That’s a very select group, Steve.

Why only those three? When did beating the Angels, whom they havn”t beaten regularly in at least 10 years, become the litmus test. Beating the Phillies became a litmus test…when? This year, because they won the title last year?

The Red Sox I can understand; that’s very aggravating.
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The reason why I put that list together is context; you can’t really judge the Yankees solely on the basis of their record against a select group of teams you think are the elite. If you did, it would be the Rangers who are the best team in the league, because they’re 7-2 against the Angels, and 3-1 against the Red Sox. Yet the Yankees are 4-2 against the Rangers. Or possibly the Mariners, who are 7-6 vs. the Angels, 4-2 vs. the Red Sox, and 2-1 vs. the Dodgers.

You also can’t judge the Yanks solely on the basis of a list of the teams they’ve dominated, because just about every good team, every year has a list of mediocre/poor teams they’ve dominated.
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…maybe others are happy to just look the other way, and look for excuses in other teams…and, if so, hey, more power to you brother!

I’m not looking the other way; I see their record against the Angels and Sox and Phillies. It’s a question of giving it the appropriate level of evaluative and predictive weight, which is properly “some weight”, not “everything”.

What should count for “everything”? What MLB counts; which is the OVERALL record of the teams, including games against good teams and games against bad teams and games a hot teams and cold teams, and lucky teams and unlucky teams and red teams and blue teams and….

The Yanks could literally go 5-13 against the Sox, and beat them out for the Wild Card or the division, and the Sox could miss the playoffs altogether. I don’t consider that likely, but the Rays are now only 3 1/2 behind the Sox, and it could happen.

Evan3457 – I have to tip my hat to your interest in all these baseball teams! Me? I only care about the Yankees. Who other teams beat and how they pile up their wins means nothing to me.

Again, me? I want to see the Yankees beat crap teams like the Mets and O’s. I expect them to do it – and I’m happy when I see it happen. But, I also expect them to be able to handle teams like the Red Sox, Angels…and the defending champ Phillies. And, by handle, I mean beat them 5 or 6 times out of ten. Now, that would really make me happy. But, we ain’t seen that yet, have we?

And, all the pointing in the world to teams other than the Yankees ain’t gonna change the way the Yankees have played against the Red Sox and Angels, so far, this year – is it? Well, at least for me, it’s not…

…maybe others are happy to just look the other way, and look for excuses in other teams…and, if so, hey, more power to you brother!

well done evan, spot on.

To date this season, the Sox are 16-4 against the Tigers, Twins, Royals and O’s.

That means they’d be 39-34 when facing teams other than the Tigers, Twins, Royals and O’s.
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To date this season, the Angels are 14-1 against the D’backs, O’s, Royals and Padres.

That means they’d be 38-37 when facing teams other than the D’Backs, O’s, Royals and Padres.
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The Rays are 19-2 when facing the Jays, Royals, Marlins and Nationals.

That means they’d be 32-40 when facing teams other than the Jays, Royals, Marlins and Nationals.
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The Phillies are 22-4 when facing the Nationals, Marlins and Pirates.

That means they’d be 30-34 when facing teams other than the Nationals, Marlins and Pirates.
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The Dodgers are 34-9 when facing the Rockies, D’backs, Padres and Mets.

That means they’d be 25-25 when not facing the Rockies, D’backs, Padres and Mets.
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Know what ah mean, Verne?

Not to nitpick, but every time I hear about where we’ be in the standings if we’d only split with Boston, the math is wrong. If you go back and adjust the records as if we’d gone 4-4, we’d actually be eight games ahead now.

You can say that with any team in the league..everybody has certain teams during a season that they have beaten up.

but in all seriousness, as you’d imagine with records, it goes much further than just these three teams (both good and bad). we’re 5-1 against detroit and 5-2 against toronto. you add those in we’re 29-7 against those 5 teams and 26-27 vs. everybody else. but again, without sounding too obvious, this is just the nature of having a record. you’re going to be in the positive against some and in the negative against others. it doesn’t necessarily mean anything outside of hoping you’re more in the positive than negative (which the yankees presently are).

Steve Lombardi wrote:

Just cross your fingers that the Yankees get to face the Twins in the ALDS, the O’s in the ALCS and the Mets in the World Series.

good spot there stevo!

Steve Lombardi wrote:

That the Red Sox have gotten fat against some other team from N.Y. (other than the Mets)?

Funny to think about that this morning when we’re tied for first with Boston…had we even split the first eight games, we’d be 4 games up right now.

What a shame…

That the Red Sox have gotten fat against some other team from N.Y. (other than the Mets)?