Ken Davidoff's baseball insider

Give Alex Rodriguez credit, I guess. The guy can change the conversation 180 degrees in a second, and yet still keep that conversation all about him.

Consider that A-Rod woke up Wednesday morning with his face on the cover of the New York Post, having been photographed with a woman who isn't his wife. By the time he finished his work shift, he had drawn the wrath of the entire Blue Jays roster, for an entirely different reason.

In the ninth inning of the Yankees' 10-5 victory over Toronto at Rogers Centre, A-Rod _ running from second to third, with two outs _ reportedly shouted "Mine!" to Jays third baseman Howie Clark (A-Rod claimed he said "Ha!") as Clark planted himself under Jorge Posada's pop fly. Clark clearly thought one of his teammates called for the ball, and he let it fall, keeping the inning alive. The Yankees subsequently padded their 8-5 lead with two more runs.

What a bush-league stunt by A-Rod. It reminds me of the games in my back yard, circa 1982, when Jimmy Colling would successfully rattle me with a "Drop it! Drop it!" A-Rod's post-game media scrum, as seen on YES, was classic A-Rod, as he insisted that opponents did that to him several times a week (on foul balls near the dugout) and emphasized how badly the Yankees needed this victory. Not an impressive performance with the words.

But hey, at least it steered some of the conversation away from that Post front page. That was pretty gross, yet to speak from an entirely cynical viewpoint, it seems like it could have been easily avoided. Why wouldn't A-Rod and his mystery woman simply enter the hotel at separate times _ say, 10 minutes apart? I'm pretty sure that tactic has been used and will be used again.

But then we wouldn't have been talking about A-Rod 24/7. And that just wouldn't have been right.

Bumped (not literally) into a Mets official last night who said he watched an appearance of mine on New York 1 Monday. What amazed the official, as well as myself, was how every single call and e-mail on the show came from Yankees fans. In about 45 minutes with host Tom McDonald, I discussed the Mets for roughly one minute.

The Mets and their fans are frustrated, as this lack of attention been an issue pretty much since the Davey Johnson era ended back in 1990. But this year is different. This year, the Mets are poised to get the best coverage at the end, and hence the last laugh.

The Yankees, you probably know, have become a historic fiasco, finding a new way to lose each night. There is time to turn their season around, but they don't seem in any hurry to do so. Fans are apoplectic. This is your classic "man bites dog" story, and it's why the Yankees are getting more headlines.

Whereas the Mets just win. They win series after series after series. They win classic games like Tuesday night's, which will go down in the annals of Armando Benitez meltdowns. They are so very impressive.

Barring dramatic turnarounds on both sides _ and yes, for the record, I will stay faithful to my preseason predictions _ the Yankees will be home in October for the first time since 1993 (not counting the strike-ruinied 1994 season), while the Mets will own the top seed in the National League playoffs. Everyone will be talking about the Mets, no one about the Yankees. So hang in there, Mets fans. It appears that your patience will pay off.

So there's a group, Boycott Barry, and you needn't be a brain surgeon to figure out its mission. On Wednesday night, Boycott Barry, headed by founder Daniel Kramer, will infiltrate Shea Stadium, wearing "Bondsfolds" _ specially designed blindfolds, which will be distributed outside the ballpark _ whenever Mr. Bonds comes to bat.

Annoyed by the press release I received via e-mail, I reached out to Kramer, who was kind enough to call me back moments after I contacted his public relations representative.

"Why pick on Bonds?" I asked. "It's not like he's the only one who used steroids."

"Because he's the only person about to break the greatest record in all of sports," Kramer responded.

"But everyone in the game messed up," I said. "You should be boycotting all of baseball, not just Bonds."

"It's unreasonable to assume that 75 million people will stop going to games," he replied.

"I think your anger should be directed as much at Bud Selig as Bonds," I continued, even suggesting that he change his Bondsfolds to "Budfolds."

"He is definitely part of the problem," Kramer said of the commissioner. "But Bud Selig isn't out there playing."

