Wang Chien Ming lasted less than two innings in the Bronx Monday Night as the Cleveland Indians eliminated a hapless Yankees squad 3-1 from the AL Division Series. Joe Torre’s decision to start the fatigued and rattled-looking Wang on three days rest is looking quite suspect now.  Wang gave up a home run to Sizemore in the first to lead off the game, then loaded the bases with no outs in the second before being removed in favor of Mike Mussina.

Wang had never started on three days rest in his career prior to the game, and Mussina pitched rather effectively in relief, inviting a lot of second guesses as to whether or not Wang should have been preserved for a game 5. Clearly, Torre didn’t trust Wang to start another game on the road.  If Wang, who didn’t pitch badly as his line indicates, can emerge from this mentally unscathed it’ll be to his credit.

The Yankee playoff was a debacle of underachieving–A Rod simply a disaster, leaving runners stranded when it counted, Jeter not coming up with his usual clutch moments–and questionable bullpen management by Torre.

George Steinbrenner proclaimed Torre’s job on the line during the series, a move that in this page’s opinion lacks any semblance of class or respect for the man who won 4 world series and took the Yankees to 7 during his 12-year career as the Yanks manager.

While the NY media loves to kick a man while he’s down, blame in the Bronx falls on a number of shoulders. How did the Yankees go into a playoff series with Ron Villone as their only left arm in the bullpen? How did their rotation get so thin? To what effect did Clemens’ yearly self-interested bullshit act affect this team? What on earth makes Rodriguez as effective as Miguel Cairo offensively during the playoffs?

Torre can’t go out and make A-Rod hit or throw relief for an understaffed pen or aging staff. Still, he may have justified Steinbrenner–should he make good on his threat.

Next Stop: The Santana Era? (Cringing).