Yankee fans and Girardi haters, in case you have not noticed it, Girardi has managed his team to win 3 elimination games in less than a week.  I have read and heard all the complaints: manages by the book; too tense; makes his players tense; committed to his binder; and has the game laid out hours in advance and won’t deviate.

Well, last night, did he have Tommy Kahnle pitching the last 2 innings?  SU says probably not.  I did not have a problem giving Betances the 8th inning but he earned being taken out after two walks.  Luckily, he didn’t kill anyone with his fastball.  SU says do not expect to see him again in any close game the rest of this post-season.  Too bad as he’s a nice guy who wants to do well but is scared he could actually kill someone with his fastball as he has no clue where it’s going.

SU says Brian’ O’Nora’s strike zone last night was either terrible or else the FOX virtual box for the strike zone was not lined up properly.  So many missed calls on the corners – for both teams.  SU says take the box off there.  It’s an unneeded distraction and it just becomes annoying.  The YES Network has an overhead shot of home plate that helps to determine if pitches are on the corners.  Is that not available?  And while we are at it, can FOX once in a while reference who is warming up or not warming up in the Yankee bullpen?

Did you see the stats on the record of post-season starts by pitchers on 3 days rest?  Something like 2-4 with a 5.35 ERA.  So, why go that route last night for the Indians?  They have 5 legitimately good starters with impressive records.  A sign of panic?  No doubt Kluber will be his normal self tomorrow night.  SU is a bit worried about Sabathia.  I agree he should start over Gray and the Indian hitters seem to have more trouble with the soft tossers which is what CC is at this point in his career.  But the recency effect is legit – you start to get used to the pitchers you see frequently.  SU also was surprised that Francona rolled out all of his relievers last night except for Miller – same thing applies.  He is helping the Yankee hitters by pitching them so frequently.

I would have CC on a short leash tomorrow night.  You will know early if his change up and curve are on or are rolling up there.  The Yankees must score first against Kluber.  One thing I notice about the Indians is that they show no signs of panic.  They are a loose team.  It comes from not having lost 2 games in a row for the past 45 games.  That will be a factor tomorrow night.

Keys to game 5:

• Do not start Chase Headley.  Of course, neither he or Ellsbury has a hit in the post-season but he is late on every pitch.
• Keep Didi at the 3rd spot and Bird 5th.  This forces Francona to mix and match more with his relievers and it breaks up the right handed bats.
• Pray that Judge sits on an off speed pitch just once and lays off the high fastball.
• Greg Bird.
• Hope that Francona relies on Cody Allen to close.  I am convinced he is poised to give it up.

As a Yankee fan, I have no complaints.  The team shows heart, resilience and is having fun.  Plus, the Red Sox have already lost which makes us all feel good.

So, it looks like Cleveland will be starting Bauer tonight on 3 days rest.  SU finds this interesting.  Bauer is a really quirky dude.  He has a very unique warm-up regimen and has a reputation of being very much into his routine.  SU says you have to wonder if this is a good move.  True, he has been red hot the 2nd half of the season and dominated the Yankees in game 1.  However, he also had an umpire who was giving him the high strike call on his curve ball all night.  If he starts getting squeezed tonight playing in Yankee Stadium with the crowd, you wonder how this goes?

True, they have Corey Kluber waiting in the wings at home for game 5 on normal rest so maybe it’s not that big a deal.  You have to figure that having just seen Bauer on Thursday, the Yankee hitters will make the adjustment to at least be a little more competitive.

Question: can the Yankees score not via the home run?  It’s been a problem all season.  I continue to see it as a problem when Judge and Sanchez are hitting back-to-back and there is a runner on 2nd or 3rd and no one out.  So many times they fail to get him in and it’s a killer.  Happened again last night.

SU fave, Greg Bird, came through big time last night.  Of course, FOX was unable to tell us how far that home run traveled.  They are too busy providing random statistics about “the last time a Yankee did this in the post-season was in 2012.”  But Bird is the man and that was a massive blast in the upper deck.

