It’s funny how fast jeers turn into cheers. Last year many were quick to Derek Jeter write off the Yankees captain after a slow start to the 2011 season shook Jeter’s confidence in his swing and made him look as if the end could have been closing in on his Hall of Fame career.

A year ago, Jeter wasn’t looking like he was in his prime. After batting a career-low .270 in 2010, he carried a .256 average into July last season. After trying a new approach at the plate, which eliminated his customary leg stride, the 16-year veteran shortstop struggled early on and saw his numbers dip and his power decline. When he switched back to his old mechanics about midway through last season, Jeter began to resemble himself at the plate again. Besides a two-homer game on May 8th, he didn’t go deep again until that historical day, July 9th, when he went yard for career hit number 3,000. With his old swing restored and the pressure of 3K behind him, DJ3K began to hit like his former self. Now, his swing has carried over to the 2012 season– and he looks better than ever.

Entering this season, Jeter, who turns 38-years-old this season, made sure he reverted back to his old ways. Despite the Yankees’ ups and downs to start the season, the shortstop is the team’s top hitter so far, a testament to him not switching up his routine. He has six multi-hit games, which is tied for the most in the American League with three other players. He’s slugging a team-best .610, and has an on-base percentage of .395. His six RBIs place him third on the team. But, the power that Jeter has shown has perhaps been the most surprising part to his hot start. Forty percent of his hits have been extra-base hits, and he leads the team in that category. Jeter is now tied for the home run (4) and doubles (4) lead on the team and is batting .385. He has twice as many homers as Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez combined.

Starting with Jeter’s 3,000th career hit last July –which was the start of a magical five-hit day– he’s batting .344 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs. That’s 75 games. And over the Yankees’ past 162 games, of which Jeter played 123, he’s batting .307 (170-for-553) with nine homers and 65 RBIs. He’s batting average of .385 thus far makes it seem as if a batting crown is within reach.

On Monday, the seemingly ageless New York Yankees’ captain and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back home runs off Minnesota Twins starter, and former Yankees’ pitcher, Carl Pavano. Jeter’s opposite-field shot marked his franchise-best 26th homer to lead off a game. Granderson followed Jeter’s drive with another into the right-field seats for the Yankees’ first back-to-back homers to start a game since September 2005, when Jeter and Robinson Cano did it. Yet, despite his continued hot streak the Yankees fell in the first game of their series with the Twins at Yankee Stadium. Jeter is still 19th in the majors’ all-time hits list and is now just 10 hits away from tying former Yankee Dave Winfield.

Jeter’s fearless belief in himself is his most admirable trait. The shortstop, who learned earlier Monday that he was being given an honorary doctorate from Siena, a college in Loudonville, N.Y., will get old someday, but it doesn’t appear that father time will catch up to the Yankees’ legend anytime soon.

Albert Pujols answered the call of duty.

After his team was humiliated by the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NLCS the night before, St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa predicted Pujols would be the hitting star of Game 2. And the St. Louis slugger delivered, single-handedly dismantling the Brewers on Monday night to even the series at one game apiece.

Pujols had a career defining performance in part two of the National League championship series. With an overwhelming display of power, he went 4-for-5 with a homerun, three doubles and five RBIs to lead the Cardinals past the Brewers 12-3.

After Milwaukee’s explosive Game 1 win, the Brewers and Cards engaged in a complete reversal of play. In Sunday night’s opener it was the Brew’s crew supernovas’ Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder who bashed the Cardinals in a 9-6 come-from-behind victory. On Monday night, it was Pujols who put on a hitting clinic, as he game out the gate swinging. The veteran first baseman belted a two-run homer in the first inning –his first since Game 1 of the 2006 World Series- off of Brewers starter Shaun Marcum, followed by a two-run double in the third, an RBI double in the fifth and then another double in the seventh. Brewers’ fans at Miller Park were completely stunned by Pujol’s performance and at how fast the momentum shifted in the series. The crowd of almost 44,000 could only laugh to keep themselves from crying. When the Cardinals leader finally made an out on a broken-bat grounder in the eighth inning, the crowd couldn’t help but to cheer sarcastically.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Pujols became the fourth player in postseason history to accumulated four extra-base hits in a playoff game, joining Hideki Matsui of the Yankees, Pirates great Bob Robertson and Frank Isbell of the 1906 White Sox.

