Sterl Hurl Index has plunged 280 points in four days; should we worry?

The Cashman administration will deny trouble. It always does. But last night's 4.46-second WinWarble was one of John Sterling's shortest on record. (Worst: 4.25, last July, over Texas)

The Ruthian lung-master who long ago shattered the 7.00 WinWarble barrier -- a performance believed humanly impossible -- cooed a warble we'd expect from Stephen Hawking after smoking a carton of Camels. The Index is rapidly plunging. The bottom has fallen out on Yankee joy.

Of course, as long as we're winning, the writers won't notice. They'll ride the bubble. They'll support the administration. Nobody warbles truth to power. But folks, we have concerns -- real concerns -- about a 7-game streak built on the subprime lineups of Minnesota and Baltimore.

John knows this. He understands. Either that, or he's distracted. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler. The injury to Marte. Something terrifies him, and he is bottling it up, trying not to let it out.

But when the Yanks win seven straight, and their driven-by-Jeep Voice cannot push 5.00 on the Warbladder -- well -- something is dreadfully, horribly, awesomely, putridly wrong.

More than ever, we need to win tonight.

And John needs to stop the slide, to deliver a solid a 6.50.

For confidence. For hope. For his and our sanity.

And to remind us all of what one man can do... the all-time greatest WinWarble: Aug. 24, 2008, over Boston.