Not necessarily, Irish.

Sure, it's impossible to trade a 37 year old with a huge contract who can't hit righties anymore if they were tossing dodge balls, but the Yankees have so much money that they can always decide to eat it. It's not likely, but you never know.

He's made it obvious he wants out of NY. Will the Yankees pay all that money just to get rid of him? Hard to say, but if he's that freaking unhappy, good riddance.

EXACTLY! What's the Dodgers phone number again?

Also, SB, where have you heard that he wants out? I've never heard anything but the opposite. About how much he loves New York, and being a Yankee, etc.

Haven't heard it, just seen his face and his performance. Some guys just can't make it in NY, and I think he's one of them. There are plenty of players who leave the Yankees after performing poorly and do well elsewhere.

A-Roid did have a couple of MvP seasons with the Yanks and one good series. But for me he is just a compiler like Dave Winfield was. If they were winning 8-0, Winfield would hit 2 homeruns.

All the sports pundits thought he would shatter Barry Bond home run record. That's looking doubtful.

I never wanted him as a Yankee. They should have gone for pitching, pitching and then pitching. Do you think he can redeem himself tonight? I love when he strikes out and then while walking back to the dugout he looks back at the outfield or scoreboard.

A-Rod isn't starting tonight. If the Yanks lose, how will this be spun into being his fault?

(But yes he's stunk this series. No argument there.)

He took a spot away on the roster from someone who COULD help them.

I tip my hat to Baltimore. They were pesky and wouldn't go away ALL year but the Yankees were finally able to beat them and their bats came alive a little bit. That could be a good sign going into the ALCS. Now, BRING ON THE TIGERS!

Let us hope....
Tigers vs Yankees
The Yankees are the Yankees, which scares every team in baseball except the Tigers. Detroit seems to relish the challenge the pinstripes bring, especially when the games take place at Comerica Park. The downside of the Yankees is that the Tigers would have to open the series in New York, rather than having home-field advantage. That said, the Tigers always seem to steal one game at Yankee Stadium, making the thought of three straight games at Comerica Park very enticing. The Yankees' rotation, which has long been the Achilles heel for this team, all of a sudden looks like a strength. Andy Pettitte pitched Game 2 of the ALDS like he pitched Game 2’s a decade ago. CC Sabathia is an ace. Hiroki Kuroda looks like what the Yankees had in mind when they signed him in the off-season. And Phil Hughes has a nice track record at Comerica Park (3-2, 2.78 ERA), which is where he’d likely start Game 3.

The problem with the Yankees is the offense. Alex Rodriguez’s struggles are well-documented. But Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson are slumping just as badly. Swisher is hitless in his last 34 postseason at-bats with runners in scoring position. And Granderson has nine strikeouts in the Orioles series, heading into Game 5 today. Unlike Rodriguez, both are in the lineup. All three figure to be in the lineup in the ALCS if they advance. That’s only good news for the Tigers. New York has a better bullpen, but I’d give the Tigers the edge in offense and the starting rotation. And it has to be mentioned that the Tigers have taken out the Yankees the last two times the teams met in the postseason.

Good for the Yanks. Now bench A-Rod for rest of the playoffs.

Exactly... he hasn't been a clutch hitter for YEARS! Maybe he's missing his steroids or something. And it's a shame, of course. But he's been worthless for A LONG time.

I wish the Pirates or someone could afford him... ...but I shouldn't say that, because I like the Pirates.

Careful what you wish for, buddy .

For some reason I keep seeing the '68 World Series, which is the first World Series that I remember watching and pretty much fully understanding. I was 9 years old. It was Tigers-Cardinals, by the way. Call it a hunch.

So back to the ALCS. Tigers in six.

ARod is in tonight's lineup, but he's dropped to 6th in batting order.

Roller-coaster is right. Amazing, incredible (yet again) Ibanez HR heroics! But then Jeter goes down for the year. The non-hitting a-holes (most of the team) REALLY need to wake up now!