After the Cardinals second baseman Nick Punto contributed a run-scoring single in the fourth, the Brewers showed some life in the bottom of the inning, cutting the deficit to 5-2 when Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks smacked a two-run homer to left field. But Milwaukee’s rally was short lived courtesy of Pujols. In the fifth, he smacked a double off Brewers reliever Marco Estrada into right, scoring Jon Jay to increase the lead to 6-2. Two outs later -in what was the play of the game- the raging Pujols darted home on a wild pitch, beating the throw by catcher Jonathan Lucroy with a feet-first slide. He received his final hit of the evening in the seventh inning, sending a ball down the right-field line that bounced in the stands for a ground-rule double. And he later scored the Cardinals’ eighth run when outfielder  Matt Holliday singled to right, capping off a four-run inning.

Prince Fielder was the Brewers last hope when stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth. He hit an inconsequential solo-homer in the inning, which was later rescinded by the Cardinals’ David Freese own homerun in the ninth, making the final score 12-3.

Cardinals’ starter Edwin Jackson went four and a third innings, giving up Weeks’ homer. St. Louis relief pitcher Lance Lynn picked up the win.

The series now shifts to St. Louis, where Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter takes the mound against Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo for Game 3 on Wednesday night. Will the mighty Pujols treat Cardinals fans to an encore performance?

Photo: LA Times

The Yankees had their chances. Despite loading the bases on two separate occasions, New York couldn’t get that clutch hit in the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS, as the Detroit Tigers struck early and managed to hold off the Bronx Bombers to advance to the American League Championship Series.

New York finished with the best record in the American League (97 wins), but Detroit believed they were the better ballclub. Coming off a 12-game win streak in September, Detroit was the hottest team in baseball as they were the first to clinch a playoff berth. So when it was time to face the Yankees in the Bronx for Game 5 -there were no pregame jitters- the Tigers knew what they had to do- and they delivered. Rookie sensation Ivan Nova, the Game 1 winner who pitched scoreless ball well into the ninth inning, got the start for New York. Nova was brilliant in the opener, but faltered on the biggest start –and stage- of his career Thursday night. After striking out former Yankee Austin Jackson to lead off the game, Nova surrendered consecutive homeruns to Detroit’s third baseman Don Kelly and outfielder Delmon Young for an early 2-0 Tigers lead. It was the first back-to-back postseason homeruns in Tigers’ history and it was the third homer for Young this series. Nova lasted just 31 pitches and six outs for the Yankees, as he exited the decisive game early due to tightness in his right forearm. The rookie finished with three strikeouts, a hit and two runs.

Detroit starter Doug Fister played more like a closer in the first and second innings, allowing only two hits, a walk and striking out five. New York began to pressure the pitcher in the bottom of the fourth, as the Yankees loaded the bases with one out on a walk and two singles. But, Fister managed to escape the inning by popping out Russell Martin and Brett Gardner to strand the bases. In the third, Yankees manager Joe Girardi began to stitch together an assortment of relief pitchers from his bullpen that would buy time until Mariano Rivera checked in. Phil Hughes replaced Nova and was pulled after his 21st pitch, striking out three and allowing two hits in one and one-third innings. Hughes was relieved by Boone Logan in the fourth. Logan gave up a single to the Tigers’ Alex Avila and only lasted seven pitches and two outs before New York called upon their ace CC Sabathia in the fifth. It was the first time in Sabathia’s professional career that he entered a game as a reliever, and the decision to play him proved to do the Yanks more harm than good.

Jackson led off the fifth inning with a double to left. After CC struck out a pair of batters -including Young- Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked to pitch to Sabathia’s former Cleveland teammate Victor Martinez. The Tigers’ designated hitter hit an RBI single to center field that forced an error on Curtis Granderson, who bobbled the ball as he tried to make a quick pick up, as Jackson scored to extend the Tigers’ lead to 3-0. Before a sellout Yankee Stadium that drew a record crowd of 50,960, New York had its chances, but the Bronx Bombers went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-4 with bases loaded, stranding 10 runners.

