What would constitute a 'good' season?

by Ed Valentine on Jul 17, 2009 7:00 AM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

Let there be peace and harmony today throughout all the land that is Pinstripe Alley -- in other words, the entire Yankee Universe! This is a post free of discussion of Joba, Doc, liars, cheats, tax evaders and scum of all kinds.

Hopefully, we will have an entire day without any discussion of those topics. I think we argued plenty Thursday, and I'm not sure we got anywhere. So, today I have an entirely different question for you.

The Yankees are in second place in the AL East and lead the wild-card race. If they play as well over the next 74 games as they did the first 88 they are going to the playoffs. Cool Standings has the Yanks on pace for 92 wins and gives them a 57.5% chance of making the playoffs. Only Boston (80.8%) and Anaheim (60.7%) come out more favorably in the American League. Beyond the Box Score has done the same thing, and comes up with 96 wins and 79% playoff chance.

So, here is today's question. What is good enough for you to call 2009 a 'good' season? Just making the playoffs? Winning the World Series? Somewhere in-between? I am taking for granted that no one thinks missing the playoffs for the second straight year is an acceptable outcome.

AL East Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Boston	54	34	.613	0	Won 3
New York	51	37	.579	3	Lost 3
Tampa Bay	48	41	.539	6.5	Lost 2
Toronto	44	46	.488	11	Lost 2
Baltimore	40	48	.454	14	Won 2

(updated 7.16.2009 at 10:25 PM EDT)

American League Wild Card Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
New York	51	37	.579	0	Lost 3
Texas	48	39	.551	2.5	Lost 2
Tampa Bay	48	41	.539	3.5	Lost 2
Seattle	46	43	.516	5.5	Lost 1
Chicago	45	43	.511	6	Lost 1
Minnesota	45	44	.505	6.5	Won 1
Toronto	44	46	.488	8	Lost 2
Baltimore	40	48	.454	11	Won 2
Oakland	37	49	.430	13	Won 2
Kansas City	37	51	.420	14	Lost 3
Cleveland	36	54	.400	16	Won 1

(updated 7.16.2009 at 10:25 PM EDT)

Poll

What would it take for you to call 2009 a 'good' season for the New York Yankees?

Just making the playoffs

26 votes

Winning the American League East

27 votes

Winning at least one playoff series

139 votes

Getting to the World Series

137 votes

Winning the World Series

131 votes

460 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

One step at a time

Now I want to make the playoffs. Then we’ll look at the matchup and our health. I always want to win but I always love the game. Go Yanks!

If I's known I was going to live so long, I'd have taken better care of myself. Casey

by Cbeck3 on Jul 17, 2009 7:24 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Getting to the WS is nice

I’ve been spoiled in my life with the Yanks as I started watching in 95, but I enjoyed that 2003 season.

I want to win, but “WS or I go jump off a cliff” is not my train of thought.

But like CBECK said, one step at a time. The Yanks are NOT a mortal lock for the playoffs, but Id say they get in. Then we’ll take it from there. Who knows, maybe if they play the Angels Chone Figgins will be hurt.

by FreeBradshaw on Jul 17, 2009 8:08 AM EDT reply actions

Good...except,

the Angels play better against us if they have more stars on the DL, remember?

by Leviticus6688 on Jul 17, 2009 8:12 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd be happy making the playoffs

Because unlike the past few years (2005-2007) I think we actually have the pitching to have a shot at advancing.

We all got spoiled. What the Yankees did 10 years ago is just so rare, especially in this era of 8 playoff teams.

You know how you know I’m gay? If the Yankees won the World Series this year, I think I’d be reduced to tears……yeah.

by 3460kuri on Jul 17, 2009 8:46 AM EDT reply actions

Spoiled

Yes, we did. I think there was, and sometimes still is, a feeling that the Yanks should be in the playoffs just because they are the Yankees. Too many good teams, too many playoff rounds now, to guarantee anything.

by Ed Valentine on Jul 17, 2009 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions

well..

Then I’m gay right along with you… I cried like a baby in 96,98, 99, 00 and my heart broke in 01 and that 03 alcs was just amazing

by Yankz09 on Jul 17, 2009 10:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I believe it all start with Sports Jerk

What I am saying is that they are 7-1 when he goes to the game. I don’t know if this will correlate if he were to go to away games, but if we were to start a Sport Jerk Fund to get him to as many games as possible they could play at least .700 ball. This would give us 103 wins.

I say this because I do believe that 103 wins would be enough to get us to the Playoffs.

by syllk on Jul 17, 2009 9:24 AM EDT reply actions

I'll do what I can ...

