Kuzul

A reader made his choices to pick a Yankee to be ousted and to stay in the New York Daily News poll. He loves to oust guys than keep guys.

He ousted the usual suspects like Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson. He ousted one guy that will make people react. That guy is Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Yes, it’s time for Girardi to go. A change might be beneficial for everyone involved.

The manager may need a change more than anyone. It’s clear Girardi is not having fun dealing with the responsibility of being the Yankees manager. He’s either wound tight or he panics at a moment’s notice.

He doesn’t like any second-guessing from anyone, and he does not seem to have the answers if things go awry. He likes to be smug in the top step of the dugout, but then he looks like a frustrated man stuck in nowhere when the team is in crisis.

Is this the type of leader the Yankees need? As crazy as Billy Martin was, the players knew they had a leader that would guide them through the problems.

Talk about how Girardi managed seamlessly last year. Guess what. He did not have to manage much with the free agents doing their job last year. Everything went too good last year. Maybe last year was an aberration.

It’s rare where things go right for a manager every year. It doesn’t work that way. This should give the Yankees hierarchy pause when they evaluate Girardi. Can he handle the ups-and-downs of a long season? So far, it’s a resounding no when one realizes the Yankees did not make the playoffs in his first year, and now they lost in the ALCS.

Making the ALCS is not enough for this proud franchise. It is one thing to lose in the World Series, but to go lose in the ALCS and get outworked is not acceptable.

Maybe Girardi is better off managing in a market where he can just manage rather than handle the scrutiny.

The players could use a change. What they need from a manager is to lighten up the mood. Too many guys took on the personality of Girardi’s last year, and it’s not a surprise the team did too much in the playoffs.

For all the credit Girardi received for lightening up the clubhouse, it was Johnny Damon and CC Sabathia that had people having fun last year. Winning can do it too of course.

No one is advocating the Yankees to go hire a clown, but hire a manager that can keep the team sharp yet have fun. When Girardi mentions this is work in a big series against the Rays in September, it’s a red flag.

Who knows if the players tune the manager out? Maybe they are not now, but sooner or later, they are going to be. It could happen this year. Managers tend to lose their voice quickly if he does not have success.

The Yankees need to be ahead of the curve rather than wait until it’s too late.

Plus, this team could use a manager that does not rely on loose leaf binders to make pitching decisions. They don’t need a manager to make decisions based on spreadsheets.

Manager should be making decisions based on gut, trust and instincts. This is what baseball is all about.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted to reinvent the wheel of being a manager based on the philosophy the Red Sox had. The Red Sox used computer printouts to make up the lineup and all, and he wanted a manager that can do it. He found that fit in Girardi.

It has been an epic fail. These decisions don’t work. Remember when Girardi kept A.J. Burnett on to face Molina because the spreadsheets say Burnett would get Molina out? So much for that. Molina got a base hit off Burnett.

How about walking Josh Hamilton to face Guerrero? That was because the spreadsheets told him to. Guerrero made the Yankees pay on elimination game.

The last straw for this critic came when the Yankees manager starting resting guys often in an attempt to have them fresh for October not to mention playing a foe that they know they will beat in October.

That’s all well and good, but players need to get their at-bats, so that way they can be sharp in October. A manager cannot have players being off-kilter.

Plus, resting guys sends a wrong message. It means complacency. When is it okay to be a wild-card? This is the Yankees. They shouldn’t be afraid to play anyone, especially with the payroll they have.

Which manager would be the right guy? If the Yankees knew, Girardi would be gone, but they don’t trust anyone, so he will stay on as a manager.

It shows this team is not doing due their diligence in finding the right fit. Couple of managers would be great choices. Larry Bowa or Willie Randolph comes to mind.

The choice would be Randolph. He managed in New York, and he won with the Mets. He would be the opposite of Girardi when it comes to managing.

Randolph’s drawback would be handling the media here, but if the team wins all the time, he will be fine. With him being older and wiser, he should know how to handle them.

At the very least, Randolph should be assisting Girardi as a bench coach next year. Forget Girardi’s feelings. This is about winning not making the insecure manager comfortable.

It shouldn’t come down to that. It should be Randolph running the show next year.

Too bad the Steinbrenner family lack foresight, so expect more Keystone Cops leadership by Girardi next year.



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Alex Rodriguez‘s postseason heroics from last October are a distant memory.

That’s life in New York. This is about what a player has done for the fans lately. Last year’s success means nothing.

Rodriguez found out the hard way when a lunatic attempted to kill him in Game 3. Fans grew frustrated with his anemic offense in the ALCS, and that’s why the Yankees will not be participating in the Fall Classic.

Is it fair to pin all of this on him? Of course it is. He’s the star of the team. Teams win championships when their stars play well in October, and Rodriguez demonstrated that theory last year. Teams bow out in a round if stars don’t play well in October, and Rodriguez demonstrated that this week.

He is being paid well to produce. He does not have to hit home runs. He needs to go hit with runners in scoring position. A base hit is as good as a home run, but that was not the case here with him. He struck out often in the ALCS.

