New Strategy for the Yankees

I like Torre's philosophy that the Yankees have to "fight their way out of this hole". It's a great solution that has guts, character and confidence in his players. But how consistent is that with the way he manages? How many times has Torre really showed faith in his pitching staff? You know the scenario. Starting pitcher gets tatooed after 5 runs by the 5th inning. Next pitcher comes in, gives up a homer, and in comes Torre again. Then he makes 3 more trips to the mound before the game ends.



Hey, I'm not saying that taking pitchers out is a mistake, but the key is which pitchers should Torre allow to fight their way out of and which should be cut? I have the answer: Torre, stop putting Vizcaino in! He's horrible! And take Farnsworth out the minute he loses command, because he never gains it back. And once our starting pitchers are healthy and Roger is on board, start rotating those new guys into the bullpen more often. Try DeSalvo and Clippard for a few innings. Proctor and Bruney have shown consistency and this battle back mentality. They're good in my book.

Oh, and somebody please find a way to play Cabrera. The bats are really suffering.

Dancing with the Stars

This season of Dancing with the Stars, the couple that deserved to win actually did. From the very beginning, Apolo Anton Ohno demonstrated his natural ability and potential. Then after witnessing Joey Fatone's first dance, the core question became: can Apolo surpass Fatone over the course of weeks given his demanding schedule and lack of experience?

He rose to the challenge very quickly proving to be a quick study combined with his drive to win. Although at one point he stated that skating and dancing are two completely different activities, it became evident that his footwork was top notch may have given him that edge over Joey in the end. While the audience and judges appreciate good showmanship and facial expressions, they appear to be equally aware of the level of difficulty in the footwork required in Apolo's routine. And finally, the chemistry of Apolo and his partner was unlike any other couple in the competition.



Regardless of the winner, it appears that Joey may have re-ignited his career in some way, while Laila and Apolo may have launched career opportunities for themselves as they both shined on camera and displayed vibrant personalities of their own.

And thanks for the mullett dance, Billy Ray.

The Return of Roger

Like many yankee fans, I shared in the excitement today as Roger Clemens surprised everyone with his announcement of returning as a Yankee this season. I'm not thrilled but happy that we have achieved more stability in the lineup.

Clemens feels that he could help out the ballclub's pitching due to some of the injuries they've been having. To be frank, the existing pitching, healthy or not, is not up to speed. Kei Igawa or that Raznor? Are you kidding me? If you're a batter up at the plate and game is on the line, do you want to be facing Igawa or Clemens? Case closed. Clemens has always been a big game pitcher.



Another immediate benefit he'll bring is eliminating the need for these awful mid-relievers the yanks have had, namely Farnsworth, Myers and Vizcaino. Clemens will last a solid 6 innings at the very least, easing the toll on Proctor, Henn, Bruney and Rivera.

One last thing Clemens brings: leadership to the bullpen. Moose, Pettitte, and Wang are good pitchers but I don't see them providing any leadership for the bullpen. There is no sense of dominance and winning attitude. Clemens will be that guy, as he always has been. If one of the yanks batters gets pegged, Clemens will instill fear with retaliation the very next inning.

Now having said all of that, it may very well be the case that Clemens gets shelled on his first outting and doesn't go more than three innings. But probably not likely, due to his workout routine, he has built himself into a power pitcher with tree-trunk legs that will keep his velocity up.

I echo Jeter's reaction when he told the YES network that the Yanks can't rely on Roger and have to continue battling with the squad they have. Yet his weekly text messages requesting his comeback convey that Jeter is probably pumping his fists privately in the locker room. Welcome back Roger.

Can Jack Bauer Save 24?

This has been a disappointing season for 24 thus far. Three factors have really contributed to its sudden decline.

The first is the storyline with Jack’s family. We didn’t need to know about his family, never mind find out that his father and brother were indirectly working to help supply weapons to Russian terrorists.

The other frustration has to do with Wayne Palmer as president. Bottom line is, just like the last president, he’s a just plain bad. How credible is it that our nation’s leader is that indecisive? Or even if our president is, would they come off so ambivalent, and with such little charisma?

And lastly, the whole romantic side of Chloe is disturbing to watch. Nobody wants to see this side to her, and it really takes away from her awkward quirkiness about her. The only funny part of the show has been ruined. It would have been much better if they made Morris an admirer of hers and she just remained completely awkward about it.



Now we’re onto this awful plot with the Chinese government and Audrey Raines, who should have been dead and stayed that way. Hopefully Jack can rescue us viewers from this torture like he saves the world every week.