Sisyphean endeavor
With reason, Yankees fans continued to smart from a loss their favorites suffered in Game Two of the American League Division Series (ALDS). And they made their sentiments known emphatically, too; as introductions for those in pinstripes were made yesterday, they made sure to cheer for everybody — except, that is, for manager Joe Girardi, whose weekend gaffe figures to join the ranks of the most ignominious decisions in franchise history. In his case, jeers and catcalls from the capacity crowd of 47,422 could not come fast enough.
Indeed, the defeat stung, and not simply because the Yankees had what looked to be a comfortable lead built off Indians ace Corey Kluber. Even Girardi rued the outcome; after initially coming up with a bevy of excuses to explain away his failure to challenge a call that would, based on replays, have led to the end of the pivotal sixth inning, he owned up to his mistake. And because of the damage, The House That The Boss Built opened Game Three with the hosts on the brink of elimination.
That said, the Yankees strove to put the faux pas behind them. Girardi pledged to do so himself, noting that “the only thing I can do is give my best to this team moving forward.” At the very least, he did nothing yesterday that made work on the field more difficult for his charges, who creditably competed with confidence despite the daunting task ahead. After having won a grinder, they remain at risk of an early exit; they need to claim Games Four and Five over the next three days to complete a comeback against the vaunted Indians.
It’s a Sisyphean endeavor, to be sure; not for nothing have the Indians emerged victorious in 35 of their last 40 outings. Then again, what do the Yankees have to lose? And, interestingly, they have the 2001 ALDS to hark back to for inspiration; back then, they were winless after two contests, prevailed in Game Three 1-0, and then triumphed in Games Four and Five to advance to the AL Championship Series. Needless to say, Girardi’s hoping history will repeat itself, and with it retention of a job fans no longer
believe he deserves.
The Yankees strove to put the faux pas behind them. Girardi pledged to do so himself, noting that “the only thing I can do is give my best to this team moving forward.” At the very least, he did nothing yesterday that made work on the field more difficult for his charges, who creditably competed with confidence despite the daunting task ahead. After having won a grinder, they remain at risk of an early exit; they need to claim Games Four and Five over the next three days to complete a comeback against the vaunted Indians.