The New York Yankees:

During a busy off-season, the New York Yankees continue to stock-pile major league mega-stars.  With a roster already closely resembling the American League All-Star team, Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera all return to a club that won its thirty-ninth league championship in 2003.  As the World Series crown eluded the Bombers for the second time in the past three years, the Boss, George Stienbrenner, reloaded the AL Champs for 2004.

Losing starting pitchers Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, the Yankees compensated buy acquiring a lion-share of the top players in the league.  Former-Braves Gary Sheffield and Darren Bragg are now in pinstripes.  Base thief Kenny Lofton comes to the Yankees via the Chicago Cubs.  Former-Cardinal Miguel Cairo arrives in New York for 2004.  The Yankees didn’t completely over-look their pitching staff either signing six pitchers including the marquee hurler Kevin Brown of the Dodgers.

With a staked lineup, 2004’s New York Yankees anticipated the franchise’s twenty-seventh World Series Championship.  The team's chances sky-rocketed after the biggest trade for the Yankees, nay baseball, this off-season.   New York acquired 2003 AL MVP Alex Rodriguez.  By sending Alfonso Soriano and minor leaguer to be named later to Texas for A-Rod, the anticipation and the pressure to win have never been higher in the Big Apple.