THE YANKEES ARE THE REAL DEAL

Source: New York Post

I am so tired of people saying, "The Yankees are a lock for the winning the World Series." Stop. One inning, one out, one game at time. For me, it is a slow roll. It has to be. Because nothing is a guarantee. We saw that firsthand, time and time again, but 20 years ago, it was the Red Sox who made fools of us. No more. It ends here. It's one game at a time. Period. And guess what, that's just what they did, sending Cleveland to the exit while the Yankees earn their way into the first Fall Classic in 15 years.

Source: USA Today

"The one lesson Giancarlo Stanton has taken from the past two nights of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field -- a chaotic, thrilling, mind-blowing concoction of postseason theater distilled to its most intoxicating form -- is simple. "No lead is safe," as reported by ESPN. Nothing should ever be taken for granted. The grind is hard. The games are long. The innings are a minimum of nine. Just because you have runs, doesn't mean you win. And that was the way the series against the Guardians went. 

"It feels like nothing until we get it done," Stanton said. "As far as I'm concerned, we haven't done nothing," reported ESPN. Preach. I have seen a side of Giancarlo Stanton during this postseason I have never seen before. I like postseason Stanton. But now you can say they did do something!

Source: NJ.com

"Not being scared, not being intimidated, just going in there with the right proper plan," Stanton said. "It's going to be a tough at-bat, we know that, but this game is tough and we need runs," reported ESPN. Stanton next to Luke Weaver and ALCS game winner Juan Soto, have been the most valuable players in this series. They all hung in there, fouling off pitches, taking big chances and taking away big outs.

My lesson here: Don't get cocky; but also don't get discouraged. Baseball is a long season and the postseason feels just as long with all the added intensity that will give you insomnia and a stomach ache at same time. Take a page from the Postseason Stanton playbook: "It's a wave," Stanton said. "It's a roller coaster." So buckle up kids because it is a whole new deal come Friday, when the Yankees take the field to battle for their 28th World Championship. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof