Just Like Old Times: Yankees Win 27th World Championship With 7-3 Victory Over Phillies

John Sterling's Radio Call Of The Final Out

Yankees' World Series Championship Was Their 27th

That headline is offered as a small reminder; a friendly bit of information to those of you who were unaware that last night's World Series win was magical No. 27 for the Yankees. Lest you forget again, just check any headline. Anywhere.

 

Not enough "27th Heaven" headlines for you? Don't worry, there's more!

The Baseball Cycle Continues: 2010 Season Starts ... Now

The end of one baseball season simply marks the start of the next. Hope springs eternal, etc., etc. This is the beauty of sports: there’s always next year. For every gutshot we take from our team, there’s comfort in the realization that they’ll play again, and redemption could be hiding right around the corner.

Over at The Fightins, they’re already taking solace in this constant:

And just like that, the season is over.

At first, this recap felt like an obituary. Here lies the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies, it started out with. That theme continued for about 50 or so words, until I realized something: It’s wrong.

It’s wrong, and I’ll tell you why: 2009 wasn’t the death of something. These Phillies aren’t getting taken apart from a fire sale spurred on by cheap management. There are no pending free agents that anchor the team, and the owner doesn’t have a beef with the skipper.

For the most part, this team is going to be back in 2010.

So that’s where we are. A team that lost the World Series to continue an improbable, glorious run that dates back to April of 2008. A team that fought through adversity and tragedy and triumph and sorrow and glee and more. A team that won’t go away quietly. A team that won’t die.

So here they are; their 2009 hopes drowned in champagne stains and confetti clouds.

But that run doesn’t stop on a chilly November night in the Bronx.

It’s where it starts.

A new season starts now. Today. On a chilly night in November, after losing the last game of the season, is where it all begins.

Here’s another positive for you Phillies fans: At least you got to wait until November to start thinking about next season. Some of us (/points thumbs at self) starting looking forward to 2010 sometime around early July.

The Curse Of Mike Mussina Is Finally Over

It might not have been the kind of curse the Red Sox or the Cubs would have thought much of, but a nine-year World Series title drought for the New York Yankees might as well have been 90 years as far as they, and their owner, were concerned.

So what changed for the Bombers? What was the common denominator that ensured the Yankees would not win a title? We used to think it was A-Rod but clearly he’s earned his place among the title-bearers.

It was Mike Mussina. Moose played for the Yankees between 2001 and 2008. In that time the Yankees went to the playoffs seven times and even went to the Series twice but never won. Mussina did his part while a member of Bronx’ finest, winning a World Series game in ’03 against the Marlins. But clearly, there was something about him that was holding them back all these years.

Mussina retired last year and says he has no regrets about missing out on this season. Neither do the current Yankees, now.

Hideki Matsui Named World Series MVP

Based mostly on what he did tonight in Game Six, Hideki Matsui has been named MVP of the World Series, the first Japanese player to be named so.

Matsui did all sorts of damage Wednesday night, setting a record with six RBIs in a World Series clincher and leading the New York Yankees over the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Wednesday night.

His performance won Game 6 — and clinched the MVP trophy.

Matsui became the first Japanese-born player to win the award that started in 1955. He homered, doubled and singled, highlighting a Series in which he hit .615 with three home runs and eight RBIs.

Matsui entered the playoffs with the looming threat that this would be high final season in pinstripes. After this the Yankees might not have any choice in whether or not to re-sign Godzilla.

The Phillies Wild Ride Comes To A Disappointing Conclusion

A wild seven-month ride came to a dispiriting conclusion in the Bronx Wednesday night for the Phillies, who were unable to repeat as World Series champions. The Good Phight tries to make sense of the disappointment.

If they had to go down, this wasn’t the way you’d draw it up: done in by myriad self-inflicted wounds including a subpar Pedro Martinez start, bad at-bats against a less than overpowering Andy Pettitte, the painfully baffling move to bring in Chad Durbin with the game still within reach at 4-1 in the fifth inning, and a near-total inability to retireHideki Matsui, who celebrated his return to the lineup with the DH back in play by driving in six runs in his first three at-bats. Matsui started the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning off Pedro, who battled as always but just didn’t have his good stuff in his last and biggest start of the season.

Phillie fans are over at The Good Phight working through the loss. Stop by and share in the misery.

Yankes Are Kings Of The Hill, Top Of The Heap, A-Number-One...