We ultimately agreed to disagree. I admire the enthusiasm of Kramer, who described himself as a political consultant and real estate investor in the Los Angeles area. But I do think his passion is misguided. Targeting Bonds for baseball's steroids era isn't much different than blowing your nose when you have pneumonia. You need to penetrate the problem's infrastructure.

You know what would be great? If Bonds didn't get booed passionately this week. If the bulk of New Yorkers acknowledged that using steroids in baseball is no good, but it's a peccadillo compared to leaks of grand-jury testimony and ill-advised use of government funds.

1. The Yankees will take two of three games from the Angels, but attention will continue to turn off the field, thanks to issues like Carl Pavano's insistence that he needs Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, as well, and Jason Giambi's surprising revelation that, as a result of all the drugs he took to enhance his performance, he is pregnant.

2. The Mets, frustrated by their lack of media attention vis a vis the Yankees, will blow off Saturday and Sunday's game to chill out on South Beach. No one will notice. Even more impressive, they'll somehow still win Sunday's game against the Marlins.

3. The Red Sox will bounce right back from their tough series at Yankee Stadium, taking two of three from the Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Red Sox rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia, however, will complain about Sammy Sosa's home-run trot, Michael Young's humility and, at the team hotel, the concierge's wardrobe.

4. In preparation for Tuesday's visit to Shea Stadium and the rough New York fans, Barry Bonds will read "Game of Shadows" for the first time, think, "Wow! They nailed me good!" and turn himself in at Major League Baseball's Manhattan headquarters.

5. There is no number 5 - writer took off for Memorial Day Weekend (yes, go right ahead and accuse of me theft). So you all do the same and have a great weekend.

With what we know now, I would've shelled out $1,000 to accompany savvy agent Scott Shapiro on the "Carlpalooza" tour, back in November and December 2004. I'd like to see not only Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, but also executives from the Red Sox, Tigers, Orioles and Mariners spend time with Pavano and conclude, "This is the guy we want!"

Because it took about 20 minutes at the outset of the 2005 Yankees spring training for many people to realize what a fraud this guy was. Forget about having no interest in speaking with the media; believe it or not, most of us are mature enough to handle that. It was that Pavano didn't seem engaged in anything he did, most of all pitching. In Newsday's 2005 baseball preview section, I predicted Richard Hidalgo to be the American League Most Valuable Player _ and thanks to all who remember that _ yet as dim as I was (and probably still am), I tabbed Pavano as the AL bust, so evident was Pavano's path toward disaster.

Cashman can say that all of Pavano's injuries have been legitimate. Most, if not all, of his teammates would counter: "We all have stuff. We're professional athletes. But we tough it out." At best, Pavano is guilty of a low pain tolerance.

At worst, Pavano has executed a historic heist, making 19 appearances in a four-year span, earning legendary status for doing everything but pitching. Whether it was firing Shapiro (for not getting him a $40-million package, even though the four other clubs offered him that), loudly dumping his fiancee in a late-night argument that was the talk of his Manhattan apartment building or bringing his golf clubs on the road (disrespecting a Joe Torre rule that even Roger Clemens followed), Pavano displayed immaturity with each turn.

That's why few people besides Cashman have given Pavano the benefit of the doubt. Because Pavano seems like the kind of guy who would opt for Tommy John surgery over trying to pitch, just to shirk responsibility. It sounds sick, yes. But it sounds like Pavano.

So feel no sympathy for young Mr. Pavano. Instead, wonder how the Yankees' decision-makers were duped, even after spending a Manhattan Saturday night at dinner and a play with him. And if you ever need an agent, it seems like Scott Shapiro is a pretty good salesman.

Jason Giambi really can be a likeable guy. He is generous, and when it comes to people beneath him on society's hierarchy, Giambi is notorious for treating such people well.

But the news of the past week confirms that Giambi shouldn't be regarded as much better than Barry Bonds. First, Giambi offered some convoluted statements to USA Today, sort of confessing to his steroid usage but insisting the performance enhancers didn't enhance his performance, as well as proclaiming that baseball should apologize for the steroids era.

