Chip, Chip, Chip . . . Oops!

Once More, With No Feeling.

Another numbing loss today. It would blend into all the others except that it started out with a jolt. That, and more classically horrible managing by Joe Torre make tpday's loss semi-memorable.

The jolt: Andy Pettitte allowing 8 runs in 1.2 innings. (Only 7 of said runs were earned thanks to an error by Abreu, who is suffering from Sheffield's Syndrome, in which poor performance at the plate causes desultory defense.) It was pretty shocking -- Andy has pitched well this year by and large and in most games has deserved a better fate. Not today -- there were some dribblers and bloops but Pettitte's location was way off and the shelling was richly deserved, disconcerting as it was.

So before I'm even settled in we're down 8-0. I check when and where the Boston game is on, since I figure to be watching a lot more of that game than this one.

But Haren is not his under-2 ERA self today. He's throwing a lot of pitches, and giving up some hits. 8-2. Villone, of all people, has replaced Pettite and Ronnie likes pitching down a lot of runs, obviously. Oakland's doing nothing against him.

8-4. We actually get the tying run to the plate with two outs (Cano, inserted into the 3 spot today). He makes out, but at 8-4, middle innings, Oakland's bullpen hardly bulletproof, it feels like we have a chance.

Villone is unhittable. We get it to 8-5, thanks to a 2-out hit by Jeter, his first since Tuesday, it feels like. Once again, the tying run to the plate with two outs. Once again, Cano. He strikes out. But OK . . . 8-5, three innings to go . . . we can do this. (Side note: Cano's approach at the plate this season is, to be kind, comical. Where is the hitting coach? Where is Mattingly? Or Bowa? Someone? Anyone?)

Bruney took over after Villone's 3.1 innings of outstanding relief and in his second inning of work, Bruney does the unthinkable: he allows a baserunner! I'm cursing before the batter even reaches first base because I already know what happens next.

And there he is. Mike Meyers, our "lefty specialist," and I want to throw something at the screen. Please, will the shills in the media who defend Torre no matter what, who humiliate, dismiss, and trash callers who say Joe should be fired, please make a semi-reasonable argument why you bring Meyers into the game at that point. To face a left-handed batter, when lefties are hitting well over .300 against Meyers.

And, to no fan's surprise, Meyers coughs it up to a lefty -- Cust doubles and Ellis easily scores from first. 9-5. And you could feel the life go completely out of the crowd, and the team. There would be no more chipping away.

Vizcaino comes in and gets out of that inning but gives up two more runs later, but it didn't matter. (Vizcaino has been pitching his way up the heap, headed for the coveted status of "Joe's guy." Today may have been just a little sidestep, or was the beginning of the quick slide back down to the bottom of the pile. We'll see.)

But once again, Torre's managing takes away what (admittedly little) chance we had at coming back in this game. Using Meyers in that situation is premature, and a case of slavish adherence to "the book." I wish Joe would look at the book that shows how Meyers is pitching now, not how he pitched for Boston in 2004, which is what Joe must see when he looks at him.

Release Meyers (that's not a knee-jerk reaction to today's performance -- it's long overdue). Fire Joe. Back up the truck and see what interest there might be for various and sundry warm bodies inhabiting the Pinstripes these days.

None of those will happen, of course . . . as I've said, iris has told me "it's going to be long year."

It already is. I think I've said that already, too.