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Down 3-1, good luck with that, Cliff Lee. Perhaps that might have been more useful down 2-1?

At any rate, the Yankees get good work from CC Sabathia on three days rest, and overcome a shaky bullpen by beating Philly’s shaky bullpen late in the best game of the series from a big moments perspective. And, because it is now relevant, the six times that a team has erased a three games to one deficit in the World Series.

Mike Lupica with a few words on Alex Rodriguez and a few more on the heady play by Johnny Damon in getting to third while stealing second in the ninth. With two outs, that mattered because it would make it a little harder for Brad Lidge to unleash the slider. Wild pitch concerns and what not. One batter later, Rodriguez was playing hero.

So now the Phillies look to stay alive behind their ace, while Joe Girardi rides the short rest train and AJ Burnett tonight in Game 5, Pettitte and Sabathia if necessary for the rest of the series. Yankees well established on the high ground at this point.

Walk-off homerun for Alex Rodriguez.

It’s the clutch the Yankees have clearly been missing until his return…Yanks have won six of eight since Rodriguez bubbled north from rehab and extended spring training in Florida.

I am not sure there is another human on the planet who benefited more from Manny Ramirez’s steroid oopsie than Rodriguez. Selena Roberts’ book and the Peter Gammons interview and the rest all seem like ancient history now…

From the NY Times:

Major League Baseball is investigating the accuracy of statements by Alex Rodriguez about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, according to people within baseball who were briefed on the matter. Investigators have contacted several of Rodriguez’s associates to determine whether he used performance-enhancing drugs for a longer time than he has admitted, the people said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation.

Is there really not something better for MLB to do with its time? They have even pushed me to the “do not care” point. Rodriguez cheated. I get it. I don’t think he will make the Hall of Fame because of it (which appears to be the “punishment” for known participation in this era). What else is left? Can’t everyone just move on?

Actually, if MLB wants to do something interesting on this topic? Hire an independent investigator to look into what MLB knew and when it knew it. Put Bud Selig and anyone that was in ownership back in 1992 or so under oath. Subpoena documents and records from the 90s from individual teams. Talk to trainers and get some of them under oath. MLB wants to air this thing? Well, by fuck let’s have an airing. And stop the selective witch hunting. It’s MLB’s version of putting the coke user in jail for 20 years while ignoring the supplier.

Maybe he should put the game and team first, and stop the off-field shenanigans:

He said that the time in Colorado gave him the “opportunity to rethink things, recommit myself and really understand my responsibility to my teammates and my team. I’m talking about 100% of my focus on baseball,” said Rodriguez, who took questions after his workout and again at Tropicana Field before the Yanks played the Rays. “It’s liberating that I’ve had an opportunity to do that and put a lot of things behind me. I’ve done that. I’m gonna go back to what I did in ‘07 – cut some of the fat out and really focus on playing baseball and focus on what I do best and that’s playing baseball.”

Well done, Alex. It only took $300 million dollars to get you there. I am having a Chris Rock moment over this revelation, what do you want, a cookie? You’re kinda supposed to put your teammates and team first. Nevertheless, this is perhaps good news for Yankees fans. As for Rodriguez, I have come late to the conclusion that he may just not be that bright.

…could turn that down?

Reportedly, Eliot Spitzer-hooker-supplier Manhattan madam Kristin Davis just had to get her some of that. A-Rod is apparently quite the charmer. As fun as that is, this is even better (from the NY Daily News):

The shapely madam didn’t know who A-Rod was but found him “hot as hell,” she told the friend. “I said, ‘I’m having dinner with my boyfriend. But if you’re looking for someone to hang out with, here’s a number.’ I gave him my agency’s card.” That night, Davis told a friend, Rodriguez booked a two-hour “date” with one of her girls, who met him at the Four Seasons on Rittenhouse Square. “He gave his real name,” Davis told the friend. “The next day we found out who Alex Rodriguez was. The girl we sent freaked out. Her father (works for) another Major League Baseball team.”

The countdown clock is now running on who wins the race to ID that unfortunate woman. And, by extension, the person who “works for another Major League Baseball team” whose parenting skills yielded complete failure of the Chris Rock test with respect to fathers and daughters.

A reminder, this be Kristen Davis:

Details magazine, clearing this up for no one:

A-Rod’s a narcissist? Who knew? I wonder if the guy in the mirror would have injected his own ass?

Thanks to hall of eternity swamper MaxWebster for the heads up that the pics from the mag are previewed on-line.

That’s what they are breaking in with on SportsCenter this morning, noting in the piece that Rodriguez is expected to miss “6-9 weeks”. Here’s the short initial story from the AP. This appears to be the “temporary fix” option, to avoid the longer recovery time with the open procedure, a surgery that may emperil his year.

As to the “6-9 weeks”, I will believe it when I see it. From what everyone has read/learned about this particular health issue, that would be an extremely optimistic timeframe. From here, if he is back and 100% by the All-Star break, that would be about right. I will most certainly be adjusting my fantasy draft sheet accordingly.

Assuming the breaking report on SportsCenter is correct, it will make John Harper in the NY Daily News happy. He thinks A-Rod should have the procedure. And, assuming the report is correct, Mark Teixeira’s spring of annonymity is coming to a close.

And Yanks fans/already got Rodriguez at an early draft, play along with the doc with the Virtual Hip Surgery game. Also, your arthroscopic hip surgery labral tear FAQs.

Four days?

Four weeks?

Four months?

For damn sure my fantasy draft sheet will be adjusted accordingly. The Yankees say they are going to treat the hip laburm dealie of Alex Rodriguez conservatively, and try to avoid surgery. Which would mean he can play to start the year. They think. Or hope. Go Brian Cashman:

Even with conservative treatment, Cashman said he does not expect A-Rod to be active “for awhile. … We are hoping he can play with it. That’s the gray area, that’s what we are all trying to figure out. He’s such an asset that we want to try this way first.”

Cashman compared getting the news of A-Rod’s condition to “drinking from a fire hose and now we’re trying to digest it. We we’re all caught off guard at first.”

Um. Okay? People drink from fire hoses? Regardless, I see Cashman is still giving Rodriguez his version of the silent treatment. Back to the “asset” well we first heard as Cashman reacted to the steroid news. I am sure the asset is touched by his concern.

Things we now know, Alex Rodriguez edition:

1. Half truths are a bad idea. Particularly where the New York media is concerned. Course, we knew that.

2. If you are going to engage in the aforementioned half truths, try not to leave boulder sized crumbs for the media to follow.

3. If you are going to do damage control, skip the oompa loompa shading for your skin and pick an actual reporter to unburden your soul to. Peter Gammons stopped being a reporter some years ago and is as cuddly and threatening as a box full of kittens. Everyone knows that, so it isn’t helping your “rollout” to immerse yourself in his loving arms.

4. Hire a better damage control media team. Did any of them go over your second story before you started blathering about cousins and “boli” to the press? There were more holes in that bullshit than, well, something with a lot of holes in it.

5. And, if you are going to use steroids, at the least use them correctly:

Meanwhile, former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski went on Sirius/XM Radio and said he did not know what the “boli” A-Rod referred to is. He also said Primobolan is a relatively mild steroid that should be administered twice a week, not the twice a month Rodriguez said he used it.

Nice.

Course, given that he is probably lying about what he took, its likely he’s lying about how often. Or not. Whatever else happens, when the Feds come calling, and they probably will, Rodriguez better find the truth then. The alternative is the hell Barry Bonds bought for himself.