Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Yankees 6, Jays 1--clinch playoff spot

So, CC breaks out of the doldrums, Yankees have a week to rest, and no way Girardi puts them through the meatgrinder of attempting to squeeze out a divisional championship. (Such a rush to home-field advantage might have cost Joe Torre a ring: 2002, when they fended off the A's at the end and were gassed--I'm thinking Mussian and Soriano especially--against the Angels.)

SDJ says AJ for Game Four. Mo and Jeter need rest, the 6-7-8 inning bullpen (Wood aside) is reminding me of Proctor/Gordon circa 2004, and the overall funk the team has been in since winning the first two against Tampa needs to turn around.

One time--once--did I see a Yankee team in this sort of funk go all the way: 2000, when the team struggled past Oakland, got hot starting inning seven of game two against Seattle, then raced by a Mets team that, with few exceptions (see Leiter, Al) played all five games at half speed.

The Yankees that year won 87 games. Four managers who won 84, 85, or 86 games that season were fired. Don't count the Yankees out but, time to flip the switch, boys.

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