Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
October 27, 2003
Winning, Not Losing

Before the series started, I was exchanging messages with Alex Belth of Bronx Banter, and one thing we wanted was that neither team would lose the series the way the Cubs and Red Sox did. We didn't want to point to a dumb move by a manager and say, "That's where the series was lost." Dan Le Batard, in wrapping up the Marlins victory, points out that this didn't happen.


''Do we get respect now?'' Willis asked. ``What more would you like us to do? Got anyone else out there you want us to beat?''

No, the Yankees will do. And, rest assured, no matter how much gnashing and wailing there is in New York today about how the most expensive team in the history of sports underachieved, this was not the Yankees underestimating or overlooking or disrespecting Florida. New York's best simply wasn't good enough, hard as that is to believe.

David Wells, who hadn't allowed a bunt single in two years, didn't field his position poorly in the first play of the World Series. Juan Pierre just put the ball where it couldn't be fielded. Heck, Wells pitched plenty well in Game 1. Penny just pitched better.

That Game 4 Marlins victory? Roger Clemens was proud of the outing that ended with a standing ovation. But he wasn't as good as Carl Pavano. The Yankees, remember, rallied majestically in that game, scoring two runs while one strike from defeat. That's hardly quitting or choking.

No, the Yankees lost because Braden Looper made exceptional pitches to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, not because Aaron Boone and John Flaherty failed to do anything with them. And they lost because Alex Gonzalez fouled off several good Jeff Weaver pitches until he could get one far more to his liking.

And how about Game 5? It isn't like Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams gagged in this series. Both of them stung the ball. Williams would have tied Game 5 in just about any other ballpark with his warning-track flyout in the ninth inning. And how much harder would you have liked Matsui to hit the game-ending out? That's not Matsui failing in a key situation. That's Lee making an unbelievable play to prevent him from succeeding.

And Saturday's clincher? Right fielder Karim Garcia and catcher Jorge Posada made a very good play on a throw in Saturday's fifth inning. But Alex Gonzalez made a better slide. And Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte pitched exceptionally well. Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett just pitched better. New York's bats didn't go cold. New York's bats were silenced. There's a difference. If you want to say the Yankees gagged, make sure to remember that it was because Beckett kept stuffing baseballs down their throats.


And that's how it should be. The Marlins made mostly the right moves, the Yankees made mostly the right moves, and one of the teams got the better performance from its players. And we got to see a great World Series.


Posted by David Pinto at 10:41 AM | World Series | TrackBack (0)