yankees go home

Baseball is a funny game. After collapsing late in the season and falling into the wild card slot -- and the dreaded first-round matchup with the Yankees -- the Detroit Tigers got hot, like it was April or May again. They sent the Yankees home yesterday with more good pitching, and my (New York) Yankee-hating heart was lifted.

And the knives are out. Alex Rodriguez is being excoriated for his poor performance. Joe Torre, one rumor has it, will be canned and replaced by Lou Piniella. And George Vecsey, in a column hidden behind the NY Times firewall, said the Yankees were now like the Atlanta Braves - a "nice little season" and an early dismissal in the playoffs. 'Course fans in places like Kansas City and Colorado and Cincinnati and Milwaukee might not think that kind of season was so bad...

I was a bit surprised the Yankees got as far as they did this year -- they are an old team, and you wonder how much longer guys like Sheffield and Mussina and Johnson can be counted on.