I have to say, there’s a part of me that wants to see A-Rod, and maybe Teixeira, sit out the whole season this year – and Granderson can take his time coming back as well (and maybe be a platoon player when he returns). Why?

I want to see what Joe Girardi can do with a bunch of cast-off players and old-timers – along with some younger players like Phelps – over a course of a 162 game season.

How wonderful would it be to see Joe lead a squad like that to a 95-win season and a playoff spot? It would be especially sweet to see Girardi do it in his “lame duck” contract year. If he pulled this off, he could write his own ticket on his next contract.

Interesting stuff via Bill Madden -

Was Alex Rodriguez in the Yankees’ original lineup for Game 4 of the ALCS?

It depends on who you talk to.

According to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, he received two different Yankee lineups in the late afternoon, the first one listing A-Rod hitting sixth and playing third base. But then, a courier from the Yankee clubhouse brought a second lineup to Leyland’s office – the one that was officially released which omitted both A-Rod and Curtis Granderson and had Eric Chavez at third base, hitting sixth, Brett Gardner in center field and Nick Swisher back in right field after being benched the night before.

“Is something else going on over there with A-Rod?” Leyland asked the Daily News before the game was postponed by rain Wednesday. “I got two lineups from them, one with him in it and the second one with him out.”

Joe Girardi explained the two-lineup mystery as a mistake on his part and not a last-minute decision to bench A-Rod again.

“We talked about some different lineups during the day,” Girardi said, “and when I handed the lineup to (third base coach Robbie Thompson), I didn’t realize which one it was. It was actually a mistake on my part. We had people in different spots. So I called over there (to Leyland) and told them we gave them the wrong one.”

Here’s a wild thought: How about…Girardi had A-Rod in the starting line-up for Game 4, and, when Alex saw that, Rodirguez said to Girardi “Play your boys, Chavez and Ibanez, because, obviously, you like them more than me”? Or, maybe, if A-Rod was benched in Game 3 for throwing pick-up baseballs at bikini models back in New York, Alex was pissed over that and told Joe “Not today. I’m not playing”?

You have to remember, when it comes to the Yankees – especially when it comes to Cashman, A-Rod and Girardi – there’s always a difference between the “truth” you see and are being told and the “truth” which is actually “the truth.” So, it’s always possible that maybe there’s a chance that A-Rod was in the line-up for Game 4 and then took himself out of it.

If this did happen, eventually, we’ll find out. That’s the beauty of the truth. Three things that cannot be long hidden are the sun, the moon, and the truth. In time, the true story will come out.

It’s the “ez” question…

Say the Yankees get into a post-season series this year and it’s down to the last, sudden death, game.  And, suppose that Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira were brutal in the series up to that point.  Make it really bad where they both are hitting under .150 in the series with six strikeouts each and a couple of GIDPs a piece.

O.K., got that?  And, now, let’s say the team the Yankees are facing in that final game is starting a right-handed pitcher.

Given this scenario, would Joe Girardi bench A-Rod and Tex, have Nick Swisher play first base and Eric Chavez play third base, and start an outfield of Raul Ibanez, Curtis Granderson and Ichiro Suzuki? (And, yes, I know, you would still have to D.H. somebody else that day.)

You know that Billy Martin would have made a move like this – see Reggie Jackson in the 1977 ALCS. And, we know that Joe Torre would make a move like this – see Wade Boggs and Tino Martinez in the 1996 World Series. But, would Joe Girardi make a move like this?

I doubt it. But, if the circumstances were as pitched, and he did it, I would not question it. And, I probably would applaud it.

Robinson Cano will be a free agent after the 2013 season. And, his agent is Scott Boras. So, you know that he will be testing the market.

At his age then, which will be 31-years old, he’s probably looking to get a six to seven-year deal in the range of $120 million dollars.

He may not get it – but, knowing Boras, they will be asking for it. And, in the end, he’s going to get a nice offer from somebody (as long as he doesn’t screw up between now and that time when he’s on the market).

