Kuzul

The national media’s love affair with the New York Yankees knows no bounds. They get the headlines, they get the national broadcasts, and they get the end-of-season awards.

This last handout is most topical the day after the announcement of the American League Gold Gloves. The gilded webbing is notorious for being based more on reputation and sheer name recognition than actual defensive skill—how else could Torii Hunter and Matt Kemp have been honored last year while Franklin Gutierrez and Nyjer Morgan’s mantles remained unadorned?

But I digress. Due to baseball’s sycophantic infatuation with everyone who suits up in pinstripes and (probably) a general apathy among the voters, three Yankees were named among the Junior Circuit’s top fielders—and none of them deserved them.

The first, Mark Teixeira, has parlayed one great defensive season, when he posted 15.3 UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating—a measure of how many runs a player saves with his fielding) in 2008 into a reputation as a master glovesman. Since then, he has been average at best; he posted just a 0.6 UZR in 2009, and that dropped to -2.9 last year.

Why that’s worthy of two consecutive Gold Gloves over, say, Oakland’s Daric Barton (12.1 UZR) is beyond me. Do you think Tex would have had a prayer if he was still with the Rangers?

The second, Robinson Cano, was almost as bad of a choice. His defense was worth -0.6 UZR, thanks to the worst range (-7.5 Range Runs) of any second baseman in the game. The Gold Glove would have fit the A’s’ Mark Ellis or the Twins‘ Orlando Hudson much better.

But by far the most undeserving winner was the Captain himself. For the fifth time in his career, Derek Jeter was named the AL’s best defensive shortstop. And for the fifth time, he didn’t deserve it.

Jeter’s -4.7 UZR wasn’t anywhere near the top—in fact, it was third-worst among AL shortstops. That’s a full 15.5 runs—the equivalent of nearly two wins—behind the rightful Gold Glove winner, the White Sox‘ Alexei Ramirez.

Yes, Jeter’s .989 fielding percentage was the best of all Major League shortstops. But that number is misleading, as it reflects only the balls he got to, and the biggest flaw in Jeter’s game is his abysmal range. A brick wall will stop any ball that’s hit right to it, but it wouldn’t be an effective fielder because it couldn’t get to anything else (also because brick walls can’t throw).

Jeter committed only six errors, compared to Ramirez’s 20. But for every extra error Ramirez made, he also completed five more putouts and got 10 more assists. The plays Ramirez flubbed may have been more obvious than the mistakes Jeter made, but the fact of the matter is that Ramirez was a more effective defender.

Jeter’s -11.8 Range Runs ranked second-worst in the league. Keep in mind that he’s a shortstop, meaning his primary job is to cover a lot of ground. How can a fielder win a Gold Glove when he’s one of the worst in the business at getting to the ball?

You could try to argue that Jeter was unlucky in terms of balls hit near him. But even if you don’t accept that those things tend to even out over 162 games, this isn’t a new trend.

Only twice since tracking began in 2002 has Jeter posted a positive UZR; over that time, he’s been worth -42.5 runs on defense—and that’s being generous. Total Zone has him at -60 runs over that stretch and an absolutely awful -131 runs in his career.

This isn’t just anti-Yankee bias—I think one snubbed Bomber, Brett Gardner, actually deserved a Gold Glove. I’m not complaining because they’re Yankees. I’m complaining because they’re inferior defenders.

Teixeira, Cano and Jeter didn’t deserve their honors, and if they were on any other team, they wouldn’t have had a chance. Any defense of these choices would make Jeter’s glove look good by comparison.

For more from Lewie, visit WahooBlues.com.

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For all the discussion about how Cliff Lee could decide the American League Championship Series in a potential Game 7, it turned out the Texas Rangers needed only one start from their starting ace to dethrone the New York Yankees and clinch the AL pennant for the first time in franchise history.

And as the Yankees attempt to pick up the pieces from a failed quest to win their 28th World Series championship, they should be able to point to a myriad of reasons why a season in which they finished with the second-best record in the American League ended in disappointment.

