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Russell Martin's Greatest Hits
The Yankees got some good news this week and some bad news.
The good? Crafty veteran Andy Pettitte and the greatest closer of all-time Mariano Rivera will indeed be pitching in the Bronx next season, the Yanks inking one-year deals with both hurlers. Pettitte was signed for $12 million for 2013 while Rivera was locked up for $10 million.
For one more year, the Bronx Bombers will be treated with each pitcher's services. Yes, good.
The bad news? The Yankees lost their starting catcher, Russell Martin, to free agency last night. Martin agreed to terms with the Pittsburgh Pirates; a deal worth two years, $17 million.
Just like that, the Bronx Bombers are without a viable starting catcher.
It was quite surprising the Yankees didn't at least pursue Martin in free agency, coming off a year in which he set a career-high in home runs with 21. His batting average (.211) may have been the lowest of his career, but the subpar BA shouldn't have completely ruined his chances of returning.
Last year Pettitte came back on a dime, only signing for $2.5 million. The 40-year-old lefty was injured most of last season with a fractured ankle, as was the 43-year-old Rivera – who as we all know tore his ACL shagging fly balls on the warning track in Kansas City in May.
Martin, only 29 (although will be 30 on Feb. 15), (in this writer's opinion) should have, at the very least, been offered something. Perhaps the Yanks could have given Pettitte and Rivera a little less – being that they'll only be around for one more year, anyway – and reached out to the catcher for a deal.
Now, along with the likelihood of right fielder Nick Swisher not making a comeback and the Yankees needing to fill the void in the corner outfield spot, they will now need to seek an everyday backstop – which they'll most likely be hard-pressed to do.
Right now their options include signing A.J. Pierzynski, a 35-year-old (36 on Dec. 30) with a history of not being the "nicest kid in class," so-to-speak; striking a deal with Mike Napoli, the 31-year-old free agent who put up numbers somewhat similar to Martin's in 2012 (.224 BA, 24 HR, 56 RBI); or just using Chris Stewart, Francisco Cervelli, and/or Austin Romine in 2013.
Stewart served as Martin's backup last season, mostly working as CC Sabathia's personal catcher, while Cervelli spent almost the entire season in the minors – not to mention Cervelli has suffered a number of concussions over the course of his young career. Romine also has an injury history and has not played a full Triple-A season his entire career.
Now the course of action is up to the Yankees' front office; a catcher possibly on the Yankees' wish list. In the meantime, I'd like to look back on a few of Martin's best moments in pinstripes. Although he was only a Bomber for two years, he provided the team with jolts and boosts to make them a better ballclub in 2011 and 2012.
A part of history
The Yankees were off to a poor start vs. Oakland on the afternoon of Aug. 25, 2011. They had given the A's a 7-1 lead by the third inning, the day looking like a lost cause; a stinker.
But Martin came up with a plan.
In the fourth inning he cut the lead down to 7-2 with a solo home run. Robinson Cano followed in the fifth with a grand slam to chop the lead to 7-6. Then in the sixth, Martin came up with the bases chucked and did Cano one better, crushing a grand slam of his own for his second homer in the game, giving the Yankees a 10-7 lead.
You would think the grand ol' day was over, but there was more to come.
After Martin added another run on an RBI single as part of a six run seventh, Curtis Granderson smacked the Yankees' third grand slam of the game in the eighth, the Yankees going absolutely wild on the way to a 22-9 win over the A's. It was the first time a team had homered with the bases loaded in a single game three times in MLB history.
"It's pretty amazing," Martin told the media when it was over. "This game has been played for a long time. Pretty much everything has already happened. I'm waiting to see who's going to hit four – I don't know if it's ever going to happen, but we'll see. Three is pretty cool."
Helping spoil the centennial
On April 20 the Yankees visited Fenway Park, joining the Red Sox in celebrating 100 years at 4 Yawkey Way in Boston. After a rather bizarre toast by former Red Sox Kevin Millar and Pedro Martinez, the Yanks got to work, putting some runs on the board and halting the BoSox behind the stellar pitching of Ivan Nova.
The Yanks basically had the game in the bag during the top of the sixth, up 5-2, but Martin added a run for good measure. The catcher clobbered a pitch off Clay Buchholz over the Green Monster – and over the Sports Authority billboard – a solo home run to give the Yanks a 6-2 lead to finish off the Red Sox.
Martin had already earned his pinstripes as a Yankee in 2011 when, towards the end of the season after a Yankee win over Boston, he said,
"We enjoy giving the Red Sox a hard time!"
Winning with the bat – and the arm
Martin had a rough go of it the first half of the 2012 season, only batting .179 before the All-Star break. Manager Joe Girardi even pulled him aside and spoke to him about his struggles, hoping his pep talk might turn his fortunes around.
And in the first game back from the All-Star break, he proved the tables had in fact been turned.
Against the Angels at home on July 13, Martin knocked in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning RBI single. But his biggest contribution was yet to come.
With the Yanks leading 6-5 in the ninth, Howard Kendrick attempted to advance to second base on a ball in the dirt that almost got by Martin. But the catcher recovered nicely; picked up the ball and threw out Kendrick to end the game, propelling the Bombers to a win.
Sometimes it only takes one good game to give a player confidence going forward –and the solid effort certainly did give Martin confidence going into the second half of the season.
"I'm starting to feel a little bit better about myself," he told the media afterward. "And that's never a bad thing."
A Twitter shout-out
This is more of a personal moment, but I'll throw it in, nonetheless.
In April of 2011, Martin conducted a Twitter Q & A. Hoping to get some recognition, I sent him a tweet question. Little did I know he would respond to me! (Note: he answered me back when my handle was @OriginalAJ615)
(Follow me on Twitter @AJ_Martelli)
Walking off a hero
Twice this year, Martin made the most of clutch situations.
On June 10 after Rafael Soriano had blown a save vs. the Mets at home, Martin brought his big stick to the plate. Tied 4-4 in the ninth, he hammered a pitch off Jon Rauch deep to left field for a home run to not only lift the Yanks to a 5-4 victory over the Metropolitans, but a Subway Series sweep of their cross-town rivals.
Three months and 11 days later, it was the same story. This time however, vs. the Oakland A's.
Tied 1-1 in the ninth on Sept. 21, Martin pounded another pitch to left; another solo, walk-off home run to beat the A's 2-1 with one swing.
It's safe to say Martin knew how to play the role of hero in 2012.
Leading the way in Game 1
The Yankees hadn't beaten a team not named the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS since 2001, when they beat the A's in five games. This year they were up against a familiar foe, the division rival Baltimore Orioles, in the first round of the playoffs, looking to finally quell a team other than the Twins in round one.
And it was Martin that set the table, playing a huge role in getting the Yanks out of the funk.
Knotted 2-2 in the ninth, the catcher broke the tie with a most impressive home run off Baltimore closer Jim Johnson, who had saved 51 games during the regular season – which led the majors. Martin's round-tripper started a five-run rally for New York, as the Yanks went on to take Game 1 from the O's, 7-2.
Yet it wasn't just his offense that proved to be the difference.
Martin also made two remarkable plays on defense behind the plate in the fifth, preventing a pair of runs from coming in. It seemed he was just grateful to help the team win, no matter how.
"Whether I help the team win offensively or defensively," he said, "I am happy."
On behalf of Yankee fans everywhere, THANK YOU RUSSELL for the two years of service.
Best of luck in Pittsburgh. Tell A.J. Burnett and Jeff Karstens we say hi.
YES, please!
I have been told in life there are three types of people: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.
As a current high school sports reporter and MLBlogger trying to take the next step in his career, I'm at the point where I want to make it happen. And what I have in mind might provide me with that chance.
Recently I was tossing ideas around in my head, thinking of companies to apply to while job hunting, and I somehow managed to venture over to the YES Network's career page. In the past I've checked out the YES Network's career page, but there was never anything listed. This time was a little different; there was one job posted:
Social Media Specialist.
As soon as I noticed the listing, I jumped on it. I tweaked my resume, pieced together an appropriate, well-written cover letter, and gathered the right material together to apply for the job – the right material basically being proof of all the times YES has used my insight via social media on its TV shows.
On May 8, 2010 YES used a comment I posted on its official Facebook page for the "Extra Innings" postgame show. There were no words to describe my excitement level, seeing my name and comment on TV when it first happened.
Fast forward to April 10, 2011. I wrote in another Facebook comment, and once again YES used my name and my words on "Extra Innings."
June 9, 2012, same thing.
All of this YES Network social media craze reached new heights on Aug. 6 this year when YES actually used my question during the "YES Network Games," a contest designed for viewers to tweet in trivia questions with the commentators trying to answer them.
After my name appeared, a few of my friends attempted to stage a Twitter hashtag rally entitled, #HireAJMartelli.
The YES Network should already know (just based on the history) how finely tuned my skills are when it comes to social media. In fact ESPN should also have the same idea, considering two of my comments made it onto the exclusive Baseball Tonight show during the "Chatter Up" segment in 2008 and 2009.
It's also not as if I'm an uneducated, inexperienced stranger. My past work in other media outside of social media speaks for itself. If I could show something to the YES Network right now, this would be it; some highlights of my young career:
- B.S. in journalism from Mercy College (class of 2010) where I served for two years as the sports editor of the Mercy student newspaper. The Mercy student paper won two New York Press Association awards while I served as sports editor, and I was awarded two Quill Awards (2009, '10) for sports reporting, given to me by Mercy's media studies department.
- Interviewed former Yankee and current YES personality John Flaherty while at Mercy and wrote a feature story about his career for the paper.
- Interviewed Brian Sweeney, a Major League relief pitcher who had faced the Yankees weeks before I conducted the interview.
- Worked for the Hudson Valley Renegades in 2010, assisting with baseball operations.
