More with the Yankees than with any other North American sports team, you dig into the files.
You look at the 2015 Yankees, and you ask: Of which previous year does this group remind you?
For me, two years, 1996 and 2004, come to mind. Here’s why:
1) Those clubs, like this one, staked out substantial American League East leads at about the two-thirds mark.
2) Those clubs, like this one, faced the challenge of divisional rivals that looked quite imposing, the Yankees’ large divisional leads notwithstanding. Those teams saw their advantages dwindle considerably before righting themselves in time to win the division.