Back-Page Barometer Postseason Edition #5 (10/11)

In which we track the Yankees' Postseason Exploits Through the All-Seeing Eye(s) of the New York Post and the New York Daily News.

GAME: Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the AL East Champion Yankees and the AL West Champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

RESULT: Angels 5, Yankees 3

SUMMARY (25 Words or Less): Adam Kennedy's two-run triple was the difference in the game as the Angels beat the Yankees, 5-3, to advance to the American League Championship Series.

HEADLINE EDGE? After putting up MVP-caliber numbers during the regular season, Alex Rodriguez went a woeful 2-for-15 in the playoffs, further cementing his reputation as a player who doesn't come through in the clutch. A-Rod's last at-bat of the season was his biggest failure, as he grounded into an around-the-horn double play in the ninth inning after Derek Jeter had led off the frame with a single.

Still, baseball is a team sport, and the YANKEES lost this series, not A-ROD. For that reason, we're going to have to choose the Post as the superior back cover. Yes, A-Rod is on the back of both covers, but in the Post he is used as a symbol of the Yankees' failure, not the root cause of it. "Bronx Bum$" is a bitter jab at the entire organization, and their inability to win despite a monumentally large payroll.

"A-Dog" is a great headline in and of itself. If it had been used during the regular season, we here at GPC would have loved it. But for the News to go with such a frivolous choice the day after the collapse of the entire season seems a bit misguided.

No doubt the tabs will be full of hysterical rumor-mongering in the coming weeks and months regarding the state of the Yankees. Perhaps we here at GPC will continue to cover such developments. The future remains to be seen, however, as we are due for a bit of soul-searching regarding not just this blog but for life in general. Please check back.