By Geoff Walter / SNY.tv

With a new month comes new opportunities, a new start, a blank page. As the calendar turned from April to May, the Yankees looked to turn the page on their bullpen blunders and complete lack of starting pitching prowess. Tuesday night all was well as Phil Hughes took a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers into the seventh inning. Then April reared its ugly head again. Overthrowing a curveball to Mark Teixeira, Hughes injured his left hamstring and was subsequently removed from the field. He was removed from the roster field as well and will be out for four to six weeks -- and possibly until after the All-Star break according to some reports -- joining fellow "Bomb"-ers Mike Mussina (left hamstring), Carl Pavano (right forearm), Jeff Karstens (fractured right fibula) and (possibly) Chien-Ming Wang (split nail on middle finger). In response, the Yankees have served up Marty Miller's head, giving the strength and conditioning coach his walking papers.

 

The biggest problem is of course the starting pitchers, whose inability to go deep in games has overtaxed the bullpen. Speaking of the pen, the phrase "feast or famine" comes to mind, as does "consistently inconsistent." It would have been impossible for anyone to predict that Alex Rodriguez would be carrying the team the first month of the season with the other hitters not breaking out save for Tuesday's 10-1 rout of Texas. Going 10-14 in April begged a response from George "The Boss" Steinbrenner, and was absolutely required immediately after the Yankees were swept by Boston over the April 20-22 weekend.

Mussina is slated to pitch the second game of Thursday's doubleheader, so one starter -- Hughes -- goes on the DL while another -- Mussina -- returns. However, Mussina's effectiveness sharply declines as he approaches the 100-pitch mark, and takes a nosedive thereafter. Yesterday's rainout has given the team another day off, another restart. But the point is moot because of the doubleheader, which are always tough to sweep.

The timing of the response -- coming after a 1-8 slide to close out the month -- has some asking how far removed Steinbrenner is from his team. Perhaps he is simply mellowing with age and this is truly the end of the beloved, blustery Boss the media has always adored. Of course, this isn't acceptable for a New York team -- except for the Knicks where mediocrity is a way-of-life every game -- and yes, it's still early. Which is why manager Joe Torre and GM Brian Cashman still have their jobs -- for now. Cashman is responsible for putting pinstripes on all the pretenders that have paraded from the bullpen out to the mound this season, but Torre is the one who is ultimately responsible for motivating them. Who's really to blame? Maybe one, maybe both. In his effort to cut payroll (and avoid the luxury tax, aka 'Yankee-tax'), Cashman may have cut the Bombers out of the pennant race. But there's no need to panic.

"I am here to support them in any way to help them accomplish this turnaround," Steinbrenner said in his press release, checkbook most likely in-hand.

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