Yes, I know my favorite baseball team will be playing baseball in October. I am aware that this team has been as dominant in the regular season as it has in 5 years. I know that it is loaded with talent at all positions and is armed with the best finisher in the game. However, tonight's game is kind of sobering. Yea, I know it has no meaning in the standings but this loss touched on several bugaboos of this 200,000,000 million dollar payroll.

1) Joba sucks... right now- I am not saying Joba doesn't have talent nor am I saying that I am off his ban-wagon. However, the simple fact is right now he sucks. He has gotten tattooed in 4 straight starts including his start against Boston 2 weeks ago. His fastball is consistently 90-91 which makes his slider almost useless as it only 5 miles per hour below the speed of his fastball. He has no control and good hitting teams are crushing him. I am deeply concerned about him making a start in the playoffs and I am even more concerned about this man who once threw in the upper 90's now throwing low 90's and high 80s with his "heater."

3) AJ and other starters, shut up and let Jorge call the damn game- You know, I don't remember the pitchers from 98-03 ever having problems with Jorge. Now Burnett, who I really like, is embarrassing his catcher on national television by mouthing in clear view of the FOX camera, "Why would he call that?" I know he probably just was angry in the heat of competition but I am sick of the hearing the rumblings that he, Sabathia and Joba don't like pitching to Jorge. Andy does fine with Jorge behind the plate and plenty of other pitchers have also fared well with Jorge doning the tools of ignorance behind the dish. He is a power hitting, switch hitting catcher with four rings. Shut up and let him call the game.

4) Should we stay or should we go now-Down 5 runs with a fairly good closer set to come in during the bottom of the 9th in tonight's game with the Rangers, my dad and I left as the oppressive heat coupled with the Yankees anemic hitting was enough to convince us we should make an early exit from the stadium. However, when we got in the car, something started to happen. Damon Singled, Tex walked, Alex walked, Jorge singled, Matsui singled, and Cano singled. It was now suddenly, it was 10-9 Texas and the Yanks had runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. I was mostly excited by the rally but a part of me was furious White Boy Senior and I left the game early. Still, I was still hoping Swisher, an average player, could step to the plate and simply...... (see #5)

5) Everyone but 4 players in the starting lineup and everyone on the bench should be able to bunt-  bunt the ball fair on the ground and have Melky come up with the winning run on 2nd and the tying run on third with just 1 out. But Swisher bunts the ball up in the air right to the 1st baseman and then Melky lines into a double play, game over. The point of this possibly annoying story is that only 4 players on the team are exempt from bunting: (1) Alex, (2) Tex, (3) Jorge, (4) Matsui. The other 5 starters and all reserves need to be able to bunt as they are not great power hitters. The Yankees lack of situational hitting has hurt them in many a playoff series this decade and it will continue to, I fear, in this year's fall tourney.

I guess we made the right decision leaving right???

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