West Coast trip results in increased confidence among Yankees fans

Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send 30 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Yankees fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.

When the Yankees suffered a sweep at the hands of the Oakland A’s, I expected the FanPulse numbers to tank. Fans and pundits predicted a full-on collapse, reminding anyone who would listen that the Rays lurked in the division race. I thought that the fan confidence numbers would nose-dive.

Instead, the Bombers took two out of three from the Dodgers, and bam, just like that confidence went way up. This week’s 87% rating ranks as the highest mark since they reached that total in Week 11.

Aaron Boone also received a boost thanks to this enthusiasm. He, too, polls at 87%. I guess that rough patch was just a slump and not the sky falling. Now makes a good time to revisit Will’s sage advice from earlier in the week:

So yes, these games do matter, and continuing to win right now is of utmost importance. One bad performance or a slump, however, can easily get fixed before October. It’s not worth stressing over right now, even though it’s what sticks out on a game-to-game basis.

As for this week’s national poll, SB Nation asked readers for their opinion on whether it’s okay to break up a no-hitter or perfect game with a bunt.

Many fans find it acceptable, but a contingent clings to the unwritten rules. This actually became a significant controversy among these parts, as Matt Lipka, a Yankees farmhand, broke up a no-hitter with a ninth-inning bunt earlier this season. He received death threats for the incident, crying out loud!

If you missed out on this poll but would like to join us for future ones, sign up at the link above. We’ll have more questions and answers next week!