Yes, bedbugs are a growing problem in New York and Westchester; that's one of many reasons why buying a house around here is about as attractive as picking up Moose's option.

Sweet Lou in Chigaco, now that's high entertainment. Better than pineapple-burgers, that's for sure.

Compelling argument, but I'm sure someone will post a reason-able rebuttalllll....

Yes, bedbugs are a growing problem in New York and Westchester; that's one of many reasons why buying a house around here is about as attractive as picking up Moose's option.

Sweet Lou in Chigaco, now that's high entertainment. Better than pineapple-burgers, that's for sure.

Compelling argument, but I'm sure someone will post a reason-able rebuttalllll....

If I double-posted a moment ago, it's because it's not appearing as I write this. Bedbugs in the system?

Hi folks,

I'm not sure where the proper place is for something like this, but after my recent attempts at dark jokes, the quick hook of my account, then a reinstatement over the weekend, I'm just going to throw this up and hope that all who took offense sees it.

Here's what I most recently wrote:

"Dear Mr. Arenson,

I can recognize I behaved badly but somewhere in there I still had a point to make. I'm sorry I didn't express that point other than with very dark attempts at humor. And I'm sorry I offended folks in the process. One joke was one thing but I kept pushing buttons and for that I am sorry. I disregarded the feelings of others and I regret doing so. That's what I'd say and what I was planning to say prior to being "banned".

After that I'm not going to lie and say I'm not disgusted by this whole outpouring grief from the national media and fans just because he was a baseball player. Lots of people die every day and their deaths go unnoticed. Just because the media enjoys a good rubbernecking doesn't mean I have to play the same tune. I feel bad for his family, but more so that they trusted their father, friend, brother, and husband to make responsible decisions. Flying a plane in which he was ill-suited is not a tragedy in my book - it's stupidity.

So for me there's a difference. I have an opinion that's surely unpopular. But I did a terrible job of expressing it. For that I'm sorry. I'm certainly willing to make a responsible and necessary public apology. Yours is a great site covering a sport I love. The people are generally first class. And I treated neither the site nor its community with the respect that it deserves.

Unfortunately though my opinion on the media and fan ruckus is inseparable from my actions. I can't apologize without explaining the emotions from which the thoughts arose. If you're comfortable with me expressing myself honestly and respectfully, I would like the chance to do so. If not, I wish you the best of wishes for your site and your life.

Sincerely,
Jim Dean"

*

At the time I made the jokes I was struggling to work through how this could happen to my friends:

http://tinyurl.com/mt8me

Regardless how I felt at the time about the great inequities of life, I'm sorry I disregarded that many of you felt a personal connection to the Lidle situation in a way that I felt a connection to my friends. Simply, I'm sorry that my reaction to the coverage of one led me treat your feelings as any different than my own.

I had a opinion on how the Lidle accident was being covered. And I should have stuck to that. My dark attempts at humor were more a relfection of the grief I was already experiencing, and struggling to deal with it. For anyone I offended in the process, I am truly sorry.

Dear Jim,

Thank you for the e-mail and for the apology. It shows character and an appreciation for this blog and its readers. A good way to start the week, indeed.

4 Welcome back. And as someone who can relate to personal tragedy, I'm very sorry for your loss.

I don't see Piniella (or anyone else) winning in Chicago in the short term. I can see him enjoying the big city market and attention but the Cubs have less talent than the Devil Rays. Girardi would be a Bill Cowher-type 15 year manager in Chicago. Instead Piniella is going to kick a lot of dirt and cash a fat check managing while managing a losing team. It might be more entertaining than Dusty Baker but the record won't be much different.

Speaking of the Cubs does anybody think the Yankees should take a flyer on free agent Kerry Wood? I wouldn't count on him much in the regular season but the Yankees have the luxury of focusing on October and could baby Wood's arm for the stretch run. I think Wood could be a great spot starter in the near term and could possibly regain form - he's only 29.

I swear, sometimes this blog is like a telenovela or closer to Young and Restless. Oh, the emotion, the drama ...

