Super, Nova, But Logan's Run Needs to Be Out of Town

Let's see, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes (when he gets off the Disabled List), Bartolo Colon (when he gets off the DL), Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova... So that would make Cliff Lee the 7th starter in the Yankee rotation.

Nova was super tonight against the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed a run in the bottom of the 1st, and cruised from there, getting through 8 innings allowing 1 run, 4 hits, and exactly zero walks. Chevy never made a Nova this good.

Of course, you still need to score. The Yankees did, 4 times before the Reds even came to bat. Nick Swisher led off, and singled. After a strikeout by Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira singled, and Alex Rodriguez singled home Swish. Robinson Cano doubled home Teix. Russell Martin grounded out, but this scored A-Rod. Then Andruw Jones singled home Cano.

That was basically all the drama, until the last inning. The Yanks scored another run in the top of the 8th, to make it 5-1. But in the bottom of the 9th, manager Joe Girardi trusted Luis Ayala to protect a 4-run lead. He allowed a leadoff single. That brought Joey Votto to the plate. A lefthanded hitter. The defending Most Valuable Player of the National League.

Not good, but, with a 4-run lead, no reason to panic, right? Certainly no reason to automatically pull him for a reliever.

Girardi panicked. He pulled Ayala for a reliever. Well, no big deal, right? Certainly no reason to make the reliever Boone Logan.

Girardi panicked again. He brought in Logan.

Immediately, I typed into Facebook, "Uh-oh, Boone Logan... Mariano, stand by, we may need you!"

Did I call it or what? Logan threw the dangerous Votto exactly one pitch. And he hit him.

Logan did not hit Votto on purpose. His control isn't good enough to hit a batter on purpose. Frankly, I'm not sure Logan knows who Votto is. I'm not sure he knows who Boone Logan is.

Seriously, why is Logan in the major leagues, let alone on the 25-man roster of the New York Blessed Yankees? He's gotta have the kind of pictures of Girardi that Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth seemed to have of Joe Torre.

Now, it's time to panic. (Done.) Now, it's time to remove Logan. (Done.) Now, it's time to bring in Mariano Rivera. (Done). Now, it's time to send this scrub down to Scranton, and to never allow him to disgrace the Pinstripes (or the road grays) again. (Hopefully will be done.) (UPDATE: Wasn't done.)

Mo got a groundout, but allowed a single to score a run. Then got a forceout, which brought home another run. Finally, he struck out a pinch-hitter, the veteran shortstop Edgar Renteria. Ballgame over. Yankees 5, Reds 3.

WP: Nova (7-4). SV: Rivera (18) -- and no save situation should have been necessary, Logan you bum. LP: Travis Wood (5-5).

The Red Sox are winning big over the San Diego Padres, so the Yankees will remain a game and a half out, one in the loss column.

Jeter hits 2994 6
Rivera saves 577 24
A-Rod homers 626 137
A-Rod hits 2746 254

*

The Florida Marlins, after losing 10 straight and 18 out of 19, have fired Fredi Gonzalez. Their new manager? It's their old manager, Jack McKeon, who managed them to the 2003 World Series over the Yankees. (Jeff Weaver, I still hate you more than I hate Boone Logan!)

McKeon, a native of South Amboy, New Jersey and a graduate of that city's St. Mary's (now Cardinal McCarrick) High School, is 80 years old, never played in the major leagues, and first managed in the majors with the 1973 Kansas City Royals.

He is the 2nd-oldest manager in Major League Baseball history, behind Connie Mack, who managed the Philadelphia Athletics until he was 88 years old in 1950, and was finally removed when his sons ganged up on him and maneuvered him out of power due to his senility. Which they should have done years earlier, because "The Grand Old Man of Baseball" had long since lost it, but he was the owner, and refused to fire himself. But Connie Jr., Earle and Roy Mack found a way to use their stock in the team against him and his wife (Connie Jr.'s mother, Earle and Roy's stepmother).

Will McKeon right the ship in Miami? Unless it puts the Marlins in position to play the Yankees in the World Series again, I don't care. Then, I hope the Yankees turn McKeon's story from that of Ponce de Leon into that of King Lear. I'm still pissed off about that Series.

UPDATE: McKeon did not right the ship in Miami, and retired after the season. He first managed in the major leagues when Richard Nixon was President, and last did so when Barack Obama was President, a span of 38 years. As far as I know, only Mack had a longer span, 56 years, 1894 to 1950 (Grover Cleveland to Harry Truman).