SU checked out the FOX post-game show.  A-Rod is surprisingly good – candid, humorous and insightful.  Will he be the next Yankee manager?  SU says he would be a much better choice than Mattingly and would certainly make things entertaining next season.  Girardi is getting killed but long-time fans will note that he is masterful at handling the relievers compared to Joe Torre who prematurely ended the careers of Tanyon Sturtze and Scott Proctor by over-using them.  Girardi made it sound like he just might opt out and move on.  No doubt Derek Jeter is watching and would snatch him up for Florida.

SU was unhappy with the booing of Girardi tonight  by Yankee fans in the pre-game introductions.  He had a bad game – get over it.  They booed Severino in the Wild Card game when he was taken out in the 1st inning.  Really?  Who was their top starter by far all season?

As a fan, you paid for your ticket and you can let everyone know how you feel.  That’s fine.  But Girardi has been a good manager for a lot of years here and this year’s team was not supposed to be in the post-season.  He has had to sit veterans like Headley and Holliday in the playoff games.  Is he the first manager to take out a starter too soon?

Lots of clamoring on Twitter for Don Mattingly to be the next manager.  He is probably the most 2nd guessed manager in all of baseball right now.  Great hitter, great Yankee, not the right choice for manager.  SU would bring Girardi back and I expect Cashman to do so.  He’s the right man for the job.

And the hysterical columns from the likes of Joel Sherman, Andrew Marchand and the others were way over the top.  Fine, be critical, but this was one game.  It does not define his managerial career and it should not be a reason to fire someone.

The haters are out in force today about Joe Girardi’s managing of game 2.  Check out this article from Andrew Marchand of espn.com who is not usually this direct:

http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/yankees/post/_/id/97393/yankees-deserved-better-than-joe-girardi

SU, being old, has a longer term perspective.  I see this game as very similar to the Yankees – Mariners division round series in 1995.  The Yankees won the first two games and went out to Seattle for the next 3.  In game 4, John Wettleland gave up a grand slam home run, and in game 5, Buck Showalter brought in Jack McDowell in relief to protect a lead over Wetteland.  The Yankees lost in painful fashion but then what happened?  Four World Championships in five years.  The key learning from this: Sometimes you need to lose painfully before you can win it all.  This is a young Yankee team and they failed to close the deal last night in what was just one game.  Cleveland lost in painful fashion in last year’s World Series but here they are again and they found a way last night.  SU says last year made them tougher this year and it makes them not panic when their ace doesn’t have it and they fall behind by 5 runs.  SU believes this loss will make the Yankees that much better and stronger – next season.

The Severino meltdown in the wild card game had a carryover effect last night.  Both Green and Robertson were extended in that game and Green was warming up in almost every inning last night.  His “stuff” was not electric last night – lots of foul balls.  Robertson was very good but Jay Bruce took him to the opposite field.  Tip your cap.

Should CC have been given a longer leash?  Everyone piled on last night including Michael Kay and the YES post-game crew.  Perhaps but his MO all year was 3rd time through the order he falters quickly.  SU says if you look at the Indians, they seem to hit better against the hard throwers and have more trouble with the finesse pitchers.  CC is one of those now in his career.  You can fault Girardi on that score but he was a genius in the wild card game in how he managed 26 outs with his relievers.  A genius one day and a bum the next.

Should he have challenged the foul tip?  Yes, he should have but SU says the replay was not conclusive.  It would not have been overturned.  The same way that if it was called a foul tip originally and the Indians challenged, it would not have been overturned.  I think the ball hit his hand – barely grazed it so there was no reason for the hitter to shake his hand in pain.  It was just a nick.

Lost in the conversation is that the Yankees offense went away the final 8 innings.  They were overpowered by the Indians’ relievers.  That can’t happen and should not have happened.  Todd Frazier got 3 hits (which experts say is physically impossible and they are studying tape on this) but made 2 key errors which led to 2 unearned runs.  Torreyes got picked off but I am telling you, how many times have the Yankees this year had guys on 3rd base, less than 2 outs, with Judge and Sanchez coming up and they failed to come through?  They are not sure things.  Great players and the future of the franchise but that’s an area for them to improve on.

