Juan Miranda, freed from the coal mine,

Had not Brain Cashman peddled Austin Jackson last winter, Scranton-Wilkes Barrians in recent weeks could have watched April's AL Rookie of the Month patrol centerfield -- his third go-around in the Anthracite City. Instead, they've been able to enjoy firstbaseman Juan Miranda, who was making a name as the Cuban Kei Igawa.

Maybe it's a defective gene in the Steinbrenners, or maybe it's Yankee institutional bigotry against people who are not rich, but we were preparing to do to Miranda what we always do with young players who do not have escape-clauses written into their contracts: Sit on them until they rot.

(By the way, infielder Kevin Russo finished in the IL top 5 in hitting last year, but the Yankees still have him repeating 10th grade; he'll probably regress, due to depression, and that will be their excuse for never giving him a chance.) (Did I mention that the horror show in LF, Marcus Thames -- our 4th DH, if you considered Nick Johnson, Jorge and Swisher -- had an escape clause, if the Yankees didn't keep him out of spring training?)

Well, today we bring up Juan Miranda, who hit .300 last fall in his Folger's glimpse. He's big, strapping, looks good coming off the bus. He might play both games. 

Take his picture. If he goes 0-7, we may never see him again.

And if he goes 5-6? Well, seeing as how he has no Santa clause in his papers, we may never see him again, anyway.

At least, not until he's traded to another team.