Now word emerges that Giambi failed an amphetamines test within the last year, which debunks Giambi's stated claim that he would never damage his body after overcoming his benign tumor on his pituitary gland.

Giambi wants us to think he's better than Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield, because he issued a general apology in 2005 (that's when this photo with Joe Torre is from). Yet Giambi didn't expressly say why he was apologizing that day - which is understandable, but then don't pretend that you manned up. Bonds and Sheffield get Fs for their BALCO grand-jury testimony and their subsequent public statements, and they act like they got Fs. Giambi got a D, and he acts like he got an A.

And now, with this amphetamine revelation, Giambi has pretty much lost all credibility. Many, many people suspected that "stuff" of some sort was behind Giambi's remarkable rebound of 2005 and last year. Now we know that, at the least, he was using greenies. Not good. Giambi can be praised for his general treatment of human beings, but please, please, let's stop presenting him as some paragon of integrity.

It confounds me how anyone who follows baseball, be it fan, executive or media member, could possess contempt for any of the innovative statistics and measures that have emerged over the past decade or two. Why wouldn't we want as many tools as possible to gauge these players and teams?

That's not to say that we should ignore what we see with the naked eye; I'd never want Armando Benitez or Kyle Farnsworth pitching for my team in a big spot, no matter what their stats tell us, and if it's the ninth inning in a playoff game, I'd take Derek Jeter over Alex Rodriguez. The best evaluations, however, integrate first-hand observation and cold, hard stats.

With that in mind, I enjoyed reading The Bill James Handbook 2007, an annual publication from the very bright folks at Baseball Info Solutions. With the blessing of sabermetrics godfatherJames, the BIS people take fresh looks at virtually every aspect of the game _ defense, baserunning, managing, pitching and hitting.

Here are some interesting discoveries about our two local clubs:

I tend to be stubborn about my preseason predictions. My belief is that I attempt to forecast the destination, not the precise journey, so when teams get off to starts worse or better than I anticipated, I try to roll with it and figure the hot streak/plummet will come down the road.

Sometimes, this pays off, like when I hung with the 2005 Yankees, although I just missed in picking them to win the American League wild card, not the AL East. Other times, it just leads to frustration, like when last year's Braves never found themselves.

This season, I picked the Yankees to win the AL wild card, and the Mets to finish in second place in the NL East, out of the playoffs. I can absolutely picture a destination for the Yankees to realize my forecast. For the Mets, it's a little more difficult.

The Yankees' turnaround looks like cake, compared to what they did in 2005. That year, in order to get from 39-39 to 95-67, they needed three near miracles: 1) The sudden metamorphasis of Jason Giambi from a decomposing embarrassment to his old self (insert performance-enhancer suspicions/jokes here); 2) Aaron Small's emergence from complete oblivion; and 3) Shawn Chacon's dominance after arriving from Colorado.

This time, no miracles appear necessary. The talent base is already there. Even if Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui approach their past sucess _ if they simply improve upon their current, dramatic regression _ that should suffice. The starting rotation should only get better with the returns of Roger Clemens and Phil Hughes. The AL wild card is totally attainable.

As for the Mets, I thought their starting rotation would struggle far more than it has. Kudos to their talent evaluators for trusting John Maine and Oliver Perez with such important roles, and to Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson for developing those guys. Nevertheless, we'll see whether they can keep it going. Maine has hit a pothole, which merely makes human, but the next step is to come out of it stronger. Meanwhile, the Mets should have something coming from Carlos Delgado, and David Wright has officially awakened.

Speaking of awakenings, the Phillies, my preseason NL East selection, are playing much better lately. We'll see if they can keep it up. There's a ton of season remaining, and I'm not close to asking for a do-over, no matter how many of you question my sanity.

1. The Yankees will win Friday night's Subway Series opener, 8-2, as Josh Phelps will go deep against Mets starter Oliver Perez. As Scott Schoeneweis gets hammered in the sixth inning, the Mets will contemplate bringing up a bullpen reinforcement from the minor leagues. Then they'll realize, "Oh yeah! All of our minor-league pitchers are serving suspensions for steroid usage!"