If we follow Hoffman's argument that A-Rod's defense helps Jeter, then the Yankees' off season goal should be to sign or trade for an even better more consistent 3rd baseman. A note to Hoffman, there are far stronger arguments to be made for not trading Alex Rodrguez than his defense helping Jeter. A-Rod is one of the greatest players and his production on offense is irreplacable.

after the banter, there's only ONE source that i turn to when searching for yankee news.

it is the only source with the close ties to get the inside scoop on what is transpiring behind closed doors.

the rocky mountain news.

how did the rocky mountain news scoop the NY papers on a potential return to 'stripes for joe girardi?

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/mlb/article/0,2777,DRMN_23924_5069555,00.html

my guess? it is based on rumor and little else, but it would be great to see him in the dugout again.

I haven't been able to verify this yet, but an ESPN radio person (I think it might have been Bob Valvano) reported that the woman whose apt. took the brunt of the damage in the Lidle crash is the SAME woman who was seriously injured by the light pole that was knocked over by a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade a few years ago.

If this is true ... the mind boggles at the odds.

4 I didn't see the offending posts so I can't comment on them, but I'm surprised that anyone's shocked by what the media does these days.

8 Simone, I completely agree about A-Rod. Since when did a .290 average, 35 homers and 121 RBI's become a bad thing? True, I wished he had performed better in the postseason, but the same can be said for the entire team, not just A-Rod. To place the blame on one person baffles me. People amaze me..right after the Yankees were eliminated my friends started saying to me "Oh you betta' burn your A-Rod jerseys", which I took offense to of course. I will still continue to wear the jerseys proudly, as well as my Yankees cap. I know we are all extremely frustrated to be out of the race and most people just want someone to blame for it...but we really need to accept the fact that the whole team struggled and failed unfortunately..not just one member of the team.

8 I never bought that 'A-Rod makes Jeter a better fielder' argument. I think the argument was invented by Jeter haters. Scott Brosius had a equal or better range factor at 3B to A-Rod. You have to examine explain why Brosius didn't have the effect on a younger Jeter before you can credit A-Rod for improving an older Jeter's range. Correlation is not causation. Maybe Jeter is the pro everybody says he is and he worked on his range.

Here's the Yankee 3B + Jeter compared to the league (via Baseball-Reference):

1998 Brosius rf 2.66 / lrf 2.23 - Jeter rf 4.16 / lrf 4.26
1999 Brosius rf 2.47 / lrf 2.21 - Jeter rf 3.93 / lrf 4.19
2000 Brosius rf 2.48 / lrf 2.31 - Jeter rf 3.95 / lrf 4.17
2001 Brosius rf 2.65 / lrf 2.41 - Jeter rf 3.70 / lrf 4.03
2002 Ventura rf 2.70 / lrf 2.40 - Jeter rf 3.76 / lrf 4.15
2003 Ventura rf 2.38 / lrf 2.35 - Jeter rf 3.65 / lrf 4.13
2004 Alex R. rf 2.34 / lrf 2.34 - Jeter rf 4.32 / lrf 4.12
2005 Alex R. rf 2.50 / lrf 2.49 - Jeter rf 4.56 / lrf 4.17
2006 Alex R. rf 2.36 / lrf 2.54 - Jeter rf 3.97 / lrf 4.02

I think it's just statistical noise when people say A-Rod improved Jeter's fielding. Judging fielding through stats is not as refined as offense at this point. Why wouldn't Brosius have the same effect?

7 Jaret Wright, Part Deux. No.

8 Can you get any more consistent than A-Rod, post-season menace? Seriously, who could we possibly trade for for what the Yankees would need in return? You'd have to be frazee, er, crazy to let go of a gold-glover with pop & lights out pitching (with blue chips on the side)

9 I will comment on that later...

10 Ouch. Not even being funny, all indications are that she should not be in NYC.

9 Question is, if Girardi comes on board, who goes?

15 I heard that Pena was in serious considerations for a job, so probably his spot? Though 1B coach seems like a silly spot for him, no? On the other hand, he can't really unseat any of the guys, their resumes are just as good!

