Good news the sky is no longer falling, though there was a giant sized tsunami at the "Big-A" Tuesday night.  The waves came crashing down on the left from "The Dude" out of Vallejo, California CC Sabathia and rising up on the right from Kate Hudson's "dude" one Alex Rodriguez.  In a 10-1 thrashing that may have all but decided the 2009 ALCS, Los Angeles Angels fans can't help but wonder if this series was decided the last two off-season's.

For the Angels were viewed as the primary alternative competition for Sabathia until offering him a 24 hour ultimatum and A-Rod after opting out of his contract two years back.  In fact had the New York Yankees listened to the NY Daily News' Bill Madden this spring and cut him outright, they could've had him for next to nothing.

Yet in another odd twist this game was decided by a player in a deal the Yankees didn't make.  Centerfielder Melky Cabrera busted out for a big four RBI night and if he is traded along with Phil Hughes for Johan Santana and incidentally the Yankees don't go after Sabathia, who knows where this club is right now?

And it was Cabrera who gave the Yanks a big cushion in the top of the fourth with a two-run single to left off Scott Kazmir, plating Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano who'd knocked in A-Rod for the Yanks first run and now the Yanks were up 3-0.

The fourth was also the beginning of the most shameful display of umpiring this side of Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin. 

Nick Swisher who'd walked, moved to second on Cabrera's hit.  With Derek Jeter at the plate Kazmir (as the replay clearly showed with the umpire looking right at the bag) picked Swisher off second yet Swisher was ruled safe.  But it didn't end there, after Jeter walked Swisher moved to third with one out and the bases packed.  Johnny Damon came to the plate and lifted one to center and as the replay clearly tells it Swisher tagged up and scored the Yankees fourth run.  Except that umpire Tim McClelland obviously not looking at the bag blew the call by ruling Swisher had left too early on appeal from the Angels. 

As we'd see later I wonder if it was a make-up call for the blown call at second or if he really didn't see what happened at third base on that play.  In any event, no harm, no foul for either team that inning.

In the fifth Mark Teixeira finally woke up offensively with a knock to left.  A-Rod then swatted the Yanks first non-solo homer since Game Two of the ALDS off Jason Bulger putting the Yanks up 5-0.  The homer was A-Rod's fifth of the playoffs putting him one behind tying Bernie Williams for the Yanks single post-season record.

Then more of the bizarre umpiring ensued.  With Jorge Posada on third and Robinson Cano on second, Nick Swisher chopped one back to Darren Oliver.  Oliver fired home to catcher Mike Napoli.  Posada broke for home and was caught up in a run-down.  Leaving time for Cano to advance, Posada ran back past third and Cano was also at the bag but inexplicably never touched it.  Napoli applied the tag to both Posada and Cano, inning ending double-play right?  Except McClelland only called out Posada and must've assumed for some reason that both runners were occupying the bag as is the case most times but on this occasion neither were.

The Angels came away un-scathed once again but one couldn't blame Mike Scoscia for wanting to go out there like the fictional Angels Manager from "The Naked Gun" and say, "hey look even the guy running the scoreboard says there's three outs and he's way up in the mezzanine!"

Sabathia who seemed to only get stronger as the game progressed, rendered his lone blemish in the bottom frame, a one out blast to Kendry Morales making it 5-1.

In the seventh on the anniversary of his 2004 Game Seven Grand Slam, Johnny Damon smacked a two-run shot off Matt Palmer, boosting the Yankees lead to 7-1.

After Sabathia dusted off the Angels for his final frame going eight strong for the second time this series, the Yanks would tack on three more in the ninth capped off by a Cabrera two-run double.  The pitcher who some thought might be starting this contest, Chad Gaudin recorded the final three outs as the Yankees romped the Angels 10-1.

So as things stand, the Angels are eyeing elimination the Yankees eyeing their 40th World Series appearance and Tim McClelland and co. possibly eyeing an optometrist sometime in the near future.

