The bad news is that we got spanked by the Angels on Saturday

The good news is that yesterday’s game was postponed because of inclement weather which means that — will wonders never cease? — we won a series against the Angels.

(OK.  If you want to get technical, I guess you wouldn’t say we won the series.  I mean, seeing as that the series isn’t over yet.  But I, for one, have no interest in getting technical.  I mean, we don’t win series against the Angels.  Ever.  So if it makes me feel better to pretend for the moment that this last series against a seriously deflated and depleted Angels team was three games and that we won it, what do you care?  Seriously.)

The bad news is that Damaso Marte is on the 15-day DL.

The good news is that Marte was 0-1 with a 15.19 ERA in seven appearances so far this year.  Well, that’s not good news, but it sort of makes his absence feel a little less like bad news.

The bad news is that in addition to new reports that A-Rod has reportedly lied (surprise, surprise) about the details and duration of his steroid use, Selena Roberts book alleges that A-Rod tipped pitches to infielders on opposing teams.  The idea being that other grateful players might be so inclined to do the same for him.  In other words:  I’ll tip your pitch, you tip mine.

There’s no “I” in team, but apparently there’s an A.

(It should go without saying, but if this is true, it means that A-Rod is a much bigger scumbag than we ever imagined.  There is an argument to suggest that steroids are an ethically gray area.  It’s an argument I don’t subscribe to, but an argument nonetheless.  At the very least, one can accurately say that by taking steroids, a player only puts others at a disadvantage in the sense that he puts himself at an advantage.  When you tip pitches, you straight up spit in the face of your teammates.  Eight men out style.  Except you don’t do it because you’re poor and you need money.   You do it because you’re insecure and you want better statistics.)

The good news is that the book does paint a somewhat sympathetic picture of A-Rod.  It details his life as a young boy, waiting in vain for the return of his father, who left the Dominican Republic for New York when he was ten.

And, well, yeah, that’s the only real good news as for as the Roberts book is concerned.  And it’s only even good if you subscribe to the theory that the actions of a grown ass man can be justified by his inability to work through his residual feelings of childhood abandonment.  But I always like to find a silver lining if I can.

The bad news is that when we face the Chowdas tonight, we do so at a deficit.  I mean, you all know what happened last week.  If you don’t, well, it was bad.  As Yogi Berra said, you can look it up.

The good news is that we’ve got Hughes on the mound tonight.  It’s good news, anyway, if you believe that his most recent outing (six scoreless innings against Detroit) are a sign of what we can expect from him in the coming season.  The other good news is that the Yanks go into the series having won four out of their last five.  Leaving aside Saturday’s hiccup, we appear to be getting into the swing of things.  Finally.  And when you’re meeting your enemy face-to-face, it helps when you can meet them in the comfort of you own home.

And on the subject of home, a word to the Yanks, if you really want to secure your legacy in the new ballpark, I’d make sure that come hell or high water you find a way to beat the crapelbon out of the Chowdas the first time they come traipsing into town.

That’s not news —  that’s a principle.