Once again, the New York Yankees are sitting on top of a playoff spot as the regular season winds down. In fact, there is very little doubt that they will make a run at another trip to the fall classic seeking their 27th world championship. The irony of the matter is that many supposed "gurus," such as former Mets GM Steve Phillips, called the Yankees "dead" in the middle of May. Those who made such statements have about as much credibility as a stack of bricks. Although the Yankees fell to 14.5 games behind the Red Sox, and seven games below .500 in early June, the Bronx Bombers have resurrected their season, and more importantly, their World Series hopes.

The leader of this drastic turnaround has been Alex Rodriguez, who looks as if he is playing with a chip on his shoulder. In fact, it may be in Rodriguez's best interests to just stop the pain he is inflicting upon opposing pitchers. He may as well take up golf, or perhaps bowling, because apparently the game of baseball is giving him no challenge whatsoever.

The Yankee third baseman leads the majors with 52 long balls and 140 RBI, all while receiving criticism from around the league for being unable to perform in clutch situations. In the ninth inning this season, Rodriguez is batting a healthy .459, with eight home runs and 20 runs batted in. This is no longer a matter of opinion, but a matter of fact: Alex Rodriguez is one of the best players ever to grace the baseball diamond. I have had to edit this article many times because each day his stats just become more gaudy. A-Rod has proven that he doesn't just have the talent to lead a struggling team to the playoffs, but the leadership and poise to make the people around him better.

The Yanks have also been criticized for having a weak core of pitching. Starters Chien Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte have proven to be two of the most consistent pitchers in the American League throughout the course of this season, with Wang posting 18 wins and Pettitte running a 6-0 record during the month of August. Wang has his share of shaky outings, however the wily sinkerballer has shown an ability to string four or five wins together on several occasions. Wang is a groundball pitcher-many of his poor outings come when ground balls find holes in the infield, as opposed to him actually getting shelled.

Many of the Yankees' doubters may contend that the bombers are too old in some areas and too inexperienced in others. The Yankees' playoff hopes will hinge on the ability of young pitching to step onto an unparalleled stage and pitch like seasoned veterans. 21-year-old pitchers Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain have shown some electric stuff in their first months as big leaguers. Just two weeks into his major league career, Ian Kennedy has done a masterful job in filling in for a deteriorating Mike Mussina thus far, and continues to hold down the fifth spot in the rotation.

Boston fans may continue to boast about their team's lead in the American League East, however what they are failing to recognize is that the Yankees do not need to win the division to beat Boston in the playoffs. This article takes nothing away from the Red Sox, who have had a spectacular season behind a great starting rotation and strong lineup. There is no challenging that. However, the perennial house of cards that is built in Boston will be in deep trouble come October if they ignore the power and the legacy that the Yankees bring with them.

Quick Hits

Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus and Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel were recently cited and accused of receiving human growth hormones at some point between the 2003 and 2004 baseball seasons. Personally, I am fed up with hearing about every player in the majors using steroids, HGH or whatever newfangled substance reporters are able to come up with. This is just the tip of the iceberg-my bet is that a large majority of players were involved in using performance enhancing drugs at one point or another during the last decade.

If anybody recalls, Glaus was the World Series MVP in 2002 (before he allegedly used these drugs), and Ankiel was sitting on his couch with a bag of Doritos after an absolutely dismal stint as a Cardinals pitcher that was plagued by wildness and temper tantrums. To put it bluntly, Troy Glaus has done nothing so amazing in the recent past to warrant this attention. As for Ankiel, he has resurrected his career by rejoining the Cards as an outfielder, belting nice homeruns and tallying 29 runs batted in just over a month in the big leagues. It would be better for the game of baseball for fans to enjoy his unbelievable comeback-isn't that what all of us would like to do?

Congratulations to Curtis Granderson, for becoming the 3rd member of the 20-20-20-20 club*-the first member to do so since Willie Mays. Although I am a devout Yankee fan, I applaud such an accomplishment for its uniqueness-never have I seen a base runner turn a double into a triple with such ease until Granderson. With the Tigers creeping past the Mariners for second place in the wild card, it wouldn't at all surprise me if Granderson & Co. give the Yankees some trouble down the stretch.

*20-20-20-20 Club refers to a player that has 20 homers, 20 triples, 20 doubles and 20 steals in the season.