It's so tempting to declare the Yankees' playoff hopes a lost cause because they've offered us no tangible reason to believe otherwise.
The regular season ends in five weeks, so there's still enough time for the Yankees to make up the five-game deficit, secure the wild card and make the playoffs for the 14th straight season. The Mets' 2007 collapse serves as a constant reminder that anything is possible until a team clinches.
Still, the reality is that 80 percent of the Yankees' regular-season schedule is over and at 70-60, they've proven to be a good team, but not great.
Yet after witnessing three straight wins over the Orioles at Camden Yards, I can't shake this lingering thought: Despite all the logical reasons otherwise, I still think the Yankees are going to make the playoffs.I wish I was as optimistic as Mr. Baumbach, but I'm not, at least not yet. A sweep of the Red Sox would change that, but as of right now I can't say that "I think the Yankees are going to make the playoffs."
Sweeping the O's was a good start, but the Yankees cannot afford to lose many or any more series the rest of the way. Losing the series in Toronto already has hurt them. They could be heading into this series with the Red Sox just four games back instead of five.
One thing this team has on their side is they play the teams they're trailing, so they control their own destiny. They play Boston six more times starting tomorrow, they play the Rays six more times, and they play the White Sox four more times.
A little over a week ago I said that I felt the Yanks had to go 30-11 to close out the year to make the playoffs. That would get them to 94 wins and that should be good enough for the Wild Card. Since then they've gone 6-3, so now they're looking at 24-8, over their final 32, and that's not going to be easy. It's going to take a Herculean effort, but I guess "anything is possible until a team clinches."
Did the sweep of the O's change your feelings about this team?
8 Comments:
The Yanks catch a real break tomorrow night when they face Tim Wakefield instead of Josh Beckett. I could actually see them sweeping the Sox but try as I might, I can't see them making the play-offs with all three of Ponson, Pavano and Rasner in the starting rotation. We need Joba back and at least one other.
i counted up 24 wins, but we have to do alot to do that. Including sweeping the O's again- we can do that. Winning both series vs the Sox- we can do that, 2-1 each series. Winning the series in LA, tough but it is possible. And winning 3 out of 4 vs the White Sox at the stadium. If we take care of the other series vs Tampa, Toronto and Seattle, which we have to sweep Seattle, than I think we can make it. And if Beckett can go down we have an even better shot. Basically we have to win every series or sweep every series. A sweep vs the Sox would make it even more possible.
Will Wang return this year?
LOL n.t., no Wang is not going to return this year.
They still suck.
OK, care to elaborate?
mediocre play combined with mediocre coaching staff and manager equals a mediocre season.
Fair enough.
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