15 A-Rod, clearly.

Off topic,
Does anyone other than me want the Gambler to take a piss test? He's throwing 5 miles faster (consistantly) than he's ever thrown in his career. From his time with the Yanks, I recall him never ever getting into the 90's at all... his post seaons starts this season... lets just say, he's hit 95 more than once. check it out for yourself.
call me sour grapes, or whatever you want.

18
the radar guns are calibrated to show higher speeds. that's my theory. it is a common practice, whether intentional or otherwise. zumaya was clocked at 102 & 103 practically every pitch he threw against the yankees.

isn't the record 103 or 104?

i know the adrenaline is flowing this time of year, but everyone looks like their tossing more heat these last couple of weeks.

i blame fox.

(and alex rodriguez.)

18 The same thought crossed my mind as well...

I wonder, are there random drug tests DURING the postseason? If not, what's to stop some players from taking greenies or any other drugs in time for an October run?

Also, on a different subject, check out the following bit of "wisdom" coming from Philadelphia (via Rotoworld.com):

"The Philadelphia Inquirer has floated the idea of an Alex Rodriguez for Pat Burrell trade...The Inquirer suggests [Burrell] could DH and allow New York to shift Jason Giambi back to first base, but the Yanks don't appear to want Giambi to play the field. Of course, if Burrell were a smooth-fielding first baseman, things might be different..."

UN-FRIGGIN-BELIEVABLE! As if the Yanks would ever make such a moronic deal. If the Phils want to deal for Arod, they'd have to start the discussions with Cole Hamel and any other player proposed would make the discussions a nonstarter.

19 I heard Cashman on the Michael Kay Show and he admitted that the Yanks were suprised by The Gambler's fastball.

The Hardball Times is very excited about Phil Hughes (who isn't?) and predicts a 3.36 ERA in the AL in 2008 (!)

http://tinyurl.com/ynd82h

4 Jim, I missed everything that happened, but that is a very interesting point you make about the media. And a sincere apology. Welcome back.

18 I'm pretty sure he's been tested at least once this year - all players get randomly tested at least once, right?

20 I also hope there is random testing in the postseason as well. And immediately after it!

19I wouldn't place too much emphasis on radar gun readings either. From Keith Law's last ESPN.com chat:

"SportsNation Keith Law: I have to point something out: Those radar-gun readings you've been seeing are bogus. These guys are throwing hard, but not that hard. I've never seen Verlander over 97, and I haven't heard of any scout getting Zumaya at 103. You've got to shave a few mph off those readings."

And again:

"ryan (san diego): keith, you're right on with the radar guns. the readings have been bogus throughout the playoffs, even for the slow-pitch guys. They were clocking todd jones at 95/96, i've NEVER seen him get over 92 mph before.

SportsNation Keith Law: Happens at ballparks too. I was at Yankee Stadium in late August and their board had Wang hitting 96 repeatedly, while I had him touching 94 and mostly at 90-93. A lot of things can affect a radar-gun reading - every few degrees you're off from a straight line, you lose some accuracy."

The guns also had Unit at 97-98 in the first inning of his start. Impossible? No. Probable? No. Do I wish it were true? Oh yeah baby.

at least Johnson has hit those number at some point in his career. the fact that Cash said the Yanks were surprised by his fastball, is more to go by than any radar gun. and numbers from Zumaya, and Verlander are in the realm of reality, Roger's hitting 90 at all seems shocking to me.

Speaking of the Unit... it would seem our staff is still suffering with the curse of "K-Bro"

13 You make a good point. It is strange that Brosius didn't improve Jeter's defense. Perhaps, range factor doesn't adequately measure defensive play.

26 Correlation does not prove causation.

Meanwhile, on the Mets, I'm rooting for them, but even despite the series-tying blowout last night, things don't look good.

Expect the Mets to win behind Glavine tonight and the Cards to win behind Carpenter on Wed, that brings you to a Game 7 which will see Jeff Supan, who dominated the Mets in Game 3, against . . . ?