This on-going analysis should also result in the identification of five main reasons New York is entering an offseason full of uncertainty much sooner than they could have possibly imagined. Ultimately though, any which way the pie is sliced, the Bronx Bombers were humbled by a team that could have destiny on their side in this year’s postseason.

5. David Robertson’s Inability to Hold Close Games

In the 61 innings he was called upon during the regular season, Yankees right-handed reliever David Robertson held 14 games and amassed 71 strikeouts. Robertson’s numbers included an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.50.

But among New York’s relievers in the ALCS, the Rangers roughed up Robertson more than any other to the tune of six earned runs on eight hits in only two innings. Robertson finished the series with a dismal ERA of 20.25 and a WHIP of 3.38.

Robertson’s unreliability allowed Texas to blow open close games in Game 3 and Game 6 to expand deficits from which the Yankees were unable to recover.

Game 3 saw the Rangers turn a 3-0 contest into a 8-0 blowout with Robertson on the mound while in Game 6, outfielder Nelson Cruz belted a two-out, two-run home run off Robertson to give the Rangers a 5-1 lead and propel them into the World Series.

4. Power Outage of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira

For a duo that combined for 63 home runs and 233 RBI, to say that Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira failed to come through in the ALCS would be a gross understatement.

In 21 plate appearances, Rodriguez managed to come up with only four hits and two RBI to finish with an anemic batting average of .190. Meanwhile, Teixeira didn’t register a single hit in his 14 at-bats prior to bowing out of the series with a hamstring injury in Game 4.

The lack of production from the Yankees corner infielders left AL MVP candidate Robinson Cano to carry the offensive load for the team, which he did with flying colors. However, Cano’s power display needed to be supplemented by similar efforts from Rodriguez and Teixeira for New York to have a shot at winning the series.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, the power went off somewhere between the end of the American League Divisional Series and the beginning of the ALCS and they’re still waiting for it to come back on.

3. Ineffectiveness of Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes won an impressive 18 games in the regular season for New York but he also had an unusually high 4.19 ERA, which translates to having a significant amount of run support during his starts. But as evidenced in the ALCS, when the run support wasn’t as robust, Hughes’ shortcomings became increasingly glaring.

Hughes was the loser of Game 2 and Game 6 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, where he gave up 11 earned runs on 14 hits and walked seven while only striking out six. Hughes’ ERA in his two starts was 11.42.

When the No. 2 starter puts up those kinds of numbers in a best-of-seven series, chances are his team isn’t advancing to the next round. This holds true for any team in baseball; even the New York Yankees.

2. Colby Lewis Outshines Cliff Lee

Of all the starters on the Rangers pitching staff, Colby Lewis was arguably the last one who would have been expected to shine the brightest against the Yankees. Nevertheless, it was Lewis who channeled his inner Cliff Lee to shut down New York’s vaunted offense in Game 2 and Game 6.

Thus, the same Colby Lewis who finished with a 12-13 record and an ERA of 3.72 this season went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA on the biggest stage of his career. More importantly, Lewis’ performances keyed Texas to a critical victory in Game 2 to even the series and a win in Game 6 to clinch the pennant.

He may have not been a household name prior to the ALCS but, as far as the Yankees are concerned, Colby Lewis is a name that will not soon be forgotten.

1. The Rangers Were the Better Team

As hard as it might be for Yankees fans to admit, the Rangers outhit, outhustled and outpitched New York throughout a series that could have just as easily been a sweep as opposed to a six-game affair.

Texas scored twice as many runs (38-19), their batting average was more than a hundred points higher (.304 vs. .201) and their pitching staff’s ERA was nearly three points lower (2.76 vs. 6.58) compared to the Yankees.

So, in essence, the ALCS really wasn’t as close as the six-game outcome would make it appear. Simply put, the Rangers wanted it more.

And that may very well be the toughest reason for the Yankees and their fans to accept of them all.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special pictorial/video recap of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.

