You Are 27, Going On 28...

All right. I'm going to do my best to keep this post as professional and unbiased as I can.

YANKEES CLINCH THEIR 15TH PLAYOFF BERTH IN 16 YEARS!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Dammit...

That's right, folks: no matter what, the Yankees will be in the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 years. Aside from an embarrassing miss in 2008, every October has brought with it two certain things: someone will win the World Series, and there's always a good chance it'll be the men in pinstripes.

Now, none of this is to disregard the other fine competitors that have already clinched a playoff berth (just a few minutes before the Yanks got theirs, the Rays guaranteed themselves a spot in the postseason as well, and then the Reds followed suite shortly after), nor does this negate anything I've said about the Bombers or the other teams I've talked about. Nothing has changed, aside from the guessing. Now, only certainty. New York's better team will be getting their 15th chance in 16 years to win the Fall Classic. And with that, the American League's playoff teams have been decided. The only thing left to find out is if Tampa Bay will win the East, or if the Yanks manage to dethrone them. Either way, both will face either Minnesota or Texas in the division series, and with both of the latter teams on significant losing streaks, it's looking more and more likely that these two East Coast teams will meet up in the championship, both looking to face Philadelphia (purely my own prediction as of today) yet again. And, if I may continue to be so bold in my predictions, I'm guessing that, should it come to pass that the Yankees and Phillies meet up again, it could turn out the same way it did in 2009. At least I sure hope it does.

And with that, I'll be taking a break from blogging until Sunday, when the regular season ends, at which point I'll begin to work on my guide to the postseason: What To Expect When You're Expecting (To Win).