I’ve previously mentioned my insecurities about having the Yankees rely on an old man, an aging guy who has lost his fastball, and two guys more injury-prone than a brittle-boned rugby player to hold their competitors at bay, and I’ll probably continue to feel that way until all of them have World Series rings on their fingers. This week, though, I was quite pleased with both Mussina’s and Randy Johnson’s outings. The Unit pitched brilliantly in his opening day win, and he did nearly as well yesterday despite earning the loss. He is hoping to have a 20-win season, and as long as he gets the run support we know the offense can supply, he should surely be able to accomplish his goal. For his part, Mussina allowed 3 runs in seven innings in his first start of the season and just 1 in today’s beatdown in Anaheim. He doesn’t have the velocity he once had, but Moose has always been known for the impressive arsenal of pitches he has mastered and he can still get the best of a batter with one of his many available pitches.

So Pavano and Wright may struggle with injuries, and Chacon may need some time to adjust, but it’s good to know that our veterans still have the goods to lead the Yanks to the post-season.