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New York Yankees hope to rally against adversity in 2015 playoffs

Of the numerous headlines describing the win-or-go-home one-game playoff between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros Tuesday, few people — inside the baseball world and out — would have expected an aging pitcher’s admission to an alcohol rehabilitation facility to be the leading story. With the return of Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees’ lack of star power and the shocking play of the Astros, the inherently exciting wild card matchup was set to be one of the more compelling sporting events of 2015 even without Yankee CC Sabathia’s recent development.

For the Yankees, the return to the playoffs after three years — which felt like an eternity for diehard fans — took an unusual path, as Brian Cashman and the front office embraced youth, displayed uncharacteristic thrift and restraint and came around to embrace their embattled, oft-hurt third baseman-turned designated hitter, Alex Rodriguez. This Yankees team hardly resembled that of years past in ability or notoriety, not to mention it was the first time since 1994 that none of the “core four” — Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera — were suiting up in pinstripes in the Bronx.

On the other side of the diamond are the Astros. For years, they have had one of the three lowest payrolls in baseball but have developed an arsenal of young players with the goal of building a future contender. Sports Illustrated, acknowledging the Astros’ long-term plans and use of advanced statistics, anointed them the 2017 World Champions in June of 2014. While many hailed this prediction as ambitious — if not outrageous — Houston’s success this season has turned numerous heads and surprised much of the baseball world.

Led by 21-year old Carlos Correa, who has been compared to Rodriguez and Albert Pujols, the perennial bottom feeders are back in the October classic for the first time in 10 years. Devoid of the matchup’s big-spender versus penny pincher storylines, sportswriters have consistently turned to the Astros as the theme of the 2015 baseball season and would likely continue talking about them into the playoffs, if not for Sabathia’s announcement on Monday.

Around noon on a slow Monday — the first without baseball since the All Star break — the 35-year old lefthander announced he was checking himself into an alcohol and rehabilitation center “to receive the professional care and assistance needed to treat [his] disease.”

While stressing the importance of this decision for him and his family, Sabathia also said he was “fully aware that [he is] leaving at a time when [him and his teammates] should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series.”

Although certainly a blow to the Yankees’ pitching depth, this might be just the adversity that New York needed to spark a deep, emotionally driven playoff run. Maybe — for a team that has lost six of seven and looks to be limping into the postseason — CC’s admission and departure from the clubhouse will inspire his teammates to rally around him and play a brand of inspired baseball that has proved elusive down the stretch.

Time and again in sports, adversity is what motivates a team to go far beyond what it might have done before. Maybe Joe Girardi — whose leadership and decisions have been questioned on numerous occasions — can channel this obstacle into positive energy and superior play as the Yankees host the Astros at Yankee Stadium.

While it may be purely wishful thinking from a diehard fan, it may be the only hope for a Yankees team that once held a 5 ½ game lead in the division on July 24 but finished the season six games behind Toronto and is without Mark Texeira, Nate Eovaldi and, now, Sabathia.

This is not your grandfather’s or even your father’s Yankees team, but there is a chance that this adversity can inspire this ragtag bunch to protect the House that Steinbrenner Built and move on to the Divisional Series against their AL East rival Blue Jays.

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