It's a Melk-down

Slow Joe says Melky must go! Left field is Matsui's position and as soon as he's cleared to play there he will resume his status as OF regular. Joe's reasoning seems to rely on squatter's rights and proprietorship. Surely Melky's 11 assists make it clear Matsui does not reclaim the position because he plays it better. Quite the contrary. In the comments box to "Cruise Control" I lay out my argument, an impeccable one I think, as to why you play to everyone's strength if Melky plays left (speed, defense, contact hitting arm), Matsui is the every day DH (clutch hitting, power, ability to hit righties and lefties with equal proficiency) and Giambi anbd Sheffield platoon at first (Giambi can't hit lefties anymore--.196 avg.--Sheffield has for the last couple of years been just average against righties while being close to superhuman against lefties. But status quo Joe says no, partly because he likes established players, partly because he sentimentalizes Matsui, and partly becasue it's the by the book play, and never let it be said he didn't go by the book.

Interestingly though, it doesn't appear that Sheffield has established propriety in right. Even as Stat quo openly speaks of sitting the Melk-man, in yet another indication that Torre just doesn't do defense, there is no talk of sitting Abreu. In fact Sheffield has been saying he's ready to return to the team and mangement has been saying, no you are not, presumably meaning, we'd rather you didn't. Now this I get. If Sheffield doesn't get to play everyday, he will likely be a clubhouse toxin. They know it; I know it; you know it; and sheff knows it. So they are putting off the day of reckoning until they are certain that Matsui can play left everyday and that they really want to sacrifice Melky to the impossibility of living with Shef if you're not playing him. What they correctly envision as a Sheff meltdown must in the end, when they can delay it no longer, result in a Melk (sit)Down. And that's too bad.

Remember I said so when Matsui unaccountably overruns a ball when Mussina is pitching, sending our high strung quasi-ace into a pet that winds up costing three runs and a playoff game. Remember I said so when Sheffield does not score from first on a double and winds up not scoring at all to cost us another one. Remember most of all that I said so when runners resume taking extra bases at will now that they know tha noone to the left of Abreu will be able to throw them out. Remember I said so, finally, when sentimental Joe starts using Bernie as his fourth outfielder and first pinchhitter instead of Melky, and we are all screaming at the mincing circuitous paths he takes to let certain outs drop in or the double plays he's hitting into at crucial times.
OOOH, OOOH
He's status quo Joe
That we all know
He likes his players old
And impossibly slow
He thinks you can't win
If you've any get up and go
And deems youth a failing
Out of which you must grow.
He's status quo Joe
That we all know
And must count ourselves lucky
He plays Robby Cano.