A pressing question in a tightening race...

People have been asking me recently if I think the yankees have enough steam to overtake the Red Sox in the AL East.

Well, in the words of the new Hyundai summer sales campaign... "Duh."

Of course they do - in fact I predicted almost a month ago before the Bronx Bombers got rollin' that they would overtake the Red Sox before the end of August. The plain and simple fact is that they have too many weapons offensively NOT to play well on average over the course of the whole season. Fact is, if they played at 80% capacity for an entire season they'd still finish ahead of all but 2 or 3 teams.

Can you say "salary cap?" Besides, George Steinbrenner practically invented the luxury tax. You think that levels the field? Heh, heh... whatever.

The turnaround in the New York season has been thanks in large part to their incredible offense - which has disguised their continuum of appalling pitching (only a pinch better than Baltimore and Kansas City). Their record in one-run games will not serve them particularly well come post-season (if they indeed make it) but then the way the division and wild card leaders have ALL come back to them they don't NEED much to make up for it.

One (and only one) sportswriter wrote several weeks back that Roger Clemens had the aura and ability to carry the yanks to the post-season - fortunately for the Bronx Balloons, DESPITE the Rocket the yanks offense is carrying them in that direction at full steam.

And Omar Minaya comes in second again...