If you don't consider Johnny Damon a disappointment,

please consider the following: as a professional lead-off hitter, Damon's stock in trade is on-base percentage. you want him getting on 1st base and then stealing, taking the extra base etc, all in the service of scoring runs on rallies. He should be the very motor of the small ball strategy. But his OBP is less than Jeter's by a long way, less than Giambi's by a long way, less than Abreu's by a long way, significantly less than AROD's, who I'm sure we can all agree doesn't get on as much as he should, or as much as he used to. Damon's OBP is even less than Posada's, which I think is just plain shocking. It is roughly the same as that odf Cano, the freest swinger in the Yankee line-up, and just slightly better than Melky, who, as an 8-9 hitter, is not given many free passes. Today Damon not only went hitless, he struck out 3 times,which is just plain unacceptable for a lead-off man.

And he did set the tone. The team k'd 11 times, 8 of which came by the first 4 men in the line-up. In my last post, I noted that the Yanks only left 8 on base becaue they only put 8 on base. That # is even worse when you consider that 3 of those on base appearances were by one man,Jeter, who was also the only one, outside of the solo homers, to reach 2nd.

After the game, Joda said he liked Jared Weaver's approach and his control of his pitches. Well isn't that nice? I'm glad he didn't let his duties as manager detract from his pleasure as spectator and fan (of the other team).