Our lucky horse head is gone

Today, Shawn Kelley, the Yankee bullpen lug nut known for mixing overpowering performances with brutal whippings, was dealt to the San Diego Padres - (yes, Virginia, there is a San Diego Padres) - for a middling, 22-year-old, Double A, RH relief pitching prospect named - (cue the Scarface soundtrack) - Johnny Barbato. 

This is one of those Cashman clunkers that makes no sense, unless he is hatching some secondary plan. Seriously. Cash is many things, but he is not stupid. The Yankee rotation is in tatters, and yet the team just jettisons a voracious innings-eater (he did 52 IP last year). Something else has gotta be coming. Even if it was a salary dump, the Evils only save $4 million. That's not enough to make it worth losing a bullpen chip.

Most of all, I will miss Kelley's horse head - the ugliest Yankee player juju since Jason Giambi's golden thong. In August, Kelley bought the thing on line and wore it during pregame warm-ups. The Yankees rattled off five straight wins. Unfortunately, Kelley then started telling people about it. That's how you kill a juju charm. (Since I wrote The Juju Rules, the Yankees haven't won a toilet flush.) So long, Mr. Ed. A horse is a horse, of course, of course...