- Went on to cover the 2012 Hudson Valley Renegades this past season. The 'Gades captured the New York-Penn League Championship, beating the Tri-City Valley Cats. For their successful and winning campaign, the Renegades were voted the 2012 Minor League Baseball team of the year.
- Interviewed two-time Super Bowl Champ and MVP Eli Manning at the sixth annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic this year.
- Have worked for the past two years (and continue to work) as a high school sports reporter. To coincide with the Yankee motif, one of my favorite times covering a high school game was sitting next to Bernie Williams, covering his daughter's basketball game this past February. I even wrote an OP/ED that ran in the paper about how interesting it was, sitting next to a Yankee legend while working.
But I think what puts it all over the top for me is what you're reading right now. Yankee Yapping has been lauded by MLB. It has been ranked in the top three MLBlogs and featured multiple times; it has garnered a solid amount of fanfare since I launched it in July, 2009.
The bottom line is, I have done a lot of work and paid a lot of dues. And now, if there is a chance to move up the ladder, I'd like to take it.
To anyone reading this with a Twitter page, and would like to help, tweet the link to this blog to @YESNetwork and help #HireAJMartelli.
Together, we can make it happen. Not watch it happen, or wonder what happened.
In the meantime, I have high school ice hockey to cover this weekend after the holiday. And if you were to ask me what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving, it's having a job in the print media field, covering sports. No matter what level it happens to be on.
Early off-season yapping
Here we are roughly a month and four days removed from the Yankees' ugly elimination in the American League Championship Series at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, a nasty sweep to end the season.
But Karma, I suppose, always comes back to collect because the Tigers went on to get broomed themselves by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Giants have now captured two world titles in the last three years. What makes it funny to me is the fact that the football Giants and the baseball Giants were both champions in 2012.
The "Romo" factor also made me believe the sports gods work in mysterious ways.
Allow me to explain.
On Oct. 28 the San Francisco Giants closed out the Fall Classic – the same day the New York Giants faced off with the Dallas Cowboys, beating them 29-24. The football Giants defeated a Romo (Tony) while the baseball Giants ended the World Series with another Romo (Sergio) on the mound.
Fascinating. But maybe I'm over-thinking things.
At any rate, the Giants will enter the 2013 season wearing the title of defending champs. As for the Yankees: they remain the last American League team to win the World Series, three years ago in 2009.
Now, all the attention is focused on off-season news, and building the team for next year. There hasn't been a "big bang," so-to-speak, at least not yet. The Yanks' front office hasn't made a blockbuster move, but then again, the off-season is remarkably young.
The Baseball/General Managers Winter Meetings will take place next month in Nashville, so perhaps by the time they conclude, there will be a lot more to consider.
Until then, quite a few minor things around baseball and the Yankee community have transpired.
- Robinson Cano finished fourth in the AL MVP voting while Derek Jeter finished seventh. As much as I wanted to believe either Yankee could win the MVP, no one was beating Miguel Cabrera. The Triple Crown sealed the deal for him. At least Cano and Jeter both captured Silver Sluggers for their respective efforts.
- Just last night, the Yanks and Hiroki Kuroda agreed to a one-year deal. I had read Kuroda, 37, was deciding whether or not to pitch here in the states next season or return to Japan. After such a solid year in pinstripes in 2012, I for one am glad he opted to stay in America – and not just in America, but in the Bronx.
- Mark Teixeira didn't have the best year offensively, but he still proved what a fantastic defender he is at first base, claiming a Gold Glove Award. Cano also took one home – and home to the good old U.S.A., I guess, because he recently became a U.S. citizen.
- Rafael Soriano opted out of his contract, after declining the Yankees' qualifying offer. Good luck, buddy.
- Nick Swisher is as good as gone, also declining a qualifying offer. His absence will obviously create a void in right field the Yankees will need to fill.
- The Yankees' 2012 first round draft pick Ty Hensley favorited a tweet of mine. It was "Skyfall" related. If you haven't been to the movies lately, treat yourself to "Skyfall." It will blow your mind.
- Raul Ibanez wants to come back. Being the player who did the heavy lifting and carried the team toward the end of 2012, he may have earned a chance to play in New York again.
- Two classics, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, have expressed interest in pitching next year. I don't really have any predictions or ideas on what to expect. If anything, Pettitte will come cheap if he returns and Rivera will probably be looking for a sizeable amount of money. I think I'll just kick back and see what happens with these two.
- There will apparently be a Broadway play about the Yankees. I'm not much of a theatre guy, although I have seen "The Lion King," "Beauty & the Beast," and "Mary Poppins" on Broadway in New York. I might have to get some tickets, however, to see this Yankees production. If and when I do, you can be sure I will write a full review of it.
- Ichiro sent some favors to the woman in Seattle who manned the "Ichi-meter." What a guy.
- According to MLB trade rumors, the Yankees (among other teams) are interested in shortstop Stephen Drew and catcher Mike Napoli. Again, I'll kick back and see what happens. Both players would be key additions to any team.
- The Toronto Blue Jays decided they want to try and be contenders. I almost wish the season started tomorrow – that's how anxious I am to see if all these additions pay dividends for them.
There will undoubtedly be a lot more to report on as the off-season continues and the MLB hot stove cooks, or boils, or broils, or bakes, or does whatever the heck it does.
In the meantime, everyone have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Top 12 of 2012
Following the untimely and bitter end of the 2012 season last night, the Yankees are undoubtedly heading back to Yankee Stadium to clean out their lockers, and are going to prepare for what will be about a five month layover until Spring Training kicks up in February.
Now that the season has come to a close, it's time to reflect on everything that made 2012 a great baseball season. There's no need to dwell on the tragic ALCS sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, so instead, let's take a look back at some of the best moments and times of this past season.
Just a note, I'll be including some personal highlights as well; some moments that made it personally a fun season for me, as a writer, a reporter, and most importantly, a fan. Without any further ado, Yankee Yapping is proud to present its Top 12 of 2012!
12. Catching up with Bernie Williams
Believe it or not, one of the best highlights of the season (for me) came before the season even began!
While I was covering a high school girls' basketball game in February, I happened to be sitting next to none other than the former Yankee center fielder, Bernie Williams. His daughter Bea led her team to a win, and getting to sit next to a Yankee legend – and a proud father – while it happened was truly an honor.
Read all about my evening with Bernie here!
11. The return of Andy Pettitte
He had an itch to come back, and he went ahead and scratched it.
In March, retired longtime Yankee favorite Andy Pettitte announced that he would be coming out of retirement. He signed a contract, got back in shape, and unfortunately it didn't work out for him in the end.
Pettitte was sidelined for the majority of the season after getting struck in the left ankle with a come-backer on June 27 – fracturing his fibula.
I've discussed my feelings on the whole "coming-out-of-retirement" spiel, but when Pettitte went down, I legitimately felt bad for him, knowing he wanted to pay dividends for the Yankees. At the very least, however, he pitched well in the postseason, as he always does.
10. Home opener shutout
There is nothing like Opening Day. Spring; the feeling of new life is in the air, and baseball is back.
The Yankees made their home opener this year one to remember, beating Albert Pujols and the LA Angels 5-0 behind a brilliant start from Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankee win was one of the first of their 95 victories in 2012, setting the table for yet another strong, winning campaign.
9. Beating up the BoSox
On April 20 the Yankees' most hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox, honored Fenway Park; their home that turned 100 years old. Red Sox Nation could only hope a nice ceremony and a champagne toast would be followed by a Red Sox win over the Yankees.
No such luck.
The Yankees beat the Red Sox quite decisively, 6-2, ruining their centennial celebration.
And it only got sweeter the next day.
Boston rebounded from the loss with a bang, touching up the Yanks for nine runs through the first six innings. Leading 9-1 in the seventh, the Red Sox had seemingly answered their loss with a win, but things are rarely what they seem in Beantown. The Yanks came back with a vengeance; plating seven runs in the seventh and adding another seven in the eighth, clawing their way back for a huge, 15-9 win over Boston.
Without question those two losses took a lot of air out of Red Sox Nation, and the BoSox went on to have one of their worst seasons since the 1970s.
8. A YES contribution
On June 8 the Yankees absolutely clobbered the Mets, beating their inferior cross-town rivals, 9-1. Robinson Cano led the way with two homers off Mets' ace Johan Santana, and Nick Swisher and Andruw Jones followed with homers of their own.
As a matter of fact, the Yanks smacked three consecutive homers that night.
During the game, I submitted a tweet to the YES Network, and they used it on their "Extra Innings" postgame show – marking the third time they have used my insight on TV.
Hosts Jack Curry and Bob Lorenz even agreed with my comment.
More YES Network action to come later.
7. A win over Atlanta
There's nothing like going out to your first game of the season. It took me a couple months, considering covering Minor League Baseball basically consumed my summer, but on June 18 (three days after my birthday!) I finally got out to the big ballpark in the Bronx.
The Yanks hosted the Atlanta Braves in an inter-league showdown, and backed by a dominant, complete game performance from CC Sabathia, won 6-3. The victory kept a 10-game Yankee winning streak alive; Cano and Mark Teixeira each going yard to pace the Yanks at the plate.
I did get out to one more game on Aug. 31 – yet it wasn't as memorable, the Yankees losing 6-1 to the team they eventually ousted in the ALDS, the Baltimore Orioles.
6. Welcome, Ichiro!
The Yankees made a splash before the trade deadline, acquiring Ichiro from the Seattle Mariners. The 38-year-old veteran outfielder joined the team on July 23, and certainly did a fine job on both sides of the field.
Ichiro played in 67 games for the Yankees – and 162 overall, proving just how durable he really is. In those 67 games in pinstripes he recorded 73 hits and scored 28 runs with 14 stolen bases, 13 doubles, and five homers.
Yes. He's still got it. Much like Derek Jeter, Ichiro has shown he is ageless. And he certainly helped propel the Yankees down the stretch and into the postseason.
Domo arigato, Mr. Suzuki.
