in mind, the next several games represent an enormous opportunity for Phil Hughes – a date with destiny, and one that he is no doubt worthy of.  He has had a break-out year, and so a break-out World Series for Hughes would seem only natural.  If Hughes gets back into a groove, the whole team will follow as it did last summer.  If he doesn’t, it may be a very short series for the Yanks.  We shall see.