DETROIT TIGERS at NEW YORK YANKEES
Best of 5 series tied 2-2
When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
TV: TBS
(Brian Anderson, play-by-play; John Smoltz and Ron Darling, color)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) and AM (1270)
(Dan Dickerson, play-by-play; Jim Price, color commentary)

At stake: A berth in the AL Championships Series, opposite the Texas Rangers. If the Yankees win tonight, the Rangers fly to New York. If the Tigers win, they head to Arlington, Texas, for Saturday's Game 1. It's win or go home for both.

The only time the Tigers played a winner-take-all Game 5 was the 1972 ALCS, when they lost to the Oakland A's. The Tigers' only other appearances in a five-game series were the 1984 ALCS (a three-game sweep) and the 2006 ALDS (a four-game win over the Yankees). The franchise also played winner-take-all games (Game 7) in the World Series in 1940 (L), 1945 (W) and 1968 (W).

DETROIT TIGERS at NEW YORK YANKEES
Best of 5 series tied 2-2
When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
TV: TBS
(Brian Anderson, play-by-play; John Smoltz and Ron Darling, color)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) and AM (1270)
(Dan Dickerson, play-by-play; Jim Price, color commentary)

DETROIT TIGERS
(series average in parentheses)
Austin Jackson, CF (.083, 1-for-12, 2R, 4BB, 5K)
Don Kelly, 3B (.429, 3-for-7, 2R, 1RBI, 2R)
Delmon Young, LF (.267, 4-for-15, 3R, 2HR, 2RBI, 2BB, 1K)
Miguel Cabrera, 1B (.250, 3-for-12, 2R, 1HR, 3RBI, 4BB, 3K)
Victor Martinez, DH (.214, 3-for-14, 1R, 1HR, 2RBI, 2BB, 5K)
Magglio Ordonez, RF (.375, 3-for-8, 1R, 1BB, 1K)
Jhonny Peralta, SS (.267, 4-for-15, 2-2B, 1RBI, 4K)
Alex Avila, C (.000, 0-for-12, 1RBI, 2BB, 6K)
Ramon Santiago, 2B (.200, 2-for-10, 1-2B, 2 RBI, 1K)

Starting pitcher:
Doug Fister, RHP
2011 regular season: 11-13, 32 GS, 2.83 ERA, 216.1 IP, 146K, 1.063 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9 (led AL)
2011 with Detroit: 8-1, 1.79 ERA, 70.1 IP, 57K, 0.839 WHIP, 6.9 H/9
2011 road splits: 5-7, 15 GS, 3.36 ERA, 8 HR, .243 BA, 11 GDP, 1.082 WHIP
Game 1 line: 4.2 IP, 7H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.929 WHIP

Relief pitching: Manager Jim Leyland has said Justin Verlander is not going to be used in relief, and he'd like to keep from using anyone but Fister, LHP Phil Coke, RHP Joaquin Benoit and closer Jose Valverde. Game 2 starter Max Scherzer is also available, per reports from NY today.

NEW YORK YANKEES
(series numbers in parentheses)
Derek Jeter, SS (.263, 5-for-19, 5R, 1-2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7K)
Curtis Granderson, CF (.250, 4-for-16, 4R, 1-2B, 1-3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6K)
Robinson Cano, 2B (.294, 5-for-17, 1R, 2-2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4K, 2BB)
Alex Rodriguez, 3B (.143, 2-for-14, 1R, 3 RBI, 3K, 3BB)
Mark Teixeira, 1B (.133, 2-for-15, 2R, 1-2B, 5K, 1BB)
Nick Swisher, RF (.200, 3-for-15, 1R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4K 1BB)
Jorge Posada, DH (.400, 4-for-10, 4R, 1-3B, 5K, 4BB)
Russell Martin, C (.231, 2-for-14, 3R, 2K, 2BB)
Brett Gardner, LF (.385, 5-for-13, 3R, 1-2B, 5 RBI, 3K, 1BB)

Starting pitcher:
Ivan Nova, RHP
2011 regular season: 16-4, 27 GS, 165.1 IP, 98 K, 1.331 WHIP
Game 1 line: 6.1 IP, 4H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.263 WHIP
2011 home splits: 8-2, 14 GS, 4.11 ERA, 46 K, 10 HR, 1.406 WHIP

Relief pitching: Manager Joe Girardi has said everyone — including ace CC Sabathia — is available.