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Last night, the New York Yankees were blown out for one final time in 2010, watching as the Texas Rangers celebrate with ginger ale on the pitcher’s mound after closer Neftali Feliz struck out Alex Rodriguez for the last out.  Good to see A-Rod finally help Texas to the World Series!

More seriously though, the Yankees’ window is quickly shutting, as even all the money in the world won’t be able to get the Yankees out of their current troubles.

They’re old.  They’re breaking down.  They’re overpaid.  Like really, really overpaid.  They spent $64.5 million on their starting rotation this season.  Texas spent $55.3 million on their entire team.  The Yanks rotation—once considered the class of the majors—was an absolute joke once the spotlight focused on them.  Phil Hughes crumbled in the second half of the season (8-7, 5.55 ERA), and lost both his starts against Texas.  

AJ Burnett was good for a 10-15 record, and a 5.26 ERA this season—just good enough for an $80 million deal, and a Game 4 loss.  

And who could forget Javy Vazquez, who went 10-10, with a 5.32 ERA, and was reduced to nothing more than a long-inning reliever—a kind term for mop-up duty—once August turned to September? 

Even Andy Pettitte wasn’t the same after his arm injury, and chances stand at only 50/50 that he decides to return next season.  Heck CC—or Cash Cow—was good for a 5.62 ERA in three postseason starts, getting bailed out by his offense in all of his appearances.

The hitting wasn’t much better.  Derek Jeter hit .270 this season, or 44 points below his career average.  His OBP was 66 points lower than the year before.  And at 36, his fielding is slowly starting to deteriorate.  Now the Yankees will have to shower him with a new deal because—let’s face it—they’re not getting rid of “The Captain.”

Nick Johnson was an absolute disaster of a one-year deal, and makes you wonder why they didn’t re-sign Hideki Matsui, or at least make a run at Texas DH Vladimir Guerrero.  

Mark Teixeira started with his usual first-month slump, but never broke out of it.  A-Rod’s .270 average was 33 points below his career average, though he was good for another 30/100 season.  But at 35, A-Rod had another terrible postseason (.219 AVG, zero HR, three RBI) and isn’t exactly a fan favorite.

Jorge Posada is 39, and is coming off a year in which he batted .248, his lowest since 1999.  Look around the league, and you’ll notice how few catchers there are that are over 35.  Having a 40-year-old catcher is almost unheard of.

Mariano Rivera is eventually going to retire.  Who in that bullpen is taking over for him?  Do you trust Joba Chamberlain to really be the closer of the future?

So where do the Yankees turn from here?  The Royals have put Zack Greinke on the trading block, but their No. 1 target is Cliff Lee, who dominated them in the World Series last year, and in Game 3 of the ALCS this season.  The best postseason pitcher in baseball right now, Lee is set to turn 32, but when has age ever mattered to the Yankees?  

But at the end, it may not mean much.  Joe Girardi was out-managed all series by Ron Washington, making dumb decision after dumb decision.  If we want to credit him with helping the Yanks win the Series last year, you have to fault him for them getting blown out of the ALCS this season.

Texas got hot at the right time.  As a Rays fan, I know this better than any Yankee fan.  On paper, I take both the Rays and Yanks over the Rangers.  But the Rangers steamrolled the Yanks, and save an eighth-inning rally in Game 1, the Yankees get swept in this series.  So for Yankee fans, take solace that the brooms remained in the closet.

Lance Berkman, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson were the only three hitters who even bothered showing up for the playoffs.  And as much as everyone loves Brett Gardner and his great hustle, the fact is he batted .185 in the playoffs, and had only five home runs in 150 games this season.  

I’d never count the Yankees out, because they like buying shiny new players, especially in a state of depression.  Remember their spending spree two years ago, when they didn’t make the playoffs (Hello CC, AJ and Teix!).  I’m not saying it will be to that magnitude—especially with Jeter, Girardi, Mariano and potentially Pettitte all needing new deals—but this team will do everything possible to get Carl Crawford, bring in Cliff Lee and possibly look into Rafael Soriano to take over for Mo in a couple years.  But for now, let’s all rejoice—the Bronx is Burning.  And all that money is only fueling the fire.

