AJ Burnett

A.J. Burnett has the fate of the New York Yankees in his enigmatic hands when he takes the hill tonight in the Bronx.

However, this time he may accomplish what he sets out to do.

Burnett is not your ordinary pitcher. He possesses above average pitches for everything he throws, especially his fastball-curveball combination. Scouts would genuinely tell you that Burnett has the best curve in the majors, which is a testament to his raw ability.

I know most people are calling for CC Sabathia on three days' rest, including some national sportswriters.

I am not a Yankees fan, but I truly believe in order to win this series, the Yankees have to pitch A.J. Burnett in Game 4 and hope for the best. 

There are several reasons why pitching Burnett is the right decision.

It was unclear which starter would go in game three for the Yankees after the ace they courted in a trade earlier this year jilted them again with yet another magnificent playoff performance.

The worst shut out home loss in Yankee history came during a start for their left hander who is the most prolific winners in MLB playoff history: Andy Pettitte.

The opposing lefty laced them with cut fastballs and knuckle curves while taking a two-run lead into the top of the ninth.

The 2010 playoffs have been somewhat predictable up to a point;

Normally, a visiting team would feel pretty confident bringing a best-of-seven series back home tied 1-1.  They would have beaten one of the opponent's best pitchers, and they would have the chance to wrap up the series at home with all of their fans behind them.

The New York Yankees need a fourth starter for the ALCS. But the one they named was wrong. It should not have been A.J. Burnett, but rather Ivan Nova.

Nova, whom the Yankees refused to trade, was a major reason that they didn't get Cliff Lee from the Mariners midseason. He has since justified their retaining him. Except for one very bad start that skewed his respectable 4.50 ERA upward, he has been quite a serviceable pitcher both as a starter and a reliever. And he's only 23, in his first season.

A.J. Burnett will be the first to admit his season was nothing short of disastrous.

In his second year with the Yankees he posted a 10-15 record with an ERA north of five over 180 innings of work.

The first Yankee pitcher to do so.

This following an impressive run during the second half of last year including an impressive postseason stint.

After a brilliant performance in Game 3 from Phil Hughes, Joe Girardi has decided to switch him and Pettitte in the playoff rotation. And not only that, A.J. Burnett is getting the nod in Game 4. 

This may come as a surprise to a lot of people after Pettitte's good outing against the Twins in Game 2, and A.J. Burnett's horrendous regular season. But you have to trust the decisions your manager makes and I'm sure Joe Girardi knows what he's doing. 

Now that the ALCS matchup has been determined after the Texas Rangers sent the Tampa Bay Rays packing with a 5-1 victory last night in St. Petersburg, the Yankees have a decision to make.

If it weren't already evident that AJ Burnett’s big long-term contract was dictating the decisions made by the Yankees front office, it is now. 

After the Yankees cruised through the American League Division series with just three starters, the Yankees announced Monday morning that they will use a fourth starter in the American League Championship series. That fourth starter will be AJ Burnett.