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Freddy Garcia's face said it all.  Despite trying to battle and stay composed through another terribly disappointing short outing Saturday afternoon, the veteran in his 14th major league season must know the end is near.

Once we, as fans, get beyond our own suffering and take a step back I think we all see a beaten man.  It's hard to imagine a proud competitor taking the mound with absolutely nothing and even more than that, he knew he had nothing.  When the splitter is supposed to be his go-to pitch, and it was barely tumbling and sitting about thigh to waist high over the plate, it was a certain recipe for disaster.

When it was time for the hook and Garcia had to hand the ball over, along with his own self-disappointment and emptiness, you could see A-Rod, Jeter and others expressing looks more of concern for a friend and teammate than the 6-1 deficit.  Garcia is no schmuck.  He gave the Yanks probably more than they expected last year, some of them coming at critical times.  But, 2012 is a long way from 2011 and he is not the same guy.  As he sat in the dugout staring off into the outfield as Clay Rapada wrapped up the 2nd inning I actually felt the pain that Garcia was trying to conceal.  No one wants to experience such lack of effectiveness and have no answers to solve major league hitters the way he has experienced this season.  In his mind we know he knows.  Unfortunately, the end is near.

Garcia is 145-97 in 13+ seasons.  Overall he has had a solid major league career.  As much as we'd all like to criticize and vent frustration pointed at him, I say we let it go. If he still had the stuff to get the job done he would be doing that.  It's obvious he doesn't any more. The Yankees front office is responsible for evaluating talent, putting people in a position to successfully handle jobs they are signed to do and, if someone gets injured or begins to fall apart like this, they have to make decisions and adjustments that will plug the **** temporarily buying time to implement a more permanent solution.

The first thing that hit me when the hyped forecast of the Nor'easter started ticking up on weather reports was this could be a good thing for the Yankees--that is if Boston would call the game early enough on Sunday to allow the Yanks to get an earlier charter departure for Texas.

It's a shame that ESPN was about to hold the Yankees to an 8 pm ballgame, certainly not allowing them to get up in the air until well past the midnight hour. Thus, they'd roll into Texas in the week hours and have to play the two-time defending AL Champs in a three-game series after being somewhat spent from a physically and emotionally draining weekend in Beantown. 

Hearing the game was rained out and will be rescheduled was good news on several fronts.

First, the Yankees can leave Boston still feeling the positive after-shocks of the tremendous come from behind massacre Saturday.  Second is the obvious physical break the Bombers get by getting into Texas at a reasonable hour, getting a good night's rest and having a normal day of pre-game polish at the Ballpark for Monday night's game.  Third, there's nothing wrong with the Yankee bullpen getting a full day off.  The Rangers' lineup is formidable, to say the least, helping Texas get out to a shiny 13-3 mark.  Who know how many arms might have been needed Sunday night had they played the final game in the Boston series?  Now the Yankee skipper has a fresh 'pen and a well-rested team as they tangle with Texas.

Weather is supposed to be great in Arlington for the three-game series.  That could mean a couple of things--pitchers will have a great feel for the ball and should be closer to the top of their games, and with the air being warm and dry both Yankee and Ranger lineups could launch a barrage of bombs.  That's why it's good the Yankees have their arms at the ready.  Should be a great series.

Despite the Twins taking the first game of the four-game series last night, the Yanks should be able to get themselves above .500 and stay there for the rest of the long 2012 ride.

We have to like CC boucning back tonight after a less than stellar, workman-like outing at Baltimore last time out.  Gardenhire is going to rest Morneau because his numbers are pretty morbid over the course of time vs. CC, so they'll not have the same punch they had last night.  Plus, the Twins will run Francisco Liriano (average at best) out there,which should have the Yankees lineup feeling pretty good about putting up enough runs to cover CC and the relief staff.

I like Kuroda putting a couple of good showings back to back when he matches up against Jason Marquis on Wednesday.  Kuroda, in my opinion, is the key to this rotation because we are least familiar with him and we need him so much.  We pretty much know what we'll get out of Sabathia once he's rolling. Thankfully we don't have to deal with the incredibly scary AJ Burnett roller-coaster ride any more, Nova is a young star beginning to blossom, we live through Hughes and Garcia's inconsistencies, then Andy P comes in a few weeks to stabilize the starting rotation. 

