PinnacleSports.com posted The Yankees as underdogs

Now that the All-Star game has passed and the second half of the Major League Baseball season gets underway this weekend, the playoff push will begin as the contenders try to separate themselves from the pretenders in the next three months. Injuries to star players, an aging pitching staff and some other American League clubs enjoying remarkable seasons have many believing this will be the first season the New York Yankees miss the playoffs under Joe Torre.

After initially being favorites in April to make the postseason for a twelfth straight season, PinnacleSports.com now lists the New York Yankees as underdogs to make the 2006 MLB playoffs. The reasons can be injuries to star players, an aging pitching staff and some other American League clubs who had enjoyed remarkable seasons.

PinnacleSports.com opened bets with the New York Yankees as a 5/8 favorite to be playoff-bound again this season under Joe Torre. In less than two weeks, customers flocked to the site supporting another Yankees postseason appearance, which changed the odds to an devastating 2/9 favorite.

Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield being injured and the brilliant game play for Boston, Detroit and Chicago made peoples belief that the Yankees will win for the twelfth time straight the season vanish in the wind and now PinnacleSports.com lists New York as a 5/4 underdog to be playing in October.

In the meantime, the sports book now lists the chances Steinbrenner's Yanks will miss the playoffs as a 5/7 favorite. In the opinion of Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com, the Yankees looked like favorites for the playoffs early in the season, but getting a higher number of injuries, not proven players logging significant time, a deficiency of quality pitching and massive competition for postseason berths in the AL have taken their duty and could bring an end to the team's postseason streak.

Bettors continue to demonstrate their lack of belief in this year's Yankees crew, PinnacleSports.com now lists the team at 11/1 to win the World Series after originally opening as 4/1 favorites to win their 27th championship.