Throwing overhand requires lots of energy, Coach.

"Cano bungled a sure double-play ball in the seventh and the Blue Jays went on to score three times in the inning. His backhand to Derek Jeter at the bag was low and skipped away, putting two runners on with no out. Bautista hit an RBI single and Joe Inglett a two-run single to pull Toronto within 6-5.

'You have to make sure of one out in that situation,' Girardi said. 'He has that smoothness that people will assume he's being nonchalant. He's not. He's made that play so many times.' "

There ya go.

Torre Version II.


Remember a couple of weeks ago when Cano "smoothly" jogged after a ground ball in the ninth inning that cost the Yankees a game?

Girardi should have dealt with it at that time.

Actually, Girardi should have dealt with it in Spring Training.


ARod's double play was bad luck. He was thrown out by only 1/2 a step -- because hustled down to first base -- what a concept.

Boo?

Jeter 0-for-4 with one GIDP, two Ks, and four left on base.

I know it's different.

Yankee fans shouldn't boo Jeter. Everybody can have a bad game. I'm just kidding.

No, I'm not.

So now Grady Little is the smartest man in baseball...

Now go home and get your shinebox

So much for this particular feel-good story:

"Tanyon Sturtze sat at his locker Wednesday afternoon, packing his bags and shaking hands with teammates. Dodgers Manager Joe Torre had just told the reliever that the team had cut him.

That kind of scene is common in the major leagues. This one is not: Torre talked to Sturtze again a few minutes later, this time to tell him the Dodgers would not cut him Wednesday, leaving him in limbo beyond then.

Sturtze declined to comment. Torre described Sturtze's reaction to the developments this way: 'He's not OK.' "

Classy is as classy does, and that move was classy.

David Wright was 0-for-5 last night with two strikeouts.

David Wright is now hitting .231 with RISP and two outs.

How much you wanna bet Fanboy Puma thinks Wright is the NL MVP?:

"Alex Rodriguez got the boo birds off his case last night, but the stench from his performance a day earlier was still prevalent in the Stadium.

Two doubles, too little too late."

Right.

Last night was a typical 2008 Yankees performance.

That is to say, their third baseman plays well, but he's surrounded by mediocrity.


"A month that began with the Yankees a legitimate AL East title contender has become a disaster, and Rodriguez's pedestrian .250 batting average in August is part of the wreckage."

Alex Rodriguez is one of the only reasons the Yankees began the month as legitimate AL East contenders.

I don't know how legit their campaign was, anyway, especially after Joba got hurt.

With a regular third baseman, they might be in last place in the AL East.


"Rodriguez stroked an RBI double against Paul Byrd in the first inning last night and then doubled leading off the fourth before scoring the Yanks' second run.

Where was that a night earlier?"

A night earlier, he struck out twice and hit into two double plays, which is atypical.

This night, he had two hits and was the best player on the team, which is typical.


"That idea of Rodriguez hitting in the clutch his whole career doesn't mesh with A-Rod's October history or the fact he entered last night batting .246 with runners in scoring position this season."

"Mesh" is a mighty big word for a mentally challenged person like you.

Convincing deep dive into the stats, by the way.


You know what is amazing to me?

I did not actually see last night's game until the 8th inning.

ARod dives for a ball and almost fields it. Hustles after it and holds Youkilis to a single. Not a big deal, it's a legitimate single off the 3b's glove and major leaguers are always supposed to hustle.

Next batter is Jason Bay and he hits a fly ball to right-center field. It's a can of corn.

Abreu does his typical Gutless Old Man With Arthritis act and, somehow, Bay ends up with an RBI triple. Not only does Abreu short-arm the ball -- he's scared of the wall, don't you know -- but he inexplicably cartwheels on the warning track. Never even touches the ball. Damon has to back him up.

Sox end up with 7 runs in the inning. Obviously, not all of those 7 runs are Abreu's fault, but it would be nice to see a wee bit more effort.

There are about 900 players in the major leagues who would have caught that ball.

Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera would have caught that ball if they were shagging flies during batting practice.

Bottom of the 8th, Abreu grounds out.

No boos.

No boos for a left-handed hitting corner outfielder who bats third, is protected by ARod, has a mere 15 HRs, will barely break 100 RBIs, can't even hit .300, and is paid $16 million.

No boos for Abreu, the gutless stiff, the symbol of the 2008 Yankees. Either Abreu pulling up at the wall or Cano swinging feebly at the first pitch.

Boo.

Bottom 7th: NY Yankees

- K. Youkilis at first
- J. Lowrie at third
- A. Cora at shortstop
- I. Rodriguez hit for J. Molina
- I. Rodriguez struck out swinging
- J. Damon walked
- D. Jeter singled to right, J. Damon to second
- B. Abreu walked, J. Damon to third, D. Jeter to second
- J. Masterson relieved M. Delcarmen
- A. Rodriguez grounded into double play shortstop to first, B. Abreu out at second

I don't know what's up with the sudden surge of double plays. In the context of the game's importance and the scrutiny, that at-bat is utterly disgraceful. Hit a sac fly, you jerk.

But, next time you need a HR, I still say he's the guy you want up.

Also, Cashman doesn't regret signing him for the next nine years.

ARod's going to win a lot of games over the next nine years.

I'm tired of the negativity directed towards him, but, tonight, he deserves the boos.

Smartest Man in Baseball Swept by Charlie Manuel.

"This is no time to sound clueless, the Dodgers going flat against the Phillies again, the manager asked what he might say to his team, and Torre appearing befuddled.

'There's nothing I can tell them,' he said."

I'm pretty sure you can think of a time the Cardinals lost four in a row and then Bob Gibson won a game.

I wonder who Mike Lupica is rooting for.

"It starts with A-Rod, who so far this season has been nothing more than a gaudy numbers-hanger and a tabloid dream."

Nothing more than a baseball player putting up gaudy numbers, when he could have been so much more.

He could have been a beacon of hope for blind orphans.

He could have been the Democrats' presumptive nominee.

He could have been my lover.


"Let's see if this is the week against the Red Sox when at least one of the games ends with a swing of his bat."

Tonight, I'm willing to bet that ARod ends the game with a swing of his mighty bat. Though it's only a 1 in 9 chance, I'm gonna roll the dice here.

Pettitte gives up 7 runs in 4 innings. Two of the runs are unearned because Jeter/Cano can't turn double plays. But they're really earned runs, technically, because the official scorer can't assume a double play, which is moronic. As John Sterling would say, that's just recordkeeping.

4 IP, 7 R, 11 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.

Youkilis goes deep twice and Bay drives in at least three or four runs just so somebody can compare him to Manny. "Even without Manny ..." will be Michael Kay's mantra.

Then, the Yankee bullpen gets lit up. Is Chris Britton still in the bigs? Either Britton or that guy David Robertson.

Then, with the Yankees losing by 14 runs in the ninth inning, ARod grounds out to shortstop to end the game.

Thus, the game ends with a swing of ARod's bat.

For his career, ARod hits .303 with the bases empty and .303 with runners in scoring position.

"It even extends to Alex Rodriguez, whose numbers don't look all that disappointing. A-Rod actually possesses the AL's second best OPS at .992 (to Milton Bradley's 1.029) but has come up limp in the clutch.

..

Club higherups are concerned enough about A-Rod that they are even wondering aloud whether his off-field distractions are affecting his play."

Unfortunately, ESPN does not provide those particular splits: Pre-Madonna and Post-Madonna breakdowns.

Maybe it's because they couldn't keep track of all the pro athletes who've slept with Madonna.

Ba dum bum. Ahem. Is this mic working? Attention K-Mart shoppers.

ARod's divorce was announced in early July and his post-All-Star stats exceed his pre-All-Star stats. Not by a whole lot; they're almost identical. But that's kind of my point.

Do we have to go through this hand-wringing every time ARod has a bad two weeks? Or a bad 50 at-bats? Or strikes out with the bases loaded?

This is fun for me to do.

It is really not too difficult, either. In fact, it's easy.

Let's go with the idea that ARod's all-around batting average is fine. .312 is higher than his career average and it's top ten or so in the league.

I don't quite understand why we suddenly revert back to BA when we're discussing situational splits, but whatever. Let's go with at-bats, batting average, runs batted in.

(Not for nothing, but this particular breakdown has ARod batting .292 in something called "late inning pressure." Wonder how they came up with that distinction.)

Now, the reason I bring up his overall BA is because the gripe is not so much with ARod's overall BA, it's with the distribution of hits.



So, let's even things out:

RISP: 124 at-bats, 31 hits, .250 ba, 47 rbis.

No RISP: 283 at-bats, 96 hits, .339 ba, 31 rbis.


How do we even things out?

We take 8 hits from category two and move them to category one.


Adjusted RISP: 124 at-bats, 39 hits, .315 ba, ??? rbis.

Adjusted No RISP: 283 at-bats, 88 hits, .311, ??? rbis.


Ponder these additional eight hits with RISP.

In a perfect world, they'd all be bottom-of-the-ninth game-winners and I've just miraculously given the Yankees eight more wins.

That conclusion is, of course, absurd.


ARod absoutely should have more RBIs and he should hit better with RISP. I'll give him 12 more RBIs if he was hitting up to par with RISP. However, you've also got to deduct a few RBIs from category two (you've just taken away 8 hits after all -- what if all 8 of those hits were HRs?).


ARod's deficiency with RISP has probably cost the Yankees about 9 or 10 runs this season.

