Okay, this isn't an excuse--we know going in that we're in a tough division. But I've got a new stat for you that I just invented, called "games behind the average first-place team," or, "F.T.H.E.Y.A.N.K.S."*

It gives you a better idea of where a team stands in the average division. So if it's early in the season, and one team is dominating in your division, you can get a better sense of where you would stand in the average season. It's kinda like the "Pythag" thing which is just looking at runs scored and against and seeing where you "should" be. But I don't put too much stock into that, so don't take too many bonds out of this. Or something. Our FTHEYANKS is 3.7. We're an average of 3.7 behind the five other first place teams. Not bad all things cons'd.

Of course, leaving out our OWN division's leader is a copout. It goes up to 4.5 if you include Tampa. But that looks better than the 8.5 we're really behind.

Again, this means nothing, we can't play to beat the "average first place team." But it shows that the hole we're in looks about twice as bad as it is. And there's a lot of time left. And the Yankees have just started their downward spiral, so soon we'll be right back near the top. Or...you know what I'm sayin'.


*it's a foreign translation