Maybe he gets amnesty like Mark Teixeira apparently is getting right now, but that does not seem to be the case. There are critics who can’t get over Rodriguez, and it was a matter of time until they came back.

One postseason wasn’t going to change a thing. When fans have long memories of a player they dislike, it takes more than one postseason to forget things.

Rodriguez has done all the right things since last year. He does not say much. He hasn’t done anything stupid or acted goofy. He has been a mentor to the young players.

He has done all he could to be a leader. With that said, no one forgets his stupidity either.

When a guy uses steroids and then cheats on his wife, people don’t tend to get over it.

When a guy makes millions that help him and his family be secure for life, don’t expect fans to relate to him.

When a guy has been aloof forever, it’s hard to change that perception.

It’s something he has to deal with. It does not go away overnight. Problem is he is at an age where he might be on the decline. After playing all these years, it has to catch up with him at some point, especially with no more steroid usage.

What Rodriguez has going for him is that he has many more years in his contract. He will be in the postseason several more times before his career is over. Maybe he can make it up to those critics after that.

Until then, it’s going to be work for him. Fans here are going to be cynical about him no matter what he does. It was like they were waiting for him to fail this year, and some probably were happy to see him fail.

If Rodriguez gets off to a rough start next year, it will get ugly. Rodriguez received a good reminder of that on Monday night.

Basically, those folks haven’t forgotten anything. They were waiting to get on him. It was a matter of when not if and they finally found a way to get to him.

Now, Rodriguez’s critics got what they wanted. Deep down, they wanted this to happen.

It will be interesting how Rodriguez responds to his postseason failure. Will this be on his head this year? One thing about Rodriguez, when adversity comes, he tends to fade rather than rise up.

Last year was an aberration. The steroid cloud was all over him, but he made people forget when he was hitting home runs on a nightly basis last year.

Now, who knows if he can do that? His power numbers have been down all year. It does not figure to get better next year.

He might be better known now as a doubles hitter.

There won’t be any sympathy if his career is declining. He hasn’t earned any breathing room with the fans here, and he knows that.

It’s a safe bet the fine folks of the Metroplex enjoyed this scene. Rodriguez bailed out on the Rangers after realizing he was never going to win much with that organization. He cited his relationship with Buck Showalter deteriorating, but in reality, it came down to him wanting to play elsewhere.

The Rangers fans enjoyed seeing his demise. They liked the fact their former star struck out to end the game, which got the Rangers to celebrate their first World Series appearance.

This was a long time coming for them, and that’s what made the Rangers beating the Yankees sweet when one looks at the Rodriguez factor.

Rodriguez brings out so much emotion out of people. It’s funny yet sad, but that’s what great athletes do.

If he thought critics were going to go away, he was kidding himself.

That front-page cover of a fan attacking him in the New York Post should say it all.

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Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, a fan interfered with Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who was chasing down a fly ball. Cruz tried to catch the ball, but the fan got in the way and it turned into a home run, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

The very same night at Xcel Energy Center, a Wild fan made a remark to Canucks enforcer Dan Rypien, who reacted by grabbing the man’s jersey. Rypien earned an indefinite suspension, while the fan and his friend simply moved to another seat.

These incidents reminded this observer of a time when a brat named Jeffrey Maier stole the ball from Tony Tarasco in the ALCS in 1996. It was considered a home run, and the Yankees eventually won that game. The Orioles were not tough enough to rebound from that.

Maier  knew what he was doing. He may have been a kid, but there’s no question his father told him to be in a position to take the ball from Tarasco. No one does this by accident. It takes skill to do this.

Moreover, he would not have done this if the Orioles were hitting.

What was particularly galling about the incident was that Maier and his family used their 15 minutes of fame by going on shows, sending a message that it’s okay to promote stupidity. Shame on the media in this town and networks for publicizing a kid that did not deserve it.

What Maier deserved was the Steve Bartman treatment, but since it did not hurt the Yankees, it was no biggie. The national media thought it was a cute story.

It wasn’t. The Orioles played hard all year to be in a position for a championship, only to see their season ruined by the interference of a twelve year old boy.

Maier should have been thrown out, and the Yankees should have not enabled this type of behavior even if it benefitted them.

If there was something good that came out of this, Maier got plunked for his stupidity by a pitcher from the Red Sox farm system.

Much like Maier, this Wild fan now wants to get his 15 minutes of fame. He did an interview with the Star-Tribune’s Wild beat writer Michael Russo about what happened.

Why does this fan even want to be a story? He should have declined and moved on with his life, but that was not the case. He continues to insist that Rypien should be charged with an assault despite its extreme unlikelihood.

Meanwhile, the Rangers won Game 4 despite the fan interference. It’s a good thing, because it would have been insufferable to watch that idiot get his shot at fame for stealing a ball from Cruz.

At some point, the fans should heed the message about not getting too involved in games. Their role is to go watch the game and support the team, not to harrass a player or try to get involved in a game by swiping a ball out of a fielder’s grasp.

If a fan can’t live up to the rules, he or she should be tossed from a game. Heckling is fine, but touching a player is out of line.

Fans know this, but they don’t want to listen. If they feel they can give their home team a competitive advantage at their ballpark, they will do whatever it takes; neither will teams stop this behavior as long as it benefits them. 

