IT AIN'T NO MO'

***NO MO' #1***
Mariano Rivera is done for the season and maybe forever. This is obviously a big blow to the Yankees' chances of success this year. Sure, they will miss his reliability when closing out games, but there is another issue.  There is the mystique of Rivera sitting in the bullpen like a vulture waiting to feast on the remains of any team trying to come from behind to beat the Yanks.  To be sure, the Yanks do have a couple of excellent options in Robertson and Soriano, but there will always be that chance that someone could beat them.  That wasn't the case with Rivera. Opponents just KNEW they weren't going to be able to hit that cutter. ...or the next one.  ...or the one after that. But now, a freak occurence has done what no team could do: take down the king.

***NO MO' #2*** 
Down a run, men on first and second, no outs and the #3 & 4 hitters due up. Normally, a no brainer, the Yanks would tie the score at least. Not so far this year. Outside of Jeter's hitting and Granderson's home runs, the Yankee bats are silent. Yes, they are missing Gardner and Swisher. Though not really Hall of Fame players, they are a lot better than the replacements Girardi is being forced to run out there.  But you can't blame everything on those injuries. Even when A-Rod hits the ball hard, it's not going out of the park. Teixeira talked boldly about hitting the ball the other way and even about bunting, when teams threw a shift at him, but that's all it's been - just talk.  The way Cano is swinging, I think Annie-O could get him out. The talk is all about how unsettled the starting pitching is, but that would all go away with a couple of 6-run innings... or, hell, even a 6-run GAME.  What has happened to hitting coach Kevin Long's magic?

***AROUND THE LEAGUE***
The Yanks aren't the only ones struggling. Albert Pujols has still not hit his first home run. In fact, after 104 at bats, he hitting only .202 with 5 RBIs.

Injuries are killing the Red Sox, too. They have no outfield, in fact, there is a rumor that Carl Crawford may be on the trading block.That's giving up awfully fast on a guy with his talent.

Surprise, surprise. Only three teams in the majors have a better record than the Baltimore Orioles: Tampa Bay, Texas and the Dodgers. This bubble does not want to burst.

For those of you who thought the Yanks made a mistake by dealing AJ Burnett, you should now be convinced that it was the right move. On Wednesday, AJ gave up 12 hits and 12 runs in 2+ innings against the Cardinals. ESPN has a rating system for starting pitchers that factors in hits, runs, walks, etc. An excellent outing usually rates 60-70 score.   The lowest I've ever seen was a 7.  AJ's rating for Wednesday was  minus 13.

***THEY SAID IT***
"You gotta hand it to Amare Stoudemire. Might be the only guy who went after a fire extinguisher and put himself out."  -- RJ Currie
"No. one draft pick Andrew Luck isn't on tweeter, isn't on facebook and owns a $10 'retro' cellphone without texting capability. I think I've found my new favorite pro athlete."  -- Brad Dickson
"A London marathon runner stopped 800 yards from the finish line to propose to his girlfriend. Unfortunately, a guy from Kenya passed him and ended up proposing first."  -- Jimmy Fallon
"When the arena scoreboard says 'CHARGE,' it can only mean one thing: Our concession stands accept Visa and Mastercard."  -- Alan Ray
"Stunt woman Jolene Van Vugt of London, Ontario, broke a world land speed record when she clocked 46 mph in Sydney, Australia — on a motorized toilet. Canadians are reportedly so flush with pride they can't keep a lid on it."  -- Dwight Perry
"Magic Johnson says the Los Angeles Dodgers will reduce the price for general game parking from $15 to $10. Makes sense. $15 seemed a little steep for the 90 minutes or so between the third and seventh innings."  -- Janice Hough
"The Ashley Madison website put out a bounty on Tim Tebow's virginity Tuesday, offering a million dollars to any woman who can prove she seduced him. It started a stampede. Five college football coaches came forward to claim the prize but only women are eligible."  -- Argus Hamilton

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