On The Count Of Three I Want Everybody To Remove Their Hands From The Panic Button

There, there now. We got that fat Bronx monkey off our backs until July. Doesn’t that feel a whole lot better?

And after the bloodletting of the last couple nights wasn’t it nice to see Ramon Ortiz go out there and attack the Yankee hitters with what looked like a solid gameplan? To see a guy who was –let’s be honest– a pretty big question mark after his last several seasons pitch so quickly and with such enthusiasm (and, thank God, with so little perspiration)?

No dicking around. That’s exactly what we like to see.

And wasn’t it nice to see the offense, so inept over the last handful of games, come back and reward Ortiz for his eight solid innings of work?

Wasn’t it nice to see Alex Casilla out there? The kid sure looks like he belongs in the Major Leagues.

And isn’t it nice to see Michael Cuddyer continue to take pitches and work the count and get hits? And to have Luis Rodriguez, a desperation choice at designated hitter if ever there was one, come through with a couple hits?

Everybody in the lineup got on base. Wasn’t that nice?

Wasn’t it all so nice?

Isn’t it nice to be 5-3?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just settle down and give this season –and this team– a chance to get a couple months under its belt before we start hyperventilating and foaming at the mouth?

Yes, that would be nice, but it isn’t, of course, going to happen.

And, finally, wouldn’t it be nice if we never had to hear one more person point out that Doug Mientkiewicz, who bats eighth for the mighty Yankees, hit third for the Twins.

As if Mientkiewicz ever had any business batting third for any Major League team, and as if we didn’t know that all along.