Are Yankees No Longer The Team To Beat In The East?
Via Jason Keidel today -
“The Yankees have never lost a division after leading it by seven games!”
True. And I used to believe in bedrock stats like that. Until 2004. A lot of folks think Curt Schilling killed the Yankees’ nimbus in 2001, when he barked about “Aura” and “Mystique” dancing at your local gentlemen’s club. In truth, he killed it with his bloody sock and the bloody choke perpetrated by Joe Torre’s Yankees three years later.
The Yankees just don’t scare anyone anymore. Now they must win with talent and temerity, just like everyone else, particularly with Hal Steinbrenner’s sudden frugality, biting chunks off their titanic payroll every year.
Temerity?
In any event, I think that Jason may be on to something here.
I was actually thinking about this earlier today.
Given the Red Sox massive choke last year and their turd of a season this year, if the Yankees now cough up their playoff spot this season, does that mean that the balance of power in the A.L. East, that used to tilt so much in the direction of New York in Boston, is now more evenly spread? And, if so, does that mean the Yankees are just another team in the mix and no longer the one for the others to try and beat?
Hey, where is everyone today?
Steve L. wrote:
They are probably out visiting random Yankee blogs to talk about this runaway train, they might not be interested in random baseball thoughts.
They’d like to keep their focus on the Yankees, bitch about the team, and their inability to hit with RISP.
Look at you! Out in full force today…you’re in heaven right now.
Better to talk it out, vent, etc. than to keep it bottled up and to hide praying that the storm passes.
@ Garcia:
Is there a bigger story in baseball now than what’s happening at the top of the standings in the AL East? Tell me about it.
@ Steve L.:
I’m busting your balls, Steve. The Yanks are a big story, I was seething yesterday…today is a different day. I’m holding out hope this thing gets turned around, and I’m hoping that STARTS TODAY!!!
The season ain’t over, there’s no one to blame just yet. The Yanks are still in first by one lousy game, they can make it two games with a win today and an O’s loss.
You seem to want to drown in misery right now, I can’t do that just yet, and I do find your plethora of posts hilarious and expected. You’re well within your right to be pissed at Cash right now, and you have more than enough ammunition given the slide the Yanks are in. I just don’t see what good it’ll do while the Yanks still have games to play. They are still in first. And they are still in control of their destiny.
In two weeks this can probably be worse than it is right now, or it can be a non-issue. All I know is that it sucks right now, and for you, you seem to think this is how it’s all going to end so want to start the postmortem right now. I can’t subscribe to that thinking right now.
@ Garcia:
Fair enough. And, agreed, 100%, if the Yankees can get thru the next couple of weeks and play well, then they should be in great shape.
But, they need to start playing well, NOW.
Steve L. wrote:
I gotta work, and I can’t access WW there unless you change your meta tags
As for the topic, I’ve read about the demise of the Yankees so many times here, that I’d rather wait to see how this plays out first.
Steve L. wrote:
I had to go back to work today after the long summer.
So don’t bug me.
@ Garcia:
I have to thank you for putting things into perspective. You are exactly right – the Yanks aren’t done yet so we shouldn’t give up hope. I will never give up hope if they are still mathematically alive BUT that doesn’t stop me from being pissed off to all hell with what is happening. We have every right to bitch and moan about the way this team is playing right now. Its hard to sustain hope when you see them losing every night.
Evan3457 wrote:
Duly noted.