Matsui gone for 3 months; The latest on Pavano

Yankees 7, Red Sox 3 (Wed.)
Red Sox 5, Yankees 3 (Thurs.)

After the exhiliration of Wednesday's win (and the special thrill of taking Schilling deep three times, none of them cheapies), last night's game started out ugly, went very long, and ended badly.

Seeing the Matsui play, I immediately said "if that's not broken it's a miracle." The announcers happy-talking about a sprain I knew was just whistling past the graveyard. Alas it was broken, and no Matusi for at least 3 months. Ugh.

The overall effect really shouldn't be that horrendous. One positive is that Melky gets a chance to show what he can do, and I have the gut feeling that he's ready. This lineup, even without Godzilla, should be able to score plenty. If, and it's a big if, the pitching holds up.

And speaking of pitching, Brian Cashman was on the phone last night with Tampa, checking on the progress of oft-injured starter Carl Pavano with Tampa pitching coach Rich Monteleone.

Cashman: How's Pavano doing?
Monteleone: Oh, he's doing great, Chief. He's got a great tan, really seems to be having a ball down here in Florida. We went to this place last night called "All A-Broad." "A-Broad" -- get it? Great place. They have this girl there, the things she can do with a plunger and a feather boa . . .
Cashman: Um, Rich . . . I meant, how's he doing pitching-wise? We need him back healthy.
Monteleone: Oh. Well . . . he was doing great, Chief, until this morning. He bent over to tie his cleats and felt something in his back. We've shut him down for a couple of days.
Cashman (softly): Christ.
Monteleone (brightly): But we expect him to be throwing off flat ground again by next Tuesday. Maybe next Thrusday. Backs are tricky.
Cashman: Flat ground?!? I thought he was making rehab starts!
Monteleone (confused): Um, he was, Chief. Until he got the paper cut two weeks ago. Then, just as that healed, he stubbed his big toe on some boxes marked "K. Brown --Personal." Have you been reading my e-mails?
Cashman: (banging on his keyboard) E-mails? What E-mails . . . oh . . . crap. They were in the "Junk E-Mail folder."
Monteleone: (laughing) Cool! I'm a spammer!
Cashman: (not laughing) All right. So when do we think he'll back up here pitching again?
Montleleone: (thoughtfully) Hm. Well, we don't want to rush these things, Chief, and I'd hate to give an estimate and then have to change it again, so . . .
Cashman: (impatiently) When the hell will he be ready?
Monteleone: (quietly) August 15th.
Cashman: I give up, I just give up.
(Crashing sounds and screams heard on the phone)
Monteleone: Sorry, Chief, I gotta run. The Fed Ex truck coming to pick up Kevin Brown's boxes just ran over Pavano's foot and then plowed into the box office. I'll write again soon!
Cashman: Yeah, you do that. I got another call coming in anyway.
(Cashman switches lines).
Steinbrenner: Brian, it's George! How's Pavano doing? Think we can get Barry Bonds? How about that A-Rod! I knew my little jab would get results! Do Matsui's consecutive games in Japan count? I've got a trade in mind . . . what do you think of Sheffield and Sean Henn for Albert Pujols? . . . oh, yeah, I almost forgot . . . I have some ideas for new promotions . . .
(Cashman sets the receiver down and walks over to the window, opens it, plugs his ears and sings "Cotton-Eyed Joe" at the top of his lungs.)