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The Yankees have lost their last three games, scoring four runs in the process, which isn't sitting well with a certain member of the organization. If you don't know which member, well, you haven't been paying attention to the Bronx Bombers in the Hank Steinbrenner era.

As is often the case when Lil' Stein spouts off, he buries a perfectly valid point behind bluster that makes it hard to see the forest for the trees.

"We've got to start hitting. It's getting ridiculous. They've got to start waking up. They've shown in flashes what they can still do...We all know they're better than that. I don't know. Maybe a little less outside distractions and a little more concentrating and they'll start hitting better. I thought they would go on a consistent tear, and it hasn't happened yet."

He's dead on about the Yankee bats which, with a few exceptions, have been underwhelming this season. They're right in the middle of the American League, which is much lower than expected for that lineup.

But what are these outside distractions? Is that a reference to the A-Rod/Madonna hullabaloo? The return of ice cream to the clubhouse? I'd love to know if it is. Otherwise, the biggest outside distraction is that every time the Yankees hit a dry spell their owner crushes them in the press. Have the conversation with Brian Cashman or Joe Girardi or whoever, so long as they don't have a press card tucked into their hat band.