I'M Back And No One Is Happy About It.

Clearly, I pushed the reverse "Ju-Ju" envelope too far and too often.

We sailed through the Twins on "ju-ju's" back. The games were easy to watch and went better than expected. As expected, really.

And game one against Texas proved just how potent this reverse "ju-ju" "medicine" can be.

But last night I, and in retrospect millions of others, knew the game was over in the first inning. We knew that the Posada flop was an early sign of an ill wind.

The Yankee at bats, even after delivering a devastating " body blow" of a comeback the night before, showed up impotent, lame and limp ( all the same, right?).

I think the Texas pitcher had to throw about 8 pitches for his first three outs, with the most threatening blow a one hopper to the infield. Did the Yankees plan on coasting until the 7th and pulling out a late rally again?

And we all knew that Phil Hughes had the ability to work his way out of the bottom of the first and give the Yankees a life.

A lame, bad-luck one-hopper over the mound gives them a runner. But even with Rangers on the corners and two out, Phil could easily strike out the next hitter.

Enter Jorge Posada.

He bites on the staged steal of second and his brain locks. It's not like he doesn't have the experience. It's not like the Yankees don't plan for these eventualities. What happened here is that Posada gave Texas a run by playing that moment like a high school rookie, and rattled Hughe's concentration as a consequence. I saw him roll his eyes when Texas scored and the dude was safe on second.

When Phil "K's" the last hitter he walked off the mound knowing that Posada had cost him a needless, cheap run. It shook him to the core, as it did all of the Yankees. He was pissed and he had used up about 30 pitches. He would be right back on the mound about 8 Texas pitches later, as the Yankees weakly flailed at everything.

The game was over.

Don't believe me? Did we ever get back in it? Did we threaten anything? Did anyone get a clutch hit? Did any Yankee fan anywhere have a moment of hope and enthusiasm at any point in the rest of the game?

I know, given what happened the day before, the Yankees could still do the unexpected and win. That thought process is like figuring you can win the lottery twice. It happens but not to me and not to you.

The so-called offense was flat and soft. The defense shaky. Hughes, now exhausted by the end of the second inning, reverted to his gopher ball and became unglued.

In these first two games, Jorge has been playing like a guy who should be coaching. And you just know that AJ Burnett is muttering to himself, " I told you so..."

It is hard to rag on Jorge, but in this game of " what have you done for me lately" one must. We can honor him for a lifetime after. But at this moment, he could be the metaphor for the end of this great Yankee run that began in 1996. We have traded youth, excitement and energy for

old, slow and rich.

That's what they say about me, too. At least most of it.

And I hate letting George Bush have a victory dance of any kind. I hate that he can ever delude himself into thinking he has been associated with something positive, like Texas winning a big game, even with all the redneck mothers who dominate Texas like fire ants as his paid audience.

So I 'll again be lamenting the weaknesses and failures of the Yankees in public. Humiliating myself, hopefully, in the process. It is not easy to come back out of the

closet ( in my case, a bar ) and rant.

It was much easier when we won 4 in a row and I didn't have to think or act. I could just kick back, drink manhattans, eat french fries dripping in chili and relax.

The worst part of this is; if Texas gets to the series, Cliff Lee might decide to stay down there.

With former heros like Jorge beginning to show their age; with Derek, Mo and Andy pushing the envelope; with Bernie playing guitar for a living; with A-Rod playing the anti-hero again,

we are going to need him.

Hell, we need him now.