5. YES Network Games
Another game, another YES Network appearance.
On Aug. 6, my tweet was used on the YES Network, during their "YES Network Games" competition. Michael Kay even admitted my question was difficult, although he, John Flaherty, and Meredith Marakovits all came up with the correct answer.
It's only too bad the content and nature of the question in a way foreshadowed the season's end.
4. Not so fast, Oakland
The 2012 Yankees had a handful miraculous late-game wins under their belt – maybe not as many as the '09 Yankees – but when the Bombers fought back this season, you could be sure they would win.
Case in point: Sept. 22 at home vs. Oakland.
Tied 5-5 in the top of the 13th, the A's were able to score four times and take a 9-5 lead.
Facing a surefire loss, the Bombers showcased some resiliency, and battled back to knot it up at nine, highlighted by a game-tying, two-run homer off the bat of Raul Ibanez. Ichiro later scored on an error for a 10-9 Yankee victory.
To think, while all this was happening I was hanging out with (of all people) Hulk Hogan.
3. Taking the tour
Game after game, the Yankees sit in their dugout; chill in the clubhouse. On Sept. 30 I got a taste of what that feels like.
The Yankee Stadium tour is offered year-round and on Yankee off-days during the regular season. It was something I had wanted to do for awhile, and I finally had my day.
Read all about my Yankee Stadium tour here!
2. Raul Ibanez's heroics
Baseball in October is sometimes defined as, "unlikely hero." And the Yankees certainly had one this year.
At the end of the regular season and into the postseason, Raul Ibanez proved to be the Yankees' most clutch player. With game-tying and game-winning hits, he made a name for himself and earned the respect and love of all Yankee fans.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth on Oct. 2 vs. Boston, Ibanez slammed a two-run home run, tying it all up, 3-3. Three innings later he came up and sank the Red Sox with a walk-off single – a hit that gave the Yankees a 4-3 win over their humiliated hated rivals, but more importantly, kept them alone in first place in the AL East going into the game number 162 of the regular season.
Talk about enough drama for one season. But it was only the beginning.
Against the Orioles – the team that crept up on the Yanks for first place in the AL East towards the end of the year – in Game 3 of the ALDS, Ibanez put on an encore performance.
Down 2-1 this time in the ninth, Ibanez swung his bat hard, lifting the ball deep into the New York night and into the seats for another incredible, game-tying homer. He came up, again in the 12th, and clubbed another death blow; another long ball to give the Yankees a 3-2 victory, sending the Bronx faithful home with smiles on their faces.
Two game-tyers and two game-winners within eight days of each other. And he still had some left.
Last Saturday in Game 1 of the ALCS when defeat looked imminent, Ibanez tied the game with one swing yet again, taking Detroit closer Jose Valverde's offering into the seats in right field.
Sadly for Ibanez and the Yankees the magic stopped there. But there's no question that Ibanez had the best October of any Yankee player on the roster.
1. Getting past the O's
The ALCS may not have ended the way the Yankees would have hoped for, but if nothing else, they should take winning the ALDS away from this postseason as a huge step in the right direction.
After all, the Yankees had not beaten a team in the ALDS not named the Minnesota Twins since 2001, when they beat the A's. By the numbers, the Yankees were 4-0 vs. the Twins in the ALDS – and 0-5 vs. everyone else. The biggest question on my mind entering October was, "if it's not the Twins, can the Yankees even win?"
Yes, they can. And moving forward, hopefully it gives them confidence. Let's say (hypothetically) the Yankees are up against the Chicago White Sox, or the Texas Rangers, or the Angels – or even the Tigers again in the ALDS next year. With the win over the Orioles this year, they now know they can win an ALDS against a team other than the Twins.
Beating the Orioles may have taken a lot of effort, but perhaps it gave them some knowledge.
Honorable Mention: The Hudson Valley Renegades
As I've written about several times, I had the pleasure of covering the Hudson Valley Renegades this season, a MiLB team. The 'Gades were a huge part of my summer. I spent many nights in the Dutchess Stadium press box, watching the team battle to win after win.
The Renegades went on to beat the Tri-City Valley Cats in the New York-Penn League Championship Series, winning their first league title since 1999 – and only their second league title in team history.
I had so much fun covering the Renegades, and it meant a lot when their manager, Jared Sandberg, told me that not only had he read several of my articles about the team/game recaps, but he was impressed with how well-written they were.
Very encouraging to hear, especially from a former big leaguer and the nephew of a Hall of Famer.
It's tough to say goodbye to the 2012 baseball season, because it was one heck of a time.
My only hope now is that 2013 will be just as awesome.
The bitter end
The Yankees made all kinds of history in the American League Championship Series. Unfortunately for them, it was the type of history they didn't want to be making. For the first time since 1976, the Yankees were swept in a four-game postseason series, thus ending their run for what could have been their 28th World Series title.
The Detroit Tigers have clotheslined the Yanks to the canvas on their chase for 28.
There's always blame to go around when the postseason ends prematurely, but most of it lies on the lack of production at the plate. The Yankee offense went about as frozen as a cooler in Antarctica, batting .188 overall for the playoffs and a miserable .196 with runners in scoring position.
Any self-respecting manager or coach would say those numbers will just not get the job done in October, and obviously it didn't for the Yankees.
Up until CC Sabathia's rough Game 4 outing, the pitching was certainly a bright spot for the Bronx Bombers in the ALCS. As a matter of fact, every pitcher (save for Sabathia this evening) turned in a quality performance. Phil Hughes left Game 3 early, but David Phelps and the bullpen piggy-backed him, and the Tigers only scored two runs – the Yankee offense flaking and falling 2-1.
It's clear pitching wasn't the problem this postseason. The bats just died.
Now with the off-season on the horizon, the Yankee front office has a number of decisions to make. The hitters have around 4-5 months to think about what happened in 2012, but will some of them be back in pinstripes in 2013?
Let's start with the giant elephant in the room.
Alex Rodriguez
A-Rod was once again the center of October attention – and again, not in a good way.
After being benched in Game 5 of the ALDS for batting .125, Rodriguez only saw seven at-bats in the ALCS. He finished with an overall BA of .130 with no homers, no RBIs, and 12 strikeouts.
Aside from 2009, A-Rod has been a non-factor in the postseason.
What really caught everyone by surprise were his antics in the dugout during the ALCS, sending the ball boy to give two women (reportedly models) sitting in the stands a baseball with his phone number on it. His act garnered all kinds of media attention, and may have led to his benching in the ALCS. He only played in six of the Yanks' nine postseason games.
Then, out of nowhere, speculation and trade rumors came up about the Yankees possibly moving Rodriguez to the Miami Marlins. General Manager Brian Cashman quickly squashed the rumors as bunk, but later several sources claimed the possible deal wasn't as false as Cashman initially said it was.
During his postgame interview Rodriguez didn't indicate that he wants to leave New York – and he does have a no-trade clause in his contract, although according to sources he told his close friends he'd approve a deal to be traded, if it meant going to another big-market team.
"I will be back," he said after tonight's loss. "I have a lot to prove. I've never thought about going to another team. My focus is on staying here. Let's make that very, very clear."
If A-Rod opts to stay, it will be a tough road moving forward for the Yankees. Rodriguez has been plagued by injuries these last few seasons, his offensive numbers have steadily declined, and as evidenced by this October, he struggles in the postseason – to the point where they're paying him, a key player, to sit on the bench in important games.
The way I see it, if the Yankees can move A-Rod and receive decent, younger players in exchange for him, jump at the chance. Rodriguez is 37 and will be 38 next year – and he is under contract for another five years.
Bottom line: if you can get out of it, get out of it, Yanks.
Nick Swisher
Unlike Rodriguez, Nick Swisher is a free agent. He durably played in 148 games this season and hit 24 home runs, knocked in 93 runs, and batted a respectable .272 for the season.
Sadly for Swisher, once the postseason begins everyone forgets about those solid numbers.
Swisher absolutely tanked in the playoffs, batting .167 with no homers, just two RBIs, and 10 strikeouts. He came up short in several key spots in the ALDS and ALCS, and wasn't his normal self before Game 2; not even facing the crowd in right field while warming up. He also missed a ball in the lights in Game 1, which in turn helped lead to the Yankees' loss.
Yankee beat writer Bryan Hoch at one point tweeted, "The Yankee faithful have seen enough of Swisher, I'm afraid."
I'm afraid he may be correct.
Although Swisher did hint that he does in fact want to return to the Yankees, there's a good chance it might not happen. He will certainly find another team willing to take him on if he doesn't come back to the Bronx, because he offers such a strong, positive presence wherever he goes – and his success reflects that.
It's just unfortunate that in what could have been his last game at Yankee Stadium, the fan-favorite was booed and jeered off the field – an ungracious way to bow out, if it was indeed his last game in pinstripes.
Other Free Agents & Decisions
- Hiroki Kuroda. The righty from Japan signed a one-year deal during the off-season and won 16 games – and probably would have won more had he received better run support. If I'm Brian Cashman, I'd certainly try to return Kuroda. He earned it.
- Andy Pettitte. I'll be the first to admit, I was at first a little unhappy when Pettitte decided to come out of retirement (in my personal view, I feel he went back on his retirement, a la Roger Clemens and Brett Favre). However, when he was struck in the leg by that come-backer, and he was sidelined for the majority of the season, I felt bad for him, because I know he wanted to pay dividends for the Yankees, and he didn't exactly get the chance to. I could see him returning for 2013 but ultimately it'll be a decision he makes over the winter. If he does come back, I'd expect him to come back for a cheap price.
- Rafael Soriano. The man who filled in so nicely for Mariano Rivera this year can opt out of his contract and attempt to test the open market for more money. If so, the Yankees will have to decide whether or not to pursue him in free agency. But will they have to if…
- Mariano Rivera returns? Rivera is a free agent and reportedly made a decision about retirement following 2012, but after his season-ending knee injury in May he told the world he will be back. I can't imagine him being with another team other than the Yankees, especially if 2013 is his final year.
- Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones. The way I see it, the Yankees have to get younger. Chavez and Jones are both past their prime; their best playing days behind them. I covered a high school football game last week, and as it was, I happened to catch up with the school's baseball coach – also a Yankee fan. He raised a legitimate question: "Where's our versions of (Bryce) Harper, (Mike) Trout, and (Manny) Machado?" I answered him, "Playing for the Seattle Mariners," referencing Jesus Montero. The Yankees have to breed their younger guys better – and they can't do that clinging to the older guys.
- Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. Both made their respective debuts in 2007, and both were touted to be the future aces of the Yankees. Six years later, neither has lived up to the hype; both with injury-ravaged careers and mediocre-to-subpar numbers. The Yankees are facing a tough decision with Hughes and Chamberlain. I could see them bringing one back and not the other, but right now I couldn't tell you which would stay and which would go.
- Raul Ibanez. About as clutch as clutch can be in the postseason, Ibanez is now a free agent. However, he's also 40 years old. If he does return, I can't see him coming back for a lot of money; he'd have to sign back for an inexpensive price. Looking at it objectively though, he may have earned himself another contract, simply by his late-inning October heroics. It's just another decision the Yanks will be faced with.
- Ichiro. Although he'll turn 39 on Monday – and this kind of goes against my plea to develop younger players – Ichiro this year proved he can still field, hit, and run just fine. If it were up to me, I'd try to get him back. It'll be interesting to see if the Yankees make him an offer to play next year, and if they do, what type of money they'll offer him. I'd imagine it'd only be a one-year deal. Anywhere between $7-9 million, perhaps?
- Derek Lowe. No I don't expect him back. He was a rental.
- Jayson Nix. He's a maybe. We'll have to wait and see.
There are also a number of free agents on the open market; potential players from other teams the Yankees can pursue. I'm anticipating a busy off-season, given the number of possible moves the Yankees can make. I'm also anxious to see what happens, considering Cashman and the front office are hoping to keep the payroll under $189 million.
As per the end of every season, I'd like to thank the loyal readers of Yankee Yapping! I know 2012 didn't end with a World Series Championship like we wanted, but it was still a fun year for baseball and the Yankees.
Be sure to keep up with YY during the off-season. I'm sure I'll have stories, and analysis and highlights of what's happening as the hot stove cooks. Also be sure to follow me on Twitter (@AJ_Martelli) and keep up with YY on Facebook (#ShamelessPlug)
Thanks again, everyone. And Go Yankees!
In peril and fading fast
Funny, how in a matter of 48 hours, everything changes. On Friday Yankee Universe was in a state of euphoria. Fast forward to now and Yankee Universe is in a state of flux.
The Yankees had no times to rest after ousting the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, but still celebrated with happiness and champagne in the clubhouse. The good feeling of moving on to the last round before the World Series was short-lived however, given the circumstances surrounding the first two games of the American League Championship Series.
New York dropped Game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday night, even after staging an incredible game-tying comeback in the ninth inning, and then proceeded to drop Game 2 yesterday without plating a run.
Just like that, the Yankees are down 0-2 in a best-of-seven, heading into the Motor City.
There are several reasons – well, culprits – for the Yanks' deficit. It's difficult to single out just one player, or one event in which the Yankees squandered a chance to take a lead or win an ALCS game. Therefore, it's only fitting to place the blame on all those who deserve it – basically all of the Yankee hitters that are guilty of folding in key spots.
Nick Swisher
On Saturday in the top of the 12th, the game tied 4-4, Nick Swisher misplayed a ball struck by Delmon Young in right field. Miguel Cabrera scored as a result and later in the frame Don Kelly came to the plate on a single by Andy Dirks.
The miscue proved to be the difference in the game, the Yankees losing Game 1, 6-4.
The situation may have been forgivable had it not cost the Yankees the game – and if Swisher wasn't batting .154 with eight strikeouts, no homers, and one RBI for the playoffs. What added a fair amount of fuel to the fire was the fact that later in the inning the Yankees' worst nightmare manifested itself, Derek Jeter suffering a postseason-ending ankle fracture.
Swisher didn't help his cause, not only barely acknowledging the bleacher creatures before Game 2, but also claiming the fans blamed him for Jeter's injury.
"I missed that ball in the lights and the next thing you know I'm the reason that Jeter got hurt. It's kind of frustrating. They were saying it was my fault."
Nobody can rightfully blame Swisher for Jeter's injury; it wasn't his fault, and injuries in baseball can never be predicted. However, Swisher shouldn't make excuses or in any way call out the fans. The media jumped all over it, saying he blamed the fans for his current trifles.
He's always been a fan-favorite, but there's already been plenty of chatter about whether or not Swisher will return next year. If he doesn't turn things around in Game 3 and moving forward, his leave will not be very gracious; Swisher might bow out of the Bronx in a not-so-endearing fashion.
Curtis Granderson
In the final game of the ALDS on Friday Curtis Granderson lifted a solo home run to help put the Orioles away. Many Yankee fans probably thought the round-tripper was the end of his terrible funk, considering he struck out nine times in the Division Series with a batting average of .158.
If the fans thought that, they were wrong.
Granderson hasn't yet recorded a base hit in the ALCS, and added five more strikeouts in seven at-bats. His BA has sunk to a measly .115 and his on-base percentage is a joke: .207.
While I was covering a high school football game on Friday, I happened to be standing on the sidelines next to the school's baseball coach. Before the football game began we were discussing Granderson's batting stance and mechanics. The coach mentioned that Granderson's stance and his swing look incredibly awkward, and he's always trying to uppercut the ball.
This writer can't argue. Looking at each of his strikeouts this postseason, he's whiffing on breaking balls in the dirt, swinging under them; almost as if he's trying swing a nine iron, and horribly missing the tee. His swing isn't level and it's costing him.
His offensive neurosis is inexplicable but in a lot of ways isn't surprising. Granderson homered 43 times during the regular season and knocked in 106 runs. But if you sum up his home run and RBI total, it doesn't even add up to the number of times he struck out this season: 195.
Bottom line, when he hits, he hits. When he misses, boy does he miss. And he has been missing a lot lately – the wrong time to go ice cold.
Robinson Cano
Another classic case of a hitter going from juggernaut to jugger-not.
Robinson Cano set a career-high in home runs in 2012 with 33 and finished the year with a solid .313 batting average. He closed out the regular season with a bang, homering twice while knocking in six in a 14-2 win over the Red Sox – a nice hitting show to end the year.
Too bad it was curtains for Cano's hitting show once the postseason began.
The Yankees' second baseman is batting a mind-boggling .063 this postseason with no hits thus far in the ALCS. Instead of lifting the ball he has been beating it into the ground for easy outs, mostly pulling it to the right side for the first baseman to make unassisted plays.
Unlike Granderson, Cano's offensive slump has been surprising. He has always had an easy, effortless, and otherwise sweet swing. It seems as though he's been swinging late at pitches he normally hits, fouling them off then missing them altogether.
If the Yankees want to win, he needs to straighten himself out. Cano has been the best hitter on the team throughout the year – and when your best hitter isn't hitting, winning is rare. Trailing by two games in the ALCS, Cano must come alive, because .063 just will not cut it.
Alex Rodriguez
Notorious for being a poor producer in the month of October, minus 2009, it doesn't come as a shock that Alex Rodriguez is struggling as much as he is. It seems as if every key spot which requires the Yankees to score a run comes down to A-Rod – and in each of those spots, he fails.
Unfortunately, with every failure comes boos and jeers from the Yankee faithful.
Rodriguez struck out nine times in the ALDS and tacked on three more Ks in the first two ALCS games. Not that it's saying much, but his batting average (.130) is at least better than Granderson's and Cano's. He hasn't doubled, tripled, homered, or driven in any runs this postseason.
At this point, it's a safe bet to say it's a mental issue with Rodriguez. Even at his worst times, he has never been this bad.
Is he pressing and trying to do too much in every trip to the plate? Yes.
Is he really this bad, though? I don't know.
In Game 5 of the ALDS Rodriguez was benched – which I saw mostly as a "mental health day," hoping he'd take the day off and come back with a vengeance. It proved to be ineffective as it was, because he went right back to not hitting when the ALCS started.
At this point, I don't know what the answer is for A-Rod. Hitting Coach Kevin Long can only do so much, and extra batting practice can only go so far. Rodriguez's swings are some of the weakest hacks I've seen him take.
My advice would be to get him to a psychiatrist. Or maybe just give him a hug and hope for the best.
Other Problems
- Derek Jeter is out for the remainder of the playoffs. It comes as a huge blow to the Yankees, being that the Captain was one of the only players actually hitting. Jeter left the postseason with a .333 BA, a double, a triple, and two RBIs. His ankle fracture will take three months to recover from, and he won't be with the team in Detroit. The Captain will be in Charlotte, NC seeing a specialist for his injured ankle.
- Second base umpire Jeff Nelson made a costly mistake in Game 2 yesterday, calling Omar Infante safe when he was obviously out, trying to get back to the base. The blown call proved to be a game-changer because the Tigers, clinging to a small, 1-0 lead in the inning, went on to score two runs following the blunder. Not that Nelson should be blamed for the Yankees' dead offense, but different scenarios are possible with a 1-0 lead and a 3-0 lead in the late innings – just ask Raul Ibanez.
- RoboCop…errm…Justin Verlander is starting Game 3. Verlander, the reigning Cy Young Award winner and AL MVP doesn't exactly have his work cut out for him; not that he ever really does, considering how dominant he always is. Facing a nearly extinct Yankee offense without Jeter, Verlander and the Tigers must feel invincible going into tomorrow night's game.
- The Yankees stranded 12 runners on base in just three instances in Game 1, leaving the bases loaded three times. With that, they made postseason history. And no, not in the good way.