I don't want to ridicule those 10 runs. Ten runs are ten runs. They couldn't hurt and they probably could have helped win 1 or 2 games all by themselves.


But this is a team that's 200 runs off last year's pace.

This is a team that is seventh in the league in runs scored. So much for "Murderer's Row and Robinson Cano."

Those 10 runs would put them 190 runs off last year's pace.

If you're looking for the biggest culprit, look elsewhere.

Imagine if he'd lost the game.

"Carl Pavano is still a colossal disappointment, the appropriate butt of countless jokes and hands down the most overpaid athlete in Yankees history. Heck, he's probably the most overpaid athlete in New York sports history."

You know what's funny?

Pedro Martinez is still inexplicably given credit for giving the Mets "credibility," or something.


As for the most overpaid athlete in Yankees history (I can only speculate that Baumbach has a gigantic list of overpaid non-athletes in Yankees history -- personally, I think Willie Randolph was probably overpaid all those years standing at third base with his hands on his hips yelling, "run home, run home"), it may very well be Carl Pavano.

It also may be Kei Igawa, and Igawa is on the current Yankees' roster. Or it may be Mike Witt. Or it may be Pascual Perez -- you'd have to use 1990 dollars, to be fair about it.

Or it may be Jim Abbott, relatively speaking -- was Jim Abbott the highest-paid pitcher while he was going 20-22?

I may go with Abbott. Or maybe Barfield. Or maybe, ummm, maybe Steve Kemp.

How could you forget Steve Kemp, big free agent signing, being sent to the minors?

It's kind of tacky and nonsensical to compare injured players to healthy players, don't you think? Barfield was bad just because he was bad. Kemp was sent to the minors in the prime of his career, not because he had to recover from major surgery.

I'm not going to completely defend Pavano, for the love of Christ. Pavano was a bad signing from day one. But is he more overpaid than Allan Houston? Is he more overpaid than Yinka Dare?

Probably not.


"After a brief chat, Girardi let Pavano continue, and he recorded the final two outs of the inning with ease. It was an upbeat end to a thoroughly surprising positive night.

Now let's see him do it again."

Pavano has more wins in the 2008 season than Kennedy and Hughes combined.

Very easy to verify, part 2.

"But then, when the primary culprit is the $27 million-per-year cleanup hitter, to whom the Yankees are committed for another nine years, Cashman ought to be very concerned."

ARod is the best player on the team, by far.

Missed 20 games, played another 10 or 20 while injured, and still practically leads the team in every important offensive category: runs scored , runs batted in, homeruns, doubles, and stolen bases.

Sixteen stolen bases in eighteen attempts.

He's going to go 40/20 without even straining and while missing a month.

If you think ARod is the primary reason the Yankees have a bad offense, then you are a fool, an idiot, a moron, an embarrassment to the evolution of human intellect.


"Alex Rodriguez is supposed to be the key cog of this Yankees team. But going into the weekend, the man the Yankees have decided to build their franchise around for the next decade had driven in only 24.8% of runners in scoring position (with a .246 average), and of his 28 homers, 19 had come with the bases empty and only six had put the Yankees ahead."

Only 24.8% of runners in scoring position had scored? I have nothing to compare that to, but we need a little more information.

Are we counting at-bats or plate appearances? Because, in case you hadn't noticed, the opponents pitch around ARod quite often. It partially explains the whopping .452 on-base percentage with RISP and two outs.

In fact, I'd say ARod's biggest offensive flaw is his unwillingness to take the walk. He chases pitches out of the strike zone too often.

So why would opposing pitchers pitch around ARod? Maybe it's because the guy who's "protecting" him in the lineup hasn't sniffed .300 since 2002.


In 123 at-bats with RISP, ARod has 47 RBIs, which is .38 RBIs/at-bat. That's a measurement which doesn't necessarily mean too much, but at least it's a point of reference.

Wright: .43.
Abreu: .37.
Hamilton: .62 (wow!).
Pujols: .61.
Braun: .46.

Sometimes, when runners are in scoring position, ARod's driving in himself. Sometimes, he's driving in the runner who is on first base. Those runs count, too, even if Madden chooses to ignore them. Those runs can win baseball games.

I don't know how Madden came up with his measurement of 24.8% and I don't know how it stacks up to Hamilton, Abreu, Pujols, Wright, Braun, etc.


ARod is performing poorly with RISP this season and has also been a poor situational hitter. But you can't just say "24.8" and expect that to mean anything unless you provide an explanation, a context, and comparative statistics.


"The reason they don't have any of these players in their system is because they continue to do a terrible job of scouting and developing. They spend millions more in Latin America than almost every other team and yet the only position players from there to make the big club over the last 10 years are Alfonso Soriano, Cano and Melky Cabrera. The draft? An even bigger disgrace. Jeter, in 1992, is the last player they drafted who became a regular."

Let's conveniently ignore Joba, Pettitte, Mariano, and Wang.

Very easy to verify.

Nobody believes me when I tell them, so I will use the convenient Internet to verify:

• David Wright is hitting .250 with RISP and .234 with RISP and two outs.
• Alex Rodriguez is hitting .244 with RISP and .245 with RISP and two outs.

ARod has the edge in on-base% and slugging%.

The inevitable conclusion is that Wright has more RBIs because Wright has more RBI opportunities:

"[Wright] was sitting on 100 RBI going into last night's game against the Astros, will go past 30 home runs, will end up hitting .300. He had his slumps this season, he had stretches where he didn't deliver in big moments. But he has been the big player for the Mets at third that Alex Rodriguez, despite A-Rod's numbers has not been for the Yankees in a season of his own that has been shortened by injuries."

I'll give you an example.

Friday night vs. Baltimore, Yankees down by a run, 8th inning, runner on first base. ARod doubles and sets up a two-run, go-ahead inning.

That was not a "big" hit?

I say it was a big hit.

A big hit by a great player who has mostly played great all season long, for an otherwise lousy offensive team.

A big hit by a great player in the most important game of the year -- the game being played at that moment -- when the team needed him the most.


"You look at the left side of the Mets' infield over the season that has been played so far, especially the youth there, and once again ask a fair question about which guys you want on your side over the next few years in baseball, Wright and Reyes or A-Rod and Jeter."

I'd take Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain over Pedro Martinez and Greg Maddux. Doesn't mean that Phil Hughes is better than Pedro Martinez, does it?

Compare 25-year-old Wright to 25-year-old ARod and then get back to me.

Kiss me deadly.

Funny, because I was thinking that he'd never have had shoulder surgery in the first place if it wasn't for Torre:

"Reliever Tanyon Sturtze is a Joe Torre loyalist who was able to make his first major league appearance since 2006 on Tuesday, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in his emotional return from major shoulder surgery to pitch for his old manager.

'He's meant everything to me', Sturtze said. 'I wouldn't even be in baseball. The only reason I'm here is because of him.'

...

'He's a fighter,' said Torre, who managed Sturtze for three seasons with the Yankees. 'The thing I feel good about is he trusts me.' "

When Scott Proctor gets hurt, he is replaced by Tanyon Sturtze.

When Tanyon Sturtze gets hurt, will he be replaced by Steve Karsay?

Then, when Steve Karsay goes down, will he be replaced by Paul Quantrill?

Just an endless carousel of shredded right shoulders and mended hearts, known collectively as "Torre's Boys."

1-Rod.

One run batted in since joining the Yankees.

Not that anyone was asking ...

How can anybody even still believe in the "Battle of New York"?

Much less a "Battle of Young Players in New York"?

But something is amiss when the discussion excludes Joba Chamberlain. Who is the best young player in the major leagues:

"So this game was yet another reminder that - forecasts to the contrary - the Mets' young players are outdoing their Yankee counterparts in 2008. That is among the reasons the Mets are in first place and the New York Yankees are barely hanging in the wild-card race."

This is definitely true. The Yankee young players have been mostly awful.

But let's lay off on Daniel Murphy's 50 at-bats, huh? Robinson Cano hit .342 a couple of years ago. Homer Bush hit .380 in 1998. Kevin Maas was Babe Ruth for his first 100 at-bats.

Then, the pitchers adjusted.

Well said.

"Veteran Rays outfielder Cliff Floyd, who played part of one summer in Boston, was asked if he thought it was dawning on the second-place Red Sox and their fans that with six weeks left in the season, the Rays are legit.

'Hopefully they don’t start to believe until they’re sitting there watching TV and we’re playing in the playoffs,' he said. 'We’ll go with that one.' "

I was just thinking that Girardi should change his uniform number from 27 to 18.

Meek.

" 'I really had no idea that he would throw me out,' Rodriguez said. 'He made an unbelievable play. I saw it on the replay. He slid on his knees, barehanded it and threw a strike. The way we're swinging the bats right now, I thought being aggressive was the best option.'

'Give him credit, he was 0-2 on everybody throwing in the high- to mid-90s and he had a snake for a breaking ball,' Rodriguez said."

The right arms of Tanyon Sturtze and Scott Proctor would disagree with your assessment.

I'm very disappointed in the attitude of this Yankee team. It reminds me of the last three Torre years.

In other words, Girardi's biggest problem is that he's too much like Torre.

While few predicted the rise of the Rays, it was obvious that Torre was gettin' out while the gettin' was good. It's his prerogative, of course, thought it's a bit unseemly for him to act like the Yankees low-balled him with the highest managerial contract in MLB history.

