I’m a big time Moose guy and I didn’t think he’d be this successful, although I did think he’d learn to pitch with his reduced velocity. This season has just been incredible. I’d rather bring him back than Pettitte next year.

The way Moose is pitching, Joba is developing, and my trust in Pettitte and Wang, I still think that the Yankees can make a run at this thing. 

Mariano has been unbelievably good this year.  I think the pitching has a reasonable chance to be dominant after the All Star game. 

The hitting will be there, assuming that Giambi and Posada remain relatively healthy. 

I’d like to see the Yankees play the Attorney General for 2 solid weeks, alternating between short stop and second base, to give Cano a chance to get his swing right and sit against lefties, and Jeter a chance to rest (I think he is not 100% healthy). 

As poorly as these jokers have played so far, I still think they have a chance to do well this year.  Well, we shall have to wait and see.

Since ARod and Posada came back, this team has played fairly well.  They are 16-8 since ARod was activated from the DL, and it doesn’t look like they will HAVE to use Hughes or IPK unless they earn the playing time coming back from injury.  They’re only 4.5 out of a playoff spot, and 6 out of the division lead.  I’m bullish.

It doesn’t help that Tampa and Boston both look legitimately good, but yeah, the team looks set-up as well as anyone else out there!

I’m definitely bullish, and will be until some team in the AL can step up and actually put the Yankees away.

As for Moose, I’ve always liked him and I’m praying that this turns into one of those fluke seasons where Moose pitches well enough to benefit from high run support to win a freakish number of games, specifically, twenty of them. I have always hated the knock on Mussina that he has never won twenty and I would just die laughing if he did it after everyone had written him off. The only downside would be that we would be invariably afflicted with stories about how the Moose finally learned how to win after all these years, or some similar rubbish. The reality is that Moose has been a great pitcher and nothing he can do this year should really affect people’s opinion of him that much. It will though, so I hope it’s in a positive direction.

Also, for all those who like to snark about the “easy” portion of the schedule, I would be willing to bet that we are now at or exceeding expectations once again. These things don’t happen the way you expect them to (if they happen at all). You can take advantage of your easy schedule by splitting at home with KC and then winning four or five of six on a road trip or you can take advantage by taking three of four from KC and splitting the six game trip. You gotta let these things play out a bit. There are a myriad of ways to meet expectations.

Nice column in today’s NY Post talking about Dave Robertson as a posible impact set up guy.  Also ESPN reporting Griffey to Tampa Bay rumors.

Holy crap, bebop, I blame you for spurring me to read the source of the Griffey/Rays rumor, Jon Heyman’s SI column. It is SOOOOO bad!!

It’s like a parody of a bad Peter Gammons column.

Okay, I don’t actually blame you, but damn!

I was out walking and listening to ESPN radio where Jody Mac mentioned the story without giving the source.  But wasn’t Heyman the first guy who reported that Ardo would not leave the Yankees as thought?

What’s with the collection, incidentally?  Is that Mussina’s idea?  Does he really need gameballs from #257, etc?

Also, for all those who like to snark about the “easy” portion of the schedule, I would be willing to bet that we are now at or exceeding expectations once again.

Snark? There’s snark here?  Unforgivable.  But you are correct sir.

Expected: 14.8-10.2
W-L: 16-9

I hate the blackout rules.  I’m in a city with 0 MLB teams right now, and I’m blacked out of 3 markets.  Very frustrating.

But wasn’t Heyman the first guy who reported that Ardo would not leave the Yankees as thought?

Oh, like Gammons, Heyman has strong sources, so he’ll occasionally get big scoops, so that’s good.

It’s when he starts getting into opinions that he is nuts.

Sorta like a certain blogger from below the Hudson River.

Aquaman?