Pinstripe Alley, take it away…

I’m proud to say that these Yankees are cut from the same never-say-die cloth as the Phillies. Every game was a battle and every AB brought me more butterflies than any game I can remember. Here’s to all the Philly fans who made their way to PA in the last few days with class and respect. Here’s to the Phillies for the tensest, most exciting World Series in several years.

The Yankees have shown perseverance. They have show their talent and determination. They are the champions we have wished and prayed and hoped for.

Yankee fans, your faith has been reward.

Head on over to join the Yankee fans in their celebration.

Video: Highlights Of Game 6, Including The Final Out Of World Series

Love the Yankees or hate’m, any baseball fan worth their weight in pine tar has to watch the final out of the World Series. You can see the clean, MLB-approved video here. Or if you’re too lazy to click through, just watch one of the many videos on YouTube. Like this one, which includes highlights AND the final out. See how much we love you, deal reader?

Just Like Old Times: Yankees Win 27th World Championship With 7-3 Victory Over Phillies

See full Game 6 boxscore here.

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Hideki Matsui's monster night at the plate was capped by the Yankees swarming the infield for a boisterous celebration of their unprecedented 27th World Series title, including the first for Alex Rodriguez.

Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBI in one game, Andy Pettitte threw into the sixth inning for his postseason-record 18th win and New York beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3, to clinch the World Series championship in six games.

Fittingly, the game ended with the playoff's best closer of all-time on the mound, as Mariano Rivera retired Shane Victorino on a ground ball to second base.

When Joe Girardi was hired as manager of the Yankees last year, he chose to wear No. 27 on his uniform to symbolize the team's next championship, and he guided baseball's historic franchise to its first World Series title since 2000.

"For this team, they never stopped fighting," said Girardi. "They got up and they got up. It's unbelievable how this team came together in spring training and they're willingness to be unselfish. They played the game the right way and that's why they won."

It's the seventh world championship in the George Steinbrenner era and the team will celebrate the best-of-seven series victory with a ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes on Friday.

"Dad, I know you're at home watching with mom, This one is for you," said Hal Steinbrenner, son of the Yankees owner. "I think it means everything to him."

Matsui belted a two-run homer in the second inning and added a two-run single in the third, both off Pedro Martinez, and then drilled a two-run double off J.A. Happ in the fifth. Matsui became the first full-time designated hitter to win the World Series MVP.

The six RBI equals the mark set by the Yankees' Bobby Richardson in an October 8, 1960 Game 3 victory against Pittsburgh, a series in which New York lost in seven games.

"It's awesome, it's unbelievable, I'm surprised myself," Matsui said through an interpreter.

Matsui, in the final season of a four-year, $52 million contract, saved his best for ultimately the last game of 2009. The 35-year-old, a three-time MVP of the Japanese Central League (1996, 2000 and 2002), and nicknamed Godzilla for his hitting power, had a huge series, going 8-for-13 with three homers and eight RBI.

The Yankees won the World Series with just three starting pitchers - CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Pettitte (2-0), who was the third straight hurler to go on three days' rest. The southpaw allowed four hits and three runs, walked five and fanned three over 5 2/3 innings. Pettitte became the first Yankee starter to record more than one victory in a World Series since Mike Torres defeated the Dodgers twice in 1977.

"I've benefited from a lot of great teams I've been on," said Pettitte. "I've had a lot of wonderful players surrounding me. I tried to give it my all tonight, tried to get locked in. I felt like I scuffled again, but we got through it. We got a win. We got Mo closing out so it's going to be a 'W' usually."

The Yankees, who spent $423.5 million in the offseason on three players - Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Burnett - used that in part to gain their first World Series appearance since 2003. They finished it with a title in the inaugural year of the new Yankee Stadium with shortstop Derek Jeter, catcher Jorge Posada, Pettitte and Rivera all garnering their fifth World Series championship ring. Jeter had three hits and scored twice in the series clincher.

"It's good to be back," said Jeter holding the trophy. "This is right where it belongs."

It was also the culmination of a roller-coaster year for Rodriguez. Before the season, the three-time AL MVP admitted to using steroids while a member of the Texas Rangers from 2001-03. He didn't make his 2009 debut until May 8 because of hip surgery.