I know that Cano is one of the Yankees main offensive weapons at this time and should be next year as well. And, I know that he’s a Gold Glove caliber player in the field. But, doesn’t it make sense to shop him after this off-season and see what you can get for him?

And, then, in 2013, you can see if Corban Joseph or David Adams could take his spot in the field?

Granted, they will not be able to take Cano’s spot in the line-up. And, the Yankees will need offensive help in 2013 given the way that A-Rod, Teixeira and Granderson are trending. And, Nick Swisher may be gone and Derek Jeter will be a year older. So, maybe you take the last year of Cano, hope that he’s gang-busters, and then go with Joseph or Adams in 2014?

But, what if some team out there offered you a young, stud, major league ready outfielder (because they had a surplus) and something else useful for Cano? Should you take it? Remember, Swisher may be gone after this year and Granderson the year after that one.

Mason Williams and Tyler Austin are not right around the corner. If the Yankees have to fill their outfield from within, you’re looking at Melky Mesa, Ronnier Mustelier, Zoilo Almonte, or Abe Almonte. And, no, I don’t think the Yankees are going to try and sign Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton or Shane Victorino after this season.

Again, it would have to be a super offer; but, maybe it makes sense for the Yankees to trade Cano after this season rather than let him walk away after 2013?

It’s never going to happen – no way, Jose.  But, can you imagine what would happen if Derek Jeter batted .400 this season for the Yankees, at his age?

Oh, my, goodness, the media pressure would be off the charts.  But, if Jeter pulled it off, what would that do to his already Cooperstown-worthy resume?

They might have to rename River Avenue in the Bronx to “Jeter Way” or something…

But, it’s not  going to happen.  It’s too crazy to think that a right-handed batter as old as Jeter could hit .400 for the season.  But, then again, this is Derek Jeter…

…nah, it can’t happen, can it?

I keep having this wild dream where the Boston Red Sox win the A.L. East this season, the Chicago White Sox win the A.L. Central, and the Oakland Athletics win the A.L. West.

Now, that’s not too far out there. But, in this dream, the Baltimore Orioles just edge out the Yankees and the Rays in the East and take the 2011 A.L. Wildcard berth.

And, then, in the ALDS, the A’s beat the Bosox and the O’s beat the Chisox – setting up a 2011 ALCS between Baltimore and Oakland.

Nah, it can’t happen…can it?

Earlier this year, there was some chatter that no other team (other than the Yankees) would try to sign Derek Jeter as a free agent because other teams felt there was no chance that he would go anywhere else.

But, here’s a wild thought: What if the Yankees do low-ball and/or insult Jeter with an offer and then the talks between the two parties start drag out and become unproductive. At some point, if you’re the Boston Red Sox, just to make things interesting, do you reach out to Jeter and say “We’d like to give you a one-year deal for $25 million. And, you can play shortstop for us in 2011. We’ll move Marco Scutaro into a utility role.”

Would Jeter take it? Or, at the least, would the thought of Derek Jeter getting his 3,000th career hit as a member of the Boston Red Sox freak the Yankees out and force them to up their offer? And, if Derek went to Boston, what would Red Sox Nation then do with all those T-Shirts that mention how happy Jeter is?

You know, when I look at the Yankees not hitting well situationally, as A-Rod stated in the YES post-game coverage last night; and, when I look at the total number of PAs that these guys (below) have taken this year, I have to wonder – would the Yankees be in a different position this season if they had either Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui in their line-up this year?

.

It’s a total of 463 PA, by the way, in case you were wondering – just about the number that a full-time Damon or Matsui could have filled.

Via Adam Kilgore yesterday -

In the wake of controversial comments he made regarding Stephen Strasburg on his Sirius XM radio show, MASN analyst Rob Dibble will not work tonight’s game or tomorrow’s game.

Several MASN employees were not certain why Dibble will not work the next two games, but Nationals President Stan Kasten shed some light and perhaps gave a not-so-thinly-veiled opinion of Dibble’s comments.

