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For the first time since 1993 (excluding the strike year), the MLB playoffs will not feature a team from New York.

What a shame.

How dare the baseball world move on to the post-season without the Yankees or Mets. It's the first time this has happened since the divisional series and wildcard have been added. Just think about the waste of millions of dollars with each team.

The Yankees focused on their potent lineup, but did not add any depth to their rotation and it cost them. They relied on pitching "prospects" Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes to bolster their staff, but they ended up in Triple-A or the DL for the majority of the year. They dealt other prospects away for Ivan Rodriguez and Xavier Nady to replace the injuries of Posada and Matsui. All for not.

Then you have the Metropolitans who went out and traded potential superstar Carlos Gomez to Minnesota for Johan Santana. The hope was for Santana to push the Mets into the post-season after last season's September collapse. Santana did his part. The Mets bullpen did not. The pen was awful, especially after losing Billy Wagner to injury late in the season. They wasted numerous Santana starts all season and then could not close out games down the stretch, leading to another missed playoff opportunity.

Talk about two teams with similar comparisons. Two New York teams closing their respectable stadiums this year, featuring $100+ million payrolls and nothing to show for it on the last day of the season.

We won't have to hear from the Big Apple this October, and that's just fine with me.