2. Tom Glavine will pick up career victory 295 in defeating Darrell Rasner and the Yankees on Saturday, 4-2. Kyle Farnsworth, feeling oddly emboldened, will criticize the Yankees' offense, Rasner, Mariano Rivera and George Steinbrenner's four children in a post-game radio interview.

3. Sunday night's rubber game will be won by the Yankees, 5-4, when Alex Rodriguez homers off Billy Wagner in the top of the 10th inning. The real excitement will take place in the sixth inning, however, when a new rap song _ "Surgically Repair Ya Knees" _ appears on line, featuring both Lastings "L MIllz" Milledge and Carl "C Pain" Pavano.

4. After his bullpen blows yet another lead on Saturday, this one to the White Sox, Lou Piniella, steam literally coming from his ears, will pack up his belongings in the Wrigley Field manager's office and check into a monastery.

5. With interleague play drawing huge crowds all over the country, baseball commissioner Bud Selig will pull a right shoulder muscle while aggressively patting himself on the back.

Perhaps it's just the masochist in me talking, but I enjoy a freaky night like Wednesday. With rain delays both here and in Chicago, by the time Jorge Sosa threw the Mets' first pitch, I had the wife and kid in bed and the dishwasher running, and had settled daily business with my bookie (kidding, kidding).

Two encouraging late games for the locals, after Mike Mussina stunk it up in the Yankees' opener. I managed to stay up until the SNY crew signed off from its brief post-game show. Here were some random thoughts from the channel-flipping:

The Mets fans' hatred of Chipper Jones has always come with a pro-wrestling sort of wink. In other words, "Chipper, you seem like a pretty likeable guy, but you're great and you play for our rivals. Therefore, we hate you." And Jones, "Larry" to his detractors, appreciates the theater of it.

And now Mets fans should stand up and applaud Chipper, momentarily, for some comments he made on Sunday.

Jones correctly pointed out the absurdity of the interleague schedule's "regional rivalries." How the Braves have to play the Red Sox six times _ a "historical rivalry," because the Braves originated in Boston _ and the Mets have to play the Yankees six times, starting with this weekend's set at Shea. It's equally challenging for the Red Sox and Yankees.

You could argue that we're talking about a mere six of 162 games, but it's patently unfair. The Mets and Yankees play each other six times, and no one else in either Eastern division has to play a single game against its interleague New York opponent. Why? Because the Mets and Yankees always sell out each other's building. Finances, rather than equality, dictate this segment of the schedule.

I've discussed this with Bud Selig, and his contention is, "If the fans love it so much, than how can it be wrong?" Of course, many fans would also love more ticket price reductions, free beer and a lifelong suspension of Roger Clemens. But those won't happen.

It's not changing, but kudos anyway to Chipper for speaking the truth. He's not that bad a guy, eh?

My first World Series memory is Game 4 of the 1978 Fall Classic. Reggie Jackson, standing in between first and second base, stood in the way of Bill Russell's relay throw, deflecting the ball into rightfield and preventing the Dodgers from completing a sixth-inning double play off Lou Piniella's grounder. Tommy Lasorda stormed the field, arguing (correctly, to no avail), that Piniella should've been called out for Reggie's interference.

The incident still stands out today. And I remember it first-hand, because that was a day game. I was seven. I didn't make it up for the Yankees' clincher three nights later, but at least I had a few personal memories.

Major League Baseball announced a significant revision of its postseason schedule on Monday, moving the World Series opener from a Saturday night to a Wednesday night, creating a potential Game 7 for Nov. 1. I say, bravo. It makes more sense to kick off the Series in the middle of the week, when people aren't obsessed with football. As for the November possibility, the September 11 attacks pushed back the 2001 schedule by a week, and the weather was fine in New York.

Baseball should commit to one more change, however. Make either Game 3 or Game 4 _ to be played on a Saturday and Sunday, respectively _ a day game.

