Mike Lupica handicaps the Cy Young Award.

"Of all the money Brian Cashman spent so the Yankees, coming off an 85-win season, could just keep pace in the American League East — you would think that spending nearly half a billion would actually buy the AL East like a second home — the money that matters so far is what he had to spend to get Tanaka."

I don't think many people expected the Yankees to win the AL East. Though they are in first place at the moment.

Why? Because the Yankees lost their best player in the off season. They also lost their closer.

So the "nearly half a billion" the Yankees spent in the off season, spread over 5 or 6 or 7 seasons, is not really all that much per season in modern-day baseball.

Tanaka has been one of the best pitchers in the game; Ellsbury has been great; Beltran is hurt; McCann is overpaid, but the Yankees knew what they were getting wit h McCann ... they seem to be satisfied with a bunch of HRs and good defense.


"He still has to pitch out the season. He may even lose a game one of these days. There are other pitching stars to talk about in baseball. Max Scherzer beat Jon Lester in a 1-0 game at Fenway Park Friday night that was something to see, and Scherzer, pitching for what he hopes will be a heart-stopping new contract, is already 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA.

Mark Buehrle has been spectacular so far. So has Sonny Gray of the Athletics. Clayton Kershaw isn’t going anywhere, and neither is Justin Verlander, both of whom have already signed heart-stopping contracts of their own. With it all, Tanaka has been the pitcher in baseball to watch this season, the one to talk about. He has delivered in all ways, and done it at the Stadium. He has done it in New York."

Mmmmkay.

Who else is in the running for the Cy Young Award?


"Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers goalie, might make a run at him if the Rangers get on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals, that is the way it goes around here, for any team that has a chance to win it all. We are going to find out, first against the Canadiens, if the Rangers can come from being 1-3 down against the Penguins the way they were and can get on the same kind of roll the Giants did that time, when they went from 7-7 to winning another Super Bowl off the Patriots."

No boxers or "Dancing with the Stars" contestants?