All Things Bubba

Because how can you not love a baseball player named "Bubba"?

Sunday, August 26, 2007

A Tale of Two Cities


The Reds are in 4th place in their division, with basically no chance at the wild card. The Yankees are in second place in theirs, and still in the wild card race. But Cincinnati is filled with improbable hope, while Yankees fans are in deep despair.

Part of it, of course, is "what have you done for me lately" syndrome. The Reds are on a hell of a roll, the Yankees have recently fallen off one. It's a lot easier to be optimistic when your team is winning, and the Reds are. They've got a 6-game winning streak, amazingly.

Only a little while ago, the Yanks were only four games back. Now, having lost 2 of 3 to the Tiggers, while Boston beat Chicago like a red-headed stepchild, they are 7.5 games back. Ouch.

Cincinnati, OTOH, was 14 games back not too long ago, and is now "only" 6.5 games back. Yes, that's right: they are closer to first place in the division than the Yanks are.

And of course, Yankee fans have far higher expectations. Anything less than a World Series championship is a disappointment, and missing the post-season is unthinkable. Reds fans have a proud and storied franchise, but they've endured years of losing. At this point, they'd be happy to have a winning season, and ecstatic at making the post-season.

At this point, it's looking like a long shot for either team to make the playoffs. When the Yankees were making up ground on the Sox, they were playing weak teams while the Sox were playing tougher ones. Now it's reversed. The Yanks have had some tough opponents, while the Sox had some patsies. You can never rule the Yanks out, especially with so many games against Boston still to play, but it's not looking good.

The Reds are playing in a weak division, and they've played well since Mackanin took over, but they're in a deep hole. Logically, it's silly to think of making a run. If they make it, it would be among the most improbable come from behind surges ever. But...many fans are now dreaming of making a run, and I think the Reds are, too. There's an optimism in the air that hasn't been there since spring training. It's insane. It's probably just setting everyone up for heartbreak. But if they make it...wow, what a comeback it would be.

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posted by BubbaFan, 8:13 PM

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