GEORGE LOMBARD JR. IS FINE. LET THE KID ADJUST.

Can we please stop doing this?

George Lombard Jr. makes a few errors and suddenly people are examining the kid like he's been playing shortstop in the Bronx for five years.

He's 21. He's been here for about five minutes. And quite frankly, George Lombard Jr. has been one of the most refreshing things to happen to this Yankees team all season.

The kid has energy. He has confidence. He has range. He has an arm. He moves like an actual shortstop. And we've already watched him get to baseballs that Yankees infielders weren't getting to earlier this year.

Paul O'Neill has noticed it too.

O'Neill has praised Lombard's natural defensive ability on YES and essentially told everyone to relax about the recent errors. He's talked about the plays Lombard can make, his range and his ability to handle the position.

I'll take Paul O'Neill's eyes over somebody counting errors on a stat sheet after two weeks.

And here's the other thing:

STOP TRYING TO TURN GEORGE LOMBARD JR. INTO ANTHONY VOLPE.

Seriously. Stop. This isn't about Volpe. This is about Lombard. They're different players. Different circumstances. Different skill sets. Different stories.

Every time Lombard makes an error, we don't need a referendum on Yankee shortstops. The Yankees shouldn't panic. The fans shouldn't panic. And Lombard certainly shouldn't start playing scared because everybody suddenly expects perfection from a kid who was in the minor leagues a few weeks ago.

Want to know what young players do?

They screw up. Then they adjust. Then they get better. That's baseball.

One of Lombard's recent mistakes came down to something as simple as glove positioning. That's not some catastrophic revelation that the kid can't field. That's a mechanical mistake.

You fix it. You move on. What you can't teach nearly as easily is the stuff Lombard already has. Range. Arm strength. Athleticism. Instinct. Confidence.

That's the package I'm interested in.

And there's something else about Lombard that doesn't show up in a box score. The Yankees look comfortable with him out there. He looks comfortable being there. There isn't that feeling that everybody is holding their breath waiting for something to happen.

He's playing baseball. Let him. That's what has made Lombard such a breath of fresh air. He's young. He's exciting. He's aggressive. And he carries himself like a kid who believes he belongs in the Bronx.

Will there be growing pains? Of course. We have stated that here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. There damn well better be. He's 21 years old. If we're expecting a finished major-league shortstop two weeks into his career, the problem isn't George Lombard Jr.

It's our expectations. So enough with the panic. Enough with counting every error. And please, enough with the Volpe comparisons. Let George Lombard Jr. be George Lombard Jr.

The talent is there. The confidence is there. The Yankees are behind him. Now give the kid some time. He's going to be just fine. And I have a feeling we're going to be watching him make plays in the Bronx for a very long time.