Robinson Cano was the Yankees only offense on this day. Cano started a New York comeback when he hit solo homerun off of Fister in the fifth, to narrow the deficit to 3-1. Relievers Rafael Soriano, Dave Robertson, and closer Rivera, combined to complete the game for the Yankees, and they were perfect over the final three and two-thirds innings. New York had another opportunity to take the lead in the seventh inning when they load the bases with one out. Tigers’ reliever Joaquin Benoit struck out Alex Rodriguez for two outs. Then, Yankees Captain Derek Jeter scored off a Mark Teixeira walk to make it a one run game (3-2), but Benoit followed up by striking out Nick Swisher to end the inning.

The eighth inning was another chance for the Yankees to take the lead, but when Gardner singled to left, Jeter’s attempt for a two-run homer fell short. Detroit closer Jose Valverde finished off the Yankees in the ninth, in a 1-2-3 inning, striking out A-Rod for the final out and ending New York fans hopes of that 28th World Series championship. It was Valverde second save of the series and by far Rodriguez worst postseason performance of his career, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, last night.

So, the Tigers advance to the next round to play the defending AL champions the Texas Rangers in the ALCS, starting Saturday in Arlington. Detroit ace Justin Verlander will get the start against Texas’ C.J. Wilson. This will be the Tigers’ first trip to the ALCS since 2006.

As the Yankees are left to ponder their postseason failures, sadly, Thursday night’s loss to the Tigers may have been the last time Yankee fans will see Jorge Posada in pinstripes. The 17-year veteran catcher-turned-designated hitter, who won five World Series titles with the Yankees, may look to retire as his time with the organization comes to an end. Although, New York heart wrenching loss to Detroit is a hard pill to swallow, a look back at the 2011 Yankee milestones -Jeter’s 3,000th hit and Rivera’s 603rd save, placing him as the all-time saves leader- should leave fans with many good memories for years to come.

Photo: ESPN

A.J. Burnett may have gotten the win, but it was the reemergence of the Yankees hitters that staved off elimination Tuesday in a 10-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers, swinging the ALDS back to the Bronx for a decisive Game 5.

Burnett overcame a rocky start to pitch five and two-third innings, giving up only a run, four hits and striking out three at Comerica Park. His only scare came in the first when he loaded the bases on walks and then Detroit’s Don Kelly hit a rocket towards center field, forcing former Tiger Curtis Granderson to make a leaping catch–falling backwards to retire the inning and prevent three runs from scoring. After all the trepidation, Burnett escaped the inning and managed to settle down. Other than the Tigers’ Victor Martinez homer to right field in the fourth, the shaky Yanks pitcher came out unscathed and gave New York the start they needed in a must-win game.

Tuesday night wasn’t as kind for Tigers’ starter Rick Porcello. The losing pitcher battled for six innings, allowing four runs, five hits and an intentional walk. Yankees Captain Derek Jeter bounced back from a game-ending strikeout in Game 3, as he put New York ahead (2-0) with a two-run double in the third inning. Granderson contributed an RBI double in the fifth, scoring Brett Gardner and advancing Jeter to third. Alex Rodriguez, who was hitless in the series, added a sacrifice fly to center allowing Jeter to score, pushing the Yanks lead to 4-1.

Rafael Soriano relieved Burnett in the sixth inning. Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit a shot to left-center field, and Granderson, for the second time in the game, made an unbelievable diving catch–hands down the play of the game–sliding across the outfield on his stomach after making the grab. The Yankees bullpen, and Burnett, stood up and applauded their center fielder and AL MVP candidate for his spectacular play. Then, the Bronx Bombers’ bats exploded in the eighth. The Yanks scored six runs, with Robinson Cano pulling in two RBIs, to extend their lead to 10-1, evening the ALDS at two games apiece to reclaim home-field advantage.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Yankees lost five consecutive postseason road games when facing elimination, starting with Game 7 of the 2001 World Series at Arizona. Detroit eliminated New York in Game 4 of the ALDS in ’06, but couldn’t repeat history on this night.

Game 5 of the ALDS is set for Thursday night in New York, in a win-or-go-home finale. Stellar rookie-pitcher Ivan Nova will take the mound for the Yanks and Doug Fister will start for Detroit.