It makes me want to puke that Torre landed in the worst division in divisional history, but I'll concede that success is relative in pro sports. I'd rather be the Dodgers than the Yankees right now. Not that the Dodgers are better, but they're certainly in better playoff shape.


I was tempted to comment on the this article in-depth.

Instead, I focused on the very last sentence, which blew me away:

"Thanks to the Yankees, Torre is once again looking like the smartest man in baseball."

Consider an enterprise with thousands of players, coaches, managers, scouts, executives, agents, owners, umpires, and hot dog vendors.

None of them are smarter than Joe Torre.

He's the smartest man in baseball.

Again.

Like he was before.

When he was widely regarded as the smartest man in baseball.

George A. King III should sue.

This article was actually accompanied by a graphic of a pinstriped coffin:

"The New York Yankees are dead."

Pretty much, but you waited until the season only had 40 games left.


"They are on Line 1 with Dr. Kevorkian asking for the soonest appointment possible, please."

Classy.


"Do not let Sunday arouse any feelings on the contrary. Thump the Yankees did, in their old dominant fashion, dropping 15 runs on a feeble Kansas City pitching staff. It was the most hurtful sign of life, the one where the EKG jumps for a few seconds and everything looks like it’s going to be all right, only to flatline once more, and for good."

This seems to be a familiar take.

As if one 9-run win ... or one 12-run win ... or one 99-run win, for that matter, is going to count for more than one game in the standings.

As if Yankee fans stormed onto the field in celebration because now their team is only ten games out of first place.

The thing about blase wins, though, is that they're much better than exciting losses.

Conspicuous in its absence.

Just add the term "human growth hormone" to the end of every sentence. That would be the article I'd like to write.

Me go pee pee in your Coke.

"It's the United States vs. China in the overall medal standings at these Summer Olympics, and on a tense Monday night at Wukesong Main Field, it was a microcosm."

A microcosm of what? A microcosm of the world?


"Matt LaPorta knocked China's catcher out of the game, Zheng Xu sent LaPorta to a hospital with a beanball, China manager Jim Lefebvre was ejected, Yang Yang hit a symbolic moonshot off Blaine Neal to break up the shutout, and the Americans stayed on semifinal pace with a 9-1 victory."

Jim Lefebvre is the manager of China?

That's not going to happen again. Until the next time it happens.

At first, I was amazed that he is still having this conversation.

Then, I realized it's like asking a fish to stop swimming:

"Soriano stood and watched his long fly ball hit the left-field wall for a long single in the eighth inning. He didn't run to first base, apparently thinking the ball would clear the fence.

Soriano, who was booed by Cubs fans at Turner Field, was stranded on third base when the inning ended.

'I apologized to him and I apologized to my teammates,' Soriano said after speaking with manager Lou Piniella. 'I said that's not going to happen again.' "

I didn't see the play.

"After a leadoff walk to Joe Mauer, Rasner got Justin Morneau to ground to third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who whipped a throw to second.

Canó caught the ball, but he came off the bag and was charged with an error. Girardi absolved Canó, saying the runner would have been safe either way and that Rodriguez should have thrown to first.

'The umpire said he beat the throw, not that I was off the bag,' Canó said."

I'll buy it.

I'll buy that ARod made a rare mental error.

But it still begs the question: Why is the second baseman not on second base?

What is he accomplishing by holding a baseball near second base?

Like he knew the runner was going to beat the throw by a split-second?

Therefore, why bother actually keeping your foot on the base?

I'm just going to gracefully run through the base so my momentum carries me towards the pitcher's mound. If the throw reaches the base at the same time I reach the base, the baserunner may be out. But I'm not going to slow down or anything.

"You get it."

Felzpoll

What is Robinson Cano looking at?

1) The baseball. Since he's playing playing professional baseball.

2) Replays on the scoreboard of Michael Phelps going for a gold medal.

3) Fourth place.

Do the tighten up.

"Not only did the Yankees not get a runner past first base from the second inning through the seventh, they made two errors -- a throw that went through the webbing of Jason Giambi's glove and Robinson Cano's leaving the base too early on a force play -- had Johnny Damon throw to the wrong base after a sacrifice fly, Melky Cabrera drop a fly ball for a gift hit and Cano and shortstop Wilson Betemit both cover second on a stolen base."

Joe Gir-orre.

Didn't see that coming.

Girardi's team is going through the motions and he sounds like a lunatic:

“The problem is we’re not winning. Not the teams in front of us,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Nothing says we can’t turn things around and win eight in a row. It’s happened before and I don’t see why it couldn’t happen again.”

Ponson may have been play-acting, but he seemed legitimately upset about the loss. Probably the only person in pinstripes who was legitimately upset about the loss.

ARod may have been out and he may have been safe.

It may have been a smart play and it may have been a stupid play. Though, after being bombarded all weekend with the notion that the Angels are winning because they're "aggressive" on the basepaths, I think most detractors are being somewhat hypocritical.

Whichever side you agree with on this particular debate, we can all agree that ARod slid:

"... when Xavier Nady grounded hard to third, Abreu got a late break off third and unsuccessfully tried to dance around the tag by Mike Napoli - who had left his feet for Chone Figgins' high throw - when a clever slide might have allowed him to score. Robinson Cano then hit into a double play."

I think it was quite clear that Cano's first-inning double play would cost the Yankees the game. It was also interesting to see Cano get a late start out of the batter's box and sort of trot down to first base.


As for Abreu, all he had to do was slide. You know, like a little leaguer would do.

Instead, Abreu flinched when he saw the catcher reach for the incoming throw.

Abreu was afraid he was going to get hit by the ball.

Then, instead of sliding, he sort of ran out of the baseline and gently allowed himself to be tagged out.

I don't get it.

Barry Bonds to Joe Torre:

"It's weird for me not to be in uniform with the Dodgers right there. You heard me Torre, I beat you before and I can beat you again. I haven't retired. Thank you."

What is Bonds talking about?

When did he beat Torre?

The only thing I can think of is, like, the Pirates beat the Cardinals in a regular season game in 1992.

Bench him and don't apologize.

"I think he's a better offensive player than he's displayed," Girardi said. "I think Melky can have a strong last 50 games for us. He's a line-drive hitter who will hit some home runs. It's important he gets on base because he can do some things. But he has to get on base more."

Did you say, "do some things"?

Joe Girardi is sounding a lot like Joe Torre.

You people.

Derek Jeter's career is over and the Yankees shouldn't re-sign him when he becomes a free agent in two years:

"I have heard and read plenty of comments in recent weeks criticizing Derek Jeter for his play this year, with some fans even going so far as to say his career is over and the Yankees shouldn’t re-sign him when he becomes a free agent in two years.

...

Since 1996, only one player – Alex Rodriguez – has scored more runs than Jeter. A-Rod has 1,552 runs scored to Jeter’s 1,437, and shen you consider that Rodriguez has hit 336 more homers than Jeter in that time – scoring a run on each of those homers, obviously – it makes Jeter’s run total even more impressive."

Huh?

Hitting fewer homeruns is more impressive?

It's more impressive to rely on a teammate to drive you in?

Teammates like Alex Rodriguez? Who hits lots of homeruns?


"One particularly pessimistic (and possibly delusional) fan even said that Jeter hasn’t had any great moments in his career, and that the Yankees’ title teams were highlighted by memorable plays from the likes of Scott Brosuis [sic], Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams, but not by Jeter.

Um, really?

Let’s look at a handful of Jeter’s top moments and see if any of them can be classified as memorable."

Let's not.

That seems like a waste of time, especially since you just described your debate opponent as delusional.


This is one of the weirdest articles I've read in a while. Defending Derek Jeter in New York is like defending italian ices in the summer.


Jeter is a great player who will go into the HOF. He is also having a subpar year. These two notions are not mutually exclusive.

Say goodnight to the Cabrera era.

Melky is benched for the third game in a row. This time, Girardi actually puts Damon in CF rather than sink the lineup with another guaranteed 0-fer.

I always found it amusing when pundits would point out that a .250 batting average would be okay as long as he played a good CF.

A .250 batting average is always okay if you can enhance it with patience, speed, or power.

A .250 batting average is not okay if you also have a .251 on-base percentage and a .252 slugging percentage.

Wish I'd thought of it.

"Damon CF
Jeter GIDP
Abreu RF
A. Rodriguez DH
Giambi 1B
Nady LF
Cano 2B
I. Rodriguez C
Betemit 3B
Ponson RHP"

It's the pitcher, it's the pitcher, it's the pitcher.

"Andy Pettitte was so uncomfortable pitching to Pudge Rodriguez in his previous start that he asked Yankees manager Joe Girardi to use Jose Molina in last night's game against the Texas Rangers.

...

Having his favorite catcher behind the plate didn't help Pettitte, who allowed five runs in five innings as the Rangers beat the stumbling Yankees 8-6."

Mets just got a lot less interesting.

Another interesting performance by Billy Wagner.

Innings Pitched: 1.

Hits: 3.

Runs: 2.

Earned Runs: 2.

Bases on Balls: 1.

Strikeouts: 2.

Blown Saves: 1.


Fascinating stuff.

Abreu is the Yankees' Offensive MVP.

"I think I started losing interest in A-Rod's marital situation after about the second day of headlines."

Besides you, nobody on the sports pages mentions ARod's marital situation.


"If you do the math, shouldn't Madonna have just adopted A-Rod?"

I really have no idea. Because I started losing interest in ARod's marital situation after about the second day of headlines.


