Adjust Tin-Foil Hat Properly

Could this be the first casualty of The Greatest Postseason Collapse of All Time?

Mel Stottlemyre, the pitching coach who has been at Manager Joe Torre's side since the Yankees hired him in 1996, will not return in 2005. A person who spoke to one of Stottlemyre's colleagues said this week that Stottlemyre would not be back for a 10th season as coach.

The Yankees will promote Neil Allen, the Class AAA Columbus pitching coach the past two seasons, to replace Stottlemyre. Not having Stottlemyre will be a major adjustment for Torre, who has basically entrusted the pitching decisions to Stottlemyre during their successful tenure together.

The article specifically states that Stottlemyre might have pre-empted Steinbrenner after the Yankees starting rotation imploded against the Red Sox. However, I'm even willing to take that a step further. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Mel was told he was going to be fired and given the option to bow out gracefully rather than get the axe.

Hate 'em or love 'em, the Yankees are always one of the most entertaining teams in the offseason. Especially when they lose.