Thankfully for the Los Angeles Angels Mike Scioscia didn't listen to Tim McCarver Monday afternoon or he and not Joe Girardi would've made the worst managerial move on the day.  Had backup catcher Jeff Mathis been pinch run for for Reggie Willits in the bottom of the tenth, we might still be playing.  In a game where the New York Yankees took a booming 3-0 lead on the verge of gaining a 3-0 lead in the ALCS, it was the little things that mattered most.

Derek Jeter jumped on Jered Weaver in the first for his 20th career post-season homer putting the Bombers on top 1-0 with the Yankees scoring first for the third straight time this series.

Both squads squandered opportunities in the second hitting into double-plays.

In the fourth Alex Rodriguez led off with a bomb to left in the vicinity of Jeter's off Weaver for his fourth of the playoffs.  Yet beyond that the Yanks once again failed to put the Angels in a world of hurt, stranding runners at the corners once again.

Andy Pettitte continued to cruise along and Johnny Damon hit a solo shot of his own off Weaver in the fifth.  A-Rod barely missed his second homer of the contest but the Yanks increased their lead to 3-0.

Then there was a **** in the armor the bottom half of the frame for Pettitte and the Yanks when Yankee killer Howie Kendrick smoked a homer to left.  Kendrick's solo shot was the first allowed by Yankees pitching all post-season.

In the sixth Bobby Abreu notched his first hit of the series and with two outs the Yankees questionably pitched to Vladimir Guerrero and got burned.  Vlad woke up and jolted one to left to tie the contest at 3-3.

Kendrick and the Angels were back for more in the seventh.  With one out Kendrick tripled off Joba Chamberlain, leaving some to question whether Pettitte with 95 pitches should've been allowed to finish the frame.  Scioscia pinch hit Macier Izturis for Mike Napoli and he lifted a sac fly to deep right scoring Kendrick and giving the Angels their first lead of the day 4-3.

Following that thing got tenuous for the Yankees.  Hideki Matsui drew a walk off reliever Kevin Jepsen in the eighth.  Brett Gardner and not Freddy Guzman was used as a pinch runner.  Which is bad, not because Guzman is faster but since that's his only role of usefulness on the team, putting Gardner out there for defense would sacrifice the DH.  I really have to question why Guzman and not Eric Hinske was added to the roster for this round, but I digress.

Gardner ended up getting caught stealing on a pitch-out and conversely Jorge Posada homered to center to tie the game at 4-4.  Perhaps Jepsen let his guard down and throws a different pitch there but it makes one wonder what could've been.  After that Robinson Cano singled and Nick Swisher walked, but with one out once again the Yanks couldn't capitalize with runners on base.

Then the over-managing of the bullpen commenced.  Damaso Marte a lefty who got Chone Figgins for the final out of the seventh was pulled in favor of another lefty Phil Coke to face the left-handed Abreu to start the eighth.  Abreu promptly doubled but rounded too far as an alert Jeter on the cut-off throw from Melky Cabrera turned to gun down Abreu who was diving back to second as an equally alert Mark Teixeira applied the tag.  Phil Hughes was brought on and kept the Angels at bay.

Moving on to the bottom of the tenth, after being lights out his first inning and two thirds, Hughes was rocked for a leadoff double by the light hitting catcher Mathis.  So with Mathis on Girardi smartly made a move his predecessor Joe Torre failed to make in Game Four of the 2003 World Series and called on Mariano Rivera. 

Erick Aybar laid down a bunt attempting to move Mathis to third when Rivera wheeled slipped and bounced the ball into left where an alert Damon was backing up the play.  Figgins grounded out to Teixeira moving Aybar to second.  With runners in scoring position and one out, Abreu was walked intentionally.  Then in a move that showed why taking up the DH spot with Gardner and pinch hitting for him with Jerry Hairston Jr. ironically came back to bite them in the field and at the plate as Hairston was placed in left removing the DH.

