Gales that seaon of the 78 Sox is chronicled in a GREAT book called the Bronx Zoo by Yankee picther Sparky Lyle who just happened to be asked to chronicle that particular season before it began.
The Yankees played incredible baseball the second half, they had winning streaks like you wouldnt believe. The Sox didn't collapse as bad as legend would have it. The Yanks took the lead in September but the Sox fought back late to force a playoff. I just don't label that a collapse.
YOu ever see the classic Bills-Oliers game with the great comeback?
****, that had to be the best half of football anyone ever played in history. An allstar team wasn't gonna stop the bills in that one. They completed like every pass and gave up nothing on defense.
I guess I just have a different idea of what a collapse is. To me a collapse is when one team just does everything wrong, and teh other does nothing special. This "cardinal" collapse couldn't have happened without Houston going on insane run of baseball. You see what I mean? If the cards had played .200 ball while the Stros played .500 ball, well thats a collapse. But the Stros have been insane, when the hell was the last time they lost two in a row? August?