What we can learn from a few players in today's Geezer Game

As the retreads return today, let's consider what they could have taught us... if we are listening.


Look at the roster:


Jesse Barfield: Ouch. Just the name hurts. I can remember Phil Rizzuto, on the day the trade was announced, questioning how we could have given up Al Leiter in a trade. Barfield ever should have been a Yankee. Not a bad guy. Just a bad trade. And we never won anything with him. Of course, he was the first in a sequence of bums, which peaked with Raul Mondessi. Did we learn? Ouch.


Homer Bush: Went in the Clemens trade, had a fine career. As a Yankee pinch runner, he struck terror into opposing pitchers. An incredible weapon on our great teams. The Redsocks later went out and got Dave Roberts just to beat us. We, however, have never since developed or traded for such a critter... until Brett Gardner, (who still rations time with Nick Swisher.) Have we learned? And whatever happened to Clemens? Why isn't he coming back?


Aaron Small: Scrap heap. Worthless. Then came that magical season, when he braced our staff. Every championship team has an Aaron Small. Do we have one? Maybe. Tomko? Aceves? Mitre? Can we find one? If we get an Aaron Small, we don't need a Doc Halladay.



Don Zimmer: He'll get a huge ovation. What he should get is a 60,000 voices shouting WTF? Can anybody explain why we constantly get into pissing matches with beloved former Yank lugnuts? Somewhere in the million dollar salaries, the old boys club and the personal assistants, you'd think we could smooth things over. Maybe it's the players -- I'm not sure it's the club's fault all the time -- but it's tiring to always have at least one Yankee in exile, because of some real or imagined transgression. Hello, Bernie? Joe?