Dear Kyle Farnsworth

I see you got some more tats, That's cool.

I see, also, that you still have that crazy fastball, hitting 96, 99, on the gun, but it looks like 120. And that nasty curve. You added, what, a change? A splitter? Something. Offspeed. Good for you. A pitcher should grow as he ages. Keep hitters off balance and guessing.

Truth be told, I was worried, a little, when you came in last night. I figured you'd be hopped up, wanting to jam the Yankees for the perceived slights you endured during your time under Joe Torre, despite your inability to inspire confidence. Or hold a lead. Or keep the ball in any park not on a national registry.

You came in throwing fire, and for a second, I thought the game was over. But you're still you, and I came to my senses, knowing, assuming you'd find a way to blow up. And you did. Against a bunch of backups and Robbie Cano.

50 come-from-behind wins. 50. And another cream pie. And another mad dash to the outfield to catch the guy who drove in the winning run thanks to your shin and lack of agility.

Kyle, physically, you're probably the most intimidating guy in baseball. Seriously. You're a monster and you should dominate. Sometimes, you do. Most times, you don't. You, sir, are a mystery as huge as your biceps.

So Kyle, thanks for being you last night, and helping the Yankees continue this fantastic season. It's washed away the ick from last year and ook of the new stadium ... which is still an affront to nature, but could use a championship to welcome the ghosts back ... or at least prove they never left.

So now what?

I'm pretty sure the Yanks will go .500 in their last 6 games.

They'll care enough to stay sharp, but not enough to get someone hurt.

Chad Gaudin starts tonight, but the way the Yanks rotation is, I'm not sure this is scheduled or an effort to give someone a rest.

The celebration yesterday was nice, and fitting, but I think no one in that clubhouse believes winning the East is anything but a stepping stone. A loss in the ALDS, or even ALCS ... let's face it, any loss will make the season pointless.

Unfortunately, the Yanks have not sone so well in the post-season after winning 100 games or more, and that lone WS win came in 1998, when MLB had a better chance of preventing the sun from rising than from the Yanks taking the title.

Six games and then the real test begins.

Dear Phil Hughes,

You are awesome, but 7th-grade me wants his mustache back. Please.

Red Sox melting ... melting ... melting ...

Magic Number is 1. Clincher tomorrow, I think.

Stupid West Coast

I have no idea what's happening in Yankees land short of them clinching a playoff spot.

I know the Cowboys yacked on themselves Monday night, Halo 3: ODST is being unfairly criticized and the seem ... SEEM .. to have figured out how to beat the Angels, if not lose to them every time.

And apparently the Sox can't handle the Royals, the streaking, we-love-September Royals. Weird.

Dear Billy Wagner

Thanks a bunch.

Run off win

Two observations about last night's win:

I love the walk-off-win pie tradition. It's fun, but it speaks to the chemistry this team has. This team doesn't accept defeat, but goes still bonkers when it wins.

The celebration in rightfield looked exactly like the fight at home plate last night, complete with A-Rod awkwardly dancing around the fringes. Nice job Alex.

Upon further review

The Associated Press story made the incident sound like a fight out of "Rocky."

It was, of course, a baseball slap/hug fest with lots of movement and little else.

Also, Posada barely, if at all, touched Carlson on the way by.

While DJ may be an MVP candidate, he's not the best guy to have around in a fight. Standing on deck, he starting yelling and easing his way toward the action, then slowed, but kept yelling. Waiting until more bodies closed in, then sort of entered the fray. Of course, A-Rod did much the same thing.

Oddly, if you just saw a quick shot of the scrum, you probably couldn't tell if it was a rumble or a celebration.

High marks for Shelley Duncan and Eric Hinske plowing into the middle and extracting key Yankees.