To be fair, they put up a remarkable comeback in the 9th (homerun by Ichiro!) ultimately to lose and now Jeter is out after one cringeworthy-looking injury.

What a game.
Tough break for Jeter, I like him. TBS is really really biased for the Yankees.
It was good to see Detroit show some heart, rally and come back from Valverde's mistakes.
I don't want to see Valverde again and neither does Mitch Albom.
No way Tigers can trust Valverde again

You mean the manager's mistake (for leaving Valverde in so long in the ninth).

The Yanks didn't just lose the game... they LOST it! You have bases loaded THREE times in the early innings and score a total of no runs??

I know. Wonderful, wasn't it?
Don't worry. Detroit's bullpen is such crap that it will be difficult to ever truly say NY is out of it..

That's been the Yankees story too often this year. They just can't seem to drive in those runs with men in scoring position. It's been so frustrating.

The loss of Jeter is huge, not just because he's had such a good season, but also because he is truly the heart of the team. Plus, let's face it, the man just wants to play baseball every day.

Tough loss for my boys, but a good job by the Tigers. Congrats, Lilo!

Jeter's onfield presence alone is an insurmountable loss, Babe.

Today's game is a must win. If they go down 0-2 the way the rest of the team is hitting (not just A-Roid, Ronnie ), this series doesn't make in back to the Bronx.

Yeah, I hope the Tigers win it for Leland, our own Lilo, and my boy Elmore Leonard (who turned 87 last week and is still putting out a novel a year; a quality novel a year ).

Go Tigers!

What's up with all the unsold ALCS tickets at Yankee Stadium?

My sons were at yesterday's Yankee game, and were shocked by the numerous empty seats.

The Yankee hitting performance is obviously pitiful, and even more discouraging when you consider that Detroit's two best pitchers haven't been on the field yet.

The best thing for the Yankees right now is to play on the road. The hitters can escape the toxic atmosphere of Yankee Stadium, get the fans off their back, and clear their heads. Slumps become syndromes when you carry the weight of each previous failure to the plate with you.

My friends went, and said there were plenty of seats available at the box office. They paid less than face value, buying them I believe on Stub Hub.

I'm just amazed at the TOTAL lack of offense. Cano sets a MLB record for the most consecutive at-bats without a hit (26 and counting)? Not to mention Kuroda throws 7 2/3 innings of great baseball on 3 days rest! The pitchers can't do any more at this point short of grabbing a bat themselves. Absolutely PATHETIC.

And what did the Yankees brass do in the offseason last year when hitting was a problem for them then too in the postseason? Oh, that's right, trade their best hitting prospect for a pitcher who didn't even make it out of spring training. What's next? Try doing something smart this year: let Swisher walk and resign Ichiro (at least for 1 more year), try to trade A-Rod (even if you have to eat a big part of his salary) and bring up Nunez or Dickerson full time and give them some big league at-bats or see what's brewing in the free agent market. I know Josh Hamilton's available but I'm not sure the Yankees want to travel down that path, in part because he didn't exactly finish the season sizzling and who know's what salary demands he's going to make?

There are no takers for A-Rod. When he had his agent interrupt the celebration of Boston's world series victory in 07 to announce he was opting out of his contract, there was absolutely no interest in him outside New York. There is less interest in him now as he is aging and subject to testing for PEDs. Unfortunately, the Yankees and A-Rod are saddled with each other, a loveless marriage, consummated by greed and egotism.

..to hell. Oli, see if you and SC can start a Red Sox-Tigers thread.

Hey, I want to see the Yanks beat Detroit (so the Giants could kick the crap out of them).

Doesn't look like I'll be getting my wish.

Now don't jump the gun. Bernie Williams has not officially retired and Paul O'Neil isn't far away. And I hear that Daryl Strawberry has been swinging a big stick lately.

The Yankees already have enough old farts who ain't producing. They don't need any more.