Crappy.

If I can carry this over, with apologies, and the excuse of poor timing (put this in the game thread as the postgame post was going up. Feel free to ignore as before, and carry on:

The Yankees have been a singular bummer this weekend.

That series was one, long drawn out horror show. In every single game I found myself simply hoping the Yanks would win, while feeling a terrible certainty that logic, probability, and what my gut was burbling told me each game would end badly.

Three games, chances in all three games, three losses in a variety of awful outcomes.

Joba shits the bed, blown opportunities, inevitable Gaudin-Cruz home run; an inexplicably overused Mariano blowing a save; a tie game headed into the 7th with Dustin Moseley and who knows up against Cliff Lee and what looks like a variety of good options in the Rangers bullpen.

0 for 3.

I happen to agree that this team looks dreadful right now, and, as I said after game 1, they look like a bad bet against ANY of the possible postseason teams, so long as neither the White Sox or the Red Sox go on a hellacious run while the Yankees crumble.

Minnesota or Texas? Probably doesn’t matter if the team can’t play better than this.

The overwhelmingly depressing part of the series against Texas is that Hamilton sat the whole thing out. That’s ugly.

I’m furious with the Yanks for getting to me in every which way – watching every brutal minute of Game 1, out drinking and home to see the shock of the Yanks leading in the 9th and then the peekaboo check of the score to find a 7-6 turd on my doorstep, tuning out the game all day and then idiotically watching the 7th before turning them off in disgust.

Fuck you, Yankees. You still couldn’t ruin a weekend that included that epic win over Notre Dame. I banish you from my thoughts. Mostly.

Is there a chance that this is just the suck before the surprise of suddenly solid, tenacious play that leads into a surprising postseason? I suppose it could be – we’re not going to throw some of these guys as starters in a postseason series if Pettitte returns in form.

Cano’s slump may be temporary; the team as a whole does ebb and flow.

I’d be very surprised, though, if this season isn’t what I’ve had this nagging feeling it will be for at least a month: as someone said in one of the game threads, this one just screams that it’s all going to end in tears.

Two things from the series – a question and a statement.

First, the statement. Albaladejo SUCKS. To heck with any of you who have fooled yourselves into thinking this isn’t obvious. I watch, he sucks. My eyes tell me he sucks. Just like they told me that Melancon SUCKED. Albaladejo could save 100 games in a season in the minors, and until I see stuff that looks any different from the crap and slop he throws every time he wears the real uniform, I’m pretty certain he’s straight garbage.

Second, a question: has there been ANY sort of answer for the decision to throw Mo for two innings in game 1? That was the decision I found most inexplicable in a weekend of strange choices. When they didn’t take the lead after Mo’s first inning, I thought the situation demanded that you sit your 40 year-old wizard down. Has Girardi given ANY plausible explanation for that?

Closing thoughts in this sloppily written complaint (I’m tired): this Texas team reminds me distressingly of the semi-recent Angels squads. Not just because Vlad is there – but more because I see solid, if occasionally unspectacular starting pitching, a team that has frighteningly more team speed than the Yankees, a billion guys in the bullpen who throw high nineties or something else nasty, and a horribly overmanaging manager who doesn’t look like a dope because all the parts are the right parts, meaning most moves, no matter how stupid, are still passable moves.

Finally, fuck you Joba. I blame your fat gutlessness for this whole series. You started a chain reaction with the most pathetic pitch I’ve seen a Yankee throw all season. And this is a team that starts AJ Burnett.

And a postscript on managers:

Managers? This constant plaint for Buck may include a massive falsehood. Isn’t it quite possible certain players whose wishes were simply not going to be overridden at the time sent up a vote of “no thanks” with regard to Buck? With the transition in ownership of the Yankees and Cashman’s shaky position at the moment of Torre’s departure (let us not forget that this was pre-actually winning a WS), I think guys on this team were in a position to demand or reject a Buck. And if it was a non-starter (which I suspect that it was), constantly asking for something that was not a legitimate possibility is to pretend to be a realist while existing in a world of utter fantasy.

Hillman? I’ve met the guy, interviewed him for almost an hour, and came away incredibly impressed. But he’s floundered since the day that impression was formed (early 2001). Great presence, very logical and clear-thinking, but he has not flourished.