It's Tracshel's turn, but he bombed in Game 3. They could start Oliver Perez on short rest, but he wasn't all that impressive last night, he just looked good compared to Tracshel. Darren Oliver basically started in relief in Game 3 and pitched well. So that's your Game 7 starter? Darren Oliver? I'm sure the rejuvinated Mets offense will do better against Supan the second time around, but still, it don't look good for the Metropolitans. If they win this series it will be because the offense woke up last night and carries them through. Their rotation is in shambles (not that this is news). And if for any reason the Cards pull out a win against Glavine tonight? Das it. It's ovah.

26 That's a rather large conclusion to draw about range factor from a very small amount of data.

The difference in Brosius at 3B vs A-Rod at 3B might simply be age. Jeter at 24-27 (1998-2001) might not have been willing to consider shifting his positioning, regardless of who was at 3B. Jeter at 30-32 (2004-2006) might have been.

Another possible reason - who generally places the infielders? Isn't it the 3B coach? Because, maybe not coincidentally, A-Rod's arrival also coincided with Willie Randolph not coaching 3B for the first time in Jeter's career. Perhaps the credit belongs, not to A-Rod or Jeter, but to Luis Sojo?

27 Willie made a mistake keeping Floyd on the roster - they guy knew he probably couldn't play and now he's just taking up space on the bench. An extra arm would have helped a lot right now.

BTW, Proctor/Yankees = Mota/Mets.

29 Anderson Hernandez's spot could have served the same purpose. I say fair enough on Floyd, who at last word might try to play again tonight or in Game 6, he could always deliver a Kurk Gibson moment. But Hernandez is redundant. I think Willie got cocky after the sweep of LA and forgot that just because his pen was rested in Game 1 didn't mean they'd still be rested by the time the series hit St. Louis.

15. Lee Mazzilli

I found a little something to put in the "Hate A-Rod" pipe...(via firejoemorgan.com)

So, it seems like A-Rod's reputation as a postseason failure basically stems from 3 straight bad series. Here's his line from those series:

16 games, .183/.300/.333, 10 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0.81 RC*/G

I decided to see who else from baseball history has had a similar or worse 3-series stretch. I found somebody from each position just for fun.

C Yogi Berra, 47WS-50WS ... 14 G, .140/.204/.260, 6 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0.64 RC/G
1B Jeff Bagwell, 97NLDS-99NLDS ... 11 G, .128/.261/.128, 3 R, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0.64 RC/G
2B Jackie Robinson, 47WS-52WS ... 19 G, .212/.342/.303, 9 R, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 0.79 RC/G
SS Derek Jeter**, 01ALDS-01WS ... 17 G, .226/.262/.290, 5 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0.47 RC/G
3B Mike Schmidt, 77NLCS-80NLCS ... 13 G, .164/.233/.218, 4 R, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0.54 RC/G
OF Babe Ruth, 18WS-22WS ... 14 G, .211/.333/.368, 4 R, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 0.71 RC/G
OF Mickey Mantle, 61WS-63WS ... 13 G, .130/.216/.217, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0.23 RC/G
OF Ted Williams*, 46WS ... 7 G, .200/.333/.200, 2 R, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0.43 RC/G
DH David Ortiz, 02ALDS-03ALDS ... 14 G, .200/.231/.280, 0 R, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0.43 RC/G

I think we can all agree that this team of chokers could never make it out of the first round.

* runs created (R+RBI-HR)
Jeter also had a pretty crappy 98ALDS-98WS ... 13 G, .235/.328/.294, 7 R, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0.77 RC/G
* OK, Ted only had 1 postseason series, but I figured in the spirit of judging players off of small sample sizes, I'd include him

Now, I'm sure all of those respective teams went out immediately after those series and decided to shop those "non-clutch" players around. /sarcasm

re: A-Rod
Agreed, we need to 'Stay the course'.
FOUR MORE YEARS!
FOUR MORE YEARS!