Rivera then induced Torii Hunter into a fielder's choice as Teixeira fired home to Posada recording the second out.  With bases still jammed and two down Rivera got Guerrero to bounce one to Teixeira in what was another brilliant effort by the great Rivera.

In the top of the eleventh the Yanks were caught short-handed.  After two quick outs and Rivera's spot due in the order, Girardi didn't want to march Rivera out for the bottom of the frame.  However his options were very limited wtih only Guzman, Jose Molina and Francisco Cervelli on the bench as opposed to say Hinske.  Cervelli was called upon and subsequently struck out against Ervin Santana.

On the game went to the bottom of the eleventh where Girardi went to David Robertson.  Robertson continued his solid playoff pitching, quickly retiring Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales.  With two down, Girardi gave all New York fans watching a head scratch-er putting in Alfredo Aceves.  Aceves who was once the Yanks eighth inning bridge to Rivera pre-Hughes this season, but hasn't been as dominant since being asked to throw a spot start in place of Chien-Ming Wang in Minnesota in July was brought on to face the ever annoying Kendrick. 

Kendrick singled up the box and the collective groan could be heard 3,000 miles away.  So with two away and Kendrick on it was up to Mathis once again.  Mathis playing the role of a light hitting Mike Scoscia playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1988 NLCS against Doc Gooden and the New York Mets, Mathis crushed another one to deep left.  If Damon had still been out there or had the Yankees been able to put Gardner in center and Cabrera in left, whether the ball would've been caught we'll never know.  Yet the ball fell in and Kendrick came around to score the winner 5-4.

Girardi who has been excellent all season in handling the pen, clearly over-managed in this spot and for the first time this post-season the Yanks got burned.  But one could also question why the Yanks couldn't win after hitting four homers and will need to start finding a way to manufacture some more runs.

Game Four will be the biggest test yet for these Yankees, who've played their best baseball with their backs up against the wall.  This feels so reminiscent of the 1998 ALCS when El Duque hurled a gem in that series' Game Four for the Yanks against the Cleveland Indians in hostile territory.  The Yanks lost a tough one and were reminded just how equally of a tough out the Angels truly are, but they have to be confident in knowing "The Dude," CC Sabathia will be toeing the rubber in his backyard Tuesday night.

Playoff baseball and TV networks are great at least for advertisers.  Or are they?  Certainly this story has been written annually, about how games go on way past anyone's bed-time let alone kids for what is ultimately supposed to be a kids game.  This year however it has gone to a new level of being completely asinine.

Of course scheduling has never been a staple of MLB.  Because not knowing where they'll be playing the World Series any time after the All-Star game would create an epic "catastrophe." 

This post-season scheduling has gotten so loony that I don't even know how the networks or advertisers could even like it and they seem to be the one's dictating the show to MLB in the first place.

This year's ALCS with both teams sweeping should've started no later than last Wednesday.  And why not, after all that's the same day the World Series will be starting on.  Instead we get the first game of the NLCS on Thursday and again during the day on Friday in sunny Los Angeles even with the threat of awful conditions in New York.

Game One of the ALCS is played Friday night in New York and knowing at least three days out that it could be a stretch to get the game in, they couldn't bother to move the start time back even a half an hour.

Memo to the networks, we've been watching all year and we don't need a silly pre-game show to hear you listen to yourselves talk for 20-30 minutes, just play the darn game already.  The reason even games that don't go extra innings seem like they go on for five hours has to do with the five minute commercial blocks.  So if you're announcing the game and want to complain about the cold or the length of the game or that there's too many conferences on the mound or the batter doesn't get into the box quickly enough, talk to your bosses about the insane amount of time devoted to commercials. 

Speaking of which how do you get anyone to see them (commercials) when people are either half asleep or have essentially tuned them out after their redundancy has lost all meaning after four to five hours on a loop?  And more importantly how does anyone benefit from having Game Three of the ALCS in Los Angeles start at 4:00PM in the nice weather once again, while Game Four of the NLCS is at night in chilly Philly?

