Here Is What to Expect, and Why.

The Yankees will battle all year for a playoff spot.

It will come down to the last day, because we will have lost 3 games in a row to Boston due to:

1. Raul Ibanez going hitless in Fenway.

2. Russell Martin missing most of September with an injury, and our recently acquired back-up catcher going 1-45 with two walks.

3. Only having CC and Kuroda ( is that his name?) as reliable starters.

4. A-Rod will have leg and hip problems from May forward.

5. Nick Swisher will hit .238 with 11 homers.

6. Tex will hit .240 with 36 homers and not one bunt single, or opposite field single , when the shift is on.

7. Cano, Jeter and Grandy will carry the team offense. Nunez will make an error in every game.

8. Brett will start out 3-60, with no bunt singles, but have his average up to .250 by the end of September.

9. Soriano will strain his pectoral muscle several times and miss 20 set-up opportunities.

10. Ivan Nova will have a sophomore slump for the ages. His ERA will exceed 7.00.

11. Andrew Jones will strike out a lot and hit solo home runs when we are down by 5.

12. MO will amaze again, but all his meltdowns will be against Boston. Only MO and David Robertson will be reliable out of the bullpen.

13. Try to forget about the following Yankees; Banuelos, Phellps, Pineda. Two are for trades, one is for practicing surgical techniques upon.

14. The Yankees will never trade for anyone younger than 30 or with a career batting average above.218. And all trade targets must have been the property of at least 3 other major league

teams( often in the minors ) in their tottering careers, before signing with NYY.

15. I think the added wild card saves us from total humiliation, but we don't get out of round one.

16. Cashman leaves at the end of the year to find himself. He can't say, " I want to spend more time with my family," because his family has moved on. Some will say this this is due to his dalliance with the stalker woman. But we all know Cashman's wife left him because of the unspeakably horrible trades he has made.

17. Jeter, MO, Raul, Andrew and Andy ( again ) all retire.

18. A family of four will spend $1,234 at a Yankee game on, tickets, pennants, hot dogs, cotton candy and beer.

It's the Ying and Yang of Giants ( football ) and Yankees.

There is nothing we can do about it.