Cashman: We're facing best team in baseball
Photo credit: Paul J. Bereswill | Brian Cashman, left, stopped short of calling the Yankees underdogs, but heaped praise upon the defending champion Phillies.
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Though the Yankees have emerged as the favorite to beat the Phillies in the World Series, general manager Brian Cashman doesn't see it that way.
"We're going up against the best team in baseball," Cashman said Monday. "They're the defending world champions. We have our hands full; we know what they're capable of."
Few, and probably not even Cashman, actually believe the Yankees are the underdog, though there's always something to be said about the champions being the champions until somebody proves otherwise.
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Cashman pointed out that the Phillies won two out of three at Yankee Stadium in late May. Of course, the Yankees had not taken off yet; the final loss to the Phillies dropped them to 25-19 in what became a 103-59 season.
"We know how mentally tough they are," Cashman said. "Their toughness stands out the most. They're the world champs. Not much more you can say than that."
The meetings to discuss how to beat the Phillies began Monday; topics ranged from possible tweaks to the 25-man roster - Eric Hinske for Freddy Guzman? - to preliminary thoughts about the rotation.
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CC Sabathia, named ALCS MVP after winning Games 1 and 4, could start Games 1, 4 and 7 of this series. To do that, he would have to start Games 4 and 7 on three days' rest. And if the Yankees go with only three starters, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte would have to start Games 5 and 6 on three days' rest, too.
Sabathia was tremendous in ALCS Game 4 on three days' rest, allowing one run, five hits and two walks in eight innings in a 10-1 win. On the other hand, when he made his fourth straight start on three days' rest in 2008, he was hit hard by the Phillies in the NLDS. He allowed five runs, six hits (including a grand slam by Shane Victorino) and four walks in 32/3 innings.
Cashman didn't tip his hand, but he hinted that workload might be too much. "All those things will be discussed," he said. "We know what he's capable of, but we have to be smart."
Among the options would be to have Chad Gaudin - well rested in that he's thrown one inning this postseason - start Game 4 against the Phillies, a risky move because of Philadelphia's lefthanded-hitting strength. Lefthanded hitters batted .296 and righthanded hitters were at .224 against Gaudin in 2009, but the Yankees were 6-0 in his starts. He was 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in 11 appearances.
Sabathia was Cashman's prize free-agent acquisition of last offseason, and the lefthander's postseason hasn't surprised the GM. Before 2009, Sabathia had a 2-3 record and a 7.92 ERA in the postseason, a sample size, Cashman said, that simply wasn't big enough to determine that he couldn't perform in October.
"Given the opportunity to increase the sample size, a player will usually perform to what they do during the regular season," he said. Or even better. Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP this postseason.
One player with an already huge postseason sample size was Pettitte, who wasn't thrilled about signing an incentive-laden contract in the offseason but who did so because he believed another world championship was possible.
Pettitte earned his record 16th postseason win Sunday in putting the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since 2003. It also was his record fifth victory in postseason series clinchers. He is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts this postseason.
"How he's performed this postseason and in the regular season . . . we wouldn't be here without him," Cashman said. "CC and Tex and A.J. were huge, but people forget Andy was a free-agent retention for us. All four of our free agents were grand slams for us this year."
While the champagne and other adult beverages flowed in the jubilant clubhouse early Monday morning, no one was content with the franchise's 40th AL pennant.A reminder of that came from The Boss yesterday.
"The Yankees' enormous will to win, tremendous professionalism and great team spirit, backed by the best, most vocal and supportive fans, have propelled us into the World Series," George Steinbrenner, expected to attend Game 1 tomorrow night, said in a statement. "We're looking forward to our 27th ring."
Cashman, who called winning the pennant in the new Stadium's first year "extremely special," said there is one more significant step to take.
"Everybody's proud of what they've accomplished, but the biggest dream is yet to be attained," he said. "I think everybody knows it's appropriate to enjoy and relish this moment, but there is a bigger moment we're striving for. I think everybody's got that perspective."
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