Maybe if you paid attention to actual baseball, you wouldn't say ignorant things about baseball:

"Alex Rodriguez has his numbers, because he can always hang numbers on you in good times and bad, and he hit one out yesterday against the Angels. But he has not yet carried the Yankees yet the way he is paid to."

I keep hearing how ARod's doesn't seem to be having a good season.

I watch the games and, to me, he seems to be having a good season.

Because he is having a good season.


"They still have enough big names and big contracts in their batting order and that is why it is almost bewildering that, at this point in the season, it is so difficult picking an offensive MVP for them. Right now the closest to that, the player doing the job you expect him to do, is the guy hitting between Jeter and A-Rod, Bobby Abreu."

Mike Lupica just said Bobby Abreu is the Yankees' offensive MVP.


Abreu is .286/.360/.478, 15 hrs, 75 rbis, 66 runs in 107 games.

He's lucky enough to be batting in between Jeter and ARod and he can not take advantage of this.

Abreu is the worst #3 hitter in the major leagues.

He is paid close to $20 million and the worst-fielding starting right fielder in the history of Yankee Stadium


ARod may be the MVP of the AL. I wouldn't give it to him because he missed three weeks. As for MVP of the Yankees -- as for offensive MVP of the Yankees -- it's not even close.

ARod is hitting .325 (more or less leading the league)/.407/.609, 24 hrs, 66 rbis, 66 runs in 90 games.

Throw in 15 out of 16 in stolen bases.

Throw in a gold glove at third base.


Abreu is not carrying the team. Abreu is a chump. Put Nady out there every day and he'd get 100 rbis, too. David Dellucci would probably get 100 rbis and he'd play a much better outfield.

In his next 81 at-bats, if ARod gets 10 hits (.123), minus-8 homeruns, 9 rbis, and 0 runs scored, then he would match Abreu's offensive stats.

BFF.

This picture was taken when Torre was managing the Yankees and Ramirez played for the Red Sox.

Kind of makes you hope Joba knocks Youkilis's teeth out one of these days.

We want a pitcher, not a bellyitcher.

In 1993, Rickey Henderson hit .215 in 44 games with Toronto. He hit .227 in the World Series. So please explain how he could have possibly been an integral part of the team's Championship:

"The following year, Gillick obtained Rickey Henderson at the Deadline. Henderson, expected to be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame next year, was an integral part of the Blue Jays as they won a second consecutive World Series.

Henderson was on second base, distracting Philadelphia reliever Mitch Williams, when Joe Carter blasted his walkoff home run in the sixth game that ended the series."

Oh.

Bad at pitching, great at mathematics.

"Taking a 3-2 lead into the fifth against the Philadelphia Phillies, Redding gave up a big inning that staked the visiting Phillies to an 8-5 win.

'Without those five runs, we might win the game,' Redding said."

Managers are biased observers.

"Odd, isn't it, that the manager who sees and speaks no evil whenever Chamberlain attempts to come as close as possible to splitting Kevin Youkilis' melon without actually doing so whenever he faces the Red Sox, made no secret of his disapproval of the Daniel Cabrera pitch that hit Alex Rodriguez below the left shoulder in the eighth inning of last night's 7 -6 loss to the Orioles?"

It's not odd at all.

Let's say Alex Rodriguez hits three homeruns today. That is good for Joe Girardi. But not if Aubrey Huff hits three homeruns.

Let's say the Yankees win today. This is good for Joe Girardi. But not if the Orioles win.

Joe Girardi should never disapprove of Joba Chamberlain and always disapprove of Daniel Cabrera.

Tell us more, Unkie Joey.

"Maybe so, but what a shame if he leaves this game known better for the way he treated writers than opposing pitchers.

'That would be sad,' says Dodgers Manager Joe Torre. 'Some guys are like that, though, and need the curtain to separate themselves from everyone to be competitive. I caught for Bob Gibson in an All-Star game, went out to the mound and he wouldn't talk to me.' "

I think Joe Torre thinks he's friends with Bob Gibson, but Bob Gibson doesn't realize he's friends with Joe Torre.

Making 4-6-3 an art form.

You can do it! You can catch Vlad!

Mr. Blameshifter is one classy guy.

I didn't find this link on my own. I was directed here from nomaas. This is truly amazing:

"One of baseball's more heavily-used relievers over the past three seasons, Proctor said he began feeling elbow discomfort in May. He initially played through the pain before being placed on the disabled list on June 25.

'The abuse through the year got to the point where it needed to be addressed,' Proctor said. 'Right now, the steps that we're taking is to avoid surgery.'

Joe Torre, who was Proctor's first major league manager when the two were with the New York Yankees and now is the Dodgers' manager, told MLB.com that Proctor hates to sit out.

'This happened in New York,' Torre said of Proctor insistence to pitch through the pain. 'He would never acknowledge anything's wrong. He always says he's all right. You love him for his heart and bellyful of guts, but he doesn't always make the right decision.' "

LOVES Billy Wagner.

Clemens, not so much. ARod, not so much. Joba, not so much.

"You don't have to like Billy Wagner, or the way he blows sky high sometimes, or everything he says, whether he is standing in front of his locker or talking on the radio.

And if you are a Mets fan, you can already be wondering about whether Frankie Rodriguez or somebody else could be the closer here before long.

But you still have to say that Wagner is one of the most interesting people to ever hold down the job of closer in New York."

Even more interesting than John Franco? Even more interesting than Steve Farr? I find it hard to believe that anybody could be more interesting than Steve Farr.

I wouldn't even know how to make that assessment.

"Interesting" is the least descriptive adjective one can use. It's lazy and meaningless.

Why on Earth is Billy Wagner interesting in any way?

Unbeknownst to me, is he, like, a baseball pitcher/Renaissance man? Does he play avant garde jazz in his spare time? Did he donate his entire salary to a noble cause and is therefore forced to live out of the back of his car? Is he working on a Unified Field Theory in his spare time?

These kinds of behavior may qualify as "interesting."

I can name a sports figure who's "interesting." Joe Juneau built his own airplane and moved his family to a remote location in Alaska to pursue his altruistic endeavors.

Did Billy Wagner build his own airplane? Model airplane? Does he like Dungeons and Dragons? Is he an expert on ancient Persian warfare?

Billy Wagner merely pitches baseballs once every few days for the Mets, and he does so rather predictably, I might add.


Define interesting. Think of some precise ways to define this term. Compare this list to Billy Wagner. I guarantee Billy Wagner is the opposite of interesting.

Only one person thinks Billy Wagner is interesting and that person happens to write sports opinions for the New York Daily News.


"The Yankee broadcasters kept saying that it made no 'sense' for Joba to put a fastball up in Kevin Youkilis' eyes the other night, and I'm wondering what sort of 'sense' it made when Joba put two over Youkilis' head last season."

Hey, did you notice the seven shutout innings in Fenway?

Joba's not doing too shabby, especially since Joba is one of the crackerjack Yankee prospects over-hyped by the lunatics in Tampa.

So what?

A theme develops:

"The A's can't hit and the Twins' bowels lock every time they enter Yankee Stadium, so the six wins have a 'So What?' feeling attached to them."

I just felt, like, you know ... bleh.

You know when you feel bleh?

When the Yankees swept the A's and Twins, I needed a hug.

The A's are good and the Twins are good.

Six wins in a row is six wins in a row.

Also, the Yankees are not going to sweep the Red Sox this weekend:

"You don't announce you are back in play by beating fading teams such as the A's and Twins. The best place for this flinty Yankee team to make that kind of announcement is Fenway, starting Friday night."

Take the 1998 Yankees, or the 1978 Yankees, or the 1961 Yankees, or the 1927 Yankees, or the 1975 Reds, or the 1984 Tigers, or the 2008 Red Sox.

Take any winning baseball team ever.

I don't even have to analyze the game-by-game results because I already know.

All of these teams dominated bad teams and played .500 against good teams. (How do you think bad teams become bad teams, anyway? Somebody is beating them often.)

It may not be romantic, but pennants are won in front of 11,000 at Kauffman Stadium.


The A's and Twins are hardly "fading teams." They are solid playoff contenders. At least they weren't "fading" until the Yankees swept them.

I mean, just look at the records. The records will tell you more than Mike Lupica ever can.


The Cardinals are suddenly "fading," too, I suppose. The Brewers should try to beat a good team once in a while.

The Mets are back in first place, but that's only because the Phillies are "fading." So, the rest of you may be impressed, but I say it isn't impressive.


The Yankees are "back in play" because they are. Three games back. Even if the Yankees get swept this weekend, then they're just six games back. That's "in play," even if Lupica thinks otherwise.

Football.

Only one football topic makes seems to make its way onto my baseball blog:

"If you had to choose, there's no doubt Peyton is still the better player. "

Right.

So what are you talking about, exactly?


"But since quarterbacks are ultimately judged by their Super Bowl rings, the score is 1-1."

If your brain is so infantile that you can only judge quarterbacks by their Super Bowl rings, you should consider drastic measures.

Maybe the Sunday sudoku.


'I think Eli did more to win the Super Bowl than his brother,' said one GM, referring to the entire playoff run. 'He did more for the Giants than Peyton did for the Colts given all the adversity that the Giants had to go through to get there. It was a cakewalk for the Colts. I don't think you could say enough about what Eli did.' "

It was a cakewalk for the Colts (against superior competition, I might add) largely because PEYTON MANNING IS SO GOOD.

Cakewalks are good.

Winning by a lot is good.

