The Yankees start a 3-game series in Pittsburgh tonight and we can guarantee you that you will NOT see Billy Crystal in the lineup. Justin Christian will be though. LoHud's Peter Abraham reported that Christian has been recalled from Scranton and will be starting in left field tonight. With Hideki Matsui (knee) and Johnny Damon (foot) a bit banged up and with the need for more bodies in an NL park, the Yankees apparently wanted to get someone with more mobility out there. Of course the big question is, "why not Brett Gardner?" That remains to be seen. For now, Billy Traber has been set down to make room on the 25-man roster. The 40-man roster is currently at 39 so there's no problem adding Christian.
Pitching Probables for the series:
Friday: Darrell Rasner (4-4, 3.64) vs. Tom Gorzelanny (5-6, 6.59) Saturday: Joba Chamberlain (1-2, 2.36) vs. Zach Duke (4-4, 3.91) Sunday: Mike Mussina (10-5, 3.93) vs. Paul Maholm (5-5, 4.41)
Tonight's Lineup
Cabrera CF Jeter SS Abreu RF Rodriguez 3B Giambi 1B Posada C Cabo 2B Christian LF Rasner RHP
News and Notes
One former Yankee, Doug Mientkiewicz, will be glad to see his old friends tonight.
The Star Ledger has an interesting piece, albeit with some inaccuracies, on Dan Giese.
The NY Post has a comical report on Carl Pavano may be back before Phil Hughes.
Mike Vaccaro has more on that painful 1960 post-season.
It's been nearly 48 years, but if you're a Yankees fan over the age of 55 it's probably still clear as day (it made our then 9-yr old brother cry). Yogi Berra running back to the left field wall in Forbes Field and then looking up helplessly as Bill Mazeroski's ball cleared the brick for a World Series clinching walk off home run (just think how you felt on Luis Gonzalez's bloop in 2001).
The Yankees return to Pittsburgh for the first time since that World Series when they begin a 3-game series tonight. Forbes Field is long gone, as is Three Rivers Stadium (we went to a game there in 1993 and boy that place was ugly), and has been replaced by a state of the art facility, PNC Park. But the memories linger. We weren't even born when that World Series was played, but we've seen the replay a million times.
All Pirates victories were close, while the Yankees kept winning in blow outs. Mazeroski also homered in game 1, which the home team Pirates captured 6-4. Casey Stengel yanked Yankees starter Art Ditmar after just one-third of an inning.
The Yankees came back with a vengeance in game 2, blasting the Pirates 16-3. Mickey Mantle homered twice and drove in 5 runs, and the Yankees banged out 19 hits. Starter Bob Turley came within one out of a complete game. Under the old MLB saves rule, Bobby Shantz earned a save for getting the final out with a 13 run lead.
Game 3 back in New York was another blow out as Whitey Ford began his approach to Babe Ruth's World Series scoreless streak. The Yankees won 10-0 behind a grand slam and 6 RBI from Bobby Richardson and 4 hits and another home run from Mantle. Ford allowed just 4 hits in tossing the complete game shutout.
Vance Law, who won game 1, came through again in game 4, out dueling Ralph Terry as the Pirates evened the series with a 3-2 win. Law helped his own cause with an RBI double and future Pirates and Yankees manager Bill Virdon singled in 2 runs that proved to be the difference.
Harvey Haddix out pitched Art Ditmar in game 5 as the Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the series. Elroy Face threw 2.2 scoreless innings for the second straight game to pick up the save in the 5-2 win. Ditmar improved on his 1st game performance, this time he lasted 1.1 innings. Mazeroski and Don Hoak drove in 2 runs each.
With their ace on the hill again, the Yankees blew out the Pirates in game 6, 12-0. Richardson drove in 3 runs, and Mantle, Berra, and Ford drove in 2 each. Ford allowed 7 hits this time as he finished off another complete game shutout.
The deciding game was on October 13, a Thursday not a Friday. The Yankees sent Bob Turley, who had pitched so well in winning game 2, to the mound while the Pirates countered with Law, winner of games 1 and 4. Neither would be around at the finish. In fact Turley lasted just 3 batters into the 2nd inning when he was pulled. Law allowed 3 runs over 5 innings.
The Pirates lead 4-0, but the Yankees scored a run on Moose Skowron's home run in the 5th and came up with 4 more in the 6th to take a 5-4 lead. Yogi Berra had the big blow in the inning with a 3-run home run. The Yankees tacked on 2 more in the 8th for what, at the time, probably seemed to be an insurmountable 7-4 lead. But the Pirates rocked the Yankees world in their half of the 8th inning.
