The last time the New York Yankees did not make the playoffs, Bill Clinton was in the 5th year of his presidency, OJ Simpson was trying on gloves in a courtroom, and the first DVD was released.
Now with just 19 games remaining, the Yankees sit 8.5 games behind division rival Boston for the AL Wild Card spot. What does this mean? Well for the first time since I have followed baseball in my life, I may not see the Yankees playing in October. However, for as long as I have followed baseball, I can't recall so much buzz surrounding a team almost 9 games out of the playoff hunt. So, as baseball fans we must ask, “can they do it?”
Now my answer may seem odd to a lot of Yankee fans, but when responding to this question, the Yankees should look to their crosstown rival Mets for the answer: “Ya Gotta’ Believe.” Looking up and down the Yankees roster there I see baseball greats capable of making the seemingly impossible...possible.
I cannot say that the Yankees will ride the arms of Sidney Ponson or Carl Pavano to the postseason. However, I can say that Jeter, Giambi, Rodriguez, Damon, and Abreu have the potential to spark this team to the greatest September comeback story in baseball history.
Really?
Yes. Really.
This road to the postseason will be tough for the Yankees. With games against Anaheim, Boston, Toronto, and the Chicago White Sox, this is clearly no walk in the park. Anaheim has the youngest player ever to reach 200 career saves lurking in their bullpen in K-Rod. Rodriguez will be looking to pick up at least two saves to tie Bobby Thigpen for most in a season all time and sure-up the AL West when the Yanks are in town. Boston is only a game out of the top spot in the AL and will be itching to beat-up their favorite rival in an effort to surpass the Rays. Toronto just swept Tampa and would love to finish ahead of the Yanks. As for Chicago, their potential AL MVP candidate Carlos Quntin is now out for the season with a broken wrist, but that team sure can still hit some homers.
However, when I was coming up with how I would predict the Yankees to finish, I thought, if this feat was to be accomplished by a baseball team, this Yankee team is the one to do it.
As the Yankees move into their three game series tonight in Anaheim, it is clear that this is crunch time. Now for my bold prediction for you readers to hate or love: the New York Yankees will win two out of the three games against the Angels and begin a run that will catapult them into the wild card spot.
Yes. There will be baseball in Yankee Stadium come October
The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator
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