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Monday, August 21, 2017

RED SOX TROLLING AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER


If the Yankees' season series vs. the Red Sox has demonstrated anything, it's that the troll who tweets last trolls best.


Also, that with only four games remaining between the two clubs over the Labor Day weekend and five games separating them in the division, the Yanks had better pick up the pace against the rest of the league because it's not likely they'll make up that distance head-to-head.

And to paraphrase Satchel Paige, if they look back they'll find a couple of teams gaining on them in the wild card race as well. Thank goodness those messed up Mets coughed up an historic season sweep in the Subway Series or this Yankees team might be counting down magic numbers right now -- and not the good kind.


But as Brett Gardner -- the only Yankee to register a run in Sunday's Fenway finale -- optimistically pointed out:  “You can make up five games in two weeks,” implying the final Boston series could still potentially be a battle for the East.  Sure it could, Brett.

Photo: New York Daily News
Only a few small glitches to work out first; like turning around the team's biggest, hairiest bat which promptly went from MVP to punchline after the All-Star break and has been producing at a Chris Carter clip ever since.

And securing some semblance of consistent protection for him in the batting order since his former protector  Matt Holliday has alternated between hurting and  horrible for quite some time now, and Starlin Castro's hammy keeps snapping him back to the DL.


The case of the closer who couldn't, of course, has thrown all kinds of  light and heat on Joe and the efficacy of his bullpen management. And then there's Gary's incredible shrinking glove act to make one wonder how such a talented hitter and explosive arm can all be attached to the same body. Truth be told, since the trade deadline and all the new toys Brian got for this team, they're still playing 9-10 ball and the likelihood they go on a tear like they did in the first half isn't very high.


But the likelihood they could do better than they are now is still pretty good, and that prospect coupled with the possibility some other teams cool off a bit might just get them the October surprise nobody expected before the season started.

The marathon isn't a sprint quite yet.  But the clock is ticking loudly now on getting everyone's sneakers on and running in the same direction again. There's at least one nice thing about rough patches and trolls. When you're in one, the other tends to stop looking back.


The Yankees rightly didn't expect to be in the playoffs before the season started, they rightly shouldn't be expecting it now, and you can bet your Bucky Friggin' Dent bobble head nobody else is expecting it now either.

If they can bag themselves series wins against the Tigers, Mariners and Indians before they face Boston a final time and take them as well, this team could roll into September  fortified by fresh call ups and returning starters in a full-speed blitzkrieg on a division title...


And then those trolls in the Yanks' PR department would really have the final tweet.

Hey, anything is possible. I'm with Brett on this one.




--Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore




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