The adversity the Giants went through is largely because they have a quarterback who can't throw spirals.

The sun is really bad in right field.

I saw Bobby Abreu lose that ball in the sun the other day.

We all know that the sun often shines in the eyes of the leftfielders at Yankee Stadium.

What we didn't know is that, on Sunday, the Earth suddenly flipped on its axis.

That explains how Bobby Abreu lost the ball in the sun in right field.

Abreu is a dog.

"Alex Rodriguez did his best Derek Jeter impersonation Sunday with a flip play to help the Yankees beat the Oakland A's.

Of course, Jeter's came in a playoff game while A-Rod helped seal an otherwise routine July triumph."

Of course.


What is this guy's idea of "routine"?

The past two games were two of the most tightly-contested, bizarre games you'll ever see back-to-back.

Facing the league leader in ERA, with a wild card playoff race in the balance, the Yankees score a mere two runs. The first on a contested sac fly and the second on a 320-foot homerun.

Pettitte pitches a masterpiece in 99-degree weather, allowing only one run. Rivera has a 100% save percentage and I was thinking maybe Girardi should stick with Pettitte. Then, $18M Bob Abreu almost blows the whole thing because he drops a ball.

The day before, the Yankees strand 21 runners, strike out 18 A's, and win on a walkoff HBP in the 12th inning.

In the ninth inning, Giambi walked. Pinch-runner Justin Christian tripped while trying to steal second base. With two outs and nobody on, Cano doubled. Betemit looped a game-tying single to LF on an 0-2 pitch.


If this was in the playoffs or if this was against the Red Sox, nobody would say it's "routine." They'd say it's the reason they love baseball in the first place.

Finding ways to win is a sign of good character. No, not really, but it's a funny thing to say.

Winning is always better than losing:

"But much as the Yankee manager would like to believe his team is finally finding its groove, he would be advised not to use this particular series as a true measure of his team's abilities."

Okay. After 98 games, the team is 53-45, 4 1/2 games out of first, 3 games out in the wild card.


"If anything, Girardi ought to be concerned that his troops had to eke out a win as they did against a pitcher, Justin Duchscherer, who was still battling leftover ravages of the flu amid the 92-degree heat, and a lineup in which four of the last five hitters had batting averages of under .224."

No mention of Duchscherer's 1.82 ERA.

No mention of the fact that Oakland had a better record than the Yankees before the series started and will likely be contending for a playoff spot.


"For the third straight game, the Yankees got a strong starting pitching effort - this one from Andy Pettitte, who gutted it out for eight innings and 114 pitches, yielding just four hits, striking out nine and walking none in the steamy conditions."

Right.


"But again, look at the lineup he was facing!"

Look at the lineup he was facing! OMG!


"And it figures that the rest of this week - three games at the Stadium against the surging Minnesota Twins and then the weekend series against the Red Sox at Fenway - will give Cashman and Girardi a much better idea as to where this Yankee team is at than a nevertheless welcome sweep of the Triple-A-laden A's."

The A's are good.

You are dumb.

LOVES Jonathan Papelbon.

Mike Lupica has concluded that a Red Sox player will never be the darling of Yankee fans:

"Jonathan Papelbon may need a filter on his mouth sometimes, and will never be the darling of Yankee fans, but if there is one thing the young man is not, it is overrated.

No matter how much Yankee Stadium sang that to him the other night."

Well, gee. I'm guessing the fans at the All Star Game weren't analyzing Papelbon's save percentage or WHIP.


"I loved the All-Star Game the other night, from the Hall of Famers on the field, to George Steinbrenner on the field, to Michael Young's sac fly.

I ended up sitting in the stands for the last half of it, stayed to the end, and had as much fun watching it play out as I've had watching any All-Star Game in any sport."

Mike Lupica actually slummed it by sitting in the stands at a sporting event.


Taken together, these two tidbits are quite intriguing.

When Papelbon came in to pitch, the Yankee fans were chanting "O-Ver-Ra-Ted!" Lupica was disagreeing.


"O-Ver-Ra-Ted!"

"Shut up, you guys!"

"O-Ver-Ra-Ted!"

"Shut up, everybody! You don't know what you're talking about! Papelbon is awesome!"

"O-Ver-Ra-Ted!"

"Don't listen to them, Paps! We love you!"


Somebody should have poured beer on his head.

I know something you don't know.

David Wright is batting just .246 with RISP.

See, RISP BA is not necessarily a stupid thing to look at. It's just stupid when one player and one player only gets scrutinized.

I stand corrected.

This whole time, I said that Randolph would never make it to the All Star Game unless he bought a ticket.

If you pay $650 to watch the Home Run Derby, you are either very wealthy or very dopey.

Watching Alex Rodriguez hit b.p. fastballs would totally make it worth it.


If you care to read a sampling, Ken Rosenthal, Jayson Stark, and John Donovan all make very lame arguments that ARod is obligated to participate in the HR Derby.


The whole time explaining how the fans don't like ARod, anyway.



Mark Kriegel has the nerve to call another grown man a "sheep." Because Mark Kreigel has achieved self-actualization. The key to salvation, apparently, is lots of one-sentence paragraphs. It's also stylistically edgy. Because Mark Kriegel wouldn't want to be a sheep who follows the Good Writing Herd.



You know who should participate in the Home Run Derby? Jeter. The King of New York.

Put a fielder at second base and throw high fastballs that tail across the outside corner.

Call it the 4-6-3 Derby.

The only thing I can think of right now is "GIDP."

A baseball columnist writes an article that praises Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.

While doing so, the columnist contrasts Derek Jeter to Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez:

"Teammate Alex Rodriguez may have been the leading vote-getter for this All-Star Game. He may be on track to be the sport's all-time home run leader and arguably is the game's best player.

And Jeter, who turned 34 last month, is enduring arguably [the] most disappointing season of his career, both statistically and with the Yankees in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in his career.

But New York is still Jeter's town, perhaps more than any other current athlete."

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike Lupica is one weird dude.

If I could quickly run an archive of Lupica articles since 1996, I could probably find 50 - 100 articles that proclaim the pending demise of Mariano Rivera's career. Stuff like Rivera is still haunted by the 2001 World Series and Rivera can't beat the Red Sox.

If I went back about 18 months, I could easily find a dozen articles proclaiming Papelbon as the Cy Young winner, MVP, and the main reason the Red Sox were superior to the Yankees.

So now, out of nowhere, MOTO Lupica decides to heap praise upon Mariano Rivera.

This is the equivalent of a 2008 Robert Christgau article which gives an A+ to "Revolver."

Oh, really? So you're a rock critic who's heard of "Revolver," have you? The one by The Beatles?:

"But there will be others who say that the best player of them all was the great Henry Aaron or Willie Mays and maybe someday - if he ends up getting enough rest to hit 800 home runs - some will say that Alex Rodriguez, Mr. Fun, was the best ballplayer of them all."

I don't understand the "Mr. Fun" comment. I have fun watching ARod play. Don't you?

I also don't understand the comment about "enough rest." Has ARod been slacking or complaining about too much playing time? Or is that a crude and stupid reference to bedroom exploits?

Besides, aren't you the ignorant sports columnist who said ARod was gonna move to first base or maybe centerfield?


"There will always be the debate about starting pitchers, all the way back to the real Cy Young."

Actually, my pick is the imaginary Cy Young.


"But there is no debate, none, about Rivera, the best closer in history, the best money pitcher in history, a power relief pitcher and a power closer who has lasted longer than any power pitcher in his job ever has, in the history of baseball."

The only debate is between the intelligent, pro-Mariano fans and ignorant, anti-Mariano sportswriters, such as yourself.


I'm also not sure why Lupica distinguishes between "power" reliever and, say, a changeup pitcher like Hoffman or a slider pitcher like John Franco. OF COURSE, Rivera is far superior to Hoffman, Franco, Lee Smith, Jesse Orosco, etc. But Rivera has not lasted longer.


"In this Yankee Stadium, in the rebuilt Stadium and not the one Ruth built, the man running toward the pitching mound is the greatest Yankee of them all."

I'm perplexed.

I thought I was Rivera's biggest fan. Rivera is the clear MVP of the 2008 Yankees (largely due to ARod's trip to the DL), Rivera is obviously the greatest closer of all time, Rivera is probably the greatest playoff performer of all time in any sport, and, as far as I'm concerned, Rivera singlehandedly put Torre in the HOF.

But Rivera is not better than ARod and Rivera's not better than Babe Ruth. Not really Rivera's fault. Mr. Fun is a ss/3b who's going to hit 1,000 HRs and Ruth is, well, Ruth is the greatest ballplayer of all time.

Is Lupica really saying that Rivera is better than Babe Ruth?

A closer is better than Babe Ruth?

Is Lupica's brain simply unable to process subtleties? A year ago, Rivera was an overpaid albatross. Now, Rivera is the greatest ballplayer who ever played.

Grow up, man. You don't have to end every adjective with "est."

Eight in a row.

"WILLIE Randolph was barely over Denver on his long flight to the rest of his life when Jerry Manuel announced that for Mets relievers, their long guessing game was over.

No more being used at the manager's whim. No more sixth inning one night, eighth inning the next. Hopefully, no more getting booed out of Shea for these creatures of habit, whom had fallen into the increasingly uncomfortable habit of too-often getting creamed.

Now the Mets, 2-1 winners of their seventh consecutive game last night, are on a roll, so it's gotta be because of the defined roles. As the zeroes pile up in the seventh and eighth innings, isn't it time to pile on Willie?"

