Yankees 5, Orioles 1

Yeah, too bad about Pettitte and all, but with the season 80% over, is it too early to think about a post-season roster?

Let's say eleven pitchers to start. The locks would be CC, AJ, Pettitte, Joba, Mo, and Hughes. That's six. Bruney and Aceves make eight. Probably Mitre and Gaudin, that's ten. Now: One among Coke, Marte, Robertson? You'd have to say (ulp) Coke, right?

Time for Marte to get his game on. A forty-game audition has already begun.

Leaving room for fourteen position players.

Start with two catchers: Georgie and Molina.

Infield. Sticking with the for-sures: Cano, Jeter, A-Rod, Tex, Hairston. Seven out of fourteen covered.

Outfield/DH: Melky, Damon, Hinske, Swisher, Matsui. That's five, for a sub-total of twelve.

Sixth infielder: Ramiro Pena. Sub-total: Thirteen, with one slot remaining.

Leaving . . . who exactly? Cervilli as third catcher? Marte, for another lefthander--a twelfth pitcher, especially in the American League, with no need to pinch hit for a pitcher losing a 2-1 game in the seventh? Any one of a number of jackrabbits to play the Andy Fox role and pinch run?

Tom Boswell once proposed the twenty-fifth player on every team be determined by a vote of the twenty-four players the manager selected. There have been worse ideas.