Judge has been over matched in 2 games.  He does struggle against the elite pitchers.  Let’s see if he can figure this out a bit.  Carrasco in game 3 is very tough.  Not a good match up.

Painful loss but if you look back and you were there in 1995, that series loss was more painful – along the lines of game 7 in 2001 with the Gonzalez bloop hit off of Mariano.

SU has spoken.  What do you all think?

As Joe Girardi would say, “It’s not what you want.”  A bad combination last night for the Yankees in the series opener:

• large strike zone from the home plate umpire – mostly up and down — and generous strike calls on the curve balls from Bauer
• Sonny Gray continued a bad streak of needing to throw a lot of pitches to get through an inning, and throws way too many pitches that are 4 feet outside.  He is a good #3 starter but not a top of the rotation guy in my opinion
• Sanchez’s inability to block pitches cleanly (4 wild pitches) although I am not sure any of those were really his fault
• A team with home run hitters being over-matched against a hot pitcher for the 2nd half of the season.  We have see this before this season with the Yankees, and we have seen it before against the Indian pitchers.

The good news?  Betances pitched a clean inning, Todd Frazier has another hitless game under his belt so that the projection for his next home run stays on pace for April 9, 2018,  they were not no-hit, and the team survived several innings from Jaime Garcia pretty much intact.

Is the series over?  SU says no.  Will Kluber match Bauer’s stellar performance tonight?  Could very well be.  But the Yankees managed to beat Chris Sales this season and they have certainly faced Kluber before.  SU says put Frazier on the bench tonight.  Perhaps a guy like Torreyes with a short, quick swing can put the ball in play and provide a spark.  I know Girardi wants Frazier at 3rd with CC starting and lots of ground balls potentially but Kluber feasts on the big swingers and the Yankees have plenty of those type hitters.

SU note to FOX on the broadcast: if you are showing a check swing, there is only one view that is necessary – from the side.  Stop with the 3 different looks.  Second note to FOX: it is unnecessary to always show the shots of the fans right before every pitch.  It’s dizzying for the viewer and you are getting back to the action at the last minute.  The broadcast actually seems to have trouble following the ball in play in the outfield.  Focus on that.

SU is cranky – too many late nights and a lackluster effort last night.  But as we all know, a series can have its ups and downs and its Minolta Turning Points of the Game moments.  Look for one of those tonight.

SU was in the house last night at Yankee Stadium way up high with some of the SU faithful to take in the Yankees’ wild card game victory.  The stadium was loud – a welcome change from the regular season where most fans have their faces in their i-phones.  Great game, great win.  Some takeaways:

• Joe Girardi made all the right moves with the bullpen.  Chad Green got the biggest outs of the game in the 1st inning where a 5-run deficit may have felt too large to overcome.  Bringing in David Robertson early turned out to be the key as he threw over 50 pitches in what had to be the longest outing in his career as a reliever.  And best of all, Girardi avoided having to use Betances in a high pressure situation which was a relief to all fans.  The bullpen is not in great shape for Thursday but the goal here was to advance and he played this masterfully.
• Kudos to Brian Cashman as relievers Green, Robertson and Kahnle were not even on the opening day roster this season.
• In the post-season, you worry if the young players will find the moment too big for them.  Clearly, Severino was over-amped or just nervous.  SU feels he will learn from this experience and should be back to normal in his next start.  But notice that Judge, Sanchez and Didi all delivered big hits and showed they are ready for prime time.  SU says that is huge.  Don’t forget that a seasoned veteran like A-Rod struggled in most of his Yankee post-seasons.
• SU liked the fire from the team last night.  Gardner got brushed back on a 2-2 pitch and then put the next one in the 2nd deck down the line.  Dropped the bat, watched it and did a bit of a staredown at the pitcher.  Judge was really pumped after his laser to left for a home run.  This has been a fun team all year.  And it’s because they are young.
• Even Todd Frazier hit a shot to center that almost cleared the fence.  SU was on the hook there to buy a round of beers for the entire row if he hit a home run.
• Interesting that Headley did not get the start.  SU says note that Ellbury has cooled off markedly the last week and should be on the bench for game 1 against the Indians with Headley back in as DH.
• A tip of the hat to long-time SU subscriber A. Grossman who caught a foul ball last night down below with his glove.  Sweet.