“Rob asked for some time off,” Kasten said. “Perhaps he’s not feeling well. But I’m not a doctor, nor have I seen his records. So I shouldn’t say anything more about it.”

Dibble also found the spotlight recently for comments about a pair of women sitting behind home plate during a MASN telecast. Dibble later apologized to those he offended, both in print and on camera.

Ray Knight will work alongside MASN play-by-play man Bob Carpenter for the next two nights.

Yeah, I know, this is Rob Dibble and/or Nationals news, and this is a Yankees-blog. But, seeing this, I wonder – could we ever see something like this happen in Yankeeland with Michael Kay?

If you’ve ever listened to Kay’s show on ESPN Radio in NYC, you will notice that he tends to be a little more critical on the radio than he is during the YES telecasts. Now, granted, Michael is no dummy. And, I’m sure he’s careful in choosing his words on the radio. But, mistakes do happen, sometimes. Then again, it would have to be a huge thing to get everyone’s attention – since I doubt the Yankees are monitoring Kay’s radio show.

I keep hearing that we may see guys like Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez being moved soon in a trade and/or waiver type deal. So, that leads to today’s wild thought.

If one of these three becomes available, should the Yankees look to pick them up, for August/September insurance; or, at the least, to keep them away from the Rays? Or, is it not worth losing someone off the 40-man roster to get them on the team for a few weeks?

Just an add-on: I think, but am not sure, that with Nick Johnson on the D.L., maybe the Yankees could sneak one of these guys on to the post-season roster. Imagine if they had Manny Ramirez as their D.H. in the post-season?

I’m not sure how I would feel about that? But, for sure, it’s interesting and a wild thought, no?

And, for certain, I would not mind having Damon or Matsui hanging around, in September, just to add some good karma in the clubhouse, etc.

Dave Cameron, over at FanGraphs, feels that the Yankees would have to “eat” at least $100 million (of Alex Rodriguez remaining contract) if New York attempted to trade A-Rod after this season.

And, that leads to today’s wild thought.  Say the Yankees had another option at third base – I dunno, like, say, move Jeter there and bring up Eduardo Nunez, or, something else – should they consider moving Rodriguez, even if it means eating over a hundred million? Or, is it better to just give A-Rod the money and watch his skills decline as he ties up a spot in the Yankees roster and line-up?

Here’s a wild thought to pass some of the time today. But, before you can have the thought, it requires some forgetting.

First, forget everything that Derek Jeter has ever done in his Yankees career. Forget the great plays, clutch moments, all his team records and those World Series rings. Also, forget that he’s closing in on 3,000 career hits. Forget that he’s the Captain of the team. Heck, forget that his name is “Derek Jeter.” Instead, think of him as being named “Simon Bosco.”

And, when you think of Simon Bosco, think of him as being a 36-year old shortstop with questionable range who is currently having the worst offensive season in his career – across the board in terms of batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Oh, and he’s in the last year of his contract.

Further, when you think of Simon Bosco, and all the aforementioned stuff, consider that you have a 23-year old shortstop named Eduardo Nunez playing in Triple-A behind him. And, note that Nunez is batting over .300 this season after posting a batting average of .322 in Double-A, playing half his games in a pitcher’s park, last year.

Now, you’re the G.M. of Simon Bosco’s team. What are you going to do in terms of dealing with Simon Bosco’s free agency at season end, all things considered?

It’s an interesting wild thought, isn’t it? If “Derek Jeter” weren’t “Derek Jeter” and had the resume that he does have, and if we were talking about a 36-year old declining shortstop named “Simon Bosco” being pushed by a prospect in the minors, I think most teams would go with the younger kid next year, no? How about you?

It’s looking more and more like the Red Sox may release David Ortiz. What a difference three years makes, huh?

Here’s a wild thought: Say Nick Johnson continues to struggle or ends up on the D.L., and Big Papi is “out there” for anyone to pick up…would the Yankees make a move and replace Johnson with Ortiz?

How strange would that be…seeing Ortiz in a Yankees uniform?