Let the youth of America watch a full World Series game, take in all its beauty. Give them a memory to build on. Baseball is reportedly considering such an alteration; it should follow through on it. Take the short-term financial hit in return for the long-term gain. Be bold and visionary where the NFL and NBA aren't.

P.S. Sorry for no links or pictures; we are apparently experiencing technical difficulties.

Chad Curtis leads a quiet life in western Michigan now, teaching at an area high school and raising his family. He is six years retired from a baseball career that, on the surface, appears rather pedestrian.

But Curtis packed plenty into his 10 years in the big leagues. A 45th-round selection of the Angels in the 1989 amateur draft, the outfielder defied those odds to become a useful player for the 1998 and 1999 championship Yankees clubs. This photo comes from one of his most memorable moments; after hitting a walk-off homer to win Game 3 of the 1999 World Series, Curtis blew off broadcaster Jim Gray on national television, a protest of Gray's treatment of Pete Rose earlier that series.

Curtis always followed his heart, an instinct that found trouble multiple times _ most memorably, his 1999 imbroglio with Derek Jeter _ and almost certainly ended his career before his skills ran out. Curtis spoke passionately and honestly about his religion, his morals, the unspoken rules of baseball _ pretty much anything.

And now, as an ex-ballplayer, Curtis is still relevant because he'll speak about steroids _ how the players and the Players Association messed up by not addressing the problem earlier. Last year, as I reported on Sunday, Curtis spoke with George Mitchell's staff about the issue.

Curtis said he didn't tell Mitchell's people anything different than he has said publicly. In other words, he told it like he saw it, but he wouldn't name any names. I think this was the right way to go about it. Perhaps there will be another time when identifying steroid users makes more sense, but not to Mitchell, who can't be taken seriously because of his immense conflict of interest (see sixth line down).

So Curtis will go on, speaking honestly when asked yet smart and dignified enough not to take part in a witch hunt. Baseball could use plenty more people who follow their heart.

1. The Mets will take two of three from the Brewers, but they'll have a more pressing issue. When Jose Reyes shows up Friday with a shaved head, and then declines to shower after each game, he'll evoke teammates' suspicions that he didn't really join the club.

2. The Yankees will win two of three from the Mariners at Safeco Field, although Bobby Abreu will continue to raise eyebrows with eight bunts, five strikeouts looking and an attempt to hide under first base.

3. The struggling Washington Nationals will somehow manage to score -3 runs against Florida on Saturday, becoming the first professional baseball team to tally fewer than zero runs in a game. To try and lighten the mood, buffoonish Nationals general manager Jim Bowden will make a September 11 joke.

4. The Rangers, energized by the fact that they won't play the Yankees again this season, will sweep a four-game series over the Angels.

5. Roger Clemens, ever so sensitive to criticism, will lash out at President George W. Bush after Bush calls Clemens "a man who puts his family first." Bush's approval ratings will actually increase as a result, as Red Sox and Astros fans will declare, "The enemy of our enemy is our friend."

Hoping for some feedback on this one, regarding George Mitchell's steroids investigation, which appears to be heading toward a conclusion.

What do you think about Mitchell's efforts? Or, perhaps for starters, do you think about this at all? Do you care? Do you think it will have any impact on baseball, or on your interest in it?

How do you feel about the fact that Mitchell _ a well-known pal of Bud Selig's, who declined to resign his director position from the Red Sox when he took over this project _ is running it? Do you view him as a man of integrity, or a hopelessly conflicted politician whose primary concern is securing his membership in baseball's good graces?

I have opined several times about this issue in the past, and I'll certainly do so again in the future (and I've probably shown my hand in the above paragraphs). For the moment, however, I'm curious to read your thoughts.

P.S. Sorry about the ginormous head shot. I couldn't find anything smaller on line. So for the purpose of taking up space in order to improve the aesthetic quality of this post, I'll give you my top five, all-time personal favorite television shows: 5) Police Squad; 4). Cheers; 3) The Incredible Hulk; 2) Seinfeld; 1) The Simpsons.

