JOE MUST GO

This is probably going to be my most unpopular blog entry of the year, but Yankees' manager Joe Girardi is ruining the season, and the Yankees' playoff hopes are getting scarier. I know, I know, they still have a large Wild Card lead, but other than CC Sabathia and a miracle Nick Swisher walk off homer last Wednesday, the team has shown no life for over a week. There have been no reports of team meetings, no locker room speeches from their captain, and no momentum heading into the stretch run which includes more games with Tampa Bay, Boston, Toronto, and Baltimore. There is no guarantee of a playoff spot if the team rolls over every single day. The games against the Red Sox coming up will be bigger than anyone thought they would be just a few days ago.

CC Sabathia was lights out, and deserving of his 20th victory. Unfortunately, the Yankees, who have the worst September schedule in all of baseball, had to face Cliff Lee and David Price in back-to-back games. The offense accomplished nothing, and Joe Girardi gave up the game after the ninth inning, using Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre to finish out a devastating loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, which dropped the Yankees to second place. Every hitter on the team not named Lance Berkman is mired in a slump, and things do not get easier with two more games against the Rays. Based on the Yankees' starting pitching, when you don't win with Sabathia on the mound, you risk a losing streak. No one, other than Ivan Nova, has been anywhere near reliable.

At the time of writing this article, the Boston Red Sox lead the Seattle Mariners 3-0, with mostly back-up players driving in runs. The Red Sox are showing heart despite a plethora of injuries, while the Yankees appear to be going through the motions and waiting for something better to come along. In my mind, Joe Girardi's thoughts may already be in Chicago. He allows Brett Gardner, with a sore wrist, to pinch run, but not until the ninth inning. Gardner then idiotically tries to steal third base before a pitch is even thrown. Girardi would have been better off using Brett in the eighth, when Jorge Posada reached on an error to begin the frame. Girardi also chose to give up on the game in the tenth inning, bringing in Chad Gaudin and then Sergio Mitre, who blew it immediately. Chad Gaudin lost Friday's game, and would have lost Saturday's game if not for a big hit by Alex Rodriguez. I think I can speak for Yankees Universe when I say we have seen enough of these guys that Brian Cashman insists on signing.

The Yankees are in free fall. They are still in very good shape for the postseason, but it's tough to think about when the Yankees can possibly get on a run. Their magic number stands at 12 to clinch the Wild Card over Chicago and Boston. Their offense is in shambles, and you have to sit and worry about the next three starting pitchers until CC pitches again on Saturday in Baltimore. The last 18 games of the year will be a real test of this team and its leadership. Instead of resting everyone and getting the playoff roster in order, Joe Girardi has to play with all available hands on deck the rest of the way. The Yankees' schedule simply does not allow for anything else. Monday's night in sports allowed all New Yorkers to play a brand new game show: "Which Offense is Worse?" In case you're looking to play, take a look at the Jets and the Yankees and give it a guess!