Agreed. A-rod in valuable if for no other reason than getting into the playoffs. That's where we need pitching and have failed to get it. More and more we regret not resigning Pettite. Moose needs to stay and we need a good young left arm to complement what we already have.

I agree he is very valuable ... but from everything I've read and even from Peter's article it seem that the arod issue is all about the clubhouse ... and whether they want him on the team anymore ... i think the fact that the team has become all about him (not necessarily his fault) has worn on everyone ... everyday is take arod's temperature day and answer questions about arod ... i think that next year won't be any different if anything it could be worse b/c the fans may start booing him on day 1 this time ... Ii think the clutch performance factor is only one item on a very long list that cashman has to deal in deciding if alex stays

espn is saying that sweet lou is definitely going to chicago, saying it is a done deal.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2628162

27 I think the Mets have a better chance than you think. See link below.

http://tinyurl.com/5ooxy

37 I'll still take Carpenter and Suppan over the 'Oliver' connection

38 I even like "He who shall remain nameless"'s chances against a short-rest Glavine tonight.

39
heheheh...

What, did A-Rod cheat on his entrence exams or something? Is he being investigated for tax evasion or selling secrets to the enemy? Was he caught vigorously slapping the bat boy? I dunno, did he pour vinegar on John Sterling's coiff? Why has A-Rod become number one enathema in New York now? He's not the leader, not supposed to be anymore than Giambi is supposed to be, so why is it that even his teammates are supposedly riding him out of town?

Say you do entertain the idea of trading him, seriously. From the vitriol that has spewed forth from the media in recent years, it's a wonder the Yankees would be able to get fair value from trading Cairo, never mind A-Rod.

Who wants to buy a product with a history of failure that has frustrated its previous owners so much that they got rid of it just to keep his neighbors off his back? What, are the Yankees supposed to take on "oh, whatta great goy" kinda players just to appease some so-called-family-values-eat-your-veggies-boys-will-be-boys-aw-shucks-ma'am-mission-accomplished-just-say-no-I-am-not-a-crook-look-new-stadium-let-them-eat-cake-my-buddy-runs-Con-Ed-it-was-justified-look-at-me-on-my-phone-behind-home-plate-on-tv-talk-loud-to-let-everyone-know-how-otherwise-insignificant-I-feel fungus-head that has a column in a paper that despises the city they happen to report on and reside in. (with apologies to BB's who happen to identify with those types)

I think its a large sector of the media playing way out of position, trying to be kingmakers again. Like unpopster said, unfuggenbelievable... please people, /hate.

And I also apologize if people have already moved on from this and I just kicked open the hornets' nest again. >;'

37 How does rain help the Mets?

42 It would give Glavine an extra day of rest, 4 days of rest instead of 3.

43 The Glavine game isn't the issue. It's Games 6 and 7 that look bad for the Mets.

does anyone else think the lull in detroit's schedule will hinder their upcoming series?

they had a lot of momentum working... now?... sitting in detroit, literally cooling off.

will being able to set their rotation be enough to off-set this disruption?

good lord, i love october.

45 I do think the time off is a negative for them, yes.

42 It doesn't, really. That's not the link I wanted to post.

I've reconsidered the actual link I wanted to post. The intended link is dumb.

41 "...are the Yankees supposed to take on "oh, whatta great goy" kinda players..."

I guess that means no Shawn Green?

48 Shawn Green is only a goyim to Steve Lyons.

41 The "clubhouse" - whatever that means - might not like A-Rod, but unless the clubhouse wants to lose, it will come around very quickly.

At the very least, the long layoff gives any Tigers who happen to live within the city limits time to riot-proof their houses...mebbe park their cars somewhere safer, ya know, like Indiana or something?

41 Will, please don't do that.

Cliff -

I must respectfully disagree, not matter what the heck Kenny Rogers has done to the mental health of Yanks and A's fans everywhere. Jeff Suppan is simply NOT going to do that again, and I will gladly eat my words and apologize to Mr. Suppan if that's the case. Not only that, Carpenter's road ERA is up in the 4's. I think we can manage a beat-down on Weaver the Lesser this evening, but even if we don't, I will not give it the "ovah" designation with two home games remaining at Sha.

