It's all or nothing for Sexson in the Bronx

Even as Richie Sexson stumbled through a second consecutive abysmal season, I was part of a minority of baseball fans who believed he still has some good baseball left in him.

The numbers (.218 BA, 76 strikeouts, and just 30 RBIs) are terrible and the swings have been ugly, but Sexson is not yet 34, and he's just two years removed from a 34 HR, 107 RBI season.

Which is exactly why the Yankees took a chance on him. That, and he's fared well against lefties this year.

Sexson's problems, though, seem to have little to do with his physical abilities and a whole lot to do with his psyche. As the great Yogi Berra once said, "Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical."

I was convinced that a change of scenery would do Sexson a lot of good. Arizona, for example, made a lot of sense as a destination. He played well there in limited action in 2004, and a chance to return to National League pitching would likely be beneficial.

But New York?! If Sexson thought Seattle was bad, wait until he goes 0-for-4 with three strikeouts! It's a low risk move for New York, which has more than enough money to throw around. If Sexson doesn't work out, they cut him and they're done with him. But if Sexson flounders again in the Bronx, he will significantly hurt his stock as a free agent this offseason.

Here's predicting Sexson isn't on the Yankees' postseason roster.