ESPN

Buzzmaster

  (11:01 AM)

We're getting Joe right now!

Joe Morgan

  (11:03 AM)

Yogi Berra knew what he was talkinga bout when he said it's never over until it's over. Everyone basically had the Yankees winning last night and the Fightin' Phils would not let it happen. The Yankees are still in the driver's seat, because it will be very hard for the Phillies to win two in a row in Yankee Stadium.

Gerry (Mexico City)

Was Burnett's performance a reflection of the short rest he got ? his volatile nature ? the umpire's small strike zone ?

Joe Morgan

  (11:04 AM)

I think it was a combination of short rest and the fact that he hasn't pitched that well on the road. He's pitched well at Yankee Stadium, but not on the road. The short rest effects you more mentally than it does physically.

Joey (Oakland)

What is your reaction to the Hamels-Myers confrintation? Did Hamels comments offend you, as a former competitor and player?

Joe Morgan

  (11:05 AM)

I won't go as far to say that it offended me, but it bothered me. If I was one of his teammates, like Myers, I would have been upset as well. To know that we're trying to win a world championship and one of the main players on the team is ready to go home. There's no doubt it would have offended me if I were on his team. It just bothered me as a former player, because I am not on his team.

Gerry (Mexico City)

In regard to last nigh's evident small strike zone, what do you think about each umpire having their own strike zone ? Shouldn't MLB be the one to determine what the right strike zone is instead of each umpire acting according to their "own taste" ?

Joe Morgan

  (11:08 AM)

I don't get into strike zones and all that stuff. Players are supposed to adjust to what's going on on the field. The one thing that I do not believe in is that every umpire should not have their own strike zone. There is a strike zone in the rule book and you're supposed to have that strike zone. We went through a spell a few years ago where it seemed that every guy had the same one. Now it appears that more guys have their own. But as an announcer, I don't get into strike zones. I'm far above them and I can't call games from up there. And, the strike zones that they show on TV aren't always accurate. If you watch the strike zones that are being displayed, it looks like the same strike zone for Ryan Howard as it is for Jimmy Rollins. They're two different sized players.

Cole (Los Angeles)

Hi Joe Morgan, is Chase Utley the greatest second baseman of all time?

Joe Morgan

  (11:10 AM)

I don't try to compare people to the past, because the game is different today that it was years ago. Today, the parks are smaller, the balls are livlier and the pitchers aren't as consistent. I have always said that Chase Utley is a special, special hitter. I've been fortunate enough to do Phillies games on Sunday Night Baseball and he's hit home runs during those games. And I have said that he's the best hitting second basemen in the game. There are guys that hit more home runs than him, but he's a special hitter.

Shane (Knoxville)

Joe, what do you think Cliff Lee's avaliablity could be if there's a game 7? Would they try to start him? Help out in the bullpen?

Joe Morgan

  (11:11 AM)

I think he would be in the bullpen. I don't think you would start him because you didn't start him on three days' rest this last time, it would be difficult to start him on two days rest.

Hodor (Oklahoma)

Hi Joe! Did you as a player ever have a routine before a big game? For example, I'm a runner and I consistently have a plate of spaghetti before a big race. Thanks!

Joe Morgan

  (11:12 AM)

I had a specific regimin of warming up. When you take batting practice, hitting off the tee, taking ground balls. Just loosening up. During the World Series, the timing might be different because of the time of everything and the game, but I still tried to do what I usually did. I wasn't married to it, but I tried to do similar things.

AR (MN)

Who do you think will be the most coveted free agent this offseason?

Joe Morgan

  (11:14 AM)

There are a lot of free agents out there. Matt Holliday is one of the guys. A lot of teams looking for offense will be going after him. John Lackey is a free agent from the Angels. I would think those are two guys that teams would want. The ones looking for offense look for Holliday, the ones looking for pitching look for Lackey. But I also think there will be some trades too. The Blue Jays made Halladay available before, they might try to trade him again.

Gerry (Mexico City)

Going into game 6 the Yankees have to feel good about the way Damon and A-ROD are hitting the ball, that said, can we expect the Phillies to keep up plunking A-ROD now that he seems to have found his groove ?

