Shallow Center Shorts

The Yankees and the Mariners swapped set-up relievers yesterday, Armando Benitez for Jeff Weaver, straight up. The change of scenery provided by going from Queens to the Bronx certainly didn't help Benitez ; perhaps the cross-country trip to Seattle will. (Doubt it.) Hate the Yanks all you want, but they correct mistakes in a hurry.

* * *

Getting cut by my second-division fantasy team apparently wasn't embarrassing enough for Phillies leftfielder Pat Burrell. Now he's decided that the cure for his mammoth hitting slump is an asinine new 'do. I guess the corollary to Crash Davis's "Respect the streak" axiom is: Unless it's a godawful streak. Then do whatever the hell you can to disrespect it.

* * *

ESPN.com's Page 2 takes a clever, often cockeyed look at the sporting world, and also delves into entertainment from time to time. (Sound familiar, Shallow Center readers?) Page 2's list of underrated women from music, movies, and TV is a treasure trove of women who are a hell of a lot sexier than Pamela Anderson. While I take issue with the notion of Diane Lane and Gina Gershon as underrated -- every heterosexual male I know over the age of 18 is moved to instant salivation at the mere mention of their names -- the presence of Shallow Center faves Cynthia Nixon and Lauren Graham is a reassuring validation of my taste. (Or of my occasional regressions to junior-high idiocy.)