A. J. Burnett earned $41,250,000.00 last night

When A. J. Burnett signed a 5 year $82.5 million contract, I scratched my head. I thought “Are the Yankees ever going to get full value from that?”

And for the most part, Burnett has been a rotten signing.
But whenever someone trashes Burnett, a defender is quick to point out that he won the critical Game 2 of the 2009 World Series.

Had he been bombed that night, the Yankees would have been down 0-2 going back to Philadelphia. It would have changed the entire complexion of the World Series.

He earned his money that day.

And last night, with the season on the line, Burnett didn’t pitch like an ace but he pitched well enough to send the series back to New York for a do or die game.

Two critical post season games in the past three seasons that Burnett has won.

So those two games might have justified the contract.
And last night he earned half of his contract.

I wonder if before last night’s game I asked Yankee fans “would you have the Yankees pay $41,250,000 for a win tonight?” if they would say yes.

Turns out that’s JUST what the Yankees did.

The Ted Lilly Playoff Home Run Reaction Award goes to…

… Brewers pitcher Shaun Marcum.

Remember a few years ago in the 2007 Division Series, Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly let up a go ahead homer to Diamondbacks centerfielder Chris Young?

Lilly saw it was gone the second it left Young’s bat. And he reacted by throwing his glove on the ground in disgust, a la Tanner.

Well last night Shaun Marcum let up a game breaking grand slam to Paul Goldschmidt.
Same mound as Lilly, Marcum threw his glove in the air in a gesture that said “Well THAT wasn’t what I wanted to do.”

Well done, Shaun Marcum. We need more unrepentant emotion on the mound.