Bleeding Yankee Blue: THE CALM BEFORE THE RAYS

Sunday, October 4, 2020

THE CALM BEFORE THE RAYS

Source: Yahoo Sports

The Yankees are a good team. They have all the fixtures of a great team- starting pitching, batting leaders, home run producers. Their kryptonite are the Tampa Bay Rays. But they can beat them. They can move passed tomorrow heroic. IF, they believe they can AND they do what they have proven they can do. Pitch, hit and run.

"The Yankees were supposed to win the AL East in 2020 and didn’t, and will not be easily pardoned if they lose a best-of-five in which the Rays do not even have the advantage of playing in their dreary, catwalk-laden Tropicana Field. The site is neutral (Petco Park in San Diego), but the reviews of Boone will not be if this goes wrong," reported the New York Post.

Source: Corey Sipkin

The Post's Joel Sherman actually laid the blueprint out clearly in an article on Saturday, about what the expectations are for the Yankees, where the holes could be and what Boone needs to do to lead the Yankees to victory over their nemeses Rays. The best line which sums it all up is this:

"The more the Yankees allow the Rays to find strength in David versus Goliath — you know, underdog versus overdog — the better for Tampa Bay. Boone needs to keep his Yankees sharp and passionate, but not distracted by all that will be said and heard in a neutral, empty stadium. The Yankees shouldn’t back down to the Rays, but the best way to back up any fury is by outplaying Tampa Bay on the field."

Source: The New York Times

Don't back down. The Yankees have both the batting champion, DJ LeMahieu, and baseball home run leader, Luke Voit, on their team. They have Gerrit Cole. They have Aaron Judge. They have Gio Urshela, the hottest third baseman right now.They have HEART. And they can WIN.

So on this day, the day before the battle begins in San Diego, let a sense of calm roll over the Yankee team. I hope that veteran Brett Gardner shares his wisdom and lifts this team's spirits. I hope that the coaching staff provides inspiration. I hope that the Yankees look within themselves and know that they are better than their 2020 record reflects and they can BEAT the Rays. Baseball is 90% mental. Let today be a day of reckoning and tomorrow be a day of wrecking. Let's go Yankees.