I have been talking with my friend Kristi since the beginning of August about the Yankees, and our debate went something like this.

Kristi: I want the division!
Me: I just want to make it to the playoff.
Kristi: I WANT THE DIVISION!
Me: I want to play games in October.
Kristi: I WANT THE DIVISION!!

When the Yankees clinched at least a chance to participate in the playoffs, she texts me about how happy she is. I remind her of our conversation, she flips back that she doesn’t care, at least we’re playing!

So Friday night, the Red Sox clinched their first divisional playoffs in 12 years.

Now it’s “I’m glad we’re in,” without any hate for the fact we’re in the playoffs as the Wild Card, which from what I can recall - she despises as a concept completely. So I asked her whether she understands that if we did not have a wild card system in baseball, that we’d be hearing about trade rumors and who’s getting fired while the Red Sox go on to try to win the World Series.

Then, when I get home, I get a message from my friend Suzy. “Who won the americal league division championship,” she asked. I remind her that winning the division doesn’t necessarily mean they will win the World Series. In fact, I even cited some Wild Card bunch of idiots that won in 2004.

As a Yankees fan, I can only hope this year the Red Sox as AL Eastern Division champions do as well as they did in 1995 (they were swept in the first round).