As one poster said it best..this team has first round exit written all over it that is if they can hold on to this lead which I have my doubts. This team is looking more and more like it built this season with smoke and mirrors as we get closer and closer to the final stretch.

That's exactly what EVERYBODY said about the 2000 Yankees, who finished the regular season losing 15 of their last 18 games and finished with a record of 87-74.

They, as I recall, hmmm…what was it… won the World Series!

Just a little perspective.

im prepared for it, once August hits the games become critical

Just last year, the Cardinals were nowhere near the playoff picture going into September and came back to win the World Series. People need to lighten up and realize this season is far from over.

You'd think they haven't watch major league baseball for very long, the way they're hitting the panic buttons.

Not a time to make dire predictions, not in July.

how will this team respond is the question, you will have stretches of the season where you look awful its how you respond that determines it.

Just a little perspective ...... it was the MUTTS hehehehehee

Exactly.

There will always be rough stretches like this. Remember, this team seemed dead in the water in late May when they were 21-21.

How they respond to this rough stretch will help us see what kind of team we have here.

its a wait and see approach that I have when we go on a winning streak im not gonna be like we are winning it all, if we go through a rough stretch I wont say the season is over, this team does need to get it going though our lineup especially.

I would rather us make it interesting the last couple weeks rather than have a 10+ game lead. If Girardi is given a massive lead he will freeze the bats and get the pitchers out of sync with all the time off he is prone to giving in that situation.

Sensible outlook.

Watch yourself, pal.

Yes, and they responded well back in May. So I'm confident they'll find a boast again.

I will be honest I dont trust this team that much I wont make predictions though

I agree. I'd rather it be close down the stretch, too.

"Just last year, the Cardinals were nowhere near the playoff picture going into September and came back to win the World Series. People need to lighten up and realize this season is far from over. "

That also goes to prove that our division lead isn't insurmountable.

Of course. The point is, nothing has been decided at this point, so people need to stop claiming this is a first round exit team. They have no way of knowing that when so much can change in just a few weeks or even days.

Doesn't necessarily matter what the Yankees exactly do right now, the fact of the matter is that they need to go into the playoffs hot. Best teams don't win the world series, the hottest teams at the time do.

For all we know, the Orioles could slip into the playoffs, get red freakin' hot and then destroy everyone in October.

Are you serious? That is lame cover up if the Yanks start to choke away the lead. None of us want it close. Put it away, play out the string, and get ready for the playoffs. Heck with that "being close BS!"

They do so upon seeing the Yanks lose; yeah, the Yanks haven't been hitting well but I think that's just a minor phase through which even the best teams in the Major League go from time to time. Nothing brand new about losing skids, but there's no doubt in my mind that the Yanks have the chance to improve. And they will. ;)

The 2000 Yankees hit .277 as a team and .273 with RISP in the regular season. In the ALDS, though they hit .244, .302 with RISP. ALCS: .279 average, .264 with RISP. Their RISP average fell to .209 in the world series, .263 average. Six of the teams 11 postseason home runs came in the ALCS versus Seattle.

Pitching: 3.44 postseason combined era. They had a bend but don't break pitching staff, giving up 125 hits.

I get what you're trying to say, but I don't see those type of numbers coming from this year's team.