A Few Mid-Season Observations

I made it back to the bar at the "W' last night to watch the game against Toronto.

It was not a pretty site as we all know.

I have a few painful observations to offer as we near the trading deadline:

1. The look on Mariano's face as he sat in the dugout after last night's blown

save ( but while it was still 5-5 ) told me a lot. It was the face of a man who was just beginning to admit to himself that he doesn't have it anymore.

Last night, Mariano just could not make his pitches ( he really only

uses the one ). He overthrew trying to get back the magic and the result was a wild pitch.

I know, you are all saying, "he'll come back. He always does."

But it won't be true.

Once and a while, for sure. But not like he has done in recent seasons.

If you read his eyes, as my great grandfather ( part Apache part Nowegian royalty ) taught me how to do back on the reservation, you would know what I know.

Girardi is going to have to make a move to a new closer this year, but he won't dare.

2. That Feliciano guy is this year's Nick Johnson. I guarantee that he will have surgery this year on the torn capsule in his arm.

He has already been shut down for all of March and April, and now he thinks another 6-8 weeks of idleness and strengthening work will make the difference. No way. He is done.

3. I promised El Duque I would stay off Gardner's case. I cannot. He is killing us. He has a .130 batting average ( now lower ) and a perfect record of failure in clutch situations. His best at bat is a one bouncer to second with the bases loaded.

Sorry folks. We need someone who can hit. We can't have a starting left fielder who contributes nothing. And when he was used as a base stealer he was thrown out.

He has had his career year. And he was injured for most of that one.

4. Ivan Nova is not going to replace Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes or the next hot prospect. He looked intimidated last night, not confident ( the eyes and body language this time ). He got hit so hard the stadium shook ( back to back 400+ foot shots caught for outs ).

So our starting pitchers are: CC ( who is getting no help from anyone

this year ); AJ ( unfortunately April is almost over ); Freddy and Bartolo.

Wow. We must be terrifying the league.

If we score less than 7 runs per game now, we don't win.

5. Phil Hughes looks like another highly rated, can't miss, untouchable prospect whom we should have dealt a long time back. Now, we couldn't get Lenny Dykstra for him.

Imagine, Hughes is 24 or 25 and on the DL due to a dead arm. Imagine!

And don't forget; during the last part of the 2010 season, he was marginally and inconsistently effective.

6. I've said before that Jorge Posada is no longer a batting threat. Sure, once in a while he'll hit one out when we are up by 8 runs. But he is not hitting when it matters, and is so slow he can be thrown out at first on sharp singles to the outfield.

Seriously, did anyone see him " running" on that high chopper over the pitcher's head? Any guard or tackle on the Giants would have legged that one out. Jorge was out by 15 feet.

He barely even entered the camera angle by the time the ball was in the first baseman's glove

Anyone think Girardi has the guts to replace Jorge in the line-up?

7. Boone Logan is no good either. He is as reliable as a staggering teenager with a half-empty bottle of Jack in his hand. Once out of every five times, he does what he is paid to do.

8. Give credit to Dave Robertson, Joba and Soriano, along with Tex and Grandy (where is Cano when we need him)? And getting Chavez was a great move. So far, anyway.

Luckily, a .250 hitting, gold glove shortstop is still an asset. Crowds, newspaper men, and TV ratings will soar in September as he nears 3000 hits.

That was a painful and telling loss last night. I am still feeling the effects.

And so are the Yankees.