…tonight we find out if my parents are allowed to go to the new Stadium ever again … I’m taking them for the first time. If the Yanks lose, Mama and Papa Jerk are banned forever.

And a good season would be a trip to the World Series. There is no way to be happy if the Yankees were to lose in the ALDS, or to the Red Sox in the ALCS.

Of course if they face Torre’s Dodgers in the World Series and lose, that wouldn’t be much better either, but at least Mattingly would get a ring that he deserves … although one (me) might argue that he deserves it as Yankees Manager.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 17, 2009 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

I voted for "win a playoff series"

but I would not be happy with the season if the Yankees lost to Boston in the ALCS.

by long time listener on Jul 17, 2009 10:14 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah, there's the rub

I think it would be “ok” to lose in the ALCS, except the overwhelming likelihood is that if the Yankees win a round it’ll be Boston in the ALCS waiting, and losing to them would ruin my life and the lives of anybody within a 2 mile radius of my apartment.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 17, 2009 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Only 2 miles?

Geez, SJ, are we having a calming influence on you?

by Ed Valentine on Jul 17, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Hey, I'm a busy guy..

…and there are a lot of people within 2 miles of me.

Plus, if the Yankees were to lose to the Sox in the ALCS, I would have the Giants to fall back on. By that point they’ll be like 6-1 and cruising to the NFC East title.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 17, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Falling back on the Giants

As much as I agree with you on the Giants doing well this year, I just won’t be happy without a WS win. My parents are, of all things, Yankee turn coats to the Red Sox. I wouldn’t here the end of it. Not to mention my inlaws and my wife to boot.

by syllk on Jul 17, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

I think

there are a few things that would make a WS loss possibly ok with me:

1. Hard fought loss (7 gmaes) to the Dodgers, giving Mattingly the ring that I always wanted him to get with the Yankees.

2. We swept the Red Sox in the ALCS!

3. We swept the Angels in the Wild Card series.

these are the few things that would make it ONLY ok with me to loss the WS. But we do have to make it.

by syllk on Jul 17, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions

See, I’d be happier with 3 hard fought series than with sweep, sweep, loss.
I’d rather be the 2003 Yankees than the 2007 Rockies.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jul 17, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

All I am saying is that it would make the loss ok with me. I wouldn’t be happy with it, but at least I could live with it. Those parameters given are the exceptions that would make the WS loss liveable, but just barely.

I would much rather go 5 games: WIN
Go 7 games: WIN
Go 7 games: WIN

and I don’t care who they are agianst.

by syllk on Jul 17, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Make the playoffs is acceptable.
Play in the ALCS is good.
Win the pennant is great.
Win the World Series is incredible.

There are shades here: a hard fought, tooth and nail loss in the ALDS may move to good; swept in the ALCS would be a notch down, especially if Boston is involved.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jul 17, 2009 10:36 AM EDT reply actions

Do high expectations make you spoiled?

I was a kid in the 80s, so I watched my pops suffer that decade. Especially with my uncle in Brooklyn being a Met fan. When I REALLY started loving the game in the early 90s (B4 DJ, B4 MO) they were terrible. So I’ve stayed on the rollercoaster I guess.

But I think we all could agree in some way that that the team is due. Consider the talent taking the field. LETS GO YANKKEES!!!!!

by ReggieARodJeter on Jul 17, 2009 11:16 AM EDT reply actions

"Jeter Rules"

I have been a Yankee fan since the late 70’s but since I was a kid their winning the WS wasn’t a memory that was as visual to me as lets use the example of the 80’s. I remember them losing 3-0 to KC and them showing George putting his coat on after Brett homered off of Gossage or the 81 WS when Gossage beamed Ron Cey and they lost the series 4-2. Many days just wishing they would make the playoffs after that. Fast forward to 94 and me finally thing it would happen and then the strike. 95 and losing to the Mariners and then what I can say is the greatest moment ever as a Yankee fan that lives in my mind with Joe Buck’s voice…‘Hayes waits…the Yankees are Champions of baseball!! After that it was championships and a lot of great moments and through it all DJ always said if we don’t win the WS then the year is a failure. You see, because he told me, the fan, what the protocol was then I, myself, should know what constitutes a good season and if they don’t get that then the season is a failure. How could I see it any other way then what was said to me from the Captain of the Yankees? Am I suppose to say that if we make the playoffs then we had a good season? No, because I know that that is not true because those aren’t the rules. I think everyone should follow those rules because accepting anything less just isn’t good enough!!

by Mondoas on Jul 17, 2009 1:56 PM EDT reply actions