Ending the Decade On Top

It has been a couple days since the Yankees won the World Series. I have gathered myself enough so that I feel comfortable writing about it, though I still find myself smiling and whooping from time to time. If I had written even two days after the Yankees won, the comments would have been pretty inane, mostly just Woooooooooooo!!! and other celebratory phrases. Don’t get me wrong I still bust out a celebration every now and then but now I have enough self-control not to write them down. The reason every New York Yankees fan feels so strongly about this win, I think, is just how much has changed over the past decade.

In 2000, everything was going great. The Yankees had just come off their third straight World Series win and looked to be the team that would dominate the first decade of the new millennium. The baseball season was going great in 2001 until September 11^th happened. The world changed and so did New York baseball. Anyone who watches the video of President Bush throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium barely weeks after 9/11 cannot help but feel an indescribable swell of emotion. Baseball helped distract Americans from the terrible events that had occurred. The Yankees made it to the World Series and fought for their city and made New York proud by reaching the World Series, serving a higher purpose simply by winning baseball games. Then a bloop hit ended the series but I did not think the coming years would go the way it did even after a crushing World Series loss. The Yankee’s decade went downhill from there.

Dominated in 2003 essentially just by Josh Beckett, the Yankees looked poised to return to form until the 2004 postseason and the historic collapse that I shudder to discuss any further. After 2004 things just didn’t feel right. The Yankees, always big spenders during the Steinbrenner era, spent gobs of money on free agents who never seemed to help the team in the ways that really matter. Postseason struggles continued until 2008 when the Yankees did not even make the playoffs during the final year at the old Yankee Stadium. Having all the Yankees on the field saying their goodbye’s to the old Yankee stadium and welcoming in the new ballpark before October ball had even started was painful, all the more so because of the discouraging years that came before 2008.

There is a reason this team got a ticker-tape parade. Too much has been made about Yankees fans complaining about not winning a title in 9 years, which is like a lifetime for other clubs. It is not about the length of time, it is about what happened during that period. The Yankees entered the decade as a dynasty and then, much like everyone else in New York, had their legs cut out from under them in 2001. After plodding around for 8 years of over-priced aging talent, epic postseason failures, petty clubhouse squabbles, tabloid reports, Joe Torre’s dysfunctional termination, the Boss’s declining health, the first missed postseason in 14 years coming in Joe Girardi’s first year, and being everyone’s favorite punching bag throughout the decade, the Yankees needed to win to close out the decade.

Throughout other teams' championship droughts or even postseason droughts, I doubt that their failures were as highly criticized or over-publicized as the Yankees were. The stress of growing up being a Yankee’s fan in this era has been great. Not only is the team losing, but they are still paying the most money and everyone continues to love to hate the Yankees. Being a Yankee fan when the Yankees are not winning, or even when they are, is difficult because you constantly are being forced to defend them from any number of worn-out attacks. Other teams are able to be bad quietly without much attention, the Yankees aren’t.

That is why it has been a long decade. But, now that the Yankees have won I can enjoy this victory with my friends and more importantly my family. I can enjoy this victory because of all the problems it washes away and how one season is able to change my outlook on an entire decade and because winning just feels great. It will be a memory that I will treasure for a long time. Some people say that the Yankees have won so many championships that the fans aren’t able to appreciate them as much as they should. I disagree.

How Things End

When my wife and I got married, we’d only known each other for two and a half months. There were many skeptics. When I told my father the news, he said something that has stayed with me to this day: “these things,” he said “are not measured by how they begin, they are measure by how they end”. I think this is an appropriate criteria for the 2009 New York Yankees. To say that we had an inauspicious beginning is an understatement, I’m not much for hyperbole but consider the following:

• Before the first pitch of spring training The Yankees had to deal with Alex Rodriguez’ steroid circus, the accusation, the mea culpa press conference, and concerns over A-Rod’s mental fortitude to deal with it all.
• Then it seems that the universe was piling it on to A-Rod, books by Selena Roberts and Joe Torre painted an even dimer view of Rodriguez in and out of the locker room. He pulls out of the World Baseball Classic with a hip injury, has surgery, and misses the first few weeks of the year.
• CC Sabathia labored during his first few outings
• Teixeira had his infamous slow start in April
• Going 0-for-8 against the Red Sox to start the season, were criticism of Girardi’s over-managing gained momentum
• Chien-Ming Wang goes 1-for-6 with a 9.64 ERA, hurts his shoulder, then his foot
  

