There are few things as much fun as watching the Yankees win. Seeing the Yankees having post season success is even better, of course.
After one of the most unlikely wins, at least in a long time, the Yankees are now rewarded with a nice four day vacation before they will battle the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS on Monday.
Here are some perspectives:
Baseball is doing all it can to get in as many games as possible, and they’re doing it well. But, with the rain delays and the offense explosion, the Yankees game last night ended after 1:00 a.m. For working people, no matter how exciting the game might be, playing that late in the night is problematic. When one is fighting sleep, the games can be less enjoyable. And, because the Yankees are baseball’s biggest draw, it’s rare that they ever get the afternoon game slots. For Yankees fans this has become par for the course. Watch the team or lose valuable sleep.
Now there is a weekend ahead of us, but the next Yankees series won’t begin until Monday. I’m sure the Yankees will be the late game all of next week. There will be a lot of Yankees fans dragging at work.
Of course the trade off, for many (most?) (all?!) is worth it. Keep winning Yankees – just keep winning.
But, please MLB, give the Yankees a few early slots next week.
I have been a big J.A. Happ supporter, but I am glad the Yankees didn’t have to go to a must-win game three with Happ on the mound. I would have written a post about how much I believe in him, but, I am glad that the Yankees didn’t have to go there.
Raise your hand, stand-up, and take a bow if you predicted Giancarlo Stanton would homer in both games. There was no way I saw that coming. No way at all. The guy hasn’t played for most of the last two seasons. Then the big games come, and BOOM! he goes deep on consecutive nights.
Gio Urshela keeps making the Yankees decision on third base for the next few years a very easy one. A very easy one. The position is Gio’s. Period. MIguel Andujar will be traded this off-season. I hope he gets the chance to shine somewhere.
Going back to the last game of the season… I know batting average is an overrated statistic, but Gio Urshela had a chance to bat .300 for the second consecutive season this year. All he needed to do was get one hit on the last day or be taken out of the game when he was 0-for-3 and his batting average would have remained at .300. He was left in the game, went o-for-4 and ended at .298. .298 is very very good, but .300 has a much nicer ring to it.
Last night’s game was Masahiro Tanaka’s worst ever in the post season. It’s great when a pitcher has his worst game and his team still wins. I am sure Tanaka will have a stronger outing on Tuesday.
Gary Sanchez certainly quieted his critics with a big home run and sacrifice fly. Let’s hope he keeps it up. But, that being said, I’ll bet Kyle Higashioka is catching Gerrit Cole in Game One against the Rays on Monday night.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but if the Yankees defeat the Rays in their series and the Astros win in theirs, we could have an epic series against the boys from Houston for the ALCS. That would be a series worth losing sleep over.
It is possible that Gerrit Cole could pitch Game 1 and Game 5 (on three day’s rest) in the next series. The big question will be how far to push Cole so that he has life in his arm on Friday should the series go five games.
The Tampa Bay Rays, since their inception, have always been a thorn in the Yankees’ side. It’s time for the Yankees to turn that around.
The Yankees have never played the Rays in the postseason.
I wish the games were played in the team’s home parks… even without fans, I’d rather see the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. But, that being said, I am thrilled the Yankees are not playing in that horrible dome in Tampa. Not playing there has to help the Yankees on some level.
Let’s Go Yankees!