I see the Yanks rolling here the next couple of days, setting up a chance to get beyond this .500 stuff once and for all.

There’s no doubt that today’s athlete is built a lot better than their predecessors due, in large part, to developing their bodies and athletic ability to its fullest like no others before them.  With a lot of hard work, year-round training, along with personal nutritionists and chefs, it’s no wonder that more players are still enjoying very solid careers well into their late 30’s and some even cracking the “4-oh” mark.

Maybe like some other Yankee fans, as I get ready for this season I can’t help but wonder when Father Time’s gradual effect on aging players-- slowing down a hitter’s bat speed, a pitcher’s arm speed, or a fielder’s foot quickness—might truly push a player over the hill.

Despite taking great care of themselves, and aside from the inevitability of gradually losing a bit of explosiveness over the years, the aging player’s chance of injury also increases, as does the time to recover from those nagging injuries, with each passing season. 

The Yanks have a venerable 42-year old closer, a left side of the infield that will total 75 years old by mid-season and a lefty DH who cracks 40 in early June.  Oh, and don't forget #46 on the hill coming back at age 39.

It’s a real tribute to Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Raul Ibanez and Andy Pettitte that they have played the game at such a high level and with such longevity.  Despite not being at their peak any more, the Yankees are still counting on them to help compete for what all Yankees have come to expect—another World Series title.   

Stay healthy men; we need you and we’re counting on you.

Upon capping the win over Toronto last night, my feeling of joy and satisfaction in the Yankee win was quickly offset by an ugly punch to the gut feeling after Rafael Soriano got the last out of the game.

Among the many, many adjectives you could attach to the history of Yankees baseball, and the thousands of great players who have worn the pinstripes, one that is always foremost in my thinking is "class." 

When you think of pitchers who win and lose with class you take current ace CC Sabathia and closer extraordinaire Mariano Rivera. Go back through the last 15 years and you add Andy Pettitte, David Cone, and more.  Turn more history pages and you have Ron Guidry and further back the great Whitey Ford.  We can all add dozens and dozens to this kind of list.

Did you ever see any of them violently yank their jersey out of their pants and walk around like a no-class bum  once they wrapped up the final out?  Soriano is not a Yankee and will not be one until he learns that it is not about him.  That kind of BS may work with teams that don't have the standards and expectations that the world's most successful sports franchise has, but that does not play as a Yankee.

You see that kind of immature behavior with high school and college basketball players and other class-challenged wanna-bees.  But you don't see it with players playing a sport at the highest level and for the top all-time team.

Whether it's Joe Girardi, the Captain, or someone else who can get to Soriano--someone needs to let this guy know what it's all about--and it's not all about him. 

It was great to see Eric Chavez peform last night the way he did some years ago when he was an All-Star with the Oakland A's.  Chavez's heroics underscore the critical "X factor" played by a successful team's bench.

Here it is only April and there are regulars sitting out with muscle pulls or tweaks that are not worth testing for risk of more serious injury.  Think about the 162 game grind--how important is a short AL bench when you are expecxted to compete for championships?  You saw it last night with Chavez.

The Yanks did a nice job in the off-season picking up Chavez and Andruw Jones as veterans who still have a good amount of tread on their tires and are easily the equal of many of the other teams' starters.  The NYY have always done a good job of having those utility players who can play a couple of different positions, jump in and play a whole series when a regular is down for a short period, or take an at-bat and give you a chance to keep an inning alive.  The Yanks also do a good job of making sure the personalities and egos complement the team chemistry and clubhouse.  It's evident watching the team this year that those two veterans fit right in and look like they have been around for years.

We are miles away from the long, hot summer and wear and tear of the marathon regular season, but a major factor in the Yanks ability to compete for a spot in the post-season will rest on guys like Chavez, Jones, and Eduardo Nunez stepping in and performing like true pros when called upon.