On the Bright Side?
- CC Sabathia will start Game 4. Even if the Yankees drop Game 3 tomorrow, it's possible they salvage a game in this ALCS, what with the big ace on the hill in Game 4.
- June 3. Phil Hughes pitched a complete game, four-hit shutout in Detroit, the Yankees winning 5-1 – a victory over Verlander. He'll match up again with Verlander tomorrow night; the history on the Yankees' side.
- The starting pitching overall this postseason. All four of the Yankee starters have gone out and given the team a chance to win. In fact, every start has been a quality start. The problem lies in run support, as the root of the losing problem stems from the non-existent offense.
Nothing has really fallen the Yankees' way over the first two ALCS games. Perhaps losing Game 2 will be a wake-up call, and the bats will come alive; the offense finally breaking out and scoring some runs for the battling starting pitchers.
Maybe Joe Girardi needs to call an angry meeting. Maybe A-Rod needs therapy. Maybe Brian Cashman needs to storm the clubhouse and recreate the scene from Moneyball that portrays A's General Manager Billy Beane lighting a fire under his players, calling them out on their dead bats.
Something needs to happen. Or else this could very well be the end of the 2012 Yankees.
Yanks oust O's, now out for RAWR-demption
It wasn't the Twins, but the Yankees still won.
Coming into the 2012 playoffs, the Yankees were 0-5 against teams not named the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series. Finally, they got over the hump; eliminated a team other than Minnesota with a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles last night to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Although they did leap the ALDS hurdle, it will only get more difficult for the Bombers from here. Waiting for them in the ALCS are none other than the Detroit Tigers – the team that not only beat them in five games in last year's ALDS, but booted them in four in the first round of the 2006 postseason.
The Yankees have a lot going for them in the ALCS, but at the same time, a lot is working against them.
- The possibility of only facing Justin Verlander once. It took five games for the Tigers to finish off the Oakland A's in the ALDS, and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and MVP pitched twice. In a best-case-scenario, they deal with Verlander once and be done with it.
- Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Derek Jeter's numbers vs. Detroit's Game 1 starter, Doug Fister. Teixeira has a homer and four RBIs in 12 at-bats lifetime off Fister, while Swisher holds a homer and two RBIs over his head. Jeter owns a .385 batting average with two RBIs off him. If they can swing the bats the way they have in the past off Fister, they might be able to take some wind out of the Tigers' sails, right from the start.
- Andy Pettitte starting Game 1. It kind of goes with the "taking the wind of out the Tigers' sails" motif. Pettitte is battle-tested in the postseason, and if he takes the ball tonight and gives the Yankees quality, there's a good chance the Bombers can get a quick, 1-0 series lead. Pettitte always affords them a chance to win.
- June 3. Phil Hughes, who hasn't been consistent this year to say the least, pitched his way to a complete game, four-hit victory in Detroit. Hughes only allowed one earned run to the lead the Yanks to their 5-1 win – and it's worth noting he outdueled Verlander for that win. The long ball was a problem for Hughes this season (35 homers allowed, second most in the majors), but if he turns in a performance like he did in Game 4 of the ALDS, it's good news for New York.
- CC Sabathia and a rested bullpen. Sabathia really strutted his stuff in the ALDS – especially in the clinching game last night, going the distance. Not only did he give the Yankees an extreme amount of confidence going forward, but he rested a rather taxed bullpen, what with two ALDS games going beyond nine innings.
- The Tigers' bullpen. Jose Valverde blew a key save to keep the Oakland A's alive, and is notorious for flirting with disaster. In a close, late-game situation the Yankees can easily capitalize on his mistakes. Valverde saved 35 games for Detroit during the regular season, but he's not exactly Mariano Rivera, or even Rafael Soriano.
- Obviously, the way the Yankees have been swinging the bats. Offensively, the Yankees had about one inning in the ALDS – the ninth inning of Game 1 – in which the bats were clicking on all cylinders. Other than that one frame, the Bombers have been (to put it mildly) struggling at the plate. Swisher, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Ichiro, and, well…virtually everyone might benefit from some extra batting practice.
- The psyche of Alex Rodriguez. It's no secret when it comes to the postseason, A-Rod is constantly being thrown under the microscope; then being ragged on for folding at the plate. Outside of the 2009 playoffs, it's not unfair to say Rodriguez has been an October goat. In the four games he played in the ALDS A-Rod was 2-for-16 with no homers, no RBIs, and the stat that sticks out like a sore thumb: nine strikeouts. He was benched for the deciding game because of his poor performance in the ALDS, but he has an opportunity to channel his inner 2009 and put it behind him. In my opinion, it's a mental issue – one that he must get over in order to be successful.
- The King with three crowns. Miguel Cabrera, for his entire career, has never been an easy out for the Yankees; in fact, he's a Yankee killer. And if you're talking about the all-time champion Yankee killers – players like Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz – Cabrera must be mentioned in the same breath. It's going to be quite the task pitching to him, and the guy behind him, big Prince Fielder. The poisonous 1-2 punch in the heart of the Tigers' batting order will undoubtedly pose the biggest offensive threat and potentially supply the Tigers with plenty of offense.
- Verlander. Kind of tough to ignore the giant elephant in the room. Verlander may not have had the best season numerically vs. the Yankees, but he's still one of the most feared pitchers in the American League. Like Sabathia he closed out the ALDS with a brilliant complete game gem. I'd like to see what it'd be like if he matched up with Sabathia in the ALCS; a showcase of virtuosos and a pitcher's duel would be my bet.
- Postseason history vs. Detroit. The Yankees were able to get over beating a team not named the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, but now can they get over a team that has twice eliminated them in October?
Well, now that I mention it…
The last time the Yankees faced a team in the ALCS that had twice eliminated them in the ALDS: the Angels, in 2009. They were able to get over the halo hurdle in six games, then go on to claim the World Series. If the Yankees are lucky, history will repeat itself.
But they have to tame the Tigers if they want it to.
Before the ALDS, my cousin C.J. from Baltimore (yeah, I know about the A.J. – C.J. thing, heard it a million times) wrote me a little message on Facebook:
"Here come the O's, buddy. Gonna be a good series!"
I responded, "Definitely! O's have a fire in them, but it'll be tough to cool off Robinson Cano. May the best team win."
Obviously it wasn't tough for them to Cool off Cano, but the Yanks still won. I wrote back last night,
"Good series, cuz. O's battled like warriors, came up just short. Hope the Yankees can knock off the Tigers now!"
C.J., the class act he is, replied, "Aw man, what a classic series. Already can't wait for next year. Best of luck to you guys!"
I'd just like to thank C.J. for being (in a way) a gracious loser; not making me, a Yankee fan, feel bad about winning the ALDS, him being an O's fan – and even going as far as wishing me luck (as a fan) in the next round.
Thanks again, Ceej. And it was a classic series. I hope the Yankees and O's meet again in the playoffs next year. I'm up for another series.
No one told Raul
Nobody must've told Raul Ibanez that the Orioles were 76-0 this year when leading after seven innings. Before he stepped up to the plate for Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth with one out, they probably didn't mention to him that the Baltimore closer, Jim Johnson, led the league in saves with 51.
Ibanez came out of the batting cage, to the on-deck circle, and eventually the plate; the Yanks trailing 2-1. The 40-year-old, notorious for being a low-ball hitter, took Johnson's offering deep over the right field wall, a solo home run to dramatically tie the game up, 2-2.
In the bottom of the 12th, they once again probably forgot to tell Ibanez that the Orioles had previously won 16 consecutive extra-inning games, because Ibanez caught lightning in a bottle twice. He pounded the first pitch he saw over the wall in right and into the second deck – a shot that traveled even further than his game-tying home run – for a walk-off homer and a 3-2 Yankee victory in Game 3 of the ALDS.
Just like that, the Yankees lead the series, two games to one.
Rodriguez has been in a serious playoff funk: 1-for-12 out of the three hole in the lineup with no RBIs and seven strikeouts.
Manager Joe Girardi looked like an absolute genius, pinch-hitting for him in that spot.
"I went to him {A-Rod} and told him 'you're scuffling a little bit right now' and we got a low-ball hitter and a shorter porch in right field, and left field, obviously," Girardi said to the media after the game.
"Raul's been a great pinch-hitter for us and I'm just going to take a shot."
What's perhaps funny is the first thought that entered my mind after Ibanez tied the game in the ninth. I remember covering a sectional high school baseball game in the spring, and the Head Coach made a similar move that paid dividends. The team wound up winning the game because he chose to pinch-hit one kid for another – and the pinch-hitter knocked in what turned out to be the deciding run with a sharp, RBI single to left field.
Afterward during my interview, I asked him if there was any rhyme or reason to making the move, and he simply told me,
"I figured I'd give it a shot and it worked out well…it made me look good."
With the huge, dramatic hits, I'd say it's a safe bet Ibanez will be in the lineup tonight. Having spent the past two games on the bench without starting, and coming up huge in two key spots, I think he's earned it; perhaps Girardi should let Nick Swisher take a day, allow Ibanez to patrol left field tonight, and move Ichiro to right.
That would be my move, anyway.
Really though, an unsung hero of last night's win was Hiroki Kuroda. Aside from two mistakes – pitches he left up for Orioles rookies Ryan Flaherty and Manny Machado to hit out for home runs – he was about as solid as they come.
Kuroda pitched into the ninth inning and let up only those two runs on just five hits. He only walked one batter and struck out three, giving the Yankees a stellar performance from a number three postseason starter.
Derek Jeter also deserves a fair amount of praise, knocking in the Yankees' first run in the third with an RBI triple. The Captain also fouled a ball off his left foot in the first inning, giving himself a bone bruise – yet stayed in the game, valiantly, until the ninth inning when he was lifted for Jayson Nix.
You'd have to kill Jeter to keep him out of a postseason game, because he was adamant about playing today; shrugging off his foot pain and declaring he'd be ready for Game 4 tonight.
