The Yankees are STILL done

Now first things first - just cause I said the Yankees are done doesn't mean that the Red Sox are going to runaway with the division. It could still be a close race but based on the fact that Chien Ming Wang went down - that kills any hopes of the Yankees making the playoffs. So me saying the Yankees are done is saying they could keep the race for the East close but at this point they have no shot of making the playoffs. The Yankees have been hit hard by injuries but lets think about this - The Yankees are better off with Kevin Brown and Jaret Wright on the DL - anyone who tells you otherwise is nuts. Wang and Carl Pavano on the DL , now they hurt the Yankees a little more. But again Wang more than Pavano. Wang was the Yankees most consistent pitcher and chances are he's done for the season. Pavano has been far from the young stud pitcher promised and I'm willing to concede that he might eventually blossom in the Bronx but he's going to propel the Yankees to the AL East crown when he comes off the DL after an already lackluster season? Please. The kid is 4-6 with a 4.77 ERA. Coming off the DL he is the Bronx hope for the playoffs? It sounds like Yankee fans are turning into Cub fans just looking for any potential hope to cling to. I mean I know 5 years must seem like 97 years after the 4 titles in the 90's but are the Bronx faithful that desperate to rest their hopes on the return of a pitcher who has been shaky and a dissapointment to say the least? No question the Yankees lineup with Giambi back in form is one of the most potent in the majors. But the pitching just isn't there. And the clutch hits the Yankees usually come up with when needed have been few and far between. This year is just not the year. Johnson has shown some signs of maybe turning it around - but he's been doing that all season. Mussina is good but not great - these two can't get the Yanks to the top of the AL East alone. Al Leiter thrived under pressure at Fenway, but looked more like the guy the Marlins traded away for chump change in his next start against Anaheim. With Brown's back acting up again it looks like Aaron Small will fill in in the fifth role with Pavano coming back. at the end of next week. But the bullpen is just downright scary. The Yanks have a nice little 7,8,9 innings with Sturtze, Gordon, and Rivera but when one of those guys needs a break Buddy Groom and Scott Proctor are just giving away runs. Not to mention Gordon has overachieved to this point and Rivera has increasingly been brought in to bail out Gordon (see yesterday's Yankee - Angels game). And let's just take a look at the New York schedule for the next month. 3 against Minnesota, 3 against the Angels who just beat the Yanks for 3 of 4 and own the Bombers since the '02 ALCS; 3 against Cleveland and 3 against Toronto - normally those would be two series in the bag but with this year's Yanks and possible pitchers the Yanks might run into who knows. The White Sox for 3. The Chisox looked a little shaky in their 4 game series split against Boston but have the pitching edge against the Yanks. This will be a true test for the White Sox who have yet to silence many of their critics - most notably Yankee fans. Then the Yanks welcome Texas for 3 - a team that can do their share of slugging. New York next plays a Tampa Bay team that has their number - honestly if Tampa Bay only had to play the Yankees this year they would be in first place in the East the lowly Devil Rays are 7-3 against the Yanks this year. And the Bombers face the White Sox again for 3. Now the Red Sox have a similar schedule in the next month facing Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Texas, Detroit, LA, and Chicago. This isn't going to be a landslide as Dan Shaugnessey would have you believe - but the Yanks aren't going to make it past October 2nd.