People in Pinstripeland saw the sun come up after all on Tuesday morning, and thanks to CC Sabathia they felt a lot better by the time they went to sleep.

The Yanks have been in the doldrums lately, scoring just two runs in the last two games, having lost 5 of their last 8 and being 6-9 for August as they headed into last night's game vs. the Tigers. But Sabathia picked them up as he earned his AL leading 16th win, limiting Detroit to just 5 hits over 7 strong innings.

With Alex Rodriguez sitting out nursing a mild calf injury manager Joe Girardi shuffled the lineup. He moved No. 9 hitter Brett Gardner to lead-off, Derek Jeter slid down to his familiar old No. 2 slot, Robinson Cano filled in at clean-up, and Nick Swisher hit fifth.

Gardner responded big-time with two hits, a walk, two runs scored and had a stolen base and Cano blasted his 22nd HR of the year, a line drive to right-center.  Nick Swisher produced two runs with a first inning single and Curtis Granderson continued his improved stroke with a round-tripper, his 12th.

The game was billed as a match-up of pitching aces with Sabathia facing the Tigers' Justin Verlander, but Verlander (13-5) struggled through five innings.  The Yankees made him work.  He uncharacteristically walked five and threw 114 pitches in the short outing, only 65 of those for strikes.

As Tampa Bay continues to win and Boston is still within shouting distance, it's important for the Yanks to win their first series of the month when they host Detroit tonight and tomorrow afternoon.

The 162-game grind of a MLB season tests everyone.  That's why even the best teams in the league have to bust their tails to play .600+ ball. Think of the big picture, the best teams average only a hair more than 6 wins out of every 10 games.

NYY finds themselves in the "dog days" of August and the month has not been kind to the Pinstripes.  They started off August dropping the series deciding game to Tampa Bay and followed that with a 1-2 series with Toronto. Up until last night's loss to Detroit, NY has been in "Splitsville"--as they halved a four-game series with Boston in the Bronx, two games in Texas and four in Kansas City.

The Yankee bats have gone into a bit of a slumber.  Sunday in KC a guy named Bryan Bullington earned his first career win, 8 years after being a No. 1 draftee, limiting the Yanks to two hits in 8 innings.  Last night Max Scherzer had great stuff, and the Yankees made him work to inflate his pitch count over 6+ innings, but could not put enough together to score more than one run.

These last two performances offensively were disappointing because AJ Burnett pitched effectively Sunday in KC and last night Javier Vazquez battled valiantly without a change-up, his key pitch, and Sergio Mitre picked him up with strong middle relief, but Yankee bats couldn't help out.

The 162 game grind also has a trio of Yanks "day to day" with minor injuries that shortens Joe Girardi's bench.  A-Rod's muscle tightness in his lower leg, Nick Swisher's version of tennis elbow, and Lance Berkman's ankle have those guys spending extra time with trainers Gene Monahan and Steve Donahue.

Kevin Long is one part coach, one part psychologist, and one part confidant.

Whenever you hear of one of the Yankee hitters having some success, or not, they usually weave Kevin Long into the conversation.

Last night in Kansas City Alex Rodriguez blasted three long HRs--the shortest at 412 feet and the longest one, a 439-foot bomb that splashed down in the Royals' fountain display.  Every each and every at-bat you see A-Rod alongside Long in the Yankee dugout evaluating the recent at-bat--good or bad.

Curtis Granderson has begun to hit the ball sharply the last few outings after being rested early in the week.  To what does he attribute his mild success--Kevin Long and hard work in the cage. 

How did Nick Swisher quiet his demeanor and approach at the plate?  You guessed it.  Swisher is enjoying a career-best season.

It was interesting to watch last night's game through the KC Royals broadcast on the MLB Extra Innings package I get.  The Royals' announcers were proud to claim Long as a career minor-leaguer in the Royals system and one who had also begun his coaching career in their system.  Both Ryan Lefevere and Frank White discussed how Long's approach is to simplify things--give the hitter just one or two things to think about and work on.

With just two months left in the season, if you follow the Yankees as closely as a lot of people, you'll continue to hear the players bring up the name of their hitting coach, the guy they trust, the guy who is there for them--like a marriage--for better or for worse.

