- Someone besides just one guy need to step up!
Game 1: Jeter and Abreu stepped up and took charge of the offense... Game 2, yesterday, the only man who stepped up on offense is Johnny Damon with his 3-run HR...
With so many skilled hitters on the team, to leave as many men on the basepaths without driving in more than Damon's 3 run HR... simply weak... - Randy Johnson would need a Kurt Gibson moment... or as close to one as possible...
The point is this: Randy wants to pitch... if he didn't want to win, he wouldn't be pitching tonight and he would take off for the rest of the season to rest his back... however, Randy didn't want to pussy out...
Randy wants to pitch, period. It's up to him to see how far his back can hold out... the ball is in his court, it's time for him to produce... I want 6 innings, 2 run ball from him, that's the best I predict... but once he shows signs of struggling... Torre... do something! - A big game from one of these three: Sheffield, A-Rod, and Cano... simply stated... A-Rod's 10-for-19 against Rogers with 5 HRs and 5 walks... Rogers has a plus 8. ERA in 20+ postseason innings... are the stars lining up? Will the NY Media and other frustrated fans be shut up tonight? In some ways, it must happen...
- Torre needs to act as he is in survival mode... with Torre's comments about Rivera only being available for "one inning", my mind started to think: "This isn't spring training... this isn't the start or the end of the season... this is the postseason!"
65% of Mariano's postseason saves came when he pitched more than one inning, he is effective... what is Torre saving Mariano for? The next round? We may not even have a "next round" if Torre continues to think conservatively...
If you play chess conservatively the entire time, you usually end up losing... Torre, play some chess and get back to me...
The survival spirit he had in '96 needs to be recaptured here, or else, we're done... do what you have to, Torre, and we'll complain about it if we must... but show us something, Torre! Maybe Sheffield won't come around... maybe others won't come around... maybe they will, but this isn't a 162-game season... it's 5 games or less, and we survive within every game we win...
Play to win, Torre, don't play like you're trying not to lose... - Some postseason magic... we can remember the Flip, the Boone HR, the Maier catch, among with other moments that were just magical... however, since 2003, I can't think of any moments that have been magical... I can still remember the Steal though... *sighs*...
- Last but not least, play to win and play with your hearts...
It should be an interesting game. I have this strangely optimistic feeling with Randy Johnson.I completely agree and have that same feeling, but I have been wrong before...
The thing that rings in my head is this: Randy Johnson wants to pitch tonight... Randy has earned quite a bit of money and already has a World Series ring... but is the killer instinct of competitiveness eating Randy inside to want to pitch tonight?
People have pitched and played through pain before... Damon has done it with the bone chip in his foot... Jeter has, Giambi has, Sheffield has, A-Rod has, Mariano has, etc etc... to me, Randy's showing me how much he wants this game tonight...
Will he perform up to par and be at the standard that helped him pitch 3 almost no-hitters into the 7th inning this year? Or will he pitch to the performance that got him 17 wins, despite having a plus 5. ERA and having the most run support out of any starting pitcher this year?
We'll soon see, but what I can say is this: Randy wants this... Jeter wants this... from his look and appearance in Games 1 and 2, to me, it also seems that Abreu wants this... the question is: does anyone else? Will their best show up tonight?
Tune into tonight... and read one of my friend's K's blog... he'll kick your ass if you don't read it...
No, I'm serious, he will, he's got connections... :-P
Happy reading!
B(rent)
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