It’s a clear double standard. A fan is tossed if he interferes with a home team’s fielder, but it’s okay if a fan can do this to an opposing outfielder.

Nothing good comes out of a fan getting involved in a game. Besides unfairly affecting the game, the fan himself could get hurt.

There are numerous examples of this. A fan and several Texas Rangers exchanged blows at Network Associates Coliseum in 2004. There was also that memorable brawl between Ron Artest and several Pistons fans.

This is what happens when teams enable this behavior.

Sports are not the place to heckle one another. Spectators should be enjoying the talent that is out there on the field, not starting fights with players.

It’s up to teams to tell security to end this type of behavior. There has to be a consistently enforced no-tolerance policy on this type of fan behavior before it will go away.

If teams enforce these rules, maybe it will save the umpires from making stupid calls. Maybe no one will get hurt. Maybe opposing players will feel comfortable.

On top of that, it’s time for the media to stop promoting this type of stuff. There is no need for sports reporters to go interview a fan about getting into a fight or interfering with a game.

Here’s hoping change is made, but don’t count on it. The Yankees, or for that matter any other team, will take any break they can get.  Even if it’s from the fans.

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When the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira couple of years ago in the offseason, they thought they were going to get a guy who could be Mr. October. They thought they would have a leader.

But they’ve gotten nothing so far out of their petulant star. His injury served as a symbol of what has gone wrong for him in October.

The only good thing Teixeira has done is provide protection for Alex Rodriguez and play good defense. That’s all well and good, but for the money he is being paid, he should be doing better.

Teixeira has been known to be a streaky hitter. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. We all know what he can do when he gets hot. It showed in the summer of last year, but we also saw what he can do when he is struggling, and it isn’t pretty.

In his two years of postseason play, Tex hasn’t been good. He strikes out often or he can’t get the runners home when they are in scoring position.

He gives the impression he expects to fail. His frustration speaks no bounds. It’s clear he does not have the answers.

The book is out on him. Throw him a diet of strikes, and he will swing at every one of them. His approach gets him off-balance and confused to the point that he does not know what he is doing.

The only time Teixeira does well is when he faces pitchers who throw soft. He only has success in the postseason when he goes up against the Twins, who feature pitchers that do not throw hard. Other than that, he does not do well against elite pitchers.

The Yankees can’t be happy about this. Teixeira can’t be either. Who knows if he can’t figure it out?

Last year, he received no criticism because the Yankees brought home a championship. Everyone left him alone. Stories focused more on Rodriguez’s success.

This year, Teixeira can’t hide from it, and neither should he. He is the reason why the Yankees are behind in the ALCS, and his idiotic move of sliding into first should not earn him any favors with the club.

Who knows now how he is going to play next year? Hamstring injuries can be a funny thing. It affects his ability to hit the ball or throw the ball. It’s bad enough he’s streaky as it is, but if that hamstring hinders his ability to hit or field, then that contract could be an albatross.

But Teixeira can’t do anything about this year. His idiocy cost him any chance of that. Wouldn’t it be funny if the Yankees somehow get to the World Series and win a championship without Teixeira? Talk about a delicious situation.

Don’t laugh. Despite the deficit the Yankees are in, they are capable of winning the final two games at The Ballpark at Arlington.

Sure, the Rangers did their job by winning two out of three at Yankee Stadium, but anytime a team gives the Yankees a chance, they have a new life. The team has the offense and the pitching to get by without Teixeira. After all, the Yankees won last year in spite of Teixeira.

It would have to hurt Tex’s ego if the Yankees win it all without him. He can talk all he wants about how his teammates are so good that they can survive, but this is not what he envisioned when he signed that contract in December of 2008.

What he envisioned was getting endorsements and fame.  It’s one of the reasons why he signed with the Yankees. He thought he would get all the special treatment that Reggie Jackson received when he did his thing for the Yankees.

It hasn’t happened.  Teixeira rarely gets mentioned by fans or media. He hasn’t been in commercials at all. It’s not like his jerseys get sold out here.

When people think of the Yankees, they think of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Rodriguez.  Rarely does a person hears Tex’s name. Sure, Michael Kay has a fetish for the smug Yankee, but then again, two surly personalities probably enjoy each other’s company.

Jason Giambi received more criticism than Teixeira during his time as a Yankee, and guess what? He hasn’t even played that badly in the postseason. He did okay.

Giambi’s only crime was using steroids.

At some point, Teixeira should be held accountable for his performance. When a player signs a contract like that, expectations should be followed. In this market, no one gets off easy.

Just because Teixeira gives nice comments to the writers, it doesn’t mean he should get a free ride from them.

They need him to come up big at least once. Game 2 of the ALDS last year and this year was the only good thing he did, but then again, anyone can hit against these soft Twinkies.

His job is to hit against great teams. So far, he has failed to deliver.

At some point, he has to figure it out. He can’t be inconsistent all the time. He needs to get off to a good start next year, and go from there.

He certainly has to start playing much better in October next year.

