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It was bold, gutsy and daring. When Joe Girardi decided to use Raul Ibanez as a pinch-hitter for Alex Rodriguez in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, it was one of the more delicate decisions he has made as a manager. It was also one of the smartest decisions he has made.

Even before Ibanez drilled a game-tying homer off Jim Johnson and a game-winning homer off Brian Matusz in the 12^th inning, inserting Ibanez for Rodriguez was the proper move. Even if Ibanez had made an out and the Yankees had lost to the Orioles, I believe Girardi did the right thing. The manager’s job is to give his team the best chance to win. That’s what Girardi did.

Because Ibanez had a dream of a postseason game, the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 3-2, in Game 3 of the American League Division

There was a time when Ichiro Suzuki was one of the best five players in baseball, someone who was a delight to watch at the plate, on the bases and in the outfield. There aren't many singles hitters who force you to watch every move they make, but Ichiro was that kind of must-see player.

While Ichiro isn't a top-five type player anymore, he can still be a very effective player for the Yankees as they refine their roster and push toward the post-season. By acquiring Ichiro from the Mariners for right-handers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar, the Yankees didn't surrender any premier prospects and improved their outfield. In addition, the Yankees will only pay Ichiro $2.25 million for the rest of the season. They believe Ichiro is still worth watching and, of course,

As the Yankees played sluggishly in April and most of May, Brian Cashman waited. Baseball is a long season. Since Cashman is in his 15^th season as the general manager, he could easily recite seasons in which very good Yankee teams sputtered or performed unevenly. That happens.

Even as the starting rotation fizzled and even as the Yankees failed to produce with runners in scoring position, Cashman was patient. He was confident in these Yankees, a message he emphasized during a team meeting on May 22. Cashman told the players he didn’t meet with them because he was panicking, but to remind them that the solutions to the team’s problems were already in the clubhouse.

While Cashman has declined to discuss the meeting, the Yankees have been much better since Cashman and Manager

Watching batting practice is an intracite process. A manager gets a sense of what a player may bring to that night's game, and it provides an opportunity to communicate and share ideas one-on-one. Jack Curry had an opportunity to speak with Joe Girardi about what he looks for and evaluates during baseball's pregame ritual. (Click here to watch.)

Our debate on who should pitch the ninth inning for the Yankees started in the seventh in Bob Lorenz’s office at the YES studios. Bob, who is superb at posing questions whether we are on- or off-camera, asked John Flaherty and me if we thought Bartolo Colon should stay in the game or if the Yankees should use Mariano Rivera in the inning that he usually owns.

Typically, this wouldn’t even have been a question for me. Rivera is the greatest closer of all-time, so he should get the ball like he always does. That is one of manager Joe Girardi’s easiest decisions. But because of the way Colon was pitching on Wednesday night, I hedged on that easiest of choices.

Once Bob floated the question, John fielded it first. The former Yankee, who has caught Rivera, reminded us how

Day after day in Spring Training, Jorge Posada explained how he had accepted being stripped of his job as the Yankees catcher and would embrace being the designated hitter. Every time Posada said it, I wondered if his words matched his thoughts. Posada is a proud catcher, a man whose career revolved around strapping shin guards to his legs and pulling a mask over his face.

Finally, after hearing Posada methodically repeat how he would slide into the DH role without creating a ruckus, I cornered him in the clubhouse one day. Since Posada’s tenure with the Yankees had been intrinsically linked to him being a durable catcher, I wanted to know if he really was content with merely being a DH.

“That’s the way I need to approach it,” Posada said. “If I don’t

Nine days ago, Derek Jeter was hitting .250. He had 23 hits in his first 92 at-bats, about half of them infield hits. As Jeter got ready for a Sunday game with the Blue Jays, I asked him a few questions by his locker. I was curious to know if Jeter felt better about his much-dissected swing, if he had made any adjustments, and how quickly he expected that .250 beside his name to turn into a thicker number.

When I mentioned Jeter’s career average of .314 during one of my questions, Jeter offered an interesting response. He didn’t answer the question. Instead, he honed in on the shiny statistic that I had cited and supplied his perspective.

"If I go 4-for-4 in the next two games, I’ll be there,” Jeter said. He was basically correct; if he went 8-for-8, he would

Jorge Posada’s job can be demanding and dangerous. It is also a job he loves. Posada is a proud catcher, a man who has crouched behind the plate for more than 1,500 Major League games. Every time Posada lowers his fingers to call for a pitch, he knows there is a possibility he could get injured.

“You can’t think about the negative and stuff that could happen,” Posada told me in 2007. “You just got to keep on hoping that everything is going to be fine and you can keep playing the game.”

Posada’s three-year old comment seemed prescient after the Yankees disclosed that he didn’t play Wednesday because of concussion symptoms. That revelation was chilling because of what it could potentially mean to Posada’s future as a player and a person,