–Donât you get the feeling that â even at full strength â Willie Randolph is going to be forced to play Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay and Lastings Milledge more than anyone expected? The Mets do miss Paul LoDucaâs defense and fire when he is not playing, but it cannot be denied that when the Mets are struggling offensively that Castro is the better alternative. The Mets have looked for a No. 2 hitter that works all season and, against righty pitching, Gotay just might be the man. And here is something to think about: Who would you rather have hitting regularly, Milledge of Shawn Green? There is no question about who you would rather have playing defense.
–Why are pitchers walking Johnny Damon with such frequency? He has displayed almost no power (zero extra-base hits in his last 11 games and just 16 on the season). Yet he has drawn 43 walks, including at least one in eight straight games. Damonâs body appears to be breaking down and opposing pitchers need to be challenging him.
–Why is Joe Torre sticking with Kyle Farnsworth as the main eighth-inning component? I know that bullpens work best when there are define roles. But Farnsworth is just not trustworthy mentally, physically or results wise. The Yankees are pretty much in a situation in which they have to win about 65 percent of their games the rest of the way to have a shot at the playoffs. Farnsworth is a heartbreaker who is going to cost them big games.