Joe Girardi: "They went and got this division"
Congratulations to my beloved New York Yankees for capturing the A.L East Division, and being champions of the east, once again.
What a ride; what a September. There were times during late September where I thought they weren't going to make it. I saw the Baltimore Orioles winning game, after game, after game and thought we were in trouble. But they stood tough and manage to not lose first place through that roller coaster ride. Seeing the Yankees not lose sole possession of first place, really showed that it was 'meant to be' for them to win this division.
Yankees did it without Mariano Rivera; lost Andy Pettitte for a long period of time; lost C.C Sabathia to many D.L stints; lost Brett Gardner; had Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira out in a crucial part of a road trip -- so many big-name injuries. Most teams who lose players like that, would give up and have a losing season. Not the Yankees. They took all the way to the 162nd game. Never gave up. Makes me proud to be called a Yankee fan.
Hiroki Kuroda: The man who won today's game, and the man who carried this pitching staff.
Kuroda basically carried this rotation, without Sabathia and Pettitte -- talk about a tough task. You lose those two pitchers and Kuroda was a horse. He was a underrated free agent signing. Without Kuroda, who do the Yankees look to carry the rotation with those big lefties out ? They probably would've had to take Cliff Lee's contract.
Ichiro Suzuki/Derek Lowe: Before the trade deadline, Brian Cashman could of gotten a Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, Hunter Pence and gave away a bunch of prospects. Instead, he gets Ichiro Suzuki, who no one thought of and a name I did not hear floating around, for nothing ! And this is not a so-so platoon player, this a great player. Suzuki is now rejuvenated with a winning team and a big part of this Yankees lineup.
Derek Lowe has done much -- yet -- but he pitched last night's extra inning game for us and he kept the Yankees in that Sunday comeback game in Toronto. This is not a mop-up pitcher, this is a pitcher with postseason, championship pedigree. And what did the Yankees get for him ? Nothing !
Cashman has shown why he is the best GM in baseball.
Texas or Baltimore ?: As A.L East Division Champions, now the Yankees wait for their ALDS opponent. Who would I want ? It doesn't really matter -- kinda -- because both teams can get hot.
Texas Rangers have lost the A.L West to the Oakland Athletics this afternoon in a crushing three-game sweep -- and I think they can be due for a winning streak. So that's why I think they can be dangerous.
The Baltimore Orioles -- I can see Buck Showalter really pumping up his team to beat the Yankees. And Showalter would do anything they can to beat the Yankees. It would be like winning the World Series, for him.
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I'm going to have more columns this week on the Yankees ALDS and other teams as well. Though, I'm glad I get to rest and not do fallouts ! But I will begin them again in the postseason, for sure.
Congrats to the Yankees. What an amazing night. A well deserved title to a grueling season.
And, oh yea ... It's time...
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