World Series notebook: Sabathia goes back to work
Published: November 01, 2009, 3:29 am
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PHILADELPHIA — As if there was really any doubt, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi has decided to start ace CC Sabathia on three days rest tonight in Game Four of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Sabathia took the loss in Game One, but allowed just two runs and four hits over seven innings. He's a regular on short rest over the last two years and the only other option for the Yankees was Chad Gaudin, who has pitched just one inning in the postseason and hasn't started since Sept. 28.
"I've said it all postseason, I've had enough rest the past two months to be able to feel comfortable enough to go out there and pitch on three days rest," Sabathia said before Saturday's rain-delayed game. "I told Joe at the beginning of the playoffs that I'm here and available whenever you need me."
The Sabathia move is the precursor to the Yankees using a three-man rotation for the entire series. Girardi wouldn't commit to using A.J. Burnett on short rest in Game Five, followed by Andy Pettitte and Sabathia. He called it "a possibility" but his words clearly indicated that's what he was thinking.
"This is the World Series," Girardi said. "There is no baseball after the World Series for four or five months so there will be plenty of time to rest. A.J. was pretty good on short rest last year and he actually shut us down [while pitching for Toronto]."
As for Sabathia, Girardi said he wanted to make sure how his ace felt after working out here Saturday. Sabathia pitched on short rest quite a bit last year for Milwaukee and has done it this postseason for the Yankees.
"The important thing on short rest is you have to know how your pitcher is feeling," Girardi said. "He went through all his work, we talked to him. As far as short rest, it's not something you want to do a lot of in the course of a long season but we're not in a long season anymore."
What's up with rain and Game Three of the World Series in Philadelphia? Last year's third game against Tampa Bay didn't start until 10:06 p.m. because of a 91-minute delay. There was also an 62-minute delay prior to Game Three of the '93 Series against Toronto at Old Veterans Stadium.
Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez was a teammate of Alex Rodriguez way back in 1994 at Class A Appleton (Wisc.) of the Midwest League. Even then, Ibanez said, it was obvious how talented A-Rod was going to be.
"He was 18 and I was catching in the bullpen in Instructional League the first time I saw him," Ibanez recalled. "I watched him in the cage take two swings and I said to the catcher next to me, "That guy is going to be the next Juan Gonzalez.' You know a guy is good when you remember the first time he swung a bat."
During the '84 season, A-Rod often hit third and Ibanez cleanup. Ibanez, 21 at the time, said it eye-opening to see an 18-year-old hit balls as far as Rodriguez did.
"He would launch balls, absolutely launch them," Ibanez said. "I'd come up behind him after he hit a ball 480 feet and hit a line drive to left and I'd feel like the weakest player in the game."
This is the fifth New York-Philadelphia World Series. The New York Giants and Philadelphia A's met in 1905, 1911 and 1913 (the A's won the final two), and the Yankees swept the Phillies in 1950.
It's 108 miles between the cities. Throwing out the 2000 Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets, that's the third-shortest travel distance between the two league champions in the last 50 years. The only shorter trips were in 1983 (98 miles from Philly to Baltimore) and 1989 (22 miles from San Francisco to Oakland).
Nick Swisher got the call in right field for the Yankees after sitting for Jerry Hairston in Game Two. He came into the game in a 1-for-17 slump but broke out of it Saturday, going 2 for 4 with a home run. As expected, Hideki Matsui was on the bench with no designated hitter in the National League park, but he had a solo pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
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