Sour and Sweet

The good thng about a 19-1 drubbing is that it costs you no more than a 5-3 loss, but it provides the kind of clarity that only pain and devestation caqn bring. It makes obvious that this team has too many areas that need improvement for them to proceed in any kind of orthodox way. The Yankees have been unwilling to trade their 2 pitching prospects, Hughes and Cox, for veteran fixes, be they bats or arms. I have applauded this unwillingness and continue to do so. but the time has come to recognize that while you can get hitting for nothing, or nothing but money, you can't get pitching that way. The Yankees have to bring hughes into the starting rotation and Cox into the bullpen. They have to try and use their economic muscle to get a Soriano, an Abreau, or at least a Reggie Saunders. Chacon cannot be allowed to start again. Maybe he'd be better in the bullpen. Bean should be sent down since his pitches stay so stubbornly up.

One more thing. Anyone who fondly imagines that Torre is still a good manager, unfortunately hampered by injuries, should take a look at what the Chisox have managed to extract from Contreras through the simple stratagem of allowing him to pitch in his natural motion instead of trying, for no particular reason whatever, to throw overhand.