So game 2 of the double header was in the bag.  Somehow Ron Villone and Brian Bruney managed to give up no runs in the 7th and 8th.  A-rod had the go ahead RBI.  Everything seemed A-ok in yankee land.  So then Joe decides to bring in Proctor to close because he believed that Mariano was unavailable this evening.  I could see Mo cringing as he watched what went down while he sat helplessly in the bullpen.  As soon as Proctor put men on base, Joe just should have bit the bullet and brought Mo in for an out or two; instead, he decided to throw the game away.  If they had won that game, they would have created a 9 game lead over the ailing red sox,however, now it is 8.  An 8 game lead can fade as fast as it came just look what happened to Detroit.  At one point they were more than 10 games ahead of the white sox and now they’re 5 and Minnesota isn’t far behind either. 
    I don’t understand why the rest of the bullpen needs to rest except for Scott Proctor.  I could just tell he didn’t have his stuff tonight.  He had been throwing the ball 97-99 mph and tonight it was more like 94-96 which is a very big difference.  If Joe keeps this up, Proctor’s arm will fall off.  He has been indispensable to the yankees; they NEED HIM if they expect to do anything in the post season.
    On a positive note, Jaret Wright had one of his best outings of the year giving up only 2 runs in 6 1/3 WHOLE INNINGS! His longest game the entire year.  All of it was a waste though because Joe decided that grinding out games isn’t important anymore because the sox have thrown in the towel, basically.
    So Pavano has been shut down for another two weeks.  Cashman has said that if he ever comes back this year it will only be in relief.  Awesome.  Pavano was the greatest free agency signing ever.  God, the yankees HAVE TO SIGN BARRY ZITO. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

There are not many players in the game that I respect as much as David Ortiz. I think he’s an incredible ball player and really good guy as well. He’s definitely a gamer. My heart goes out to him. I really hope he’s ok and can get well soon. He may play for the enemy, but I have the utmost respect for him.

The yankees could have used a big break after all that has happened over the last few weeks/months.  They got it.  Without playing a game themselves, they have now picked up another game over the red sox.  That is the best possible thing that could have happened.  The ailing team also was off Monday and last night so hopefully they will be rested now.  The Yankees lucked out with Manny Ramirez, Willy Mo Pena, and David Ortiz out of the line up.  Things went sour for the yankees early, now it seems like the same thing is happening to the sox.  I doubt those three will be out for an extended period of time but still it’s negatively affecting their team.
    Oh Carl Pavano…why are you so fragile?  I made the mistakes of somewhat getting my hopes up that he might pitch tomorrow for Jaret Wrong.  Of course he won’t.  He has broken ribs!  From a car accident he didn’t tell anyone about.  ***?!!  And now the guy he hit is claiming to be hurt.  What is with Carl Pavano? Can’t he just be a normal pitcher.  He’s getting 40 milion dollars to sit on his *** and eat candy bars in the dugout.  I didn’t like the Pavano signing when it occurred and I REALLY don’t like it now.  The yanks could have used another guy especially with Mike out.  Jeff Karstens has been doing a very good job but they need a major league pitcher who can replace Wright. 
    The only bad part of this rain out last night is a double header today.  At least Wang is going first.  He’s the best. 
    Someday Carl Pavano may pitch in the major leagues….in the old timers game.

I’ll openly admit that I was one of those people a month or so back that was angry with Joe Torre’s under-use of Ron Villone.  At that point in time, Villone had an ERA well under 3 and was shutting people down/striking them out whenever he appeared in a mop up situation.  Now that Joe has been depending on him and using him as the 6-ish inning guy, he’s getting tired and showing his true colors.  Villone is a decent pitcher, not a great pitcher.  Tonight, he really screwed up.  Three runs is just not right.  The Yankees offense was again shoddy.  I don’t really know what to say about A-rod.   I think he needs a new psychologist.  I wish they could just send him down to Trenton or Columbus for a week or two so he could regain some confidence.  He is one of the best players in the game, no doubt, but there’s cleary something wrong when he strikes out on three pitches that should have been balls and he can’t throw to second base.  He needs to be dropped lower in the lineup,too, for now at least.  I’m getting really sick of Joe not taking a stand just because A-rod is A-rod.  He’s a  player. He needs instruction.  I’m so angry right now. 
   It was inevitable that the 6 1/2 game lead would mean nothing.  Although Boston is having their share of troubles, they still have that fight that the yankees lack a lot of the time.  The yankees can’t just let the Angels sweep them because the Angels have a winning record against them in the last 10 years.  They need to try to come back strong tomorrow because this is just getting pathetic.

