Some Yankees Blame Fans For Awful ALCS

From John Harper:

...while A-Rod blamed two weeks of postseason futility at the plate, saying it “sucked the energy out of us," another player privately made a far more indicting observation: that the ballclub was affected by the hostility from the fans at Yankee Stadium last weekend.

“I really think the booing spooked a lot of guys," the player said. “A lot of guys hadn’t been booed before, and they couldn’t believe how nasty it got in the stands."

Obviously Nick Swisher admitted to being sensitive to such treatment after Game 2, but the player said Swisher was far from alone in his reaction.

“A lot of guys were talking about it in the clubhouse," he said. “I was surprised by how much it bothered them. I really don’t think they ever recovered."

If that’s true, well, so much for the big, bad Yankees.

Sounds like that unnamed Yankee is someone who has been here for a while. Maybe Andy?

Anyway, the idea that this team struggled because of the fans says a lot more about the team than the fans. On one hand I do agree that the booing of A-Rod this postseason was ridiculous and could not have been good for team morale, but at the same time these guys are paid a lot of money to perform so grow a sack and deal with it. Hopefully, any player that was spooked won't be here once the 2013 season rolls around.

A-Rod: I'll Be Back in 2013

From Peter Botte:

One day after GM Brian Cashman denied reports about trade talks regarding Rodriguez, the benched former All-Star said he has no plans to waive his no-trade rights during what figures to be an eventful winter in the Bronx.

“That’s correct. I will be back. I have a lot to prove and I will be back, on a mission,” Rodriguez said after going hitless in two at-bats off the bench in the Yanks’ 8-1 Game 4 loss. “I love New York City, and I love everything about being a Yankee. The highs are very high, and the lows are extremely low.

“But I’ve never thought about going to another team. My focus is on staying here. Let’s make that very, very clear. No. 2, I don’t expect to be mediocre. I expect to do what I’ve done for a long time.”

...

“Look, I know it was difficult for Joe. I know Joe didn’t want to sit me,” Rodriguez said. “If I do what I do, Joe doesn’t have a choice, neither does (GM Brain) Cashman, neither does anybody.

“I have to look in the mirror. I sat in this room in 2006, some of you guys were here, there were a lot of doubters. I said I was going to get back to the drawing board and I did. And I came back with a vengeance in ’07. I’m looking forward to hopefully doing the same.”

Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi also commented on A-Rod's future with the team:

“I expect Alex to be here. I expect Alex to come back and be our third baseman,” Cashman said. “Obviously what just happened here, I just don’t think it’s reflective of Alex’s abilities — and I think that’s true of a lot of the guys, not just Alex.”

Girardi doesn’t believe his relationship with Rodriguez needs mending.

“As far as I know, we’re OK,” Girardi said. “I don’t have any signals that he’s mad at me. I know he wanted to be in there. … But if there are things I have to do, I’m going to do them.”

At this point, getting rid of that contract would do a lot for the team's future financial flexibility. That said, nobody is going to take him unless the Yankees eat most of the contract--I've heard reports of something in the ballpark of $90 million--so in that case it probably makes more sense to keep him.

What do you think, should the Yankees do everything to trade A-Rod or keep him around?

CC: I Didn't Give Them A Chance

From Marc Carig:

The moment he released the pitch, a look of disgust swept over the face of CC Sabathia.

The desperate Yankees needed something close to perfection from their ace. But he had just made another mistake, one that Miguel Cabrera turned into a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead. Sabathia winced. It was all he could do as the Tigers pounded him in an 8-1 victory that clinched a sweep of the American League Championship Series.

"It's embarrassing to come out and not give my team a chance to win," Sabathia said. "I pride myself on trying to give us a chance and I didn't do that tonight."

...

Sabathia insisted that his left elbow, which landed him on the disabled list this season, gave him no problems.

"It felt good," he said. "It felt good enough to pitch tonight."

Still, general manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees intend to take no chances.

"Let's put it this way, we're going to look at that elbow, no doubt about it," Cashman said. "That will be on the list of things we have to look at now that the offseason's here. Whether he wants to or not, we're going to go look into this thing and make sure everything's OK."

...

I was terrible today," Sabathia said. "Didn't make pitches. Changeup was a non-factor, fastball command at the end wasn't good."

