Another Typical Year Around the Bronx Zoo

The Boss is cranky. The tabloids are sensational. The manager is bewildered. Players are coming and going. Even the public relations director is testy.

The Bronx Zoo rolls through the West, leaking oil and belching smoke.

Yes, the New York Yankees have been in first place in the American League East for 124 consecutive days, their longest stretch since 1980.

True, they still lead the division by four games.

But this is no way to head down the stretch.

August has been a terrible ride for the Bronx Bumblers. This week has been worse.

They were swept in a three-game series at Seattle, trying to fight their way out of their funk in the series finale Wednesday.

The Yankees blamed Seattle Manager Lou Piniella for instigating the rumble. Piniella later called Paul O’Neill, whose irritation with an inside pitch trigged the brawl, a crybaby.

Meanwhile, George Steinbrenner directed his simmering anger at left-hander Kenny Rogers, whose 10-7 record and 4.97 earned-run average apparently is not worth the $20-million deal the Yankees gave him last December.

The tabloids are loving every minute of it.

“YANKEE FLOP IS PURE HELL,” screamed the headline in the New York Daily News after a 14-3 loss to the Angels Thursday.

“AN UNHEAVENLY ACT,” bellowed the New York Post.

“Highly Clueless,” Newsday offered.

The Yankees are 23-26 since the All-Star break, including 12-16 in August. They were winless in the first four games of a 10-game trip to Seattle, Anaheim and Oakland. Before Friday’s game, their August team ERA was 6.02.

Into this madness stepped Andy Pettitte, trying to halt the losing streak and win his AL-leading 19th game.

Pettitte, in his second season in the majors, delivered just what the Yankees needed. He gave up two runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts in eight strong innings.

“I’m not sure we were ever relaxed tonight,” Manager Joe Torre said after the Yankees’ 6-2 victory. “[But] there’s a certain sense of security when Andy’s pitching.”

In 15 starts after a Yankee loss, Pettitte is 12-2.

“He keeps doing it for us,” Torre said. “I don’t know what it is. He’s got a good stomach and he keeps his wits about him.”

Said Pettitte: “Things have kind of been going crazy around here. Hopefully, this will turn it around for us.”

Asked about getting his 19th victory, he said, “All I’m worried about is helping this team get to the playoffs. We’ve gotten a little lackadaisical and Baltimore is on our tails now.”

Friday’s impressive victory notwithstanding, things remain a bit unsettled in the Yankee clubhouse.

The team has made nine roster moves since Aug. 11. The latest brought third baseman Charlie Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named. Just in time, too, because Wade Boggs left Friday’s game with back spasms.

But even that bit of seemingly straightforward news brought a bit of tumult in the clubhouse. A beleaguered Yankee beat writer upset an equally beleaguered PR man with a question about the trade.

A short shouting match ensued.

Just another day in the Bronx Zoo.