Moose's rebound game adds a little intrigue to the rotation for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. Much as I hate to repeat a David Justice comment, he was right in pointing out that he'd take a revamped Moose over Kennedy in the post. I'd actually say the same goes for Hughes. Question is, is Moose revamped? I think a little time off did him good, and he pitched more than respectably tonight. So he's going to get another start or two to find out if tonight or his previous few starts was/were the fluke.

If he performs at or better than Kennedy and Hughes' levels---good enough, but nothing to bank on in a 7 game series--and Rocket continues to battle inflammation and blisters, who're the odd men out in the post season?

I'm curious what the consensus is on keeping A-Rod, given the contract issues. Since I'm wiling away the afternoon, pre-Labor Day, thought I'd pull together some of the stuff that's been posted on this.

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There's been an interesting discussion in the Torre's status thread on (surprisingly) Joe's use of the bullpen. Brings up, I think, an interesting issue.  

It appears to be holy writ in the Bronx that Joba's going back to the rotation in 2008. Why?

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Saw an article somewhere (the Post maybe?) that the last time the Yankees didn't have Steinbrenner meddling in day-to-day affairs (the early 90s, when he was suspended from baseball), they stocked up on the great farmhands--Pettitte, Jeter, Bernie, Mariano--who made the Yanks so dominant in the 90s.

Now that he's getting on and letting Cashman run the operation, we have the remarkable comparison of Joba reminding us of a young Clemens VERSUS Eric Gagne blowing saves in Boston. In his prime, George would NOT have been able to resist Gagne--or at the least, some pick-up with more cachet than Betemit.

Clearly, Cashman has been able to to stock up on a pitching rotation (Wang/Chamberlain/Hughes/Kennedy/maybe even Sanchez) that could power the Yankees for the next 10 years BECAUSE George hasn't been trading the farm for the latest over-the-hill batting champ or Cy Young winner.

The question is: Is George's absence from the trading table outweighed by the lack of immediacy in the Yankee's organization? I'm all for patience with the young talent, but there doesn't seem to be the organizational fire in the belly the old George provided.

I love Torre for what he did in the 90s, for his grace under pressure, etc. But I gotta believe the old George would have replaced him in June with Girardi or Mattingly. Good thing? Bad thing?