The Yankees were 8 back of the Red Sox before getting it together in June and turning their season around in a hurry to get to their 27th Championship. Everything came together for this team, the pitching solidified, the offense became more consistent, the defense was sharp, all things that can be attributed to talent and execution. But then we began to notice other aspects of their game develop, the kinds of things that make a team special or at least poised for something great.

Things that we notice which excite us a fans and makes us wonder aloud: this could be the year. Two-out rallies, numerous comeback wins, consistent contributions from the bottom of the lineup, scoring almost 1/2 of their runs after the 6th inning, poise at the plate, working the count, no desperation when loosing by a few runs, bullpen contributions. These characteristics are the result of more than talent and execution, they are the tangible result of team character and chemistry.

Even after winning 103 games, the most in the league, there were questions about the way that Girardi was setting up the pitching rotation, the Joba experiment, would A-Rod finally come through in the postseason, can Sabathia improve his postseason record specially when asked to pitch with 3 days rest, how can the Yankees loose Posada’s bat in order to accommodate AJ Burnett with Molina behind the plate, which Burnett would show up...but this team embraced a blue collar approach and was determined to work through any obstacles to be victorious at the end.

The Yankees did not hesitate in their approach to the job at hand, they did not shy away from challenges, they didn’t get too high or too low, and they did not allow for doubt to permeate their thoughts. They were clear in their purpose and continued to do what was necessary to become World Champions. No one in sports is under more pressure to finish the job than the New York Yankees, to whom much is given much is expected, and finish the job they did. This is how things end, not with a whimper, but with the bang of fireworks and the loud proclamation that the 2009 New York Yankees are World Champions.

This is the Guy with the Predictions?

Overrated. That's all I have to say. I respect the Phillies. I like the Phillies. I do not respect or like this man. He should not be even called a man. (In case you didn't know that is Jimmy Rollins, who stated that if they were lucky the Yankees would win one game this series)

Enjoy This New York Yankees World Series Win!

Not much else to say. It is a great day for any Yankee fan. The Yankees have played great this postseason and got the win. They won it for the boss, for themselves, for the fans, and for everyone who supported them.

The Yankees won the World Series. That is really really nice to say. It is especially nice to say because it quiets so many people! Now that they are all quiet we can unite as fans and enjoy this moment.

Happy thoughts everyone. The-e-e-e-e-e Yankees WIN!!!

Matsui wins MVP

Hideki Matsui won the World Series MVP award. Congrats to him and the Yankees and lets enjoy the moment, folks.

New York Yankees Defeat Philadelphia Phillies in Six Games, Win World Series

The Yankees defeated the Phillies tonight 7-3, and won the World Series in six games. With tonights victory the Yankees have 27 World Series victories and 40 pennants.

Random Notes:

-Clutchest Pitcher in baseball history=Mariano Rivera

-Only the Yankees fans would go crazy over not winning a World Series in 10 years. In a place like Kansas City, making the playoffs twice in 10 years is an amazing feat.

-I was in Philadelphia earlier today and I was booed heavily (I wore a Yankees jersey)

-I was cursed at by two 80-year-old ladies and challenged to a fight by a teenage girl

-Philadelphia has great food, so they at least have that going for them

-Damaso Marte just skyrocketed his status with the Yankees fans. What a postseason for him.

-This could have been Andy Pettite's last career game.

-What a postseason for Hideki Matsui. It will be very tough not to bring him back next year....don't be surprised if the White Sox sign Damon and the Yankees sign Matsui/Bay/Holliday.

-Cano needs to step it up in the clutch.

-The Yankees won the World Series.

-Spike Lee is one impressive fan.

-Alex Rodriguez finally won a World Series.

-The Yankees won the World Series

-Tough loss for the Phillies, even tougher for dirt-bag Jimmy Rollins. (I don't mind any other player on the team)

-THE YANKEES WON THE WORLD SERIES

Yankees vs. Phillies World Series Game 6 Live Chat!

