Can the Yankees catch the Jays? (Jays/Yankees watch)

[Dick_Pole]

I am getting old it must be, but BJs know all about impossible leads vanishing. See the last 2 weeks of the 1987 race of the AL East. 7 games to go. 96 wins. Best pitching staff in the league. 3rd best offence. Example was the Sept 14th game where they hit 10 HRs. 3 1/2 game lead on the Detroit Tigers. Last 3 games of the year were at home games vs those same Tigers. They had already taken 3 of 4 from those same Tigers a week before in Detroit. End result.. BJs lost all 7 games and finished 2nd best team in the majors 2 games behind those Tigers. Point being, it does not matter how good you are and how far ahead you are, you must have the best record in order to finish ahead. 5 games with 54 games left in the season is nothing.

Second point is, if you do not believe it is possible it is impossible. If you believe it is possible anything can happen.

 

Everyone I know who is older than me still has nightmares over the 1987 season. It must have been really painful. Funny because I thought 1985 would have stung worse. The Jays evened things out though in 1989.

[youngtea]

At this point we are not even in a position that guarantees us a playoff spot and you guys are already worried about resting players.

 

If we are 4-5 games ahead in wildcard than sure it makes sense to rest the players for 1-2 games. Not when you have a half game lead over the next team.

[Dick_Pole]

The tank thing is nothing more than a convenient excuse. So the Tigers busted their asses to get into the playoffs then blew it. They were tired. Guess what, the Twins also played 162 games over the previous 6 months.

[TheHurl]

And after they caught us, Detroit had nothing left in the post season. The Twins destroyed them in 5, something like an 86 win team. Detroit won 98. We won 96 and got nothing.

 

Whoever asked what burned out means, it kinda means the same thing as blowing your load and having nothing left afterwards.

 

Before this is dismissed by some as BS, I believe Alan Trammell basically said the same thing in some quote I read twenty years ago. They had nothing left against the Twins.

 

2011 Cards had nothing left...I mean by the time they played the Giants last year they looked spent.

[Mac Outlaw]

Everyone I know who is older than me still has nightmares over the 1987 season. It must have been really painful. Funny because I thought 1985 would have stung worse. The Jays evened things out though in 1989.

 

Dude, those were two years that ended badly. You want real pain? Let's talk about the last 22.

 

This situation was already out of hand ten years ago.

 

At least I had 1983 to 1993.

[G-Snarls]

I'm fine with the WC1. I'm sure we can take that game with a packed house at home.

 

No

 

Just no

 

Although if it happens I'm there...

[KingKat]

Dude, those were two years that ended badly. You want real pain? Let's talk about the last 22.

 

This situation was already out of hand ten years ago.

 

At least I had 1983 to 1993.

 

 

How would you feel if one of those pitches from the Royals had put Donaldson on the shelf for the rest of the season and the Jays ended up missing the playoffs? That's how the Madlock slide felt to us old guys. I'm just sorry but nothing that's happened since matches the awfulessness of that "bad ending". Tony Fernandez was the heart and soul of the Jays and that collapse was soul crushing.

[Mac Outlaw]

How would you feel if one of those pitches from the Royals had put Donaldson on the shelf for the rest of the season and the Jays ended up missing the playoffs? That's how the Madlock slide felt to us old guys. I'm just sorry but nothing that's happened since matches the awfulessness of that "bad ending". Tony Fernandez was the heart and soul of the Jays and that collapse was soul crushing.

 

I can't agree at all.

 

You old guys? I'm one of you.

 

And in 88 we were good and 89 we made the playoffs and again in 91 and of course then 92 and 93 happened.

 

In other words, 87 was bad but a lot of good was on the way. Meanwhile it's been 22 straight years of desolation.

 

The teams Gillick put together competed every single season and won 89 games in down years. It was Camelot.

[CrackerJack]

How about a Jays-Yankees showdown in game 163 for the division?

 

And (if Travis or Tulo can't go) Ryan Goins will be Bucky Dent.

[G-Snarls]

How about a Jays-Yankees showdown in game 163 for the division?

 

And (if Travis or Tulo can't go) Ryan Goins will be Bucky Dent.

 

Win this in NY

Play Angels Wild card and win

Play KC in ALDS

 

Holy s*** that's rough

[o2cui2i]

No

 

Just no

 

Although if it happens I'm there...

 

Bipolar much? we're all stressed and excited and hopeful, but we have years of falling short and that is hard to suppress.

 

Jays really need to get there this year. They have mortgaged the future to get to where they are. to fall short would hurt for years.

[CrackerJack]

Win this in NY

Play Angels Wild card and win

Play KC in ALDS

 

Holy s*** that's rough

 

well if the Jays win game 163 vs the Yankees, then we take the division (so no WC game.)

