The consolidated postseason schedule generally is being lambasted, so, of course, put me down as someone who loves it.
Here is why: Because this postseason — of all things — looks like the regular season.
I have heard in many quarters what a hardship it is for the Yankees to play five days in a row. Some folks are even invoking a Commissioner’s Office conspiracy against the lads. You might want to get off that grassy knoll. For the record, the Yankees played five straight days 89 times this year and six times in five days once.
In other words: This is familiar, not hardship. All season teams have to use five starters and the length of their roster to determine the best teams. Then, too often in the postseason, there have been so many off-days that it essentially became best 15-man roster wins. No need for the back of the rotation or the back of the bullpen or the bench. Suddenly, baseball teams were like Pat Riley-coached NBA playoff squads, shortening the rotation.
You know what was ridiculous: The 2009 postseason schedule with so many off-days that a team without a qualified No. 4 starter was able to use just three during an entire playoff run and win it all. That would be those Yankees.
Was anyone suggesting a pro-Yankees conspiracy then to help the $200 million team that somehow didn’t have a No. 4 or 5 starter? Did anyone think Bud Selig had cobbled a postseason schedule with the express purpose of allowing the Yankees to avoid using Chad Gaudin?
Also, give the 2009 Yankees credit for winning in enough timely fashion — the Division Series in a sweep and the ALCS in six games — to get through those playoffs having to use CC Sabathia on short rest just twice, Pettitte once and Gaudin not at all.
The 2012 Yankees did not take care of business in the same manner. They lost Division Series Game 4. That forced them to use Sabathia to win Game 5 to advance. But it also meant they were going to have to play five games in five days and face some difficult rotation decisions in the ALCS against Detroit.
The first tricky choice was about who starts tonight in Game 2, rookie David Phelps or Hiroki Kuroda pitching on short rest for the first time in his career? The Yankees decided on Kuroda with the knowledge the whole bullpen will be available in support because of an off-day on Monday.
“I like it this way,” Derek Lowe said. “That’s the way we play in the regular season, play, then play again, then play again. That’s the way it should be. No sitting around, collecting rest days for the pitchers. … Let’s play.”
Manager Joe Girardi also said he plans to start Phil Hughes in Game 3 against Justin Verlander regardless of the status of the series — up 2-0, down 2-0 or tied 1-1. Then he would have on full rest Sabathia in Game 4, Andy Pettitte in Game 5 and Kuroda in Game 6, then Sabathia could be used short if the series goes the distance.
Clearly, these Yankees were worried about giving Phelps such a large responsibility — even with a full bullpen of support — and are trying to limit the starts of Hughes.
Such is life. The regular season has difficult travel and does not have hiatuses for everyone to catch their breath and line up starters just so, and the postseason is better replicating that as close as possible. The Tigers, not knowing if they were playing Baltimore in Detroit or the Yankees in The Bronx, did not get in for Game 1 until after 1 a.m. yesterday.
But Tigers manager Jim Leyland said: “At this time of year, if you are still complaining there is something wrong with you.”
Whole teams and tired teams get to the playoffs and, thus, whole teams and tired teams should have to win in the playoffs. Not some.
Remember that on June 3 Hughes threw the only nine-inning complete game of his career to beat the Tigers and Verlander. It can be done. And in the postseason, like the regular season, the Yankees and Hughes are going to have to figure out a way to beat Verlander again. A No. 4 starter can beat a No. 1 starter — in the regular or postseason.
“It is what it is,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “We are honored to be in the American League final. It shouldn’t matter home or away, day game or night game, rain, snow or extreme heat, too many off-days or too few, you just have to win. If you want to be the world champions, you better take care of whatever is thrown at you.”