So, who sits?

I have to admit that when I saw the line-up card last night I exhaled a grunt of frustration and thought to myself, ‘Damn, Melky’s out…Giambi’s return is screwing everything up.’ Yeah, we know how this story works after watching Joe Torre shuffle through Jason Giambi, Melky Cabrera, Bernie Williams and Gary “Play me at first? You treat black players differently…but I never said you were a racist” Sheffield last season.

Torre will find a way to get everyone in the game which means there will be nights where Johnny Damon is in center, left, at DH or on the bench. There will be nights where Hideki Matsui DHs or plays left. Giambi will mostly just DH, but at times push the productive Andy Phillips to the bench and play first. Shelly Duncan will get few chances to prove he’s more than a fluke while Wilson Betemit prays for a starter to get injured. And, of course, there will be nights where Melky Cabrera, the Yankees’ best outfielder, also sits on the bench.

This last fact is really the biggest shame of all. You have a kid who is once again blossoming with regular playing time now forced to wonder when he gets to play. You hope that he continues to push that average over .300, but I wonder…the kid is 23 years-old. Can he produce when he has to sit twice a week?

Also factor this in when you consider Melky…how will a slump by Melky effect Robinson Cano? I’m not saying that it will, but those two are attached at the hip — they even live in the same building. Both started the season cold and then they both got hot and seemed to be inflating the Yankees with energy in July and August…is that something you really want to mess with?

Just a little food for thought.

So back to Giambi last night. When I saw that Torre had finally sat Melky while keeping BOTH Johnny Damon AND Jason Giambi in the line-up, I let out an exasperated deep breath. But then Giambi stepped up and hit two home runs that pretty much clinched an important game against the Tigers. And then I started thinking…why doesn’t Damon (who went 0-for-4 and needs to rest an injury-plagued body anyway) sit for a little while and we’ll see where this “Giambi at DH, Melky in center” concept goes.

It might be enough to keep everyone but Damon happy…and the Yankees winning.