Yankees Win first Place, All is Right

On to baseball. I can't believe that I have not made a single post the entire baseball season.

Especially with all that has gone on this year, with Alex Gonzalez starting the season on the disabled list with the hip injury as well as answering more steroids allegations, Derek Jeter breaking Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankee hit record as well as cracking the top-50 all-time Major League hits list, Boston taking the first eight meetings from the Yankees, and the Yankees responding by winning eight of the next nine games with the Sux to erase the memories of those early losses, and plenty of other stories around the league.

But the icing on the cake is that all is said and done for the regular season for the Yankees and the Bronx Bombers finished well ahead of the hated Red Sux to win the American League East. Yes, that is a sign that all is well in the baseball world.

Not to say that it was easy, especially in the end when Boston creeped back into the race with a couple of weeks left, pulling to within five games of New York. But the Yankees fended off that threat and clinched the division with time to spare.

And, in an unbeleivable turn of events, in the A.L. Central, the Minnesota Twins fought back in the final series of the season to tie the Detroit Tigers in a most unlikely situation.

The Tigers, who were leading the division most of the season, were ahead of a red-hot Minnesota club by a mere two games with three to play.

Minnesot was hosting the lowly Royals, while Detroit was hosting the Chicago White Sox.

The Twins needed a sweep of the Royals and needed the Tigers to lose all three games to the Sox in order for the Twins to steal the division. One of the problems that Minnesota had was that Kansas City had their ace, Zack Greinke, scheduled to pitch the middle game of the series. It was certain that the Twins would not sweep. And even if they did, they still needed Tigers to drop two or three at home to Chicago, who have underachieved all season. Not likely.

If the Tigers lost two games and the Twins swept, that would put the two teams in a tie for first place and force a one-game playoff.

So, what happens? Minnesota DOES sweep the Royals, including tagging Grenke for four runs in a 5-4 win in the middle game.

Things looked even better for the Twins on Saturday night because Detroit lost the first two games against Chicago, which meant that if Minnesota won on Sunday that they would own at least a share of first place.

The Tigers ended up taking thre final game of their series against the Chisox, but the Twins won again, forcing Tuesday's playoff game.

This helps the Yankees even more, because now either they get an extra two days' rest before they play the Twins, who they swept in eight games this season, or they get Detroit, who will undoubtedly pitch their ace, Justin Verlander, in this crucial playoff game for the Tigers and he will then not become available until at least game three against the Yanks, should they win. And the Yanks could have a 2-0 series lead over the Tigers by then.

So, the Yankees begin the postseason against either the Tigers or the Twins, and New York will be well rested.

The Yankees' pitching staff has had holes and has been questionable all season, but I think that New York will be just fine with their top three guns of Sabathia, Pettitte, and Burnett.

The rest of the rotation had been, for the most part, atrocious, but I think that the short series' of the post season will make that point moot.

I believe that the World Series will place the Yankees against the Dodgers, and wouldn't it be special to see Joe Torre announced at the World Series in Yankee Stadium. What a response he will undoubtedly receive. Probably the best by any opponent in Yankees history.

It all begins on Wednesday, so buckle up, buttercup, it's going to be a hell of a ride!