What the Yankees showed in the stretch run — and why it might not matter

When it comes to the playoffs, I am not sure what to make of how the season ends.

The inclination is to put weight on it, because it offers the most recent sample. Momentum. Confidence. Et cetera. But who knows?

I always use the example of Graeme Lloyd. The Yankees acquired the lefty in late Aug. 1996. Soon after the acquisition — in the midst of him pitching horribly — the Yankees learned he had taken a cortisone shot for his elbow. They tried to rescind or restructure the trade.

He pitched to a 17.47 ERA in 13 Yankees appearances, raising questions about whether to put him on the playoff roster or not. It seemed dubious when they did. And how did it turn out? The Yankees probably do not win a championship that year without Lloyd’s excellence, especially in the World Series against Atlanta.