Okay, so this is weird

When Sheffield and Matsui went down, I opined that the Yankees had been given an oppurtunity to remake themselves as a speed and contact team, relying on Jeter, Damon, Crosby, Cabrera to do so. It hasn't exactrly worked out that way, because such a plan requires s degree of managerial execution well beyond slow Joe's ken, as evidenced by the loss ot K.C. last week. Having said that they do look like a better team without Matsui, and Sheffield and for one night, unbelievably, without Damon and Jeter as well ( and all without Crosby to boot). How do we account for the coincidence of their depleted lineup and their winning ways (7 of the last 8, 2 in a row against Boston at Fenway, three in a row against the winningest team in baseball at heir yard). Well to start with, they have become more of a contact hitting team; their lineup involves, perforce, less reliance on the long ball and in so doing automatically distributes responsibilty more evenly through the lineup. Responding to this constraint, they seem to fight for each at bat more, and the stas, like AROD, seem less insouciant. Even so, they can't expect to score as much, so they also seem to concentrate a little bit more in the field on not giving away runs--a mind set which in turn improves the pitching. As a result, even though they still can't bunt a lick, particularly in the absence of Jeter and Crosby, the best on the team (Cabrera's attempt tonight was a disgrace), and even though Torre still won't take any significant chances (a squeeze play was clearly in order with AROD on third in the eighth), they have been a better all around team as a lesser all around line-up. I'm not suggesting that this can continue; they need to get Damon back in center as quickly as possible, Crosby back in right, and Sheffield back at DH, but it does show that a sense of urgency on the field is worth a superstar or three on paper. Torre ought to take this opportunity to insist on their training the bunt, sac and squeeze, and to think about showing the same urgency in his offensive strategy that his team is now showing in their play.