So they call me Concentration Camp Erhardt...

So we got by Cleveland, but now we're back in the place we've been three of the past six times we were in the postseason: facing Houston. All three of which have been the equivalent of standing on stage while Robert Stack walks out to canoodle with Carole Lombard.

As Duque mentioned, Houston is favored to win tonight. Well, Houston is always favored to win. And Verlander vs. Taillon does seem a bit lopsided, at least on paper.

To be...or not to be. Can we win is the question.

I'm still a little flabbergasted by the fact that Houston and the Yankees are the only two favorites to win a series in the playoffs so far. The underdogs beat Toronto, Tampa, the amazing Mets, 2021 World Series champs Atlanta, and even the mighty mighty Dodgers. Who'd a thunk it? Not me. Not the expert analysts or commentators. For that matter, most of us expected the underdog Guardians of Traffic to shut down our will-o'-the-wisp offense with their superior arms and our baling wire bullpen.

But we made it. We beat them. And now, we're the underdogs. In a postseason full of underdog upsets. Maybe? Could we?

Couple of things for sure, if we're to have a chance. If Maraschino is ready, we should have him on the roster, and I agree with Duque, Castro is worthless. And we need the other Oz and not Marwin. Marwin is dangled by the Safety First crowd as the only other first baseman if something happens to Rizzo, but that's untrue. If DJ is activated, then he's the other guy who can play first, and play it a hell of a lot better than Marwin. And if DJ can play, I'd rather have him at third than Donaldson if he's not needed at first. Donaldson just isn't worth the aggravation. He makes a nice play or gets a hit, then does something totally fucked up to negate it. Besides, both DJ and IKF are better third basemen than him. (Will they ever hear our cries to let Ralph play his normal position and sit the $25 million millstone?)

Of course, all the roster "problems" are solved if we just drop the pitchers Boone will obviously never use. German is top of that list, maybe Lugnut. Why carry so many pitchers if we'll only use them in mop-up roles? Hell, it's not worth the sacrifices on the position player side. But Safety First yahoos will want worthless guys in the bullpen, you know, just in case. (Of what? Nuclear war? Herpes? A pile of guys with George Brett-scale hemorrhoids?)

But, Cashman is Cashman, so who the fuck knows. To be, or not to be. And he's the clown that will largely determine our fate.