ARLINGTON, Texas — October is when cliches bloom, tired expressions repeatedly falling off the vine.
Teams win because they are desperate, because they are slighted — the no respect card is worn at the edges — and yes, because they are hungry.
Then there are the New York Yankees. One word aptly describes their championship pursuit that resumes tonight against the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series: greedy.
“Yes, we are greedy,” said first baseman Mark Teixeira, with no tinge of guilt. “Once you win it and realize how great it feels, you want to do it again and again.”
The Yankees won their 27th championship last fall, slaying the Philadelphia Phillies. It was their first since 2000, meaning there were 9-year-olds who had never experienced a Canyon of Heroes parade. Another confetti shower grew more likely as the Yankees sat in front of their high-def TVs last week.
The Rangers made history, winning their first playoff series ever, but might have lost the ALCS in the process. Blowing two games at home and forcing a fifth game against Tampa Bay pushed ace left-hander Cliff Lee into a less prominent role.
As it stands, Lee can only start twice — Game 3 and Game 7, if necessary. That makes the Yankees’ path back to the World Series easier and the plan obvious. To beat Lee, they need to beat his teammates, starting with C.J. Wilson tonight at the Ballpark in Arlington.
The numbers — and not just the ones behind dollar signs on their payroll — tilt in their favor. They have their ace CC Sabathia working. He owns a 1.89 ERA in his last six playoff starts. Manager Joe Girardi admitted that there’s slight concern because of the extended layoff between Sabathia’s appearances. But Sabathia adjusted by adding a second side session this week.
And he’s not exactly cowering about making a road start.
“I don’t feel any differently. We knew the situation we were in with the wild card, that we were going to have to do this,” Sabathia said.
And, rather than face his close friend Lee, Sabathia goes against the upstart Wilson, who pitched brilliantly against the Tampa Bay Rays but owns a bloated 5.65 ERA against the Yankees’ meat-grinder lineup. Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter will sandwich Lee in the rotation, and both are the type of starters the Yankees feast on.
So no chance, right? Not so fast.
“The beauty of this team is that these guys don’t care about what people on the outside think,” said Rangers hitting instructor Clint Hurdle, recognizing his 2007-led Rockies held a similar trait. “We like our chances.”
To knock out the Yankees, the Rangers’ best players have to be their best players. That means Josh Hamilton must return to his MVP form. The ALDS amounted to a well-publicized rehabilitation assignment for the outfielder, with Hamilton trying to regain his timing after minimal playing time the last month, when he batted .111 in 18 at-bats with no extra-base hits.
“I will be more comfortable,” Hamilton said. “I was trying to do too way too much. That never works.”
Texas is one of the few teams that doesn’t blush when comparing lineups with the Yankees. It has a former MVP (Vlad Guerrero), a young star (Elvis Andrus) and a potential home run champion someday (Nelson Cruz).
But the Yankees hit .314 in the division series romp over the Minnesota Twins. There’s a relentless nature to their offense that anyone not named Lee will be challenged to stop.
As the Yankees took batting practice Thursday, country music played throughout the stadium. The lyrics were predictable. Not unlike the Yankees themselves. This is their time of year, their chance to become baseball’s first repeat champion since, um, the Yankees.
“It’s like when you talk about being a father. Unless someone has experienced it, it’s hard for them to understand. Winning that first one was unbelievable,” Teixeira said. “But I have three kids, and it keeps getting better every time. That’s how I see this.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
