The Fan has a real dilemma tonight. Readers of previous posts have noted that the Fan is a serious Yankee fan and has been since Horace Clarke played second base at the Stadium...the OLD Yankee Stadium. But the Yankees are playing the Royals and I'd really like to see the Royals win their division. A Royals division win would be great for baseball and a great story.

At the same time, the Red Sox are playing the A's out in Oakland and quite frankly, a Yankee playoff series with Oakland, Seattle or the Red Sox would be difficult. But given my druthers, I'd rather face the Red Sox because they don't play the defense that Seattle does and the Red Sox don't pitch as well as Oakland can.

At this moment, the Royals are up on the Yanks by one in the eighth and Tim Hudson and the A's are up 2-0 on Pedro and the Red Sox. The Yankee pitching staff is starting to unravel a bit and the Red Sox great offense has sputtered against some really good pitching.

Oops! The Royals now have a three run lead as Hammond, Orosco and Prinz (the former Diamondback pitcher?? Where did he come from?) couldn't hold the Royals down and Sweeney, who is finally back, just broke the inning open with a two run double.

Oops again! The Yankees have pounced on struggling Royals' reliever, Mike McDougal for two runs, but now have two outs as Posada hit into his 401st double play of the year. The game is now over. Royals win...mixed feelings...


Raul Mondesi has accused the Yankees of trading him because they are anti-Dominican players. Oh please! They traded him because his average dropped from .320 at the end of April to the .250's by August. And then he didn't like being pinch hit for (so much for being a team player) so he left the Stadium. When asked, Soriano--also from the Dominican--basically said that he didn't know what Mondesi was talking about.

Peter Gammons has got to be one of the most unbiased writer of the game when it comes to international players and he has always been all over Mondesi. The man has talent rarely seen in MLB but has never driven in one hundred runs despite playing for good offenses wherever he's played.

I watched Mondesi play quite a few games for the Yankees and he could turn it on any time he wanted but rarely did. He hustled when he wanted but turned his mind off when he wasn't interested. Concerning Mondesi, the Yankees have to feel like the family that had another family steal their nasty dog. Whew! Glad that happened!

One more Yankee note: Aaron Boone has started his Yankee career with four hits in thirty-seven at bats. Yeesh!