Bern, Baby, Bern

Evidently Bernie is burned up about his lack of playing time since the Abreu and Wilson deal. Ove the past three years, he said, it seems the Yanks are always looking for a solution that doesn''t involve him. Maybe that's because his fielding, his throwing, and his weakness from the left side are so much a part of the problem they sometimes seem like the problem itself. Now he has asked Torre to clarify his role and sentimental Joe asked for time to get the lay of the land. What lay of the land? Come on, now's the time to be Walkaway Joe. You're not going to play him instead of any one of your starting OFs, all of whom are better than him in every single phase of the game. Craig wilson is currently hitting 295 and spares you Giambi's defense, so you're not going to play Williaams instead of him with any regularity. Certainly giambi must be in there every night: he's probably the single most valuable bat in the line-up. Williams' present role--benchwarmer, pinchhitter, occasional DH and, laughably, "defensive replacement"--corresponds precisely tothe meager salary they were willing to pay him, after dallying with the idea of letting him go altogether. Yes, he's hit better than anyone expected given his state of decrepitude. And yes I believe he should DH, with giambi playing first, against LH starters, because he is a good right-handed batter, significantly better, I think, than Wilson. But what is with the entitlement act? You are a fan favorite and all that, Bernie, but truthfully, muddle-headed journalists interested in making a case for the unfair treatnment AROD receives would be on far more solid ground using you as a point of comparison rather than Derek Jeter.

In other news, just about a week after the Bronx oracle indicated that Pavano would likely return, but Dotel would not, the yankees have, after a 4 scoreless inning rehab by Pavano, activated Dotel. What does it mean? I don't know. I think when it comes to injuries, they're just fucking with us.

Finally, after one of Willy Mo Pena's monster shots, John Kruk,card carrying member of RedSox Nation and founder of the Fat-FOCS (Friends Of Curt Schilling), cackled gleefully that the Sox had gotten a real upgrade over Trot Nixon in right. Unfortunately he wasn't on the air last night (and I mean it in every sense: is there anyone on earth more boring than Anal Hersheybar) to comment on the little pop fly Pena dropped to cost the Sox their second straight against the amazingly resilient Tigers. Once again, defence matters people: one dropped fly in the 9th in a one run game is worth at least 3 mid-game homers.