Phil Hughes (16-13, 4.23 ERA) will take the ball for the Yankees, hoping to close out the ALDS on a high note. Hughes has struggled mightily this year with command, serving up 35 home runs to opposing hitters, which was second most in the league.
The Orioles roughed Hughes up on Sept. 2, shellacking him for five earned runs in five innings on eight hits. The key for him tonight will be to keep his fastball moving and to not hang his breaking pitches. If his fastball has tailing action on it and his off-speed pitches drop, he'll be fine. If not, the 26-year-old righty – and the Yankee bullpen – will be in for a long night.
He'll be opposed by lefty Joe Saunders (9-13, 4.07 ERA) who beat the Texas Rangers in Baltimore's Wild Card play-in game last Friday. Saunders also handed the Yanks a loss on Sept. 8.
However, quite a few Yankees have enjoyed a strong amount of success vs. Saunders in their respective careers. Last night's hero Ibanez has homered off Saunders, the struggling Curtis Granderson has a home run off him, and the goat of this postseason thus far – Rodriguez – has even taken Saunders deep twice.
Don't be surprised to see Nix in the lineup tonight: he has gone yard off Saunders three times in his career. If the Bombers are swinging the bats the way they have vs. Saunders in the past, it'll be a good night to be wearing pinstripes.
Much like it was last night.
If it's not the Twins, can the Yankees win?
Last year the Yankees were ousted from the playoffs at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, losing the deciding Game Five on Oct. 6. This year will be a much different story, considering the American League Division Series won't even begin until Oct. 7 – 2012 already a longer postseason than 2011 for the Bronx Broskis.
By the end of tonight's all-or-nothing Wild Card play-in game the Yanks will know where they're headed for the first two games of the ALDS: they'll either be getting on a plane set on course for Texas to play the Rangers, or they'll be heading to Baltimore to face the Orioles.
Before they square off with their first round opponents, there's an ALDS history lesson that needs to be taught. In 2001, the Yanks eliminated the Oakland A's in five games. Since then have had an easy time with one particular team in the first round of the playoffs, but haven't had much luck against virtually anyone else.
2002 ALDS: Yankees booted by the Los Angeles Angels, three games to one. Loss
2003 ALDS: Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins, three games to one. Win
2004 ALDS: Yankees duplicated '03, beating the Minnesota Twins, three games to one. Win
2005 ALDS: Yankees once again booted by the LA Angels, this time three games to two. Loss
2006 ALDS: Yankees eliminated by the Detroit Tigers, three games to one. Loss
2007 ALDS: Yankees forced to an early exit at the hands of the Cleveland Indians, three games to one. Loss
2008: Didn't make playoffs
2009 ALDS: Yankees sweep the Minnesota Twins, three games to none. Win
2010 ALDS: Yankees once again broom the Minnesota Twins, three games to none. Win
2011 ALDS: Yankees eliminated by the Tigers, three games to two. Loss
Obviously there's a pattern here. The Yankees have no problem beating teams in the ALDS – teams that are only named Minnesota Twins, that is. The Angels, Tigers, and Indians have crushed the Yankees' dreams in the ALDS, so it begs the question that's been on my mind since last October:
If it's not the Twins, can the Yankees win?
Either way, New York has a great deal of experience playing each of its potential 2012 first round opponents. This writer has been asked who he'd rather see the Yankees play in this year's ALDS: the Rangers or Orioles. I'm not quite sure because the way I see it, there are pros and cons of facing either team.
Texas Rangers
- The Rangers played incredibly sloppy baseball to close out the 2012 regular season, committing three errors on the way to a one-sided 12-5 loss to the Oakland A's on Wednesday, blowing the AL West in the process– and it didn't start there. Texas lost seven of its last 10 regular season games.
- No Cliff Lee this time. If it wasn't enough for Lee to hand the Yanks their only two losses in the 2009 World Series, he came back for seconds in the 2010 American League Championship Series; dominating the Bombers in a crucial Game Three with a masterful 13-strikeout performance. He was a huge part of the Rangers' past success vs. New York – and he'll be a non-factor this postseason. Speaking of past success…
- Past success in the ALDS vs. Texas. The Yankees played the Rangers in the ALDS in 1996, 1998, and in 1999 – and knocked them out all three years while twice sweeping them ('98 and '99). Although the Rangers knocked the Yanks out in the second round of the playoffs in 2010, the Yanks have never had a problem with them in the first round. Numerically in fact, the Yankees are 9-1 vs. Texas in ALDS play.
- The first two games will be played in Arlington. Along with the changes made to the Wild Card, MLB changed the rules in terms of home field advantage. Instead of the team with home field advantage playing the first two games at home, then going on the road for two, then coming home for a Game Five (if necessary), the team with HFA starts on the road for two games, then comes home for the final three (games four and five of course, if necessary). Therefore, the Yankees will have to play the first two ALDS games in Texas, which is a difficult Stadium to win at.
- Facing Yu Darvish. The Yanks won't have to worry about the young man from Japan in Game One of the ALDS if the Rangers take the Wild Card, as he'll be starting the winner-take-all game vs. Baltimore tonight. However, if the Yankees do happen to cross paths with him, they should keep Tuesday, April 24 in mind: the night Darvish shut them down with an 8.1-inning, 10-strikeout masterpiece to lead the Rangers to a 2-0 win. His name might not be Cliff Lee, but Darvish was a virtuoso that night; reminiscent of a Lee performance.
- Pitching to Josh Hamilton. In the 2010 ALCS Hamilton punished the Yankees, clubbing four home runs, driving in seven, and batting .350. He went on to win the ALCS MVP, and later the American League MVP. His batting average for 2012 may not have been the highest of his career (.285) but Hamilton still smacked 43 homers and batted in 128 runs. He is one of the most dangerous hitters in the big leagues – and obviously he's more dangerous playing in October, when it matters.
Baltimore Orioles
- Familiarity. The Yankees are no strangers to Camden Yards, having played nine games there this year. Yankee fans flock down from New York to root for the team, sometimes giving Oriole Park the feel of Yankee Stadium. And in case you're wondering, six of the Yanks' nine wins vs. Baltimore this year were road victories.
- The Orioles' postseason drought. Baltimore hasn't danced in October since 1997 – and their last taste of playoff baseball ended on a sour note: the Indians beating them in the ALCS. It'll be interesting to see just how the Orioles respond when all eyes are on them this October.
- The absence of longtime Yankee nemesis Nick Markakis. The 28-year-old outfielder – also a career .295 hitter – was struck by a pitch on his thumb on Sept. 8, fracturing the bone and thus ending his season. With Baltimore boasting such a potent offensive lineup with the likes of Mark Reynolds, Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy, and Matt Wieters, Markakis is one less problem for the Yankee pitching staff to worry about.
- Inexperience on the part of the Orioles' third baseman. Manny Machado was called up from the Double-A Bowie Baysox on Aug. 9. He's done a fine job on offense in his infantile career, with seven homers and 26 RBIs. But on Monday, some shoddy defense at third cost his team a game vs. Tampa Bay – a game the Orioles needed to win in order to stay in contention with the Yankees for the AL East. If Machado falls through the cracks on defense, it might cost the O's in the playoffs, the same way it did vs. the Rays.
- The Orioles knew how to win in extra innings this year. Baltimore posted 16 extra-inning victories in 2012, and won nine games that lasted 12 innings or longer. Some of their dramatics included a 15-inning win, a 17-inning win, and an 18-inning win this year. For the Yankees, playing only nine innings is key, given the O's dominance in extra frames.
- Pitching to Mark Reynolds. The Orioles' first baseman smacked 23 home runs this year – and seven of those 23 were off Yankee pitchers. Reynolds posted a .294 average vs. the Yankees in 2012 and knocked in 14 runs against New York. All season long Reynolds has been a thorn in the Yanks' side, and he has a chance to continue it in the playoffs.
- Jim Johnson at the end of the game. Baltimore's closer nailed down 51 saves this year in 54 save opps. Up until Tuesday, the Yankees were 0-for-58 when trailing after eight innings. Johnson is not a pitcher the Yankees would ideally want to be facing in a late, close game. Johnson was 3-for-3 in saves vs. New York this year.
- Resiliency on the Orioles' part. Case in point: Thursday, Sept. 6. At Camden Yards, the Yankees fell behind early and trailed the O's 6-1 after seven innings. New York rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth to tie it at six – only for Baltimore to answer with a four-run bottom half of the eighth. When it looked as if the momentum swung the Yankees' way, the Orioles made sure to show the Bombers they possess the ability to battle back. Baltimore went on to win, 10-6.
As always, there are upsides and downsides of playing any postseason opponent. I'm not one to make predictions, but ESPN is: and 11 of 28 analysts in Bristol, Conn. say the Yankees will be going to the Fall Classic – and six of those 11 have the Yankees winning it all.
This writer can only hope those six are right.
It's only too bad the Twins aren't playing for the Wild Card this year. I know the Yankees would be rooting hard for them – and I think, given the history, I'd say the Yankees' odds of winning the first round would be pretty favorable.
But it's not the case. It's not the Twins and if the Yanks want World Series number 28 this season, they'll have to do what good teams do: find ways to win.
End of the Year Awards
The Yankees were winless, in fact 0-for-58 this year, when trailing after eight innings entering play last night. They couldn't have picked a better time to change that in game number 161 of the regular season; needing a victory to remain a game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in first place.
Thanks to the timely hitting and clutch offense of Raul Ibanez, the Bronx Bombers put on a drama show, beating the last place Boston Red Sox 4-3 in a bona fide thriller. The Yanks' win now sets up these possible scenarios for today:
- A Yankee win over Boston: New York takes the AL East.
- A Yankee loss to Boston and an Orioles loss to Tampa Bay: New York takes the AL East.