Lots of fans — those of the Yankees, and those of the Tigers, too — are underestimating New York starter A.J. Burnett. His struggles this season probably warrant that.

"I've been proving people wrong my whole career, it seems like. People are entitled to their opinion. Obviously I give them reasons here and there to doubt," he said Monday. "The bottom line is I have confidence in myself. My teammates have confidence in me, my staff. To go out and I'm not going to go out and try to prove anything. I'm going to go out and try to win a ballgame."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland certainly isn't doubting the veteran right-hander, either.

"I'm not underestimating him a bit. He's got great stuff. A.J. Burnett is capable of going out and throwing a two-hitter tonight. I know that. He has great stuff. You know the scenario is ... this is a good situation for A.J., I think, on this stage tonight. People are hot and cold about A.J. and everything. Not us. We know what a great talent he is. If he gets it going, he can wipe you out," Leyland said prior to Tuesday's Game 4, a possible elimination game.

"We're very concerned about it. But that's the way it is. I mean, you're going to see a good pitcher in the playoffs and you're going to see a guy tonight with electric stuff, that if he has his command going and everything, we're going to have to work our fannies off.

"And the key to tonight's game is gonna be not A.J. Burnett, it's going to be Rick Porcello, in my opinion. Rick Porcello has to give us a chance to win the game, because if A.J., you know, cranks one up that's really good, you're going to have to keep that other team down to have a chance to win the game. We're aware of that. He's a tremendous talent."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn't hesitate to throw his support behind his embattled pitcher after Monday's game, which put the Yankees on the brink of elimination.

"I feel good about it. I feel good about what A.J. is going to do for us tomorrow," said Girardi, who was originally planning to get through the ALDS with a three-man rotation.

NEW YORK YANKEES at DETROIT TIGERS
When: Tuesday, 8:37 p.m.
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit
Series: Tigers lead, 2-1
TV: TBS
(Brian Anderson, play-by-play; John Smoltz and Ron Darling, color)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) and AM (1270)
(Dan Dickerson, play-by-play; Jim Price, color commentary)

DETROIT TIGERS
(career vs. Burnett in parentheses)
Austin Jackson, CF (.500, 1-for-2, HR)
Ramon Santiago, 2B (.250, 1-for-4)
Delmon Young, LF (.200, 3-for-15)
Miguel Cabrera, 1B (.214, 3-for-14)
Victor Martinez, DH (.259, 7-for-27, HR)
Don Kelly, RF (.000, 0-for-2)
Jhonny Peralta, SS (.231, 3-for-13)
Alex Avila, C (.500, 1-for-2)
Wilson Betemit, 3B (.261, 6-for-23)

STARTING PITCHER
Rick Porcello, RHP
2011 regular season: 14-9, 31 GS, 182.0 IP, 4.75 ERA, 1.407 WHIP
2011 home splits: 5-5, 14 GS, 83.0 IP, 5.64 ERA, .350 BA, 1.482 WHIP
Career vs. Yankees: 2-2, 4 GS, 5.56 ERA, 22.2 IP, 1.544 WHIP

NEW YORK YANKEES
(career vs. Porcello in parentheses)
Derek Jeter, SS (.000, 0-for-9)
Curtis Granderson, CF (.400, 2-for-5)
Robinson Cano, 2B (.455, 5-for-11)
Alex Rodriguez, 3B (.250, 1-for-4)
Mark Teixeira, 1B (.100, 1-for-10)
Nick Swisher, RF (.300, 3-for-10, HR)
Jorge Posada, DH (.333, 3-for-9)
Russell Martin, C (.250, 1-for-4)
Brett Gardner, LF (.111, 1-for-9)

STARTING PITCHER
A.J. Burnett, RHP
2011 regular season: 11-11, 32 GS, 5.15 ERA, 190.1 IP, 1.434 WHIP, 31 HR, AL-worst 25 wild pitches
2011 road splits: 4-5, 14 GS, 76.0 IP, 6.28 ERA, 12 HR, 1.632 WHIP
Career vs. Tigers: 4-2, 6.33 ERA, 42.2 IP, 1.500 WHIP
Career at Comerica: 2-2, 7.17 ERA, 21.1 IP, 21 H, 17 ER, 3 HR, 1.359 WHIP
Career postseason: 1-2, 6 GS, 5.67 ERA, 33.1 IP, 1.410 WHIP
Last seven starts: 2-2, 35.2 IP, 44 H, 30 ER, 16 BB, 9 HR, .301 BA, 7.57 ERA