Yes, it is time.

As if I didn't know.

Team W L GB
Arizona 45 46 --
Los Angeles 45 46 --


The Dodgers will win 77 games and make the playoffs and win the World Series.

Because Torre is a genius.

No wonder you went to Wimbledon.

It was better when you ignored NY baseball:

"And they can make their run, hang in there with the Red Sox and Rays, if Alex Rodriguez finally starts carrying the team the way he did at the start of last season and the way he is supposed to."

When ARod hit 14 HRs in 18 games last season, it was a record. You never saw it before and you won't see it again. Because, despite being highly-paid athletes, baseball players are bound by physical laws of the Universe.


"When a team isn't scoring enough, isn't getting runners home, that is when the biggest run producer in baseball and the guy being paid the most to have the biggest stick (on the field) is supposed to be at his best, and hitting .253 with runners in scoring position shouldn't be his best."

In 2008, despite a three-week injury, ARod is the best everyday player on this team by such a wide margin, I can't even figure out who's in second place.

Giambi, I suppose.


Besides, I just told you that you are not allowed to bring up RISP BA. Because you just wrote an article praising Jose Reyes, and Reyes is hitting .235 with RISP.

Or is Jose Reyes not "supposed to" hit with RISP?

Didn't you ask "Mets fans" about Reyes's season so far and they were upset about that one time he grounded out?


"People will put up with almost anything from their sports stars, even the kind of low-rent, high-profile, gag-me publicity A-Rod is getting these days, as long as they produce."

I absolutely agree that the Daily News, and Mike Lupica in particular, are low-rent, high-profile, gag-me publicity sluts.


"But ask Yankee fans about A-Rod's season so far, and what they want to talk about is moments like the one in Friday's game, when he had the chance to bring his team back and grounded into a force play against Manny Delcarmen with the bases loaded."

The ground out against the Red Sox. In a game where ARod had two hits and two RBIs. Lupica is a parody of himself.

Jeter and Abreu can't even get on base. RISP BA doesn't mean quite as much when the Rs are never ISP in the first place.

Lupica, we know you never asked Yankee fans anything. Yankee fans are not talking about the ground out against the Red Sox. Yankee fans are not complaining about ARod. Yankee fans are saying keep ARod, Joba, and Mariano and trade the rest of the bums.

This is just about baseball and the way it's being played.

"This isn't about who is the most famous shortstop in town, or the one with the most rings, or the one who is the captain of the New York Yankees, or the one who makes almost as much money as any player in big-league history. This isn't about class or resume.

This is just about the baseball season being played and the way it is being played, as the All-Star break comes up fast, by the two shortstops in town, only one of whom ever catches a real beating."

It's quite amazing that Lupica lives in a world where nobody criticizes Jeter.

I know lots of Yankee fans and every single one of them has been criticizing Jeter lately.

I mean, Lupica devotes an entire article to Jeter-vs.-Reyes and doesn't even mention that Jeter leads the World in GIDP.

Everyone knows that Reyes is having a better year than Jeter, though Lupica conveniently ignores RISP BA when it suits his position. Which is not really a big deal, except for the fact that he's going to bring it up the next time he claims that Joe Crede is better than ARod.

The criticism of Reyes is justified. He seemingly doesn't make the most of his talents. He acts very immaturely, he gets picked off second base at inopportune times, he often seems disinterested. Fans don't like that. Jeter can hit .212 and it's safe to say he'd never get picked off second base with the game on the line.

I'm flabbergasted by Lupica's sudden claim that this is just about the baseball season and the way it is being played. In an article where he mentions ARod's divorce not once, not twice, but three times.

Can you imagine a clown like Page Six Lupica claiming that the press is treating players unfairly by directing focus away from the players' on-field contributions?

Everyone laugh at the guy who cares about the All Star Game.

"Read it and weep: more Red Soxers than Skanks will start All Star game"

Did you says "Skanks"?

That's crazy.

You're a nut.

Also, since this is in a New York newspaper, you're dangerous. You're kind of like Marlon Brando in "The Wild One."


"Bad news, Bronx boo-birds: the diamond will be filled with red B's, and not white interlocking NY's, when the American League all stars take the field for the final All Star Game at Yankee Stadium."

Great news, you mean.

I only wish every Yankee had three days off.


"Will the Bleacher Creatures do a roll-call and conveniently skip over Man-Ram, Peds and Youkie? Probably."

Okay, first thing, the Bleacher Creatures will not have tickets to the All Star Game.

Secondly, don't refer to grown men as "Man-Ram," "Peds," or "Youkie." You sound like a six-year-old girl at a tea party talking to her stuffed animals.

How am I going to end this article?

Screw it. I know what I'm gonna do. I'm going with a weird metaphor. I'm George A. King III, damn it, and the English language is the medium through which I sculpt masterpieces. I'm tired of a boring game recap. I'm going to Rock Your World right about now:

"At 45-42, the Yankees are close to being measured for pinstriped coffins before the All-Star Game lands in their yard a week from Tuesday. Should the losses continue to arrive at the current rate, the glow of hosting the Midsummer Classic will be reduced to a flicker in the wind."

I don't even understand what that means, exactly, but I think I might cry.

We are all merely flickers in the wind, man. Deep.

Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
And if I claim to be a wise man
It surely means that I don't know.


Even if there was a glow associated with hosting the All Star Game, don't think the metaphor worked out too well, because a glow is probably less intense than a flicker. The progression would probably be spark, flicker in a vacuum, flicker in the wind, glow, candle, fire, inferno, ragin' full on.

Next day's pitcher.

"The Yankees have held two team meetings over the last 10 days after bad losses. This one was loud, players said. Joe Girardi is never profane and wasn’t this time. But he and his coaches were forceful.

There’s a problem with meetings, however. What happens if you lose the next day?"

Girardi at least shows some guts for doing this the day before his team faces Josh Beckett. Beckett vs. Rasner is practically a guaranteed Red Sox win, aside from the standard disclaimers about how anything can happen.


"The Yankees played like they had a cab to catch. Or Madonna’s limo."

Madonna's the problem.

ARod's the problem.

Madonna's relationship with ARod is the problem.

Listen, if having sex with Madonna helps the players slug .600, then maybe it's time for a gangbang.

That wasn't a big game.

You know how you know yesterday's game wasn't a big game?

Because Andy Pettitte pitches well in big games.


Astonishingly, "sports" columnist Steve Politi once again completely misses the point. Politi actually is angry about the postgame interviews or lack thereof.

Pettitte can apologize all he wants to for a game like that. Does it change the performance on the field? Does it change a loss into a win?

It's not Pettitte's fault. It can not be Pettitte's fault. Pettitte is the most stand-up liar/cheater in Yankee history.


Now, ARod was 0-for-4 and didn't do much to help his team last night. But if ARod managed a sac fly in the first inning, then the Yankees lose 7-1.

Jeter apologized and Pettitte apologized, so it's not their fault.

It's ARod's fault.

It's Madonna's fault.

It's Lenny Kravitz's fault.

The Guy.

"Need more evidence that the dollar isn't going as far as it used to?"

No.

But starting the article with a question really drew me in.

It's about as hackneyed as those movie commercials where the announcer asks a question and the peformer in the movie seemingly answers the announcer's question.


"Cool Standings says the Yanks have a 19.6 percent chance to make the playoffs. I think that's optimistic."

I would agree.

But it's hard to really whine about it too much when the Rays finish above .500 for the first time ever and your team misses the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.


"And remember, I'm the guy who said last spring and summer that the hand-wringing over the Yankees was overwrought and that they had a much better chance to make the playoffs then anyone was forecasting (including Cool Standings)."

I was just saying to a friend of mine, "Do you remember Michael Salfino?"

My friend says, "Michael who?"

I says, "You know: The guy."

He says, "The guy who said last spring and summer that the hand-wringing over the Yankees was overwrought and that they had a much better chance to make the playoffs than anyone was forecasting?"

I says, "Yup. That guy."

Lupica Jr. Tries to Sell a Book

Every now and then, when Giambi has a great game, I am reminded of Buster Olney who claimed that Giambi had the worst contract in baseball history. Olney may have even claimed that it was the worst contract in sports history. I don't recall precisely, but it was a dumb thing to say and Olney has been proven wrong.


Now, Olney wrote a book about the '96 - '00 Yankee Dynasty and, unfortunately, he was proven correct in this case. 2001 really was the end of the Yankee Dynasty, though they came close a couple of times.

In 2008, Olney is actually still talking abut the 2001 World Series:

"In Game 4 of the 2001 World Series, Tino Martinez accomplished something no player had done in a World Series game in 72 years -- a game-tying, ninth-inning two-run homer. The next afternoon, I loitered outside the Yankees' clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, and Scott Brosius turned the corner, with a grin that seemingly extended from one side of the Bronx to the other. Even if he hadn't said a word, you would've known the source of his smile: He was still overwhelmed by what he had seen the night before."

This is an article with a dateline of July 2, 2008.

Basically, Olney actually dissected -- I'm not making this up -- two recent losses by the Yankees to the Rangers and contrasted them to the back-to-back comeback wins vs. the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.

His conclusion is that the current 2008 Yankees don't have the aura and mystique of the dynastic Yankees.


"This week, HarperCollins re-released 'The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty,' with a 50-page addendum, so that team is at the front of my brain these days. And the differences between the Martinez-Paul O'Neill years and the current Yankees are apparent."

