Are the Yankees back?

By M. Edward Guest Sports Central Columnist

In Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, irrespective of the Arizona Diamondbacks' collective dominance, the Yankees led 2-1 with three outs to go. Alfonso Soriano had homered off Curt Schilling, and it seemed as if the team that had trailed the Oakland Athletics 0-2 (losing both at Yankee Stadium) was going to do it again.

If Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in major league history, could get three more outs, then New York would win its fourth in five years and yet...

It did not happen; Arizona won 3-2 and finally knocked off the Yankees. After that series, Paul O'Neill and Scott Brosius retired, and Tino Martinez moved on to another roster to make room for the next big Yankee addition, Jason Giambi.

The 2002 Yankees, in the regular season, were even more formidable, but the Anaheim Angels ripped their pitching staff like no team had done since the '95 Seattle Mariners, to take the Yankees in four.

In 2003, the Yankees made it back to the World Series, but for the first time since 1981, lost three consecutive games in the Fall Classic. New York's ouster was punctuated by a young Florida Marlins hurler's shutout.

Now, in 2004, with new additions all over the field, the New York Yankees are once again romping through the regular season, despite some key injuries. Giambi has only recently returned; two star pitchers are also out. However, Joe Torre's club has won 11 out of 13 and 85% of their last 20, equating to a five-game lead over Boston. Yet, does it really matter? Even if the Yankees win 105-110 games?

The Yankees' biggest concern is that with each passing season, they get further and further away from the 1998-2000 championship teams, and consequently, have fewer and fewer players remaining from that dynasty. Kevin Brown and Gary Sheffield have won with another team, but not as Yankees. Alex Rodriguez has never been to the World Series.

The early Torre teams were not as powerful or as glamorous, but were renowned for their postseason prowess. Excluding the 2001 World Series anomaly, the Yankees got on base, scored runs, and shut down the opposition; in the past three postseasons, they've had their struggles with all three. All of this makes 2004 a huge season for the Yankees; if they win it all (as they should); order is restored in the Bronx. If not, four years will have passed since the eminently mediocre 2000 Yankees dropped the Mets at Shea Stadium.

In 1999, the New York Yankees simply intimidated teams, including their purported equals of the National League, the Atlanta Braves -- that is no longer the case. Those Yankees never would have let a wildcard team defeat them in the playoffs two years in a row, nor allow their suddenly porous middle-relief pitching (Game 6, 2003 ALCS) to give Red Sox fans hope. Irrespective of how many stars they continue to add, the Yankees do not frighten playoff teams anymore; to the contrary, those teams want to play New York. Why?

The last three teams to defeat the Yankees in the playoffs have all won the World Series; I'll wager that trend has a decent chance to continue this season.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.