"I couldn't be more proud of these guys," said Rodriguez. "I know when a lot of people were running the other way, teammates, coaches and the organization stood right next to me and now we're standing here today as world champions! We're going to enjoy it and we're going to party!"

Ryan Howard had a record-setting World Series for the Phillies, but it was one he would like to forget. Howard, who hit a two-run homer off Pettitte in the sixth inning, went 4-for-23 with a World Series-record 13 strikeouts over the six games. That broke the mark of 12 strikeouts by Kansas City's Willie Wilson in 1980, when the Phillies won their first World Series in franchise history before adding last year's championship over Tampa Bay.

The Phillies were trying to become the first NL team to win back-to-back World Series titles since Cincinnati in 1975-76.

"We were there last year so now you kind of know what it feels like to be on both sides," said Howard. "I feel cool, the only thing you can do now is relax and come back for spring training."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said his team will hopefully make a run at another championship next year.

"It's very important for the next couple of years that we stay afloat," said Manuel. "At the same time we have a talent and I think we can tinker with our team enough to even get better."

Martinez (0-2), the losing pitcher in Game 2, left after giving up three hits and four runs over four frames.

Already ahead 4-1, the Yankees tacked on three runs in the fifth. Jeter hit a ground-rule double to left-center field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Teixeira singled up the middle to plate the runner before Rodriguez walked. Matsui then greeted Happ by crushing a 3-1 offering off the base of the wall in right field, scoring two more.

Howard homered to left field with Chase Utley on base in the sixth, but after Raul Ibanez doubled, Joba Chamberlain retired Pedro Feliz on a ground ball to end the inning.

The Phillies threatened in the seventh, putting men on first and second, but Damaso Marte fanned Utley on an appeal of a check swing to end the frame. Rivera came in with one out and nobody on base in the eighth, and although Ibanez doubled with two outs, Feliz fouled out to Posada.

Rivera worked around a one-out walk to Carlos Ruiz in the ninth, retiring Jimmy Rollins on a fly ball to deep right field and Victorino on a groundout to second base. When Teixeira received Robinson Cano's throw at first for the final out, the celebration began...for a 27th time.

"I was thinking of retiring, but I think I'll stay for another five years," said Rivera to a chorus of cheers during the on-field celebration.

When Martinez stepped to the mound on the brisk night at Yankee Stadium, the chants of "Who's your daddy?", stemming from his days with the Red Sox, were consistently heard from the capacity crowd, trying to heckle the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

He walked Rodriguez on four pitches to start the second. Matsui, who homered off Martinez in the sixth inning of Game 2, then clubbed a four-seam fastball on the inside corner to the second deck in right field for his third round- tripper of this series. It came on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

With one out in the Philadelphia third, Ruiz tripled to the gap off the wall in left-center field and scored on a Rollins fly ball to right.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the third as Jeter singled, Johnny Damon walked and Teixeira was hit by a pitch on his right thigh, but Rodriguez looked at a called third strike on the outside corner for the second out.

Matsui nearly had a hit for extra bases, but it hooked foul down the right field line. Facing an 0-2 count, New York's designated hitter lined a two-run single to center field.

Damon left the game after three innings due to a strained right calf and was replaced in left field by Jerry Hairston Jr...The Phillies, who won, 8-6, on Monday in Game 5, went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base...Pettitte has won six series-clinching games in his career. He became the first pitcher to win more than one World Series clincher since Jimmy Key won Game 6 for Toronto in 1992 and Game 6 for the Yankees in 1996...Rodriguez finished the postseason with 18 RBI, the most in Yankees history for a single playoff year...The last team to start three different pitchers on three days rest between two starts in the same World Series was Atlanta in 1992, when Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery all did it in a six-game loss to the Blue Jays...Toronto's Paul Molitor had 12 at bats as the DH and 12 at bats at first base while winning the Series MVP in 1993...Matsui's 1.385 slugging percentage is the second highest ever in a World Series among players with at least 10 at bats. Lou Gehrig had a 1.727 mark in a four-game series in 1928 with the Yankees...Rivera pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in four appearances in this World Series and extended his World Series scoreless innings streak to 9 1/3, lowering his career World Series ERA to 0.99. His 41 pitches thrown Wednesday were the most he has ever thrown in a World Series game...This marks the third time that a team has won the World Series clincher in the first season in its new Stadium, joining the Red Sox at Fenway Park in 1912 and the Cardinals at Busch Stadium II in 2006.