If Verlander has to pitch Sunday, the Tigers are finished. they may be done anyway. they've been overpitching Verlander like crazy. About 245 pitches his last two starts.
The supposed plan right now would be to use him in the pen, if needed, during the ALDS, and then he'd be the fourth starter in the ALCS and WS. They can't do that. They'll need a fourth starter if they get to the ALCS and the WS. They can pick him back up for the ALCS, if they get there. If you don't like Joba out of the pen in the ALDS, you'd be better off to just leave him off the ALDS roster in place of Gaudin, and have Joba come back for the ALCS. But still carry the extra position players. Like I said, the longer schedule allows them to use EVERYONE in the pen in pretty much every game. There is plenty of specific matchups and micromanaging that can be done with a ten man staff in a short series. But they're in trouble if they need to be using all of them. I look at it like this: I can see very, very few situations where not having Gaudin or Bruney in the pen costs them because they didn't have the right matchup. I can see a number of situations, though, where not being able to run for [insert slow runner here] can cost the Yanks in late innings.
Chamberlain booed off the mound. How fitting a way to end his year. Cashman should be proud of himself.
No, Yankees fans should be utterly ashamed of themselves. I didn't see it, but I heard about it from someone at work this morning. Bunch of idiots in the seats. And it will be those same assclowns that bitch about the "classiness" of sports players.
