Tony Woe

Ouch.

The state of New York should make writing Womack's name in a lineup card an indictable offense. Even the Black Sox didn't tank games in so obvious a manner. Their left fielder was Shoeless Joe Jackson, for goshsakes. He hit .375 in the 1919 World Series. He was trying to lose and he still outhit Womack by 130 points.

Big meetings down in Tampa today. Despite a couple of thrilling games capped by even more thrilling late innings comebacks by the Yankees, a team that starts Tony Womack in center field instead of Bernie Williams (too tired to play, my ass), is a team in serious disarray.

There isn't much the Yankees can do unless they want to let go two rookies who have proven to be legitimate big leaguers, not an easy thing to do when you play for the Yankees. But one thing they most certainly have to do -- either go out and get another center fielder, or put Bernie back there. Playing Womack (.239/.273/.263 -- yes, that's right, a slugging percentage below his already feeble on-base percentage) in center is a sign that someone in Steinbrenner's brain trust is sniffing glue. Maybe we should be looking for symptoms of "meth mouth" down there at the "Legends Field" offices, because the irrationality of the lineup cards these days makes me think someone is a danger to himself and others...at least a danger to the mental health of Yankee fans.