On to Cleveland and their hard throwers.  Not a great match up for the Yankees with a tired bullpen but they are playing with house money now in my opinion.  They will only get younger next season and even more fun to watch.  Given the state of the NY Giants and your NEW YORK KNICKS!, enjoy the next few days.

SU is excited for the Yankees’ post-season.  As stated here a number of times, for me it’s about the journey; not just the end result.  This was an enjoyable season for the Yankees – and it comes after several years of borderline uninspiring baseball in the Bronx by boring players.  They have finally figured out how to go young and by making the playoffs, they are a year ahead of schedule.

I was impressed how the team battled through September to try and win the division and Boston really had to match their strong play day in and day out to capture the title.  But the reality is that they fell short – undone by some truly brutal blown saves by the bullpen.  But that’s baseball and after 162 games, it is what it is.  For SU, the season is a success.  Now, some will criticize SU as being accepting of less than a World Series title but I would say this: is it fair to expect a team to win it all with Todd Frazier at 3rd base and Jaime Garcia in your rotation?  The goal this year was to get young and prepare for the future.  They have such a strong offensive line up now going forward.  Gleybar Torres will be here next season and Todd Frazier can resume striking out and hitting .200 for someone else.

Now, is it fair for the Wild Card “round” to be just one game?  I actually do not have a problem with it.  There has to be a reward for winning the division and there needs to be a penalty for coming in 2nd.  MLB could make this first round 2 out of 3 but the clock is ticking and the season will already extend into early November most likely.  And that is why I refuse to say the season would be a disappointment if the Yankees lose this game.  Anything can happen in one game.  In the perfect world, they win tomorrow and then you are playing with house money.  But remember, this is a young team and the guys playing key roles tomorrow (Judge, Sanchez, Severino, Didi, Hicks) have not been there before for the most part.  Sometimes you need to lose to win the following year.

In terms of tomorrow’s line up, Girardi has some decisions to make.  SU would put Headley at 3rd base, DH Ellsbury and put Hicks in centerfield.  However, as we all know, Todd Frazier must play every inning in every game so either Ellsbury or Hicks will likely be the odd man out.  SU believes they will win this game and then it’s on to Cleveland which is a tough match-up with their hard throwers.  But remember this: it will always come down to Todd Frazier in a big situation.

So, what do you think?  Is the 1-game wild card fair?

In case you missed it, Aaron Judge went for 50 home runs today by hitting two more dingers.  While this is obviously impressive by itself, SU says it’s all the more amazing as he struggled for most of July and August.  Maybe the baseball gods won’t ever allow a player to keep up that kind of first half pace for a full season.  Otherwise, that would mean an 80-home run season.  Only Barry Bonds approached that number with a little help from his friends of course.

Yankee fans have to be so excited looking to the future with Judge, Sanchez, Didi, Bird (at least for SU), Aaron Hicks and Gleybar Torres waiting in the wings next season.  As stated here before, this season is a success no matter what happens in the post-season.  The foundation is now set for years to come in the Bronx.

As Girardi considers his post-season line-up, SU asks yet one more time: what is the fascination with Todd Frazier?  Their best line up has to be Headley at 3rd, Bird at 1st and Holliday at DH.  It has to be that.  SU says watch in the playoffs how Todd Frazier comes up in big spots over and over again.  It is bound to happen.

