Some Odd Thoughts From an Off Day...

Ahhhhh. Finally, a day off.  I hated it.  I hated every second of it, aside from knowing that my beloved Bombers needed a day.  It's awful tough watching the BoSox winning with their bench and starting lineup playing reverse roles, especially when the Yankees need to get healthy.

Looking back to Sunday, Pettitte was excellent.  He was perfect into the fifth until a swinging bunt broke that up but continued right along.  It was great to see him dealing.  NOTE TO PITCHERS EVERYWHERE:  Get the ball, get your sign, pitch & repeat.  See Andy Pettitte.

ARod...was yesterday enough of a breather or will I be rooting on Morgan Ensberg tonight?  I am hearing mixed reports that it is day to day and then simultaneously that a stint on the DL isnt out of the picture...I prefer bad news early and often, but as a seasoned New England Patriots fan I understand certain intelligence is not always forthcoming. (Update:  The Yanks' homepage is reporting ARod will rejoin the team in Chicago tonight and be re-evaluated prior to game time.)

It was nice to see Joba back and given the time he'll need to shake off the rust I am sure he was happy to see the rain close in on Sunday afternoon.  He'll be fine.  It's so hard to remember he is still only a kid.  Speaking of children, Hank, please pipe down.  Joba stays in the pen.  Period.

My reasoning may be simplistic, but I believe it to be logical:  Why hope your (other than Mo' and Joba) shaky bullpen can get Joba one win every 5 days when he can get you 3 or 4 wins every 5 days once your offense wake's up...?  From a different angle, Joba can not just wake up and start, he's not stretched out right for that, even given the efforts in spring training.  So do you weaken the bullpen temporarily while Joba gets stretched out in the minors?  I guess you do if you want to go 11-19 for April again. 

If the '90's taught us anything it's that turning 9 inning games into 6 or 7 inning games is paramount when you have a lights out backend of your pen.  Given the youth of Hughes & Kennedy and the ever adjusting Moose, all three barely capable of giving you 5 innings on a consistent basis, the Yanks need to be making games as short as possible.  Making Joba a starter only weakens that opportunity.  I just dont understand Hank, even given his lineage.  You want to add a spark to your currently .500 team, fine, but say something that makes some sort of baseball sense without labeling your manager and GM "idiots" by inference.

What a pleasant surprise Chad Moeller has been...a career .220 something guy giving you a .350 stint while both of your catchers are on the mend.  I wouldnt expect it to last for on and on, but it certainly is comforting for the moment.  Hopefully Jorge will be back behind the dish this week and we can get back to normal.

Finally, I leave you with this:  How come the only people you ever hear sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" are already at a ball game?  How come you never hear anyone singing it, let's say, at the supermarket.  I was at the supermarket yesterday with my wife, and I would much rather have been at the ball game...so I broke into song.  My wife hates off days too.

Off to Chicago, go Yanks!