- A Yankee loss to Boston and an Orioles win over Tampa Bay: a New York vs. Baltimore game at Camden Yards on Thursday to determine the AL East winner and the second Wild Card team.
What's more, pending the outcome of the Oakland A's/Texas Rangers game this afternoon, the Yankees have a chance to enter the postseason with the best record in the American League. If the A's beat the Rangers – and the Yanks win tonight – they'll go into October as the top seed, having won the most games of any team in the AL.
While we'll all have to play the waiting game for division winners and playoff seeds, it's that time of the year to hand out end-of-the season awards. There are a number of Yankees who have stood out this year, and they deserve to be recognized in one way or another. So without any further ado, here are the 2012 Yankee Yapping awards!
Most Valuable Player
Winner: Derek Jeter
It always seems that just when you think the Yankee Captain is done, he just adds more to his mind-bogglingly illustrious career. Last year he made history, clubbing a home run for his 3,000th hit – a nice, astronomical number to go along with his five World Series titles, seven pennants, his '96 AL Rookie of the Year, his 2000 World Series MVP, his 2000 All-Star Game MVP…you get the picture.
On Sept. 14, as part of a 19-game hitting streak, Jeter put another notch on his accomplishment belt, passing the legendary Willie Mays on baseball's all-time hits list, Jeter now in 10th place all by himself.
Jeter will finish this season with a batting average above .300 and he currently has 215 hits, which leads the majors. He's also at double digits in home runs (15), and if he scores a run tonight, he'll have 100 runs scored, as he currently sits at 99 for the year.
With more history made this season and a fine offensive campaign, Jeter has earned arguably the most prestigious accolade of his career: the Yankee Yapping MVP. Congrats, Derek!
Best Season from a Newcomer
Winner: Raul Ibanez
After last night, it's only fitting Raul Ibanez claims this distinction.
I'll be the first to admit, when Ibanez was signed by the Yankees basically on a dime, I was confused. A 40-year-old designated hitter who was chosen over Johnny Damon?
It didn't make sense to me at the time. In fact, I dubbed him, "Grandpa Ibanez."
The joke was on me, because grandpa showed me – and everyone – that he still has a lot of baseball life left in him; with 91 hits, 62 RBIs, and 19 homers – none more important than his blast in the ninth inning of last night's game.
Not only did Ibanez prove his worth at the plate, but for an aged player signed to be a primary DH, he did a nice job playing left field for Brett Gardner, who sat out most of the year with injuries. Ibanez showed, despite his age, he was worth the signing.
And for that, Raul, we thank you. Congrats on a great season.
Walk-off Hero
Winner: Russell Martin
All season long, Russell Martin was thrown under the microscope for hitting below .200. But all the chatter and criticism probably motivated him to swing the bat better, because look at him now: hitting .210 with a career-high 21 home runs.
All of his long balls were meaningful, but two stand out in my mind.
On Sunday June 10, Martin came up to the plate in the ninth inning against Jon Rauch of the Mets. Tied 4-4, Martin launched a ball deep in the air to left field for a solo, walk-off home run, giving the Yanks a 5-4 win to complete a weekend sweep of the Mets.
Then on Friday Sept. 21, he duplicated the feat vs. the Oakland A's.
Knotted at one in the bottom of the 10th, Martin lifted what turned out to be another game-winning home run off Oakland reliever Sean Doolittle to push the Yanks past the A's 2-1 in a crucial game the Bombers needed.
With a flair for the dramatic, Martin got it done. Congrats on not only persevering in terms of your batting average, but also saving the day with some power (twice) this year, Russell.
Ace of the Year
Co-Winners: CC Sabathia & Hiroki Kuroda
Considering the fact CC Sabathia spent time on the disabled list this year, it almost surprised me that he finished with the numbers he did. His 2012 totals aren't what you'd expect from an ace, but nonetheless, 15 wins with only seven losses and an ERA of 3.38 isn't too shabby.
What helped put Sabathia in the running for this award was that, despite his DL stints this year, he still logged 200 innings and struck out 197 batters. Plus, having struggled mightily throughout the month of September, Sabathia turned it around to finish strong, striking out 29 batters over his final three outings of the season – going 2-0 over those three games with the Yanks winning all three of them.
And then there's the guy who piggy-backed him.
Although his 15-11 record isn't exactly indicative of a standout year, Hiroki Kuroda did a fantastic job this season – better than his record indicates. Basically being thrown into the role of ace in Sabathia's absence, Kuroda pitched extremely well, albeit he didn't receive the type of run support I'm sure he would've hoped for.
Kuroda pitched 212.2 innings – and obviously that total will go up tonight, as he's starting this evening's game. Opponents are only hitting .249 against him, and he's given up less than a hit per inning going into his final start (198 hits allowed).
There's no doubt Kuroda proved his value through his impressive pitching this year, and teamed up with Sabathia to make a pretty fearsome 1-2 punch. Congrats on the award, fellas.
Reliever of the Year
Winner: Rafael Soriano
The Yankee clubhouse was said to have the feel of a morgue on May 3 when Mariano Rivera blew his knee out shagging fly balls in Kansas City during batting practice. The great Rivera was carted off the field and diagnosed with a torn ACL, his season over and the Yankees unsure of his future.
Superman lost his cape. Or, Thor lost his hammer.
Manager Joe Girardi tried plugging David Robertson into the closer role, only for him to blow his first chance at a save. As it turned out, Robertson wasn't the right fit for the closer role, and in fact, scuffled in a lot of his appearances throughout the year; currently with a 2-7 record.
Enter the man whom I call "the silent assassin," Rafael Soriano.
In 46 save opps this season, Soriano has nailed down 42 – quite impressive for a reliever who wasn't the closer for a full year. When Rivera went down, Soriano stepped up in a huge way, a way the Yankees needed.
Without him, there's no telling where the Yankees would be right now; perhaps eliminated from playoff contention, without his spectacular ability to finish off opponents in the final inning.
Congrats on a wonderful season, Rafael. You won Yankee Yapping Reliever of the Year.
Slugger of the Year Award
Winner: Robinson Cano
It seems as if the Yankees' second baseman has made his whole life baseball. Aside from maybe Derek Jeter, personally, I don't think there's a player who works harder than Robinson Cano. In my mind, he's one of the best all-around players in the game today.
Cano went through a couple of dry spells this year at the plate, but that didn't stop him from hitting .308 with 31 homers and 88 RBIs. He clubbed a pair of grand slams this year and kept the Yankees in many games with his clutch hitting and flashy defense.
On Monday Cano smacked his latest home run, a moon shot that caromed off the Mohegan Sun sports bar over the center field wall at Yankee Stadium. Prior to the game Cano's cousin (also a ballplayer, who actually played for the Hudson Valley Renegades – the team I interned for in 2010 and covered this year) was tweeting.
He posted, "Add 'ya heard!' to the end of all your tweets."
I tweeted to him, "Robinson Cano will hit a homer tonight. YA HEARD!" He replied simply with "!!!"
Sure enough, I called that shot. I had to point that out after it happened.
Overall Cano had yet another remarkable season. There are only more good things to come in his career, and at this point in time, he's the best hitter on the team. Congrats, Robinson!
Home Run Champion
Winner: Curtis Granderson
For the second consecutive season, Curtis Granderson has smacked 40 home runs or more, this year currently with 41 dingers. When it comes to hitting for power, Granderson sure knows what the heck he's doing, and has emerged as one of the premiere power hitters in the AL.
On April 19 this season, Granderson proved that.
In a game at home vs. the Minnesota Twins, he cracked three homers in the first four innings, becoming at the time only the 12th player in MLB history to go yard three times in a single game. On the strength of his power surge, the Yanks went on to beat the Twinkies, 7-6.
Although he can hit for power, Granderson must improve on his average stroke. Going into tonight's 162nd game, Granderson is only batting a measly .230 at the plate – hitting for average probably being the only facet of the game he seems to struggle with.
But this isn't the "Batting Average Champion" award. It's the Home Run Champion award. And Curtis, you've earned it. Congrats!
Best Trade Deadline Pickup/Earned a 2013 Contract
Winner: Ichiro
The Yankees added two pieces before the trade deadline passed. One being a small pickup, Casey McGehee – a utility man a lot of fans probably forgot about, by now. But there's no way anyone forgot about the second player the Yanks traded for.
Ichiro joined the team on July 23 and since then has basically not stopped hitting. He brought 12 years of excellence with the Seattle Mariners when he was swapped, and has reached base safely 77 times (72 hits, five walks) in the 66 games he's played in pinstripes. He has also ignited the team on the base paths, stealing 13 bags.
Something tells me Ichiro is going to perform well in October, in what will be his first postseason since 2001. And although he's somewhat up there in age, 38 (he'll turn 39 on Oct. 22), I feel he deserves a chance to come back to the Yankees and play in pinstripes in 2013.
Ichiro is a lot like Jeter: ageless. It doesn't matter how old he is because his numbers have never really seen a steady decline; he is always close to 200 hits a year.
For his experience and veteran know-how, the man from Japan – in my humble opinion – earned another season in the Bronx, and was a solid acquisition over the summer.
Domo arigato, Mr. Suzuki. Congrats!
Well there you have it. Congrats to all the 2012 Yankee Yapping award winners, and make sure to check back here at the Yankee Yapping blog throughout the playoffs. I'll be posting previews, recaps, and I'll be writing about anything newsworthy this October.
Also check out the YY Facebook page and my Twitter for postseason news, updates, and of course my witty observations!


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Home > Research & Reports > Research by Institute Staff
This site is outdated. Current information is on our new website.
The Institute uses its multistate, multiyear databases to research trends in political giving, examine how contributions drive public policy debates in the states and the nation, and see how special interests give across state lines. Following is a list of our recent research reports. Older reports remain accessible; please click on the folders below for reports published prior to 2001.