If it means seeing a psychologist or talking to a mental skills coach, he should definitely do it. He can’t be stubborn about having all the answers. He clearly doesn’t.

It’s time for him to figure that out, and see what he can do better next year. He can’t get away with stealing money from the Yankees.

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Yankee bobo Michael Kay was at it all weekend long. He mentioned that Cliff Lee is cheating with that resin cap, and then he talked about how it was all over for the Rangers after the Yankees won in Game 1.

This is the type of analysis we get from a play-by-play man and talk-show radio host in town. Is it any wonder why Kay gets ripped often by Phil Mushnick and Bob Raissman?

It’s funny how the Yankee bobo talks about how he is a victim of agenda by Mushnick, Raissman and his critics. In reality, he brings all of this on himself.

What he said about Lee was out of line. He better have some evidence to prove Lee cheated before he talks rubbish. What Kay said is nothing worse than a blogger or a citizen journalist making up a trade rumor or inside information.

Kay should be embarrassed at what he said. If nothing else, 1050 should have taken some action about his remark. This is reckless journalism at best. This quite frankly should be grounds for firing. Rest assured if any sportswriter or sports talkie made up stuff like that, that person would be fired or be taken off the beat.

It’s remarkable how YES and 1050 enable this type of behavior. Journalism should be about accurate information not mentioning fiction.

Lee having stuff on his cap means nothing. Guess what? Players have their caps and helmets dirty all the time. It’s called getting yourself dirty and doing whatever it takes to win.

Know what’s funny? The Yankees have their caps dirty all the time. Just look at Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Don’t expect the Yankee blowhard play-by-play announcer to say anything.

Lee is doing well because he figured out how to throw strikes and improve command. He improved his delivery. It has nothing to do with him cheating.

It will be interesting to see what Kay is going to say next year if Lee will be a Yankee. There’s no question Lee will have stuff on his cap. Odds are the Yankee cheerleader will say nothing. It is like he will forget anything he will say, and he will insult our intelligence by having amnesia about what he said last October.

Expect Kay to go take shots at his critics after he goes in denial. It’s his shtick. It’s what he does. It gets old too.

For all the criticism Craig Carton gets on WFAN, at least he admits he is a buffoon. He does this to attract attention, and it works because people are stupid enough to follow his lead. It shows you how pathetic sports radio is in this town. It’s all about saying stupid stuff, and the host will get listeners.

Maybe Kay learned a lot from Carton. Or better yet, Caron learned from Kay. Whatever it is, it’s sad.

Now, Kay comes off and guarantees the Yankees are going to win the series. He said it on YES after Friday night’s win over the Rangers. To be fair, this writer thought it was over too, but it’s one thing for a writer to say it, and another thing for a professional broadcaster to say it.

Kay’s job is to do his homework on other teams. He should be interviewing other guys on the other teams and talk to other folks in the media that cover other teams, but he never does it.

He often comes off lazy at his job. When he does YES telecasts, he often fools around with Al Leiter, Ken Singleton, John Flaherty and Kim Jones rather than calling a game and being objective. On 1050, he just talks rubbish and sucks up to the guests rather than asking tough questions.

If Kay really did his homework on Texas, he would know this. This Rangers team is skilled and smart when one looks at the lineup. Those guys can not only hit in the regular season, but they can do it in October based on what they have done so far.

Here’s another thing Kay would know about Texas if he did his job. The Rangers starting rotation is not just Cliff Lee. C.J. Wilson evolved into being a good starter, and Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter showed they are not as bad as people think they are.

What the Rangers showed is they are not the Rangers of the late nineties. That’s a complete team who seems to know how to play in October, unlike the Twins. They showed by responding in their Game 2 victory against the Yankees after a bad Game 1 loss.

One would think Kay would realize that today, but he was talking nonsense again about the Rangers on his radio show. Not once did he say one good thing about the Rangers.

Look, Kay is employed by the Yankees to talk up the Yankees, but when he is doing sports radio, his job is to tell the story and give insights. His job is also to get guests from other perspectives, so fans can be educated instead of having their intelligence being insulted.

His job is to call it the way he sees it, not fooling viewers and making up stuff. At some point, when do 1050 and YES Network reign him in? Don’t expect YES to do so because it’s all Al-Yankeezera all the time, but 1050 should do something about it. It’s a radio station that should provide information not biased information.

One of the first moves the new 1050 program director must do is either having Kay start getting guest from the other teams or start getting better at his job. If Kay refuses, he should leave. It’s not like it’s going to be a big loss when one looks at his low ratings on his radio show.

Kay has been implored to start getting better by couple of New York papers. He has failed to heed that advice. If anything, he has gotten worse every year.

With the type of analysis that Kay spews out, Mel Allen is rolling over his grave wondering why a buffoon is now worthy of being the voice of the Yankees.

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The Rangers hired Ron Washington as their manager in 2007. They wanted a manager who would be the anti-Buck Showalter. They felt Washington’s light approach would get guys to play at a high level after being worn down by Showalter’s micromanagement.

Washington did not start out well in his first year as the Rangers manager. His team got off to a rough start, and he did not get along with Mark Teixeira.

Washington did not like Teixeira swinging for the fences. He wanted his slugger to play small ball, which did not go over well.