Do Darren Oliver Perez and the rest of the Bewitched Bullpen and Shawn Green give me cause for concern? Hell yes - but I'm sorry, I'm not scared of Suppan or Weaver, despite what they did in St. Louis.

No more Ken Macha.
That's gotta be a plus for the Yankees, bigger plus for Seattle, maybe.

I'm back at work from a week off. My wife gave birth to our first child Sunday the 8th at 10:36pm. Jack Morgan Petterson: 7lbs 14oz, 20", and the spittting image of his old man. Poor kid. More than makes up for the Yanks being shut down by the gambler.

52 No offense intended, my friend; my point being, the whole thing makes as much sense as gum-smacking to me. No offense.

48 Shawn Green can play on my team anytime he wants. Steve Lyons can take a long walk off a short pier.

55 Congratulations! (Pssst! Cashman! Sign this kid right now!)

56 I'm not offended. The problem is that long sentence with all the dashes. In Firefox, it displays as single line, forcing the screen so wide I have to scroll back and forth to read it.

I gather this is not the case in IE, or a lot more people would be screaming at you.

But take pity on us Firefox users, and next time, put a few spaces in your super-long words.

Me too, Firefox, same problem.
Firejoemorgan.com is so damned funny.
Today's bit on Peter King on "winners"
is grossly unfair and hysterical.

59 LOL! And the fact that da Bears are losing
to Arizona makes it even better...

58, 59 Ohhhh! You learn something new everyday. I'm stuck with IE at work, yet I have Firefox at home. I never knew that would happen, though I never tried that before in the first place.

The Cardinals are just taking the Bears apart. Impressive. And very surprising (I bet Peter King is surprised, and I wonder if he'll be taking a little drive down to Tempe to check out the role players and winning atmosphere).

Yeah, 61, I guess it's just like the really long URL problem, only that long hyphenated thing was much longer than the longest URL. We seem to have buried it now, in any case.

62 Next time I attempt long-winded sarcasm, I'll use TinyHyphen.

I grew up in New York, left after high school for college, and haven't been back for more than a week at a time in the ensuing 21 or so years. Still follow the pinstripers religiously and adhere to the Dave Barry line of forging a lifelong bond with a corporation that doesn't deign to so much as acknowledge my existence, yet took years to decide if my one and only soul mate really was the right one for me.

This was the first October in a long time that I was in NY and the first one ever that I was able to witness the post-elimination tabloid coverage on the Yanks.

What a travesty New York papers are! How do you New Yorkers tolerate such slipshod reporting and acrimony? The Daily News wanted to ship out five or six great players immediately, including A-Rod and Giambi. One can argue about the clutchness of A-Rod (I personally like him) but Giambi is a bull (usually) in October. No one was touching Pedro in 2003's game 7 but Jason was able to crush two solo shots, setting the stage for Posada's (very lucky) bloop single that tied the game, not to mention Boone's not-nearly-as-impressive home run that won the game.

I saw a point, raised by Torre and echoed by others, that the 96 and 98-00 Yankees were, besides being good teams, very lucky at key points. That kid Maier keeps his glove out of fair territory and do the O's win the '96 series? A Tino grand slam late in game 1 against the Pads saved that game, though the result seemed inevitable in hindsight. The 2001 series should never have reached Game 7, though I'm still upset we didn't win our fourth in a row. How many miraculous come from behind in the late inning games did we enjoy over five or six consecutive Octobers? And we're angry that lady luck isn't so kind anymore?

Every team this decade, from '01 through this years configuration, is a marked improvement over the '99 and '00 squads. Yet, the lack of a title remains an albatross that reduces their stature in relation to their lesser peers.

Sorry to ramble, but I don't know how any athlete can succeed in NY with the current media atmosphere. No wonder everyone, from Damon and Abreu to Sheff and Giambi freeze up and forget how to hit. They're already reading the "X must go!" headlines in the next day's paper.