Out of everyone on the team, CC is the last that deserves any blame. This series was over after game 3, maybe even game 2, and the blame should sit squarely on the hitters.

ALCS Game 4 Lineups: A-Rod Rides The Pine Again

YANKEES (0-3)
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibañez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner CF
Eduardo Nuñez SS

LHP CC Sabathia

TIGERS (3-0)
Austin Jackson CF
Omar Infante 2B
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young DH
Jhonny Peralta SS
Andy Dirks LF
Avisail Garcia RF
Gerald Laird C

RHP Max Scherzer

Alex Rodriguez Might Accept A Trade

(UPDATE) Alex Rodriguez is once again not in the lineup for today's rescheduled game 4.

I was busy at work all day yesterday so I was unable to post, but if you missed it, there was a ton of talk about Miami being a possible destination for Alex Rodriguez if the Yankees do try an unload his contract this offseason. Well, today we have this report from Bob Nightengale that says if the situation was right, Alex, who has a full no-trade clause, may accept the deal:

Take a good, long hard look at him.

This will be the last time you'll ever see Alex Rodriguez in a New York Yankees uniform.

We might have already seen him play his last game for the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees, desperate for offense, and set to play in an elimination game Wednesday night, benched their greatest and most expensive star for the second consecutive game.

Though Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers was postponed by rain, the Yankees already tipped their hand and had him on the bench, leaving A-Rod humiliated.

The Yankees are making it loud and clear they want Rodriguez out as quickly as possible.

Rodriguez, his pride and ego damaged beyond repair, is now telling close friends that he won't stand in the way.

Rodriguez, who has a full no-trade clause, won't ask to be traded, a person familiar with Rodriguez's thinking told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.

...

He will welcome a trade, the person says, but it must to be to another big-market club. Hint: He won't be going to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The most likely choices would be the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

First, let me say that A-Rod has been awful this October. However, so has 90% of the starting lineup so really, why are we still blaming everyone's favorite scapegoat?

To me, this whole situation was made much worse by Joe Girardi, and his benching of A-Rod for the last two games -- though he can still make up for the game 4 benching today if he has any clue. There are reports of a fractured clubhouse, and that he's completely lost the team, which only makes this 0-3 feel that much more insurmountable.

The decision to bench A-Rod is only made worse by his replacement, Eric Chavez. Chavez has been virtually invisible in his plate appearances this postseason and also made that costly error in game 3 that might have cost the Yankees the game and a chance to get back in this series.

Does this mean I think A-Rod would have gone 4-for-4 with a homer off Verlander? No, but I do think A-Rod could get his swing going if given the chance, especially away from all the boos in the Bronx. There's no reason to further embarrass the guy and disrupt the clubhouse for a replacement that has also done nothing this series.

No matter what the outcome, the thing that sticks out to me the most is how poorly the Yankees and Girardi have handled this mess. If you think about how good we all felt about this team after that four run 9th on Saturday it's amazing how quickly things have changed.

Sure, there is still more baseball to be played and mistakes could be corrected. Maybe A-Rod is in the lineup today, gets a couple hits, and the Yankees actually win a game in this series. Or maybe, and much more likely if you ask me, things just get worse, the Yankees get swept, and this really is the end of A-Rod in New York.

ALCS Game 3 Lineups

YANKEES (0-2)
Brett Gardner LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 3B
Granderson CF
Eduardo Nunez SS

Phil Hughes RHP

TIGERS (2-0)
Austin Jackson CF
Quintin Berry LF
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young DH
Andy Dirks RF
Jhonny Peralta SS
Alex Avila C
Omar Infante 2B

Justin Verlander RHP

Hughes Talks About His Huge Game 3 Star

From Chad Jennings:

“There’s always pressure that comes with every start,” Hughes said. “I don’t really feel like I can, you know, sort of feel any added pressure just because of the circumstances. I just have to go out there and pitch, that’s all it boils down to. Not really worry about being down 0 2, that Verlander is on the mound, that we don’t have our captain. Those sort of things are going to be wasted energy, and all I really want to focus on is the Detroit Tigers lineup and doing the absolute best job I can do.”

