THE POWER IS BACK

***YANKS WIN BEHIND HOMERS***

When A-Rod is hitting, it seems to energize the whole lineup. Teixeira and Posada broke out of mini-slumps, but not Gardner. He doesn't look aggressive at all. He seems to want to slice everything to left field instead of just hitting the ball. Where's Kevin Long when you need him? Look how Kevin helped Jeter: a slashing single to right and a "powerful" drive to the ...pitcher's mound. No matter, it added up to two hits.

Girardi proved once again that he has no idea how to handle pitchers. Burnett pitched an overpowering game for six innings, then, when he should have been all done, Girardi sent him out for the 7th. After a drive over the head of the centerfielder, Joe should have know he was done, but no, he waited until AJ gave up a pair of two-run homers. Nice going, Joe.

Phil Hughes goes tonight in what may be a big, big test for him. Watch for the 92+ MPH fastballs. If you don't see that, it means that Phil's troubles are continuing.

***ANOTHER GUY GETS OFF***

Barry Bonds proved once again, that hiring multiple lawyers and hiding the truth, gets you off no matter what wrongs you commit. I have a sneaking suspicion that Bonds and O.J. Simpson are off having drinks together.

***ANOTHER BIG ARGUMENT***

When it was announced that Josh Johnson of the Florida Marlins had a no-hitter thru 7 innings, but had a pitch count of 102, Michael Kay asked Al Leiter if Josh should go back out for the 8th inning, obviously expecting Al to say no. Well, Al said yes. Actually, Al said, "ABSOLUTELY!" The emphasis is Al's. Michael couldn't believe it and kept repeating that the pitch count was 102 and it was April. In the same situation, would Leiter go back out: Yes, absolutely. Then he asked if Al would let his own son go out there: YES! Then Michael told Al to ask one of his pitching coaches, Dave Righetti, what he would do. When Righetti said he would send the pitcher back out, Michael Kay finally shut up.

Let that be a lesson, Michael. A famous lawyer once said, "Never ask a question that you don't already know the answer to." Since I'm not sure Michael knows the answer to too many questions, maybe he shouldn't be asking so many.

***I SEE JOSH HAMILTON HAS COME AROUND***

He said he apologized to the third base coach last night for 'throwing him under the bus.' It came up again, that the coach never told him to go, just that home plate was uncovered. Hopefully, that little brouhaha is now over with.

***DUMP THE 'SAVE' STATISTIC?***

Keith Law thinks the 'Save' is a useless statistic, since it unfairly credits a pitcher for an achievement that is often tainted. A pitcher enters the ninth with a three run lead and gives up two runs before getting the third out. That's a 'Save' but a terrible outing (It's an ERA of 18.00). Without the 'Save' stat, a manager might not arbitrarily pull one pitcher just to put in a 'closer' so he can pad his stats. It might actually help a pitching staff in the long run.

Law goes on to propose a "Hoffman," which is not quite as arbitrary but still one of those artificial stats with seem to become the fashion in baseball. I agree with the elimination of the 'Save' but not the "Hoffman." Why not just credit a pitcher, any pitcher, who enters the game in any inning with a lead, gets at least 3 outs and leaves with that lead, with a "Hold"? We are already familiar with the term, it more clearly defines what happened and eliminates that specialty player with an artificial record. Never happen.

CP-