Michael Perchick is the writer/editor of TheJockosphere, a sports/Twitter site, reporting the top tweets and news directly from athletes.  Follow him on Twitter @TheREALPerchick, and at http://thejockosphere.com/. 

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History in sports usually has to do with some sort stat, which can be a predictor for the future regarding similar circumstances.

So, with the Yankees down 2-3 in the ALCS series to the Texas Rangers, it got me thinking of how the bats could stay hot for more than just one game.

Pondering over the past two seasons at what had facilitated the Yankees to get hot and stay that way. I looked at all kind of stats for the team, individual players trying to see how what affected more wins and fewer losses. Did anything make the line-up respond in 2009 and 2010?

Nothing was blatantly obvious, but the one factor that did generate more wins and all around team production depended on Alex Rodriguez.

When A-Rod drives in runs or hits home-runs the team tends to follow his lead about 25 percent of the time, but in the playoffs it was around 80 percent in 2009. Problem is that the same goes if A-Rod posts all zeros as well.

Still, everyone can’t stop blaming the Yankees middle-of-the-road pitching for getting the team into this ALCS mess, which has not made it easier by any means. The bottom line remains the same, scoring runs wins ballgames. This is regardless of who is starting on the mound, because a starter’s teammates main job is to driving in runs or else you need five pitchers who never let a run score.

If Arod’s performance in the team’s 7-2 win of Game 5 is any induction that the slugger is about to get hot, watch out.

The Yankees tend to get that extra push when A-Rod swings; something they so desperately need right now.

Don’t forget that New York needs to win both games over the weekend to survive, sans superstar Mark Teixeira.

Tex had been cold as ice in both the ALDS and ALCS prior to the injury, but statistical history over the past two seasons proves this to be a working formula.

The tandem that graces the Yankees’ three and four spots in the lineup is a lethal combination and everyone’s job just got a little harder.

For now, all eyes will be on Game 6, Friday night in Arlington, TX.

For the Rangers, it’s a place in history as they’re looking to clinch the franchise’s first trip to the World Series.

Meanwhile, the Yankees’ only focus is just to win. What other options does New York have other than digging themselves out of this hole they climbed into?

They don’t, but this is the Bombers’ reality now and they know what they have to do.

If history means anything in the postseason, which is a debatable topic, Alex Rodriguez’s bat will hold the key to the New York Yankees’ destiny in the ALCS.

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The Texas Rangers have dominated the New York Yankees in this series. They have outscored them 30-11, outhit .307 to .198, and the Yankees are only hitting .154 with runners in scoring position. Aside from the top half of the eighth inning in Game 1, the Rangers have dominated the Yankees in every way. C.J. Wilson dominated Yankee ace CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee dominated Andy Pettitte and Colby Lewis dominated Phil Hughes.

The Ranger bats have also dominated Yankee pitching. Josh Hamilton has hit four home runs in this series, and is looking more like the regular season MVP candidate. Nelson Cruz, Bengie Molina, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and even Mitch Moreland have all been swinging hot bats. The No. 7, 8, and 9 hitters in the Rangers’ order have produced 10 RBI this series, and Molina has four of them. The Texas Rangers are in prime position to advance to their first ever World Series.

Now, with a commanding 3-1 lead, the Rangers look to step on the Yankees throat, when they send C.J. Wilson to the mound tonight. 

Here are five reasons the Rangers will wrap up this series in Game 5 tonight.

1. Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton is perhaps swinging the hottest bat in the postseason right now, except for maybe Cody Ross. Hamilton has hit four homers in four games, while showing the MVP-like hitting he produced in the regular season. 

Hamilton has had many clutch hits in this series. His home run in the first inning of Game 3 gave Cliff Lee all the support he would need in that game. His homers in the seventh and ninth innings of last night’s game, put the nail in the Yankees’ coffin en route to a 10-3 win.

If Hamilton continues to swing a hot bat, then the Rangers will have no problem wrapping up this series in five games. The series ending in five games is something few people predicted for the start of this series. Hamilton is a main reason that it could end in five.