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Game 3 (tied at 1-1)
Where: Comerica Park
When: Monday, 8:37 p.m.
TV: TBS
(Brian Anderson, play-by-play; Ron Darling and John Smoltz, color)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) and AM (1270).
(Dan Dickerson, play-by-play; Jim Price, color)

DETROIT TIGERS:
(averages against Sabathia in parentheses)
Austin Jackson, CF (.267, 4-for-15, HR)
Ramon Santiago, 2B (.292, 7-for-24)
Delmon Young, LF (.160, 4-for-25, HR)
Miguel Cabrera, 1B (.529, 9-for-17, 2 HR)
Victor Martinez, DH (.231, 6-for-26, 2 HR)
Magglio Ordonez, RF (.264, 19-for-72, 3 HR)
Jhonny Peralta, SS (.059, 1-for-17)
Alex Avila, C (.125, 1-for-8)
Brandon Inge, 3B (.190, 11-for-58, HR)

Starting pitcher:
Justin Verlander, RHP
2011 regular season: 24-5, 2.40 ERA, 251 IP, 250 K, 0.920 WHIP
2011 postseason: 0-0, 1 GS, 9.00 ERA, 1 K, 2.00 WHIP
Career vs. Yankees: 4-3, 10 GS, 3.97 ERA, 1.500 WHIP
Career postseason: 1-2, 5 GS, 22.2 IP, 5.96 ERA, 1.676 WHIP

NEW YORK YANKEES
(career vs. Verlander in parentheses)
Derek Jeter, SS (.163, 8-for-49, 3 HR)
Curtis Granderson, CF (.167, 1-for-6, HR)
Robinson Cano, 2B (.167, 4-for-24)
Alex Rodriguez, 3B (.182, 4-for-22)
Mark Teixeira, 1B (.136, 3-for-22, HR)
Nick Swisher, RF (.163, 8-for-49, 3 HR)
Jorge Posada, DH (.333, 7-for-21)
Russell Martin, C (.400, 2-for-5)
Brett Gardner, LF (.375, 3-for-8)

Starting pitcher
CC Sabathia, LHP
2011 regular season: 19-8, 33 GS, 3.00 ERA, 237.1 IP, 230 K, 1.226 WHIP
2011 postseason: 0-0, 1 GS, 2.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 4K
Career vs. Tigers: 15-12, 32 GS, 202.0 IP, 4.54 ERA, 165 K, 26 HR
Career postseason: 7-4, 14 GS, 79.1 IP, 4.65 ERA, 75 K, 1.538 WHIP
Career at Comerica Park: 7-5, 14 GS, 92.0 IP, 4.30 ERA, 75 K, 1.152

Justin Verlander (24-5) and CC Sabathia (19-8) were supposed to face off in Friday's Game 1 of the American League Division Series, but that plan was wrecked by weather. Three days later, they'll both take to the mound again, for the pivotal Game 3 at Comerica Park.

Game time is 8:37 p.m.

There’s something to be said for the art of managing.

If, as a big-league manager, you constantly fly off the handle, your team is probably going to overreact right along with you.

If, instead, like Detroit Tigers manger Jim Leyland is so often wont to do, you keep an even keel, your team is probably going to reflect that, too.

That “que sera, sera” (whatever will be, will be) attitude is part of the reason the Tigers were able to win 95 games in the regular season, and break their 24-year division title drought.

And it’s why Friday’s deluge — which threw both the schedule of the American Division Series and the pitching rotations therein into confusion — won’t be treated as a the end of the world.

“You know what? This is not a big deal. Everybody does the best they can,” Leyland said after Friday’s game was called after torrential rain stopped the game following top of the second inning; it will be picked up from that point Saturday night. “Everybody’s sort of scurrying around right now, but there’s no sense getting excited. It’s just the way it is.”

