Yankees can't be consistent until Girardi puts a consistent line-up on the field

     On Thursday night against the Rangers, Derek Jeter, was the DH for the first time this season while Wilson Betemit played shortstop.  Wednesday night's game found Betemit at third with A-Rod in the DH slot.  In both those games Johnny Damon was in center field.  The night before it was Xavier Nady as DH and Damon was in left field while Justin Christian played center.  And now Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, is talking of giving Bobby Abreu a "half-day" off by DH'ing him, which will mean another change in the outfield.

      Betemit has played all four infield positions in the last two weeks, while alternatively Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano, Jeter or Alex Rodriguez either sat or served as DH.  Nady has played left, sat the bench and hit from the DH hole.  Center has been manned by Melky Cabrera, Damon and Christian.  And the acquisition of Ivan Rodriquez has not meant stability behind the plate, in that Girardi has seen fit to platoon Pudge with Jose Molina, either to let one or the other rest or to allow one pitcher or the other to have their own boutique catcher. 

     Girardi has continued to lament the lack of consistency on the part of his team, wondering why there is not an unfailing string of victories that sees the offense increase run production and improve their performance with runners in scoring position.  But it seems difficult to expect consistency when he is not consistent in the team he puts on the field.  Inconsistency in the staff is understandable, with all the injuries and some short starts that result in too much work from the bull pen staff.  But there is no reason not to put the same team on the field night after night and let them find their groove.

     There are fewer than fifty games left now.  The New York Yankees are 5.5 games out of first and within an eyelash of the Wildcard.  They have to string together wins and they will not do so unless their first year manager lets the same squad play together every day.  If they don't become consistent everyone is going to have plenty of time for "half-days" off after October 1 because there will be no more baseball in the Cathedral in the Bronx.  Now is the time to decide on a line-up and stick to it.  If Melky Cabrera can't hit and his superb defense is not enough to make up for his lackluster offense, then decide that and settle on Damon or Christian in center and get on with it.  Put Pudge behind the plate, leave the infield alone and see if there can't be true consistency.