Today, we try to figure out what exactly the Yankees are…
…and what the hell Jim Harbaugh is talking about.
Yankees: Really Good or Really Bad?
What Happened: On June 15th, the New York Yankees were the best team in baseball. Since that date, they have been the second-worst team in baseball.
What is going on in the Bronx?
A 12-3 spanking at the hands of the crosstown rival Mets capped a Subway Series sweep of Aaron Boone’s squad, and raises questions about what this team really is: the juggernaut we saw early in the season, the pushover we’ve seen lately, or perhaps something in the middle?
Why It Matters: While panic ensues on talk radio and the Bleacher Creatures freak out, sportsbooks haven’t lost much faith in the Yanks, who still own the sixth-best record in MLB and sit just 1.5 games from the AL East lead behind Baltimore.
FanDuel odds still peg the Bronx Bombers as the American League team most likely to win the pennant (+250) and World Series (+600.) For comparison, the Orioles’ odds are +300 and +750 respectively, both second only to the Yankees in the AL.
With two months of regular season ball still to play, New York has plenty of time to sort out their Jekyll and Hyde performances. If you, valued reader, know which is the real Yankees team, you might even be able to make some money off it.
How We’re Feeling Today
Once again, a little weirded out by a football coach’s quote.
Known Khaki Aficionado and Certified Milk Fan Jim Harbaugh spoke to the press about taking over the Los Angeles Chargers as head coach, and of course, he took it somewhere we weren’t expecting to go.
“Feels like New Years Day. Feels like being born. It was like coming out of the womb” Harbaugh told the media as Chargers training camp got underway yesterday.
Leaving aside the question of “Does Jim Harbaugh think all babies are born on January 1?”, it’s not like the coach is making some radical life change by coaching an NFL team. He’s done this before!
Harbaugh his entering his 21st consecutive season as the head coach of either an NFL or college football team. But hey, sounds like LA has rejuvenated the Michigan man…or has caused him to regress to a newborn-like state? Guess we’ll find out Week 1 when his Chargers take on the Raiders.
The Look Ahead
Chris Bassitt STRIKEOUTS – The Blue Jays are going nowhere this season, but they still might produce an opportunity today with Bassitt on the hill. The righty has a line of 5.5 strikeouts for today’s game against the Rays; he’s bested that mark in his last two starts, and in four of his last six. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has struck out at the league’s third-highest rate since the All-Star break, so if Bassitt can maintain his current form, he has a decent chance to cashing in the over on this potential play.
