The Week That Was

Formula 1: Engine Is Everything

When it works, it works. A solid start. Joba. Mariano. Seven-inning ballgame.

That first part is the tricky part. Right now the bats aren't particularly potent so overcoming a poor or even fair effort by the starter is difficult. Mussina didn't pitch horribly, but wasn't stellar by any means as a result the Yankees were never really in that game. Kennedy last night was terrible, the offense tried to make a game of it, but the firm of Farnsworth & Hawkins Ltd., General Demolitions, ensured that there would be no semblance of a comeback.

It could be a roller coaster of a year. Kennedy and Hughes (and, yes, even Joba) at times are going to have their growing pains. The offense, as we see right now, is going to have periods of more potential than production. When those two problems coincide there is going to be losing and generally bad feelings. And when those things coincide with Boston not having those problems (though at times they will), the media will make everything seem ten times worse.

So, it's going to be an exciting, but not always calm, season.

And . . .

I go on record as saying the Yankees did the right thing in keeping all the kids and not making the Santana deal. I, for one, am all right with missing the playoffs this year if that has to happen. Yankees management shouldn't be OK with it, of course, but not to the extent of making some stupid panic trade(s) in July. You can remind Me, in August when we're ten games out that I said this. Sometimes the right thing is to miss the playoffs one year, and in parts of the Yankee organization they understand that it's not going to affect selling out the Stadium this year or selling out the new Stadium next year.


Steve, Are You Sure About This?

"The greatest offense in the history of baseball." --Steve Phillips, on the 2008 Tigers.


Wait! I meant, "unless they have to face Gil Meche or Zach Greinke!"

Thank you for that clarification, Steve.