Friday, September 21, 2007
Not Yet
Listening to some people—especially Red Sox fans—you’d think the Yankees’ comeback is an inevitability. But it seemed almost inevitable in June… and then they fell back. And then it seemed in late July that they were going to come all the way back… and then they fell back. In mid-August, they got it down to 4, and then they fell back. There’s been a pattern—they fall back to a point where everyone writes them off, gain enough ground that everyone believes again, and then fall back to where everyone gives up again. They’ve never gotten this close since they first fell back, but there’s only 10 games left. A 1 1/2-game lead is not insignificant.
Tonight the Red Sox face Scott Kazmir, who has a 6-4 career record against them, with a 2.62 ERA. He faces potential Cy Young winner Josh Beckett, who is 2-2, 4.91 against Tampa Bay lifetime, but is having easily the best season of his career. That’s the toughest matchup Boston has this weekend, and they’ve still got a good shot to win it. Meanwhile the Yanks go against Roy Halladay, so they don’t exactly have an easy win. Hell, they don’t have an easy win at all this weekend, and while they *could* sweep, they’re more likely to split or win 3 of 4.
But it doesn’t take much to see a Boston sweep. In spite of the last series between the two teams, where Tampa Bay could have swept Boston, and the last few days for Boston, the Red Sox are still a far better team than the Devil Rays, and Tampa Bay’s showing against the Angels this week doesn’t bode well for the weekend.
If Boston sweeps and the Yanks win 3 of 4, then they come out of the weekend two games back with just six to play. They could make that up, but it would require Boston losing at least two games to the A’s and Twins, while the Yankees completely dominate the D-Rays and Orioles. Very possible, but not the expected outcome. And if the Yanks were to lose two games while Boston sweeps… it’s pretty much over.
Now a Boston sweep isn’t a given. It’s not even the most likely outcome, but the fact is that for the Yankees to gain ground in the loss column this weekend, they’ll need Tampa Bay to step up big-time or they’ll need to do something extraordinary. The best we can hope for may be a 1-game deficit after Monday.
The ultimate point of all this? Well… calm down. That’s the point. Don’t gloat right now, they’ve accomplished nothing more than basically wrapping up a playoff birth. They’ve defied a lot of the critics, they’ve given themselves a shot at the division and a World Championship… but nothing has been won yet. Don’t get your expectations too high, don’t start rubbing it in BoSox fans’ faces. Wait until it actually happens.
Or better yet, don’t even do anything if it does happen. I’m sure you all remember kevin, and each have personal experiences with annoying BoSox fans earlier this year.
Well, in late June I went to a Yanks/O’s game with my father, and after the Yankees walked in the winning run, a Red Sox fan who was there merely to goad Yankees fans got in my face and yelled, “You’re 12 games back! You’re 12 games back! C’mon, hit me!” Yeah, real winner.
Well, that douchebag is probably in full panic mode right now. And all those Yankees fans he knows personally who he was ripping, they’re giving it back to him 10 fold.
I win.
But think about that guy the next time you think about tearing into a BoSox fan. Remember when they blew the 3-0 lead? Remember how much it sucked having to listen to BoSox fans after that? Yeah, maybe you should learn a lesson from that, and be the better person. If the Yankees win the AL East, celebrate, show pride… but don’t rub it in. Be a better person. Take pleasure in the joy that your team one, not in the misery of other people that their team lost. Their love of their team is just as pure as your love of the Yankees (misguided as they are). So let them off easy.
Except kevin. And that douchebag at the O’s game. Screw those two.
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