Yankees Under Pressure?

What do you get when you cross an overly enthusiastic sports journalist with a baseball fan? An overly enthusiastic sports journalist who takes wild swings after Game 1 of the World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies shellacked the New York Yankees 6-1 behind the spectacular arm of Cliff Lee who threw a complete game and the sweet bat of Chase Utley who hit two home runs off of Yankee ace CC Sabathia. It was a classic matchup of former Cleveland Indians teammates and the last two American League Cy Young award winners.

Turn on and tune into the sports talk "yelling fests" and what do you hear?

"The Yankees now have all the pressure." Blah, blah, blah.

"The Yankees are in a must win situation." Blah, blah, blah.

"If the Yankees lose Game 2 tonight they lose the series." Blah, blah, blah. Most sports dudes were picking the Yankees to the World Series, now they are bailing after one game? Either the Yankees aren't that good or these prognosticators are pretty bad.

One ESPN radio personality was so taken by his view fresh after Game 1 that I could hear David Bowie singing, "under pressure..." in the background. Hey, the Phils did look great - like defending champions. Like a team intent on fulfilling Jimmy Rollins five game series win prediction.

But let's think about it for a moment.

It was only one game. The Yankees are still at home. They still have won the most games in baseball this season. Tim McCarver said it best on Fox last night when he said the Yankees bats are so good, it just goes to show you how well Cliff Lee really pitched.

I have no predictions for Game 2. Pedro could bring his 2004 Red Sox magic with him and bury the Yanks. Or A.J. Burnett could throw a gem to even up the series. Either way, do the Yankees really have more pressure on them than the Phillies?

Heck no.

In fact, let's say that the Yankees do have some pressure on them. If the reactionary sports talk guys are right about all the pressure being on the Yanks, then that means they are expected to win. What's new about expecting the Yankees to win? Not a thing. New York is sculpted with broad burden-bearing shoulders.

Furthermore, these pressure statements are mentioned in such a way as to suggest that the pressure is so great that the Yankees cannot handle it, they will wilt under the pressure, proving the wild swing prediction correct. In that view, the Yankees show up without their bats and leave New York down 2-0.

If anyone buys into that, I've writing from a lake front property in central Florida that I'm interested in selling. And if any Phillies buy into the pressure theory, then won't the pressure actually be on the Phillies to win? Won't the Phillies have to ensure a victory tonight? If Philly loses, when they were supposed to beat a pressured Yankees team, how bad would that be? Then the Phillies are the team truly under pressure, no?

You can see that the Yankees under pressure scenario is ridiculous. Both teams are under equal amounts of pressure because both teams want to win.