A Fistful of Hair

Ugh. I’m going to pass on a lengthy dissection of the Yankees two losses to the Angels in the Division Series because I simply don’t have the time or the stomach for it. But the short version is that Joe Torre screwed up in handling his bullepn last night.

I practically screamed myself hoarse at the TV wondering alound in colorful language why the hell Joe Torre left Mike Stanton in the game in the seventh inning. A one-run lead, with two on, one out, and pinch-hitter Shawn Wooten (a slow-footed righty) at the plate would seem like a situation tailor-made for ground-ball specialist Ramiro Mendoza. But Torre left Stanton in, and though he retired Wooten, Scott Spiezio laced a game-tying single. Inexplicably Stanton stayed in to start the eighth, allowing a leadoff double to Adam Kennedy, a sacrifice bunt, and another double to Darren Erstad. Steve Karsay didn’t improve matters by allowing a homer to Tim Salmon, the first batter he faced after Torre finally gave Stanton the hook. But by then the opportunity for a bailout had passed, and Mendoza never got into the game.

On the other hand, Mike Scioscia’s handling of his bullpen was fantastic, particularly his use of rookie Francisco Rodriguez. The 20-year old had blown hitters away in a late-season cup of coffee (13 Ks in 5.2 innings!) after striking out 120 in 83.1 minor-league innings, but it took guts for Scioscia to include him on the postseason roster over the more experienced Al Levine and Dennis Cook. But with the element of surprise to accompany his stuff, he’s become the Angels’ secret weapon, baffling the Yankee hitters.

The equation right now is simple: if the Yankees don’t get a well-pitched game out of David Wells today, their season is over. Wells has a great postseason track record (8-1, 2.74 ERA), but he hasn’t pitched well against the Angels (6.52 ERA in two starts this season, totalling 9.2 innings), at Edison Field (7.88 ERA in 16 innings over the past 4 seasons), or in the daytime (1-3, 7.15 ERA this season). Furthermore, he’s struggled against some of the Angels big hitters, including Garret Anderson (.382), Troy Glaus (.333) and Darin Erstad (.300).

But if there’s one Yankee pitcher I’d like on the mound today, it’s Wells. So long as his back is healthy, nothing fazes him, and he’s always come up big with the money on the table. Right now there’s about $130 million of Yankee payroll sitting there, and it doesn’t get any bigger than that.