2. All-Around Play of Elvis Andrus

Elvis Andrus has been a monster in this series. He has affected every game in every way. He has a hit in every game this postseason. He is one of the best on the team at producing productive outs. Elvis Andrus has affected games at the plate, in the field, and on the base paths. He has the ability to get on base from the leadoff spot, to advance the runners over, or to drive a runner who is in scoring position in.

Perhaps his most effective quality, however, is in the field. Last night was a prime example of this, Andrus made a diving stop on a grounder, and while still on the ground made the force out at third. This saved a run or even two, and changed the whole complexion of the game.

If Andrus can continue his stellar all-around play in Game 5, the Rangers will make quick work of the Yankees. 

3. No Mark Teixeira

Mark Teixeira severely strained his right hamstring sliding into first to beat a throw on Tuesday night in Game 4. He will need six to eight weeks to recover from an injury where he came up awkwardly on a fielders’ choice. 

Even though Teixeira was hitless, going 0-for-14, he is still one of their most dangerous hitters, and he hits in the No. 3 spot in their lineup. Teixeira is one of the most dangerous hitters in the game and could hit it out at any time.

More than his hitting, Teixeira is a phenomenal fielder. He made two outstanding plays on balls hit to the right side of the infield, saving runs. His defense will be hard to replace, and could provide opportunity to take advantage.

4. Nelson Cruz and Vladimir Guerrero 

Cruz and Guerrero hit in the No. 4 and 5 spots in the Texas lineup. Cruz has been on a tear this postseason, hitting home runs, doubles and driving in a lot of runs. Guerrero has been quiet this postseason, looking like he is in a slump, but he showed signs of resurgence last night, when he was able to produce three hits.

When Cruz and Guerrero are both productive, it makes the Rangers lineup even more dangerous. This does not allow Yankee pitchers to pitch around Hamilton to get to Guerrero.

If Guerrero and Cruz come alive tonight, the game, and the series will be over before the Yankees know it.

5. C.J. Wilson

C.J. Wilson pitched a gem in Game 1, even though the Rangers took the loss. He outpitched Yankee ace CC Sabathia in every way, and fooling the Yankees time and time again. He is left-handed like Cliff Lee, and is showing signs of even pitching like Lee, and that is a scary sign for opposing hitters.

Wilson went 15-8 this season, and the Rangers went 23-9 when he pitched. Wilson will look to expound on his Game 1 performance, and shut the Yankees down.

C.J. Wilson has the ball in his hands to lead the Rangers to their first ever World Series.

The Rangers have the Yankees on the ropes with the ability to deliver the knockout blow tonight. C.J. Wilson has the chance to lead a whole state into jubilation.

The eyes of the entire state will be on this game tonight, with anticipation of a first ever World Series.

Will there be rejoicing in Arlington, Texas tonight?

Any thoughts on this article? Please comment or Email me at paulferguson2@att.net

Paul Ferguson is an intern at Bleacher report

Follow him on twitter at: @paulwall5

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Grady Little is forever remembered as the manager who was fired on the demerit of a single postseason game. Joe Girardi will probably avoid that same fate, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it.

It’s hard to imagine Girardi having a worse game than he did on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. That he had such a bad night, with the stakes being as high as they were, is damn near unforgivable.

Put it this way: If The Boss was alive and still The Boss, reports of Girardi’s disappearance would have already been circulating around the Internet.

Girardi manages like a tortured man. The game of baseball doesn’t seem fun to him, at least not in his current role. If Charlie Manuel is the type of manager who goes with his gut then lets it play out without regret, Girardi represents the exact opposite.

Things fester. His neurosis consumes him. It even manifests itself physically in the veins that bulge from his neck as he stares onto the field.

In Game 4, we watched many of Girardi’s internal fears about his team collapse onto one another, plot lines tying together like a cruel Seinfeld episode.

“How much can I get from A.J.?” “Can Joba be trusted?” “How should I handle Posada and Cervelli?” “Can I get by with someone other than Mo?”