And that’s the way the Tigers are handling the fact that — rather than twice, in Games 1 and 5 — ace Justin Verlander will only throw once in the series now. After throwing one inning Friday, he’s been slated to go again on Monday in Game 3 at Comerica Park.

Some are making it out to be a colossal detriment to the Tigers’ chances.

Not Leyland.

“I don’t make a big deal about stuff like that. I think when the manager makes a big deal about things like that, it affects the players. It is what it is,” he said in Friday’s postgame press conference.
“Good lord, it rained. So what? It’s all about three. You know? Win three, lose three. That’s what this is about. The magic number is three. For both teams. That’s the way it is. There’s no sense getting excited.”

Seems to me we’ve been here before.

Back in mid-August, when the Cleveland Indians had closed to a game and a half behind the Tigers entering a head-to-head series, Leyland steadfastly refused to panic, and pitch Verlander in the Sunday finale. Instead, over his ace’s stated objections, Leyland gave him an extra day of rest, saving him to start the next series, on the road in Tampa Bay.

In essence, the skipper’s message to his team was “I think you can win this series without him.”

Boy, did they ever.

The Tigers outscored the Indians 22-9 in the series, winning the finale 8-7 on Austin Jackson’s catch-and-throw double play to nab the potential tying run at the plate for the final out of the game. The Tigers would never lead by fewer than five games the rest of the way.

Leyland will to this day insist that the Tampa series — when the Tigers took three out of four from the eventual AL Wild Card in a low-scoring series — was the pivotal point of the 2011 season.

Even his ace doesn’t entirely follow that reasoning.

“I think more the Cleveland series, for me, is the one I kind of look at, especially the way we swept that game with Austin throwing the guy out at home,” Verlander said recently. “That was a real jumping-off point, I thought.”

Another jumping-off point was the acquisition of Doug Fister at the trade deadline. He’s pitched like 1-A in the Tigers’ rotation since mid-August, actually putting up better numbers than Verlander, the prohibitive favorite for the Cy Young, in that span.

And now it’ll be Fister who will probably throw twice in the series. He’ll pitch the resumption of Game 1 Saturday night, then go again in Game 5, if necessary.

“I don’t think it changes a thing,” Verlander told MLB Network, when asked what a difference that makes.

The only thing that changes for the two teams is that pitching depth may be more of a factor.
The Tigers carried all five of their starters on the postseason roster: Verlander and Fister, along with Max Scherzer — who is now slated to go in Sunday’s Game 2 — and Rick Porcello — who will throw in Game 4, as originally planned. They also kept fifth starter Brad Penny, who has more playoff pitching experience than anyone else on the roster, hoping he’d be a bonus, should they need a long reliever or a spot starter.

For the Yankees, who’d planned to go with a three-man rotation, the plan changes more drastically.

Manager Joe Girardi has said that Game 1 starter CC Sabathia, who threw 27 pitches in two innings of work Friday, won’t be back sooner than Monday. Sabathia would have to pitch Sunday at the latest, if he were to be able to pitch a second time in the series himself, going in Game 5 on three days rest.

That forces Girardi to likely have to use a fourth starter — the struggling A.J. Burnett and his 5.15 ERA, probably in Game 4 — after rookie Ivan Nova pitches Saturday, and journeyman one-time Tiger Freddy Garcia pitches in Sunday’s Game 2.

Advantage? Probably the Tigers, who seem to have the advantage of depth.

But most of all, the Tigers have the advantage because they don’t seem to think it’s a big deal, either way.

Amazing how much things change in five years.

When the Tigers made it to the World Series in 2006, as a newspaper group, we sent two or sometimes three writers to every game, home and away. Since then, we — like the Tigers — went through some bad economic times that forced readjustments in our payroll.

We don't have the staff we used to. We certainly don't have the budget we used to. When our parent company — Journal Register Co. — went through bankruptcy, one of the first cuts was the travel budget. And we saved a ton of dough with the decision, believe me. It saved jobs, so no one complained (too loudly, at least).

As a result, though, I won't be traveling to New York for the American League Division Series. Trust me, I'd be there if I could. But I won't be. To channel my inner Jim Leyland, "That's just the way it is."

