Greetings all, Jay from "On The Sportslines" here. Like the rest of the OTSL team I will be posting to this blog when the sports world inspires or irks me. Here we go.

The Yankees have just swept the Twins and will be taking on one of their "favorite" post-season foils - the California Angels (give me a break with this Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim crap) in the ALCS. Any other year, this might fill me with some SERIOUS trepidation, but not this year.

Maybe it's the new stadium. Maybe it's the way the big free-agent acquisitions have done their jobs both on the field and in the clubhouse - pie anyone? Maybe it's Joe Girardi having a clue in year two. Maybe it's A-Rod FINALLY realizing he should just shut up and play (Kate, if you're responsible for getting him to see the light, BLESS YOU!)

This year things just seem different. So this year, the Angels go down, the NL opponent to be named as World Series victim goes down and the Yankees end Year One at the new digs with title #27. I've had this feeling ALL season. The slow start didn't shake it, A-Rod's dramatic return didn't cement it.

Now everyone knows I am an unabashed Yankee fan, but my OTSL colleague Steve Ferguson (an unabashed Met fan) will tell you, I'm also VERY objective. So for all you haters who say "Well, if the Yankees win the Series it's because they went out and bought it like always." Here's some objective reality for you: the Yankees spending sprees have NOT always produced titles.

This year it might, but hey, Tex, CC & AJ didn't HAVE to come here. Not EVERY free agent wants this intense scrutiny and the pressure to live up the ALL the history. As for the money? What? The Yankees AREN'T supposed to use it to get the best players they can? Unfair advantage you say? So what? From Opening Day till the last day of the season - whenever that is - in between those white lines baseball is a game where fair is fair and foul is foul and all the teams play by those rules. As it should be, it's what makes baseball great.

But during the offseason baseball IS A BUSINESS. And business has different rules. Sometimes those rules screw over smaller business trying to compete with the Big Boys. Is that fair? Absolutely not, but fair or foul, the rules are the rules and ALL baseball teams play by these rules too.

The Yankees have always been willing to pay the largest percentage of the money that goes into MLB's revenue sharing pot. It doesn't bother them, they will take the hit in the pocketbook if it means the hits Mark Teixeira sends out of the park happen with him in pinstripes. If your team can't or won't go with that strategy, don't hate on the Yankees.

Every business has a strategy for success that maximizes their strengths and minimizes their weaknesses. The Yankees are no different. They are allowed to use all assets at their disposal to gain a competitive advantage so long as they do it within the rules. When they do, I applaud them. When they don't, I have NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER tearing them a new one.

Bottom line. Once you make it to the post-season, David has JUST as much chance to beat Goliath as the Evil Empire has of defeating the Rebel Alliance. Yeah, I just mixed the bible with Sci-Fi to make a sports point. Those of you who watch the show shouldn't be surprised. But back to said point. From Aaron Boone in 2003 to those Idiot Redsox in 2004, once you get to October, ANYTHING can happen.

Just not this year. 3 wins in the books, 8 more to go. 11=27.