From there, the petulant slugger pouted after the rookie manager had the courage to call him out. Guess Teixeira could not handle taking orders after being patted in the back by everyone since his childhood days. It became a culture shock for him.

Folks wondered if Washington was going to make it in his rookie season. Teixeira was the face of the franchise, and he was a star that ran the clubhouse. Whatever he says, players had to follow. There was no question he was leading a revolt to get Washington fired.

It said a lot about the insecurity of Teixeira. The Rangers did the right thing in trading their moody star to the Braves. The team won nothing with him, and he was going to leave as a free agent. They sent a message that no one is bigger than the team in the process.

With the exception of the Braves, everyone came out as a winner in this deal. Let’s count the ways:

The Rangers received a lot in return for a chronic loser in their deal with the Braves. Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Jarrod Saltamacchia, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones were the guys that the Rangers got in that trade. It was thought Harrison and Saltamacchia would be the core players on that team, but it turned out Andrus and Feliz were, and both players played a role in getting the Rangers to where they are today.

Teixeira won because he got out of a losing situation rather than being part of the solution. Sure, he failed to get the Braves to the playoffs, but he didn’t care. All he was thinking about was his free agency in 2008. He made it a point to tell the Braves that he was going to explore free agency after the 2007 offseason, and it was translated as for them to go trade him before getting nothing in return.

Eventually, Teixeira signed with the Yankees after misleading the Red Sox into thinking he would sign with them. What the current Yankees first baseman did was pull a LeBron James. Rather than be the man, he decided to go play for a team that buys a championship rather than leading a to team one. It says a lot about his character and lack of courage.

Teixeira can show off his championship ring, but the biggest winner of all was Washington. Make no mistake. If Washington were fired, he would never again manage in baseball, especially with him being in his late 50s.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels showed faith towards his beleaguered manager, and it paid off. The team improved every year under Washington, and it shows in the development of the players. The Rangers made the playoffs in Washington’s fourth year with the team, which was this year.

Washington is three wins away now from leading the Rangers to their first ever World Series berth. That would be a neat story if that took place, especially in front of Teixeira.

Quite frankly, it’s surprising Washington is even managing. Everyone figured he would be gone as soon as Nolan Ryan took over the baseball operations, but he made a good impression on Ryan, and here he is.

Question the Rangers manager’s decision all you want, and it is hilarious that Yankees fans and Yankee bobo Michael Kay question him considering their team’s manager is nothing to write home about. The bottom line is, guys play for the manager, which is the important thing a team wants out of their manager. Plus, which manager is a great strategist? And no, please don’t make this writer laugh by mentioning Girardi.

With the ALCS, there is no question sportswriters want to fill the pages of the newspaper by reverting that feud. Washington addressed it with New York Daily News sportswriter Roger Rubin on Thursday, and Teixeira basically thought Washington was full of it. The former Ranger have done all he could to pretend his time with the Rangers did not exist by not mentioning his teammates and his time there.

Deep down, he can’t handle the fact the team has done well without him. It’s bothering him. It’s only human nature to feel that way when a team does well after that player moved on, especially in the fashion he left.

With that delusional ego of his, he probably thought the franchise would never be the same after his departure. Not many Rangers fans remember him anymore. How could they? No one went to the games when he played, and the team did not have a huge following in his time there.

Obviously, when the Rangers drafted him, everyone figured he would lead them to a championship. He had the glove and the bat to show he can do it. What he didn’t have was his ability to lead, especially when the going got tough.

Please don’t mention he was a leader as a Yankee or he is a natural Yankee. It’s easy to play that role when he can be one of the guys rather than being a guy, which was not the case with the Rangers.

To his credit, he does not go off and act like he is a star of the team. He never talks about his impact on the team. He talks about his teammates more often than not, which was not the case in New York.

With the Rangers, it was me, myself and I with Tex. With the Yankees, it’s all about the other guys when he talks to the media. It’s a good bet several Yankees told him how it was going to be, and he followed their lead.

He has done well in two years with the Yankees, even if he rubs people the wrong way by commenting about the antics of Vincent Padilla, Carlos Gomez and Matt Garza.

After his clumsy departure and watching him as a Yankee, count this observer for rooting for a nice story, which is the Rangers going to the World Series without Teixeira.

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Lisa Swan and Jon Lewin write a blog called Subway Squwakers. Swan writes about the Yankees.

This writer heard of Swan from reading her work at DailyNews.com couple of years ago. He first read her work when she wrote so many insane entries about her hatred towards Joe Torre as a person and as a manager.

He decided to befriend her on Facebook this spring, and he got to know her well. The friendship ended when he had to gall to call out the Yankees on her Facebook page and on her blog last week.

He mentioned umpire Hunter Wendelstedt screwing Carl Pavano, when he called Pavano’s pitch to Lance Berkman a ball when it should have been a strike. Next pitch, Berkman’s hit gave the Yankees the lead, and the Twins went on to lose. This took place in Game 2.

Swan decided to delete this writer’s comment on her Facebook page and her blog not to mention blocking him on Facebook. It goes to show you that the truth hurts. She is just another Yankees fan, who can’t stand dealing with truth. Mention to Yankees fans about payroll or the umpires favoring them, and they get defensive in a New York minute.

There will be a column about Yankees buying a championship the minute the Yankees buy a championship in a few weeks, but at the mean time, it’s time to address another topic at hand. That is the umpires’ influence on the Yankees.

Has a call ever been against the Yankees? Has a bad call affected the Yankees in a lost column? When was the last time the Yankees ever gotten screwed in the postseason?

How about never? And please don’t mention Chris Guccione’s call in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. The Yankees were going to be bailed out by another umpire if they got screwed, so that point is irrelevant.

If anything, the Yankees are always the beneficiary of the calls.

Look what happened to Game 2 of the ALDS last year when Phil Cuzzi ruled Joe Mauer’s hit a “foul ball” when it was fair. It spoiled the momentum of the Twins run late in the game, and it cost them the game and the series.

How about last year in the ALCS when umpires had no clue on which Angel was safe or out when it came to baserunning? It ruined the Angels‘ rally or chance to score.

The umpires basically squeezed the Phillies out of the strike zone in the World Series. It is hard to pitch when the umpires don’t even give an inch of the strike zone.

Don’t think for a second Cuzzi did not know what he was doing when he gave a nonfavorable strike zone to Jonathan Papelbon in game the Yankees needed to win on Sunday Night Baseball few weeks ago. Had Boston swept New York, the Yankees may have a hard time making the playoffs.

That call got into Papelbon’s head, and the Yankees went on to tie it and then win it in the extra innings.

Let’s not forget that joke of a call when Derek Jeter was “hit by a pitch” when the bat hit the ball in a game against the Rays.

Now, this trend continues to happen for the Yankees. It happened in Game 2 of the ALDS, and now it happened last night. In last night’s game, C.J. Wilson and Rangers relievers were getting squeezed by the home plate umpire. That contributed to them struggling, and not surprisingly, they went on to lose the game.

No, folks. It’s not an accident all of Texas‘ relievers started to get hit around when umpires squeezed them. It’s hard to pitch when there is really not a strike zone for them to hit. The outcome would have ended differently if those guys had room to pitch.

At some point, a baseball fan has to wonder if baseball has become WWE. These examples don’t become coincidence anymore. It’s a disturbing trend that has become a frequent occurrence.

It’s hard to blame fans from other teams for being paranoid. When their teams are getting the short end of the stick, they have every right to be upset. These fans put their heart and soul on their teams. They shouldn’t be screwed like that.

It’s not just the fans. The players and coaches put hard work at their job. This is their livelihood. For them to be a victim of umpires’ favoritism, that is not right.

It’s hard enough to beat the Yankees as it is. They are a great team. They spend a lot of money to buy the best talent while other teams don’t have the luxury. Unlike the Yankees, other teams actually to run their team like a business.

There should not be a situation where opposing teams have to battle umpires along with the Yankees. Opposing players can’t be paranoid about whether they are going to get screwed or not. Managers can not get tossed quickly either.

Joe Girardi has that nice smug look when he is at the top step of the dugout. He knows he and his team will get away with it. They know the umpires will always favor them.

Who can blame them? Don’t think it’s ever going to change. Baseball needs the Yankees to succeed. They make their money out of the Yankees. FOX and TBS need the Yankees if they want to get ad revenue and ratings.

It says a lot about how this sport has become a fraud, and how it’s all politics.

As far as this guy is concerned, the fix is in.

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When a team wins a game after falling behind two or three games in their playoff series, people say that team made it a series again. After a win, that team can feed off from that and win couple of more games. Then, the series goes to elimination game.

The Red Sox are a good example. After falling behind 3-0 in the 2004 American League Championship Series, they won a game and won the next three in exterminating the Yankees for good.

Now, the Rays will get a chance to do the same thing. This became a series after they won Saturday afternoon. The hitters started to get into a groove, and they received a good performance out of Matt Garza, Randy Choate, Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano.

The Rays felt good about themselves. They knew if they win Game 3, they were going to win Game 4.

This is exactly what they did yesterday afternoon. The Rays’ hitters continue to hit the ball, and they got a sterling performance out of Wade Davis. It was good enough for them to earn a 5-2 victory over the Rangers, and it put them in a position to play Game 5 at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

It’s one thing to lose at least one game to the Rays, but the Rangers had to do whatever it took to win yesterday’s game. The last thing the Rangers need is to go on the road and face a confident Rays team.

The Rangers did not want to go St. Petersburg to play an elimination game with the Rays. Sure they have Cliff Lee starting, but what is the guarantee he is going to pitch well? The Rays have hit Lee well this year, and it’s hard to think they will struggle against him again.

Even if the Rangers win, the Rangers will not have an opportunity to start Lee three times against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. They were better off having Lee start Game 1 instead. Sure, they will say C.J. Wilson is capable of doing well in Game 1, but the Yankees can hit Wilson well, which is something they can’t say about Lee.

When the Rays feel confident about themselves, there’s no stopping them. There’s no question the Rays face mediocre starters in Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter in their two wins, but what stands out is their hitters took good at-bats, which is something they did not do in their first two games.

When hitters know how to hit in October, they can hit anyone. The Rays finally got that going for them.

This is all coming together now. Everyone is playing well for the Rays. This team did not win 96 games for nothing. They have been resilient all season, and this weekend proved why.

A team has to be very good to be resilient. Players have to be special to rise through the occasion. The Rays have it, and that’s why this team was not going to give up even if they fell behind in this series.

If the Rays were going to lose elimination game, they were going to give everything they got. If they lost even if they played well, so be it. That hasn’t been the case for them fortunately.

The Twins only can admire the Rays from afar. They have to wonder how the Rays responded in elimination games by winning. When the Twins trail 2-0, they just quit rather than fight and it showed again Saturday night against the Yankees.

The Twins never were in the game. They served as a guest for the Yankees to celebrate in advancing to the American League Championship Series.

The Twins can go talk about the difference in opposition, but rest assured, the Rays would not quit against the Yankees if they were behind. The Phillies would not do it either.

Let people talk about how good Lee is. There’s no question he will pitch well, but if David Price can match Lee, the Rays will find a way to beat the Rangers ace late in the game.

All Price has to do is give the Rays a chance. Odds are he will. It’s hard to believe he is going to pitch bad for the second straight time. Normally, he pitches well after a lousy outing.

Price will push himself to do well. He is a self-starter, and no one is harder than himself after a bad game.

The one team that does not like this development is the Yankees. The Yankees will thumb their nose at whoever they are playing, but let’s make this clear.  The Yankees want no part of the Rays. The Rays can beat their arrogant divisional rival anyplace anytime, and their 8-6 record against the Yankees speak for itself.

With the Rays having homefield advantage for the second round, it should increase their chances of beating the Yankees.

There’s no question the Yankees are rooting for the Rays to lose. The Yankees can go to the World Series by beating the Rangers, who offer no threat.

The Rangers have good hitters, but their hitters can be neutralized by Yankees’ pitching. The Rangers don’t have the depth the Yankees have in starting pitching. In fact, this would end in 4 if Texas is playing in the ALCS.

The Rays would make it exciting. This would be a 7-game series. There is no way both teams are going to have an easy time if they play each other.

The Yankees need to earn their way to the World Series and win it not have an easy ticket where they are going to win it all.

For that to happen, the Rays will have to figure out Lee. It won’t be easy, but it will be done.

The Rangers will rue their failed opportunity to finish off the Rays.



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Now, that’s more like it.

This is the Rays that folks are used to seeing. They won with great pitching and timely hitting this entire season.  After failing to do that for the first two games of the playoffs, they found their formula in staving off elimination Saturday afternoon.

The Rays received a great starting pitching performance by Matt Garza, and they got the hits to tie the game late and then take the lead. Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano did the rest by closing it out.

It was good times. It was something the Rays needed. Maybe that gets the team going. If there is one thing about the Rays, they can get hot in a hurry.

Once the Rays figure it out, there is no stopping them. The Rays’ stars played well, and now, they can finally relax and just play. Maybe those guys know they can keep hitting well.

The thought here was the Rays were going to win this game. It was hard to believe they were going to get swept. They won 96 games for a reason, and they did it by winning the American League East, which is not an easy task once you take a look at the Blue Jays, Yankees and the Red Sox. It takes a great team to win that division.

It does not guarantee they are going to win the series, but the Rangers knew the Rays were not going to give up like the Twins have in their elimination game with the Yankees. This team is resilient enough not to go down easily.

It looked like it was going to be a good day for the Rays from the beginning. Even though the Rays scored only one run of Colby Lewis, the hitters were taking good at-bats. They were getting on base. It was a matter of time until they broke out.

In the meantime, they needed a starter who could keep up with Lewis. They got it from Garza of all people. No one knew if Garza had it in him to pitch like a shutdown ace, but he proved them wrong.

It’s understandable if people had questions. Garza pitched terribly in September. He gave up hits like free candy. His ERA was high, and he had command issues.

With the way the Rangers hit the ball in the ALDS, who knew if Garza would be up to the task?

He did better than cynics expect. He allowed one runs and five hits. Most importantly, he had a strong grip of the ball. He hit the strike zone well.

His only mistake came when he threw his pitch up to Ian Kinsler in the seventh inning. That mistake turned out to be a home run, and it gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

Despite that, he put the Rays in a position to be in the game by going deep in the game. The Rays rewarded his performance by scoring two runs in the eighth inning, and it was good enough for them to take a 3-2 lead.

The timely hitting came through for the Rays. They figured it out after being shutdown by Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson. They got to Darren Oliver and Pedro Feliz.

Dan Johnson got it going with a double. That hit might have been as big as his hit against the Red Sox in August and the Yankees in September. This hit was huge since it was the tying run. It got the Rays going on offense.

Then, Carlos Pena’s single scored Desmond Jennings, who ran for Johnson. Tie game.  Then John Jaso’s hit brought Pena home to give the team the lead.

Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena hit home runs to give the Rays breathing room in the ninth inning.

It wasn’t just the Rays’ timely hits that stood out. It was the guys who got it done.