Every button he pushed was like a nuclear launch. By the time he made his final horrible decision of the evening—inserting Sergio Mitre over Rivera in the ninth—it was almost comical. Almost.

There was one inning in particular that both typified Girardi’s awful night and likely doomed the Yankees‘ season.

With a man on second and two outs in the sixth, Girardi decided to intentionally walk David Murphy to get to Bengie Molina. He had Joba Chamberlain warming in the bullpen, only problem was, he had long lost any semblance of trust in the reliever. This lack of faith was pronounced enough that leaving in Burnett seemed like an acceptable alternative, even after the right-hander nearly threw an intentional ball to the screen.

Had Girardi been thinking clearly at the moment, he would have understood that two runs in five-and-two-thirds innings was more than the Yankees could have ever asked for from Burnett. The grotesque nature of Burnett’s regular season demanded a leash that was short and unforgiving. And yet, instead of bringing in Chamberlain, he trusted a man who hadn’t pitched in 17 days before Tuesday.

Burnett didn’t reward his skipper’s faith. Molina drilled the next pitch into the seats in left, dragging his impressive gut around the bases and into a jubilant Rangers dugout. He likely took the Yankees’ hopes of repeating as champs with him.

Does Burnett deserve blame? Of course. But remember that part of a manager’s job is to protect a player from himself. Girardi should’ve known better than to ask for extra outs from a 15-game loser. He left Burnett in to hang himself. And that’s exactly what he did.

Is there any way to recover at this point? Conceivably, yes. A team as recently as 2007 (Boston over Cleveland) overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the pennant. But it’s hard to shake the nagging feeling that the Yankees you saw in September have returned when the games count the most.

CC Sabathia gets one more start to salvage what has been a disconcerting end to a Cy Young caliber season. If he can get it done, Phil Hughes will have to get back on the rubber in Arlington, where he was picked apart on Saturday. The Yankees survive that, they get to face the invincible Cliff Lee in a Game 7.

The odds are—as they say—not good.

I wondered all season if this Yankees team had the character to make a memorable October run. As they faded in September I was convinced for sure they didn’t … but then watched in amazement as they started winning playoff games like it was 1996 all over again.

Yeah, I’ll admit it. They sucked me in. I know I’m not alone, either. But these last four days are now making me wonder if I was right about them all along.

So who are these Yankees? The proud defending champs with the ability to overcome any obstacle, or just another team loaded with All-Stars but not enough character to translate that to lasting success?

I honestly have no idea. I guess we’ll know by tonight.

Stray thoughts:

• It’s fitting that Mark Teixeira’s worst season as a pro ended with him crumpled on the first-base bag after another frustrating, empty at-bat. The LoHud Blog reports it’s a six to eight week hamstring injury, problematic since the Yankees’ season may have just 12 hours left in it.

• This was a weird game, wasn’t it? You had a Jeffrey Maier redux with this glorious mongo in right field, and a Steve Bartman redux with this bloated corporate Legends Seat doofus down the third-base line. Love those types of nights, especially since they usually end with a Yankee win. Alas.

• Something tells me we just witnessed Joba Chamberlain’s final performance in pinstripes. Anybody upset about this?

• Nick Swisher, you have to do a better job selling your hit-by-pitch in the eighth inning. Had he rightfully taken first, it’s a 7-4 game with bases still loaded, only one out, and the incredibly mortal Darren Oliver on the mound. The game could have gone in a lot of different directions at that point. Emblematic of a frustrating night.

• Great line from the homer hero Molina: “It’s not bad for a fat kid that everyone makes fun of when he runs.”

• Make no mistake: The Rangers are dominating this series. Texas has outscored the Yankees 30-11, outhit them 43-26 and would have already closed this out if not for wasting a five-run lead in Game 1. New York is hitting a pathetic .154 (6-for-39) with runners in scoring position. The recession must have claimed the jobs of Aura and Mystique.

• Finally, I’ll be live blogging Game 5 tomorrow afternoon. If you’re stuck at work, click over to me and watch me slowly lose my mind in real time like the dude from Grizzly Man. Good times!

