The Night Joe Girardi Broke Derek Jeter's Ankle

OK, OK, Joe Girardi didn't pick up a sledgehammer and shatter Derek Jeter's ankle in the dugout. But he might as well have. Because Girardi's incompetence led directly to Jeter's season-ending injury, and the ruination of the Yankees' season.

The Captain

Thurman Munson died 33 years ago today.

If he hadn't died, how would things have progressed differently in Yankees history?

Hug Your Children

You live your life as you think it is. You move within the world and your environment as you believe them to be. You interact with space, objects, and people as though they are givens.

Hip Hip...

I come not to bury the 2011 Yankees, but to praise Jorge Posada.

For once in my life, I'm going to try to suppress the negativity that consumes me and take the high road. This was the most painful, frustrating, devastating Yankees defeat since 2004 (the midge game comes a close second). But I'm not going to talk about the insanity of Joe Girardi allowing the inept Russell Martin to bat in the game's highest leverage situation while Jesus Montero rotted on the bench. I'm not going to bemoan the six more years of having a crippled Alex Rodriguez on the roster. I'm not going to question the veracity of Ivan Nova's "injury," or even worry about C.C. Sabathia opting out of his contract and his diet.

The biggest takeaway from tonight's game is that it was Jorge Posada's last game with the New York Yankees.

Thanks for Everything, Jorgie

"To tell the truth, this could be the last time..."

Here's to You, A.J.

An A.J. Burnett Elimination Game

And so it was written. And so it has come to pass.

Ever since the rainout on Friday night, this series has unfolded with the inevitability of a Rube Goldberg contraption. The little ball had started rolling, it was about to knock into some lever, a chicken was going to lay an egg, and eventually A.J. Burnett would start an elimination game. You could see it happening but could do nothing to prevent it.

The Yankees' lack of foresight has led us here: first including A.J. Burnett on the post-season roster, and then a series of Joe Girardi moves that harmed the team in two winnable games.

But here we are.

It's dark. It's freezing cold. We've reached our end.