Want to Whack back? Contact Mike Vaccaro by clicking on his byline above.
Elisabeth Maria: I’ve noticed more beards and mustaches on this Red Sox team then last year. I don’t agree with the clean-shaven Yankees rule. As long as the beards and hair that is a little longer (within reason) is groomed, kept up with, neat and combed, I see nothing wrong with it.
Vac: As someone who favors my own facial hair, I’m on board with that. Although there ought to be some kind of law against what the great Steve Rushin calls Mike Napoli’s “beard of bees.”
Charles Fiori: Mike, I think Doc Gooden put a curse on No. 16. Both Rick Ankiel and Daisuke Matsuzaka have worn it this year. Oh, and back in the day, who can forget Derek Bell?
Vac: I don’t think any ex-Met has had to suffer quite the indignity as Keith Hernandez watching Mr. Koo slide around in No. 17 a few years back.
@dArefin: How far does Dennis Rodman have to go before he’s declared an enemy combatant?
@MikeVacc: You’re assuming he isn’t already there.
Michael Glynn: In your list of local teams whose title hopes were derailed by injuries, you left out the ’93 Islanders, who were robbed of a Stanley Cup by Dale Hunter’s cheap shot of Pierre Turgeon. That’s the most blatant championship run ruined by injury.
Vac: As some readers pointed out, the ’99 Jets who were sabotaged by Vinny Testaverde’s Achilles also probably qualify.