Plus for once the West Coast viewer actually gets the shaft unless they play hooky they're lucky to see the end of ALCS Game Three and people on the East Coast are likely missing half the game as well.  So who are you in effect selling to?  Or are you banking on the 9.8% who don't have jobs to watch and not buy your products with the money they don't have to spend?

Of course this could've been averted as well if at least one of the series started earlier, because both weekend days should've had both series going.  And might I add that there was no excuse on a traditionally poor ratings night (Saturday) that Game Two of the ALCS in New York needed to start at 8:00PM.  It's not like Sunday where you'd be going up against the NFL, which if Saturday got rained out you'd be willing to do that anyhow by moving Saturday night's game to Sunday afternoon at 4:00PM.  Knowing it was going to be miserable and yet they couldn't even move the start time of the Saturday game when more people are home during the day to begin with than oh say Monday?

As Joel Sherman noted in the New York Post, typically in a baseball season each team gets 19 scheduled off days.  Last year in the playoffs the Philadelphia Phillies had 15. 

And might I also add that those of us who work for local FOX affiliates who do a newscast late after the ball-game ends, we don't need to sit around waiting anymore for a 20 minute wrap of a game that just went on for four to five hours.  I don't mind the interviews with the players or managers but seriously to hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver or whomever prattle on for 15-20 more minutes is just un-necessary after watching and seeing everything unfold to that point after that amount of time.  But I guess one has to take solace that it's not Chip Caray.

That is unless of course you fell asleep in the sixth inning and you're seeing color bars or the sun come up.

Often athletes who just can't quite get that ring are asked the dubious question.  The awards, the accolades, the records, the money, would you trade it all for a ring?  Alex Rodriguez may have sold his soul and tarnished his legacy by admitting steroid use this spring, but in doing so and setting himself free he is starting to create a new legacy. 

Saturday night into Sunday morning if it felt like you'd read this script before, it's because you already have.  Another Game Two of solid starting pitching from A.J. Burnett, another game tying HR off the bat of A-Rod, another win for David Robertson and just another walk-off win against a team that used to throw their weight around and now just throws the ball all over the place.

Nick Swisher drew a walk off Joe Saunders in the bottom of the second.  Robinson Cano drilled an RBI triple to the right field wall plating Swisher and for the second time in as many games this ALCS the Yankees took the lead first. 

Derek Jeter came up in the third and homered off Saunders well beyond the short porch in right.  Jeter's second homer of the playoffs and 19th of his post-season career moved him past Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle for sole possession of third on the all-time list, putting the Yanks up 2-0.

Burnett who struck out four over 6 1/3 was rolling along until the fifth.  Maicer Izturis hit a ground rule double to right.  Erick Aybar singled to center allowing Izturis to score.  Aybar stole second, Burnett plunked Chone Figgins on the foot and followed that up by walking Torii Hunter.  That's when Burnett with two outs un-leashed a wild pitch allowing Aybar to come in and tie things at 2-2.  Burnett induced Vladimir Guerrero to ground to short but the damage was done.

Both teams had multiple opportunities from there but each team's bullpen answered the bell.

Until the top of the eleventh when Alfredo Aceves came on in relief of Mariano Rivera, who'd had his longest post-season outing since Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS where he went three innings to pick up the win and ALCS MVP honors.  Aceves inexplicably walked Gary Matthews Jr. to start the frame.  Aybar bunted him to second and Figgins picked up his first hit and RBI of the playoffs with a bloop to left.  Aceves got out of it on a 'round the horn double play, but the Yanks were down 3-2.

Then speaking of the 2003 ALCS, a day (or so) after the anniversary of Yanks third baseman Aaron Boone hitting a clutch leadoff HR in the eleventh, it was like someone dusted off that old script again.  And much like another Yanks third baseman Scott Brosius took the league's saves leader Trevor Hoffman deep in San Diego, it was A-Rod's turn to be clutch once again.  So A-Rod with the rain pouring down hit a screamer to right off Brian Fuentes to knot the contest at 3-3.  His third game-tying HR of this post-season and third overall.

