Zack Greinke has not pitched against the Yankees this season, but the Kansas City ace has an opinion about which AL Central contender the Bombers should prefer not to face when the playoffs open next week.For the most part I agree with Greinke, but then there's that part of me -- I've mentioned this several times before -- that remembers me hoping the Yanks would face the Tigers in '06 and the Indians in '07 and makes me weary of hoping to face one team or another. So I'll just sit back and see what happens. Of course on paper the Twins are the "easier" matchup for the Yanks, but the bottom line is that when the postseason starts, all that regular season stuff goes out the window. Whichever team gets hot, and most importantly pitches better, will win their series.
Just as you'd expect a Cy Young front-runner to say, Greinke gives the edge to the Tigers over the Twins because of their pitching.
"I didn't think Detroit's pitching would do as (well) as it did for as long as it did," Greinke said before the Yankees beat the Royals, 4-3, Tuesday night at the Stadium. "They've got three guys who could pitch well in the playoffs for them, and the Twins don't really have a (Justin) Verlander or (Edwin) Jackson or (Rick) Porcello. (Minnesota's) bullpen might be better, but with those three guys, facing the Tigers would be harder."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Greinke to Yanks: Root for the Twins
From Peter Botte:
I really wish we could have faced Greinke this season. I never got to see him pitch unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI think Greinke needs to keep his lip sealed. For someone who had an anxiety problem when they were on the mound and in-front of camera's he certainly learned how to grab headlines.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly, I don't think it matters who we face. Any team coming into Yankee Stadium has to be sh--ing a brick.
Tigers, Twins, Angels, Sox, it doesn't matter! Yankee Stadium has proven to be such a advantage for us that I don't think it matter's who we face.
ReplyDeleteObviously pitching wise we want to match up against the Twins but I think the can handle just fine against the Tigers. Verlander obviously has the best stuff out of all of them and the best numbers against us. Porcello has only seen us once, it happened earlier this year and we were a different team then. I don't know how to feel about Jackson, but I dont know if he and Porcello can handle the post season pressure.
I played that game in 2006 & 2007, I'm not doing it anymore.
ReplyDeleteJust bring 'em on!
Greinke was just asked the questions its not like he went out of his way. He is in that division.
ReplyDeleteHe is right though Detroit got some good power arms especially Verlander. Minnesota got a bunch of junkball throwers they will give the yankees no problems. You worry a little more about Verlander and Jackson.
Jackson had postseason experience last year with Tampa didn't he?
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