If you’re a baseball fan, you either love the Yankees or you don’t. There really isn’t any middle ground. One might dislike the team with a passion but root for individuals because at one time they may have played for your team. Or possibly you don’t like the concept of the Evil Empire, but you love great players. That can be a moral dilemma of course.

Because of the odd scheduling quirk where four teams didn’t play this past Sunday (there’s a rant coming soon about that stupidity), it felt like another mini-AS break. I’m not in the mood for hearing about players needing a break as they just got a nice four-day vaca a few weeks ago. In the mad rush for postseason spots, teams are looking to build on momentum, real or manufactured.

Two particular series caught my eye heading into this week. The powerful Yankees are in a battle with the Orioles for first in the AL East with the loser earning a postseason bid via the wildcard. No matter what the press and certain GM’s say, winning that first round bye is an advantage. The Yankees get to play 3 games with the lowly White Sox who just were swept by the Cubs over the abbreviated weekend.

Call it luck or mere coincidence, but I didn’t hear any of the pregame betting tips on the Sox-Yankees game I assume everyone had the Yankees in a rout. Suffice to say, records be damned the Pale Hose only won 11-2.

The Cubs have been on a recent roll, winning 8 of their last 10 games, including that two-game sweep of the Sox. Unlike most ballparks, the Cubs feel a certain mojo at Progressive Field in Cleveland. I think clinching there in 2016 has something to do with that and their fans willingness to make the trip.

Consider that the Guardians had just fought back to win the last two games of a four-game series with the Twins. We love to talk about the toll that takes on a team rather than using it as a springboard for future success.

If I had watched the wrong part of the Cubs pregame show on the Marquis Network, I would have bet the ranch on the Cubs because that’s the direction all their suggestions lean towards.

I’m not suggesting (as some on the Cubs did) that the day off Sunday killed some of the momentum that they had built, but the Cubs did lose 9-8. I also didn’t hang around long enough to the postgame show on the radio to find out if this was the toughest loss of the season. Likewise, I’m not going to suggest that this loss carries any more weight than any other single loss of the season. We’re going to focus on it a little more because of that stupid off-day Sunday.

While some White Sox fans couldn’t have predicted last night’s outcome, I know they’re enjoying it right now and so are fans of 13 other AL teams.