I'm hopeful that the Yankees give a shit about getting the top seed in the A.L. They're only a half game back of Houston right now. Would be very nice if they could take both games against the Rays.I'm hoping 96 wins gets us in, because I don't think it's realistic to ask for more than 4-2 on this finishing road trip.
6 & 0. Cannot lose. 98 wins.I'm hoping 96 wins gets us in, because I don't think it's realistic to ask for more than 4-2 on this finishing road trip.
I'm hoping 96 wins gets us in, because I don't think it's realistic to ask for more than 4-2 on this finishing road trip.
It's also on the road. I'll never put the expectations of a sweep on a road series.They should sweep Chicago. Our 3 strongest pitchers and we don't see Giolito (DL), Reynaldo Lopez, or Ivan Nova
But it's baseball and we have struggled with Chicago this year so
You're right that posting on a message board is not the same as saying something to a player's face, but then again, he never said it was. Ultimately I'm still with @The Human Q-Tip's main point that it's silly to say the team was on cruise control last year.
I've always found it to be a lame argument to say that a team is "lacking energy" or "playing without passion" just because they're losing, or not playing as well as you want them to.
This team never plays without passion or energy, but they went 14-14 last September with 91 wins to win the central. Right now they are 13-7 this September with 92 wins and likely will have to come close to winning out to get into the wild card spot. The team is different and the scenarios are way different. To me personally it felt like going into the playoffs it was more of the we got this and they let their guard down while this season they have been fighting all of September and mentally they are ready for the playoffs because of it. Not a knock on the players but they just didn't have that same attitude in my mind at the end of the season as they do now.
Instead, we got skunked 4-0 in the wild card game, and knocked out of the playoffs.
The flip side is that's inherently speculative. We can all have our own beliefs/opinions about how the players felt and acted, but it's really impossible for us to actually know unless a player, coach, or manager comes out and says it. And on the flip side....
In 2013, we had to scratch and claw to make the playoffs, and ended up winning our last 10 games to sneak in as a wild card. That's basically the same scenario you're describing here, and that would be a great indicator that the players were more focused, and less likely to let their guard down.
Instead, we got skunked 4-0 in the wild card game, and knocked out of the playoffs.