It would sort be like when New York picked up George Scott in 1979 and John Mayberry in 1982. And, it would probably work out just as well as those two moves did – meaning badly.

Joe Henderson offered this from the Jeter presser yesterday -

So [Derek Jeter] talked, patiently fielding questions as if they were batting practice ground balls. Only one subject was off limits.

A NewsChannel 8 reporter barely got a question out about the 30,875-square foot palace Jeter is building on Davis Islands, only to be sternly rebuked.

“I’m not going to talk about that,” Jeter said.

In case we didn’t get the message, a Yankees public relations official chimed in, “No more questions about the fence around his house, either.”

Actually, Jeter has lived among us since 1994 when he was working through the Yankees’ minor-league system. The house would seem to indicate he plans to stay a while longer, which is a good thing.

“I moved down here permanently to work out because it got a little cold in Michigan when I was in the minor leagues and I’ve been here ever since. This is where I call home. I enjoy Tampa, I enjoy my time here.”

O.K., so, Derek hearts Tampa. Warm weather, better taxes, etc. That’s not hard to understand. But, if Jeter really calls Tampa “home,” would he ever consider playing for “the home team”?

If the Rays ever get their new ballpark, and the team continues to be an factor in the A.L. East, and if Jeter wants to keep playing and the Yankees don’t want him around, is it such a wild thought to think that Derek Jeter – perhaps like Wade Boggs – might close out his career as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays?

Hey, the last stat line in Yogi Berra’s playing career says “Mets.” Hank Aaron closed out as a Brewer. Anything is possible, no?

What? It’s impossible, you say?

Really? You think so? Even if I told you it was going to happen in 2018?

Think about this for a minute. If I would have come to you in October 1986 and said “See Darryl Strawberry, 24, and Wade Boggs, 28, in this World Series? Well, in 1995, they’re going to both be playing for the Yankees!”

Yeah, sure, you would have told me to put down the crack pipe – because, at that time, the thought of those two, under-thirty and then-called-future-Hall-of-Famers, playing for any other team would have been wacky. And, make it the Yankees…well…that’s just crazy…

But, as we know, it happened. Boggsy and Straw were teammates on the 1995-97 Yankees. Baseball is funny, that way…sometimes.

So, sure, today, 27-year old Jose Reyes seems like a Mets player forever. And, 26-year old Dustin Pedroia will never leave Red Sox Nation…

…just like Strawberry and Boggs back in 1986….

O.K., kidding aside. Truly, I’m not predicting this to happen. But, as the title here says “Imagine…”

Could the, then, 35-year old Reyes and 34-year old Pedroia be members of the 2018 Yankees? Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter will be gone by then…or, at the least, they better be gone. How wacky would that be? Just as wacky as Strawberry and Boggs in 1995…if you ask me. But, not impossible.

Today, I found myself recalling that someone, talking about a Yankees outfield…I think it was the 1975 trio of Roy White, Elliott Maddox, and Bobby Bonds?…once made the statement “With those three out there, not even a drop of rain should fall in…”

And, that leads to today’s wild thought: Given the “plus” offense that the Yankees have at C, 1B, 2B, 3B and SS, should they look to set up their 2010 outfield in a way that provides the best defense available – even if it means punting some offense?

Stay with me…and imagine a Yankees outfield next season with Curtis Granderson in left, Brett Gardner in center, and Melky Cabrera in right field. (Here, Nick Swisher would become the Yankees primary D.H. in 2010.)

There’s no question here that Melky in RF would be a monster drop-off, with the bat, compared to what most teams get, offensively, from that spot. And, the jury is still out on Gardner’s stick.

But, there should be little doubt that Granderson-Gardner-Cabrera, in this set-up, with their feet (and Melky’s arm) would be a very nice defensive asset, no? Hey, it’s just a wild thought…take it for what it’s worth…

Of course, we know that the Yankees are going to win the 2009 World Series. Why? Well, the guy over there in the Yankees-blinders said that they would! (Me? I still think the 2009 World Series is going to be close. It may not end up to be six or seven games. But, even if it doesn’t, the games are going to be close. And, therefore, it’s hard to predict who will win at this time.)