But I just wanted to make sure that's understood before we start things. Any coverage I do for potential Games 1,2 and 5 will be from here in Michigan. Trust me, though. I'll still be writing. I'll still be doing live chats (stay tuned for updates on where to find those). I'll still be on Twitter. I'll still be sending SMS messages out (check out the sidebar at the right to see how to sign up for those).

I just wanted to make that point for the sake of fellow journalists who are in the trenches in New York, digging out all the quotes, and for Tigers fans who'll inevitably ask me questions, as if I'm there.

Having gotten that out of the way, here's the schedule for the series:

NEW YORK YANKEES (97-65) vs. DETROIT TIGERS (95-67)
GAME 1, Friday, 8:37 p.m. — Tigers (Verlander) at Yankees (Sabathia) — TBS [LIVE CHAT]
GAME 2, Saturday, 8:37 p.m. — Tigers (Fister) at Yankees — TBS
GAME 3, Monday, 8:37 p.m. — Yankees (Scherzer) at Tigers — TBS
GAME 4, Tuesday, time TBD — Yankees at Tigers* — TBS
GAME 5, Thursday, time TBD — Tigers at Yankees * — TBS
* — if necessary

Be sure to pick up a copy of The Oakland Press on Friday to get your copy of the preview section (at right).

Here are the Tigers' postseason odds, courtesy of Bodog:
Odds to win the AL Pennant: 13/4
Odds to win the World Series: 7/1
Odds to face Arizona or St. Louis in the WS: 28/1
Odds to face Milwaukee in the WS: 18/1
Odds to face Philadelphia in the WS: 11/2

Tigers rank fourth in MLB.com's final Power Rankings.

DETROIT — Scott Sizemore tried not to think about Detroit much during his exile to Triple-A Toledo this spring.

He knew something was up when he was scratched from the Mud Hens’ lineup just before Monday night’s game, though.

“When I went in the clubhouse to hit in the cage ... I saw Nev (Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin), he kind of gave me the ‘come here.’ And then he walked down to tell Argenis Diaz ... that he was going to play second. I kind of had a good idea at that point, but I wasn’t officially told until after the game,” Sizemore said of his call-up to the Tigers, unexpected to everyone but him, apparently.

The Opening Day second baseman for the Tigers a year ago, Sizemore lasted just 30 games before losing his job, and getting sent to the minors. This spring, he couldn’t figure out a way to reclaim it, losing the competition with Will Rhymes for the job.

But Sizemore didn’t sulk. Rather than concentrate on what could have been, or could someday be, the 26-year-old chose to focus on what was.

And he didn’t sit by the phone, waiting for the call-up.

“To be honest, I didn’t really even think about it. I didn’t let the stuff I couldn’t control affect me, just focus on the stuff on the field, and it seems to have paid off, thus far,” Sizemore said Tuesday, as he wandered around the Tigers locker room, collecting high-fives, fist-bumps and hugs, and trying to find his locker.
“I think anytime you worry about things you can’t control, it takes a little bit of the control away from you. My mindset was just to do everything I could on the field, and whatever happened with the front office up here, is just out of my control. Can’t do anything about it.”

But Sizemore did do something about it: He tore the cover off the ball in Toledo, leading the International League with a .408 average. His extra-base pop — seven doubles, one triple, two homers — was part of the reason the Tigers called him up after Monday’s game, the first step in an attempt to fix the feeble top of their batting order.

“Just knowing what I had to do to get back up here,” Sizemore said of his focus. “You’re not going to get handed the job. You’ve gotta kind of force the issue. That was my mentality, just go down there, work as hard as I could, do everything I could to earn an other shot.”

Last year, that shot quickly slipped away. He was hitting .206 when he was sent down to Toledo on May 15. He didn’t return to the bigs until the September call-ups.

In the interim, Carlos Guillen took over the job until he got injured, then Rhymes shined in his opportunity the rest of the way.

That, as much as anything, was what got Rhymes the job in Spring Training. While Rhymes outhit Sizemore on the Grapefruit League circuit (.328 to .243), much of that difference was in the final few games of the spring, when Rhymes already had the job in hand.

And while Rhymes was hitting just .221 when he was optioned to Toledo after Monday’s game, manager Jim Leyland was insistent that it was more a matter of circumstance than performance.