Why So Worried?

Tonight the Yankees come back home to New York after a fairly successful stretch in Philadelphia. I am curious as to why the mood has swung in the Phillies favor. The Yankees took two out of three as visitors to Citizens Bank Park and did so with one dramatic victory in game 4 and a sound victory in game 3. They lost game 5 but only because AJ Burnett imploded in the early innings. The Yankees fought back, scored 5 runs off of Cliff Lee who has been the most dominant pitcher this postseason and were in a position to win the game. Not only does this show that the Yankees have regained some offensive prowess that was lacking in the first two games but it also shows that the bullpen was able to hold things together and give the Yankees a chance to win. With Andy Pettitte working on short rest in game 6 the show of strength from the bullpen has got to count for something because it puts less pressure on Pettitte to get directly to Mariano Rivera. So my question is, why all of a sudden does every Yankee fan, anti-Yankee fan, Philly fan, or sports pundit all of a sudden think that the Phillies have the momentum in the series?

The only thing that really should make the Phillies confident is that Chase Utley has been a man among boys and that some, but not all, of the Phillies bats are starting to wake up. But has their pitching, both starting and in the bullpen, been any better? Has Ryan Howard stopped slumping? Did they demolish the Yankees at home and take a lead in the series? All of these questions are answered simply by saying no. Brad Lidge was given a mental health day in game 5. And how confident should the Phillies be if they win game 6? Are they going to start Cole Hamels who apparently doesn’t even want to be playing baseball anymore or are they going to mix and match Joe Blanton and JA Happ? Howard seems to be doing his best to tie the World Series strikeout record. Oh, and by the way, the Yankees lead the series 3-2! For all the questions being raised about the Yankees, shouldn’t there be more about the Phillies? The Phillies have a much tougher task than the Yankees do.

Certainly I would have liked the Yankees to win game 5 and end the series. But for seemingly the entire sports world to suddenly believe that the Yankees should hit the panic button after game 5 is fairly ridiculous. All we need to do, as fans, is have faith in the Yankee’s ability to win the series. And that is pretty easy to do considering the winningest pitcher in postseason history is taking the mound for the Yankees tonight.

GAME RECAP: WORLD SERIES GAME 5

AJ Burnett gets rocked early, Yankees unable to complete the comeback late

FINAL SCORE: YANKEES 6 PHILLIES 8 (F9th)

SCORING PLAYS

• Top of the 1st: Johnny Damon singles to center field. Alex Rodriguez doubles to right field, Damon scores (NYY 1, PHI 0)
• Bottom of the 1st: Jimmy Rollins singles to center field. Shane Victorino hit by pitch. Chase Utley homers to right field. Rollins, Victorino, & Utley scores (NYY 1, PHI 3)
• Bottom of the 3rd: Chase Utley walks. Ryan Howard walks. Jayson Werth singles to center field. Utley scores, Howard to 2nd base (NYY 1, PHI 4)
• Bottom of the 3rd: Raul Ibanez singles to right field. Howard scores, Werth to 3rd (NYY 1, PHI 5)
• Bottom of the 3rd: Carlos Ruiz grounds into a force out, Werth scores (NYY 1, PHI 6)
• Top of the 5th: Eric Hinske draws a 1-out walk. Derek Jeter singles to right field, Hinske to 3rd. Johnny Damon gounds out softly to first base, Hinske scores (NYY 2, PHI 6)
• Bottom of the 7th: Chase Utley homers to right field (NYY 2, PHI 7)
• Bottom of the 7th: Raul Ibanez homers to right field (NYY 2, PHI 8)
• Top of the 8th: Johnny Damon gets an infield hit. Mark Teixeira doubles to left field, Damon to 3rd. Alex Rodriguez doubles to left field, Damon & Teixeira scores (NYY 4, PHI 8)
• Top of the 8th: Nick Swisher moves the runner (ARod) to 3rd on a ground out to 1st. Robinson Cano out on a sacrifice out, Rodriguez scores (NYY 5, PHI 8)
• Top of the 9th: Jorge Posada doubles. Hideki Matsui singles to left field, Posada to 3rd. Derek Jeter hits into a double play, Posada scores (NYY 6, PHI 8)
  

STARTING PITCHING (from Yahoo Sports)

• AJ Burnett: 2 innings, 4 hits allowed, 6 earned runs, 4 BB, 1 HR, 2 SO, 7.00 ERA
• Cliff Lee: 7 innings, 7 hits allowed, 5 earned runs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 2.81 ERA
  

KEY PERFORMERS: Chase Utley 2-for 3 with 2 HRs and 4 RBI

OBSERVATIONS: 10 down, 1 to go.

