Your 2007 American League East Champions: The Boston Red Sox

The immediate impact of Saturday’s 10-1 defeat at the hand of the Red Sox, other then a lot of bumps and bruises on both sides, was the Red Sox virtual clinching of the AL East crown. Sure, the magic number for the Red Sox to officially clinch the AL East stands at 9 going into Sunday night’s finale at Fenway, but realistically the magic number stands at 0. The Yankees needed the sweep to put a rational level of fear into the Red Sox heart’s of a 1978-esque comeback. The Yankees now stand at 5.5 games back with 14 games to play (13 for the Red Sox). Basically this means their chances of overtaking the Red Sox over the final two weeks of the season has become non-existent. After tonight’s game, the Yankees have 7 home games remaining (3 vs Baltimore, 4 vs Toronto) and 6 road games (3 @ Tampa Bay, 3 @ Baltimore). The Red Sox, on the other hand, have 6 road games (3 @ Toronto, 3 @ Tampa Bay) and finish the season with a 6 game home stand (2 vs Oakland, 4 vs Minnesota). For argument’s sake, let’s say the Yankees defeat the Red Sox tonight and pull back to within 4.5 games. Let’s say the Red Sox finish the season 6-6, a very generous figure for the Yankees, which would put them at 96 wins. Assuming the victory tonight (which is a big assumption with a questionable Rocket making the start), that would put the Yankees at 85 wins, and would then require a 11-2 finish to match the Red Sox at 96 wins. Tonight’s game also determines the season series between the two teams and a potential tie breaker should they wind up tied in the end (ala 2005). Even with the favorable schedule, an 11-2 finish is never an easy thing to ask for, and asking the Red Sox to only go .500 the rest of the way with only a slightly less favorable schedule may be even more to ask. So Yankee fans, the stretch of 9 straight divisional titles has likely come to a close, but so what? Tip your hats to the Red Sox and say “see ya in October”. The Yankees still maintain a 2.5 game lead on Detroit in the wild card and still control their own destiny in that race. Keep in mind that a wild card team has been a part of the World Series in every year since 2002 (Angels, Marlins, Red Sox, Astros, Tigers) and 3 of them have won it during that span (Angels, Marlins, Red Sox). Is it impossible for the Yankees to catch the Red Sox, of course not, nothing is impossible, but is it highly improbable? You be the judge.