Start the car - this one is over

I sat there last night watching the Yankees figuring out how they would lose the game. I knew they would find a way and boy they did. Two unearned runs, a straight steal of home plate, more un-clutch pathetic hitting and another lacklustre performance from the highest payroll.

As Neil H pointed out to me last night after the game 'I just can't believe that they (the Yankees) are just this bad'. The way I see it on paper this is a terrifically talented team, what we are in isn't real life, we are sat in a computer game where the Artificial Intelligence has stepped in and decided that after so many great years - the player has learnt the game too well so the AI is taking over and crushing the poor player to choking loss after choking loss.

Every little thing is going against the Yankees, I mean a straight steal of home by a guy with nine career swipes. You have to give credit to Posada who saw him coming very early but couldn't get Pettitte's attention and by the time the pitcher worked out what was going on, it was too late as Hill slid underneath Posada's tag.

However the Yankees were still just one down and after two errors by the Blue Jays D in the 8th, the Yankees tied it up on a bloop RBI single by the aforementioned Posada - without him and the April version of A-Rod - this team would be toast - whereas at the moment they are just toast - d'oh. So the Yankees have two on against the Jays closer with Giambi and Abreu up but neither would do anything so the game stayed tied.

A sac fly in the 8th by Rios off Proctor (run credited to Pettitte's record) saw the Jays take the lead for the third and final time and the Yankees never even looked like levelling it up again. A five game losing spin after a good series win over the Sox and this team is done. I don't care that there are over 100 games left to play - this isn't the NL where a bad team can win the wildcard - this is the AL where there are good teams.

On paper this team is good enough to challenge for the AL East crown but in reality just too many players are playing well below themselves. You have to wonder who is to blame but it is hard to put a finger on it - some are pointing the finger at Torre but you know I won't. He isn't the best in-game manager - we all know that but being manager of the Yankees is about far more than that - it is about managing the clubhouse and the media and he does it better than anyone. Has he made mistakes? Sure, but so has every manager in the league, how do you manage a team with an oft-injured spark in Damon, a falling off the cliff Abreu, a free swinger who swings at strikes that might land in the Azore Islands in Cano, a vacuum at 1st, a banged up Giambi, and a patched up pitching staff?

If you haven't got the chips then it is hard to win in poker unless you are a great bluffer - in the past we've bluffed with guys like Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon but those bluffs haven't emerged this season. The fault does not lie at the feet of the manager. Things have been spiraling out of control ever since the injuries started mounting up, is the blame at the former strength/conditioning coach? No - but that is where the chain-reaction started and we haven't been able to break the chain and move on to a level footing.

More baseball tonight anyway - I wonder how we'll lose tonight - maybe a pitcher - possibly Farnsworth will of taken note of the games in NY last night and bulk in the winning run - that sounds like a new way for us to lose - we have pretty much used all the conventional ways to lose so we'll need to start stealing ideas off other teams.

I am sorry to say but the Yankees suck - they really do.