Yankees honor Kennedy by donating game to Texas

New York _ To honor the late U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, the Yankees today donated to the Texas Rangers a victory in the American League Wild Card race.

"We felt it was the right thing to do," manager Joe Girardi told reporters. "Senator Kennedy always stood up for the downtrodden, and frankly, we have enough wins. We have more than we need. We thought of sending money or making speeches, but in the end, playing putridly, giving up seven runs and failing to hit with runners in scoring position seemed right."

Texas officials expressed gratitude over the Yankees' generosity.

"They shout class in every way," manager Ron Washington said. "They could have pitched Phil Hughes, but they brought in Phil Coke instead. That's having top shelf priorities. We are thankful for the chance to play them on this memorable day."