The Luck of the Draw
can be crucial in the muti-phasic playoff era, and the Yankees have had their full share of good fortune already:
1. the Angels are eliminated. This is a team the yankees have proven they can't beat, even when, like last year and this, they are something short of world class.
2. The Red Sox are eliminated. Although this is a series the Yanks typically win and would have won this year, it is always draining, even when the Sox are doing their usual final fade-out.
3. The Yanks didn't get the Twins in the first round. Instead of facing Santana 2 out of 5, a scary proposition, the Yankees are more likely, should the Twins advance, to face him 2 out of 7. That sets them a much easier task.
4. The Tigers fell into the wild card by getting themselves swept, at home, by the worst team in the AL. How confident can this young group of players be going into Yankee stadium after a long September decline capped by a historic moment of collapse? how many teams in history have lost a pennant or division championship by dropping 3 straight on their own field to the worst team in their league?
5. The Yankees come off a restful home stand and go straight into playing at home at the start of this series. If they sweep the Tigers, and that is not impossible (neither of course is losing the series), they would have to play but one game away and head back for another 2 at the Stadium. Which brings us to...
6. Thge Yankees have home field throughout the playoffs and Series. This is a matter of luck because they didn't win 100 games, usually the benchmark for enjoying the advantage throughout. Neither the Tigers nor the A's played at all well in September, which was largely responsible for the Yanks securing home field.
7. There's no game Thursday night when my softball league plays and I'd have to miss the opening frames. I don't know how this contingency affects the yanks' chances, but it is lucky for me.
The moral of all this (excepting #7)is: there are really no excuses. If they don't come home with their 27th World title it will be because they just weren't good enough--and knowing what we all know about this team's bullpen, manager, and situational hitting inconsistencies, that might very well be the case. But with luck comes hope.
1. the Angels are eliminated. This is a team the yankees have proven they can't beat, even when, like last year and this, they are something short of world class.
2. The Red Sox are eliminated. Although this is a series the Yanks typically win and would have won this year, it is always draining, even when the Sox are doing their usual final fade-out.
3. The Yanks didn't get the Twins in the first round. Instead of facing Santana 2 out of 5, a scary proposition, the Yankees are more likely, should the Twins advance, to face him 2 out of 7. That sets them a much easier task.
4. The Tigers fell into the wild card by getting themselves swept, at home, by the worst team in the AL. How confident can this young group of players be going into Yankee stadium after a long September decline capped by a historic moment of collapse? how many teams in history have lost a pennant or division championship by dropping 3 straight on their own field to the worst team in their league?
5. The Yankees come off a restful home stand and go straight into playing at home at the start of this series. If they sweep the Tigers, and that is not impossible (neither of course is losing the series), they would have to play but one game away and head back for another 2 at the Stadium. Which brings us to...
6. Thge Yankees have home field throughout the playoffs and Series. This is a matter of luck because they didn't win 100 games, usually the benchmark for enjoying the advantage throughout. Neither the Tigers nor the A's played at all well in September, which was largely responsible for the Yanks securing home field.
7. There's no game Thursday night when my softball league plays and I'd have to miss the opening frames. I don't know how this contingency affects the yanks' chances, but it is lucky for me.
The moral of all this (excepting #7)is: there are really no excuses. If they don't come home with their 27th World title it will be because they just weren't good enough--and knowing what we all know about this team's bullpen, manager, and situational hitting inconsistencies, that might very well be the case. But with luck comes hope.
posted by joe valente | 1:46 AM
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