Well, the Yankees have done it again. Friday’s trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates is just another piece of indisputable evidence in the airtight case that baseball’s ‘Evil Empire’ has an unfair advantage and must be stopped. How can anyone else expect to compete with an organization that, even with a $200 million payroll, can still just go out and lap up every available player? Earth to Yankees: How about leaving some Xavier Nady for the rest of us?

With Nady on board, not to mention relief pitch Damaso Marte, it’s hard to imagine any team other than the Yankees winning the World Series this season. The Yankees’ lineup is already loaded with superstars like Jose Molina, Brett Gardner, Richie Sexson and Chad Moeller. Add Nady to the mix, and we’re talking about an additional eight or nine home runs over the season’s final two months!
Scary.

Throw Marte into a pitching staff that already boasts Sidney Ponson, LaTroy Hawkins, Mike Mussina and Darrell Rasner, and we’re talking about a true monopoly on talent. Sorry Tampa Bay, I know this year looked promising, but you just can’t compete with big business.

We took some shots at Kellen Clemens in The Nooner today, but we want to sort of take them back. Because as Jets fans, we’ve seen way, way, way too much of Chad Pennington at this point. Dude can’t throw the ball. It’s kind of sad, to be honest, that someone purporting to be an NFL quarterback can’t throw the ball farther than we can. Go deep, Laveranues! No, no — not that deep. Let’s try like 15 yards.

SNY.tv’s Mike Salfino once pointed out that watching Jets games with Pennington on TiVo, fast forwarding from snap to snap, tests an announcer’s ability to come up with synonyms for the word “lob.” “Pennington floats one over the middle. … Pennington with a soft toss out to Washington. … Pennington shovels one to the left. … Pennington lofts a sissy girlie pass to Cotchery. …” Etc.

So Kellen Clemens wasn’t so good in his few starts last year. So what? At least the dude can throw the ball more convincingly than we can, and that’s got to be worth something in the NFL. Everyone loved him coming out of Oregon, and this season the Jets will actually field an offensive line. Why not pick a young guy with some upside over a veteran with a lengthy history of shoulder surgeries and an arm that can’t even toss a salad?

Because you’re the Jets, that’s why. And the Jets obviously want to live up to their rich tradition of torturing their fans. The sad thing is we just can’t quit. When Chad Pennington floats up his first 10-yard bomb in the Jets’ home opener, take all that time you have waiting for it to come down to scope out the stands. We’re the guys in the back with the bags over our heads.

Carlose Delgado hit yet another big home run Tuesday night, continuing his torrid pace at the plate and helping the Mets to a 4-1 victory over the Florida Marlins.  I’d congratulate Carlos on his new found stroke myself, but he was seen leaving the clubhouse with this guy.

A late Yankee rally fell one run short on Tuesday, with the Bombers falling to the Orioles 7-6, and losing their third straight after having won eight in a row.  The Orioles were led by Aubrey Huff, who went 4-for-5 at the plate including a 9th inning solo jack off of Mariano Rivera that would prove to put the O’s just out of reach.  Mo looked frustrated and emasculated after watching the homer sail over the fence, but wouldn’t you be too if you just got owned by a guy named Aubrey?

The biggest trade of this year thus far went down last night, with the best team in baseball acquiring former All-Star Mark Teixeira.  Upon joining the Halos, the first baseman said he looks forward to helping the Angels come up short of the playoffs this year, and to being dealt again at next year’s deadline.

The Houston Rockets made a huge move yesterday, dealing for the often embattled but always hard working Ron Artest.  The gritty forward’s presence will instantly improve an already solid team’s rebounding and defense by leaps and bounds, and will also increase the number of security guards with tranq guns at Houston home games tenfold.