THE NEW YANKEES,

INDEED.

There has been talk of how the Red Sox have become the new Yankees and in one dubious respect they have. Win or lose this season, they have depended on a potent offense to mask a weaker than expected starting rotation with the inevitable consequences that has for the bullpen: Beckett's been so-so, Lester blows, Bucholz is uneven, Wakefield has begun his mid-season decline early and Dice-K's been pretty good, but only for 5-6 innings a game. The result is that with the exception of Papelbon, their relievers are already stressed. During their current losing streak, the bullpen blew up in one game and Francon is so concerned with their workload, he left Bucholz in way too long tonight, costing them another one.

Considering how truly putrid the Yankees have been in almost every phase of the game (noone can hit with men on base but Jeter, and he's well under 300 overall, AROD has been anemic so far, Canohas been unbelievably bad at the plate and little better in the field, Jeter has no range at all anymore, Giambi is still a disaster at first, Posada can't throw, Hughes can't find the strike zone, ditto Kennedy, Mussina has become a slow-pitch softball pitcher, and not a very good one, team speed is non-existent etc. etc.), it is telling that they are only 2 games behind the Red Sox, who have just come off a long home stand.

Right now I would venture to say there is only one really good team in baseball and they don't play in the American League.