There are few more entertaining relationships in baseball than that between Roger Clemens and David Wells. Remember how most Yankees fans were outraged when the team acquired Clemens for Wells (and Homer Bush and Graeme Lloyd) back in 1999? Both of these senior-citizen pitchers do. For Wells, it's a source of great pride. For Clemens, it's a thorn in his side.

Wells reveled in the fact that Yankees fans loved him so much, and that Clemens received so many boos during his initial Yankees struggles in 1999. Clemens, on the other side, resented that fans _ not to mention George Steinbrenner _ couldn't see the difference between Clemens' career, from which he extracted every last victory and more, and Wells', tainted by constant weight problems and off-the-field nonsense.

They became Yankees teammates in 2002, when Steinbrenner brought Wells back to the Bronx, and Wells stirred up more trouble the following year when he took a few shots at Clemens in his book. And now, Wells, from the quiet of San Diego, has taken more shots at Clemens, this time The Rocket's special travel schedule. Clemens, not surprisingly, bit and fired back.

I am in the minority of media, I think, in that I have greatly enjoyed covering Wells. He is such a transparent attention-seeker that it's easy to laugh through all the rudeness and coarseness and wait around for the impressive pitching and great quotes. Sometimes, those quotes speak to some truth. Other times, they're just ludicrous. These latest Clemens shots fall into the latter category. You think Wells wouldn't love to have the flexible travel? He probably asked Padres GM Kevin Towers for it last winter. He'll probably ask for it this winter.

Everyone knows that Wells has zero credibility on a subject like this, and yet Clemens felt compelled to nip at the bait. The Rocket is so sensitive about this issue, and I don't know why. His results of the past three seasons, when he had the schedule with Houston, should address any questions about where his commitment lies.

Yet because Clemens felt compelled to respond, score this round as a victory for "Boomer." He's trailing Clemens by over 100 career victories, but he still knows how to get the future Hall of Famer's goat.

Still getting the hang of this blogging thing, but what I've enjoyed most is the instant feedback, from those of you who have taken the time to write. It's enjoyable, believe it or not, to be challenged so instantaneously on my takes.

Since Mondays are generally slow on the baseball calendar, I figure Tuesdays will be a good day to "clean up" recent messes I've made. To address some of your comments to my blog posts.

I thought of this after reading the couple of responses to my May 1 submission, "Power Shortage." While perusing the league leaders in my newspaper, I noticed the absence of Yankees and Mets under strikeouts, and declared that both clubs will struggle to pull off long winning streaks.

Brian and Lewis _ two different people, I assume, not a local sportswriter trying to hide his identity via separate responses_ wrote in to point out the strikeout success of both John Maine and Oliver Perez. Maine now has 37 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings, while Perez has fanned 37 batters in 33 2/3 innings. Both good enough to rank in the Top 10 in the National League.

I was looking at the Top 5 when so inspired to write about this last week. I should've probed a little deeper, obviously. I goofed on this one. Thank you to Brian and Lewis for calling me out. I vow to be more diligent, but like the rest of you (with a few exceptions), I'm imperfect, so I'd bet on more Tuesday cleanups.

Roger Clemens will never fully escape the steroid questions, but really, no one ever will, again. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Let us all be skeptical of everything in our lives so we don't wind up with egg on our face after another Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa lovefest, or much more serious stuff than that.

But regarding The Rocket, who made his Yankees reunion official on Sunday, the questions are certainly understandable. This is a guy who appeared to be fading back in 1996, at just 34 years old, and since leaving the Red Sox following that season, he has put up some of his finest years, picking up four more Cy Young Award trophies in the process.

For now, however, we've got absolutely nothing concrete on Clemens. Even if Jason Grimsley named Clemens last year, when Grimsley was caught receiving human growth hormone _ and whether he did so remains unclear _ that's a second-hand indictment. Jose Canseco's batting average was pretty high in his book "Juiced," but he took his foot off the gas when writing about his buddy Clemens, asserting that he knew nothing for sure.

