"If I've learned anything in analyzing and assessing the Yankees this season, it would be that it's best to avoid knee-jerk decisions. Trust me on this one.

At various points this season, I've moved a struggling perennial All-Star into the eight-hole, bumped a young starting pitcher who won 18 games a year ago into the bullpen, and held a retirement ceremony for an aging designated hitter.

Moving forward, note to self: Wait and see how things play out.

Take Thursday. With the Yankees falling six runs behind the Oakland Athletics in the third inning and looking very much like a team that was going to be swept by one of the American League's least recognizable lineups, as much as I wanted sound the alarm bells signifying impending doom, I let the past be my guide. Several hours later, the Yankees were becoming the first team in major-league history to hit three grand slams in one game en route to a 22-9 drubbing of Oakland. Order was completely restored, and then some."