Some pre-gameday thoughts

Everyone is available out of the bullpen. So not much to say there!

2 main points I'd like to touch upon though:

1. Ross Ohlendorf is not a fireman......yet
2. Farewell to Chris Britton, Part III?

So...what's the deal with Ohlendorf? The guy can look so dominant at times and hittable at others. He has the stuff to be an elite setup man......power fastball with a lot of movement, hard slider, and an aggressiveness that you look for in a reliever. He just isn't quite there yet, and is still quite raw......but fans should not be discouraged. Ross has been a reliever for less than a year, and he's had to pretty much learn on the job. He will take his lumps, but ultimately, it makes more sense to keep him up in the Majors. He's a better option than anybody in AAA right now.

Of course, the actual point of this mini-profile is that Girardi is looking for a middle-inning fireman. He wants someone who can get a starter out of a jam, then hand the ball off to one of the setup men. For a short time it looked like Ohlendorf would be that person. But after catching a lucky break in Mussina's last start, and of course, the implosion in Chien-Ming Wang's last start, it looks like Girardi might have to look elsewhere for now. I say look no further than LaTroy Hawkins.

Yes, we all love to hate him. But for what? Wearing number 21? Get a life. For his poor performance? Yes? Well, look again. Ever since that 6-run debacle back in early April, Hawkins has a 3.22 ERA and has allowed 11 hits and 7 walks over 17 and 1/3 innings, good for a 1.04 WHIP to go along with 11 strikeouts.

His 6.05 ERA sure isn't pretty, but a quick look beneath the surface shows that LaTroy has been one of our better relievers for the past month and a half. He hasn't pitched in many high-pressure innings (compared to Joba or Farnsworth) in that span, but he has proven that he can get the job done. I say let Ohlendorf figure himself out, and let Hawkins get the ball if the Yankees are in a 6th-inning jam.

One more thing: don't forget about Edwar Ramirez. While he might not be an ideal fireman, he's steadily moving up the bullpen pecking order with scoreless outing after scoreless outing. No runs through 8 and 2/3 innings, a WHIP under 1.00, and 10 strikeouts are extremely good signs. His buddy Jose Veras has been quite good too (1 ER in 5 and 2/3 innings, 4 hits, no BBs, 4 Ks). People talk about the desperate need for bullpen help, yet there are guys dominating right under our noses. We can worry about JB Cox, David Robertson, and Mark Melancon another time.

My second point was the status of Chris Britton. He hasn't embarrassed himself out there (1 ER and 1 hit in 4 and 2/3 innings) by any stretch, but his 4 walks and no strikeouts are a concern. He could be a decent innings-eating reliever on any team, but with 7 good-to-dominant relievers in the Yankees bullpen, it looks like Britton is going to be squeezed out again. A-Rod is coming off the DL, and there really hasn't been a dire need for an extra reliever thanks to Darrell Rasner and a more favorable schedule.

I also don't think Morgan Ensberg is going to be cut just yet. But his time is almost up. Unless Shelley gets demoted again, it really is just a matter of time before Ensberg gets the infamous D.F.A. Due to the combination of A-Rod, Alberto Gonzalez's superior defense (and to this point, offense, sadly enough), and Shelley's monstrous power and familiarity with 1B and RF, he just has no place on this team anymore. He's lucky that Chris Britton is still around, because he's probably next on the list of replaceable Yankees. He's a likeable guy who has made for some entertaining interviews, but performance-wise, the 2005 NL All-Star is a shadow of his former self.

I reserve the right to eat crow if the Yankees decide not to demote Britton after all. But you have to admit that that move makes the most sense.