A Toast to the Best in Baseball

Congratulations to the New York Yankees on winning the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series! It's been a fun run from the last offseason through the playoffs, but we've had it all here at No, You're a Towel. No more will I have to hear from opposing fans that we couldn't win with A-Rod, that we were cursed by 9/11, that we hadn't won a championship this decade (even though we had won one in 2000). The pain of 2001 and 2003 and 2004 are erased for a little while. Now that's it's over, let's do a champagne toast to the best of the best from the World Series and beyond. I'll go into each one a little bit later, but here's a quick hit on everyone for now:

• A tip of the cap, first, to Chase Utley and Cliff Lee. Ut-Lee was the dynamic combo that gave the Yankees a run for their money in the playoffs. You have one of the best pitchers and one of the best hitters in the National League right there and they played like it in the World Series

• Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon. Both are free agents and there is a chance neither will be back (though it seems like Damon is more likely). But if this is it, both gave it their best. Matsui won the World Series MVP despite having only started 3 games of the series and tied the record for the least amount of ABs by a World Series MVP winner. Johnny Damon had the biggest steal(s) of his career and helped to steal a win from the Phillies.

• Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. Mo said that he wants to pitch for another five years while Andy hasn't said if this is it. I can't imagine life without either right now. Rivera is a machine on the mound. In the postseason he is about as close to automatic as it comes. With the struggles of all the other closers this postseason, we can look at his microscopic 0.74 ERA and smile. Andy has been dandy for the Yankees for a long time. He won every clinching game of this postseason for them. It was, fittingly Andy to Mo again for this clincher.

• Derek Jeter and A-Rod. Derek Jeter just keeps on hitting in the playoffs. He had a .423 average this postseason and really always seems to be there at the right times. A-Rod got the monkey off his back. All my Red Sox friends said that the Yankees would never win with A-Rod, well here is championship #1--a championship he helped earn with a ridiculous playoffs of big hit after big hit. 

• CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira. Neither one really contributed to wins in the World Series on paper (CC was 0-1 in two starts and Tex had only 3 hits), but they would never have been there without them. They got the big money to come in and deliver a championship, and unlike free agents brought in the past 9 years, they were able to accomplish their goal. Teixeira's defense, even when his bat went cold, were a huge part of the playoff run, and CC's dominance in the first two rounds helped the Yankees get to where they were.

• Joe Girardi and Damaso Marte. I lumped them together because they're two people I owe apologies to. Marte turned into the Graeme Lloyd of this postseason, sucking it up during the regular season but getting big outs against lefties when it counted most in the playoffs. Joe Girardi I have second and third guessed at times but his moves paid huge dividends with a World Series win. He may have had his best game as manager decision-making-wise in Game 6 of the World Series.

• Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner. For spending the money, but spending it wisely. Nick Swisher was absolutely stolen from the White Sox and has been a great presence on and off the field. A.J. Burnett and his pies were one of the best parts of the season. You really rooted for CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira when I couldn't care less about the Randy Johnsons and the Kevin Browns that we signed before. And I'm excited to see what's coming through the pipeline.
  

• To all those who read the blog or follow me on Twitter (@noyoureatowel) or who write things in their own space that inspire me to write. I doubt there's any team in the world that has as much media attention as the Yankees, but the great camaraderie I've felt with the fans throughout this season has been special. I hope that it continues for a long time, but wanted to toast all of you for making this even more fun and I'm glad to be able to share the euphoria of this championship with all of you. We shattered our record for visitors in October, zooming past 50,000 total, and I'm excited for what the future will hold.

There are many other to toast but that's just a sample. We'll have plenty more Yankees coverage throughout the offseason, including pictures from yours truly at the parade tomorrow. We'll also be covering the Giants, Rangers, and probably even the Knicks on the blog as well as talking about whatever else is going on in the sports world or world as a whole (including TV updates as summer shows' season finales kick off). It's been a helluva ride so far and I just can't wipe the smile off my face today. #27 baby! Feels so good!

pictures courtesy of Yahoo!'s Photo Gallery