Which team would you rather the Yanks face in the playoffs? None of the choices can be that appealing really, since they all have great pitching. But none of the other teams have pitchers with that much playoff experience, either. Twins sort of scare me the most frankly.

Devil Ray fun fact: Rocco Baldelli's nickname is The Woonsocket Rocket, from his days as a HS sprint champion in Rhode Island. Would anyone here trade Baldelli for Melky if Tampa wanted to do a salary dump? Baldelli might move as much Yanks gear in Brooklyn and the Bronx as Matsui moves in Tokyo.

Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Gary Sheffield 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Melky Cabrera LF

Jaret Wright P

And Alex, nice job on the pre-game post, that's one fine-looking piece of prosciutto there. I love Cliff's stats-laden roster breakdowns, but I don't think he's ever made my mouth water with one of his pre-game posts.

3 If Villone can't pitch himself off the postseason roster with what he's done lately, I think Wright's name is set in stone on it.

"Joe Torre indicated that Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo would be on the postseason roster."

Does this mean Guiel stays home? Or that the Yanks only take 10 pitchers? I can't see any alternative to those. I'm assuming, of course, that Sheff makes the postseason roster with those questions.

She said she asked Joe if he would use a LIDR for Giambi or Sheff at 1B. He said yes. She asked who, and he said Phillips or Cairo. She specifically said that that may or may not mean they'll be on the post-season roster.

The original New York Daily News was founded in the 1850's. It began to fail in 1900, after Benjamin Wood died, and after going through three owners (including Wood's widow) in six years, it suspended publication in mid-December, 1906.

The current Daily News (which I don't believe has any affiliation with the previous one, much like the current Sun, but I may be wrong) was founded in October, 1919.

19 Thanks for that follow-up, Travis.

I suppose if a LIDR is absolutely necessary, Andy is the way to go. I'm just not convinced that its really that big a deal.

I knew the Yanks wouldn't leave TB on a three-game losing streak!

Looks like it's going to be a quiet night here.

Holy crap - it's bedlam in Tampa!

riiiiiight.....

That actually makes sense to me.

Do the Sox fall into third place!?

They're now down 3-0 courtesy of Alex Rios.

82 "Is Wakefield still pitching a shutout"

?????

I'm rooting for Toronto to take 2nd.

I see Jaret Wright still has his knack for attracting flying objects...

It's not up there with early 20th-century German lyric poets, perhaps, but I liked it.

I must say, I do enjoy watching Tampa's speed and great D. At least when we're ahead 9-0.

BJ's wholesale
http://www.bjs.com/

http://tinyurl.com/oflvs

So who manages Sunday, Bernie?

120 milion doesn't buy what it used to!

;-P

I guess Melky has officially become a bench player.

Nice to have a backup CFer who's not GOB, though.

169 Torre better find a way to play Melky at least 4 or 5 days a week. It'd be too hard now for us not to see Melky starting everyday.

Wow... if Mo is pitching the 7th, who will we see in the 8th and 9th?

Joe just didn't want him playing any position except LF. You may remember he struggled a bit when he first came up. (Not just last year, but this year, too.) Joe just felt it would be too confusing for a kid like him to switch positions. The ball looks different coming off the bat in the corners vs. CF. Many OFers find it difficult to adjust to.

Seriosly though, I think Melky had improved tremendously this year, I don't believe all the previous scoutings do him justice.

Mo in the 7th...and EDSP in 8th, Farns in 9th? I am sorry...I couldn't resist...

As a #4 OF'er and LIDR, there is NO reason NOT to keep him.

I have never seen the Yankees do that, though. I saw Bubba's first homer. I saw Andy's first homer. I saw Melky's first homer. None of them got the freeze out.

209 And maybe even next season's.

Mauer 1 for 2, with two walks. Down to .347

Check out Miggy almost hitting an HR!

Though I can't believe Crawford missed that...

Here's my guess for the PS pitchers, assuming Joe decides to carry 11:

Starters

Wang
Moose
RJ
Wright

Bullpen

Mo
Farnsy
Villone
Proctor
Bruney
Myers
Rasner/Lidle/Veras/Karstens

(Actually, I just realized that if you told that to Farnsworth, he probably would beat the sh1t out of the batter and scream BRUTALITY!)

I have a very good feeling about Veras despite small sample pool. So for me, Rasner and Veras is a toss. But for Torre, it's probably Lidle.

Speaking of which, the local paper had an article about what Joe was thinking when he spilled the beans to that reporter:

http://tinyurl.com/zbo5l

I don't know if his theory is correct, but I do find it odd that Torre would be so revealing. And I doubt it was accidental.

Farn's unpredictability will soon be up there with the Unit.

C'mon, 1-2 count. Finish it already Farns.

All in all, great day, excellent recovery from the dreadful weekend.

BTW, he also said the the umps should not have reacted the way they did during that argument earlier in the game. IIRC, he said it's not their job to react that way to the manager (i.e. screaming back at them). I wonder if he thinks that it is his job to react the way he did when he overreacted to that caller?

I was assuming the people in the stands the last few weeks thought the Dolphins were playing.

Good lord...

Mauer .349
Robbie .342
Cap .340

Wow!

Uh-oh, Johnson not making his last start, has been having back problems last 3 starts and hasn't told anyone until now. Shutting him down until the post-season. Just told Torre before batting practice today.

Ugh, here's hoping we skate through this season and get a ring, then have a serious youth movement in our rotation for 2007...

To think we have a whole 'nother season of Johnson.

I suspect RJ would pitch this week if we needed him.

Also, Alan Schwartz has a great article on the oldest known living African American baseball player, Silas Simmons who is 111 years old. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/jxvk9

Sounds like Torre would like to have known about the issue earlier but it might not have changed much. They could have tried having him skip a start but he still has lots of time to rest up and try to get it right now.

254 That was an interesting take on Torre opening up. Thanks for the link.