IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, HURT 'EM

***YANKS WIN THE GAME, DETROIT WINS THE FIGHT***
As one newspaper describes it. the Yanks win a 'testy' battle. Of course, the umpires were right in the middle of it , and mishandling it, as usual. This "warning-to-both-benches" business has gotten out of hand. One batter gets hit and the warning is issued. Then the umpires either over-react and toss guys for some implied intent or ignore what is sometimes, obvious retaliation. Can you blame Leyland for being upset? The Yankee color-men to a man, advocate letting the players handle it in their own way. You have to give some credence to those opinions, since they are all former players. On the other hand, they're not down on the field and and it's pretty hard to get beaned sitting up in the booth...unless you happen to get between Paul O'Neil and his latest steak sandwich.

Girardi, taking a page out of the Joe Torre "How To Destroy A Bullpen" book, emptied his, last night, like it was game seven of the World Series. I hope Hughes is prepared to go nine today. Two games in a row, Girardi used Rivera in a non-save situation. I agree with Vod, Saves are the most manufactured and suspect stat there is, but with a four run lead, why waste Mo when it wasn't necessary? Do I detect a little panic here? Who do they use today?

He's got Nick Swisher becoming one of the most feared hitters in the Yankee lineup and he seems to have worked some similar magic with Curtis Granderson. Hey, Kevin Long, how about taking a look at Derek Jeter? I don't know if this is indicative of anything, but have you noticed that Jeter doesn't fly out at all? He's hitting nothing but ground balls. Sure seems strange to me.

Note to Vod & Maris: Let's try to get along. Don't make me separate you two.

To paraphrase Roseanne: "Who got drunk and cut Johnny Damon's hair?"

CP-