Robinson Cano was the most valuable player Saturday night, but in Game 2 of the ALDS on Sunday, the slugger couldn’t be the hero and save the Yankees in their late game rally, as the Detroit Tigers defeated New York (5-3) to even the series (1-1).

After Detroit starter Max Scherzer pitched sixth shut-out innings in the Bronx, in the ninth, Tigers closer Jose Valverde held off a resounding Yankee comeback, led by outfielder Nick Swisher’s solo homerun (his 4th career postseason homer) that ignited New York’s offense.

Jorge Posada followed with his first career postseason triple and scored off an Andrew Jones sacrifice fly. The Yankees scored twice in the inning, and caught a much-needed break when Detroit catcher Alex Avila lost his footing on a slick on-deck circle, which led to a Curtis Granderson walk.

Cano, who hit a grand slam and had six RBIs in the series opener, entered the batter’s box with two outs and runners on first and second. The rain started to come down in the Bronx, as Cano fell behind in the count. Wiping away the raindrops from his helmet, Robbie hit a groundball towards first base, for the out and the end of the game.

Game 3 is Monday night in Detroit. In what’s being pegged as a rematch of Game 1′s heavyweight pitching duel, Yankees ace CC Sabathia, again, will start against Detroit’s Justin Verlander. The two All-Stars faced each other in the series opener Friday night, but the game was postponed, due to rain, after only an inning and a half of play.

They trailed the Boston Red Sox by nine games the first week of September. Last night, they were down by seven runs against the New York Yankees. In fact, they were down to their last out in the ninth inning. And then the Tampa Bay Rays managed to rally all the way back to defeat the Yanks and clinch the 2011 American League Wild Card.

Some fans at Tropicana Field had left. Most stayed. And they were rewarded.

On the final day of the regular season, the Yankees led the Rays by the score of 7-0 heading into the eighth inning. With the big lead, New York manager Joe Girardi, pulled his starters and inserted Yanks reserves to finish the game. A mistake. Tampa Bay capitalized off of New York’s Triple-A squad lineup and staged a remarkable comeback. Third baseman Evan Longoria hit a pair of homers. His first was a three-run homerun in the eighth inning that capped a six-run rally by the Rays. However, it was his second homer that won the wild card for the Rays. The 12th inning, line-drive blast over the left-field wall not only placed Tampa Bay into the postseason, but put Longoria into the history books, as his clutch homerun became the sixth game-winning homer in major league history to clinch a postseason berth.

The four hour and fifty-four minute game summed up the type of baseball Tampa Bay has played all season. Through adversity, the Rays fought back in the month of September and earned the right to play in the AL playoffs. Wednesday night’s victory extended the Ray’s season at least for a couple more days, but abruptly ended the run of the Boston Red Sox.

It happened within minutes of each other. At Camden Yards, the Red Sox’s lost to the Baltimore Orioles (4-3), when pitcher Jonathan Papelbon couldn’t close out the O’s after Boston took a one-run lead heading into the ninth inning. Three minutes later, Tampa Bay defeated the New York Yankees in a come from behind victory (8-7), knocking out the Sox to clinch the Wild Card.

Wednesday night posted a shocking turn of events. Kismet? Maybe. A fluke? No way. One team knew how to finish, while the other, had no clue how to get it done. Tampa Bay trailed the Sox by nine games on September 2nd. But after a miserable start to the month, Boston continued their dismal slide, finishing with a 7-20 record in September. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Red Sox became the first team to miss the postseason after leading by as many as nine games for a playoff spot entering September. Perhaps Boston will go down with one of the worst collapses in baseball history, after garnering the most acclaim during the start of this season. But the fact of the matter remains, the Red Sox (90-72) don’t deserve to be in the postseason, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (91-71) do.

Baseball in September has never been better. And we’re hoping the month of October wows us just the same. The Yanks with host the Tigers and the Rays will travel to Texas to face the Rangers in the AL Division Series, starting Friday.

Who will you root for?

Everyone counted them out. Yet, when the New York Yankees began the 2011 MLB season (despite their “depleted roster”) they knew from experience that it’s not how you start, but how you finish, that counts.

