TALKIN’ BASEBALL: Game #6

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Martinez vs. Pettitte

Martinez vs. Pettitte

Some of the most riveting moments in baseball history have occurred during Game 6 of a World Series. I looked at several this morning and if you haven’t yet, please take a look and, of course, add your comments.

Tonight, it’s Pedro Martinez against Andy Pettitte, with each going 3-3 against the other.

“Two old goats out there doing the best they can and having fun with it,” Martinez said. “I don’t have enough words to describe how excited I am about being here. This is just a great gift to me.”

The objects are simple for each. For Martinez, it is to keep the Phillies’ season alive. He pitched well in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. For Pettitte, it is to bring the Yankees’ 27th World Series title to the Bronx.

Pettitte won Game 3 in Philadelphia. Pettitte got the victory, but was hit for four runs in six innings. That was on normal rest. Tonight he’s going on three days, and how much he has left will be a defining moment to the game and Series.

Naturally, Pettitte downplayed the issue, but he can’t ignore he’s 4-6 lifetime in that scenario.

“I really don’t think there’s that big of a difference,” said Pettitte, who is 3-0 during the playoffs. “I think just mentally people make such a big deal about it because it’s just not done very often anymore.”

What’s also not done, at least in this Series, is the Yankees getting out Chase Utley, who has five homers. Yankee pitchers have fed him a diet of fastballs, many of them over the plate. He can expect fastballs tonight, only high and tight.

“We have left a lot of pitches in the middle of the plate,” said Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. “We probably need to make him feel a little bit more uncomfortable.”

139 thoughts on “TALKIN’ BASEBALL: Game #6”

  2. John (1) And so we arrive at game 6 – late in the season and into another month in fact. Yankees lead 3-2 and rumors are rife about stealing signs, and other little tricks. Too much time elapses between the games nowadays in homage to the TV gods and silliness ensues.

    Play ball — before the snow falls.

  5. I’ll be surprised if the Phils live for another day- I’m an Arod fan and aside from my pure enjoyment of the game it a bit of a consolation to see him walk on water making some of those Yankees fans who complained about him eat crow

  6. ed (5): He’s had a good playoffs. I think he has the monkey off his back. He hasn’t pitched well in the Series, but he did have the game-winning hit in Game 4.-JD

  12. John (7) I did too – wonder how cold it is on the field – does that help or hurt the ball?

  15. Reminds me of keith most good defenders recently have been poor hitters – Doug M. comes to mind

  19. I hope Pedro gets rocked he was awful for three years – i got so sick of him looking to the sky for answers game after game – he left many expectations unfufilled here

  23. Buck keeps talking about Martinez’s experience; McCarver talks about him not having a fastball. Together, that’s saying he’s old and don’t expect much tonight.-JD

  25. Hopefully Matsui and damon will hit there way into new contracts- so both dont end up in Queens and to keep the Yanks out of the Holliday race

  28. FYI – Hidecki Matsui is only 2 weeks older than Derek Jeter. Pedro Martinez is one year older than Andy Pettitte.

  31. john

    if that happens there will be no one to pitch tomorrow.

    but i guess you have to get there first.

  34. (32) dont have to tell me – but I could see the Yanks passing on him and signing Holliday and then us entertaining the idea

  36. ed (34): If you’re Holliday, wouldn’t you choose the Yankees over the Mets? They’ll pay more, Yankee Stadium is a hitter’s park, and the Yankees are a playoff team.-JD

  40. john(36)

    yes, and they don’t have senior executives running around tearing off their shirts challenging players to a fight.

  42. (38) there was an article about two weeks ago in which Matsiu said he was going to get in fielding shape over the winter he apparently misses playing the field – will even practice at 1B his primary position in high school – immediately the article linked him to us since he desperately wants to stay in NY

  44. (36) i personally dont think we have a chance in h*ll of Holliday – i think our best option free agency will end up being marlon byrd

  45. Ed (42) Matsui is a great player and a good team mate, well liked ever since he arrived here. You also get the Japanese press with him – he never speaks English in public.

  46. ed (42): Do the Mets really need an aging player with bad knees? And, one trying a new position in the majors. High school was a long time ago, and not just for me.-JD

  47. (45) Mets have been dying for years to break into that lucrative Asian merchandising market – it doubles our merchandise revenues – but we’ve never had a successful player except Shinjo

  49. I was just thinking on how the Yankees still have three key players from 1996 playing 13 years later..Pettitte, Rivera, Jeter. Posada had a few at bats but had his development set back by a minor league injury which in typical Yankee luck mad them keep a blowhard like Leyritz around to tie up game 4. Phillies players from 1993 WS loser are long gone..Schilling lasted but not with team.
    I don’t think any Cards from late 1960s were on 1981 team. Or any Mets from 1973 who were on 1986 team.

  51. (46) cant agree more but Im be surprised if they dont get boxed out on Holliday in Bay which puts them in scramble mode

  52. (50) not to me but baseball is a sport to me its a business to them – a week after signing 40 y/o Sheffield it was the most marketed and sold shirt on the team

  57. edfever(52)

    really?