SU deliberately does not wade into the political corner on this blog as you don’t come here to read about that.  But what happened yesterday in the NFL was so incredible; I can’t remember anything like that in American sports other than Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists on the medal stand in the 1968 Olympics.  SU would prefer to see the players all stand during the playing of the national anthem but it’s a free country and we have free speech.  They can do what they want.  But last time I checked, we had much bigger problems than this to worry about.  SU commends the NFL from the Commissioner to the owners to the players on how this was handled.  Hopefully, we can now just get back to playing games and focus on more pressing matters.

Feel free to weigh in (and not just on Todd Frazier!).

Knick fans, your day has come.  As reported by ESPN a few minutes ago:

“The New York Knicks have agreed to trade 10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.

The Thunder will send center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick (via the Chicago Bulls) to New York, league sources said.

Anthony, 33, will waive his no-trade clause and his $8.1 million trade kicker to accommodate the deal, league sources told ESPN.”

The good news is that they actually got something in return.  The better news is that they actually made the trade.  Time to move forward.  SU says the excitement is still in Brooklyn this season but at least the team can start over – or until James Dolan identifies his next most favorite player.

Btw, this makes OKC a force out West now.  They will be a fun team to watch offensively with Westbrook, Paul George and Melo.  A lot of points going on the board in OKC this season.

Kanter plays zero defense but can certainly score.  McDermott was a first round pick a couple of years ago who can supposedly shoot from the outside.  At least they acquired assets that will make the roster.

SU is not happy about Tanaka.  He cannot be trusted now as they head to the playoffs.  Is he  your #3 starter vs. Cleveland if they get that far?  Hmmm.

First of all, a happy and healthy New Year to SU’s intergalactic Jewish subscribers.  SU made its Yankee Stadium debut last night in a family outing with long-time subscribers J. Levine and B. Levine.  As is custom, tickets were purchased through StubHub which is always a great deal.  However, Yankee Stadium no longer accepts paper tickets – you have to show your ticket on a mobile device.

Now, SU on its best days is technologically challenged.  And having just transitioned from the Blackberry to an i-phone for work purposes (OK, so I am slow to change), pulling up the ticket on the i-phone was a challenge unto itself.  But did you know that you have to take a screen shot of the StubHub ticket and then email it to whoever else is joining you for the game and coming on their own?  And did you know that if you are not careful and don’t pick up the small series of numbers at the bottom of the ticket on your screen shot, that you can’t get into the stadium?  If not, now you do.  SU learned the hard way and is now well-acquainted with many members of the Yankees’ box office and ticket-taking staff.  Let’s just say these were not pleasant interactions.

To quote Mad Dog, “bad job!”  Shouldn’t you be trying to maximize the fan experience?  Getting into the stadium became a long ordeal and with the rain, even more painful.  SU says go back to paper tickets as an option.  Somehow the airlines can manage this – why not the Yankees?

Interesting article from fivethirtyeight.com on how baseballs are being made.

Baseballs Are More Consistently Juiced Than Ever

MLB just set a new record for home runs in a season which is pretty amazing now that we are (allegedly) in the post PED era.  While most pitchers seem to throw in the high 90s today (as witnessed last night as Paul Molitor felt the need to use 7 relievers because he could with the expanded rosters) which no doubt contributes to fly balls going out faster and further, you have to wonder why the sudden increase?  This article makes the case that the way the balls are manufactured has something to do with it.  SU is now looking for the article that compares PEDs this season to PEDs of past years.

Michael Kay says that if the Yankees don’t at least win the Wild Card game, this is a disappointing season.  SU says no way.  I projected 82 wins at the start of the season and as a long-time Yankee fan, this has been a very good year with a firm switch to the youth movement and great promise for the future.  The Wild Card game is a crap shoot; you don’t define the season on one game.  Thoughts?

Finally, Eli Manning is taking a beating this week.  Check out this article below:

Eli Manning Is Profoundly Mediocre

Look, when you are riding the post-Yankee game Metro-North train home at 12:30 am with no-one else in your car, you have time on your hands.  We know long-time subscriber A. Grossman would agree with the article but SU says it’s overly harsh.  Eli is better than what the stats show.  What say you?