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All Tuesday it monopolized the New York conversation. As the day wore on, as collars on Yankee fans grew just tight enough to make the big city squirm, "three days' rest" began sounding more and more like three hours' rest.

New York jittery? Sure. Not full-fledged panic, circa 2004, but yeah, "jittery" would be a good call.

After CC Sabathia pulled off three days' rest in Game 4 of the World Series in Philadelphia, A.J. Burnett tried it in Game 5 and he couldn't have been worse. Now, with the Yankees still 27 outs from their 27th world championship, their hopes rest on a 37-year-old lefthander on, yes, three days' rest.