EVEN BETTER

than AROD'S heroics were the heroics that enabled them. Down 6-2 coming into the bottom of the ninth, and posting 2 quick outs, the Yanks put AROD in a position where a single would have won the game, a circumstance which doubtless made the homer easier to produce. Phelps homers, Posada singles, with 2 strikes, Damon goes 2 strikes and walks, Jeter singles, Abreau singles, with 2 strikes, Jeter and Abreu advance on a wild pitch. If you closed your eyes and transposed some of the names, Posada to Brosius to Knoblach to Jeter to Williams to O'Neill, it was something you can imagine the 1998 Yankees doing. Except they never did. No Yankee ballclub in the glorious history of the franchise ever came from 4 down with 2 outs and noone on in the ninth inning. Never. And while the pundits rave on about AROD's amazing start, and I am happy to give him the considerable credit due, the best thing about today, the most promising sign looking forward, was that string of ripped lined drives--Posada, Jeter, Abreu--interrupted only by Damon's walk. Championships are won by contact hitting in the clutch. That's why the Yanks won in 1998 and not the Tribe of Belle, Thome and the Alomars. So far this season the Yankees offense has been behaving like we begged it to all last year: drawing walks, making contact, and punctuating things with the long ball instead of depending upon it. Jeter, Damon, Posada, Phelps, AROD, Abreu, 6 of the nine starters are over 300 and well over 300 and that without Matsui in the lineup and with Cano yet to reach the level he surely will. The pitching is not up to Cone, Wells and Pettite, though it may get close; the fielding is well below that of the 98 squad and will doubtless remain that way. But for right now their offensive approach is the same and their offensive talent is even better.