After a Gino Cimoli single, the series would all turn on what seemed liked a harmless ground ball by Bill Virdon. The tailor made double play ball hit a pebble, took a bad hop, and struck shortstop Tony Kubek right in the throat. Kubek had to be helped off the field and the Pirates had an unlikely rally going. Bob Skinner sacrificed the runners over and Dick Groat singled to cut the lead to 7-5. But the Yankees looked like they might still escape without further trouble when Jim Coates retired Rocky Nelson on a fly out to Roger Maris in shallow right field. Two on, two out and future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente at the plate. Clemente singled home Cimoli to cut the lead to 7-6, with Virdon stopping at 3rd base.
While Mazeroski's home run will long be remembered, it never would have happened without Hal Smith. The Pirates catcher connected on a Coates pitch and hit it out for a 3-run HR and an 9-7 Pirates lead. But everyone in the stands and watching at home knew this series wasn't over yet. Not with the vaunted Yankees lineup.
With Bob Friend on the mound, Bobby Richardson lead off the 9th with a single. Pinch-hitter Dale Long followed suit, singling to right. Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh sent for Harvey Haddix, who retired Roger Maris on a foul out. But Mickey Mantle singled to cut the lead in half and his base running helped the Yankees tie the game. Yogi Berra grounded to the 1st baseman Nelson, who stopped on the 1st base bag, thereby removing the force. Mantle made it safely back to first, allowing pinch-runner Gil McDougald to score the tying run.
One of the most exciting World Series would come down to a single pitch. Ralph Terry, who had gotten the final batter in the 8th, faced Mazeroski to start the 9th and the rest, depending on who you root for is either history or misery.
For those of you who are Pirates fans, enjoy. Yankees fan, turn your heads and look away.
It's kind of ironic that the Yankees are following up their series with the Pirates by playing the Diamondbacks. The two teams are intertwined in Yankees fans nightmares.
For anyone over the age of 50 seeing the Pittsburgh Pirates brings back painful memories of the 1960 World Series. For the rest of us, there is 2001. Both last at-bat losses in Game 7. There were many differences, but some painful similarities as well.
The Yankees offense was a juggernaut in the '60 series. They won games by scores of 16-3, 12-0, and 10-0. Each game the Pirates won was a close, tightly pitched contest. That all changed in Game 7 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. You've probably seen the replay hundreds of times of Bill Virdon's bad hop hit Tony Kubek in the throat. It helped turn the game around as the Pirates scored 5 times in the bottom of the 8th to take a 9-7 lead.
The Yankees rallied for 2 runs in the 9th to tie it, but then there's the image of Yogi running back in left and watching Mazeroski's ball clear the left field wall. The HR made Maz's career and overrated his value as well. Sorry, but the guy doesn't belong in the Hall.
The Yankees were far from an offensive juggernaut in 2001. It was clear that the team was getting old and couldn't hit like it used to. As it turned out, Paul O'Neill and Scott Brosius would retire after the season, and Tino Martinez would sign as a free agent with the Cards as the Yankees preferred to bring in Jason Giambi.
If not for some magical moments in games 4 and 5, the series could have been over quickly. And then of course, it seemed like another championship was a lock. Alfonso Soriano had homered off of Schitbag to give the Yankees the lead and Mo was on the mound in the 9th. And the rest is misery. Just as many older Yankees fans turn their head and can't watch the end of the '60 series, I can't watch the end of 2001. With Luis Gonzalez's little bloop over the drawn in infield scoring the game winner against a suddenly human Mariano Rivera.
The Pirates last made it to a series in 1979. Neither they nor the Dbacks will going again any time soon. Sometimes you have to be punished for messing up Yankeeland!
Here are the pitching probables for the 3 game series with AZ.
Tuesday - Battle of the sinkers - Brandon Webb vs. Chien-Ming Wang Wednesday - Livan Hernandez vs. Mike Mussina Thursday - Doug Davis vs. Andy Pettitte
AKA Mantlemurcer (MM). I'm Married to Mrs. MM, who is also my editor/proofreader and biggest fan. I became a Yankees fan in the late 1960's and attended my 1st game at Yankee Stadium in 1970. I hope to bring you a unique perspective about the Yankees, past, present, and future.
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