30 Games In

What drives me nuts on this team thus far is the lack of timely hitting. We have guys who can supposedly mash, but what about a shot in the gap with two outs and runners on first and second? It really seems like we're just either hitting singles or home runs. Every so often, we'll get a double. (Posada had two games of getting RBI doubles; I remember this distinctly. That speaks to my point.)

Tonight, we've gotten two solo shots, and one two-run HR. We still maintain relative patience at the plate, but choose to swing away too quickly. Tex just grounded out to the second baseman on a 2-0 count. We can see pitchers struggling, but we tend to jump on him to try and deliver the knockout punch. Instead, we calm him down when we just ground / fly out.

What I like is our chemistry. I'm reading all around that the team likes each other; I wonder how Alex will affect that. I agree with Pete Abraham - if this team gets healthy, and finds a groove to where it's playing effectively (offensively, defensively, pitching), it can do damage. But with this suddenly old team, that may seem to be asking for too many stars to align properly.

I'm not sure I quite understand Girardi's moves, but he knows the team better than I. I can appreciate the choice NOT to bring a long reliever out of Spring Training, based on how the team played. Wang threw that out of whack from the onset.

Something else, and this is serious: Boston is in their heads. I don't think that will change until the seniors on the team (Jeter, Posada, Pettite, and definitely Rivera) are gone. Maybe even Alex. 2004 still just resonates with this franchise too much. That - in conjunction with age and attrition - just hurts too much.

We're one game below .500, and losing by six runs to the last place team in the division. Something tells me, already at this point, this is what we're going to be facing for the year. I strongly hope that I am wrong.