Seriously, the interesting thing about this series is that it contrasts two VERY different teams who have seemingly switched places. Usually, this series is about the Yankees not getting distracted from their annual playoff push, and the Mets using the match-up as both a barometer and launching pad for their season. Well, this year, the shoe is on the other foot.

Still, I don't the Yankees quite fit into the underdog role simply because the team and its fans really can't take solace from winning a series from the Mets. The reality is that the Yankees need to win for winnings sake. The Mets, meanwhile, are not in the damned if you do/damned if you don't position. New York is still a Yankee town, so a series win can still provide the team and its fans a big boost.

Perhaps the most interesting contrast of the teams, however, is in their collective personality. Over in Flushing, you have what appears to be a close knit, emotional group composed of both stars and role players. On the Yankees side, it seems as if you have individual superstars sleepwalking through a tough season. Can anyone see the Yankees all shaving their heads, for example? They tried the mustache thing lat year, and it died out pretty quickly. Of course, the Yankees have never been a rah-rah team, but this year they also seem to lack fire. If the bats continue to slumber, the team could suffer greatly in comparison to the seemingly abundant energy displayed by the Mets.

In many ways, this next stretch of nine games could be the Yankees last stand. They should have fattened up over the past 15 games or so and didn't. What's worse, they looked slightly disinterested in (not) doing so. Well, with the Mets, Red Sox and Angels all in row, there should be no reason for this team to continue to play uninspired baseball. If they can't rise to the occasion now, then I don't see why anyone should expect them to. Sure, Clemens will be with the team by early June, but I don't think even his presence will help make up for a double-digit deficit in both the wild card and division.

The Yankees will play at least 2 games of the Mets series...I live in Boston and I'll be shocked if the red sox play even one.

Therefore:
1) They must pick up at least one game in the AL E. standings this weekend.
2) They must sweep the Red Sox in the Bronx.

If not, forget about it. I agree that the tide must be turned now.

The problem with this team is they still don't know who the heck is pitching from day to day. Add some slumping batters and rain outs and you have a recipe for underachievment. If the rotation can remain consistent the bats should come around and the team should be able to go on winning streaks. That plus Beckett blisters and Schilling spraining his stomach would make for a close race.

In general, a hot Boston team and a cold Yankees team which distorts the gap between the two teams. Will we win? I have no idea. But I won't give up until we are eliminated.

And, as Mark TR Donahue points out over at Bad Altitude, we still have tons and tons of games left vs the injury-riddled Jays, the pathetic Orioles, and the pitching deprived D-Rays. Right now, the Yanks are 3-11 vs the East. No way that continues.

And it sure looks like Tyler Clippard will be making his major league debut on Sunday night. I can't wait to see that.

How about those Vanderbilt Commodores? 2007 SEC Baseball Champions, beat LSU 4-1 via likely #1 draft pick David Price's 15 K's

13 The standings matter of course, but if the Yankees play well for an extended period of time, their position in the standings will improve. There is plenty of time left IF that Yankees starting playing very well RIGHT NOW. The time to fret over the standings will come later in the year. For now, all concern/worry/panic should be focused on the team's poor effort and outcomes.

My brother-in-law (not a big baseball fan, as you will see) saw me wearing my 2000 Subway Series t-shirt and he asked seriously, "What's the train for?" I replied (thinking he was joking), "Hellooo, you think it might be for the subway, hence the term 'Subway Series'". His reply was a classic (he was dead serious) "I thought it might have been sponsored by the sandwich joint Subway, you know like the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl".

Alan Horne (24 yo RHP in AA) threw 6 IP and gave up 3 ER to take the Loss but had 9 K and 1 BB. On the season:

46.2 IP 43 H 15 ER 10 BB 59 K 1.77 GO

Joba (21 yo RHP in A+) gave up his first ER (3 ER in 5 IP) of the season last night. On the year:

14.0 IP 8 H 3 ER 5 BB 16 K 1.55 GO

In tonight's game, besides Rocket and Tabata, keep on eye on:
- Franscisco Cervelli (21 yo C): .344 .443 .458 (switch hitting)

- Reegie Corona (20 yo SS) might also be worth paying attention to. He hits for average but not much else. I know nothing about him.

- Steven Tollenson (son of Wayne! - not particularly good but plays middle IF for Fort Meyers)

1) Jeter and Hip Hop Jorge smacking the ball on the regular.

2) Matt DeSalvo doing his David Cone impression.

Other than that, this season is devoid of anything likable.

http://www.mattinglybaseball.com/

I would have mowed 50 lawns to get my grubby little hands on one of these!

Just kidding, actually it is even worse for my brother-in-law. He really should know better since he has been surrounded by baseball all of his life (his dad is a former high school baseball coach). Although, that might actually explain why he doesn't like baseball now.

It is funny to hear my wife now that she is hooked on watching the Yankees. She will correctly use terms like "we've got runners on the corners" and "he better tag up". When I give her that curious look that implies "where did you learn that?", she replies "You forget that my father was a baseball coach..."

Of course, the way the season is going I have been threatening to ban her from watching the games with me due to her being bad luck (she knows that I am only half kidding ;-)

I'm actually praying for rain so the Yankees don't lose today.

Since at least 2005, the critics have been calling this team old and flat. And the Yanks have pulled it out every year. The fun is in whether they can do it again. But sooner or later they won't - that's baseball.

Meanwhile, Beckett and Drew are on the IR. It is only May 18th. Lets see what happens.

http://tinyurl.com/2az9vm
http://tinyurl.com/yscnza

That actually makes me want to watch even more now, too. Great point.

Imagine your favorite team wins the World Series. Now, imagine that 7 months later, the same team (more or less) has hit 18 homeruns. 7 guys on the team have homered, and one is a pitcher. Only two guys have more than 2 home runs. For the entire month of May, the team as a whole has hit 2 home runs - and it was one guy who did that.

I'm describing the Cardinals, BTW. That would suck.

Remember that amazing sense of catharsis back in 2000 when we got past Oakland after having lost the last thirteen games of the season or whatever it was and then the first game of the Oakland series and then we had to fly across the country for the final game after Clemens got shelled in the Bronx the night before?

We won that game five by scoring all those runs in the first and then Andy nearly blew the game before we brought in Stanton in the fifth to restore order.

We hung on to win what was to me one of the most cathartic victories I've ever seen.

I'm sorry, but that was a special group to be able to do something like that.