LATE NIGHT CATECHISM

Breaking news: Yippppee! My favorite pitcher, El Duque, has been offered arbitration. One of the most delightful moments of the 2004 season was Hernandez' Sept. 1 "dance" with CoCo Crisp. (Scroll down on the clip.) Also offered arb: Ruben Sierra and Jon Lieber (who's headed to the Phillies, so it's moot.)

But seven players were not, including three first basemen: John Olerud (sob), Tony Clark and Travis Lee. ("By not offering arbitration, the Yankees are not permitted to negotiate with the seven players until May 1, effectively ending their tenures in the Bronx," notes Yankees.com. This may signal that the Yanks are close to luring back the wildly popular Tino Martinez. Another possibility might be Toronto's Carlos Delgado, but the prospect of Delgado in NY raises issues that will warrant a nuanced discussion if he looks like a real possibility. I'd sure hate to lose Olerud, who exemplifies "ABC" ball and was quietly magnificent this year. One thing's almost a certainty: Jason Giambi won't be playing the post.

And they also didn't offer arb to Esteban Loaiza, not really a surprise, as he was a lousy trade, but he sure sizzled in the post-season.

P.S. If you haven't seen Vicki Quade's Late Night Catechism, I highly recommend it.