ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -Derek Jeter got enough extra free time last fall to realize he hated it.
With the New York Yankees' return to the top of the AL standings after one unfamiliar year in the middle, their captain is grateful to know he'll be busy into October yet again.
Jeter had never missed the playoffs until last fall, when New York's 13-year streak of postseason appearances ended in an expensive flop. A third-place finish was no way to close the final season at old Yankee Stadium, and Jeter is grateful the new stadium will host playoff baseball in its debut year.
``It's almost like you're a kid and your parents don't let you go outside to play,'' Jeter said. ``You watch everybody outside the window because you're in trouble. That's what it felt like. Now we're off punishment, and you can go back out there.''
New York became the first major league team this year to clinch a playoff appearance Tuesday night, yet the Yankees didn't exactly celebrate their 14th postseason trip in 15 years. The Texas Rangers ensured the Yankees' postseason appearance with a loss at Oakland, and New York followed about 55 minutes later with a 6-5 win over Los Angeles, blowing a five-run lead before rallying in the ninth.
``Let's keep going,'' manager Joe Girardi said. ``There's still a lot of baseball to be played. We have 10 games left, and we know what we want to do. There's obviously excitement about being in the playoffs. It's your first goal, but there's other goals.''
New York stayed home last fall in Girardi's debut campaign, surpassed by the Red Sox and the surprising AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. Even after a typically profligate offseason spending spree brought CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira to the Bronx, the Yankees' prospects for a playoff return weren't exactly rosy this May when they sat 6 1/2 games out of first place at 15-17.
Yet they took over the AL East lead more than two months ago, and haven't let up.
``That's the expectation here every year, and that's obviously very pleasing,'' said Girardi, the former Yankees catcher. ``We're going to be playing in October, but there are still some things we want to accomplish before the season ends.''
The Yankees won 17 playoff series and four World Series titles in that 13-year span after 1994, but Jeter and his teammates are well aware of the club's recent failures to do more. New York hasn't won a championship since 2000 or even a playoff series since the 2004 division series, losing four straight series while archrival Boston won two titles.
With a weekend home series looming against the Red Sox, New York began Wednesday with a magic number of six for clinching the AL East. While the Yankees didn't celebrate their playoff berth, a few crates of bubbly are likely to be opened if the division title is secured.
``Winning the division would definitely make us a little bit happier, but unfortunately that doesn't seal the deal for us until we win the World Series,'' Johnny Damon said. ``Our expectations are high, and we don't want to get too overly excited until we win the World Series.''
New York also is in position to get a few extra advantages as it tries to win its 27th championship.
The Yankees have a 5 1/2-game lead on the Angels for homefield advantage throughout the postseason. They also would get the chance to have an extra day of rest between the first two games of their division series, likely to be against the Detroit Tigers, a subpar road team with the AL's fifth-best record.
New York's lineup has been consistently good in recent weeks, but Teixeira learned the perils of even a temporary slump last year with the Angels. Los Angeles led the majors with 100 victories before a first-round loss to Boston.
``In the playoffs, you can't say, `Oh, we had a bad week,''' the first baseman said. ``Because if you do, you're out. We need to figure out ways to win. It's too quick. We've got to get up real early.''
While the Yankees' celebration at Angel Stadium was confined to a couple of extra handshakes, the milestone meant something a bit more to Alex Rodriguez. The slugger homered in each of the first two games against the Angels, and his ninth-inning sacrifice fly drove in the go-ahead run Tuesday night.
``Just shaking hands with the guys and giving a few hugs, it takes me back to where I was in February or March, in Colorado and Tampa,'' said Rodriguez, who spent those months rehabbing from hip surgery. ``It feels good to be a part of it and contribute a little bit, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
