The Centaur Alex Rodridguez is getting much of the credit for last night’s win, and rightfully so. His two-out double in the ninth broke the 4-4 tie, and propelled the Yankees to the Game 4 win (it also finally earned him those elusive pinstripes). But don’t forget about Johnny Damon.
Game 4’s Underrated Hero: Johnny Damon (With Double-Steal Video)
Damon, who scored on A-Rod’s double, reached on a bloop single, and then stole both second and third base, on one pitch, taking advantage of the fact that the Phillies’ defense was playing a shift, and the pitcher (Brad Lidge) was no where near third.
Here are just a few of the calculations Damon had to make instantaneously:
1. He had to calculate if anyone was close enough to cover third base if he decided to run over there (Negative).
2. He had to calculate who had the ball (Third baseman Pedro Feliz had the ball -- the Phillies had put on a shift for New York’s Mark Teixeira so Feliz covered second on the steal. That’s why he had the ball and why no one was covering third.).
3. He had to calculate Feliz’s speed (Not too fast).
4. He had to calculate his own speed (Damon’s not as fast as he used to be -- but who is?).
5. He had to calculate the risks (If he got tagged out trying to steal third, he would be the third out of the inning. And the Yankees would not get the chance to send Mark Teixeira and, possibly, Alex Rodriguez to the plate. Teixeira and A-Rod are about $450 million in hitting talent).
6. He had to calculate the rewards (If he got to third base, he could score on a wild pitch. And, more to the point, Phillies reliever Brad Lidge might worry about throwing a wild pitch. Lidge’s best pitch is his slider -- a pitch that has skipped past catchers with some regularity. So it could make a big difference for the upcoming hitters).
7. He had to calculate if he would make it (It looked promising, but you never know).
All of his calculations were correct, because Damon easily made it to third (“I’m just glad that when I started running, I still had some of my young legs behind me”). The next pitch hit Mark Teixeira, A-Rod followed with his double, and the Yankees took a lead they would not relinquish. And now they are one game away from a World Series title.
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