I’m sorry but dropping 2 of 3 to the Seattle Mariners coming off an eleven game losing streak is just unacceptable.  People can argue that Washburn was great or whatever but please.  The Mariners will swing and anything and everything so getting outs should be easy.  However, Randy Johnson is just not the same as he used to be.  Sometimes we can catch glimpses of the Randy Johnson of old but he’s not that pitcher any longer.  He should have had an easy game yesterday with a team playing under 500 baseball but he didn’t.  He struggled through the first few innings.  I will concede to the fact that he pitched a decent game only giving up 7 hits and 4 runs but for a number two starter that is not good enough.  I don’t really think Washburn is a good pitcher I think the Yankees offensive has a sort of shut down mode where they just can’t hit and manufacture runs.  If they think this division is clinched with a 5 1/2 game lead over Boston they are sorely mistaken.  Boston will turn it around.  I’m sure of it.  I feel like the Yanks are coming off this big high and they think they can relax now.  They are hitting the heart of their 21 games in 20 days trip facing the Angels this weekend and then Detroit next week THEY NEED TO GET IT TOGETHER. 
     I’m also upset with the **** they’ve decided to send out there this weekend.  Jaret Wright pitching the first game….Lidle the second…and Karstens the third.  Now I’m not saying that these guys are bad pitchers but shouldn’t they have tried to send their aces out against their "arch nemesis."  I don’t know.   I’m not exactly certain what Joe’s thinking is on this but I think he’s done a fine job in his tenure with the Yankees.  So I’ll let him be.  At least the bullpen has gotten some rest.
    Another note on the bullpen.  The reasons Karstens did not get the win on Tuesday was because Joe insisted on bringing in the overworked Ron Villone.  He has layed off Scott in the last few days but he needs to rest Villone some too.  At least Randy pitched a complete game yesterday.  I’m sure the guys in the bullpen were extatic.  I hope Jaret Wright can at least get through six non god awful innings tonight. please.  Also he needs to concentrate on keeping Chone Figgins in check.  ‘Cause he’s a freaking yankee killer.

So the New York Times had the nerve to call Theo the "ex-golden boy" of Boston.  Ok, maybe the sox were humiliated horribly by the Yankees over the weekend, but does losing five games really merit boston fans/papers so easily turning their backs on the very manager that caused that "event" to occur in 2004 (I just can’t say it, it makes me tear up).  Don’t get me wrong, Theo is no Cash or Billy Beane but c’mon.  From the Hartford Courant:
"Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has taken the brunt of thecriticism for the team’s swoon because he didn’t make a deal as the
July 31 trade deadline passed. He probably wouldn’t be getting ripped
as much if the Yankees didn’t shred Red Sox pitchers this series."
Theo tried to make a blockbuster deal before the trade deadline.  Much to my chagrin (as a "baseball analyst" not yankee fan), he tried to trade Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, and Craig Hansen for Andruw Jones.  Now in my opinion that is a very good deal.  I think it is a better deal for the Braves although Andruw Jones is arguably the best overall centerfielder in baseball.  It was certainly an impact deal although the Red Sox would have faced even further pitching staff difficulties. 
    Anyway, the whole point of this post is what Theo did do.  He somehow got Eric Hinske before the Yankees series.  Eric Hinske was rookie of the year in 2002.  He’s only about a .260 hitter with about 15 HR but I don’t think the numbers say it all.  Hinske is a good ball player.  Somehow Epstein managed to get Riccardi to trade within his division (maybe he hopes it will help the Red Sox and Yankees beat up on eachother and then Toronto will finally go on that "hot streak" it’s been waiting all year…whatever J.P.) for a player to be named later.  Obviously Epstein did something good because Hinske had three doubles in the first game.   
    Yes, Brian Cashman made an awesome deal before the trade deadline which has been a huge part of recent Yankees success.  But Theo tried to make a deal it just didn’t work out.  I even heard rumors he was trying to get the Rocket.  One of the reasons I hate red sox fans is how fairweather they are.  I don’t really think there were this many red sox pre-2004.  Yankees fans aren’t like that–at least true ones.

