So, the question some may ask of Yankee fans is the following: Is making the playoffs as a Wild Card this year a successful season? SU would say it’s not a successful season. Did they surpass my expectations? Yes, because the roster that Cashman gave Girardi was old and overly left-handed. Think about it. If not for unexpectedly strong years by Texeira and A-Rod, they would likely be a sub-.500 team. Can anything happen in the playoffs for a wild card team? Of course, and we have seen that time and time again of late. But without Tex’s right-handed bat in the middle of the line-up, they are really vulnerable to left-handed pitching as we have seen in August and September.
What is more troubling is that the Yankees face the same pitchers over and over again and are unable to make an adjustment to improve their performance. David Price, RA Dickey, Rodriguez on the Red Sox, the list goes on and on. SU believes that whoever the Yankees face in the wild card game, that team will throw out any left-handed pitcher – even a 4th or 5th starter. Tanaka will keep the game close but in the end, it will be another frustrating loss. The good news is that we got a glimpse of some youngsters this year and hopefully there will be more of a commitment to play them next season. There is a reason that the Yankees are not selling out these last home games – the team is uninspiring. Stay tuned for SU’s fearless baseball playoff predictions as well as a comparison with our preseason picks. Always interesting especially if we were reasonably close.
SU has had some time in the car of late and flipped back and forth between Michael Kay and the Imperious One, Mike Francesa. I have always been a Michael Kay fan but now that he shares time with Don Lagrecca and Dave Rothenberg, they just babble on about non-sports related things. They have become unlistenable and that’s too bad. It’s too bad because I am forced to listen to “Miked Up” and him talking in triplicate. Truth be told, the way he repeats everything is actually entertaining and I am starting to think he may be doing this on purpose for people like me. Definitely hitting rock bottom.
SU is excited about the Michigan football resurgence as they have once again cracked the top 25. I am still not thrilled with the QB, Jake Rudock, as he is a poor man’s Ryan Fitzpatrick at best, but the defense is solid and Jim Harbaugh has brought back the enthusiasm from the fan base. It’s shaping up to be an exciting college football season as no team is that dominant and the SEC is not quite the sure thing of years past.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Francessa is full of himself. Most often he never gives someone an opportunity to counter a reply after Mike initially replies. He just likes to interrupt and talk his mind… period… and then moves on to the next Caller. His pompous attitude on being such a know-it-all irks me. However, Michael Kay doesn’t know the complexities in sports like Francessa does so I give the edge to Mr. Triplicate. I miss Mad Dog giving him a hard time every once in a while…. though i believe i busted a few speakers with his loud emotional voice. Booker, in the morning is excellent but his side kick is annoying and believes he is actually a sports announcer. What a loser. The guys who come on after Boomer are pretty good… though also die hard Met’s and Jet’s fans.
GO NORTHWESTERN…. CURRENTLY THE 16TH RANKED TEAM AND AHEAD OF USC AND OKLAHOMA AND TUFTS
NY Sports talk radio is dominated by Mets and Jets fans. It’s rare that anyone calls in to talk about the Giants or the Yankees unless they want to rag on Eli. Francesa is famous for cutting people off who disagree with him but he is consistent. Great start to the season for Northwestern and the Big Ten has a number of ranked teams at this point.
Yankees better step it up and nail down home field in the wild card game. Although they have the second best road record in the AL (behind Texas), Keuchel is 15-0 at home this year and Yankees lose the tiebreaker to Houston for home field if they finish with the same record.
The challenge is that if you keep playing low scoring games this week, you will likely lose your share of them. But the Yankees have a way of turning it around when you least expect them to do so. Having said that, it does feel like too many hitters are slumping at the same time and clinching home field for this game will take a while.
Also, as I know that weather is near and dear to SU, with Tropical Storm Joaquin bearing down on the east coast, the forecast for the entire Baltimore series is 90% chance of rain. Need to make these games irrelevant as the last thing you need going into the playoffs is rain delays and doubleheaders.
Luckily, the Yankees have about 20 pitchers on the current roster and a host of rookies who can end games quickly by throwing very straight fastballs to fastball hitters. I must admit that the Red Sox scare me this week. And once Stephen Drew is feeling better, they will probably roll him out there again to ensure the bottom of the order is free of offense.
Well, they are in. Now it gets interesting.
Everything Points To A Loss…. but Hold Everything
When you think the Yanks are left for dead they surprise you. When things are going along well…. stagnation takes over.
We are going up against a 20 game winner who has beaten us twice and has not allowed a run to top it off. Of course everything points toward golf season for our boys in pinstripes. I say we break through and win the game 2-1 as we break through with 6 hits.
So sad for our Bronx’s Bomber-ettes… but a win is a win. We then have a day to rest and come back in high gear for the next round. I’m ready for a “round” now. Cheers !!!