Yankees can hold on to win AL East
Derek Jeter hits a solo home run off of Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Casey Janssen in the ninth inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. (Aug. 27, 2012) Credit: AP
Listening to Derek Jeter after games recently, it's hard not to imagine him in a ROTC uniform, much like Kevin Bacon's "Animal House" character Chip Diller, trying to quiet the rising panic building around the Yankees.
"Stay calm -- all is well" makes for a nice September slogan, and Jeter, owner of five World Series rings, is not much for hysterics. But we all know what happened to the arm-waving Chip -- the galloping crowd flattened him.
Don't expect that to happen to Jeter and the Yankees, despite a lineup hitting like cardboard cutouts lately and a freakish rash of injuries that tend to make people wonder if the worst is yet to come. So here are five reasons to believe the Yankees will rally off the ropes to the American League East title.
