SPANISH HARLEM – As the Bronx Bombers continue to play important games in September, I find myself confused as to how I should feel. When the Yankees rid themselves of every important asset at the trading deadline, most fans figured this to be a lost season. But even as Joe Girardi claimed that the team was not waving the white flag, we all knew better. We knew it was only a matter of time until they were mathematically eliminated. Yet here we are on September 7th and the Yankees are 3 1/2 games from the 2nd Wild Card spot.
Part of me is excited because I certainly didn’t expect this but part of me is also waiting for the hammer to drop. I’m still waiting for the 4 game losing to come around the corner as they somehow continue to win games they have no business winning. Take for example the game on Tuesday, where the Bombers scrapped for run after run against the Blue Jays, who some predicted as World Series favorites, before almost giving the game right back when Dellin Betances failed to get out of the 9th inning. To make matters worse, it took a jumping catch at the wall by Brett Gardner to win the game. Exciting as it was to watch, to lose that game would have been excruciating. Every game matters at this point in the season and they seem ready to meet every challenge. Go Yanks!
While on the Yankees, I think I will be adding Joe Girardi’s name to the ballot for president. At this point I feel safer voting for the Yankees manager than Clinton or Trump. What he has done with this new group of players is quite remarkable. He trusts his players, puts them in positions to succeed and they in turn give him reason to believe in them. I always felt that the media and fans knock Girardi because they expect the Yankees to always contend for a championship every season and once you go a couple years without one, everyone thinks a new voice is needed. This year he has showed that he can be one of the better managers in the game, with veteran players or prospects. That’s manager of the year material if you ask me.
It was not nice knowing you, Sam Bradford and please let the door hit you on the way out. I’m not quite sure what’s crazier, trading your starting quarterback a week before the season starts or trading a 1st round pick for a quarterback that has failed consistently to meet expectations. Regardless of what you think, both teams won this trade. The Eagles get a 2017 1st round pick for a player they didn’t want and Angry Ward’s Vikings give up a great pick for quarterback they desperately needed. I honestly think Bradford will have a better year for Vikings, as they have the better overall team but I’m still glad we traded him.
Nobody was expecting a good year from the Eagles, so their best bet was to get Carson Wentz some in-game experience now. Even when Doug Pederson explained that they wanted to keep Wentz as the 3rd string quarterback, most fans knew that at some point this year Carson would play – whether it was because Bradford was hurt or he just plain stunk. Is it too soon… Yes but most quaterbacks taken that high play immediately so the future is now for the Eagles.
On a side note… I cant wait to read a column on Bradford from the aforementioned Angry Ward. Get used to this face my friend because you will see it a lot.
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