Joe Morgan

  (11:17 AM)

I don't think they hit him intentionally. But what's happened when you pitch a power hitter inside like A-Rod, you say that you're going to pitch him inside and if you miss, you want to miss on the body side and not over the plate. And most hitters today, can not get out of the way of the ball on the inside. They just scrunch down. If you're a baseball historian you'll have seen guys like Mays drop down. Guys don't drop down now. You don't see guys move. It's the hitting styles of guys today who dive in and can't get out of the way. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chase Utley get hit.

dan denver

Key to Game 6?

Joe Morgan

  (11:19 AM)

Well, the big key will be who will the Yankees start in that game. I don't know who they're starting. I heard rumors that they were going to start Pettitte on three days rest, but I don't know if that's true. However, if you don't start Pettitte, then he's done, because you're going to start CC in Game 7. Maybe Chad Gaudin. I think Pedro will pitch well again. He will be stronger this time, because he was under the weather last time and didn't have his best fastball. From an outsider's point of view, I think the Phillies have a slight edge in Game 6. Pedro's on full rest. I don't think they have an edge in Game 7, but in Game 6 they do.

Jordan (Columbus, OH)

Hey Joe! What are your thoughts on the World Series ending in early-mid November rather than Mid-Late October?

Joe Morgan

  (11:22 AM)

Well, I think it's kind of a joke that we've allowed the game to be pushed this far down the calendar. This is baseball's jewel. It's supposed to be on display with the conditions being good. I saw a note the other day that said I had gotten a game-winning hit against Boston on Oct. 21 in Game 7 and we hadn't even gotten to the World Series yet. I don't see it getting any better. The other sports are catching baseball and passing it in popularity. The Super Bowl is in a beautiful place every year and it's the jewel of the football season. Every sport seems to be displaying their finals in a better environment. The only way to solve it is to go back and start the season sooner so that you can finish in time to get decent weather. The last couple of years, the weather has had an effect on the games. It's very difficult to play when it's cold out there and even more so when it's cold and wet. That's what we've seen this year.

Jimmy (Morrestown, NJ)

Do you agree w/ the Goose, in regards to his comments made over the weekend that today's relievers are excessively coddled?

Joe Morgan

  (11:24 AM)

I'm sure he was speaking in general. He wasn't speaking about every reliever, I'm sure, because no one coddles Mariano Rivera. I hesitate to answer one way or another, because I don't know enough about each individual team. I know some teams take extra care with their relievers and others do not. Obviously the Yankees have tried to bring Joba Chamberlain along at a different pace than Seattle brought Felix Hernandez along. But I agree with him that some teams do take extra care with relievers. But maybe it's not the teams doing it, but the players needing it.

Brian (Richmond, VA)

Joe... Yankees win game 6 big. A-Rod goes 3-4 with 3 RBIs and a key RBI. Who wins the MVP? Who is your MVP thus far in the world series?

Joe Morgan

  (11:26 AM)

That's a very difficult one. I was thinking about this the other night. You have Mariano Rivera, who is the guy. Jeter has done a good job and Damon has done a great job. As far as the game tomorrow, why would you pitch to A-Rod, when he is hot now? Why would you pitch to Chase Utley, when he's hot? Part of a manager's job is to make adjustments to what's going on on the field and guard against your team. If I were Joe Girardi, I would throw all breaking balls to Utley and if I walk him, I walk him and I try to get Howard out. If I'm Charlie Manuel, I don't pitch to A-Rod. The guys that can do the most damage right now are Utley and A-Rod and I would not let them beat me in Games 6 and 7.

Bruce (RI)

Hi Joe Do you think Pedro will be more vulnerable this time around now that the Yankees have seen him? Will the cold and short turn around finally get to him?

Joe Morgan

  (11:28 AM)

The only factor that could get to him is that the Yankees have seen him once in this series. One thing you should have noticed is that the Yankees are having problems with offspeed pitches and curveballs. Pedro threw a lot of curveballs and changeups and he was very effective. If he's able to do it again, he should be very effective. We don't even know who the Yankees will pitch in Game 6. If they go with Chad Gaudin who hasn't pitched yet, that also favors Philadelphia and allows their left handed bats to be more effective.

Joe Morgan

  (11:29 AM)

I think it has been a very interesting and fun World Series to watch, the last two games especially. They were played in better weather conditions and we saw the players play their best. Hopefully the next game or two are also in good conditions and we'll get a better measure of who these players are.