Ken Davidoff's baseball insider

We in the media are always trying to establish ultimatums, deadlines, now-or-nevers - what have you. When it comes to sports, in particular, we're wrong at an alarming rate.

So I refuse to point to this week as do-or-die for the Yankees, because it turns out that this guy is far wiser than they thought back in the day. It truly ain't over until it's over.

Therefore, I won't pinpoint a date when the Yankees will finally get it together. I'll just say that I think they will, in time to capture the American League wild card. Thanks to these reasons:

1. They'll catch up to their Pythagorean record. With 398 runs scored and 336 runs allowed, the Yankees should be 42-31, not 36-37. That they've underachieved speaks partly to poor relief pitching, partly to poor defense, partly to poor late-inning execution _ and partly to dumb luck. Their 4-12 record in one-run games, as opposed to their 32-25 record in other contests, reflects that, as well, and teams' one-run-game winning percentage usually matches their overall winning percentage.

2. Because they have the easiest schedule of all AL wild-card contenders, as my hard-working colleague Jim Baumbach detailed Monday.

3. Because, for whatever reason, they've been a better second-half team than first-half team since 2005, even though the same age/depth/bullpen issues have hovered.

4. Because they have the best player in baseball.

(Kidding, kidding. Where have all the A-Rod bashers gone, anyway?)

5. Because their starting rotation should, and will continue to, keep them in most games.