I have to think about that time Dave tricked me into looking at his hairy Mexican nipple to feel worse douche chills than this.

But really, what other possible stories are there coming out of the Yankees victory in the 2009 World Series? There are none.

I mean, there’s the seemingly incredible story of Hideki Matsui, at age 35, winning the World Series MVP title with only 13 at bats, he had a .615 BA (8 for 13) and knocked in three homers and eight RBI’s when the Yankees needed him most.  And he’s a free agent next year….nah, no story there at all.

There’s Pettite and Mariano, seemingly ageless veterans taking the Yankees all the way to the top. Nope… Booooooooooooring.

Give me ratings! Show me some chutzpah!

And Jim Caple gives A-Rod the appropriate Favre style hand job over on ESPN.com, as usual. With the appropriately titled “A-Rod finally wins that elusive title”, because really, he won that shit all on his own. Only Peyton Manning can carry an entire team on his back in the same fashion.

We can’t say A-Rod isn’t clutch any more. We can’t call him “Mr. May”. We can’t rally around the fact that A-Rod couldn’t win when it counted…and good for him. Now, as humbled fans of other teams, we’re all invited by ESPN to come over and kiss A-Rod’s newly gilded hand. He’s one of the greatest of all time, and there’s nothing you can do about it… and nothing to stop ESPN from reminding you. Because again, no one else on the Yankee team did a damn thing to win the World Series.

As baseball finally ends and I start to think about recapping the Red Sox series over in my Red Sox column, I can’t imagine a more miserable end to the season than this:

Congratulations to the New York Yankees and their fans on the World Series win!

I can taste my own puke.

And remember, A-Rod is not just a douchebag any more. Now he’s a douchebag with the One True Ring.

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 last night in New York to capture the franchises 27th championship crown.

The Yankees spent heavily on the open market before the beginning of the 2009 regular season dishing out close to $450 million to three players CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett & Mark Teixeira to fortify their aging ball club.

The moves paid off as the Yankees were the holder of the best record in baseball this season, ultimately reigning victorious in the postseason over the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim & finally the Philadelphia Phillies.

Two of the aging veterans for the Yankees were major contributors in helping the team win last night’s game.

Firstly, Andy Pettitte, who holds the record for most postseason victories by a pitcher all time, did what he was supposed to do last night. The 37 year old left hander came into the game on three days rest with only one expectation from manager Joe Girardi, keep the team in the game and let the offense do the rest.

This is exactly what Pettitte accomplished as he pitched five and a third innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits, walking five and striking out three. It was not the best postseason performance of Pettitte’s career but it was an admirable one.

For the Phillies, future hall of famer Pedro Martinez took the mound and seemed unlike himself from the get go. Martinez struggled early with the simplest tasks (catching a return throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz) as well as had major velocity issues. Perhaps Martinez’s poor start stemmed from the flu he was suffering from earlier in the series, or perhaps the Yankee fans were getting to him, either way Martinez struggled mightily.

Martinez’s greatest nemesis on the night was Hideki Matsui. Godzilla, as Yankee fans like to call him drilled a two run home run off Martinez in the bottom of the second inning while singling in two more runs off Martinez in the bottom of the third inning.

Matsui also doubled in two more runs in bottom of the fifth inning off reliever Chad Durbin.

The six runs batted in by Matsui tied the record for most runs batted in a World Series game.

The amazing performance by Matsui earned him the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, certainly raising his free agent value as Matsui hits the open market this offseason.

The complete domination of the Phillies pitching by Hideki Matsui and his Yankee teammates combined with an admirable start from Andy Pettitte mixed with outstanding bullpen work from Joba Chamberlain; Damaso Marte & Mariano Rivera earned the Yankees the victory in exciting fashion.

The title is the first for manager Joe Girardi as a coach, the first for the new stadium and the first under the helm of Hank Steinbrenner, but the championship surely isn’t the last you will see from the Yankee organization as their baseball dynasty is certain to continue.

Baseball is officially over for the 2009 season. It was a great year. The end of the Steroid Era signaled the return of the type of baseball this writer enjoys. The diminishment of the long ball has made it a more exciting occurrence. The return of the stolen base, the bunt and actual managing has been exciting as fans are returning to the ballparks to witness true baseball played by the best the world has to offer.

