When a great Yankee calls and offers his services, the new Yankees hang up the phone

Johnny Damon - a man who once stole two bases on one pitch, and who once refused a trade to the Boston Redsocks during a pennant race, because he was loyal to the New York Yankees - has offered to bail out the team for the first 30 games of the season, or until Curtis Granderson is healed.

We all have views about what the Yankees should do to fill that void. The only opinions that matter are held by Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi.

But there is a reason for that:

The Boss is dead.

Old George epitomized the last great voice of the Yankee fan to have a seat at the table in team decisions. Now, when a Johnny Damon calls, he leaves a VoiceMail.

Good thing? Bad thing? I dunno. But it's worth noting: This is not the baseball club that, for better or worse, deals from the heart.  This is a bloodless corporation with a chart on the wall, a number on the chart, and a business plan to hit that number. Sadly, the number is not 28- as in World Series championships. The number has a dollar sign in front of it.

Two bases on one pitch. Put a dollar figure on that, can you?