On a morning after this crappy news, I'm taking whatever optimism I can get from the fact that whenever this team gets ripped in an IGT for its "Sunday Lineups" or "AAAA, at best starting 9", they more often (to my eye) seem to win. We're one back of the 2nd WC, and 5 back of the Cards, who we play 3 against this weekend. It wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, and, until we are mathematically eliminated, we still have a slugger's chance. The Royals won it all without superstars - hell, we have some of those non-superstars now! In a 5 or 7 game series with off days, I can see a scenario where some combo of Hader, Black, Pomeranz, Suter and Claudio gets it done, like KC did. We were never, according to some after spring training, gonna compete this year. The fact that with 18 or so to go all options are available is pretty satisfying, to me. An injury like this can galvanize or demoralize. The fact the team knew about Yelich from the 4th inning last night and still won, gives me hope. "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies..." Andy Dufresne!