In other news, the Yankees signed Hideki Okajima to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He’s a lefty, so he’s worth a shot I guess.

This is what qualifies as news in the Yankees off season this year.   WHOOPPEE!!  Who the heck is pitching for this team other than CC?

Ops and Obp are overrated. Did we need a walk when Tex was up late with the bases loaded? No. They needed a hit. Girardi stubbornly kept the same lineup out there every day even though they consistently failed to do anything. Leyland switched his lineup based on gut calls, including changing his number 2 hitter to great success (Santiago and Kelly). Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Ergo, Girardi is insane.

Last two points.

CC can opt out if he wants to. He has not been as advertised in the post-season. I’m all for keeping him, but if he wants to hold the Yankees up, no thanks. Not enough post-season success and too much weight.

If there is an option on Swisher’s contract, it should not be exercised. 3 years of post-season futility is enough.

Now it’s looking more and more likely that we will be placing the season in the capable hands of A.J. Burnett. Yeah!

And would it kill Teixeira to choke up and hit one against the shift, or let the ball hit him. We need base runners!

Before the series started I looked at it this way…

• Game 1 – Verlander vs. CC is a 50/50 toss up.  But Yankees have home field, CC has the experience.  Edge Yankees
• Game 2 – Nova vs. Fister.  Nova is the 2011 version of 1996 Andy Pettitte.  Fister not that scary. Edge Yankees.
• Game 3 – Garcia vs. Scherzer.  This was the game I expected to lose.  Garcia at Detroit vs. a young kid who strikes a lot of people out.  Detroit’s 1st home game.  Edge Detroit.
• Game 4 – CC vs. Porcello.   Edge Yankees.
• Game 5 – Verlander vs. Nova.  Was hoping it wouldn’t get this far, but Game 5 at home.  You like the odds for Yankees win.  

 The Friday-rain-postponment was quardupally-damaging for the Yankees.  

1. It forced the Yankees to use CC AND Nova to win one game
2. It put Freddy on the mound in game 2 (instead of game 3) creating a road edge for Detroit.
3. It puts CC vs. Verlander on Verlander’s turf for game 3, eliminating CC’s edge.
4. It makes A.J Burnett a starter in the first round!

On top of that all the heavy rain in yesterday’s game came during Yankee rallys.  Did anyone really think Jeter was getting a hit in the rain in the 7th or the 9th for that matter?  I was hoping, but not confident. I always think the rain favors the pitcher, especially if he waits on the mound (like Benoit and Valverde do) to let the water fall off the helmet into the batter’s eyes.  So now to even force a game 5 we have to either win against Verlander at his house, or lay our prayers on A.J. Burnett.   I’ve got a lot of faith in CC, but if he falters I will be scared to death for Tuesday and A.J. with the season on the line.

If your Hall of Fame closer can’t retire Marco Scutaro, you might be playing for the Wild Card.

If your entire offense comes from solo home runs from guys named Eduardo Nunez and Brett Gardner, you might be playing for the Wild Card.

If you are 33 games above .500 (67-34) vs every team NOT named the Red Sox, but 2-10 vs. teams named the Red Sox, you might be playing for the Wild Card.

If your number 3, 4 and 5 hitters go 5 for 33 (.151) with one meaningless HR and 2 RBI total in three crucially important games, you might be playing for the Wild Card.

If you are relying on Fredy Garcia and Bartolo Colon to win the Division, and it is not 2001 or 2002, you might be playing for the Wild Card.

Feel free to add your own.

I hit the ball far.

Impressive display by Mr. Cano.   Those were some serious tape measure home runs.  I guess that should tell opposing hitters to avoid fastballs low and inside.   He seems to hit those a long, long, long way. 

I like to admire my work

1. Eliminate the “traditional” rivalry B.S.  This is the 15th anniversary of the “Subway Series”.  6 times a year every year is simply too many games.  They are fun, but not as compelling as if they held every 3 years.  It would then be like the baseball olympics, and it would take 6 years for it to come back to your home park.  That would make those games interesting. The cubs are coming to Fenway this week for the first time since 1918.  That’s cool, but if you saw them all the time, it would be boring.
2. Eliminating the “traditional” rivalry also balances the schedule somewhat.  Each team in your division would play each team in the other league’s division.  Yes, it’s still slightly unbalanced (as teams in the Central would not be playing the same interleague competition as teams in the East, but at least the divisional schedules would be the same.
3. Make the league-wide interleague record the determining factor for World Series home field advantage.  This removes the dumb moves from the all-star game, and makes all of the interleague games slightly more interesting.  It also maybe changes how you manage the interleague games.  If you are a contender, you really want to win the interleague series to increase the likelihood of home field in the World Series.
4. World Series Winning league rules dictate the rules to be played in interleague.  AL wins – DH in all parks for interleague.  NL wins – Pitchers hit.  (Although I do like the Verducci switcheroo).

By the way, Jayson Stark breaks down some of the inequities of the system (particularly how the Yankees and Red Sox have vastly different schedules)

• Red Sox play all of the NL Central except  the Cardinals and Reds (the teams with winning records).  The Yankees miss the Astros and Pirates (teams 17 games under .500).  Meanwhile, unlike the rest of their division, the Red Sox and Yankees both mysteriously play one random NL West team. The Red Sox draw the Padres (currently in last place). The Yankees get to play the Rockies (who just dropped out of first place).
• The poor unfortuneate Brewers face only the Red Sox, Rays and Yankees.  
• The Mets get the unfortunate task of facing the Yankees 6 times.  No other team in the NL central faces the Yankees at all.
• Rivalry games could be a huge factor in the AL West. The Rangers get six games against the team with the worst record in baseball, Houston. But the A’s get matched up against the first-place Giants six times.

Makes no sense.