Junkees Still Miles A-way

Following the Yankees' third series win of the year, there's a temptation to think this team, even Kevin Brown, is back. But the Yanks still have ways to go.

If I had bought a copy of "Moneyball" instead of getting it from the library, I would throw it out or maybe burn it. The A's look awful now, and I don't see them getting much better. Nobody in that lineup scares you. Nobody. They're by far the worst offensive team in that division. Even the D-Rays have a better offense than these guys. They've come a long way down since the '01 ALDS, when they had the best squad of their playoff run - including Giambi, Tejada, Dye. Billy Beane deserves credit for getting something for Hudson and Mulder, but has done a lousy job constructing this offense. Simply put, the A's are no longer a contender.

So it's hard for me to give Brown or Mussina credit. Let's see them beat Texas, Boston, or Baltimore, teams with great lineups.

- And the Yanks are still 8 games out of first. And granted, it's still May, but the Birds and the Sox don't look like they're going anywhere. Baltimore lost yesterday, but if their starters keep them in the game, they're not going to collapse anytime soon. And Boston has done very well so far despite losing their top two starters. Clement and Arroyo are as good if not better than anyone on the Junkees' staff, and if Wade Miller has more great outings like yesterday, they'll really be a force when Wells and Schilling are healthy.

- And the Yanks won't see much more of the A's this year, just 3 more games. Thanks to the unbalanced schedule, the Yanks face a whole lot of Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore. While the Yanks steamrolled these teams in years past, this year all those teams have given them a hard time.

- Only thing I take from this series? Tino's heating up. Let's see how long that lasts. But if he stays hot and gets 30 HR this year (slim chance), then maybe hitting coach Don Mattingly is more than just a PR factor for the Junkees.

As for next series: Seattle's another team in the AL West that's struggling. Any team with Aaron Sele in the rotation is in trouble. Unlike the A's, they have a good offense, though Beltran and Sexson have been struggling. This would be a great time for them to snap out of it.

-- An intriguing series this week is Baltimore vs. Minnesota. The Birds then face the red-hot White Sox over the weekend. Any Yankee or Red Sox fan should check these series out; it'll be a huge test for these O's to prove they are for real.