Yankees vs. Indians Preview

Well it definitely was an exciting regular season. Or at least, exciting in retrospect... After all, it wasn't very exciting back in April and May.

Now the real fun begins. The pose season. I'm looking forward to the anxiousness, the pacing around the room, the tension and the emotion.

So the Yankees play the Indians. What does this mean? Well it means the Yankees have to go up against a couple of pitchers who could very well finish 1 and 2 in the CY Young voting. In a 5 game series, C.C Sabathia will likely be scheduled to pitch twice, first in game 1, and probably in game 5. Because of that, the majority of the experts seem to favor the Indians, though I have seen quite a few pick the Yankees.

When writing this preview, I tried to decide how much of it I wanted to dedicate to statistics. Did I want to list out batter vs pitcher comparisons and rattle off number after number? I'm sure we've all seen the stats and that we all know the Yankees haven't faced C.C since 2004.. I'm sure we all know the Yankees are 6-0 against the Tribe this year, etc, etc..

In the end, I've decided not to list all these stats. I feel that numbers lie when it comes to the post season. The post season is a whole different season. Yes, a lot of things will stay the same. Certain patterns we've seen and certain player tendencies will not change. But some things will. Every post season, we all see a multitude of things that don't add up to what we've been told.

Things happen that the 'experts' didn't predict.. Things happen that completely go against all the stats. So yes, I could list off each teams stats. I could give you their regular season clutch hitting numbers, or how they pitch with men in scoring position, and who knows, maybe those numbers will carry over to the post season.. But I really think history tells us otherwise.

All that long winded talk aside, of course I'm picking the Yankees. Here near Boston, all I have been hearing is how bad the Yankees pitching is. It's the same thing I've heard for years. Just like I've always heard them say 'The Yankees have no farm system'.

So, just as the 'Yankees have no farm system' proved to be wrong, I believe the idea that the Yankees have no pitching will be proved wrong as well.

I also just have a feeling about this team. There's a chemistry on this team that has been absent in years past. They have a winning attitude that was lacking in past seasons.

There is also the myth that this Yankee team is just on a streak at the end of the season, and that they're playing above themselves. Well, here's something that a lot of the 'experts' as well as the people here in Boston are missing... The Yankees have won 73 of their last 112 games. That's a .652 winning percentage.. That, simply, is consistent winning baseball. That is what the Yankees play.

There is an aura around this team. They're having fun and they're winning. This is the Yankees year. Anyone over looking the Yankees and counting them out for whatever reason will be in for a big shock.

So, I'll turn the TV on, and I'll be nervous, excited and anxious. I'll be perfectly still, and ill pace around the room. But somewhere inside I'll know that in the end, it's all going to be worth it.