“It’s not like Will Rhymes did so bad. I certainly don’t want to indicate to anybody that we’re blaming all of our offensive woes on Will Rhymes. That’s not the case. The case in this matter is, we’re looking for a little punch,” Leyland said of Rhymes, who’s never going to be confused for a power hitter. “So he kind of caught the short end of the stick, to be honest with you.”

Rhymes’ advantage over Sizemore — aside from defense — might be in his fit for the No. 2 spot in the order, where you want someone who can move a runner into scoring position for the big RBI guys. Problem was, Rhymes didn’t have that opportunity too often, considering the struggles of leadoff man Austin Jackson in getting on base.

Sizemore may be a step below Rhymes, defensively, but he’s making up ground, thanks to a return to health. He missed time in the 2008 season with a wrist injury, then returned to earn honors as the Tigers’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2009, before a fractured ankle ended his season prematurely.

It’s taken him more than a year to get his mobility and flexibility completely back, and regain the range robbed from him by the injuries.

Now the test will be to continue his torrid hitting, something that was even more unexpected to Sizemore than the call-up.

“To be honest, you’d say yeah (it’s unexpected). You can’t ever expect to hit like that going into the season. Of course, I know I’m capable of doing that, it’s just being mentally focused, and it’s not really necessarily looking at my results, but what I do with the at-bat. It just keeps kind of going well for me,” said Sizemore, struggling to remember a time in his career that he’d hit so well for so long, and settling on a three-week span in Class A.

Even if it doesn’t keep up at quite that same pace, he’s still reasonably sure that Tigers fans haven’t seen the real Scott Sizemore yet.

“I’d like to think so. I think I’ve got a lot more in the tank,” he said. “It’s just putting your best foot forward, and showing everybody else what you’ve got.”

Short hops
• New York starter CC Sabathia has been up-and-down in his career at Comerica Park, starting 6-0 in his first eight starts there, but going 1-4 with a 5.63 ERA since 2006. Entering Tuesday night, he had not beaten the Tigers on the road as a Yankee.

• Alex Avila’s two home runs Monday night marked his second multi-homer game of his short major league career. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became just the second Tigers catcher in 15 years (Pudge Rodriguez, Aug. 8, 2004) to hit two home runs in a home game. Avila came into Tuesday night’s game leading all MLB catchers in RBI (21) and total bases (48), ranking second in home runs (5) and triples (1), third in doubles (6) and runs (12). He’s hitting .309 and slugging .593, both totals best among full-time catchers.

• The Tigers continue to pound out doubles, hitting at least one in 27 of 29 games after Ramon Santiago’s two-bagger Monday night.

If you're looking for a conspiracy theory to explain the Tigers' supposedly superior starting staff sadly surrendering a stunning slew of runs to the Yankees (yes, I just got 1,000 bonus points for my alliteration), here's one possible explanation:

The Yankees were cheating.

How else do you explain 23 runs allowed on 29 hits — including nine homers — and 12 walks? (OK, how do you explain it, if you're not willing to use either the shoebox size of Yankee Stadium or simply poor pitching by the Tigers as plausible reasons?)

Well, maybe they were cheating. Keith Olbermann, the ESPN broadcaster-turned-MSNBC broadcaster-turned-freelance journalist, Tweeted out a picture from Opening Day of Brett Weber, a coaching assistant with the Yankees, signaling the type of pitch just thrown to on-deck batters.

By baseball rules (operations bulletin C-4, to be specific), that's a no-no.

It became the subject of news stories here and here. Brought to the attention to the powers that be at Major League Baseball, it became a brief investigation.

While MLB put a phone call in to the Yankees, telling them to cease and desist, and not to allow Weber to signal on-deck batters (giving a report to the dugout is acceptable), Weber continued to be stationed behind home plate for the rest of the series.

The Yankees contended it was because the scoreboard's radar readout was broken. Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB's senior VP for standards and on-field operations, who spoke with the Yankees, seemed to buy the explanation.

"I think he (Garagiola) recognizes the fact that there's no real advantage here. But at the same time, there is a bulletin out there that says you're not supposed to do that. We explained to him that the first inning, the scoreboard was reading 912 mph, so normally that stuff's out there," Yankees GM Brian Cashman told the New York Times.
"It's a silly situation. It's not really an issue."

But it makes for good X-Files-style conspiracy theories.