In any event, if the Yankees do win, the debate will begin around “The Team of the Decade 2000-2009″ – with the Yankees and Red Sox each waiving their two rings (from this decade) in the air.

Shoot, even if the unimaginable happens, and the Yankees lose – leaving the Red Sox and Phillies as the only teams with two rings this decade – many will want to claim the Yankees as “The Team of the Decade” given all their wins from 2000-09 and their number of first place finishes.

And, that leads to today’s wild thought: Say the Yankees do lose this World Series. But, nonetheless, you still want to say they’re still the team of the decade due to finishing first so many times in the last 10 years. Then, does that mean the Atlanta Braves were “The Team of the Decade 1990-1999″ even though the Yankees had three rings during that span? After all, didn’t the Braves have twice as many first place finishes as the Yankees from 1990 through 1999?

If you’re a Yankees fan, I doubt you’d want to say the Braves were “The Team of the Decade 1990-1999.” So, then, if the Yankees lose this World Series, how could they have any claim as to being the “The Team of the Decade 2000-2009″?

My buddy – who I will call “Phil” as that’s his real name – had tickets to Game Two of the 2009 ALCS. They were good seats – in the Main Level, not far from first base, and under cover. But, Phil also had a family wedding that night (of the game).

Now, Phil is as big a Yankees fan as can be found. And, he really wanted to see the ALCS game – but, there was no way he could skip the wedding. So, he decided to play the weather game – hoping that there would be a rain-out last Saturday, the day of Game Two, where they would call the game and then play “Game Two” on Sunday (the next day). This way, he could go to the wedding and then go to the game the following day.

But, they didn’t call the game last Saturday. And, on the following Monday, I asked Phil if he ended up selling his tickets at the last minute.

Much to my surprise, he said that he ended up eating the tickets. According to Phil, he offered the tickets to several people on Saturday morning, once he realized that the game was not going to be called in advance, and could find no takers. In fact, he said that he couldn’t even give them away – despite telling all that the seats were under cover and safe from the rain, etc., should it happen.

Related, just last night, someone who I work with told me that their friend went to the game last Saturday. She told that her friend went on to StubHub the morning of the game and found tons of seats available for sale – at discount prices – probably because people didn’t want to deal with the cold and rain, etc.

So, this all leads to today’s wild thought: Have Yankees fans become “fair weather” fans? If not, how can you explain people having to dump tickets at discount prices for an ALCS game – or not even being able to give great tickets to an ALCS game for free?

The 1986 post-season was not a fun time for me. During that crazy 1986 NLCS, the Mets took over the town. And, the World Series that year was terrible – since I wanted both teams to lose. In fact, I barely watched the ’86 World Series – since I couldn’t stand to see either the Red Sox or Mets do well. And, don’t even ask me about the parade in New York after the Mets did win…

And, this leads to today’s wild thought. Would a Phillies-Yankees World Series this year be a Mets fan’s worst nightmare? And, as Yankees fans, would that fact, if true, make such a World Series match-up somewhat sweeter – knowing that it would twist in the back of Mets fans, etc.?

Me? To be honest, as a Yankees fan, the Phillies scare me in the World Series. They’ve been there before and will not be like a deer in the headlights, etc. Plus, they can hit. And, Cliff Lee might be able to go toe-to-toe with Sabathia…

Then again, if the other option is to play Joe Torre, and have to listen to the media play that up, maybe the Phils are the better option?

In any event, back to the point, anyone else thinking about, and/or potentially enjoying, the impact of a Phillies/Yankees World Series on Mets Nation?

I was bothered by the Yankees loss in Game 3 of the 2009 ALCS. After all, how could a Yankees fan not be bothered by a loss like that? But, I was not as bothered as I expected to be bothered by such a loss – and I find that, the measure of my being bothered, bothersome.

