On the Yankees beat

The joke in the press box was that the worst thing that could have happened to Scott Proctor was earning Joe Torre’s trust, because that makes him ripe for being overused and burned out. See Tanyon Sturtze and Tom Gordon for examples. Proctor, like Kyle Farnsworth – the other setup man who has earned his manager’s trust – each pitched his third game in three nights Friday. The results were predictable. Both had shaky outings and the lowly Royals ended their 13-game losing streak.
So what’s the solution? For the starters to go eight innings would be nice, of course. But realistically, Torre said before Saturday’s game, “We may need to find another body. Maybe [Ron] Villone.” The veteran lefty has been inconsistent, but is willing and has that rubber arm necessary for frequent use. Torre also said that Octavio Dotel, perhaps a month away from rejoining the team, “would be a good fit.”
Makes you long for those days when the bridge to Mariano Rivera was sturdily constructed with Ramiro Mendoza, Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton. That bridge has been swaying ever since.