2006 Releases
- The Millionaires' Club
by Denise Roth Barber, Oct. 18, 2006
In the 2004 election cycle, 78 legislative races hit the million-dollar mark in the general election. Together, these races brought in nearly $155 million, or 20 percent of the $758 million raised in all general-election legislative races.
- State Ballot Measures, 2005
by The National Institute on Money in State Politics, Sept. 28, 2006
Although 2005 was not an election year in many states, voters in nine took sides on 24 ballot measures ranging from same-sex marriage bans to tort reform to budget matters. Committees raised nearly $466.2 million to support or to oppose these measures.
- Money and Incumbency: Advantages in State Legislative Races, 2004
by Mark Dixon, July 20, 2006
Legislative candidates who raised the most money in their races or were already in office had a significant edge over other candidates in the 2004 election cycle, with 94 percent of the winners having one or both of these advantages.
- Coal-Mining Contributions in the States
by Sue O'Connell, June 01, 2006
The nation's coal-mining industry, facing scrutiny for the high number of fatal accidents so far this year, has long sought the ear of the officials at the state level. The industry has given at least $8.57 million to political candidates and party committees over a six-year period, concentrating its contributions in many of the states rich in coal.
- Clean Elections: Arizona 2004
by Megan Moore, May 18, 2006
The percentage of legislative candidates taking part in Arizona's public funding program continued to increase in the 2004 elections, and participating candidates were on more equal financial footing than those who relied on private financing.
- Policy Lock-Down: Prison Interests Court Political Players
by the Institute on Money in State Politics, May 02, 2006
Companies involved in building, financing and operating private prisons gave $3.3 million over two election cycles, channeling nearly two-thirds of the money to candidates and party committees in states with some of the toughest sentencing laws. This report looks at overall giving, as well as contributions by the companies and their lobbyists in 10 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
- No Contest in Michigan: Money, Incumbency and Competitiveness, 2004
by Denise Roth Barber, April 26, 2006
Michigan office seekers who are considering taking on incumbents face a daunting task if the 2004 House elections are any indication. In that election, 70 of the 72 incumbents seeking re-election won their races. And in 70 percent of the House races, the winners raised more than twice the amount their competitors did, rendering the races less than competitive.
- Taking the Initiative: Ballot Measure Money, 2004
by the Institute on Money in State Politics, April 24, 2006
Campaigns over issues brought directly to the ballot in 2003 and 2004 raised nearly $600 million to convince voters they should pass or defeat the measures. This report provides an overview of the money raised for ballot issues and looks at five specific issues. Click on the title to view the full report or select the five topics separately: gambling, lawsuit liability, tobacco taxes, hunting and fishing, and term limits.
- Money and Diversity: 2004 State Legislative Elections
by Megan Moore, March 29, 2006
Thirteen percent of the candidates elected to state legislatures in 2003 and 2004 were members of a racial minority. This new study looks at the fund-raising experiences of these winners and finds that they typically raised less campaign money than did white legislators.
- Tort Laws on Trial: Lawsuit Liability Measures, 2004
by Rachel Weiss, March 21, 2006
Campaigns to limit liability in lawsuits -- particularly in medical malpractice cases -- generated $101.3 million in contributions as supporters and opponents in seven states took the issue to voters through ballot measures in 2004.
- Taking on Tobacco: Giving to Tobacco Tax Ballot Measures
by Denise Roth Barber, March 13, 2006
The ballot measures seeking to increase tobacco taxes in three states pitted tobacco companies against health advocacy groups on the financial side of the fight. Just seven major donors representing these types of contributors gave $2.9 million to the ballot campaigns, or about half of all the money raised.
- Names in the News: American International Group
by Megan Moore, Feb. 17, 2006
American International Group, the finance and insurance powerhouse that recently agreed to pay $1.64 billion to settle a lawsuit over its accounting practices, made its wealth felt in state-level politics in recent years. AIG and its member companies gave nearly $5 million, with much of the giving concentrated in California.
- The Money Behind the 2004 Marriage Amendments
by Sue O'Connell, Jan. 27, 2006
The spate of 2004 ballot measures that banned same-sex marriages in fully one-fourth of the states generated more than $13 million in campaign contributions. Slightly more than half of the money came from just three groups of contributors: organizations and individuals supporting gay and lesbian rights; conservative Christian organizations, such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council; and organized religion. And money from donors involved with the Arlington Group, a key backer of the amendments, made up the bulk of the conservative Christian contributions.
- State Elections Overview 2004
by Rachel Weiss, Jan. 04, 2006
Candidates running for state-level offices in 2003 and 2004 raised $1.4 billion, with legislative candidates continuing to increase their fund-raising clout. This summary looks at who gave the money, and who benefited most from receiving it.

subset: commoncrawl


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As Election Day approaches, Fairfield Patch is committed to keeping readers up-to-date with the latest news, announcements, and Letters to the Editor related to the town's candidates for office.
Patch sent five questions to each candidate running to represent Fairfield on a statewide level. The following responses came from Heather Dean, the Democratic candidate running to challenge Republican State Rep. Tony Hwang for the 134th District (which includes Fairfield and Trumbull).
Dean has lived in Fairfield since 1996, according to her campaign website. She holds a bachelor's degree in human development-family relations from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in in elementary education from Sacred Heart University. Dean and her husband, Jeff Dean, have owned and operated Bright Futures Child Care Learning Center since 2003.
Dean served as a member of the Representative Town Meeting, representing the town's fourth district, from 2003 - 2009 and was re-elected to a two-year term in 2011. She has served on the RTM's Education and Recreation and Public Works and Planning committees and currently serves on the Finance committee. She also worked as campaign manager for Thomas Drew's campaigns for state representative in 2004 and 2006 and as manager of former First Selectman Kenneth Flatto's 2005 campaign.
For more on Dean's background, visit her campaign website: http://www.heatherdean2012.com/.
State Rep. Tony Hwang's responses will run next week.
1. Why are you running for office?
I am running for State Representative because I want to help improve the quality of life for the people in the 134th District and throughout the State.
2. What skills do you have that can help you represent your district in Hartford?
I've always been about community service and volunteering. I am now in my fourth term on the RTM and genuinely enjoy helping my constituents and other Fairfielders. I am proud of my ability to work with members from both sides of the aisle. I've chaired committees and have striven to be fair and let all voices be heard while also asking the tough questions so my vote is always an informed one.
I don't shy away from controversy. I got my first taste of controversy when I led a committee to start a wrap-around child care program at Osborn Hill Elementary School in 1997. We faced multiple challenges getting the community to accept that we were no longer a society of stay-at-home moms, but instead a diverse neighborhood of working families that needed safe, affordable, high quality child care for their children. I didn't personally need the program at the time and could have just walked away from the headache, but I didn't. Today, I am still proud to be a part of the team that created Kids' Place, a program that continues to flourish and provide quality before and after school care.
3. What are the three biggest issues affecting your district? How would you address them?
The biggest issues are jobs, taxes and education:
- Jobs: Support initiatives to help small business owners create new jobs and help grow their businesses;
- Taxes: Make responsible cuts to the State budget that will ease the tax burden on families and small businesses;
- Education: Support education reforms, including applying evaluations to administrators as well as teachers, and ensuring that all teacher and administrator evaluations are fair and balanced.
4. What is something Connecticut has done well in the past two years? What is something the state could have done better?
Connecticut did well by putting through a new education bill that will address our failing schools, and while Fairfield's education program is stellar, we must continue to challenge ourselves each day and care about our neighboring towns' school system as well. We are either in a race to the top or a race to the bottom. This reform bill, while not perfect, will enable us to prepare students for the 21st century job market.
Connecticut failed in our infrastructure preparation for the back to back storms in the summer-fall of 2011. What's the point of having jobs if we don't have a way to get to them, or water or power when we arrive. Those storms caused many small businesses to fail. They simply could not recover and reopen after having to close because of extended power and water outages or no physical access to their business or to their customers. We can do better by our small business owners and make sure we have plans in place for the future.
5. If elected (or re-elected), what would your primary focus be coming into the next term?
This question is very similar to #3. My answer is two-fold: Support initiatives to help small business owners create new jobs and help grow their businesses; make responsible cuts to the State budget that will ease the tax burden on families and small businesses.


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"Harry…I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him a Secret-Keeper instead of me…I'm to blame, I know it…the night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies - I realised what Peter must have done. What I'd done."
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
#I have more Sirius feelings than I can manage #because he lost everything that night #His best friend and his godson and Remus and Lily #and he blames himself totally #he really believes he killed them #and he's 22 and panicking and the only thing he can hold onto is revenge #but he's reckless and self destructive and unthinking #and so of course that doesn't go to plan either #and he really believes he deserves to be in Azkaban #deserves to suffer for his sins #and he needs someone to believe in him and to tell him it is not his fault #and no one does - not this time #and my heart breaks again and again and again #fuck this #not emotionally stable enough for this shit
(Source: dawnofthedusk, via drunkhermione)


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It was said of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant that his habits were so regular that people could set their watches by his appearance on his daily walk. So it is with Handel's "Messiah" in Boston: By its appearances in Symphony and Jordan halls, ye shall know, it is Christmastime.
This is, by and large, a happy tradition. But as regularly as the concerts return, so does the vexing question of how to keep the musical experience vital. This year marks Boston Baroque's 32d season of "Messiah" performances. Music director Martin Pearlman has said that for him, that renewal comes not from trying to find a different conception for the piece each time, but from mining the score for fresh details and new depths.


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The name Kuan Yin means "one who hears the cries of the world." Usually depicted as a young deity, she is the embodiment of Yin principle. She is seen here in flowing robes standing over a lotus flower, emptying her vase which contains the pure waters of compassion. The statue is made of cold cast bronze and measures 28 inches high. The statue weighs about 12 pounds and is perfect for indoor use. Product made in China.
Ceramic Kuan Yin with Dragon Statue, 22 Inches
Large White Kuan Yin on Dragon Statue