- From the “one play says a thousand words department”……………. Does any play sum up the Karma surrounding the Mets and Yankees more than the final play of Friday night’s game?

- Not one announcer mentioned the hustle of Mark Texeira on that final play. Didn’t anyone wonder how a below average runner scored so easily from first base on that final popup? Granted, he had a running start on the full count, but I honestly thought he would be at third as a result of the play. Arod was just rounding first after hitting the ball. Major props to Tex for hustling!

- Folks mention how the Yankees seem to be a more cohesive unit this year. Did you notice how Arod was congratulated after the winning “hit”? Hysterical. I don’t know who is responsible…… Girardi may deserve a little credit, Swisher, Burnett, I don’t know, but this team has a more care free and loose attitude that reminds me of the 2004 “band of idiots” Red Sox.

- Why in the world did Luis Castillo throw the ball to second base on the play? Robinson Cano must be giving him baseball IQ lessons.

Something told me Jerry will make sure the roof doesn’t cave in on the team after Friday and I was right. I’m still not sold on the Phillies this year, and this week’s series proved that, even though they are undermanned, the Mets and Phillies are still two teams who are evenly matched.

- Hey Krod, Simon Sez you can finally remove your hands from the top of your head……………..

- Even though the Yankees were swept (again) in Boston, I wasn’t too alarmed with how the final two games played out. Beckett has been awesome recently, so I’ll chalk up game one to his brilliance. Games two and three were two excellent games with great drama played at a high level by two evenly matched playoff teams.

- Is it me, or is AJ Burnett quickly becoming the most expensive fifth starter in baseball? When all shakes out, I’ll still take Burnett, Chamberlain and Hughes at the back end of my pitching rotation any day of the week.

- I think Mariano Rivera has spoiled us……………… I am concerned. He has gone from unhittable to simply above average. He’s missing way too often in the strike zone, and his waste pitches, which used to have some purpose to them, are simply “show me” pitches far out of the strike zone. If he is throwing low 90’s vs. his mid to high 90’s in his heyday, than Rivera’s location NEEDS to be better.

- From the “beat this issue until it’s dead department”, I’m sure the Rays are glad they gave David Price a few extra months of “seasoning” down in the minors. They turned a guy who was unhittable and threw strikes during the most important playoff games last year into someone who cannot find the plate. His stuff is legendary and he should have been handled by the pitching coaches at the major league level from day one this year. And I STILL maintain that Tampa would have been 2-3 games higher in the standings with Price in there over Neimann (who has pitched relatively well).

Tags: A-Rod, AJ Burnett, David Price, Jeff Neimann, Jerry Manuel, Joe Girardi, K-Rod, Luis Castillo, Mariano Rivera, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Robinson Cano, Tampa Bay Rays