The only way forward seems to be to let the entire team go, save Jeter, Posada, Cano, Cabrera, maybe Phillips, and Rivera; promote the entire AAA roster to the bigs and hope for the best. Character would never be questioned and we'd be the lovable underdogs (again).

I say bring in some new pitchers, keep all of the position players (except Cairo) and roll the dice again next year. And don't boo unless it's absolutely deserved.

64 I like this guy. Let's sign him, too >;)

55 Mazel tov!

64 I think you've got things pretty well sussed. You have a problem with all that? Hey, if only ARod had a little clutchitudeness, this wouldn't be an issue, right?

58 I was wondering why that happened. I switched from Firefox to Safari and it was fine.

I agree with 64 for the most part. But I am done with the Andy Phillips experiment. I assume Sheffield is not back next year. If he is, then we have too many 1st basemen. If he isn't, then maybe we can start using 1st to transition some of our older outfielders. Say Matsui start playing some of that once in a while? Too soon?

How about giving Kevin Thompson a decent look? BTW, do the Yanks give Dotel another look?

64 "The only way forward seems to be to let the entire team go, save Jeter, Posada, Cano, Cabrera, maybe Phillips, and Rivera; promote the entire AAA roster to the bigs and hope for the best. Character would never be questioned and we'd be the lovable underdogs (again)."

I like it. With money saved in salary, the Boss could afford a roof for the Stadium.

(It's the rain that did us in, I tell you. This year and last. The damned rain.)

Another example of how chemistry is overrated: Macha gets fired from Oakland after taking them past the first round against Minnesota.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2628358

But some people don't get it:
""I'm really shocked by this," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who managed in Oakland from 1986-95. "I just look at the season they had. ... Well, they had such a great second half. [If] there was friction, how did they beat Minnesota?""

Because they were hitting and Minnesota wasn't. And they had pitching to match Minnesota's. Chemistry didn't matter.

"The San Francisco Chronicle, citing team sources, reported earlier Monday that Macha's job was in jeopardy due to his trouble communicating with his players and his "callous attitude" toward injured players."

""For the last two years, our relationship has deteriorated to nothing," back-up catcher Adam Melhuse said, according to the Chronicle. "He didn't even speak to me for well over the last month. For me, as a backup, all I want is communication. Every other coach, I get along with great, but with Macha, it is not an exaggeration to say he doesn't speak to me -- not 'Hi,' not anything.

"It's tough to go to work every day knowing you're working for someone who doesn't think much of you as a player and on top of that, doesn't even acknowledge you."

Earlier this season, Macha refered to disabled players Joe Kennedy and Rich Harden as "non-entities."

During the playoffs, he responded to an injury to second baseman Mark Ellis' broken finger with: "It's part of the game. A lot of people get hurt.""

Found this both hilarious and topical- the Curt Flood trade that resulted in Flood's lawsuit and eventually Alex's book also included...Tim McCarver. Yes, you read that correctly.

Sorry Alex, I don't know if you mentioned that in your book, I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet :(

64 One thing about luck that I think bears emphasis: it's a lot easier to be lucky when you put the bat on the baseball than when you don't.

That's why Posada was a hero to me for that bloop hit; he didn't strike out and thus gave his team a chance to get lucky.

Same thing with O'Neill when he blooped that opposite field hit to get on in front of--which one was it, Brosius or Tino?

Anyway, it seems to me that this new batch has a much greater flair for striking out in big spots than the old batch.

I don't know if that makes the difference, but I think it's a major problem.

69 OTOH...maybe if the chemistry was better, they'd still be in it?

Not that I necessarily believe that; I just don't see this as an example of chemistry not mattering. It could just as easily be taken as the opposite: bad chemistry ended their season early.

Sal's Pals are bereft. Fasano has become a free agent.

So has Nick Green. He and Cannizaro were outrighted to Scranton (I almost said Columbus). Green elected to become a free agent.