[jays76]

I am getting old it must be, but BJs know all about impossible leads vanishing. See the last 2 weeks of the 1987 race of the AL East. 7 games to go. 96 wins. Best pitching staff in the league. 3rd best offence. Example was the Sept 14th game where they hit 10 HRs. 3 1/2 game lead on the Detroit Tigers. Last 3 games of the year were at home games vs those same Tigers. They had already taken 3 of 4 from those same Tigers a week before in Detroit. End result.. BJs lost all 7 games and finished 2nd best team in the majors 2 games behind those Tigers. Point being, it does not matter how good you are and how far ahead you are, you must have the best record in order to finish ahead. 5 games with 54 games left in the season is nothing.

Second point is, if you do not believe it is possible it is impossible. If you believe it is possible anything can happen.

 

I love it! I could see somebody putting music to your words and making the ultimate blue jay inspirational video prior to the Jays vs Yankees series.

[intentional wok]

Good memory, but that's not what I said this time. All I said is they should go out there focused on winning the wild card, if they win more great.

 

"Stop at 85 wins. Once you get there, stop. One you hit 82 or 83, slow down so you can stop at 85.

 

Should be good enough."

How do you jump to such an idiotic conclusion? It was funny, but still ridiculous given what I said.

 

I was making a joke. Relax, sensei.

 

The thing about winning a division and wild card is that both require you to do the exact same thing: win a lot of ball games.

 

And I'd really hope that 25 professional baseball players have the mental fortitude to chase a modest division lead and not simply resign themselves to second place like a bunch of pussies.

[jays76]

Ironically I just saw the we the north blue jays edition link in the other thread after my last post, so I guess we already have the inspirational vid covered..

[LRC1962]

For all those cry about 22 years is enough obvious not a Cubs fan who has not witnessed a WS win in over 100 years. The story this year will not be so much what the end result comes to be, but that we seem to have a team that appears to have the talent, cares about winning and no matter how the game plays out is fun again.

Price is a very good add, changes the whole starting rotation setup. And because he is now here, just maybe he will sign to stay here. Tulo is also a big jump not so much what he adds offensively but his D. The bull pen also is much improved because how the 2 new guys move all the others around.

Edited August 5, 2015 by LRC1962

[TwistedLogic]

FanGraphs ranks the teams by estimated strength of schedule.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/estimating-remaining-strength-of-schedule/

 

According to this, the Blue Jays have the 2nd easiest schedule in the AL over the remainder of the season, even if the difference isn't all that substantial.

[SAAviour]

4.5 to go! Very doable!

[Trouba95]

Predictions?

 

I say we will go 2-1, winning Estrada and Price's start.

 

Anybody?

[0ctobyte]

We lose Price's start and win Dickey's. I don't know what to expect for the Estrada game, or maybe I do, but I don't want to acknowledge it.

[RealAccountant]

Why do you keep starting threads

[o2cui2i]

need to at least go 2-1 but we don't have a great record in that band box. it's left handed hitters paradise and we heavy on the right hand side with a lot of pull power. Although our top 4 can go deed to center in any park if they are on and they seem to be one just now. Nice to see Ed and Jose go deep. hope they roll for 3 months.

 

I'm going to be the optimist, say that our offense gets seriously stupid, we score 30 runs over the weekend and we take all 3

 

Lets go blue jays.

[Trouba95]

Why do you keep starting threads

 

Because I don't like posting in the general jays thread. Too much clutter.

[o2cui2i]

Because I don't like posting in the general jays thread. Too much clutter.

 

try too keep it down a little though. don't need a bunch of new ones every day. This really should have been in the general

[Terminator]

4.5 to go! Very doable!

 

Fangraphs has us pegged at winning the division 23.4% of the time from here on out. That could swing pretty wildly after this upcoming Yankees series.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/coolstandings.aspx

[o2cui2i]

Fangraphs has us pegged at winning the division 23.4% of the time from here on out. That could swing pretty wildly after this upcoming Yankees series.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/coolstandings.aspx

 

If we win the weekend series I'll bet it jumps. If we show we can beat them it will change odds quite a bit until the next weekend where the jays will have to win another series against NY

[Mac Outlaw]

2 wins minimum, 3 wins max.

 

One of two results. The Yanks ain't ready for what's gonna hit them.

[JaysAllMighty]

try too keep it down a little though. don't need a bunch of new ones every day. This really should have been in the general

 

Uninteresting threads get buried on their own anyways.

 

Hoping for 3 wins against those much hated Yankees.

[Deadpool]

I'm nervous. That Yankee offence has been pretty scary lately.

 

They've been pretty terrible, if you only look back one game...

[CrackerJack]

too bad we'll miss CC.