After the Texas Rangers dethroned the defending World Series champs in the ALCS last season, the Yanks made little-to-none offseason acquisitions to improve their roster. After failing to acquire pitcher Cliff Lee last December and losing Andy Pettitte to retirement, New York watched as their divisional rivals the Boston Red Sox – who racked up Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Bobby Jenks this winter – were heralded as the team to win the AL East.

Some baseball experts predicted the Yankees wouldn’t even make the playoffs due to their “aging” roster.

So on Wednesday afternoon, when the Bronx Bombers swept their doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays (4-2) to clinch the American League East Division championship – their second divisional title in the last three years, and their 12th since 1995 – the Yankees’ clubhouse was filled with champagne and laughter. The Yankees aren’t often considered “underdogs,” but this season they gladly accepted the role ushered upon them.

Accomplishing the majority of their regular-season goals with a week to spare, the Yanks earned their 16th playoff berth in 17 seasons on Wednesday, behind the game-winning play of Jorge Posada and the all-time league leader in saves (603) Mariano Rivera.

The month of September is one Boston wishes they can play over. The Sox have been one of the worst teams in baseball, having lost 14 out of the last 18 games. And as fate would have it, Boston (88-68) heads into the Big Apple this weekend to face the Yanks as they fight to keep their playoff hopes alive. New York (95-61) – who relishes the thought of eliminating their rivals – on the other hand looks to continue their strong play and secure home-field advantage throughout the post-season. And although Boston has owned the season series against the NY, having taken 11 of 15 games, the Yankees see this series and next week’s final three at Tampa Bay as their last turn down the stretch.

Unfortunately, most baseball experts can’t look past the Yankees’ payroll to give them credit for playing such a great season. But, as the Red Sox may have regretfully discovered during this long season; no matter how much a ball club spends on their roster, money can’t buy chemistry and the will to win. Although the Yanks have the highest-paid roster in baseball, their success is attributed to the core group of players (Jeter, Rivera and Posada) that make up that clubhouse and who, at the end of the day, sacrifice money – and individual accolades – for the betterment of the team and the pursuit of another world championship. No amount of money can buy that.

The sight of a kid toting a leather mitt and a pair of cleats has become rare in most American inner cities. Yet across the country, baseball proponents are looking to revitalize the sport where its decline has been the sharpest. It’s happening on weekends, at Verizon Field in lower Manhattan. On a warm October day last year, the catcher had a picture-perfect view of the East River from home plate. The freshly raked field gleamed as the boys trotted across the diamond for Saturday afternoon practice. Youthful legs zoomed around the bases. The boys ranged in age from 13 to 15 and represented some of New York City’s finest young talent. Although the regular season had ended, these players were preparing for high-pressure tryouts to earn coveted positions at elite boarding schools.

For these kids, baseball is not only a pastime; it’s a means to an education. Eighth-grader Izzy David was among those who would try out the following day for a slot on an upstate New York boarding-school team, which could potentially lead to a college scholarship. “I started playing at five years old,” the 13-year-old second baseman said. “It gets me away from things and calms me down. It’s taught me that not everything comes to [me] in one day.”

David can develop his game thanks to the Major League Baseball initiative, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (known in shorthand as RBI). Former player John Young started RBI in Los Angeles in 1989; it has grown to become an international program in 160 cities and encourages 120,000 boys and girls each year to join baseball and softball teams. In 1997, RBI merged with the Boys and Girls Clubs, which expanded its outreach to kids like David. The annual RBI World Series in Orlando has become a major draw.

Although the majority of RBI’s participants won’t continue on to the majors, exemplary players do emerge. The major leagues have drafted more than 170 former RBI players, including the Boston Red Sox’s Carl Crawford, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins, the New York Yankees’ CC Sabathia and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ James Loney.

Loney, a promising first baseman, played on an RBI team in his native Houston in 1999. He was a first-round draft pick in 2002. He remains involved with RBI in Houston as well as L.A. “In baseball, we’re learning something new every day,” Loney said. “The more you know at a younger age, you can develop better. Baseball is precision. Kids are playing other sports. It might be boring to watch if you don’t know all of the rules. I don’t think they know all the strategies. Once you learn all of that, it’s much more exciting.”