No More Excuses

Time to get it done.

There is a caste system in baseball. The Yankees are at the top of the pecking order. The Devil Rays are at the bottom. They're the untouchables. It's time for the Yankees to treat the Rays like the inferior team that they are. To destroy them and any idea Lou might have of playing spoiler to George.

Enough of this Tampa mess. Time to get it done.

They blew winning the season series. It's not the first time a bad team has had a good team's number. It won't be the last. Forget all that. Time to pummel them for the next three games. Time to make their suffering legendary. Even in Hell. Time for the Yankees to be the Yankees and treat the Devil Rays like....the Devil Rays.

It's time for A-Rod to earn his MVP award. Just like Vlad did last year. Like Big Papi is doing right now. What David Ortiz is doing right for Boston is frightening. He's put that team on his back and is carrying them to the finish line. A-Rod needs to do likewise. He has more homers, hits, run scored and a higher average. But Ortiz has been the most clutch player I have seen in years. He absolutely terrifies me and every Yankee fan I know. He can't field a lick, but who cares? With Manny apparently forgetting to take his Ritalin this season, where would the infidels be without Ortiz?

A-Rod needs to be that player. With Sheffield ailing, A-Rod has to be the point-man for this playoff-run. Not Jeter. Not Matsui. Not Giambi. Alex has to say, "You're not beating us tonight, not on my watch." He is the best all-around baseball right now. He has had a great season. Ortiz will never be the player, A-Rod is. But if Alex wants to remembered as a clutch performer like Ortiz, he has to turn it on now. Turn a great season into a magical one.

A-Rod can cement his legacy right here if he's able to take the Bombers to the promised land. No more questions about where to rank him , about how good he is. He can win his second MVP and cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats by what he does in October.

This is a very simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You field the ball. You run the bases. The Yankees are a superior team to the Rays in nearly every way. They need to let the Rays know that tonight. Destroy their delusions of grandeur. They need to treat Rays like the Braves treat the Mets. Everytime the Mets get on a nice roll and head to Turner Field, they get beat like Glass Joe on Super Punch-out. You never hear a peep out of Mutt fans for the rest of the season.

Time for us to paraphrase Larry "Chipper" Jones, "Make Rays fans go out and get their Yankee gear." Enough of this foolishness. Let's get it done. If we don't, it means that we weren't good enough. Bottom line.