Both teams battled onto the 13th when another player long awaiting his shot at October glory came to the plate.  Jerry Hairston Jr. got the Yanks going with a pinch hit single to center off Ervin Santana.  Brett Gardner moved him to second on a bunt.  The Angels then chose to intentionally walk Cano to try and setup the inning ending double play. 

However Melky Cabrera grounded one to Izturis, which Izturis promptly threw away.  Hairston rounded third and Figgins who bobbled the loose ball had no chance at throwing out Hairston and the Yankees won it 4-3.

These are Joe Girardi's scrappy, never-say-die Yankees and they are halfway home to pennant number 40 and a trip to the World Series as they now embark on a trip to California with a fresh Andy Pettitte in hand.

Derek Jeter had it right after Friday night's ALCS Game One victory over the Angels.  "The past is the past," said the Yankees captain referring to Los Angeles' prior success against CC Sabathia.  But it is that familiar sounding refrain that rings true, one Jeter first uttered after the 2002 ALDS Game Four loss to the Halos, that "this Yankee team isn't the same as that Yankee team."  As the Yankees have demonstrated thus far, this Yankee team doesn't seem to resemble any of the past five years either.

And while we're at it we can stop looking at reputations and start looking at results.  As the usually fundamentally sound Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California looked resoundingly like the routinely fundamentally sound Minnesota Twins of the 2009 ALDS and it wasn't pretty.

If the temperatures made it feel more befitting of a Halloween night, it's no wonder that Sabathia threw like an absolute witch.  CC was hitting 96 on the gun in the eighth inning and had the type of delivery that would make W.B. Mason blush.  Sabathia made Angels hitters look absolutely silly allowing only four hits over eight while striking out seven.

In the first Derek Jeter (who else?) got the Yanks going with a patten base knock to right.  Then Johnny Damon who after his dreadful ALDS against Minnesota couldn't have been blamed for wanting to grow a playoff beard circa 2004, picked up a broken bat hit to left, moving Jeter to third and advancing to second on the throw.

Following a Mark Teixeira pop out on a 3-0 count it was Alex Rodriguez back to the plate in his first appearance at the Stadium since his game tying HR in Game Two of the ALDS against the Twins.  A-Rod got the job done with a sac fly to center bringing home Jeter, the first time the Yankees had scored first in a playoff game this October. 

Then in a play more befitting of the Metrodome roof than Yankee Stadium, Eric Aybar and Chone Figgins collaborated on the worst play this side of Luis Castillo.  With two outs and Hideki Matsui at the dish, Matsui popped up a John Lackey offering to the left side of the Angel infield.  When the ball inexplicably landed, Damon came around to score the Yankees second run in what would be a foreshadowing of things to come for the Angels "defense."

For the first time in the new Stadium's history there were no homers on the night, the closest coming when Sabathia hit his only bump of the night in the fourth when Vladimir Guerrero launched a double off the wall in left.  Kendry Morales then lifted a soft single to left-center knocking home the Angels only run and cutting the lead in half.

In the fifth the Yanks bounced back.  Damon doubled to set the table, A-Rod walked, so with two on and one out Matsui came through with another clutch RBI smash to left.  Damon scored and A-Rod was ruled out in a collision at home plate with catcher Jeff Mathis.

Moving to the bottom of the sixth the Yankees staged a two out rally.  After a walk to Melky Cabrera that vaunted Angels defense reared its ugly head once more.  Lackey threw the ball away in attempting to pick off Cabrera at first.  Following that was Jeter with a smash up the box and into center where Torii Hunter booted the ball and Cabrera came home with the Yankees fourth run, increasing the lead to 4-1.

From there out Sabathia kept rolling along and after shaking off some rust Mariano Rivera added to his MLB post-season record 36th save and the Yankees just as they did in 2002 and 2005 took game one of a playoff series against the Angels, hoping that the past is in the past.