We deserve better.

Francesca had a show yesterday on Willie Mays, which featured the author of a new book on Willie’s life.  It was very interesting.  Francesca said that he was a big Mantle fan (because he was a Yankees and not a Giant fan), but he also said that Mays was a better all around ballplayer.

I take issue with that.  Of course, either Mantle or Mays would be by far the best player in the game today.  They were that good, no great.  But you can’t just look at stats to judge player’s greatness and I think that is what Francesca and other fans do when they make this comparison.

You have to ignore that last four years of Mickey’s playing career since he was a shell of the player he was during his first 14 years in the game.  Longevity gives Mays the big edge in overall stats and he deserves credit for always keeping himself in shape and having the benefit of good genes along with good sense when it came to his career.  He also was a flashier player.  His running style was exciting and his defensive play in centerfield was marvelous.  On this point I spoke to many fans who saw DiMaggio play in his prime as well as Mays and Mantle.  All said (including my Dad who was a great Yankees and DiMaggio fan) that DiMaggio was the better center fielder.  I know that does not sit well with current fans, but very few fans today saw DiMaggio play and, therefore, most of them can’t believe that anyone was better than Mays.

Mantle was every bit an effective a center fielder as Mays, without the flash.  He had greater speed than Mays and this helped him patrol the vast outfield of Yankee Stadium when the left field gap was 457.  Mays stole more bases but Mantle was faster down the line and he was told not to steal bases because of his fragile legs.  His stolen base percentage was one of the highest of all time.

Mays hit 302 lifetime vs. 298 for Mantle, which is a push.  Mays had more home runs because he played for 24 years, vs. Mantle’s 18 years, and only 14 good ones.  But that still does not tell the entire story.

When Mantle stepped to the plate everything stopped in the ballpark.  You were not going to the food stand (they didn’t have food courts then) when he was on deck.  He hit the most majestic, long home runs since the Babe, some of the longest on record long before the taint of steroids.

It’s unfair to compare Mantle’s post season stats (all World Series games) vs. Mays since Mays’ post season play is limited.  Nevertheless, in 20 Worlds Series games Mays hit no home runs, had six RBIs and batted around 250.

I saw both play, though, due to my age, I do not remember the first eight years of their respective careers.  In those years Mantle owned New York and, in fact, I have read where he was the best player of the 1950’s.

Give me Mays and Mantle and I win every year.  But I do not believe that Mays was the better all around ball player.

This guy is getting better.  Five pitches in game three for two outs and eight in game four for three outs.  At that rate he would need 70 pitches to pitch an entire game.  The batters know he is going to be around the plate so they swing at the first and second pitches he throws.  We are witnessing a performance similar to the greatest Yankees of all time.  Except for the incomparable Babe Ruth who saved the game and was bigger than it, Rivera rivals Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, Berra, Ford and any other player who has ever played in the post season. MVP?

I don’t care how few pitches AJ through, I was shocked when he started the seventh inning.  And given the long half inning I was in disbelief that Girardi thought AJ was best to start the inning rather than the pen.  I know that Hughes and Chamberlain failed in relief, but you don’t know how the game would have transpired if one of them began the seventh inning.

I believe that the experiment with AJ and Molina is over for good.  AJ had nothing to start the game and Molina did not make a difference in this critical part of the game.  In addition, when Posada enters the game (as he eventually does) he is batting ninth and, therefore; his effectiveness is lost since he is not protecting A-Rod and Matsui.

Swisher has cost the Yankees in all but the first game he played against Minnesota.  Remember, he left Cano on third base in the seventh inning and made the last out in the ninth.  Guirardi has to sit him in favor of Gardiner.

Did anyone notice that Cano was so busy celebrating his triple that he did not see A-Rod waving him home when the throw hit catcher?  He could have scored the seventh run in the inning.

We can’t go to game seven because you never know what will happen (did anyone say Kevin Brown and Damon).  Also, CC will be lost for game one.

 

Girardi over managed game three and under managed game five.

A bad loss caused by bad decisions.  However, there is much blame to go around.  I give Texiera a pass due to his outstanding defensive play, but he is not hitting.  But the real problem is the lineup after Posada.  These guys are doing nothing.  Mix in up Girardi or you are going to find yourself going back to the Stadium behind one game.

Tonight is a must win.  We need hits with runners on base.

Please let me know via email if your coming.  Go Yankees.

Matsui had the big hit yesterday and he has been an integral part of the offense this year (he never played the field so he contributed nothing defensively, except by omission since he had no errors and Daman had many).  He must be resigned given his sterling performance and his international appeal.

John B mentioned Girardi and his non green tea drinking habit vs. Joe Torre.  Girardi is not the same manager this year and has changed his approach to his players.  He deserves credit for his handling of the pitching staff.  The coaches have done a good job as well. 

Everything is great in Yankees Land and we hope it continues through the WS.  Of course, not winning all the way will result in the Roundtable questioning Girardi, A-Rod, Matsui and others.

I offer my home to host a Roundtable night to see a playoff game.  Day and time to be determined.

I am picking on Rivera because if anyone in this era should receive a 100% vote it is him.  That got me thinking about who has the highest percentage on the first ballot.  It is Tom Seaver with 98.84%.  The Babe got only 95.13% and he is 11^th on the list.  He has almost the same percentage as Mays, which at 94.68% is much higher than Mantle at 88.2% and Joe D at 88.84%.  Looks like a bias against the Yankees to me.

I know that Babe had his detractors, but how could anyone in their right mind not put him on the first ballot?  I guess “right mind” says it all.

 So back to Rivera.  What do you think?  I say he has a chance at 100% first ballot vote.  Imagine the writer who in this internet era doesn’t vote for him.

 By the way, to demonstrate further bias against the Yankees, Whitey Ford received a 77.81% vote.  What a joke.  In my estimation he was the best big game pitcher in the World Series (not just the playoffs like today), which is backed by the record book.  And he a career 690 winning percentage and a lifetime 2.75 ERA (2.71 in the WS).  He also had 156 complete games with 45 shut outs.