Hughes’ two starts at Comerica Park this season were a pretty good snapshot of the highs and lows of his yaer. In August, he couldn’t get out of the fifth inning. In June, he threw the first complete game of his career.

“You can’t really look at those two starts and take a whole lot away from them coming into this start,” Hughes said. “I just have to hope that I have good stuff and good command and attack the strike zone like I normally do, and I think we’ll have some good success.”

...

“I remember I actually started off a little bit slow in that (complete game) start,” he said. “It was kind of a struggle for me to get going — almost similar to my last start against Baltimore (in the division series) — and then I remember I got stronger as the game went on and I was able to command the ball a little bit better. So hopefully (tonight) there’s a little bit of a similarity in the fact that I can command the ball and hopefully command it early and often. It’s a tough lineup, and I’m going to have to be on top of my game, but I have confidence that I will be, and I look forward to it.”

—

“As a pitcher sitting on the bench, I am not used to seeing [the offense struggle like this] either,” Hughes said. “We are a team that is a high-powered offense. We get a lot of home runs and things like that. But anytime you are going through these struggles, as pitchers, we take it as we have to step up and do a better job and put up a bunch of zeros because we know we can scratch and claw and put together a couple of runs. As long as our pitchers do a stand up job, we know we will have a chance to win the game.

“I think it is a challenge for our pitchers and we’ll have to do a really good job and have the confidence that we will score at least a few runs, and hopefully a bunch, and turn this thing around.”

I don't have to explain how important this game is for the Yankees and Hughes himself. A win tonight with CC going in game 4 could turn the series around. Sure, it's a very tall order, but this is sports and stranger things have happened.

Let's go Hughes, make this a series.

Brett Gardner Could Start Game 3

From Andrew Marchand:

With the idea of shaking up the lineup going into Game 3 against the Detroit Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that Brett Gardner could be a starting outfielder.

"He still might play a role in this thing," Cashman said on ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s "The Michael Kay Show." "You could very well see Gardner in this big outfield that Detroit has. The way our offense is, it is a possibility. He deserves consideration considering what is going on right now."

Gardner could start in the outfield with Nick Swisher or Curtis Granderson or, in some arrangements, both sitting. Previously, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said he is hesitant to play Gardner because he has only had three major league at-bats since April. Gardner missed most of the season with an elbow problem.

Gardner is 5-for-11 in his career against Verlander and at this point I'd have to imagine he'd put up better at-bats than Swisher, after all Swish got his feelings hurt. Also, and more importantly, Swisher is just a .180 in 61 at-bats against Verlander.

Yankees Fans Should Be Embarrassed

The title speaks for itself. Since the beginning of the postseason, I have heard some pretty ridiculous things from Yankees fans. One of my favorites was one female fan’s claim that because the Yankee players are clean cut, that makes them “classy.” Please, so now facial hair dictates what kind of a human being you are? For the most part, these were the type of humorously naïve comments I would be subjected to on a somewhat consistent basis. You laugh at them, poke a little fun, but ultimately, you just roll your eyes at the stupidity and carry on with your life.

Now we are learning that not only has the fans turned on Nick Swisher, but some of them are actually blaming him for Derek Jeter breaking his ankle. Are you kidding me? That brings ignorance to a whole new level. I get that in the postseason, especially in close games, emotions run high but the suggestion that Swisher had anything to do with Jeter’s broken ankle proves how dumb people can be. Everyone is frustrated with how this team is playing but there is no excuse for saying something like that to someone that has been a great player since he came to the Bronx. Not only has he been a great player, he has been one of the most likeable guys in the game, and one of the few celebrities out there that seems to genuinely care about his fans. If you want to be frustrated with his postseason performance, that is fair but leave the ignorance to the two fools that are campaigning for President.

Swish has also said these “fans” have made it personal with attacks on his family. Way to go whoever you are. There is a good reason why fans of the New York Yankees have a really bad reputation. Just like fans of Philadelphia sports teams, the popular opinion is not a positive one. It is absolutely vile to go after a person’s family. This is a game, people. Remember that. So if the New York Yankees and their $200Million payroll don’t bring home a World Series this year, is it that horrible of a thought? Is the idea so offensive that these fans feel it is their obligation to spew such hatred? I am not even 30 years old and I have already seen five World Series championships. Most people will not even get to see one in their lifetime. If they don’t win it all this year or the next, I will be fine. You all will be fine as well (unless you placed big money on the ALCS). Everybody should just relax with the theatrics already. The guy isn’t playing well but it is certainly not due to a lack of effort.

