Six on the reach
I suppose some piece of my heart should have felt badly for A.J. Burnett when Fox cameras showed the despondent Yankees starter staring into space last night, his dreary eyes searching for answers about what could have been had he been even the least bit effective.
It didn't.
Truthfully, it had nothing to do with wanting to see the Yankees go down to the Phillies, though I never was a really good liar, so take that statement for what it is worth. But Burnett's failure gives us the opportunity of catching not only a World Series Game 6 (the first time since 2003 we've seen one of those), but the pleasure of watching the theater that is Pedro Martinez perhaps, but probably not (ahem, Theo), for the final time.
This isn't Martinez's legacy at stake here, that's long been defined and is irrevocable. But tomorrow's start at Yankee Stadium obviously ranks up there with the most important of his career. While he has the opportunity to push his team to a Game 7, the Yankees have a shot at clinching the World Series by beating one of their most hated opponents in the process.
You don't think that would taste even sweeter for Yankee fans?
Martinez hasn't beaten the Yankees since 2005, though he's faced them only a handful of times over the past few seasons while with the Mets. He beat them just twice during his final two seasons in Boston, ultimately leading to the whole question of baseball paternity.
Tomorrow could be different. Tomorrow could be epic.
The delicious thought of the Yankees franchise following up the greatest choke in baseball postseason history with another to rival it in the World Series just five years later is one that we're going to have a difficult time repressing until the time is right. But Joe Girardi's decision to go with three starters in this series might come back to bite him. Burnett was awful last night. Tomorrow's starter, Andy Pettitte, is 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA on short rest. If they get to a Game 7 on Thursday, how much can CC Sabathia even have left in his third start in nine days?
Then again, what other option did the man have? Two hundred million dollars and the guy can't get a No. 4 starter?
If the Yankees do end up winning the Series, their lack of a No. 4 starter will be a topic that gets swept under the rug, along with the fact that Mark Teixeira is hitting all of .105 for this series (Pettitte's OPS: .667, Teixeira's: .577). If the Phillies can complete a comeback and win two more games, those will be just a couple of the 150 different story lines that will point to a franchise in turmoil, a cursed bunch if you will. It's enough to make you giddy over its mere potential, even though its likelihood is something still dramatically distant.
It's fun to hope though.
Step One: Pedro in Game 6.
Step Two: Uh…Cole Hamels?
Damn.
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