The Comforts of Home Heal Game 5 Wounds

The Yankees were unable to close out the series last night and there really are not very many positives that came out of that game. The only things I can say are that they were able to hit Cliff Lee and that Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon are really picking it up during the World Series. Other than that there is not much to be pleased about.

Last night I tried to find some more positives but couldn’t. I tried to convince myself that if Mark Teixeira had found a way to get on base, Rodriguez could have tied the game for us. This seemed perfectly reasonable at the time given how well he had been playing but today it just seems unreasonable because they had no business winning the game last night. How often are you going to win when the starting pitcher goes less than 3 innings, gives up 6 earned runs, and the bullpen gives up two more insurance homeruns? The answer is pretty much never. Barring an historic collapse from Lee, the Yankees were going to go back to New York up 3-2 in the series and that is exactly what happened despite a decent effort in the 8^th and 9^th innings.

Placing aside my negativity concerning the game last night, however, I actually am not unduly worried or upset. Where normally I would be incredibly nervous about the Yankee’s chances to close it out, today I feel confident. Andy Pettitte, our wily veteran with more postseason wins than any other pitcher in history, is on the mound in Yankee stadium. Cliff Lee won’t be pitching for the Phillies tomorrow night. They are playing in a ballpark that has baffled opposing teams so far this postseason. And, there is nothing like the comfort of your own bed. Experience on the mound, not facing a dominant pitcher, and the comforts of home all lead me to believe that game 6 will be the final game in the World Series. The Yankees have too many things swaying in their favor. And, if all else fails and for some reason the Yankees cannot pull it out tomorrow, there is always the comforting fact that CC is waiting in the wings.

2009 World Series Game 5 Live Blog

Hopefully you guys can join me in this live blog!

Postseason Changes Everything

Baseball’s postseason is something of a marvel and this World Series is no exception. The playoffs can make or break careers on all levels of the organization from the players right up to the owners of the teams. There are players like Alex Rodriguez who have had incredible careers but have struggled mightily in the post season and because of their hardships in the playoffs we tend to think of them as failures. Where am I going with this? Before the series started every analyst and fan thought that plenty of matchups were going to be the determining factor so far in this series. I seriously doubt anyone would have thought that the key to the series would be Ryan Howard’s total lack of production. If he does not want to be the goat of the World Series, he needs to change something and change it in a hurry.

Ryan Howard was as much a devastating force at the plate in the first two rounds of the post-season as Rodriguez. His numbers were absolutely astounding and he looked poised to carry the Phillies to another World Series crown. After watching nearly every game this postseason, going into the World Series the one thing that was on my mind was how could the Yankees get past Ryan Howard? Chase Utley hits before him and Jason Werth, who is on a tear this postseason, bats behind him so it is unlikely that with such a devastating combination of speed and power protecting Howard the Yankees were going to be able to pitch around Howard.

I was afraid, plain and simple. I was afraid because if you watch highlights of the Phillies playoff run, every time Howard was up in a crucial spot he got the hit the Phillies needed. How were the Yankees going to win the series if Howard came up with runners in scoring position? The short answer in my mind was that they weren’t.

But, my fears were marginalized, almost magically, because Howard has struggled mightily. If this series ends in a Yankees victory I believe that more than Brad Lidge or any other Phillies player, Ryan Howard will be the goat, however unfair that may be. Ryan Howard is a spectacular player and will continue to be one of the best players in baseball for many years to come. But in this postseason, in this World Series, the only way he can redeem himself is by rectifying his current woes at the plate and having a monster game 5. If Howard does not, then the pressure of the postseason might wind up crushing him in the same way it has done to Rodriguez in years past.