Tim McCarver

[andyfox]

Well, they just couldn't get a key hit. They also have a lineup with a lot of guys who could hit the ball out of the park and Rivera was already out of the game, so they had the weakest Yankee pitchers in there. The Yankees were shut out over the last 8 innings by guys who gave them 19 runs a few days before. Give the Sox some credit here.

[andyfox]

Yes, I agree with your definition of small ball: pitching, defense, fundamentals, doing the "little things." I think it's overrated, but not by as much as the sabermeticians think.

Note that the Yankees used the same 9-man lineup throughout the 12-inning game and throughout the 14-inning game. I had posted about hitting Lofton for Cairo at one point in the 12-inning game and pinch-running for Posada, who's slow as molasses. You can run Enrique Wilson for Posada and then put him in to play second base. I know Torre doesn't trust Wilson because he's a dreadful fielder, but Cairo isn't exactly Bill Mazeroski either. And take a chance, geez, you win and you win the pennant. Flaherty can't hit a lick but he can catch fine.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, they just couldn't get a key hit. They also have a lineup with a lot of guys who could hit the ball out of the park and Rivera was already out of the game, so they had the weakest Yankee pitchers in there. The Yankees were shut out over the last 8 innings by guys who gave them 19 runs a few days before. Give the Sox some credit here.

[/ QUOTE ]
Give the Yankees pen some credit too. They have effectively shut down one of baseballs most effective offenses. Other than the HR in game 4, I hadn't seen Ortiz hit the ball well all series, even that bloop single in game 5 was terrible. Lucky he got less of the ball otherwise that would have been a routine fly out. In games 4 nd 5, the sox could have easily of won those games in much less time than they did, instead they let all their hitters go up and try to hit HR's. A few well placed hits and/or sacrifices, and those games are over in 10 or 11 innings.