I don’t know what the pundits wanted Joe Giraridi to do other than pitch AJ Burnett on three days rest. Do these experts know the other choice to pitch is Chad Gaudin? The same Chad Gaudin who was cut by the Padres this season and a guy who has not thrown a baseball that counts in a month? You think Girardi enjoys being short in the starting pitching department? And why is he the bad guy here? Joey G has done a lot of things this post season to draw the ire of Highlander fans but their anger at JG on pitching Burnett on short rest is not his fault. The wrath of the fans should be on Pee Wee Cashman for not having the foresight to get a veteran starter (Gil Meche, Aaron Harrang to name two who would have been available) at the trade deadline. And by the way, when you sign a deal like Burnett did to pitch for the Highlanders who have to know what you do from April to September doesn’t mean jack shit, it’s what you do in the  post season where you earn your dough. Last night Burnett came up a few bucks short.

Anyone want to bet that Phil Hughes will be in the starting rotation in 2010? But it won’t be in the Bronx that’s for sure. Probably Pittsburgh or Kansas City I’d say.

On the FOX Pre-Game show last night, a show by the way, that makes Public Access TV look like Masterpiece Theater, host Chris Rose, who is so far over his head here he needs to go back to showing clips of golfers getting hit in the balls with their clubs, ask his panel of “Mad Men” extra Mark Grace, “Sufferin’ Succotash” Eric Karros and Charo’s  younger brother Ozzie Guillen, “if Derek Jeter is the greatest Highlander player ever”? At first the Gang of Three were as stunned with the ridiculous question in fact I was waiting for Guillen to throw out an F-Bomb and a scream out “PENDEJO”!!!! but no Oz said that not only was “Jeter God” he was the greatest Highlander ever. Well, I think that’s what he said because when Ozzie started talking I press the Closed Caption button on and my TV and on the screen it said “Are you fucking kidding”? Karros and Grace then agreed with Oz and I just sat there trying to pick up my jaw that his the ground. Jeter better than The Babe? Joe D? The Mick? The Iron Horse? Chicken Stanley? All right he’s a better hitter than Stanley but seriously has everyone lost their mind? His name is Derek Jeter not Derek Jesus.

Taking off my Mets cap and putting my Mets fandom aside for a moment, as a baseball fan I have to hope the Phuck Phaces win tomorrow night to not only set up a Game 7 but for the sheer joy of watching the flop swear flow from Highlander fans. Loosen them collars folks!

Seems there was a very nice turnout in the cold for the last day of Shea wake. Dave Singer at NY Sports Dog has a clip of those in attendance singing my favorite song. It looks like by the end of the week Shea Stadium will be just a pile of rubble. After looking at the clip of the folks singing Meet The Mets it occurs to me that the Skill Sets are not worthy of such loyal and passionate fans.

I see where the Rays have signed LOOGY extraordinary Brian Shouse to a two year deal which seems a bit much for a 40 yr old lefty but now there is a logjam in the Tampa pen and they are looking to move Chad Bradford. Bradford is up to make $3.5 mil in 2009 and how would he look in the Mets pen in the 6^th or 7^th inning? Damn good if you ask me. I think I’ll just slam my hand in a car door now and save me the pain for when Omar tells us the Mets have no interest in Bradford.

I missed St Joseph of Torre on Larry King last night ( I was at Devils-Pens game more on that in a minute.) But a couple of things about this book. Torre didn’t get involved with this book for the money or for notoriety this was his revenge against the Highlanders for the way he feels he was shoved out the door by Two Packs A Day Hank, Shallow Hal and Pee Wee Cashman. Make no mistake St. Joe is one scorned ex-employee and he wanted the world to know it. As impossible as this may seem I know a few people close to the Highlander high archy and others who have dealt with St Joe and they inform me there are Two Joe’s, public Joe who is gracious and suave and then there is down and dirty Joe who lets all the Brooklyn come out of him when you rattle his cage.

With that low rent asshole David Wells coming out with his dumb ass statements against Torre (remember Wells got his ass kicked by a Guido midget in a Manhattan diner so I doubt he has the onions to punch Torre in the face) it reminded me of a story my Highlander operative relayed to me.

