AP Top 25 Yankee Playoff Roster Poll For The Week Of Sept.6-12

Top 25:
1) Mariano Rivera
2) CC Sabathia (becomes even more important w/ the current rotation issues)
3) Robinson Cano
4) Mark Teixeira (injury wasn't a big deal)
5) Brett Gardner (almost as hot as he was to start the season)
6) Nick Swisher (knee doesn't look good)
7) Phil Hughes (can't put anybody away right now)
8) Jorge Posada
9) Curtis Granderson
10) Kerry Wood
11) Dave Robertson
12) Derek Jeter (tough to watch your favorite player of all time fall off a cliff like this)
13) Francisco Cervelli
14) Boone Logan
15) Alex Rodriguez (looks good so far... )
16) Marcus Thames
17) Austin Kearns
18) Joba Chamberlain
19) Sergio Mitre (looking like the main long man w/ Aceves still out)
20) Ramiro Pena (definitely going to get in over Nunez)
21) Lance Berkman (Fat Elvis is back)
22) A.J. Burnett (looked better in his last 2 starts)
23) Ivan Nova (first bump in the road)
24) Javy Vazquez (still a big question mark)
25) Dustin Moseley (just holding Andy's spot)

Also Receiving Votes:
26) Andy Pettitte (first rehab outing this week)
27) Eduardo Nunez (should be first position player in if somebody else goes down)
28) Chad Gaudin (still has a shot w/ Ace's latest setback)
29) Alfredo Aceves (not looking good... )
30) Damaso Marte (probably done for the year)

Same Old Situation

For some reason, the Yanks continue to be baffled by shitty pitchers.  Brett Cecil yesterday and Brian Matusz today and it's more opportunities wasted to extend their division lead and cut down on the magic number.  This team seems hellbent on dragging the division race on for as long as they can.

I've been trying to figure this out for the last couple years and I'm still no closer to coming up with an answer.  If the Twins and Rangers were smart, they would just roll out their worst starters to face the Yankees in the postseason and keep Francisco Liriano and Cliff Lee on the bench.

And somebody needs to explain to Joe that Brett Gardner should be the leadoff hitter for the rest of the year.  Dude has been killing it since Joe moved him up there (.467 OBP since mid-August), but with Swish back in the lineup today Joe decides to move Jeter back up and Gardner back down to the 9-spot.  I love Jeter, and I'm all for loyalty, but sooner or later loyalty needs to take a backseat to winning.