That Stinking Bum

Unreal!!!

My buddy Matt calls me. He has been working for the Mets since we graduated school and the kid is doing pretty well. He is in LA with the club, living the good life etc.

So anyway, Matty called me IRATE this morning. I've never seen him this pissed.

He was like, "Sip, you're never going to believe this. They're starting Franco for Delgado tonight!!!"

"Get the fuck outta here," I replied. Why in god's name would fresh toasted Willie do that.

Matt replied, " He is trying to eliminate Maddux's changeup. He wants to go with an all right handed lineup. The guy has lost it."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It made no sense. Franco for Delgado? Are you fucking kidding me?

The answer. Yes. Yes I am.

There are few things I know in this world.

My favorite color is blue.

I live in New York.

And you don't bench your right handed cleanup hitter against a lefty for a guy 6 years past his prime.

Joe Torre, the fastest manager to 1000 losses, benched his scariest bat, Gary Sheffield for Puerto Rico High Class of 1942's Valedictorian, Bernie Williams.

Apparently Williams had better career numbers.

Hey Joe, I have better post season numbers than A-Rod. Does that mean I get a $14 million dollar deal?

The move is plain dumb. Apparently, Torre, asleep for much of his tenure with the Banks hasn't seen what Sheffield does. Or maybe he has.

But the move did two things.

1. It made the Yankees godly lineup 6 strong instead of 7. 1-7 with Matsui in the 7 hole and the Yankees had 7 hitters better than any Tiger, any Oakland A, any Dodger, and any Padre. Pretty sad when you think about it. That lineup gives me nightmares and we aren't even playing the Yankees.

Even if Bernie Williams is batting 1.000 against Rogers, the move makes the lineup that much less scary.

2. More importantly, the aftermath.

Now the Yankees have an angry Sheffield and a reason to be upset. Their manager let them down. He made the wrong move. This team needs excuses for why it loses because on paper they never should.

This all leads me to my point about Torre.

During the regular season, The Yankees need no manager. With that much talent in the lineup, an above average pitching staff and baseball's best closer, the Yankees should win 95 games in their sleep. There are simply too many games against the Devil Rays, Orioles, Royals and Mariners for them not to win a ton of games. They are just too good.

I honestly think it would be a great reality show: "Who Wants to Manage the Yankees?"

I would take Mrs. Sippy Momo Sr. and the over at 94.5 games.

Then there is Joe. For ten years he has been lauded for his managerial skills. What we have seen over the last 6 years is that he deserves no recognition.

From 1996-2000 the Yankees won 4 titles.

The reason. They were a better assembled team.

Whereas this year the Yankees are the greatest fantasy team of all time, in the late 90's the Yankees were complete.

Torre was "a genius" for going to the best righty/lefty duo in the game (Stanton/Nelson) to set up the game's best closer (Rivera).

He pushed buttons that Mama Sip could easily push and they worked. Yankees win and Joe goes from one of the worst managers of all time to one of the best.

Here we are now, in 2006 and something is a little different. While the Yankees should score 9 runs per game, their pitching isnt invicible. The starters don't go as deep as they used to and the bullpen isn't as strong.

And it all shows in the postseason.

No longer are the Yankees automatic. He does not have two inexhaustable arms in the pen who compliment each other perfectly, essentially making games 6 innings long.

Like last year with Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill, Torre once again spent his regular season EXHAUSTING his best middle relief pitcher, Scott Proctor.

For those who don't follow the Yanks, Proctor is a guy that hits 97-98. In the post season, after leading baseball in appearances, Proctor is consistenly hitting 95.

Torre had one job this year.

It wasn't get the Yankees to October. Again, as I have said many a time, in a 162 game season, with the current salary structure in baseball, the Yankees will make the playoffs every single time.

Torre's one job is to get his team ready for the big stage and to have them in the right.

An overworked bullpen and a chaotic lineup is not exactly what I mean. Unhappy superstars and no one to pitch innings 5-8 spell disaster. The fact that this is where the Yankees are every postseason is a true testament to how poor of a manager Torre is.

Tonight has the potential to be something special. We could be looking at a Mets clinch and a Yankees elimination.

If this somehow happens, which it won't cause it is too obvious and my life isn't that good, I will get down on one knee and propose to my waitress at Blondie's, my home away from home.

Either way, if the Yanks do come back, which they should (This team should never lose) well fuck them.

At least we have pride.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

Oh, and by the way. When I left NYC last year I think I knew 12 Mets fans. Now, all of a sudden, I can't cross the street without seeing Mets gear or taking cabs with greek dudes who love the Mets.

Am I missing something? Did the Mets get good?

This city stinks.

But not you guys. We cool baby.