One Old Timers day, Wells was not scheduled to pitch and during the regular game decided he wanted to go up to the owners box and hobnob with the old timers while his teammates were engaged in a game. As he was trying to finagle getting a cocktail he saw the Highlander Clipper, Joe DiMaggio and struck up a conversation. After a while Wells took off his uni top and undershirt so he could show Joltin’ Joe the faces of his kids and mom he had tattooed on his upper torso. Needless to say, the sight of a shirtless Wells did not go over well with the old timers and swells in the Bronx Robber Barons Box. At that point the phone in the suite rang and on one end was one angry manager as word got to St Joe that Tons o’ Fun Wells was up in the owners box swillin’ and chillin’. Wells was told to get back to the Highlander bunker and when he arrived, St Joseph of Torre morphed into Brooklyn Joe and had to be restrained for giving Wells a good old fashion Brooklyn ass kicking. No wonder Torre laughed when he was told of Wells’ comments for St Joe knows who the real “punk ass” is.

Went to the Prudential Center last night for the Devils-Penguins game a good one as the Devils came back from 2 goals down to tie in regulation and win in OT on Jamie Langenbrunners second OT winner in two nights. I really like The Rock. It has great sight lines and the wide concourses make it very manageable to get around but I have (of course ) a few issues. First, the area around the arena is mostly office buildings and the streets are the darker than the other side of Mars. There aren’t any places to go get something to eat before the game so you either eat at home or eat at the arena which is your standard arena/stadium fare. The area you enter to get into the arena is small and when there is a big crowd on a cold night the open doors create a wind tunnel and you freeze your ass off waiting to get in. Then when you get in they have security guards who use a wand on you to search for weapons which for some reason cracks me up as I say to myself ‘are you kidding? This is Newark” Who doesn’t have a piece on them”? Add to that the guards all look like they just got out of the Rahway State Pen. Forget President Obama, when a black guy in a “doo-rag” and gold teeth is patting my pasty white ass down looking for a shive well that my friends tells me there really is Change in America. One last thing, how can a concession stand that is one of the biggest I’ve seen in an arena run out of hot dogs and pretzels after the first period of a hockey game?

The Highlanders needed Sabathia desperately so desperately that they had to blow the Dodgers, Giants, Angles and Brewers out of the water with a mind boggling $160 mil. So much for his love of the Golden State as the former head of the NY Giants George Young always said “when they say it’s not about the money, it’s about the money” 

As ridiculous as the 23 mil a yr in salary is for C C what tops it on the crazy shit meter is the 7 yrs length of the deal. Sabathia is a rather large man who with this much coin will be a regular at the best dining establishments in NYC so if I were the Highlanders I’d work an advertising deal with NutriSystem very soon.

It’s not my money and all the Highlander fans who are rejoicing that Hal The Horse Whisper gave Pee Wee Cashman a blank check and an airline ticket and told him to “Get it done” better not bitch and moan when their game tickets go to $100 bucks for the upper deck and when you go to the concession stand and hand the cashier a 20 for a beer and hot dog and have her look at you as you come up short.

Do not forget tonight at a new time 8PM Joe McDonald and I will be back with another episode of Pro Baseball Central on Blog Talk Radio. Last night we covered the Francisco Rodriguez signing and the Mets outfield and a note to Joe Mac after further review I’m not happy with a Tatis/Murphy platoon in the outfield (if you want to be in on this click on the link and listen to last night show) plus tonight we will look at the next moves the Mets will make and discuss if it’s worth it for the Mets to even think of brining Petey back for a swan song tonight on Pro Baseball Central. 

Now I’m off to the Staten Island Mall, a place that ranks right up there with going to the dentist for a root canal and a trip for my yearly colonoscopy as my destinations of doom as I try to finish my Christmas shopping. Something tells me by 8 PM tonight I should be in some charming mood.

Oh shit,  I almost forgot tuning in to the Great Bloviator is a must today as he roast the living shit out of CC Sabathia last night I have got to hear how this wind bag tap dances today at 1:05PM also check out MikeFrancesa.com for some of the funniest commentary on the web.