Treading Water Is Tiring

One, Two, . . . Stop.

Thursday night the Yankees did something that they've done repeatedly over the past two years: Win the first two (or even three, a couple of times) games of a series and then lay an egg when they had the chance to sweep.

A lot had to go wrong for the Yankees to lose Thursday's finale in Chicago, I understand, but a lot that went wrong could've been prevented.

Joba giving up two hits in his second inning of work didn't bother Me too much --things like the are going to happen over the course of 55-65 appearances.

What bothered Me was . . . mostly, the complete brain fart by Morgan Automatic-Outberg in the fourth inning. The White Sox had gotten about four straight hits . . . there was a man on third with one out. Game now tied at 3. The ball is grounded to Ensberg, who throws home and of course, doesn't get the runner.

In the fourth inning, when the pitcher hasn't recorded an out in fifteen minutes, with the game tied, you have to realize that getting an out is the only important thing at that moment. You can't throw home unless you are 100% sure of getting the guy . . . stopping the bleeding is what matters at that point. Another run scores that inning wouldn't have scored had Ensberg recorded the out at first on that play.

A lot else went wrong. The weather, for one. Hughes had looked halfway decent through two innings before the rains came. When the game resumed, fifty minutes later, Hughes did not come back out . . . Ohlendorf did. I can't bitch too much, but fifty minutes I've always been led to believe was manageable in these things . . . it's not like it was a two-hour delay.

Ohlendorf went wrong -- can this guy ever give up a softly-hit ball? Does everything off him have to be a rocket?

Traber went wrong, facing one batter and walking him. MJ2 is apparently already completely addicted to this lefty-lefty BS. Lord help us.

We battled back (Automatic Outberg even getting a huge hit) but Joba's number was up.

It's hard to sweep series . . . at least it is for the Yankees these days.


Are We Missing Something?

When it started raining in Chicago Thursday night, iris pointed out to Me that MJ2 should've sent Andy Pettitte to Cleveland ahead of the team, since he was pitching Friday night and with rain in the forecast, the team might end up getting in very late.

Isn't MJ2 supposed to be the Man-Genius of managing? The guy who thinks of every possible angle to give his team the best chance to win?

How tough was it to know that Andy needed to head to Cleveland ahead of time? Presumably Pettitte wasn't going to make a surprise relief appearance Thursday night.


Shopping at the (Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand) Dollar Store.

Frank Thomas' unemployment didn't persist for long . . . The Big Always Hurt signed with Oakland, the scene of his impressive 2006 late run at an MVP. Barry Bonds claimed that the A's were being racist in signing Thomas over him until he realized that Thomas is in fact black also.

Thomas will be paid the minimum, pro-rated. They may have made a great deal . . . on the other hand, the cars in the junkyard are really cheap for a reason.


Well, There Goes Scranton's Shot At A Title

Pitching injuries, ineffectiveness, and overuse necessitated roster moves prior to last night's game in Cleveland.

Chad Meoller was DFA'ed. Bruney was put on the DL, and word is he might be back for September. Albaladejo and (ta da! finally!) Chris Britton were brought up.

In addition to Bruney being hurt, Farnsworth tweaked his elbow a bit . . . so he's day to day, it seems.

Needed: Some length from the starters. Badly. And some more consistent offense, so that MJ2 can manage with a little margin for error in handling starters.


He Can't Throw, But It's All Good. Honestly.

If Posada can't throw . . . and all indications are that he still can't, he needs to go on the DL. We can't have would-be base stealers simply taking every base they want on us.

As for Posada or DH or 1B: It takes time away from Matsui, Damon, Melky, or Giambi, and Posada's bat, while sometimes useful, isn't so good that you warp the whole lineup to wedge it in there.

It is not really that difficult: Catcher can't throw? Put him on the DL.