I am not defending his postseason performance this year or any other year, it’s been pretty bad. I just cannot wrap my head around why there are people at a baseball game that would resort to such classless tactics. Just for kicks, I have even heard fans complain that he is smiling too much. This isn’t news. When doesn’t Swish smile? He is a happy guy that is living his dream & being paid handsomely to do so. I would be smiling from ear to ear all the time if I had his life. For some reason though, these fans seem to expect Nick Swisher to not be himself. What do you want him to do? If he frowns when they lose, does he get his Yankee-Cred back? Do you guys want him to sulk in a dark corner?

Nick Swisher has the right attitude in life and he has his priorities straight. The Yankees fans that feel the need to try and destroy his spirit could learn from him because they do not. Remember, it is just baseball. After the final out is recorded, life goes on.

Nick Swisher is a Crybaby

Apparently, Nick Swisher was upset at the treatment he's been receiving from some bleacher creatures over the last couple games. Here's more on the story via Bryan Hoch:

Nick Swisher and Yankee Stadium's right-field Bleacher Creatures have enjoyed a warm relationship over four seasons in the Bronx, one that includes Swisher enthusiastically acknowledging cheers with a left-handed salute during "Roll Call" each day.

But on Sunday, as the Yankees took the field for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, Swisher's heart wasn't quite in it. Stung by jeers he heard from the home crowd during the Yankees' Game 1 loss to the Tigers, Swisher acknowledged that he offered just a lackluster wave when he heard his name chanted.

"That's the last thing that I ever thought would be in this ballpark, that people would get on you that bad," Swisher said after the Yankees lost, 3-0, to fall into a 2-0 deficit in the ALCS. "Especially your home, where your heart is, where you've been battling and grinding all year long. It's just frustrating, man. You never want to be in that spot. It's not like you're trying to go out there and do bad on purpose. It's just tough, man."

... what troubled Swisher were personal jabs and critiques that seem unfair.

"Last night was pretty big," Swisher said. "A lot of people saying a lot of things that I've never heard before. Prime example: I missed that [12th-inning Delmon Young] ball in the lights, and the next thing you know, I'm the reason that [Derek] Jeter got hurt. It's kind of frustrating. They were saying it was my fault."

...

"I'm one of those guys that if you give me a hug, I'll run through a brick wall for you, man," Swisher said. "It just seems right now like there's just a lot of ... it's tough. It's really tough. You want to go out and play for your city, play for your team. Right now, it's just really tough.

"It hurts. Sometimes I'm a sensitive guy and some of the things people say, they get under your skin a little bit. I've been lucky to be here for the past four years, bro. We're not going to go out like this. We're going to go to Detroit and give everything we've got."

And one more from the Daily News:

“As the game progresses, you’re trying to go up there and get a hit. If you don’t, people let you know about it,” said Swisher, who is batting .154 with one RBI through seven postseason games this October. “It’s a tough spot. Hey man, I guess that’s playing in New York... That’s New York for you.

Also, according to a this Newsday article fans serenaded him with: "Na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye." after his final plate appearance.

Swisher also went on to suggest that the atmosphere in the Bronx might be hurting the team, calling it "a negative setting."

I'm sure there will be some who side with Swisher here, but it's not going to be me. Grow a sack and I don't know, maybe get a damn hit. Then those boos that hurt you so much might just go away.

A-Rod said it best in his postgame:

“Our fans haven’t had much to cheer about, so you can’t blame them. You have to blame us. If was sitting there I would be perplexed too. We didn’t score any runs. What the hell are we going to cheer about?”

ALCS Game 2 Lineups

YANKEES (0-1)
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Jayson Nix SS

Pitching: Hiroki Kuroda RHP

TIGERS (1-0)
Austin Jackson CF
Quintin Berry LF
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young DH
Andy Dirks RF
Jhonny Peralta SS
Alex Avila C
Omar Infante 2B

Pitching: RHP Anibal Sanchez

Jeter Fractures Ankle, Done for Postseason

Girardi on the injury: