Can someone credit Brian Cashman, now ?
Raul "freaking" Ibanez, folks. This guy got us into the postseason and not into the wild card, and he might just get us into the ALCS. Unbelievable.
When I saw Ibanez pinch-hitting for Alex Rodriguez, I was stunned. You thought Joe Torre batting him 8th was bad -- how about pinch-hitting him !?
It was a gutsy, gutsy move by Joe Girardi. Even if Ibanez doesn't hit the homerun, it was the right decision. I'm sorry -- I've defend A-Rod these last couple of days, and he had to get pinch-hit to. I was shocked it happened, but it was a move that someone had to do. He wasn't pitch-hit for Andruw Jones, he was pitch-hit for a hot bat and a hitter who can effortlessly hit the ball over the short porch in right.
It is impossible A-Rod hits a homerun or does anything off Jim Johnson -- no. But right now, in 2012, in that situation, Girardi did the right move. Even if Ibanez doesn't come through, I'd still think it was the right move. If Ibanez doesn't come through, Girardi would have been killed. That didn't happen, and Girardi did what the manager had to do.
Girardi gave the definition to the phrase: 'It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.'
I felt bad for A-Rod. Seeing him watch Ibanez walk to the plate in the ninth inning, was hard to see. He was the greatest effortless, power hitter I've ever seen in my life. He was known to be the best player -- not in baseball -- in the world. I was sad to see.
I don't think this will hurt A-Rod; it hurts now, but if I were him, this fires me up. That's why -- now that I think about it -- it should awaken him and kinda slap him around to say 'wake up'. A-Rod needs to show Girardi and the fans, that he will never get pinch-hit for. I really think this is the kick in the ass he needs.
In 2002, when I saw A-Rod as a Texas Ranger come to Yankee Stadium and smack homeruns -- left and right, who would have thought ten-years later he'd get pinch-hit for in postseason game for Raul Ibanez. You would have thought Ibanez would be retired by then. It's sad, but it also shows how beautiful baseball is.
NOTE: I was going to update this page, but I'm just going to move on to Game 4 tonight and do a preview on that.
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