I ONLY HAVE MY WIFE

to testify to this, but she will. Last night, between bites of the most delicious veal, I was screaming at the Yankee hitters through the first four innings: "Why do you idiots keep trying to pull this guys sinker; you can't fucking pull a sinker! Then Kevin Long, Yankees hitting coach was interviewed in the fourth and he indicated his belief that the Yankke hitters looked good despite the meager results and I'm screaming, what are you talking about, their approach is exactly wrong! Come the fifth inning, with each hit, Matsui, Cano, Cabreara, I'd say to Joanne, which way did that hit go, to which she'd respond, with the patient good humor for which she is known, "the other way."

Come this morning, I find out on the internet that the Yankees are congratulating themselves for changing their approach in the fifth. Congratulating themselves! Excuse me, isn't hitting the sinkerball where it is pitched Spalding Guide baseball 101? And if I know that as a fucking literature professor, and know it well enough to proclaim it in real time, why the hell doesn't Kevin Long know it, or Joe Torre, for that matter, who was a helluva batsman in his day?

People make alot of Steinbrenner insisting on victories out of his managerial staff, but I wonder if he isn't simply insisting on, and not getting, competence. As a native of Cleveland, he undoubtedly knew the midges were a temporary phenomenon and that Torre should have asked for a delay or, failing to receive one, created a delay through argumentation. And if I know you don't pull the sinker, I bet George, in his more lucid moments, does as well. George is undoubtedly eager to fire Torre, as they say, but not because Torre is "too popular," rather because he is unjustifiably popular, and because most people know baseball too little to grasp that (and the players themselves don't want to grasp it), George has to wait like some ghoul for the truly unacceptable outcome to make his move.

For me, its a win-win, either the Yankees triumph, my ultimate baseball desire, or Torre gets the ax, a close second.

Last thing--Jeter is looking like the new AROD. After a dreadful first couple of games, he makes that horrible throw which cost the Yankees a run (how was that not an error) and then hits into two consecutive rally killing double plays, befiore striking out klater in the game. ARODIAN indeed!