Whether you're willing to admit it or not, Joe Q. Baseball Fan needed the New York Yankees to make it to the World Series.

That their payroll is somewhere north of a mind-boggling $201 million makes them easily dislikable. Their tradition and history, though, make them worthy of respect. That you have a feeling either way signifies the importance of their appearance in tonight's World Series opener.

The pinstripes, the nostalgia, the new House That Rudy Built -- the Yankees are on the short list of professional sports organizations that evoke emotion from even the casual follower. Not unlike the Dallas Cowboys or the Los Angeles Lakers, if the New York Yankees are playing you have a rooting interest. Either you want them to win or you want them to lose, and there is no in between.

Sure, the celebrity cameos -- from Jay-Z to Kate Hudson to former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was in office when the Yankees reached a preliminary agreement with the city to help fund their majestic new billion-dollar ballpark -- will become tired.

So will the endless obvious observations of Tim McCarver. ("He really needs to throw a strike here, Joe." Thanks, Doctor. What's next, do you think they really need to score a run next inning, too? McCarver is one more "The catcher must block the ball" diatribe from me throwing my shoe through the television.)

But McCarver's tired routine would be magnified if this were a Yankees-free Series. Sure, the Philadelphia Phillies are the defending champs. Yes, the Boston Red Sox have become the team of the decade and are nestled just outside the realm of those in the hallowed halls of demanding every fan to pick a side regardless of affliation.

The Yankees are the long-standing poster boys of summer. Since 1996 when the New Yorkers topped the Atlanta Braves, the three most-watched World Series and four of the top five involved the Yankees, according to Nielson.

Coming off last year's slowdown between the Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays in the least-watched Series ever, baseball needed a marquee matchup, especially considering the timing. This Sunday, when Game 4 is scheduled in Philadelphia, baseball will cap a sports fan utopia with the NFL, the NBA, and NASCAR all holding meaningful contests. A ho-hum Series would have been largely ignored on the national scene against that kind of competition.

This is hardly ho-hum. And barring a series of unforeseen incidents, the Yankees will be regular visitors to late October for the foreseeable future. Long known as an organization that was willing to spare no expense in its chase for the championship, New York has finally matched some sense with its dollars. High-priced additions such as CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira have delivered -- breaking the familiar run that New York was determined to prove that money could not buy happiness.

Age is beginning to tarnish some of the familiar names of the this New York run. Derek Jeter, who will appear in his seventh World Series tonight, is 35. Ace closer Mariano Rivera will be 40 in November, and Johnny Damon quickly is closing in on 36. The infusion of new blood -- and hundreds of millions of dollars -- have rebuilt the roster, and the Yankees are closing in on what would be their 28th world championship.

Whether they claim it or not will be more entertaining than anything else baseball can offer up.