Well, here to check in. The Yankees just won game three of the series behind the dominating arm of Wang, 8-2. If that possible three-run home run in game one hadn't been caught against the wall then we might be talking about a three game sweep and the Yankees having a 12-game winning streak.

I think the Yankees have proved they are back and will soon overtake the AL East, sorry guys.

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Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I think the Yankees have proved they are back and will soon overtake the AL East, sorry guys.

I still don't see it. Boston is still as strong as they've been all season. It's going to be awhile before the Yankees make up the nine game lead Boston has on them. So I don't think it'll be anytime soon that they overtake the AL East.

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Originally posted by ericg75:
I still don't see it. Boston is still as strong as they've been all season. It's going to be awhile before the Yankees make up the nine game lead Boston has on them. So I don't think it'll be anytime soon that they overtake the AL East.

Have faith eric, and it's 8.5 games back, not 9!

Like I had said, even when times were going really bad, the Yankees will win the AL East. I think Boston is a tad over-rated and the Yankees should be able to cut into that lead by at least a few more games before the All-Star break.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
8.5 games back, not 9!

Since Baseball isn't played in half game increments, I'm still correct.

I think Boston is a very tough team. They've got an impressive mix of good hitting and pitching. I think they're the team to beat in the AL right now.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
Since Baseball isn't played in half game increments, I'm still correct.

I think Boston is a very tough team. They've got an impressive mix of good hitting and pitching. I think they're the team to beat in the AL right now.

Gosh, you are so stubborn! Fine, now it's 8 games back.

I don't think Boston is as solid as you think they are and I am not just saying that because I am slanted. Schilling is not as good as he once was, evidenced by today and some of his previous starts, plus the Yankees usually rough him up. Beckett's record was deceiving due to his high run support and he has cooled off and "Dice-K" is in a rut. They do have a pretty potent line-up but sometimes they don't put up runs.

Yeah, right now the Yankees have a run differential that's almost identical to the Red Socks. Maybe it isn't fair to read too much into that, but I think it supposedly is a better predictor of future success than current record is.

Anyways, Baltimore is 11 games under 500 and the Nationals are 10. I can't believe there's still 90+ games to be played. Maybe I'll take up an interest in MLS. Go DC United!!!

So after that nice strecth of wins, a three-game sweep at the hands of Colorado? Starting pitching was poor and minimal run support did not help. A disappointing 3 days of bad baseball.

Poor Yanks. They looked so good for awhile. Now they're back under 500 and in third place in the AL East.

On the other hand, is anyone looking as fierce as the Tigers right now? Finally, they've seemed to get their pitching back in order and they're currently on a 7 game winning streak.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
So after that nice strecth of wins, a three-game sweep at the hands of Colorado? Starting pitching was poor and minimal run support did not help. A disappointing 3 days of bad baseball.

They caught the Rocks at home when they were playing arguably the best baseball in the league.

Meanwhile, with the Cubs sweeping the Sox, I officially feel like weeping

This up and down style of baseball that the Yankees are playing is not working. After a great stretch, they went 1-5 against the Rockies and Giants. I realize that the Rockies are the hottest team in baseball but if the Yankees are to be considered one of the top teams in the league then they need to compete better than that. In those recent six games there were poor starts from Clemens, Mussina, and Wang. On top of that, they only scored five runs in the whole three-game series against Colorado. I will note that it is pretty impressive for the Rockies to go 5-1 in the six games they played against Boston and the Yankees.

My hope and faith is not wavering but the Yankees need to play consistently good baseball day in and out if they want a chance of catching Boston.

The Cubs are slowely inching their way back into contention. It would be great to actually have a reason to watch after the all-star break, that's for sure.

The Yankees have now lost 8 of their last 10 games and are losing today, 8-4.

