June 18 @ Washington L 3-2

I'm pissed off to no end right now.

The closer role is the most contrived piece of idiocy ever to hit baseball. It was created to prevent managers from being blamed by the media for overextending and causing injury to ace relievers. For some stupid reason, managers have fallen in love prescribing roles to their ace relievers.

What happened? Farnsworth, Proctor, Beam and Rivera were unavailable today. Torre designated Ron Villone as his closer. For some stupid reason, he decided that the 9th inning is so special that it has to either be handled by a starting pitcher or a closer.

Chien Ming Wang was very obviously tired. He was giving up hard hit balls in the 8th inning, and would have blown the game right there if not for Melky Cabrera. He was at his pitch count. But Torre allowed Wang to bat, when the Yankees painfully needed an insurance run, and start the 9th. Obviously tired, Wang got an out before allowing a hit and a blast, losing the game for the Yankees.

Why the fuck did Torre not try to piece together the 9th inning? In the same situation, if a closer was available, Torre would have tried to piece together the 8th inning. But this hallowed closer role is so god damn important that Wang has to got out there because Matt Smith, Ron Villone, Jose Veras, Jaret Wright, and Mike Myers cannot piece together an inning.

God dammit. Why the hell do baseball personel never stop and think about their actions? How brainwashed do you have to be?

I'm going to go smash a rock or something.