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Wlady, you make my point exactly. The playoffs are won on pitching, which is why you you don't go out of your way to spend all of your money/resources acquiring sluggers like A-Rod, Sheffield, Giambi, Abreu, etc. The Yankee teams from 1996-2001 were true "teams" built on solid pitching, stellar defense, and incredibly clutch hitting--not just a collection of all stars. Yes, they also had a high payroll, but they depended on contributions from guys like Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, etc. Check out the 1998 roster, the year they won 114 games and virtually swept through the playoffs--probably the only two hall of famers on that team were Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. A-Rod, the $252 million man, perfectly symbolizes what the Yankees have become in the past five years--overpaid, great during the regular season and unable to deliver when it matters.