Just Be Happy That The Yankees Made It This Far

Stop me if you've heard this: It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. In the Yankees' case, it's the other way around, as in, it's all about getting to the World Series.

With only 12 game remaining for the Bombers this season, it's looking like a long shot that the Yanks actually make the playoffs even though they're just 2.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot as they enter play in Toronto tonight.

I say that because we all know what's wrong with this squad as they prepare for a 12-game stretch that includes playing against two last place teams -- the Houston Astros and Blue Jays -- with a three-game series against the fourth place San Francisco Giants, and then one important set against the Tampa Bay Rays next week in the Bronx.

The starting pitching is hurting the team more than anything else at the moment, and I guess you could also include the bullpen that hasn't been very good lately, either.

In the last seven days, the Yankees, as a team, have accumulated an ERA of 5.80 -- good for 13th in the American League, ahead of only the Seattle Mariners (5.98) and Minnesota Twins (6.85). For the entire month of September, their 6.27 ERA ranks them dead last in the majors -- Yeah, I know, that's behind everyone.

But that's just for the last few weeks, and, somehow, the Yankees are still in the Wild Card race. Yet, if the Yanks actually end up making the playoffs, none of that will matter, because all that will matter is that they made it to the playoffs regardless of how they got there.

Look at it this way: In spring training, no body picked the Yankees to make the playoffs. Joe Girardi probably thought that it would take a miracle to get this team to October.

The Yankees let go of Russell Martin, who's now walking into October with the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of the best teams in the National League, Nick Swisher, who's now in this postseason race with the Cleveland Indians, and not to mention Raul Ibaniez, who nearly has 30 homeruns for the Seattle Mariners.

On the opposite side of the subtractions, the Yankees brought in almost no one, apart from Kevin Youkilis, who the Yanks singed for 1-year $13 million to only play 28 games because of back surgery.

Along with bringing back aging veterans such as Andy Pettitte and Ichiro Suzuki, the Yankees rushed around in the spring to bring in Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells and Lyle Ovebay. Those three played big roles early, but the production value has dropped of dramatically lately, and, of course, Hafner is basically out for the year because of shoulder problems.

If you don't remember this, the Yankees' Opening Day DH was Ben Francisco -- who was also terrible. In a yea when the Yankees have used a franchise-record of 56 players, mostly due to the new injury suffered every day, they have managed to stay in this race.

In a season where Derek Jeter has played in only 17 games, they've managed to stay in the race. In a season where CC Sabathia is pitching like a No. 4 starter at best, they've managed to stay in this race. And in a season where Mark Teixeria has playing in 12 games, and Curtis Granderson was on the DL twice for broken bones, and I still haven't even mentioned what's been happening around Alex Rodriguez and his looming 211-game suspension.

The point is that the Yankees have been through so much this season, and yet they find themselves with still a great chance to make the playoffs with only 12 games remaining, even when every expert on the planet expected them to miss the playoffs -- even I expected them to miss out for the second time since
1994.

Now matter what happens in this final stretch run, just remember that no other team in the Wild Card race has been through half of what the New York Yankees have had to deal with this season.

The Yankees might not reach their destination this season -- a World Series championship -- but I'll be damned if it wasn't one hell of a journey.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter.