[snackdaddy]

I agreed with you (mentally) when I first read this. And I still agree. However, isn't it a mindset? Had the Yankees won game 4 and then lost last night, Houston would still be up 3-2 and coming off a win. Is that really better (for NYY) than being down 3-1 and winning game 5? I mean the only time winning 3 straight seems insurmountable is when you are 1-3. Win one to get to 2-3 it doesn't seem so bad. Win another to go 3-3 and I gotta believe the pressure switches to the team who was once up 3-1.

The reason 3-1 deficits are so hard to overcome is because 3 game win streaks are a lot harder than two out of 3. Just like during the season. You see a lot more 3 games series ending up with 2 out 3 instead of a sweep. Even the the worst team can beat the best team once in 3 tries most times.

Wit that said, the playoffs are different because of the pressure. If the Yankees could win game 6 and force a game 7, the mindset become totally different. It truly is the proverbial one game at a time because its one game.

Anything can happen in one game. A dominant pitcher can make one bad pitch and turn the game around. A normally reliable player can make a crucial error. A bullpen guy all of a sudden can't find the strike zone. And a lesser know hitter can have the game of his life. I'll bet you remember Bucky Dent the way I remember Mickey Hatcher.

If the Yanks force a game 7 all bets are off. It becomes anyone's game at that point.

[dieterbrock]

The reason 3-1 deficits are so hard to overcome is because 3 game win streaks are a lot harder than two out of 3. Just like during the season. You see a lot more 3 games series ending up with 2 out 3 instead of a sweep. Even the the worst team can beat the best team once in 3 tries most times.

Wit that said, the playoffs are different because of the pressure. If the Yankees could win game 6 and force a game 7, the mindset become totally different. It truly is the proverbial one game at a time because its one game.

Anything can happen in one game. A dominant pitcher can make one bad pitch and turn the game around. A normally reliable player can make a crucial error. A bullpen guy all of a sudden can't find the strike zone. And a lesser know hitter can have the game of his life. I'll bet you remember Bucky Dent the way I remember Mickey Hatcher.

If the Yanks force a game 7 all bets are off. It becomes anyone's game at that point.

Well Houston won 3 in a row....

[dieterbrock]

Wasted season.
Extend DJ and Urshela.
Hang on the Gleyber.
I’d be willing to trade any/all of the rest of them

[PARAM]

Wasted season.
Extend DJ and Urshela.
Hang on the Gleyber.
I’d be willing to trade any/all of the rest of them

Guys we don't need anymore:
Stanton
Encarnacion
Gardner

Resign Didi at a team friendly deal and like you say extend DJ and Urshela.

On the pitching side, get rid of Happ.

Next year:

Rotation/ Severino, Tanaka, Paxton, German and Loaisiga (or sign Garrett Cole)
Bullpen/ nothing changes there

Lineup/

Sanchez, Romine @ C
Ford, Voit @ 1B
Torres, Estrada @ 2B
Urshela @ 3B
Didi @ SS
Frazier @ DH
Judge, Hicks and ? in the OF*

*I'd like to see them get a LH hitter to play LF......hell Tauchman played well

For my money, it's never a wasted season when you win 100+ and play 9 postseason games. Fall short of expectations? Certainly. Disappointed? Severely. Wasted? No.

[Gareth]

The Dodgers.....now THAT was a wasted season.

The Yankees lost to a better team. Maybe not a better regular season team, but a better team setup for a playoff series.

[dieterbrock]

The Yankees had a wasted season. They got closer to WS 3 years ago. And this team failed for the same reason they’ve been failing for 10 years. Swing and miss home run guys get shut down by good pitching. Same thing every year.
Mediocre starting pitching and strong bullpen will win regular season games but not post season
1 World Series appearance in 16 years with all the financial advantages they have is a disgrace.

[snackdaddy]

Well Houston won 3 in a row....

Lol, yeah I guess it happens. Yanks took all the wind out of the crowd's sails with that huge HR only to give it back. I know how it feels being a Dodger fan. Except we blew a two run lead and the Nationals didn't give it back. I thought Chatman might pitch around Altuve there and go after Marisnick. Hindsight I guess.

[snackdaddy]

The Dodgers.....now THAT was a wasted season.

The Yankees lost to a better team. Maybe not a better regular season team, but a better team setup for a playoff series.

Last year, when the Dodgers lost I figured it was a good season. They were not the best team in the NL. The Redsox were clearly the best team in baseball all season. The year before the Dodgers and Astros were a toss up. It went 7 like two even teams do. This year, they were not as good as the Astros but they were the best team in the NL. Yes, it was a wasted season.

Yankees losing to the best team is not a wasted season. Astros are clearly the best team. They had the best record for a reason. They have guys who know how to come up big in big situations. I understand the Yankees frustrations being a Dodger fan. But they picked the wrong season to be a 100 plus win team. Most years in the past that would easily give you home field.

[PARAM]

Yankees losing to the best team is not a wasted season. Astros are clearly the best team. They had the best record for a reason. They have guys who know how to come up big in big situations. I understand the Yankees frustrations being a Dodger fan. But they picked the wrong season to be a 100 plus win team. Most years in the past that would easily give you home field.

Well they've won 100+ two years running without home field advantage.

The game last night turned on 2 sparkling defensive plays. In the 6th (3-2 Houston) with runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out, Gardner hits a screaming line drive to right. Reddick makes a great play that had he not caught it, it probably goes to the wall and 2 runs score. In the 7th (4-2 Houston) with Judge on first, Hicks hits a weak pop fly that Brantley makes a great catch (and play) doubling Judge off to end the inning. And still in the top of the 9th with 1 out, LeMahieu ties the game for NY. I gotta believe if just one of those defensive plays don't happen, the Yanks very well might have won the game. But that's the way it goes.

On Houston "clearly" being the superior team, I don't buy it. The better team based off of better starting pitching, yes. "Clearly superior", no. Those were the two teams most expected to play in the LCS and it took 2 great plays to keep it from being a toss up, anything can happen game 7.

Wasted season? Depends on your fandom. I believe they overcame so many injuries throughout the season, just making it to game 6 of the ALCS was rewarding. There's not a realistic Yankee fan on the planet who didn't believe they weren't going to the postseason when Severino was injured, Betances injured, Didi out until mid season, Stanton out from game 3 until 10 games left in the season. Judge out for 2 months, Hicks, Sanchez, etc. etc. I won't call that a wasted season. I'd call it remarkable.

[dieterbrock]

Well they've won 100+ two years running without home field advantage.

The game last night turned on 2 sparkling defensive plays. In the 6th (3-2 Houston) with runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out, Gardner hits a screaming line drive to right. Reddick makes a great play that had he not caught it, it probably goes to the wall and 2 runs score. In the 7th (4-2 Houston) with Judge on first, Hicks hits a weak pop fly that Brantley makes a great catch (and play) doubling Judge off to end the inning. And still in the top of the 9th with 1 out, LeMahieu ties the game for NY. I gotta believe if just one of those defensive plays don't happen, the Yanks very well might have won the game. But that's the way it goes.

On Houston "clearly" being the superior team, I don't buy it. The better team based off of better starting pitching, yes. "Clearly superior", no. Those were the two teams most expected to play in the LCS and it took 2 great plays to keep it from being a toss up, anything can happen game 7.

The wasted at bats is what turned that game last night, the defensive plays were the topper.
They had so many chances to score runs in that game and like most others they failed miserably.
They were a better team when they had all the guys on the IL, because the replacement players put the ball in play.
Sánchez, Didi, encarnacion, Stanton should all walk home