The New York Yankees' season has gone so badly, the wife of team president Randy Levine taped bubble wrap around the TV remotes to keep the furniture from getting damaged. Hard to believe, given its $200 million payroll, but Major League Baseball's most glamorous team will be missing the playoffs after a run of 13 consecutive postseason appearances. That's just one shy of the record set by the Atlanta Braves from 1991-2005. The Yankees haven't been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention since Sept. 27, 1993, when Bill Clinton was a first-year president. New York's regulars then included Mike Stanley and Pat Kelly along with a young Bernie Williams, Don Mattingly, Paul O'Neill and Wade Boggs. Derek Jeter was a 19-year-old playing at Greensboro in the Class A South Atlantic League, teammate of a 22-year-old starting pitcher named Mariano Rivera. Andy Pettitte was 21 and spent most of the year at Prince William of the Class A Carolina League, where he pitched to Jorge Posada, a 22-year-old catcher. Those four went on to form the core of MLB's final dynasty of the 20th century. But this year, New York's fortunes have crumbled like a Wall Street bank, leaving Yankee Stadium set to close on Sunday with no October games in its final season. “Our everyday position players did not perform up to their typical ability,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “Not everyone. But I would say mostly as a unit we've struggled there from injuries and underperformance.” Ever since winning the 2000 World Series for their third straight title, and fourth in five years, the Yankees have regressed. They lost in the Series in 2001 and 2003, and didn't get past the first round for the last three seasons. In 2007, their streak of nine straight American League East division titles came to an end. This year's team never jelled, which was not what Joe Girardi expected in his first year as manager. He replaced Joe Torre, who signed on as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and now appears headed to the playoffs again.
