Hail To The Champs

I don't know how they did it but the New York Yankees won their 27th World Series Championship tonight. They did it with a 7-3 victory over the NL champion Phillies in game 6 of the 105th fall classic.

As I predicted, they won but they did it in only 6 games. I must admit I think they did it with magic or perhaps just professionalism. As a fan I wasn't crazy about this team. There wasn't that one guy that I really liked. But they got the job done. As a team their total is greater than the sum of their parts.

They put together an amazing 2nd half of the year and their entire season was highlighted by come-from-behind and walk off victories. They had the best record in baseball in the regular season and the best in the playoffs.

I guess if I had to choose a couple of my favorites on this team they would have to be Andy Pettite and Mark Teixeira. The Yankee first baseman didn't have a great playoff offensively but he contributed, defensively. What can you say about Pettite? He's got the most wins in playoff history and is the only starter to win the series clinching game in all 3 levels of a playoff round.

Of course I can't fail mention Derek Jeter, The Captian. He put in another consistent playoff season and had a 2009 regular season for the record books, literally. He enshrined himself sealed his membership in the realm of Yankees Legends by becoming the team's all time hits leader. Next is baseball immortality with his 3000th hit and then onto Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.

Also Mariano Rivera really came through this post season. It's taken me a long time to "forgive" the Yankee closer for blowing the 7th game of 2003 but this championship (and some insight I got from reading Joe Torre's book this summer) had helped me to appreciate how great a pitcher he is. He's the best relief pitcher of all time. Talk about a sure thing for Cooperstown.

So once again, at least until this time next year, I can say that I'm a fan of the World Champion New York Yankees.

Today when I wrote on my Facebook page that I was praying the Yankees would win the game tonight. My cousin commented that it was too bad because God was rooting for the Phillies. After the game was over I wrote back to him. I told him "perhaps your god was rooting for the Phils but My God has blessed the World Champion New York Yankees." After all He is sovereign.

Thank God the Yankees have won the World Series. Hail to the Champs!