Those Good Type Of Problems

Before I talk baseball, I want to send my condolences to Yankee announcer Michael Kay, who lost his mother recently. While he is been a punching bag for me and other Yankee fans, the loss of a parent is a traumatic experience. All the best to Kay and his family.

I also wanted to plug a couple of new blogs created by my friend Adam aka Brooklyn Met Fan. He's started two blogs for football season. Brooklyn Giant Fan and Brooklyn Jet Fan. I'll contributing something for the Giants blog along with some other writers. So take a look if you're interested in some good football writing.

The last two nights of baseball at the Stadium show that the Yankees, like Marlo on the Wire, has those good kind of problems.

It has to be a little disheartening for an opponent when Torre sits three of his starters and the lineup they face is still intimidating. To say that the Yankees have an abundance of riches is an understatement. A treasure chest that will

Here's the potential lineup without Sheffield...

Damon
Jeter
Abreu
A-Rod
Giambi
Posada
Matsui
Cano
Cabrera

Scary. Now take a look at the lineup with Sheffield...

Damon
Jeter
Abreu
A-Rod
Giambi-DH
Posada
Matsui-LF
Sheff-1B
Cano

Borderline illegal. Now obviously, there are some defensive challenges that have to be negotiated by Torre. Cabrera has brought a lot to this team, including range and a strong arm in left. But you can't discount what a healthy Matsui brings to a lineup. Call it overkill if you want, but without a viable fourth starter and an uneven Randy Johnson, you might have to slug your way out of the first couple of rounds. Plus Sheff came up as a 3B/SS so the learning curve for learning first might not be as great as you think. Noone expecting Keith Hernandez or Donnie Baseball. But with Giambi seemingly unable to play the field consistently, Sheff could be a viable option at first.

All this is hypothetical, of course. Saint Torre has to be the one who works through all of this. One thing that shouldn't be a factor is Sheffield's attitude. Hopefully, Gary will understand what's going on and not cause any waves about this.

One more pet peeve....I wish Chris Russo would stop trying to speak for Yankee fans. I hate when he goes on about "The Yankee fan feels this...The Yankee fan thinks that." How would you know? He hates the Yankees!! That's like Elton John trying to speak for George Clooney and what he likes in a woman.

Pro athletes are some of the biggest p***ies alive.

I can't think of a group that refuses to take responsibility to say and do more than these jerkoffs. Even the best of them try to play "the media misinterpreted my comments" schtick. Even when you have them on tape saying it, they try make like someone is twisting their words.

This Ortiz-Jeter thing is the latest example of this sort of punkass way of owning up to your mistakes. If Papi had said, "Hey I'm frustrated by the way this season has gone. I shouldn't have mouthed off like that about Jeter. Everyone would have forgiven him and all would have been forgotten. Instead, he goes the Barkley route and tries to blame the media.

Hey Papi, the Eddie Murphy "It wasn't me" act doesn't work.

This is why I love Jack Nicholson. Always keeping it real even on film.

Massacre Part two...weather allowing...begins tonight.