Wouldn't you know it? Buster Olney wrote "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty." What a happy coincidence that columnist Buster Olney has an opportunity to advertise a book by author Buster Olney.


"In the dynasty years, they would have taken the field with an enormous mental advantage: They would have been convinced they would win, and even if they had lost, they would have been convinced that the matter of success or failure was something firmly within their control."

The.

Diamondbacks.

Won.

The.

World.

Series.


I mean, I get the observation: Good teams are confident and confident teams are good.

You just realized this now, seven years later, and it was these two games vs. the Rangers that convinced you?

Seems more likely that you're finding any excuse to shill your book.


"The Yankees of 2008 are really no different than the Rangers or the Athletics or the Brewers or many other teams in the majors; they're just another team of talent trying to find a way to win more games."

Of course.


"There is no edge, no more mystique and aura, to borrow a phrase."

That's not why they won in the first place. Their #5 starter was Orlando Hernandez. That is why they won.

Joe Buck doesn't like baseball.

I was directed to this link from another blog. Awful Announcing, I believe.


See, I don't think the fans complain too much about the length of the games or the length of the schedule. (Yes, I know, if they complained, then they wouldn't be fans in the first place.)

But think of Lupica who can't get jazzed unless he sees four HRs in a game and it has to be against the Red Sox. Think of how often Sterling and Waldman complain about the late-night travel. Think of all the umpires, coaches, managers, and GMs who want to speed up the games.

To them, it's a joyless job.

It's a baker trying to get excited about another loaf of bread.

It shows in their work.

It's fine if you're not a baseball fan. Really, it is. There's no particular pride in being a fan of anything, nor is there an obligation.

Joe Buck should be true to himself and do us all a favor: Find another job.

Love this guy.

This is, like, a week after he says he doesn't go on about subjects he knows nothing about:

"We all know they’re better than that. I don’t know. Maybe a little less outside distractions and a little more concentrating and they’ll start hitting better. I thought they would go on a consistent tear, and it hasn’t happened yet.”

Girardi's explanation was dumbfounding.

One sports journalist watches a baseball game and questions a managerial decision:

"The Yankees had a runner on first base with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and were down 3-2 tonight.

Derek Jeter was on the bench. But Melky Cabrera stayed in the game and grounded into a double play. This would be the same Melky Cabrera who was 0 for his last 18 when he stepped to the plate. Further, he didn’t try to bunt.

Am I missing something? The Yankees bunt with leads but not when they trail by a run in the ninth inning at home?"

I briefly listened to Girardi claim that the Yankee lefties (Damon, Abreu) had trouble with the Texas pitcher. Girardi actually said that he was worried about the intentional walk to Jeter (who would have pinch-hit for Gardner).

Okay:

1) If Gardner is so bad, don't bat him second.

2) If you can't trust Abreu with two on in the ninth inning, for cryin' out loud, don't bat him third. For the second season in a row, I can not figure out why Abreu bats third on this team.

3) Melky is very bad.

4) The Rangers never had to intentionally walk Jeter because Jeter never batted.

The thing is, I think the Yankees would have lost anyway. Melky bunts, Damon grounds out, Jeter grounds out. But the managerial decision was totally awful and now the Yankees are 7.5 games behind Tampa.


If you want to read about Madonna the singer, you can read gossip columnist Mike Lupica.

I'd like to meet Lupica randomly in a bar sometime. I'd give him $100 on the spot if he could tell me what team Ian Kinsler plays for. I know you've got the lowdown on the final 12 contestants on "American Idol," but have you ever heard of the arguable first-half MVP of the American League?

A baseball columnist who thinks Jimmie Foxx is spelled "Jimmy Foxx."

A baseball columnist who doesn't know the difference between Jimmie Foxx and Jamie Foxx.

Jeter on the bench, available for pinch hitting.

Staggering decision by Girardi.


Look at Melky's splits.

May: .234, 1 hr.

June: .206, 1 hr.


This guy hit a whoop-de-doo 5 homeruns in April and Paul O'Neill declared that Melky would hit .300 with 25 homeruns this year.

Melky has 22 homeruns in 1,300 career at-bats to go along with a so-so .269 batting average.

The Bernie Williams Dream is turning into the Dave Collins Nightmare.

Another Freudian slip.

"Phils option scuffling Myers to Triple-A."

"Scuffling" Myers. Read the news, people.

Yes, Rick. Yes, he is a realistic option. Now, about that down payment for the Brooklyn Bridge ...

"In your March 10 mailbag, you mentioned that Carl Pavano could be ready to go in June or July. With the state of the Yankees rotation, is he a realistic option? How close is he to being game-ready?-- Rick H., Hoboken, N.J."

I think they're all big games.

"If you needed to win one high-stakes game, whom would you rather have pitching, Pettitte or Santana?

...

Yes, the Mets could have scored more runs for him, but these are the types of games the No.1 starter is supposed to win. For the moment, Pettitte still seems to know how to do that a little better than Santana."

Most of this article is nonsense. Santana is overrated overall and disappointing in 2008, but the only reason Santana doesn't have a better record is because his team doesn't score enough runs when he pitches. When Santana points this out, he is not refreshingly honest, he's a crybaby.

Whatever.


What I really don't understand is the idea that Saturday's game was "big."

If you're going to bother distinguishing between high stakes and low stakes game, then why is the game against the Yankees categorized as high stakes?

The Mets are not battling the Yankees for a playoff spot. The Mets are not even in the same league as the Yankees.

If the Mets are battling the Yankees for a playoff spot, then congratulations to the Mets. They won 4 out of 6 vs. the Yankees this year.

The Mets won the Battle of New York: When is the parade?


If either of these teams are going to make the playoffs, they're going to have to win a lot of games. All kinds of games. Big games, small games, high stakes games, low stakes games, home games, away games, night games, day games.

Beating the Mets is no more important than beating the Royals, even if John Harper can't be bothered to pay attention to June games vs. KC.

They're all big games and the stakes are always high.

The Mets need a pitcher like Santana, whose ERA is 3.01.

The Mets don't need a pitcher like Oliver Perez, who can seemingly transform himself into a "big game" pitcher whenever he faces the Yankees or the Braves, and then tanks against the Mariners.

"They're not nearly as interested in the Subway Series here as you might think."

Mr. Lupica, I was not necessarily expecting children with cancer in New Mexico to be interested in the Subway Series.

However, I'd expect a sportswriter for the New York Daily News to be interested in the New York baseball teams.

Instead, I get Knicks, Knicks, Knicks, Knicks, Knicks, Knicks, Knicks, politics, London, soccer, Mets, tennis, Michael Strahan, Yankees, horse racing, baseball, Red Sox, Imus's ranch rodeo for children with cancer, London.

Wakka wakka wakka.

Maybe the Yankees should have kept Billy Crystal full-time. He could have entertained the press corps with impromptu impersonations of ex-Presidents:

"Even during the good times, the Yankees have always been the circus act in this interborough rivalry, their combination of controversy and mega-stars so often making for great entertainment. Only this time the Mets come into the Subway Series as the team in the center ring after a circus-like month seemingly stolen right out of the Steinbrenner playbook."

Do you suppose John Harper even watches baseball games anymore?

Self-awareness is a key component of a fulfilling existence.

"Steinbrenner said he didn't want to comment on the manner in which Randolph was fired because he's not 'one of those talk-radio types' who spews on subjects he knows little about."

Yankees win seven in a row. Five games back.

"Now what for the Mets? It is a real good question on either side of the Atlantic after a week in which they managed to turn themselves into the kings of comedy, a good question even if you are on your way to Centre Court, Wimbledon, for the first time in a long time, a long way from Shea."

I'm not in London, on my way to Centre Court, Wimbledon.

Why?

Are you, Mike Lupica?

Are you in London, on your way to Centre Court, Wimbledon?

Nice to know. What did you have for breakfast? Since we're talking about the Mets, I think it's relevant.


"Now the people in charge go back to work and prove to their fans that they still know what they're doing, that they didn't turn into a complete bums with this one act, show their fans, over the rest of this season and into the offseason, that they are better than the way they just treated Willie Randolph, which means like he was a loser on 'The Apprentice.' "

Is that show even on the air anymore?

"Willie didn't turn into the worst manager in the world over the last year-and-a-half. And the people who signed his checks now get to prove that they didn't turn into the family from 'Family Guy,' beyond all redemption forever."

"Family Guy"! I watch that show, too! The baby who talks like Peter Lorre? Hilarious.

Your cultural references are on fire today.

Next thing you know, you'll be bringing up the Frankenstein sketch from "The Ben Stiller Show"; You could reference "The State": ("I'm Willie Randolph, and I'm outta heeeere."); Maybe explain how Cleon Jones reminds you of the lead singer of Thinking Fellers Union Local 282.

What about the Yankees, though?

Winners of seven in a row? Five games out? Four guys potentially racing for the batting crown?

Anything about the most popular baseball team in New York City metropolitan area?

In the middle of June?

I found it! Almost at the end of the three-page article:

"The Yankees really are in the middle of one of the softest interleague schedules in the history of the known universe: Astros, Padres, Reds, Pirates.

And, well, our kids from Shea."


Very good.

Go watch Wimbeldon ... and get those Harry Potter references ready! Because Harry Potter is British.

I kid because I care.

