Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Can They Do The Impossible??

The Yankees currently trail the Red Sox for the wild card by 6 games with 31 games to play. The Sox are 76-55, a winning percentage of .580. If they continue to play 580 ball, they'll likely end up with 94 wins. The Yankees are currently 70-61 and in all likelihood need 95 wins to secure a post season birth, and 94 wins to maybe tie. That would mean the Yanks would need to go 25-6 the rest of the way, which is playing to a .806 winning percentage. No chance if you ask me. Maybe if they were playing creampuffs, but they don't exactly have the easiest of schedules ahead of them, as they have to face the 4 best teams in the AL:

  • 3 games with the 80-51 Angels (in LA)
  • 6 games with the 79-51 Rays (3 home/3 away)
  • 4 games with the 76-56 White Sox (in NY)
  • 5 games with the 76-55 Red Sox (2 home/2 away)
  • 6 games with the 68-63 Jays (3 home/3 away)
  • 3 games with the 62-70 Orioles (in Baltimore)
  • 3 games with the 50-82 Mariners (in Seattle)
  • 1 game with the 64-68 Tigers (in Detroit)

Can anyone honestly see the Yankees winning 25 games against these guys. They pretty much need to win 2 of 3 in LA, 4 of 6 against TB, 3 of 4 against the White Sox, 4 of 5 against Boston, 4 of 6 against Toronto, and sweep The O's, M's, and Tigers. If they can pull that off, they have a shot. That would be a 24-7 finish and 94 wins, which could get it done. And that's assuming the Red Sox and Twins play to their current winning percentages. This won't be easy.

So basically, they have to win every series, while sweeping those 3 chumps. No easy task. Especially when you look at how they're playing. But baseball is a funny game. Stranger things have happened. The Mets collapse. The Rockies magical run. The Red Sox winning 4 straight in the ALCS. If those things can happen, anything can happen.

Put me on the spot and ask me what I think their chances are and I'd say absolutely none. I just can't see them pulling this off. Not with how they've been played all season. Not with A-Rod pulling oh-fers and grounding into DP after DP. Not with Ponson, Rasner, and Pavano making up three-fifths of the rotation. I could go on-and-on.

7 losses. That's all they can afford. Anything more and we're likely looking at our first Yankeeless postseason in a long, long time.

I'll be watching and hoping for a miracle.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

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