Junto Boys

More Thoughts on the Game. . .

It's an automatic now that Grady Little stayed with Pedro too long. But he's their best pitcher and maybe the best in the American league. Joe Torre took a gamble that a short rested Mussina, and Wells could keep the game close. He also ran Mariano Rivera out there for 3 innings, a decision that could have cost them with one swing of the bat. There is no right answer with who to pitch in what situation. The Yankees are a comeback team that plays better than the opposition when it comes to pressure situations.

The Yankees even came back in Game 7 versus the Schilling/Johnson Diamonbacks and only lost because the perfect Rivera wasn't that night. To win the big game you have to concentrate when the other guy is distracted. The Yankees have done this better than anyone in baseball since the Joe Torre era. It's always a different guy who steps up and makes the big play, but the comeback usually happens. The loss of Tino, Brosius and O'Neill make this a different team, but Bernie, Jeter and Posada are still doing it. Last night, Hideki Matsui caught the bug, doubling off Pedro and setting up the tying run.

The Yankees do the little things in the right situations. The Angels ability to do that brought them the World Series last year. Good baseball isn't about having Barry Bonds or Pedro Martinez. It's about having a .260 hitter who has the patience to wait for the right pitch. It's about believing that you can wear the other team down. Teams sink hundreds of millions into guys like Alex Rodriguez for their production numbers, but the Yankees have won these World Series without ever having the league's most valuable player.

Aaron Boone couldn’t live up to Robin Ventura’s numbers until last night. He was pressing to get a big hit and swinging at bad balls all through the playoffs. Last night, he became a Yankee.

Money can help you get into the playoffs, but you have to have heart to win the World Series.