41.   The Yankees, Cone agreed, are vulnerable, with their rotation spotty all summer and their middle relief iffy.

42.   The Yankees had the personnel for a good middle relief corps in April.

43.   The Yankees began this series with a huge hole in their middle relief.

44.   Their starting pitching remains solid, and even if their middle relief is a question, closer John Rocker and setup man Remlinger are excellent.

45.   This, he noted, was accomplished against a backdrop of a team unhealthy defensively, and short in middle relief and starting pitching.

46.   Through most of July and August, Manager Joe Torre fretted about what the condition of his middle relief might be in October.

47.   Tim Pugh and Xavier Hernandez are in long relief, with Hernandez also usable in middle relief.

48.   Two veterans, left-hander Mark Davis and right-hander Gregg Olson, also merit consideration, although they likely will be used in middle relief if they make the club.

49.   Torre may or may not be concerned about the Red Sox, about Nelson, about his middle relief.

50.   Valentine talked in the first week about how valuable Reed might be in middle relief.