Normally this would sound like a thrown-down gauntlet because, normally, this would be a thrown-down gauntlet. In this time, in this place, in this city, it is something else entirely. For the Yankees it ought to be a welcome challenge, and for the people who care about the Yankees it ought to be something even better: a splendid adventure.
So here goes. Bold-face this if you like. Underline it. Italicize it:
The 2019 Yankees: Championship or Bust.
Now, look, we understand perfectly well that the best team doesn’t always win a championship. We fully subscribe to what Billy Beane has often said about the baseball postseason, that it’s a crapshoot.