I was watching ESPN's "30 for 30" on the 2004 Boston Red Sox miracle comeback against the New York Yankees in the ALCS earlier tonight, and I realized something about our San Francisco Giants and their overpaid, but ironically worthless pitcher Barry Zito.

First off, let me say that I'm a die-hard Yankees fan and I have been since I was six years old.  I'll be pulling for them to win number 28, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

This isn't the same team that won it all last year.

While they can pull it off, I think I've come up with five good reasons why they may have to wait until next year for 28.

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Finally. With the completion of Sunday's Major League Baseball regular season schedule, we now know who's in, who's out, and which matchups to look forward to when playoff action commences Wednesday.

Let me be straight right off the bat.

Edwin Rodriguez should not have left Sun Life Stadium in Miami last Sunday without word as to whether he will remain at the helm of the Florida Marlins next season.

The former major leaguer that played once for the New York Yankees deserves the opportunity to be back. Period.

The New York Mets cleaned house Monday, officially parting ways with manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya.

After finishing the season with a disappointing 79-83 record, a whopping 18 games behind the first-place Phillies in the National League East, the writing was on the wall for both men.

Now, in need of new leadership at the top, the Mets suddenly face the prospect of rebuilding from the farm system all the way up to the major league level.

The Philadelphia Philles were the proud owners of the NL's best record during the regular season, and hold home field advantage against the Cincinnati Reds in their Division Series playoff matchup, beginning Wednesday.

So why should anyone believe that the Reds, and their recently extended manager Dusty Baker, can topple the heavily phavorited Phils?

Oh, let me count the ways.

A wise-ruling emperor will step down from his throne if it is better for his royal subjects to be governed by a more respected successor.  On the contrary, a stubborn emperor will be forced out.

The Yankees, to me, fall into the stubborn emperor category: they are the long-time personification of the Evil Empire in the Empire State.

With another season ending in disappointment for Chicago Cub fans, is it too early to shout out the refrain, "Wait Until Next Year?"

That's the slogan of the Chicago Cubs, whether they realize it or not. No other team in the history of sports has been mouthing those words for a longer period of time; 102 years to be exact.

I have nothing against the San Francisco Giants—in fact, I don’t particularly care about them one way or the other. I’m sure they’re nice people, and they’re certainly a very good baseball team.

But, while San Francisco’s successes and failures don’t rouse my passions as an Indians and Red Sox fan, their victory Sunday afternoon irked me as a baseball fan because of the domino effect it had on the playoff scene.

It has been five years since the Atlanta Braves took a champagne shower in celebration of making it to postseason play. With an 8-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and a little help from the San Francisco Giants, the Braves wrapped up the wild card on Sunday.