We Have Lift Off

OMFQ (you may know him better as Roger Clemens) will debut for New York this afternoon. The Yankees have won 4 in a row, but they are 3 games below .500 (28-31) and currently sit 10.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, and 5.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers for the Wild Card.

What's interesting is that since Clemens announced his intentions back on May 6th, the Yanks have lost ground in their playoff hunt (during a stretch that I called critical). On May 6th, they were 14-15, 5.5 games back of Boston and 4.5 games back of Detroit. So in the 30 games they've played, preparing for Clemens' arrival, they've gone an uninspired 14-16 (and that's with their current 4 game winning streak remember, they were 10-16). Interestingly, in that same stretch, the Sox are 19-11 and the Tigers are 15-15.

So all of that said, here are a few bold predictions. First, Clemens will defeat Paul Maholm and the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates, in Yankee stadium this afternoon. Second, at least one Yankee fan will try to buy playoff tickets immediately after the game. Third, the Yankees will not catch the Red Sox in the AL East. Boston has the best record in baseball, probably has the best pitching in baseball, and has one of, if not the best lineup in baseball. Their lead is too big, too late in the season (there are just 102 games left, and the Yanks and Sox only play each other 6 more times). Fourth, and here's where I go out on a proverbial limb, the Yankees will make a serious run at the Wild Card, and may even get it. Detroit is headed south, and fast. Their bullpen is in shambles (Zumaya and Rodney are hurt, Mesa's gone, Jones has imploded a few times), their starting pitching is not nearly as strong as the Yankees will be with Clemens, and Magglio Ordonez and Gary Sheffield are over-performing. Both sluggers are due to come back to Earth, and soon (as A-Rod has since his silly April). All that, combined with the fact that the two teams play each other 8 times in the second half, will make for a very competitive Wild Card chase down the stretch. And don't count out Oakland or Minnesota either. The A's have allowed the fewest runs in the American League, and they're a notorious second-half team, while Santana and the Twins are also second-half studs, and they're starting to get healthy.

Yes folks, things are about the get interesting, starting this afternoon, at 1:05 in the Bronx.