Thanks for providing me with some facts to back up your comments instead of just rhetoric. I honestly just don’t follow our minor league guys that much, and didn’t know he had been so dominant.
So I guess then the problem with Ramirez comes down to the fact that Torre either doesn’t trust him or doesn’t want him to fail in a pressure situation. Well, if he never gives him an opportunity we’ll never know what he can do, eh?

I really do feel bad for someone like you. I don’t know when it started with Yankee fans, this belief that if you don’t win it all the season is a failure. I would say its disappointing that they haven’t won since 2000, but in no way have I not enjoyed the past 7 seasons. The way the seasons ended may have bothered me for a day or two, but to say the whole season meant nothing is stupid.

2001 was a great season, in just had a really bad ending. 2002 we won over 100 games and had a brand new Giambi to marvel at. 2003 ended badly with losing to Flordia, but the constant fight with Boston was great. 2004 we had that great lineup for the first time, yet obviously the ending was terrible. 2005 we had that great comeback and 2006 we had a ton of great moments (coming back against texas, sweeping Boston). If you can easily forget all that stuff because you’ve been brainwashed to believe anything short of a winning the world series is a failure, then again I feel bad for you.

Once you get into those playoffs its all about getting the right bounces to go your way, even Torre acknowledges that. Saying you feel worse than royal fans makes Yankee fans look spoiled, which obviously many are. Newsflash for you…in the next 10 years, the yankees should consider themselves truly lucky if they win 2 World Championships.

Edwar’s second outing against the Angels was not all that good. Yes, his first outing, 3K’s, was fantastic. But he was amped up against the Angels, he himself said he wanted to impress them especially since they’d released him. I think his adrenaline got the better of him in that game. He wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t sharp. So, perhaps he’s not ready for pressure situations yet. The only thing I feel bad about is that since there haven’t been many, if any, opportune times to bring him into games since the AS break, he’s doing nothing. It’s almost better to be at SWB than sitting getting rusty. It’s one of those good news/bad news things (for Edwar) — it’s good that the Yankees are winning close games, but that means he is not going to get work unless there is no alternative. Maybe today they score lots of runs, Wang goes 7 and with a big lead they give Edwar the ball.

Being critical has nothing to do with caring. Critics care about themselves and their own opinions more than they do about the game. I come from the school of appreciating the game and the way it is played. Attitude and hustle are more important to me than even winning. But yes I like to win and I admit this year’s Yankees give me more agita than any other in a long time. But I appreciate, especially right now how tough this team has become. I appreciate Andy Phillips being a hero. Boy do I ever. So how come you do not comment on how this guy has become completely clutch? And how come you don’t comment on how the captain is so clutch (witness this game). You want to hear your own words more than you want to enjoy the game. That’s my two cents. Criticism is easy and if you think you are such hot stuff how come you are not managing?

His combined numbers in AA/AAA this season – 0.62 ERA in 43 IP and a STAGGERING 16.6 K/9. His changeup isn’t “nice”, it is on par with the best changeups in all of baseball. Ridiculously good.

WRONG. You’ve already admitted that Torre has nobody “reliable” to go to. Considering Torre is not using Edwar AT ALL as it is, why not send him out there with a short leash. Couldn’t possibly be any worse than what they are doing now. If you can’t send Ramirez out there with a 3 run lead with Bruney warming in support, then he shouldn’t be on the roster.

This season is picking up some speed, but I will thank my lucky stars when Girardi is managing next year instead of Torre.

The last item first. Damon appears to be dropping his left shoulder on his swings. He is hitting weak popups or missing. Either he is in a funk, or he’s got some kind of injury. Either way he needs to sit until he gets right. He is killing the lineup. Joe probably thinks he doesn’t have a better alternative right now. Maybe that’s why they signed Durazo. Give him a few at-bats in AAA and if his swing looks good bring him up to DH. Notice that they did not sign the clubhouse cancer Hillenbrand that some here have been touting. That’s good news.
Re Ramirez; From what I’ve seen the guy has a nice changeup but is not a hard thrower. What makes so many people think he is going to be the savior of the 8th inning? I think if Joe could refrain from using Proctor so much he is the guy. However because Bruney has been inconsistent, and our situational lefty can’t get lefties out. Joe doesn’t have too many other options. That leaves Vizcaino for the 8th. I am totally dismissing Farnsworth as he has proven to be firestarter.

Are you going to get your big brother Pete Gammons to beat me and SJ up?

I read the above snippets of what Gammons had to say. Nobody denies that Joba appears talented at this point in his development. But try to keep a little perspective. Gammons is a respected sports journalist who repeats what “experts” in the business tell him. Gammons doesn’t run a team or scout for one. There are more “experts” earning a living in the game than there are rats in the NYC subway system and every “expert” has an opinion. (And as for expert talent evaluators’ opinions, remember when Duncan was a “can’t miss”? How about Drew Henson?)

I’m not saying that eventually Joba isn’t the real deal. He could be. But these kids aren’t robots, Larry. He’s green and it’s a big jump from Trenton to the Bronx. As Farnsworth proves, there is a lot more to pitching effectively than mph. If Joba has some extraordinary mental toughness about him, like Hughes appears to have, that might make up for a lack of experience. But without that toughness or more experience, handing Joba the ball in an important game down the stretch is like letting a kid pilot fly an F/A18 over Iraq because he completed ground school and can fly a Cessna out of Teterboro.