The New York Times’ Tyler Kepner has a new piece up in his BATS blog where Joe Girardi hints at what he’s thinking about how to use the always quiet and uncontroversial Mr Chamberlain this October. He writes:
The team with the best record in the American League decides which division series schedule it wants. One series includes a day off between Games 1 and 2, the other does not.
“There are two different division series,” Joe Girardi explained. “In one, you need three starters, and in one you need four. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Girardi was answering a question about the role his fourth starter, Joba Chamberlain, will play in the postseason. If Chamberlain continues to struggle, the Yankees could choose the division series with the extra day off, meaning they would use Chamberlain in relief.
A few things to unpack here. First, without knowing who you’re playing its impossible to answer that question directly at this point. The playoffs are all about game by game match ups, so you need to know who you opponent is. But he’s letting you know how he will approach the decision. He’s telling you is that as Yankee manager he will factor in both who his starting pitcher is in Game 4 and who the opponents starter will be. If Joba is throwing the ball reasonably well down the stretch and you’re playing the Tigers, who would be looking at Nate Robertson for Game 4, then I think it’s a safe bet you’ll see the 4 man format. If Joba is struggling, as Kepner said it’s possible Girardi opts for the 3 man schedule and you’ll see Joba used out of the bullpen for the ALDS. I don’t think that would preclude him from starting in the ALCS, where you need 4 starters. But over the next few weeks, Joba will be pitching for a Game 4 (if neccessary) start.
Another note, I don’t think the Tigers will shut down Porcello. He’s at 135 IP (125 last year) and could easily reach his limit of 160 by the end of September, but they could simply skip him one or twice later this month and be fine innings-wise. I expect Porcello to be available and be their 3rd starter for the playoffs.
Related posts:
If Porcello is available, then either he or Washburn starts Game 4- Robertson was moved to the pen a while ago (although its possible they moved him back recently, I don’t have a sec to check).
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I know this is a change of subject, but I was hoping to get one of you guys to research something. As we hear constantly, and will hear more in the coming weeks, the Yankees are “the best team money can buy.” Meanwhile, supposedly Boston is the homegrown team that came up through the farm system. I would like to see a comparison of the two teams — how many players on each team were homegrown, how many were free agents, and how many came by trade. It would be helpful to have it broken down by starting every day players, starting pitchers, bullpen, and bench, since afree agent bench player is not quite the same a a free agent starter.
I would bet that there is not that much difference between the two teams, and it would be nice to have some data to defend ourselves against the self righteous boston fans.
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The other Chris H Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Rotation
Josh Beckett (trade)
Jon Lester (farm)
Clay Buchholz (farm)
Tim Wakefield (free agent)
Junichi Tazawa (I free agent technically farm)
Dice K (I free agent)
Bull Pen
Papelbon (farm)
Saito (free agent)
Wagner (trade)
Okajima (I free agent)
Delcarmen (Farm)
Bard (farm)
Ramirez (free agent)
Line up
Jacoby Ellsbury (farm)
Dustin Pedroia (farm)
Victor Martinez (trade)
Kevin Youkilis (farm)
Jason Bay (trade)
David Ortiz (free agent)
JD Drew (free agent)
Mike Lowell (trade)
Alex Gonzalez (trade)
Bench
Jason Varitek (farm)
Casey Kotchman (trade)
Rocco Baldelli (free agent)
Nick Green (farm)
Jed Lowrie (farm)
The Red Sox have 9 players acquired by free agency, 5 players by trade, and 11 home grown players
Rotation
Sabathia (free agent)
Burnett (free agent)
Pettitte (farm)
Joba (farm)
Wang (I free agent)
Mitre (free agent)
Bull Pen
Mariano Rivera (farm)
Phil Hughes (farm)
Brian Bruney (free agent?)
Phil Coke (farm)
Chad Gaudin (trade)
Damaso Marte (trade)
Alfredo Aceves (farm)
Line up
Jeter (farm)
Damon (free agent)
Tex (free agent)
Arod (trade)
Matsui (I free agent)
Posada (farm)
Cano (farm)
Swisher (trade)
Melky (farm)
Bench
Gardner (farm)
Hinske (trade)
Hairston Jr (trade)
Molina (free agent)
Pena (farm)
The Yankees have 8 players acquired by free agency, 5 by trade and 12 home grown players
So the Yankees have one more player from our system than they do and they signed one more free agent than us so defend all you want because we are the more “home grown” team.
That was just a quick run down of what I think you wanted, but I am really tired still so someone please correct me if I am wrong.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Nick Green was a FA (he was a Yankee two years ago), and if Varitek counts as farm then Bruney does as well.
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The other Chris H Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Bruney counts as farm? He suited up for other teams and Varitek never has…
So that means that the Red Sox have 10 players by free agency and 10 home grown…
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The other Chris H Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Couldn’t edit in time
How unimportant is Nick Green I never noticed him in 06 haha
Bruney started his career with the Diamondbacks and Varitek came up with the Sox, I am pretty much counting who got called up and played there first game with what team.
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wouldn’t Washburn factor into the #4 starter?
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The other Chris H Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I would assume the playoff rotation would be Verlander, Jackson, Porcello and Washburn the top 3 are guaranteed but Washburn has struggled so much as a Tiger they may not trust him in the playoffs.
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I think everyone is overlooking Detroit I am sorry the best starter in this seris might be Verlander. Everyone thiks Detroit cannot win and I hope they dont but the best part of their team is their starting pitching. The hope is Cc turns around prior playoff failuers, AJ shows up and we dont have to see verlander twice.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
No one is overlooking them. The Yankees are the better team. Sometimes the better team loses, but the Yankees dont need to be afraid of anybody.
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mryankee Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Not afraid but wary I would never say be afraid but this is a very tricky first round opponent. I am sure you see why?
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The other Chris H Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Their offense is nor where near ours and rotationally we match them strength for strength… Verlander Vs Sabathia is a pitcher Duel but I would take the big lefty in a draft and Edwin Jackson isn’t a historical number 2 pitcher he has just come a long recently and if Burnett is good then he can match or be better than Edwin (Chamberlain out dueled him in New York this year) and Porcello is young and has thrown 100+ pitches only once this year so Pettitte could probably out last him and get into that Tigers bull pen which IMO is their biggest weakness and it’s a bad weakness against the Yankees. They Thrive on out lasting starters and getting to the pen to destroy it and they really have no one in the pen that can shut us down (we already owned Fernando Rodney this year).
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The other Chris H Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Not to mention that Sabathia is the better pitcher than Verlander, yeah Justin is great and can throw 100 but CC is special and actually pitches, plus being left handed it is infinitely more impressive what he has done this year and career.
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Rick Porcello is not only not getting shut down he is going ino the playoffs as the third starter to Edwin Jackson and Verlander.
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