In this embarrassing, classless, and downright sad article -- I really find it amazing that a man can develop a reputation for being "classy" just because he's soft-spoken and still maintain that reputation regardless of what he actually says or actually does -- Felz attempts to dig out one morsel of levity:

"I don't like the way the Mets handled my firing. I think it was pretty weak. I think I would've deserved better if my record had been 0-555, not 302-253."

So, what I was thinking was that, ummm, the manager would probably get fired before the record got to 0-555.

Like, a 500-game losing streak would probably be enough to get a manager fired.


Yeesh.

I apologize to everyone.

I hope some day I can regain your trust.

I have erred.

Please go to this website instead of felzball.

Value.

"Rodriguez had another brilliant one last night, homering for the fourth straight game while racking up three hits in the Yankees' 8-5 win over the Padres in The Bronx. The Yanks are now 19-9 since his return, and he's hitting .382 with 10 homers, 29 RBIs and six steals in those games."

Jerry Manuel's first play as manager of the Mets.

This is downright surreal:

"Angels starter John Lackey looked over to first, and soon everyone else was, too: Reyes was rubbing his leg. Then he rubbed it some more. He asked for time, walked off the base, kept rubbing the leg, feeling it out. Now the Mets' training staff was out there, and so was Manuel. Earlier, asked about his philosophy of baseball, Manuel had said it was important for baseball teams to know their manager cared 'just as much about the player as about the result.'

He would hold true to that credo now, less than five minutes into his tenure. Manuel told Reyes he was taking him out of the game. Only Reyes didn't want to go. He shook his head. He bent his knees. Manuel tried to put an arm around Reyes but Reyes started walking toward second. The crowd started to stir uneasily, the way a crowd at a mall stirs uneasily watching a petulant child at Toys 'R' Us.

Finally, Reyes gave in, but not before throwing his helmet, not before tearing his jersey out from his pants and storming into the clubhouse, the fury etched deep into his face. Manuel would soon follow him there. Reyes later apologized."

One time, Ty Cobb beat up a fan who had no hands.

I thought it was unnecessary to make these guys fly all the way to the West Coast, but it's not really that big of a deal in the scheme of things:

"I do not say this lightly: The Mets' firings of Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto will go down as one of the most disgraceful episodes in sports history."

I think it will be mostly forgotten in a month or two, especially if the Mets make the playoffs.


But, just for the heck of it, I'll review this Week in Sports Disgrace:

-- An NBA ref who fixed games to support his gambling habit accused the NBA of fixing a playoff game. The majority of fans believe the ref.

-- Cedric Benson was arrested for drunk driving. Which isn't too unusual for an NFL player. Except Benson was arrested for drunk boating last month.

-- Suzyn Waldman spoke about the Yankees, on air, where people could hear.

Say what?

"That man is Fred Wilpon, who over the past 28 years as president and CEO of the Mets has cultivated a reputation as a decent man, a man of superior judgment and intelligence."

Fred Wilpon has cultivated a reputation as a man of superior judgment and intelligence?

That would be a record, or something.

According to yahoo's glitchy game recap:

"Top 6th: NY Yankees

- R. Cano singled to right, R. Cano and C. Wang scored, J. Damon to third
- R. Cano singled to center, J. Damon scored, D. Jeter to second
- R. Cano homered to deep left center, D. Jeter and H. Matsui scored
- R. Cano homered to deep left center, J. Giambi scored"

Six games back.

"My feeling on our kids in Yankee pinstripes goes something like this:

When you're spending $200 million on baseball players, you're sort of not supposed to need a weak wild-card field to make the playoffs."

That's it?

The Yankees are 3 games over .500 for the first time this season. Six games back of Boston, 4.5 games back of Tampa. Not 1927 or 1998, but too early to give up on the AL East, don't you think?


Mussina has rebounded to a truly astonishing ten wins so far (can a 39-year-old win Comeback Player of the Year?); Joba had a decent six-inning start and seems to have adjusted his pitching style; Farnsworth pitched well in back-to-back games, which is something I thought was truly not possible.


Should Rasner replace Pettitte in the rotation if the playoffs started today? Should Cano be benched? When is Bruney coming back?


Damon is OPSing .888 while Coco Crisp is OPSing .676.

Matsui is OPSing .869 while Jacoby Ellsbury is OPSing .763.

ARod is OPSing .996 while Mike Lowell is OPSing .827.

Those stats don't mean too much per se and they are presented out of context. But I just conveyed more information about the 2008 Yankee baseball season after two minutes of research than "America's premier sports columnist" has conveyed in three months of supposed baseball coverage.


It's already mid-June.

The baseball season is almost halfway over.

It's a good time to start paying attention to the New York baseball teams instead of, say, Tim Russert or "American Idol."

It's all Billy Wagner's fault.

Relax, Lupica: Nobody ever said it was all Billy Wagner's fault. Until me, in the title of this blog entry:

"So the Phillies are 14-1/2 games better than the Mets over the last 83. We can talk and talk about Wagner, but those three blown saves since last Sunday are just two games out of the 14-1/2. If this is all Wagner's fault, how come the Mets are under .500 in the middle of June?"

You're right, Mike Lupica.

Congratulations

You won another argument with yourself.

It's kind of weird, however, that you're so in love with Billy Wagner that you defend him even when he's not being attacked.

A statue of Jobu might help.

"We're just in one of those real bad ruts where the baseball gods are not good to you," Randolph said.

That's how losers talk.


"They talk about $140 million payrolls," Randolph said. "But the payroll is not always out there. That's the way it goes."

Not that you're using injuries as an excuse.


Blaming injuries, blaming the baseball gods, compaining about what "they" are saying. Sounds like a man delivering his own eulogy.

Another blown save for B-Wags?

When a player calls out his teammates, it's somewhat gratifiying to see this player fail on the field.

When a player is one of Mike Lupica's man-crushes, it's somewhat gratifying to see this player fail on the field.

When a player is on the Mets and the manager's job is on the line, it's somewhat gratifying to see this player fail on the field.

Can not handle the pressure of New York.

Randy Johnson was better in New York than this guy.

Ball Thief makes a cameo appearance.

The touching story of the never-was attacking a has-been:

"After the game, Johnson played off the incident, saying: 'It didn't bother me at all. If it would've, [Mientkiewicz] would probably be on a stretcher, and I'd be out of the game.' "

That's not a very nice thing to say.


"I've been on a stretcher before and, technically, he's been out of the game for three years in my mind," Mientkiewicz said.

Good comeback, Ball Thief.


" 'That just shows me how mentally weak he is. That's why he got out of [New York].'

Johnson played in New York from 2005-06 before returning to the D-backs rotation in '07.

'New York beat him down, let's put it that way,' said Mientkiewicz."

Johnson won 34 games in two season with the Yankees. While disappointing, it is a lot for somebody who was "technically" out of baseball.

But let's say Johnson was a terrible baseball player in New York and the reason he was terrible is because he was mentally weak.

What's your reason for being a terrible ballplayer in New York? You're mentally tough, but just lacking talent?

Compare and contrast.

Tim Marchman's abbreviated analysis of the 2008 NY baseball season:

"That’s a really broad question and I could go on for a while. Basically the Mets seem to be stuck in a recurring pattern where they develop some good young talent, invest well in veterans, verge on becoming a really elite team, and then blow it because they tilt a little too heavily toward older players. This has gone on under so many general managers and so many managers, and for so long, that it really seems to be a systemic problem, and the one common thread for a long time now has been the Wilpon family, who really don’t get enough blame for presiding over the same story being told over and over again with a slightly different cast each time. I have thought, and continue to think, that Randolph should go, but that’s mainly because he doesn’t seem a good fit stylistically for this team, which needs more of a Weaver/Valentine type improviser in my opinion.

The Yankees are entertaining as usual; this is a transition year for them and I’m mainly surprised that they seem to be sticking with the idea of developing the young talent while trying to squeeze a last run out of the older players, rather than visibly panicking. I do have the sense that Hank Steinbrenner could become a really serious problem for them, just because you never want an owner expressing opinions on which players should be in the rotation or the lineup, especially when those opinions are different from those of people with actual professional qualifications, but for right now he’s a harmless diversion. The Yankees may not be good, but there’s never any sense of abject hopelessness about them, and that puts them up on the Mets."

Mike Lupica attempts the same:

"Really, this is what the baseball season in New York has been so far:

One start for Joba.

All the talk about Willie Randolph's job."

I think you meant to say, "This is a really broad topic and I could go on for a while."

Or not.

Exactly.

"I think we're a good team, but it's always been ridiculous that people look at payroll," Randolph said. "I've been on many teams where that doesn't wash."

You've been on many underachieving teams. Very interesting. Did you put that on your resume when you applied for the job as Mets manager?


"People have to produce. Look at Seattle this year or Detroit."

Classy. Don't call out any NL teams, though. Them, you will have to play.


"Expectations might be higher by fans and the media, but you have to play the game, do your job, execute. That's how you justify payroll. It doesn't mean it's automatic."

We all agree it's not automatic. The team needs to try hard and they also need good management.

Can't fire all 25 players, and so on, and so forth.

If it was 1996, he would have struck him out. I remember because I was the catcher.

"His 111th and final pitch was a fastball too high and too fat to get past Jose Guillen, who drilled it into the leftfield seats for a grand slam that put Kansas City up 10-6.

It was a sign of respect for Pettitte that he was allowed to pitch to Guillen, who already had three RBIs on a homer and single. 'I'm going with experience, that's the bottom line,' Joe Girardi said. 'It was Andy's game to win or lose there.' "

Terrible decision by Girardi and pathetic postgame rationale.