If you're a Clemens-hater, you're going to believe the allegations. If you love him, you'll argue that if Clemens' late-career success was attributable primarily to performance-enhancing drugs, he should've broken down by now.

I didn't put Mark McGwire on my Hall of Fame ballot last year because of his Congressional testimony, and the Sports Illustrated report that McGwire offered to disclose his steroid usasge to the House Government Reform Committee in return for immunity. I intend not to vote for Barry Bonds, because of the mountain of evidence that he cheated.

Right now, Clemens makes my ballot. If he did cheat his way to his remarkable renaissance, and he doesn't get caught, then life will go on.

1. The Mets, coming off Thursday's thrilling victory , will drop the next three to the surprisingly resilient Diamondbacks. They will do so despite Damion Easley's four homers, six diving stops at second base and ability to open the Chase Field roof just by looking at it.

2. The Yankees will beat the Mariners Friday and Saturday, getting back to .500 at 14-14, before losing on Sunday. On Sunday evening, George Steinbrenner's spokesman Howard Rubenstein will release a statement_ attributed to the Yankees' principal owner _ that will give votes of confidence to Darrell Rasner, Wil Nieves and Carl Pavano.

3. On Friday, the Washington Nationals will trade outfielder Ryan Langerhans to the Dodgers for outfielder Brady Clark. On Saturday, the Dodgers will deal Langerhans to the Twins for outfielder Jason Tyner. On Sunday, the Twins will sell Langerhans to the Chiba Lotte Mariners of Japan's Pacific League, for $400,000 and a case of BoBeer.

4. Highly regarded Giants rookie Tim Lincecum, regarded by many scouts as similar to Tom Gordon in frame and potential, will lose to Gordon's Phillies Sunday in his big-league debut.

5. The 9:30 a.m. Sunday Pilates class, at the Ballen Isles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, will be led by Marty Miller.

The wild card has existed in baseball for 13 years now, and even the purists would have to agree that it has been a wonderful addition to the game. It creates far more drama in September, and it really hasn't lowered the bar, in terms of allowing subpar teams into the postseason.

So here's my pet peeve: Why, when we're discussing teams' playoff chances, particularly so early in the season, do we completely disregard the wild card?

The Yankees lose five of six to the Red Sox in April, and all we hear about is the Yankees' hole in the American League East (six games behind Boston). Which is all well and good, but not entirely relevant. It's far more important where the Yankees stand in the wild-card race (currently four and a half games behind Detroit). I understand if the teams themselves want to focus on the division title, especially since the Yankees have won nine straight AL East crowns. But the rest of us should understand how little that means. After all, the last AL East team to win it all was the 2004 Red Sox, a wild-card entry into the playoffs.

Bobby Valentine's NL champion 2000 Mets were a wild-card team, as were World Series winners the 2002 Angels and 2003 Marlins.

I'll be surprised if the Yankees finished above the Red Sox come October, but I'll be even more surprised if the Yankees don't win the wild card. So please, if you're a Yankees fan, don't obsess over your Rivals. Instead, take a step back, and realize, until baseball gives the wild-card entries a tougher road, that it's not a huge difference between first and second place.

I was reading the league leaders in my newspaper today _ and really, if you're still paying attention to arcane measures like batting average and RBI, I urge you to get with the times_ and looked to the strikeouts among pitchers. Nary a Met nor a Yankee to be found.

That's not surprising, based on what we knew about the two staffs entering the season. But it does remind us how much harder the New York clubs have to work to build up winning streaks. The more staffs pitch to contact, naturally, the more reliant they are upon their defense and plain luck.

Now, John Maine is en route to officially becoming a power pitcher, but he's not there yet. And with the Yankees, Phil Hughes appeared on a similar path, before he tried to bury a curveball on Mark Teixeira Tuesday night. What a tough break for the Yankees.

Another branch of intrigue on this strikeout topic: The Mets and Yankees are hoping to get second-half surges from a pair of former dominant aces _ Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens, respectively. Both men use their smarts as much as their strength nowadays, however, so we shouldn't expect many double-digit strikeout games from them, either.