How long can the Yankees afford to have a pitcher out there with a dead arm?

It's obvious that Javier Vazquez's last two appearances have been miles from his previous half-dozen.  Pitching coach Dave Eiland indicated last week that Vazquez has to work through that and they were going to adjust his work between starts.

It didn't work.

Is it worth running a guy with a dead arm out there, only with the hope that he can somehow be crafty enough for 5-6 innings  of work and your team is not down by more than a grand slam's worth when you yank him?

As great as last night's classic come from behind victory was over Texas, the bigger issue is Vazquez's arm and what the plan is to either get him right, or go to Plan B, and what is Plan B.

Vazquez had no fastball, hardly any movement on what was his version of a fastball, and couldn't pitch inside.  Why do you think Michael Young hit his early HR off the "fair" pole?  He knew Javy had nothing and was just trying to stay away.  So, he promptly looked away and drove the ball out of the park.

To his credit Vazquez tried to mix speeds off of his breaking ball and did his best to locate, but sadly it just wasn't enough.

What do we do now, keep "working through it", or look for another solution with less risk.

Who do we celebrate more after last night's huge come from behind victory over Texas, Marcus Thames or Mariano Rivera?  That's a tough one, but I have to side with Thames as a guy has had a limited role, but one who stepped up big-time.

We have come to expect excellence and nerves of steel in the face of adversity from Mariano Rivera.  The bar he has set for himself is so high, sometimes even he can't measure up--which is unfair. But, last night trying to protect a one-run lead and having to face the beef of Texas' meaty order, he yielded a lead-off triple to Elvis Andrus only to respond by including three straight outs by Michael Young, Josh Hamilton (who already had three hits) and Vlad Guerrero.  When a team as potent as Texas can't somehow get a runner home from third with NO OUTS...that's something.

As for Thames, he admits that he's "Marcus, I am not Tex."  So be it.  Marcus was awfully good last night in collecting three hits as the three-hole hitter in place of Teixeira, to go along with his two hits vs. the Rangers in game one.  His long eighth inning HR and ninth inning game-winning RBI single was impressive.

It seems like it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  A Yankee property in his younger days, Thames has come back to fill a much-needed role, albeit not everyday.  Yet, when called upon he has been professional, humble and productive.  that's a great combination for a role player.

Here's to you Marcus Thames--Congratulations!  Keep it up!

What's the old baseball saying about bleeders, soft, seeing-eye singles--"They all look like line drives in the score book."

So, that's essentially the story of the Yanks 10-inning loss to the Rangers last night.  Michael Young's infield single deep in the hole, fielded by Derek Jeter, Josh Hamilton's ball that trickles into right, narrowly escaping Robbie Cano...set up the intentional pass to Nelson Cruz and the eventual game winning solid line drive by Daniel Murphy.

Kudos to A-Rod for an outstanding play on Vlad Guerrero's hot smash to prevent an earlier end to the game in the tenth.

The glass half full says that AJ Burnett turned in a very solid night's work in the Texas heat.  Anytime we can see him issue just 2 walks in seven full innings and yield six hits, we'll take it.

The "Irregulars" did a good job on a night that Joe Girardi's lineup looked like something you would see in the late innings of a spring training game.  Marcus Thames had two hits batting in the three-hole in place of Tex, Austin Kearns made a strong bid to be the right-handed hitting left fielder with two hits and a walk, and 'Cisco Cervelli added an RBI.

Lastly, is anyone in the Yankee coaching staff concerned about Brett Gardner? If not, they should be.  Start with the "non steal" in the last inning vs. Boston, an inordinate amount of disagreement with umpires and caught looking strikeouts lately, along with his obvious mounting anxiety and frustration?  Nobody with his short resume' is going to get a break at the plate, so he has to learn to deal with it.  And, if his actions continue, the men in blue will only continue to haunt him.

I don't know what happened to the guy, but a trip to the couch with the team sports psychologist might be in order.  He doesn't even look close to the offensive player we saw prior to the all-star break.  In the last 10 games his average has fallen by 17 points.