Yankee Collapse Inevitable! (someday)

Writers like George King usually will turn around and accuse the fans of hitting the Panic Button too early.

The Statistical Genius wastes ink pointing out that the Yankees hit very poorly for two games:

"They are hitting a putrid .212 (14-for-66) overall in the past two games, in which 13 of their 14 hits have been singles. In the clutch, they are a miserable .182 (2-for-11)."


Mike Vaccaro is also technically correct. Someday, the Yankees won't make the playoffs. It's inevitable:

"One of these seasons, believe it or not, the Yankees are going to finish out of the money in the American League. Write it down. It's going to happen. It is. It has always happened, no matter which phase of the Yankee dynasty we're talking about. Eventually it will happen again. This year, next year, 2010. This won't last forever. It really won't."

Did he really say "this year, next year, 2010"? That's his baseball analysis on April 13, 2005? That the Yankees might not make the playoffs in 2010?

Panic! Panic! Call WFAN and yell at Chris Russo! Hurry!

I wonder if King and Vaccaro are confusing the word "inevitable" with the word "impending."


Or maybe a Yankee collapse truly is impending. I think the Yankees a sure shot to make the playoffs in 2005, especially with Steinbrenners' deep pockets. The roster on July 1 will not match the roster on April 1.

But I could be wrong. This team has some holes in the lineup if Bernie and Giambi are really through. The starting rotation has little depth. But nobody's starting staff has a lot of depth, and the Yankees back up their starters with the best bullpen in the big leagues.

I'm also quite sure that some Yankee fans are already panicking. They panic every season.

In any case, even the kookiest fan can't possibly really think game eight is a Must-Win.

During the past ten years, the Yankees have played many big games, many Must-Win games. Some they won, some they lost. Some they even lost with Andy Pettitte, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, and Mister Five Rings Himself, Ramiro Mendoza.

If the last ten years have taught me one thing, it's this: Tonight's game, with Jaret Wright at Fenway vs. Disabled List Curt Schilling, in the early season Battle for Last Place, is not a Must-Win for either team. It's one game out of 162.