The Yankees won the World Series four times over the span of five years when I was around 10 years old (1996-2001) and continued to make the playoffs every year with the exception of 2008. Every summer it seemed as if I was watching the regular season to try and see if the Yanks had the pieces to win a championship and not to see if they won any individual game or even if they would be able to make the postseason. If players were coming back from a slump strong or a pitcher was able to develop a new pitch the outcome of the game was pretty irrelevant. This is not how the players felt and I also have a bad feeling it is not how the baseball Gods feel.
Last year going into the last game of the season (162) the Rays and Red Sox had an identical record and based on how they played in the last game of the season either one team would make the playoffs (if one team won and the other lost) or they would have to play a one game playoff (if both teams won/lost.) The Rays would be slated to play the Yanks and the Red Sox were playing the Orioles. The Red Sox were in the midst of a collapse (ended September 7 - 20) and in a season that they were compared to the '27 Yankees before the first pitch was thrown in April nothing would make New Yorkers happier then the Yankees rivals not making the playoffs. The Yankees had a commanding lead in St. Pete and the Red Sox were one strike away from a win when everything changed. The Yankees (preparing for a playoff run) would not use any of their strong relief pitchers in the game and would eventually lose after Scott Proctor was put in the game in the bottom of the 11th.
Every Yankee fan knew that the game was over when Proctor entered the game. Amazingly, not only did Yankee fans know that the Yankees would be losing that game but overwhelmingly they were happy about it. After a 15+ year dynasty mixed with a hatred for the Red Sox many New York fans were rooting against the Yankees because they felt that game did not matter. I was rooting against the Yankees. Also, with the Red Sox looking like they were going to beat the O's it would be beneficial for any Rangers /Tigers/Yankees fan for the 4th playoff team to have to play a second do or die game in a row directly before entering the playoffs. Everyone other then the Rays and the Red Sox wanted to see a game 163.
When the dust settled after an unprecedented September the Red Sox had managed to lose a game that they had in the bag (later to be blamed on Chicken and Beer despite the fact that the 2004 Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918 after taking shots before playoff games) within minutes of the Yankees giving the Rays a win in the form of putting Scott Proctor in the game. At the time I was thrilled and spent most of the next day watching SportsCenter and reading articles on the great collapse of the Red Sox but on Friday afternoon I realized that these things that made me so happy are the exact things that have brought on the Curse of 162.
After watching Friday's Opening Day two things happened that do not happen in baseball very often. CC Sabathia gave up a grand slam and the best closer to ever play baseball blew a save (the player who played the best was Ibanez who was not on the 2011 team.) This led me to believe that their was something wrong and I made up this crazy curse but it kept providing true. The rays out-slugged The Yankees in games 1 and 2 despite the fact the Rays key to success was supposed to be their amazing young pitching and not their offense.
I believe that if the Yankees do not go to the World Series this year they will be stopped single handily by the Rays. This is not a bold prediction because the Rays are the biggest competitors for the Yankees in the AL East but I do not believe it is only because the Rays are a good team and I certainly don't believe it is because of "the shift." The Rays will have the Yankees number because the Yankees let them win game 162 last year. I know that the Rays have played well against the Yankees in the past but they have only posted one winning season against them from 2007 - 2011 (8 - 10 in 2010.) Damn the curse of game 162, but you have to always play to win.
This doesn't make not be completely logical but isn't that why it's fun?
A couple of thoughts, laid out in a list because lists are easy.
ReplyDelete1) Totally agree on how weird it is to only watch sports to see the team win the championship, and how weird it is that it's not weird to Yankee fans. The guy at http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/ calls it the "Steinbrennerization" of sports. I think he's right. One should watch because it's fun or to see the team win a game, not just to see whether they will be top out of 30 in four months.
2) That said, I think baseball is a bit different because there are 162 games in a season. Games will be lost. Top records are like .610 winning percentage. I don't think it's bad to feel good when a team loses but got a great showing from a young prospect, or feel bad when the team wins but loses their top player to injury. I'm almost certain managers don't view the season game to game.
3) Ok, onto this "curse" nonsense. No...
4)...ok fine. I think there would be a curse if the Yankees really did intentionally blow the game. Like if they let a ball drop or something. But saving a bullpen is something managers do even in the middle of the season, even if it's more likely to lead to a loss. Not weird to do game 162 gearing for the playoffs.
I think you're onto something, though, with the fans wanting the Yankees to lose. That's definitely curse worthy. One might say if the Rays sweep the Yanks this year the fans are getting their just deserts.