Why was I not as bothered as I expected to be bothered? Perhaps the Yankees circa 2004-2008 have conditioned me to expect nothing and be prepared for anything and that’s why I wasn’t bothered as much as I was? But, in any event, it is still bothersome that I was not as bothered as normally bothered, at least to me.

So, that’s today’s wild thought – which is more a question, in reality. Were you bothered by the Yankees loss in Game 3? Were you bothered as much as you typically would be bothered by such a loss? And, if not, do you find it bothersome that you were not as bothered as you would normally be bothered?

Today’s wild thought is powered by the book I’m currently reading…

What will happen if A-Rod, even with all the great things he’s done, already, this post-season, has a “Fred Snodgrass 1912 World Series” moment…in the World Series this year for the Yankees?

Personally, right now, I think it could become a Bill Buckner type thing for Alex…if it happens.

Some will want him run out of town whereas others will feel sorry for him…getting blame for losing a series when it’s not proper, in their belief, to blame one person for overall defeat in a series of games played by a team.

What do you think will happen, if this does occur? Or, do you have to wait and see what happens before you could make a call on it?

Let’s look at Alex Rodriguez’ post-season career to date – sans the 1995 post-season where he didn’t play outside of getting two plate appearances over two series.  First, here are the post-season series where A-Rod was a star…two coming in winning efforts, both against the Twins, and two coming in losing efforts:

Next, here are A-Rod’s stats from the 2005 and 2006 ALDS – where he was terrible:

Lastly, here are A-Rod’s stats where he had a so-so post-season…one ALDS as a Mariner in a win over the White Sox…and two losing series as a member of the Yankees:

Yeah, I know his numbers above in the 2004 ALCS look good…but we all know how he did offensively in the last four games of that series.

Looking all this over, is it correct to say the only two post-season series where Alex Rodriguez batted like a superstar, and where his team won, were the two ALDS match-ups against the Minnesota Twins? Anywho, that’s today’s wild thought. What do you think…looking at these stats? Should A-Rod wish for more post-seasons against the Twins?

Today’s wild thought centers on what’s “good enough” for Yankees fans, now, that New York has won an ALDS for the first time in five years…

Do the Yankees have to go on and win the World Series for this season to be considered “great”? Or, would it be enough just to reach the World Series – and the outcome of the Fall Classic doesn’t matter?

Or, do the Yankees even have to win the ALCS for this season to be considered “great”? What if it’s a hard fought ALCS that goes six or seven games, and, in the end, the Yankees lose – but do it in a manner that’s not embarrassing (and they just get beat by a team who played better)? Is that “enough” for you, as a Yankees fan, to say this season was a success?

Me? I want to say “As long as they play hard, and don’t give away the ALCS, I can live with that.” But, deep down, inside, I want them to reach the World Series – at a minimum. And, if they get there, I’m probably not going to be “O.K.” with it if they lose.

I wasn’t “O.K.” with it in 1976, 1981, 2001 or 2003. So, I doubt I’ll be fine with it now. Yet, sincerely, again, I want to say that a good showing in the ALCS, win or lose, should be enough to say “Hey, being the second best team in the league, and just missing by a whisker of being the best, is nothing to be ashamed about, etc.” It’s just that I don’t think I’m capable of pulling that off…for whatever reason.

How about you?

So, six years later, is anyone in Yankeeland missing Alfonso Soriano? Remember, back in the day, when he finished 3rd in the 2002 A.L. MVP voting, as a member of the Yankees?

And, do you think, it’s possible, we’ll be asking the same questions about Robinson Cano in 2016?

Anywho, that’s today’s wild thought…

Today’s wild thought is about post-season off-days and rain-outs. We know that the Yankees are off today and tomorrow. And, after Game One of the 2009 ALDS, they have another off-day. This is followed by Game Two on Friday – and that’s followed by another off-day. Oh, and, by the way, for the two days that the Yankees play at home this week, Wednesday and Friday, there’s some rain in the weather forecast.

