Presumably, for those who care, monogamous fornication (Rios' case) is less serious than fornication and adultery (Rodriguez' deal with Madonna).

Let's focus on baseball now...

from petey:

UPDATE, 6:53 p.m.: Just spoke to Brian Cashman to get his take on Eric Milton: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he said. "We'll make an assessment of how he is physically and try and get him going. I have no expectations of whether he can pitch for us this season, either in the majors or minors. But I can't tell you he won't

21 monkeypants, I will help you out.

At least he's better than Igawa.

At least he's better than Pavano.

"If he does anything to help us this year, that's fine," Cashman said. "We're just going to have a chance to get an advance look (for 2009)."

That said, no harm I guess.

30 If by "RH batters" you mean Sexson, I agree. I wonder if there's anyone else floating around out there.

ESPN - if our legion of ignorant screaming heads don't have something to complain about on all our platforms, by golly, we'll give it to them!

The sad thing is, in terms of the overall media, ESPN is not alone in terms of manufacturing news, instead of reporting it.

I'm still looking for something he does well enough to justify not only his employment, but the massive amount of playing time such a lousy all around baseball player gets.

I'd define that as a shitty ass bench player, personally.

Jeter, Abreu and A-Rod struggling at the same time really gives us no chance to score at all.

He has looked TERRIBLE tonight.

I'm laughing right now because I was away, then when I looked at Gameday and saw the Overbay drove in the first Jays run, I thought, "Mattpat is going to be pissed."

Then I come here and there you are! =)

This is not aimed at your post per se, but I think some need to stop slagging on Jeter. He has batted .800 OPS since the beginning of June--below his career average but pretty damn good for a SS in 2008. In fact, consider the following numbers at the start of play tonight:

MLB SS .266/.321/.383/.704

AL SS .260/.311/.365/.676

MLB DH .246/.331/.412/.743

AL DH .246/.332/.413/.746

Jeter .286/.349/.389/.738

Jeter is out hitting the average MLB SS, and well-out hitting the average AL SS. He is also hitting right on par or a tick below the typical designated hitter.

Molina, too, has been horrible, caught stealing % be damned: projected VORP of -1.0, actual VORP of -6.4.

It goes on and on.

Being an okay hitter against righties isn't good enough when he can't play the field or face a righty off the bench.

Hey, if the team carries a real bench, cuts one of the useless catchers, drops one of two useless pitchers (Traber or Hawkins), then we can talk about replacing Betemit. But otherwise, they need someone who can play, however poorly, the entire bench.

He's the worst player on the team.

I'd just like to see a little fucking flexibility and innovation from this huge dopey dinosaur of a ballclub...

I'm not defending him as "good", but he surely can play, say, 2B better than Brett Gardner or Chad Moeller or Jose Molina or Justin Christian.

Why would Betemit even try to swing at that pitch.

And I would argue that Chad Moeller is the worst player, or at least the most useless. Hawkins is not far behind.

Remember too that, once upon a time, the Padres were very interested in Mr. Kei Igawa . . .

the top of the 5th went faster than I could type that paragraph, and I touch type....

WTF!?!

And after watching that man play shortstop two games in Kansas City, I'll take Gardner at second.

The logic of that sentence is, umm, impenetrable. You win.

In any case, if he finishes the 7th tonight, that means that since his third start, when he was on a more or less normal pitch count, he has averaged 5.9 INN/GS. That might lead the team.

Really, what more does he need to do, except drive in three or four runs a game?

3-0 count, ok, make that his last batter.

Also, why is that a double and not an error?

Also, why yank Joba because of THAT?

Hey, a Billy Traber sighting. I knew there was a reason to carry 13 pitchers.

"Rule 10.12(a)(1) Comment: Slow handling of the ball that does not involve mechanical misplay shall not be construed as an error. For example, the official scorer shall not charge a fielder with an error if such fielder fields a ground ball cleanly but does not throw to first base in time to retire the batter. It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder's legs or a fly ball falls untouched and, in the scorer's judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error. For example, the official scorer shall charge an infielder with an error when a ground ball passes to either side of such infielder if, in the official scorer's judgment, a fielder at that position making ordinary effort would have fielded such ground ball and retired a runner. The official scorer shall charge an outfielder with an error if such outfielder allows a fly ball to drop to the ground if, in official scorer's judgment, an outfielder at that position making ordinary effort would have caught such fly ball."

Mostly, I'm frustrated and bored.

And most of the games I've scored are rookie ball, which doesn't lend itself to spectacular fielding.

see y'all tomorrow for more ...

Mussina: 5.64 INN/GS
Rasner: 5.64 INN/GS
Ponson: 5.67 INN/GS
Pettitte: 6.26 INN/GS
Wang: 6.33 INN/GS
Joba: 5.83 INN/GS (last six starts)

So, with Wang injured Pettitte is the innings eater. But Joba has provided the second most INN/GS on the staff over his last six starts when his pitch count was c. 90+ pitches.

In other words, he has a good ERA as a starter and he's the second most durable starter. He might just be the #1 starter on the team right now, sad as that may be.

My gosh this game has gone fast - what is it with the Yanks and quick Friday night games?!

Here we are.

137 Doc is awesome. I respect him a lot, not least because he got sent to single A, from the majors, but came back and dominated.

Come to think of it, Edison Volquez also got sent all the way to single A, and now he's dominating.

I'm thinking Hughes should spend some time in single A before he comes back. =)

http://tinyurl.com/6z2bgt

Good night.

*Moeller designated for assignment
*Traber sent back to Triple A
*Hawkins given his release or sold to the Japanese Leagues

*Replace them with three bench players who can do SOMETHING, like Hatteberg, Sexson, Jason Lane, someone, anyone who can hit better than Moeller and Justin Christian.