Some thoughts on Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the Yankees and the Angels:
* Robinson Cano and stud are interchangeable words, unless of course, the conversation is about defense.
* Wonder if the Arizona Diamondbacks scout who said Cano was nothing special is still gainfully employed as an Arizona Diamondbacks scout.
[UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Baseball friend Anonymous reports that this scout is now employed by the Mets, a team that used six different second baseman in 2005. As a group, they hit .254 with 17 home runs and made 18 errors, regardless of position. Cano hit .297, 14 home runs and made 17 errors.]
* How shocked were you when Luis “Send ’em home” Sojo held A-Rod at third in the second inning on Jason Giambi’s liner down the right-field line?
* When will Joe Torre and Mel Stottlemyre understand what the rest of baseball-watching America came to know several years ago? Tanyon Sturtze stinks. A 4.73 ERA for a middle reliever is terrible. A 10-year career with a 5.18 ERA in 784 innings is unemployment-worthy.
* Gary Sheffield is the Karl Malone of Major League Baseball. He’s huge. He continually excels offensively. He gets publicity but is not overtly marketed by the league. One major difference: Sheff has a championship ring.
* Tom Gordon gave up no runs in a postseason relief appearance. That is news!
* Watching former stars age ungracefully is always sad. Bernie Williams not starting in centerfield in the playoffs for the first time ever qualifies, even if you still can’t forgive him for swinging at the first pitch in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 1997 ALDS against Cleveland after Paul O’Neill – playing with no hamstrings – stretched a single into a double in a one-run game.