Thank you, Mr. Cashman. Thank you, Mr. Boone. Thank you...er...Hal.*

Thanks to the incompetence of Cashman and Boone and the rapaciousness of Hal, we have been spared what LA fans have not: Our baseball heroes accepting the Invitation the Knicks Refused and enjoying the congratulations of the first orange president.

Because you know that the Yankees would have gone, and our favorite players would have been doing what Ohtani is doing here. And they would have loved it, because most of them support the old man and think he's just swell. Including immigrant players or those who remain foreign citizens.

I think it was the observant Cindy Lauper who once sang, "Money changes everything." I suppose that's part of it. Plus peer pressure and incredibly misplaced religiousity. Jesus is just alright with me, but what people do in his name...Jesus.

Regardless, thank you, Yankees management. Your seemingly intentional goal of maximizing profits while staying far away from that World Series trophy has kept us all from the chagrin, embarassment, and shame of seeing a scene like this involving our haphazard stumblebums.

*(Sorry for the overt political content, but I think when the polls say 67% of the public disapprove of his job performance, it's time.)