A few thoughts on this season

I'm certainly bummed the Yankees aren't playing in October this year, but at the same time, a bit relieved. Not that I'm not always rooting for deep October runs. However, as a Yankee fan, I've certainly been a bit spoiled over the past few decades. While the World Series titles aren't as frequent as they were in late '90s, it's still fun to watch your team in the playoffs with the hope of winning 11 (or 12 or 13) more games and being crowned champs. It was a nice change of pace with so many meaningful games in September, and although it didn't work out, it felt good to fight tooth and nail for a playoff spot.

And while the games the final week of the season shouldn't have been very meaningful, they were very special. It was amazing to see Mariano River and Andy Pettitte go out the way they did. While it would have been more special to see them celebrating with champagne, their endings were each pretty special in their own right.

This year wasn't mean to be for the Yanks. I knew going in that the team just wasn't as strong as the past few years. The front office did a horrible job of bringing in washed-up players and expecting the team to content. They seem to have gotten a little cocky because one year deals for role players have worked surprisingly well over the past few years. But it's silly to rely on that strategy.

Yet, somehow the Yanks contended right up until the last seven days or so. They had every opportunity to seize a Wild Card spot, but couldn't seem to get over the hump. A semi-normal season from CC Sabathia or Hiroki Kuroda not crashing into a wall the final six weeks, and things could be very different.

Injuries also played a big role (I know, I know, every team says that), and hopefully this off-season serves as a good time to get guys rested and back on the field in 2014. The farm system took a bit of a step back after a major step forward in 2012. Hopefully a few players who were expected to break out find their form in '14.

Good luck to your respective teams in the Playoffs this off-season!