[Edit: Joel Sherman of the NY Post is now reporting that the Mariners have backed away from the deal.  I feel like I've been played.  Sort of.]

Our friends at RAB have the updates

Thoughts:

I’ve been saying this to friends for a while. I love Cliff Lee. Absolutely love him. That said, I would have much preferred to acquire him in the offseason, when he’d cost money and not prospects, and not be a couple months’ rental.

Lee’s said he wanted to try the Free Agent market and there is, of course, the possibility that the Yankees will be able to resign him, but if they can’t, it’d be an awfully steep price to pay.

Losing Jesus Montero hurts because, as a fan, I invested so much emotion in his development. Before you yell at me for being so stupid–I am a fan. I’m allowed to get involved. Ask anyone in Cleveland how they’re feeling this morning…it’s part of being a fan, getting involved.

That said, if I’m to remain rational and objective, I have these thoughts:

• That the Yankees must be really worried about what happens when Hughes (fast-approaches) his innings limit.  I know some of you are chomping at the bit that they trade Javy, but I see it more as an excuse to give Hughes some time off and a viable fourth starter option in the playoffs.  Which is, of course, ridiculous, because Lee is a #1 guy.

• They must really like Romine as a catcher.  The Yankees are deep at starting catching in the lower levels, all the way down to the GCL and Gary Sanchez.

• Unless the Yankees get Cliff Lee to sign an extension, and then Cliff Lee is still the ’08, ’09 and ’10 and not ’07 version of Cliff Lee throughout the entire thing, this could go down as being not very good for Cashman’s legacy.

There’s a line here that my friends hate, but it, in this instance, is actually applicable….something about time…

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You will want to blame Derek Jeter and Phil Coke.

You should not.

If AJ Burnett pitches past the third inning, none of what happens in the later innings becomes an issue.

Not being able to record an out in the third inning is bad pitching any way you slice it.

Part of you may feel for AJ. That is now twice this postseason he has been on the mound for a clinching game and twice now that he has been unable to accomplish it. There is no doubt that unlike some other pitchers (I am looking at you, Hamels) Burnett wanted to be on the mound.

Alas, a twenty-seventh was not in the cards tonight.

It’s not so bad though-Andy Pettitte is on the mound in game six, in the Bronx and the Phillies are without their best pitcher.

There is no reason to dispair.

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In 1996 the great Mariano Duncan summed everything up in one now-immortal sentence:

“Play today, win today, ‘das it.”

Now here, in November 2009, it has come down to this.

Play today, win today, and literally, that is it.

Romantic notions aside, few–if any–Yankee fans want this series to see any part of New York again. No one is that anxious to see Andy Pettitte pitch on three days’ rest or to see a notorious Game Seven.

Play today.

The Yankees have survived this long in the postseason because when it’s mattered, they have played the game right: no stupid mistakes, no blaming the cold weather, no forgetting to cover third base with two down in the ninth inning.

They have survived where the Twins and the Angels did not and where the Phillies came up short last night.

We’re asking for one more game of clean fundamentals, of never forgetting what you learned in Little League and playing baseball the right way.

Win today.

AJ Burnett on three days’ rest is, all things considered, the best option the Yankees have at the moment.

He came up huge in Game two, all we’re asking here is one more Good AJ performance. One more, just one more.

One more quality start.

The game plan for the bats against Cliff Lee is not complicated: Work the count, make him throw pitches, get him out of the game, get into that bullpen.

That formula hasn’t changed since the days of Mariano Duncan.

Cliff Lee is a very good pitcher. He is not immortal.

‘Das it.

Win it for yourself.
Win it for your team.
Win it for George.
Win it for your fans.
Win it for New York.

Win it, because somewhere Mariano Duncan will smile.

Play today, win today, ‘das it.

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