Television Prison.

While sitting with the Con Ed Kids in the alcohol-free adjunct of Yankee Stadium known as the Left Field Bleachers, I was pondering why Torre didn't pinch-hit for Giambi in the fifth inning.

Across the street, Stan's Sports Bar provided a clear view of the game from the vantage point of a cameraman instead of the cloudy vantage point of a bunch of old men who forgot their glasses and were sitting 650 feet away from home plate.

Stan's Sports Bar also provided the opportunity to abandon the masculine $5 garbage bag / poncho and embrace a cold alcoholic beverage.

Baseball and Beer: Perfect Together.

Two of the Party of Five headed to Stan's after four innings.

The remaining Con Ed Three got to see ARod hit a go-ahead, two-out, bases-loaded double in the sixth inning. I saw the pitcher throw and I saw the batter swing. I heard the crack of the bat about the same time that Jeter was crossing home plate. It's kind of like when you see lightning and try to count to five before you hear the thunder.

Though not aligned with the audio input, the visual input indicated that the ball was in fair territory and, based on the delayed Doppler Effect of the crowd reaction, I was able to realize that something good was happening.

Anyway, Giambi's fifth-inning strikeout led to an overall Giambi discussion.

In answer to the first question, Giambi has 235 at-bats and Ball Thief has 144 at-bats. That is to say, Giambi has more at-bats. Good trivia question for the next time you're at a sports bar.

Next time you're at a sports bar, you might also want to tell Pam ... was that your name? Pam? ... that you actually attend the University of Michigan and it's not just a tee shirt that says "University of Michigan."

Pam is inebriated. You could tell Pam you go to University of Michigan, got a 4.0 in aeronautical engineering, and now you're the mayor. Of Michigan, honey. Yes, the mayor of Michigan. Do you want a jello shot?

But I digress.

I understand Torre's choices at first base, I really do:

Good field, no hit: 144 at-bats, .257, 5 hrs, 22 rbis, .329 ob%, .417 slugging%.

No field, no hit: 235 at-bats, .238, 16 hrs, 36 rbis, .355 ob%, .447 slugging%.

Which is why Ball Thief is the first choice.

Not because Ball Thief is really, really good.

Because Giambi is really, really bad.