Here is the breakdown of the red sox-yankees series:

from mlb.com
The yankees pitching was no near perfection, however, I think the importance of these statistics is the number of walks issued by the red sox as well as the hits and pitches.  Due to the additions of Bobby Abreu and Craig Wilson (even sans Matsui and Sheffield) the yankees have an incredible line up.  They are also incredibly patient.  944 pitches in 5 games is near 200 pitches a game.  Even if they face great pitching, they will still continue to wear down the pitcher and get him out quickly.  The stats will be even more blatant when Matsui and Sheffield return.  Awesome.

Going into this series, my only hope was that the yankees would not be swept.  After they took game 1, my fears were quelled.  I never expected to sweep boston. ever (well until the 9th inning after Farnsworth had gotten two outs today).  Anyway, the point is a five game sweep of the bosox by the yankees is pretty much the greatest thing that has happened for me all summer.
     First priority: Lidle.  He is only on a one year contract.  I believe he may have an option so I think that the yankees need to sign him ASAP.He has only had three starts, but all have been decent to good.  He went out today and pitched 6 innings of shut out ball.  How much more can you ask from your 5th starter?  Even if Pavano comes back, the yankees need Lidle.  He can add depth to the rotation full of fragile arms. 
      Anyway back to the sweep.  We cannot believe that the AL east is all but assured.  The yankees still have a difficult stretch ahead playing against the angels, minnesota, and detroit.  They need to stay on top of thier game and take the confidence this series has bestowed them into all of those games.  Boston can never be discounted.  Varitek will be back soon and all will be right in red sox nation–almost.

    I felt vindicated this morning when I opened the New York Times this morning and found an article all about my new favorite yankee MELKY!  Apparently, I’m not the only one who sees his litany of merits.  He cannot be pushed aside.  He has been in indespensable to the yankees this year.  He even got their game winning rally started this afternoon. 

  Also felt vindicated after A-rod made two great plays in the field today.  I’m one of his biggest advocates.  I think people need to lay off him and stop being jealous that he is one of the greatest players of all time as well as the highest.  He doesn’t deserve the treatment he’s getting.  He really hasn’t done any thing egregious.  Go A-rod!

Most people will think my idea is crazy but here goes:
Sheffield’s contract is up unless the yankees decide to pick up his 13 million dollar option.  Sheffield is great for the line up; he scares pitchers.  However, he’s not an asset in the field and now we have Bobby Abreu.  Abreu may not have the power that Sheff has, but he’s 5 years younger and makes up for his "lack of power" in other ways.  He’s a great addition to the line up.  Anyway, I don’t think that the Yankees should pick up Sheff’s option.  I think instead of teaching Sheffield to play first base, Don should teach MATSUI how to play first base.  Matsui is a decent fielder, but not great.  Here are his stats:

now Matsui has not made a ton of errors but the statistic that sticks out in my mind is the assists.  Melky Cabrera is becoming an incredible left fielder.  He is leading the American League in assists.  He is batting close to .300.  I think Cabrera should be the yankees everyday left fielder.
     I disagree with Joe.  I don’t think the DH is a "resting" position.  I think they need to take the DH seriously.  Giambi should become a full time DH.  Matsui should play first place while righties are pitching and Craig Wilson should play first base against lefties.  That would leave the outfield as: Cabrera, Damon, and Abreu.  It will be better defensively for certain, and maybe even offensively, arguably.