Yanks 2-3 since Patrick Swayze died

As Joe Morgan has pointed out, "The Yankees are hard to figure out in the bullpen, at fifth starter and in their reactions to dead celebrities."

From our midseason winning streak, featuring the deaths of Ed McMahon and Fred Travalena, to our red-hot success following the murder of Michael Jackson, the 2009 Yankee season has ebbed and flowed -- as Joe Buck loves to say -- "on the backs of A-listers who become D-listers."

Now comes time to worry about October blood.

A Mike Lupica would have opined that Patrick Swayze's death arrived just in time to fire up the Yanks for the playoff run. In fact, ever since the star of "Ghost" succumbed, we have fallen into a "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything. Julie Newmar" sluggishness.

Thus, Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman face a tough delimna: Should they order the sacrifices of new entertainers for the playoffs, or is the team is dead-celebritied-out?

That and Joba remain central questions, enter the final weeks.