Now it feels like October. The Yankees are playing for a trip to the World Series.

It's been a while in case you hadn't noticed. They haven't gotten this far since 2004. They've spent about a billion dollars in payroll since then and another billion and a half on a new stadium. And now the League Championship Series has come back to the Bronx.

This is the round that has produced some of our most exciting baseball in recent years. While there hasn't been a seven-game World Series since 2002, there have been seven LCS go the distance since 2003. I have a feeling the Yankees and Angels are headed for one of these epics too.

These two teams have played some great games over the years. Maybe Yankee fans don't see it that way since the Angels have won more of them. While the Yankees and Red Sox play wars of attrition that feature slugfests and brawls, the Yanks and Angels play crisper games that feature relief pitching and rally monkeys.

This is the series I have waited for. I see these teams play three and four-game sets during the year, and a best of five twice in this decade. But now it's down to a best of seven, where whole pitching staffs are on display and the hitters aren't the victims of six bad at-bats ruining their whole season.

These teams had remarkable offensive seasons, oddly similar in some statistical categories:

*While both teams astoundingly totaled the exact same number of hits (1604) over 162 games, the Yankees outscored the Angels 915-883.

*While the balanced Yankees lineup had 7 players with over 80 RBIs, the Angels set a major league record with 11 players over 50 RBIs.

*The Yanks led the majors with 50 come-from-behind wins. The Angels were second with 47.

*On defense, the Angels committed 85 errors and the Yankees booted 86.

*Both teams won their Division Series in 3 games with strong pitching. The Yanks allowed only 6 runs to the Twins; the Angels gave up just 7 runs to the Red Sox.

I know the Angels have owned the Yankees over the years, beating them with regularity since 1996. But it's time for the Yanks to show everyone how good they are in 2009. Yes, they have some flaws. We spent many hours picking them apart during the 59 games they lost this season. But in the 106 games they have won so far, the Yanks have shown us how good they can be. They just need to win four out of seven. They will be allowed to lose three games and still go to the World Series. And they probably will.

Yanks in 7.

*This is Derek Jeter's time of year. We hear quite often about Jeter's leadership. That's impossible to quantify and sometimes hard to explain. Nick Swisher has watched Jeter up close all year after watching from afar for several years. And now Swisher is Jeter's teammate in the most important month. I asked Swisher this week about what it's been like watching Jeter perform on the big stage:



Along with Jeter, the Yanks are still led by the core group, the Lords of the Rings, if you will. Posada, Pettitte, and Rivera first appeared in the postseason over a decade ago and are still major figures in this Yankee team's postseason drive. That's rare in any sport, for a group of players to not just be there, but making major contributions into their mid and late 30's.

*Mike Scioscia and the Angels have become somewhat of a model franchise in baseball. They have become consistent winners and "play the game the right way" as they like to say. Many of the Yankees have said that, in fact. I asked Scioscia this week about how his team is perceived from the other clubhouse…



*Finally, I don't think there's a player I've enjoyed watching more over the last few years than Torii Hunter, not only because of how well he plays the game but because he is one of the most approachable, sincere, and downright funny guys I've ever had the privilege to cover. Do yourself a favor…listen to Torii address the New York and national media before the start of the ALCS this week and you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about.



He's got us eating out of the palm of his hand, doesn't he?

Enjoy the ALCS.

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Sweeny