Breaking: New York Yankees Middle Relief Stinks!

I cannot lie to you… I wrote about three paragraphs and didn’t like anything that I wrote. Not that I think the words stunk, but because the middle relief has me effin’ frustrated!!! Thanks for melting down during the first game at the new Yankee Stadium, guys (Boxscore). So, I’ll keep this short. Damaso Marte obviously cannot pitch in pinstripes (5.40 ERA in 18.1 innings in 2008; 27.00 ERA in 2.0 innings thus far in 2009). Jose Veras is about half-crappy compared to Marte as Veras has a 13.50 ERA in 3.1 innings in 2009. And Phil Coke needs to pitch like he did in 2008 (0.61 ERA/14 K/2 BB/5 Holds in 14.2 innings) because he’s relatively looking like ish right now (9.00 ERA/5 K/3 BB in 4.0 innings). Am I overreacting? YES! Did my heart just skip a beat in anger? MAYBE! Do I follow the five second rule when it comes to food dropping on the floor and not eat a piece of fried chicken skin that has laid on the floor for six seconds? NO!

In all seriousness, how do the Yankees solve this early season problem?

We need more Nick Swisher, perhaps? Or do we start that whole debate all over again about Joba Chamberlain going in the bullpen? What do you all think? Leave your comments and vote in the poll to the right. Personally, another “Mariano Rivera killing it in the middle innings before handing the ball off to John Wetteland in the ninth” type of scenario sounds nice right about now.