At the risk of excommunication from the Yankee church I want to concede first place to Tampa Bay and all the advantages of home court that my  concession implies. The Yankees are an older team whose championship window, in my view, is this year and over.

My bet is that a rested healthy veteran Yankee team will be tough to beat in the playoffs.  We are neither rested or healthy.  Give the kids (Cevelli, Nunez, Pena) and the veteran acquisitions (Berkman, Kearns, Wood) more time.

Rest everyone else unless we seem ready to blow the wild card playoff spot.  CC as good as he is should not go more than seven innings.  Mariano shouldn't pitch more than an inning or two days in a row.  Let Albaladejo try his hand at closing. Andy can assume his regular rotation spot when back.  He is rested.  Hughes to the bullpen till the last week of the year.  Mitre and Mosely can fill in the rotation.  AJ should pitch his way into or off the playoff rotation.  Nova, Mosely and Mitre should be allowed to win a playoff rotation spot.

We need our offense to be on all cylinders this post season.  Sit all injured player till healthy (Swisher, Gardner etc).  Sit all aging players even if healthy (Arod, Jeter, Mariano and Posado).  These guys cannot be expected to keep up with the young Tampa Bay athletes.

Concede the division!  Improve our chance to win #28.

I would like to give an historical example from another sport before closing and preparing myself to hear the anticipated angry responses.

The Knicks were an up and coming team in 1968. Their roster was filled with young exciting players.  Several would go to the hall of fame.  They won 18 in a row and won their division comfortably.  The Celtics were led by a player coach who along with  a half dozen or so older players managed to hobble into the playoffs.    They entered the playoffs healthy.  Therir experience and remaining talent were enough to teach the upstarts and everyone elso that you underestimate the veteran team at your risk.