Even after a mini-micro slump out west, Abreu is still doing rather well:
Batting .368 with an on-base-percentage of .477 after 27 games is world class, especially considering the fact that he plays for manager Joe Torre who loves to trifle with the batting order to protect his favorites, regardless of how it effects other players who are performing well.
The whole Alex Rodriguez drama would come to an abrupt end were Torre to drop him to 8th or 9th in the batting order. Then keep him there, buried behind the more productive hitters. For 2 weeks if necessary. The pressure would abate and he could concentrate on getting his swing back to normal. But instead, Clueless Joe moves him to the 2-hole and that of course makes things even worse.
History, only about 140 years of it or so, has shown that when your cleanup man is 1 for 21 but remains healthy he needs a change of scenery. Especially in NY. A well rested Bernie Williams could slide into the 4-hole and drive pitchers crazy for two or three weeks, until Rodriguez gets his act together or Sheffield and Matsui return from the DL. Bernie cannot play a full season anymore, this is true, but in spurts is as good as he ever was.
The pitching staff is drooping as a pitching staff does come late August, and the hitters have to take up the slack. Everywhere but in NY where JT still believes it to be 1960 when all one needed to do was to tell the players to suck it up and all would be well.
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