New York Yankees Tickets - The Team To Beat, Again

As most people know, the New York Yankees have won a few championships

. This, of course, has led to unbelievable followings, both from groups that cannot stand the Pinstripes and those that embrace every move that they make. But love them or hate them, the Yankees embody the open market mentality that is the lifeblood of baseball, and this year they once again have a very good team that will no doubt challenge to add another notch to Goliath's belt.

Unlike last season, the Yankees have been the team to beat from the beginning of the year. Despite another slow start from Mark Teixeira and a forgettable year from iconic shortstop Derek Jeter, the Yankees have either been in first place or nipping at the heels of the Tampa Bay Rays for almost the entire season. With a 2.5-game lead as of Sept. 8, the Yanks are nearly a lock to return to the postseason, even if the Rays manage to snag the division before the end of the season.

But what has been the most impressive about the Yankees this season is the way they have won games. Though the Yankees are highlighted by big name players like C.C. Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Teixeira and Jeter, it's been guys like Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner who have carried the team for stretches during the regular season. Cano has been the best hitter all season long on the team and is having the type of all-around year that would garnish a bit of M.V.P. talk in another year; Miguel Cabrera and Josh Hamilton simply forgot that you're not supposed to hit above .340 as power hitters.

Also becoming essential to the team has been Phil Hughes, who has been very good in his first year as a starter. Though he has faded a bit down the stretch, he's still pitched very well overall and has delivered 16 wins against just seven losses. While A.J. Burnett continues to be A.J. Burnett, Sabathia has also been the dominant pitcher they thought they were signing with the enormous deal that brought him to New York last season. Sabathia has once again logged more than 200 innings and is leading the majors with 19 wins and a very strong 3.14 E.R.A. It's that type of production that the club certainly was counting on to help sell New York Yankees tickets.

Heading into the postseason, the Yankees are also in as good of shape as just about any team in the league. A-rod is back in the lineup, Teixeira has really stepped it up in the second half of the season and they've put together a lineup no longer completely reliant upon superstar sluggers. Perhaps the most underrated player in the entire league has been Nick Swisher, who is having a career season and has an outside chance at reaching 100 RBIs. Much like invaluable former Yankees like Scott Brosius and Jim Leyritz, Swisher is the type of player built for clutch situations and the spotlight of New York. Swisher's season culminated in a recent walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth against the Orioles, helping to end a small losing skid and pushing their division lead to 2.5 games.

With a solid combination of superstars, great pitching and underrated role players, the Yankees are the most dangerous team in the league heading into the postseason. Though the Rays seem destined to get through the first round and challenge for the pennant, the Yanks have to be considered the favorite, and for good reason. And as far as Jeter's struggles go, it's hard to imagine the franchise worrying too much about it. Something tells me that no pitcher in the postseason will want to try to deliver a strike with the winning run standing on second base. Last time I checked, they didn't call many other hitters in the league Mr. November.

by: Pat Smith

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