Hardball Heaven

Well, the Yanks managed to play for an extra night, but that's it. The impressive Cleveland Indians hammered the final nail into Joe Torre's coffin on Monday night, beating the Yanks 6-4 and advancing to the ALCS against the Sox. I'm not going to dance on their grave - okay, maybe a small jig - but a few thoughts on the Bombers before we get into the next series, which should make for some pretty damn compelling baseball.

If you read this site fairly regularly - all two of you - you know I despise anything and everything pinstripe-related. But the one person I've come to respect, and hell, even admire a little bit through the years is Joe Torre. I always thought he seemed like a class act, but he clinched it for me when he had his entire team stand on the top step of the Fenway dugout on Opening Day 2005 as the Red Sox received their championship rings. Never mind the fact that this was a mere six months after the Yanks' historic collapse. Never mind the bitterness of the rivalry, and the sheer hatred at times. When it's all said and done, it's about competition and respect, and to see A-Rod, Jeter, Sheffield, et al, standing and clapping on the top step that day is a memory that won't soon fade.

Unfortunately, it looks like Torre is going to fade - sooner rather than later. When the Yanks fell behind 2-0 to the Tribe, ol' George issued a proclamation from Evil Empire Headquarters (EEH) that Torre would most likely be unemployed if the Yanks lost. Now he has to act on his stupid announcement. The clock is ticking in Gotham, but Torre won't be out of a job for very long.

That said, I love seeing A-Fraud sitting in the dugout above, after last night's game. And I love, love, love, that Derek Jeter hit into 17 crucial double plays during this series. I love that Doug Mientkiewicz won't have a World Series-winning ball to haggle over with a new team. I love the discord, the disarray, that is going on in New York right now. WFAN broadcaster - and I use that term loosely - Suzyn Waldman was on the air last night describing how all the coaches in Torre's office last night were in tears after the game. And of course, as she said this, she was crying. Yeah, they're crying Su because they've probably seen their last Yankee paychecks. And if there's any justice in the world, the same goes for you.

But screw them. They're done, and big changes are in the works. In the meantime, we've got one hell of a series starting this Friday with the Sox hosting the Indians. I'm worried about the Sabathia-Carmona 1-2 punch, but hoping that Papi and the Bad Man can keep it going. When the dynamic duo is locked in, it don't matter who's pitching. Game time Friday is 7:10, with Beckett going against C.C. In-depth analysis and dissection to come.

In the meantime, let's see how many heads will roll in NYC. Oh yeah, we're not paying attention - we're looking ahead. Kinda sorta.