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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Going into Game 4 of the ALCS, the New York Yankees were down 2 games to one to the Texas Rangers.

So, it’s understandable how hesitant Yankees fans were to trust the decision of starting AJ Burnett in the most important game of this postseason for New York.

Burnett did okay, better than expected but once again the Yankees couldn’t hit the baseball and once again stranding runners on base.

Things hit rock bottom in the fifth inning when Mark Teixeira grabbed the back of his right leg trying to get to first. What might have seemed like a slide into the base was actually Tex in pain that was so bad Tex needed help off the field.

Skipper Joe Girardi said that it would be a miracle if after the MRI Tex would be cleared to play. So, season is over for Mark Teixeira and that will hurt the Yankees at first-base big time. Regardless of Tex’s recently ice-cold bat, he was bound to warm up if the team went on to play more games.

The Yankees are not themselves, and handing the Rangers the wins. It is due to lack of production and not playing to their established potential.

Fact remains if both ALCS teams were playing at the top of their game, the Yankees would prevail.

Well, that is not reality for the Yankees but it still can be. Nothing is set in stone just yet, but if the Yankees want to win they have to play.

The Rangers are playing ALCS-worthy baseball right now and deserve to move on to the World Series. It would be a first for the Rangers franchise and nothing is standing in the way of that happening as of now.

If the reigning World Champions want to keep that title, than winning Game 5 on Wednesday afternoon is the perfect and last chance to start playing New York Yankee baseball.

With CC Sabathia on the mound the Yankees should be able to get this series back to Texas.

In sports, you simply aren’t considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully. Winning it once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best. ~ Althea Gibson

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The Yankees had a lead with A.J. Burnett on the mound, but manager Joe Girardi got greedy and left him in too long as the Rangers eventually broke the game open for a 10-3 victory at Yankee Stadium.

Here are some highlights:

• Burnett held the Rangers to two runs over five innings, but gave up a three-run shot to Bengie Molina in the sixth that put the Yankees behind 5-3.

• Mark Teixeira seriously injured his groin running to first base. He’s likely out for the remainder of the playoffs no matter how long the Yankees go.

• Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter each had multiple hits, including a Cano solo shot. Nobody else had more than one hit.

The Yankees have a tall order ahead of them. They have to win the next three games, and they have to face Cliff Lee again in Game 7, if it gets that far.

Related Stories

• October 18, 2010 — Yankees News: Rotation is Set, Cliff Lee’s Hat, Teixeira’s Thumb, and More
• October 7, 2010 — Yankees Notes: Teixeira, Burnett, Rivera, and Girardi
• September 28, 2010 — An A.J. Disaster
• September 22, 2010 — Yankees Notes: Teixeira, Marte, and More

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The Texas Rangers have embarrassed the New York Yankees in the Bronx over the last two days and are on the verge of a pennant.

The Yankees sent A.J. Burnett to the mound, hoping to even the ALCS at two games apiece but one pitch doomed him and his team.

The Rangers’ Tommy Hunter didn’t do a bad job but didn’t last long, leaving it to reliever Derek Holland to get the job done.

Texas scored a little early and a lot late, eventually putting the Yankees away and taking a 3-1 series lead. Here’s a report card breaking down the Rangers’ 10-3 win on Tuesday night.

Begin Slideshow

The Rangers hired Ron Washington as their manager in 2007. They wanted a manager who would be the anti-Buck Showalter. They felt Washington’s light approach would get guys to play at a high level after being worn down by Showalter’s micromanagement.

Washington did not start out well in his first year as the Rangers manager. His team got off to a rough start, and he did not get along with Mark Teixeira.

Washington did not like Teixeira swinging for the fences. He wanted his slugger to play small ball, which did not go over well.

From there, the petulant slugger pouted after the rookie manager had the courage to call him out. Guess Teixeira could not handle taking orders after being patted in the back by everyone since his childhood days. It became a culture shock for him.

