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Another postseason for Lofton?
So what did Kenny Lofton do in October 2000? More importantly, why does that matter? It matters because that is the one year in the last nine that he was not toiling in the playoffs. Lofton has played in the postseason every year since 1995 except for 2000, when his Indians finished in second place and didn't make the playoffs. Now that he has signed with the Yankees for two years, it would appear to be a safe bet he will keep that streak going. Unfortunately, Lofton's postseason performance has been significantly worse than his regular season output, although 2002 and 2003 were very good.

Do the Yankees have a quarterback controversy on their hands? Manager Joe Torre is insistent that he and he alone will make the decision as to who will play centerfield for him in 2004. It appears that Lofton has been brought in to play centerfield, which would relegate the incumbent, Bernie Williams, to the full-time designated hitter role. Lofton has not spoken to manager Joe Torre yet, writes Don Amore of the Hartford Courant, but was told upon signing that he was being brought in to play centerfield.

Not so fast, there Kenny. Torre is smart enough to put his best lineup on the field, but there has to be a part of him that is bristling under the dictation that he favor Lofton over Williams. "No one has ever dictated that part of my job," he said last week regarding the decision making pertaining to lineups and positioning. Would he use the Lofton-Williams situation as a line in the sand for his owner to cross? We'll know more about that come spring training.

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