It's an overwhelmingly Yankees crowd here at Dolphin Stadium. The game just began, and here are the lineups:
Yankees
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Duncan DH
Cabrera CF
Mussina RHP
Marlins
Ramirez SS
Uggla 2B
Jacobs 1B
Willingham LF
Gonzalez RF
Cantu 3B
Wood DH
Treanor C
De Aza CF
Miller LHP
Other notes: Andy Pettitte's bullpen went fine. He will pitch in a minor league game Sunday, and should start the first time through the rotation in the regular season.
Jeff Karstens has a groin strain, not a tear.
Comments (5)
Nudge,
On 11 Sep 2006, The Marlins were 73-71, alone in second place in the NL East, and only behind the Padres in the WC chase - by a mere 1.5 games. So although they faltered down the stretch, they were absolutely in the playoff hunt for most of the second half of the year. If you choose to look only at the end result, that's fine. But you'll miss an awful lot of entertaining events along the way.
Thank you, bosstrots2219, I do appreciate facts being brought to bear in the discussion!
It was indeed a dandy race and one the Marlins, at the start of that season, were never expected to be in.
Joe Girardi came by his honor that year quite honestly for doing the most with the least, among them an unbelievably high percentage of kids.
It is exactly that record which makes me feel that this Yankee team should do at least as well as last year's, since it is virtually the same in talent, and if there is one thing that might be thought to be a comparative comedown since then it is the number of inexperienced kids -- hardly to be counted as a disadvantage with Girardi's record.
Go Yankees!!!
so, mussina ends ST with a 6.00 era... i don't know what the scouts say but i think he's done with a capital D...
2 options:
the yanks have a surplus,at least on paper, of RHP in the bullpen. maybe a trade of sorts can be orchestrated for a starter?
second, ohlendorf may not be a cy young candidate right now but he is a former starter with very good numbers so far. i think he can't be worse than mussina.
just a thought.
Ohlendorf converted to a reliever last June and immediately gained 3-4 MPH on his fastball.
Starting Ohlendorf is not even a possibility at this point.
Ohlendorf converted to a reliever last June and immediately gained 4-5 MPH on his fastball. The team feels he's most effective in that role.
Starting Ohlendorf is not even an option.