Are the Yankees back?

Are the New York Yankees back and are they in position to reach the World Series for the 40th time and can they grab their 27th championship?

All you old timers out there (and all you young baseball fans, too), place your bets. Will it be the Phillies or Dodgers? Or, will it be the Angels? My guess: it'll be the Yankees.The Yankees have to be the odds-on favorite by their past record alone. They've been to the World Series an outlandish 39 times and have walked away winners 26 times. Granted, they haven't been to the World Series since 2001 and we Arizona Diamondbacks' fans know what happened that year.

Mark Grace is always reminding us of how the Diamondbacks derailed the Yankees in that one and I can still see Luis Gonzalez jumping for joy as he motored to first base after delivering the winning hit--a bloop single to left-center--in game 7 at Bank One Ballpark.

The last time the Yankees won the World Series was in 2000 when they shutdown the New York Mets in five games. And don't count out the Phillies. Remember, they're the defending champions and they have away of coming at you...just ask the Colorado Rockies. Of course southern California fans are hoping for a showdown between the Dodgers and the Angels. I'd go for a West Coast swing. It would be a quiet late October in New York if that happens. But how do you bet against Jeter, Rodriguez and Company?

Not me...not this year.