Yesterday after a very rough stretch, over-worked reliever Scott Proctor came in to the game, allowed three hits and three runs and also took the loss for the game. He had also taken the loss in his previous two appearances. About 40 minutes after the game he took his entire uniform, glove, cleats and all other similar objects and set fire to them just outside of the Yankees bullpen. At this point, we'll try anything.

Well as the first half of the season comes to an end, I figured it was time for some reflections.

After another nasty slump the Yankees have won (counting that they win today--already winning 12-0 in the bottom of the 8th) 5 of their last 7 games against two quality opponents, the Twins and Angels. I know that this season has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride but I can't help feeling optimistic as to what the Yankees can accomplish. The last few series against Boston have been won by the Yankees and against the best teams in the AL, they are highly competitive.

If the pitching can get just a bit more consistent to award the bullpen some rest and some of the hitters can continue their success, it should be no problem winning the AL East.

As a long-time Red Sox Fan, I can easily say you can never count the Yankees out of it. The way my Sox have been playing of late (sub-.500 since June 1st, I say the East is there for the taking. However, if Manny and Ortiz would ever heat up-- fuhget about it.

Finally, a Red Sox fan in the forums. Let me just say that Ramirez and Ortiz have been hot in past years and they still didn't win the East. Heck, neither of them even deserved to be in this year's All Star game with their sub-par stats.

All I know is that the Yankees have the best winning percentage in all of baseball after the All Star break since 2002 or something. Contract disputes aside, if they hit and consistenly pitch well, they will win the East and go deep in the playoffs.

The Yankees do seem to make up ground in the middle of the summer when they need it, but I don't recall them having to make up so much before. If the Red Sox go 36-38, the Yankees have to go 47-29 to tie.

This is true and they have never been this far back before but if anyone can do it, it is the Yankees. All they need to do is go on a streak of winning maybe 12 of 14 or something and the Red Sox to go 4-10 or 3-11 in that stretch for them to get back in the hunt of things.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
This is true and they have never been this far back before but if anyone can do it, it is the Yankees. All they need to do is go on a streak of winning maybe 12 of 14 or something and the Red Sox to go 4-10 or 3-11 in that stretch for them to get back in the hunt of things.

Oh FKA, you're so optimistic.

I'm much more negative. I predict the Yankees finish nowhere near the playoffs and A-Rod jumps ship next year.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
Let me just say that Ramirez and Ortiz have been hot in past years and they still didn't win the East.

No, but we did the win the World Series.

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Heck, neither of them even deserved to be in this year's All Star game with their sub-par stats.

I can't argue here. I can think of at least six outfielders more deserving than Ramirez this year and Ortiz isn't even the best First Baseman on the Red Sox!!

quote:

All I know is that the Yankees have the best winning percentage in all of baseball after the All Star break since 2002 or something. Contract disputes aside, if they hit and consistenly pitch well, they will win the East and go deep in the playoffs.

Like I said, I remember 1978 so I'll never count the Yanks out nor will I predict a win for my Sox. But as for going deep in the playoffs, I suspect that *if* the Yankees make the playoffs they'll be shoed away in the first round again.

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
The Yankees do seem to make up ground in the middle of the summer when they need it, but I don't recall them having to make up so much before. If the Red Sox go 36-38, the Yankees have to go 47-29 to tie.

Didn't the Red Sox have a 14.5 game lead on the Yanks in 1978? All you Yankee fans and Red Sox haters take note. A friend of mine on another board did some number crunching and this is what he found:

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On May 29, the Red Sox won their fifth straight game to improve to 36-15. On the same date, the last-place Yankees lost their fifth straight to fall to 21-29, 14 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.

Since that day, the Red Sox have gone 19-21, a .475 winning average. The Yankees have gone 24-15 (.615.)

If both teams continued to win at these same respective paces that they have after May 29, the Red Sox would finish one game behind the Yankees.

Look, it is pretty hard to be a RS fan. I'm just glad I'm not like thousands (tens of thousands?) of others who never saw their favorite team win the WS.