Who else? Who ya’ got? If Buck’s a BS answer, you have to have something else.

I think Girardi has had some massive head-scratchers throughout the last few months. But there are things he’s done well with a team that has many problems that lurk below the surface that can’t be so easily dismissed.

Is he perfect? Definitely not. Still waiting for a REAL candidate to prefer.

2) I hear your frustrations. Try and keep the rants down to a few chapters and not a novel, though. LOL. Fuck the Rangers. And fuck the Twins too. Yanks are better than both of those teams. They had a shitty weekend, Girardi managed like he was trying to win the Gene Mauch Award. And the Rangers are tough, especially when Lee is on. But the Twins have the "worm has got to turn" mojo on their side. One day, they'll beat the Yanks. And it would be much worse to have Pavano stick it up their ass and beat them in the first round than even the Rangers.

I don't care who they play. Sure, I could get into match-ups but every team is tough in the first round. And if they get past the first round, they'll likely have to play the Rays who are crazy tough too.

T'ain't gunna be easy but it shouldn't. It should be hard. And if the Yanks make it back to the Serious this year and if they win it--which I don't think will happen for whatever reason, hunch, gut, you call it--it'll be all the sweeter.

Fuck this weekend and the Rangers. It's done and forgotten about.

Onto the Rays!

Let's GO Yankees!

Yeah, sorry on the length. The word for today is "diffused." My brain is in a post-drink fog, torn between elation over Saturday's college football and depression over a truly dismal innards-wrenching sweep by the Hamilton-less Rangers.

I'll get back to you on that other thing - stuck in a period of overarching de-motivation, with bad timing as I'm behind in life, at the moment.

Drat for no edit function - has anyone heard an explanation from Girardi for using Mo for 2 on Friday night? I just don't get that decision.

Hamilton, sure. But these dickheads didn't see CC or Andy.

I don't know if its because I missed the game, or because the Rays lost, or because I just don't have the energy anymore, but I can't muster up the usual blinding rage over this debacle.

Just win tomorrow.

[6] I do take solace in that, although the team trajectory doesn't seem very good, and if it's a first round series, Texas' home field seems like a real advantage. Although the big fella does pitch well in warm weather. With Minnesota's new outdoor stadium, I wonder if there has ever been a greater temperature differential between potential first round opponents.

[7] I think Friday night's abomination left us all a little numb, and there is a certain sense that the pitching matchups didn't fill anyone with confidence going into the series, to begin with.

Still, I think we'll all be surprised if they suddenly play crisp, effective baseball against the Rays, even if we're hoping for a surprising showing.

Surprise me, Yanks. In the good way, not the waking up hazy on the floor of a Port Authority bathroom kind of way.

A few questions about today's game.

Why the hell wasn't A-Rod in the lineup today against Lee? Don't tell me that he needed more rest. Criminy, the Yankees just had a day off on Thursday, plus he was on the DL for two weeks before that. He's been one of the Yankees' hottest hitters.

Why does the best offense in the AL take off so many games? They made Lee, coming off a bad back, look like Lefty Grove.

Finally, does Girardi EVER get mad about the team's performance? They have played like *** for an entire week, with their only win an almost flukish ninth inning comeback. If Billy Martin, or Lou Piniella, or Joe McCarthy were managing this team this week, you can bet they would be ranting and raving. And with good reason.

[9] Joe has rested his players to what seems like an absurd degree this year. I guess we'll see if it was a good idea come October.

the Banksy graphic is cool, at least.
right?

[10] except, ironically, for Jeter, who has had only 4 days off so far this season (unless my back of the envelope math is off).

Man. We all know Jete hates taking days off. He wants to play even if he's half-dead.

But now that he's getting older, he probably needs to take more time off. SS is a demanding position. A lot of managers make a point of resting their veteran players regularly.

After taking yesterday off, Jete went 1 for 2 with a double and 2 BBs today. Maybe the rest did him some good?

If it's any consolation, my back still isn't good. 5 weeks at this point, though I start PT today.

[9] Alex does have a bad hip, and as someone who's got the same condition, it can crop up and hurt at anytime. I'd just like to see Cano get a day off. He's been less than awesome lately.

[2] I don't think anyone who manages the Royals will "flourish." But Hillman was considered for the manager's job before the Royals hired him, and he has done well in Japan, so at least he has that going for him.