OAKLAND, CA—According to sources from the four Major League Baseball teams still in contention for the World Series title, the New York Yankees' first-round elimination has made the mood in the 2006 playoffs much more pressure-free. "When [the Yankees] lost, it was like this giant weight had been lifted," said Oakland A's manager Ken Macha, who noticed that his team was "a little on edge" during their series against the Twins. "Now my team can just go out there, have a good time playing baseball, and not worry about the Yankees getting this idea in their head that it's all about winning." Tony LaRussa, Willie Randolph, and Jim Leyland agreed with Macha's assessment, adding that with the Yankees out of the playoffs, it will also be much easier to win the World Series.