What is wrong with me?  Why am I not setting my personal schedule around the Red Sox calendar, especially when it involves games against our friends from “The City”?  Somebody is punishing me for past sins and it hurts.  Listen to this.  Conveniently, our Lamaze classes are on Tuesday nights.  Not only do they prevent me from seeing any game, due to its 7-9:30 PM timeslot, but I had the potential to miss three Yankees games; one from each series.  If it weren’t for Mother Nature and her rain I would have missed Beckett v Yankees Part 1 at Fenway.  The bittersweet irony is that my daughter is going to be born at Beth Israel Hospital, which is the “Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox” and is also exactly two minutes away from Fenway Park.  The hospital giveth and the hospital taketh away…while I’m stuck in gameday traffic trying to get to a class that is teaching us about breathing techniques - the same techniques that are almost rendered useless if your wife gets an epidural.

The Lamaze class is interruption enough, but on Wednesday night we had dinner plans that were scheduled many moons ago.  Did I consult the schedule?  Oh diddly darn NO!  That’s okay, because the restaurant had a big TV in plain view of every table, except three.  Where do you think the hostess sat us?  Sure I missed a debacle of a game, but that’s not the point.  While I’m chowing down glazed salmon, everyone I know is “happily” enjoying the game.

Last night was bliss.  It was just me, Stella, some beer, the Sox and the Yankees.  I’m glad Mrs. Giro wasn’t here, because the Sox couldn’t catch one break after Matsui broke his wrist in the first inning.  Now I honestly hate when things like that happen, even if it’s to your most hated rival.  No Matsui.  No Sheffield.  If Jeter goes down I may send Joe Torre some flowers.  Seriously, I want to beat their best.  I love the dead even record over the last 3 or 4 seasons.  I know it’s early, but as amazing as Joe Torre was last year managing that club he may have to double his efforts this year.  It’s tough when your entire pitching staff is suspect, getting old, washed up or all of the above.  The only constant they have is Mo Rivera.  To lose your big RBI man, who is one of two people in that line-up that I absolutely fear (Sheffield being the other), Joe Torre must have lost sleep last night.  All of this comes fresh off of The Boss calling out A-Rod.

Watching Bernie Williams out there was seeing the worst in an aging player.  He should have called it quits two years ago, but that short run he had last year convinced him he could do it again.  I really like Bernie.  When the Sox made him an offer, one year prior to signing Damon, I was 100% in favor of that deal.  He was a Red Sox killer who played the game right and took advantage of big moments to give the opposition a stomach punch.  Now he’s just painful to watch and it’s sad.  However, this issue isn’t just Bernie.  It’s the whole organization.  They are old and their young players, so far, are average at best.  Watching Papelbon close out the game last night was a shining example of what youthful depth does for a team.

If the Yankees fall out of contention early, they should unload a lot of these old players.  Sheffield and Johnson are the two easiest names to come up with, but I’d dump A-Rod in a second and eat some of the salary.  Heck, they saved a ton when Texas picked up part of that albatross so it won't hurt to swallow some yourself George.  If absolutely necessary, your most valuable asset right now is, of all people, Jason Giambi.  The Yankees could get young very fast and the marquee names would land them major league ready talent.  It’s the only way they’ll be able to compete moving forward.

It’s the right time to do it.  If Brian Cashman were smart he’d realize that Johnny would keep the kids loose and Jeter would teach them how to be winners in NYC.  With that folks, I just laid out a plan for the Yankees to compete with the Red Sox.  Maybe I’m the idiot, but would you want it any other way?  I’m not ready for the 4 year mega-rivalry run with the Devil Rays yet.