Folks wondered if Washington was going to make it in his rookie season. Teixeira was the face of the franchise, and he was a star that ran the clubhouse. Whatever he says, players had to follow. There was no question he was leading a revolt to get Washington fired.

It said a lot about the insecurity of Teixeira. The Rangers did the right thing in trading their moody star to the Braves. The team won nothing with him, and he was going to leave as a free agent. They sent a message that no one is bigger than the team in the process.

With the exception of the Braves, everyone came out as a winner in this deal. Let’s count the ways:

The Rangers received a lot in return for a chronic loser in their deal with the Braves. Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Jarrod Saltamacchia, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones were the guys that the Rangers got in that trade. It was thought Harrison and Saltamacchia would be the core players on that team, but it turned out Andrus and Feliz were, and both players played a role in getting the Rangers to where they are today.

Teixeira won because he got out of a losing situation rather than being part of the solution. Sure, he failed to get the Braves to the playoffs, but he didn’t care. All he was thinking about was his free agency in 2008. He made it a point to tell the Braves that he was going to explore free agency after the 2007 offseason, and it was translated as for them to go trade him before getting nothing in return.

Eventually, Teixeira signed with the Yankees after misleading the Red Sox into thinking he would sign with them. What the current Yankees first baseman did was pull a LeBron James. Rather than be the man, he decided to go play for a team that buys a championship rather than leading a to team one. It says a lot about his character and lack of courage.

Teixeira can show off his championship ring, but the biggest winner of all was Washington. Make no mistake. If Washington were fired, he would never again manage in baseball, especially with him being in his late 50s.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels showed faith towards his beleaguered manager, and it paid off. The team improved every year under Washington, and it shows in the development of the players. The Rangers made the playoffs in Washington’s fourth year with the team, which was this year.

Washington is three wins away now from leading the Rangers to their first ever World Series berth. That would be a neat story if that took place, especially in front of Teixeira.

Quite frankly, it’s surprising Washington is even managing. Everyone figured he would be gone as soon as Nolan Ryan took over the baseball operations, but he made a good impression on Ryan, and here he is.

Question the Rangers manager’s decision all you want, and it is hilarious that Yankees fans and Yankee bobo Michael Kay question him considering their team’s manager is nothing to write home about. The bottom line is, guys play for the manager, which is the important thing a team wants out of their manager. Plus, which manager is a great strategist? And no, please don’t make this writer laugh by mentioning Girardi.

With the ALCS, there is no question sportswriters want to fill the pages of the newspaper by reverting that feud. Washington addressed it with New York Daily News sportswriter Roger Rubin on Thursday, and Teixeira basically thought Washington was full of it. The former Ranger have done all he could to pretend his time with the Rangers did not exist by not mentioning his teammates and his time there.

Deep down, he can’t handle the fact the team has done well without him. It’s bothering him. It’s only human nature to feel that way when a team does well after that player moved on, especially in the fashion he left.

With that delusional ego of his, he probably thought the franchise would never be the same after his departure. Not many Rangers fans remember him anymore. How could they? No one went to the games when he played, and the team did not have a huge following in his time there.

Obviously, when the Rangers drafted him, everyone figured he would lead them to a championship. He had the glove and the bat to show he can do it. What he didn’t have was his ability to lead, especially when the going got tough.

Please don’t mention he was a leader as a Yankee or he is a natural Yankee. It’s easy to play that role when he can be one of the guys rather than being a guy, which was not the case with the Rangers.

To his credit, he does not go off and act like he is a star of the team. He never talks about his impact on the team. He talks about his teammates more often than not, which was not the case in New York.

With the Rangers, it was me, myself and I with Tex. With the Yankees, it’s all about the other guys when he talks to the media. It’s a good bet several Yankees told him how it was going to be, and he followed their lead.

He has done well in two years with the Yankees, even if he rubs people the wrong way by commenting about the antics of Vincent Padilla, Carlos Gomez and Matt Garza.

After his clumsy departure and watching him as a Yankee, count this observer for rooting for a nice story, which is the Rangers going to the World Series without Teixeira.

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