The new Yankee fan mindset: We're supposed to be happy with second place

There's a new word in the Yankiverse: WILD CARD!*

(*Note: It used to be called "second place.")

Apparently, we're now supposed to accept that the 2015 Yankees were an "over-achieving" team that "surprised" everyone with their pluck throughout the first half of the season. "Nobody" expected them to reach that golden summit of success... the WILD CARD.*

(*Formerly called "second place.")

Listen: The people who want Yankee fans to be excited about winning a slot in the WILD CARD* are either on the Yankee payroll, hoping to get on the Yankee payroll, or people in other cities who want the Yankees to become the Milwaukee Brewers. 

There is a p.r. campaign within the Yankiverse to pretend that fans should be thankful for what we have: A wasteful, mediocre baseball organization that - because of its market and history - is incapable of losing money, no matter how badly it is run.

Over-achievers? In 2015, the Yankees spent $80 million more than the Toronto Blue Jays. They spent $100 million more than the Mets. They've spent nearly $140 million more than the team that beat them this week, the Astros. Over-achievers?

If you look at the chart on the right, you see the top 11 payrolls in MLB. The Yankees are second - a situation that, to me, makes the notion of "over-achievers" laughable. And if you look at that list, yes, the Dodgers are drunk on new TV revenues, but the Giants and Redsocks both won World Championships recently. The Nationals, Tigers, Rangers and Angels have won divisional crowns. The Phillies, I guess, are in a rancid class by themselves. But I don't think Phillies fans have ever felt the expectations that Yankee fans once knew.

I say no. Don't let them talk down to us. Yeah, they're the "experts." Oh, they know so much more than we do. Yeah, we're just fans, sitting in Podunk, devoting our energies and our hearts to this highly profitable team. What right do we have to complain? We should be happy, huht? A WILD CARD.*

No. Don't let them tell us we're supposed to settle for second place.

We're not the Brewers... yet.