While I would love to announce the reign of Sturtze over, we really don’t know that for sure. One of the newspapers said something like, “It’s clear Proctor isn’t going anywhere, despite him still having options left.” They don’t know this. Torre was angry with Sturtze, but for making a bad fielding play (and, yes, walking someone). But Torre has watched this guy come in and give up first-pitch home runs and be ineffective all year — has he JUST come to the realization that he stinks? Torre likes Sturtze, and I think that means Cashman is going to have to be the one to make this call.

Pavano threw 80 pitches in his rehab start. He’s suppose to throw 90 in Trenton on Friday. That means Pavano could be back in a few weeks. Dotel won’t be far behind. The guys who should be sweating right now are Sturtze, Small and Wright. Honestly, I’d be fine with getting rid of all three of them (though I love Small) and replacing the third one with Beam or Cox from AA (not only are both of them kicking ass down there, but the manager regularly uses them for three innings apiece).

//What happened with Jeter? I missed most of the game today. //

After walking the 1st batter of the inning, Sturtze Hurtzie got the next batter to tap a ball between 1st and the mound. Sturtze snared the ball as he was running towards 1B – but, instead of lobbing the ball to 1st for the sure out – which was the right play with a 5 run lead – he made an off-balance Hail Mary throw to 2nd to try and get the lead runner.

The throw was to the SS side of 2B and Jeter had to reach out for it with the runner coming in.

It was like the Mo play in the 9th of G7 of the 2001 WS – in a way.

Even Torre, when YES showed him in the dugout, looked to be mumbling “You do that with a f*ckin’ five run lead?”

Although I wish it wasn’t, the other guy on his way back to AAA is probably Small. I was hoping against my better judgment that he would pitch this year like he did last, but it looks like he’s reverted to form.

Oh, btw wouldn’t Dotel return before Sturtze? and either way it’s going to be the need to make at least 2 spot .. Sturtze is definately locked up one.. but the other one is going to be a tough call….

It’s not typical Torre to do that.. but then again if anyone deserved it on this team right now it’s definately Sturtze…

The whole team is playing great and playing hard.. even Jaret Wright is trying hard to get things going …. and great things happen to great teams that work hard….

But then we have Mr. Sturtze… whom came into a game that can only be summed up as a great and complete team effort up to that point and almost blew the game … if it weren’t for Proctor turning it up a notch AGAIN (boy he’s been doing that quiet often recently it seems.. always going above our expectation) I’d expect Sturtze body to show up somewhere around the Coast of Cuba before the Yankees play their next game XD

I can’t think of an example either, certainly not in public and definitely not to a player that he’s considered one of his “guys.”

I honestly can’t think of a time Torre has been so harsh on a guy-not that he hasn’t been bad-but it’s really out of character for him.

Torre’s post-game comments were funny. When someone mentioned Sturtze’s name, Joe immediately said “I wanted to wring his neck.” Maybe Tanyon’s officially in the doghouse now and we won’t hear from him ever again? Maybe it’s going to be the Buddy Groom treatment from here on out? God, I hope so.

What happened with Jeter? I missed most of the game today.