    Met fans were buying Sheffield shirts over Johan , Beltran, etc?

    Wow.

    How stupid.

  58. (54) Dave i agree this conversation started with me hoping the yanks re-sign him so omar isnt tempted to and they have less money for holliday

  62. (57) dave by April in the Mets store at the stadium the Sheffield had multiple tables, shirt stands and at some of the smaller stores it was the only shirt they carried

  64. Dan(49) I think it is also a plus for Pettitte to have had Posada as his catcher for so long – they work very well together.

  72. Wow I call that Pedro being Pedro – he surprised me with how well he did for the phillies this year not falling apart now

  73. Girardi must be counting down the outs until he can put Rivera in the game. I say at the beginning of the eighth…if the Yankee lead holds.

  75. When was the last time an MVP came from the losing team because Utley should get some consideration

  76. Pulled muscles have taken Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon out of the games – I’m sure the cold weather was a bit of a factor.

  77. ed (75) that’s an interesting question – it happened years ago with Bobby Richardson, but I don’t know about recent times.

  78. #75 Bobby Richardson in 1960? I think in the NFL Cliff Waters was MVP for the Super Bowl V losing Cowboys

  80. Five times the Conn Smythe award has been awarded to a player for the losing team in the NHL. Last was 2003 to Jean Paul Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks

  85. Pettitte isn’t overwhelming but he is getting the job done. Two DPs, right?

    I thought that double by Jeter was out

  91. goodnight guys.

    gotta hit the sack.

    c u on hotstove where we find out what loser, over the hill player the mets sign to save 2010.

  94. 7-1 now after the latest Godzilla hit. Maybe we should start talking if Girardi lets Rivera get the final outs with a 10 run lead so he can win the first Yankee world series at their $1.3 billion montrosity

  96. What’s the record for the biggest blowout in the clinching game of the World series? 1934 Cards won game 7 11-0. 1985 Kansas City won by the same score

  98. Gotta wonder if this is Pettitte’s last game with the Yankees. If it is, it could be of his career. … Unless, of course, the Mets sign him (written with sarcasm).-JD

  99. Somehow I don’t have the same loathing towards Pettitte about using PEDs as Clemens, Bonds and others. But it was wrong and illegal and should be mentioned

  100. John (98) Who knows, he is certainly pitching well enough to return to the Yankees next season.

  105. ed (104): He is somebody they are considering. I like Melvin. He was a back-up catcher for the Orioles when I covered them. … Their new bench coach should be somebody who could step in immediately.-JD

  106. John (102) I think he’ll get an offer and it will be up to him what he wants to do. If this all holds up, he’s holding a lot of cards for the Yankees.

  107. (105) it seems like Shines has been quitely ruled out – if not melvin another former coach – Chip Hale was up for the D-Backs job at one point many out there felt he got hosed

  110. They really messed Jaba up dont mess with a good thing – when you have the next Goose dont try to make him Gidry – you end up with a charred duck ( get Lightning/goose- crack myself up)

  112. (108) will they use the fifth spot usually used fro the catchers coach as so new assignment for him

  118. EIGHTH INNING: Well, we’ve certainly seen Howard strikeout before. His disappearance might be the biggest factor in the outcome of this Series.-JD

  119. What is it…101 days for pitchers and catchers…152 for Opening Day???

    At least there are no political ads to put up with. So Selig’s idiotic post season extension has one small benefit

  123. if you want to do some sort of live chat let me know – I’ll assist whether on phone or one of the sites

  124. ed (123): I’d love to … anytime is fine by me. During the offseason I’d like to do at least one a week. I also intend to post daily over the winter.-JD

  126. great sounds good – I also meant more specifically about the winter meetings – maybe set up a time at night get a chatter box – if you go talk about the rumors you pick up etc..

  133. Congratulations to the New York Yankees – the 2009 World Series Champions

    Final Score Yankees:7 Phillies: 3

    Thank you for joining us for the baseball post season games.

    Happy Holidays to you all.

    See you next year.

  134. I’m glad they beat the Phillies and that A-Rod broke through otherwise bring on the hot stove

  135. JD gonna run we’ll work something out i definately want to do soemthing weekly and over the three days of the winter meetings.. Hype it up between the two sites maybe bring in a few more bloggers I have contract with

  136. POST GAME ANALYSIS: Charlie Manuel stayed too long with Pedro Martinez and that changed the complexion of the game. Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte, both perhaps playing their final game as Yankees, were superb. The Phillies had their chances, both tonight and in the Series, but couldn’t capitalize. They didn’t do the things they did last year against the Rays. Clearly, they were the better team.-JD

  138. The Yankee players were changing into World Champion shirts and wearing hats in the interviews. Anything to get a few dollars into the Steinbrenner coffers.

  139. (138) Dan: ALL teams do that, not just the Yankees. Mets in 2000 after the won the NLCS got caps and shirts on the field as did the Mets when they won the NL East in 2006. It’s pretty much standard fare now.