Joe Girardi was enjoying his first postseason game as manager of the New York Yankees. His team had a big lead, and he kept walking to the Yankee Stadium mound, changing pitchers — three times in two innings. He looked like a kid who couldn't stop playing with a shiny toy. But this was hardly flaunting a 7-2 lead on the Girardi marched them in from the bullpen, one after another, after CC Sabathia pitched into the seventh inning: •Phil Hughes, a 23-year-old who was dropped from the rotation in June only to become what Girardi calls one of "two keys that turned our season around." (The other was the return from injury of third baseman Alex Rodriguez.) •Phil Coke, 27, a lefty who went from 14⅔ innings of major league experience before this year to a Yankees rookie-record 72 appearances. •Joba Chamberlain, who became a folk hero... [read full story]