Maybe this is just a gut feeling thing, and totally subjective, and somewhat off-base, but, I always felt that off-days and rain-outs have worked against the Yankees in the last four post-season series that they have played over the last five years. I recall, after the 2004 ALCS and 2006 ALDS, lamenting, in retrospect, about how things might have been different if certain games had not been rained-out. And, I want to say there was at least one other ALDS – 2005? – where it seemed like a break in the series sort of stopped some momentum or enabled the other team to bring back a better pitcher…but, this could just be me, as Roger Clemens likes to say, misremembering it.

In any event, how do you feel about all these off-days for the Yankees in this ALDS? Sure, it enables them to skip starting Joba Chamberlain. But, does it also allow the Twins or Tigers to somewhat recover from their play-in game tomorrow as well – allowing them to start a pitcher in Game 2 that maybe might not have been available if Games One and Two were on back-to-back days? Or, maybe it helps them come back in Game Three with a better pitcher? Maybe both?

All these off-days, whether planned or due to weather, just seem to mess with the flow of the series…or, is that just me? What do you think?

Suppose the Twins manage to take the A.L. Central this season – and go on to face the Yankees in the ALDS. And, suppose that the ALDS goes down to a fifth and final game…with Carl Pavano pitching for the Twins, against New York, at Yankee Stadium.

And, this leads to today’s wild thought: What if Carl Pavano ends up throwing a five-hitter and beats the Yankees in that fifth game, to advance the Twins to the ALCS?

What would you do if this happened?

Me? Well, I potentially have tickets to that game. So, if it goes down like that, my first reaction would be to throw myself off the Macombs Dam Bridge immediately following the game. But, I know that would then deprive those who like to bellyache about my blogging. So, I would probably count to ten and come up with another plan to relieve my pain. But, oh, boy, what a pain that would be…how about for you?

Playing around with this query, leads to today’s wild thought. Which of these starting rotations would you rather have on your team, this season:

Ryan Dempster / Carlos Zambrano / Rich Harden / Ted Lilly
C.C. Sabathia / Andy Pettitte / A.J. Burnett / Joba Chamberlain
Barry Zito / Matt Cain / Tim Lincecum / Jonathan Sanchez

Is the Cubs front four better than the Yankees current front four? How about the Giants…are their starting pitchers, listed here, a better bunch this season than what the Yankees have?

What about the 2009 Rockies?

Would you rather have four of their starters from the group of:

Jorge de la Rosa / Ubaldo Jimenez / Jason Hammel / Jason Marquis / Aaron Cook

over the Yankees big four this season?

It will be an interesting match-up if both the Yankees and the Rockies make the World Series this year, no?

Do you think the Yankees were lucky to win 5 or 6 games this season that they should not have won? Their Pythagorean Won-Loss record brings cause for this wild thought – since it suggests the notion that New York has won 5 or 6 games more than they should have this year.

Just for the fun of it, which games, in your mind, were the Yankees lucky to win, this season, so far? The Luis Castillo game has to be one of them…in your opinion, what are the others?

Today’s wild thought is a quick and simple one: If the Yankees make the World Series this year, do you ask CC Sabathia to make his starts on three day’s rest? Hey, it’s not like it’s never been done before…

Any thoughts on this?

Back in December of 2007, when A-Rod signed his new deal with the Yankees, he got a clause in his contract that pays him $6 million (each time) for making appearances, signing memorabilia, etc., when he matches the career homerun totals of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Bonds (762). And, he gets another six-mill when he sets the new career homer mark. Should Derek Jeter’s agent be looking for a clause like this in the next deal for his client?

After all, Jeter has these marks to shoot for after his current contract is up:

Career hit #3,000 – first Yankee to ever reach this level
Career hit #3,320 – most ever for a right-handed batter in the American League
Career hit #3,772 – most ever for a right-handed batter, period
Career hit #4,000 – becoming only the 3rd batter, ever, to reach this level
Career hit #4,190 – most ever in the American League
Career hit #4,257 – most ever in baseball history

Hey, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?