For a team to win postseason games, stars need to play well. In this game, they did. Pena took good at-bats and he found holes to hit. That’s where the Rays wanted to see.

Crawford’s home run was encouraging. Maybe he can get hot today and then in Game 5. One thing about hitters is that if they are going well, they go well. That’s one reason why the Rays should not be counted out just yet.

There are going to be people that said the Rangers should have won the series today. They will feel the Rangers gave the Rays a chance to win the series now.

Those people are not wrong. The Rays have hope. That’s what this win does.

Once the team gets going, there’s no stopping them. Waking them up is not a great idea.

The A’s of 2001 learned it the hard way. After they dominated the Yankees in the first two games, the Yankees eked out a victory in Game 3 on a brilliant performance by Mike Mussina. From there, the Yankees won the next two games to win the series.

The Rays are talented enough to do the same thing. This win gives them a chance to go out and win it.

All it takes is one win to change the momentum.

For a team like the Rays coming back from a 2-0 deficit is not impossible. They have the mentality where they know they can come back.

Winning a game was good enough to survive. Now, the goal is to find a way to get the game to the Tropicana Field this afternoon. If the Rays can do that, they get into Game 5, and anything can happen.

The Rays have their ace in that game, but most importantly, they have their crowd behind them in a night game. Of course, they have to face Cliff Lee, but the Rays are banking David Price will be better than he showed in Game 1.

The possibilities are endless now with this win. Who knows how it will turn out?

One thing for sure. The Rays are happy to still play. It beats going to the airplane and get ready to pack their belongings.

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Leadership is a word that gets tossed around in sports.

When a player does well in a game, it’s described as leadership. When a player talks to the media often, people perceive it as leadership

The definition of leadership in sports terms should be a player who takes his team to the postseason not to mention leading them to postseason victories.

The time has come for the Rays’ stars to lead today. If the Rays want to play tomorrow, Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton or Evan Longoria either need to hit home runs or drive in runs with men on base.

This is what it comes down to. It would also be nice if Matt Garza can pitch like a lights-out starter for the Rays to stay alive.

It’s not unreasonable to expect a lot out of the Rays’ stars.  They are being paid well to go out and produce. They are the faces of the franchise, which fans identify them when it comes to naming players that play for the Rays.

They failed to get it done so far, and now this is their last chance. They better make the most of that opportunity.

There will not be a next time if they failed to get it done here. Forget the fact there won’t be another game this year, but this might be the last time those guys are playing for the Rays.

Rays owner Stuart Sternberg made it clear he is cutting payroll. Translate this as the Rays won’t bother signing Crawford and Pena.  Upton could be trade bait.

Crawford has done nothing. He hasn’t been on base, and he has not done much running in this series. He hasn’t gotten any key hits either.

This is not the way he wants to end his Rays career. He knows it. There’s no question he is trying, but he’s playing in a sport where he is in the business of doing not trying.

Crawford will likely be a Yankee next year. The Yankees need an outfielder, and he wants to win a championship.  Talk about a perfect match.

Being the competitor Crawford is, he does not want to leave the Rays with unfinished business. There is no question he knows he has to do something.

Pena is not coming back. Even if he comes at a reasonable price, it’s not happening.  After the way Pena played this season, the Rays know this is the best he could do.

He did not start Game 2, so who knows how is he going to respond by being benched? Who knows if he’s going to play? Maddon should play him because he gives the Rays a chance to win this game.

Maybe he comes through here. He should get the opportunity. There are not many better options out there for first base.

The Rays first baseman has received the brunt of criticism all season for his poor performance, but today could be the day where people can forget for one day.

He is another guy that has to shine.

Upton needs to find the postseason magic from 2008. He batted .304, and he hit 7 home runs in leading the Rays to the World Series. He was the reason why the Rays defeated the Red Sox in advancing to the World Series.

So far in his second try at postseason play, he has not matched his 2008 success.  He struck out four times in the first two games of this series. He has not gotten a stinkin’ hit.

Rays fans let Upton know about his performance by booing him on Thursday.

He will be the first one to blame if the Rays are eliminated in October. Fans are quick to blame him when the Rays lose.  He brings it upon himself with his inconsistency and his ability to be lackadaisical at times.

Upton should be a star in baseball. His ability to hit for power and steal bases should make him a star, but too many times, he plays awful baseball by showing no discipline with his at-bats.

Now is the time for him to show he can get it done. They know he can change the complexion of the game with one swing of the bat.

He is another guy that could be on his last days with the Rays. The team may have had enough of his enigmatic play. At some point, they will realize this is the best he can do.

Players don’t get to stay forever to prove their worth. It’s a business. If there is someone better, the team will go will that player rather than stick with Upton.

Of all the players that have the pressure to perform, it’s Upton. He set that standard after his brilliant play in October two years ago. Who can blame anyone for wanting a repeat?

Elimination game is an ultimate challenge. It reveals who has heart. It reveals who wants it. It says something about the players.

Those guys played a role in the Rays’ success these last few years. This team has been resilient all year because of those guys.

This team needs them at the right time.

Today is a good place to start.

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