I will be continuing my Toronto Blue Jays baseball articles during the offseason so fans are aware of everything and anything to do with the club.

You can visit the web space at the following link for all info:

http://bluejays.gearupforsports.com/blog/

The End.

Boy, am I ever behind in my article writing related to the World Series.

Never fear I will update my stars column today and let everyone know who I thought the stars were for games three, four and five of the 2009 World Series.

In case you have been living under a rock or for some other reason you are not following one of the more exciting World Series in a very long time, the Yankees and Phillies are battling each other in a gritty manner competing for the most coveted prize in baseball, the World Series trophy.

After game five last night in Philadelphia, the Phillies closed in on the Yankees who had taken the two previous games at Citizens Bank Park making the series 3-2 in favour of the Yankees.

My stars for the games are below:

New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies Game 3

Alex Rodriguez – disputable two run home run shot eventually called a home run by umpires after instant replay turned momentum in Yankees favour

New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies Game 4

Johnny Damon – Late inning single followed by a swipe of second and third on one attempt set up game winning run as well as allowed Yankees to get to Phillies closer Brad Lidge late for the win.

New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies Game 5

Chase Utley – Two home runs in the game to push his World Series home run total to five.

I would like to focus on last night’s game here as I pretty much explained my reasoning behind selecting those players in short form above.

Last night in Philadelphia could have been it. The Yankees had the momentum of three consecutive wins on their belts and had proven to the baseball fans of Philadelphia that their home turf did not affect the Yankees playing ability whatsoever.

Last night in Philadelphia the Phillies needed another magical performance from starter Cliff Lee while making sure AJ Burnett did not replicate his game two performance.

The Phillies answered accordingly.
Lee was not at his best (7IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 3K) but the Phillies offense got what they needed out of the left hander, using their potent offense on this night to rattle AJ Burnett early.

Burnett would only last two innings, allowing six earned runs on four hits, walking four and striking out two.

Chase Utley continued his dominance of the World Series with two more home runs pushing his World Series total to five, as the Phillies were victorious 8-6 to cut the Yankees lead in the series to 3-2.

It was a much needed win by a desperate ball club who now must travel to the depths of the Bronx, New York to try and outslug the Yankees at New Yankee Stadium.

Teams are travelling today as the World Series will continue Wednesday night in New York @ 7:57pm EST.

Scheduled starters for the game are Pedro Martinez for the Phillies against Andy Pettitte for the Yankees.

There’s been all kinds of speculation and controversy about Charlie Manuel starting #4 starter Joe Blanton instead of his ace, Cliff Lee, on three days rest. Let me put the argument to rest. Starting Blanton handed the World Series to the Yankees last night.

“You’re asking Cliff Lee to do something that he has never did before,” Manuel said. “And you’re also asking him to do it in a very big, important place, and that’s in the World Series. I didn’t have to think very long at all about that.”

You should have thought a little longer, Charlie.

I’m amazed there is any argument about this at all. I don’t care what Jim Caple at ESPN says, Manuel is only thinking about Lee and not about the whole series.

Forget the abysmal fielding and defense against the Damon steal for a second. If Lee had started Game 4, the Phillies would have had a fighting chance against Sabathia. 4 runs against CC is pretty heavy. And Lee not only handled the Yankees in New York, he embarrassed them.

Manuel is approaching Lee’s rest periods as though this is a mid-season series against a NL East rival. Hey Charlie, you’re in the World Series! Apparently, Manuel feels Lee’s arm needs to be saved for golf in the offseason.

You are asking him to compete in a “big, important place”. What more reason do you need to ask him to stretch past his limits? If Lee had pitched last night and won, he’d potentially be available again for Game 7, if necessary. You don’t think the Yankees are going to use CC if they need him again?

Now, instead, Lee is well rested for tonight’s Game 5. And that’s great. The Phillies will probably win tonight, but if you think the 2009 Yankees are going to drop three in a row, with two of those at home, I’ll eat my Red Sox hat. And believe me, I’ll eat it happily, but it ain’t happening.

You can call it second guessing Charlie Manuel after the fact, but I knew and I’m guessing the majority of Phillies fans knew, starting Blanton over Lee was a huge mistake.

The Yankees certainly come across as seeming entitled, and if the Phillies’ manager is running his team this way, they are entitled to win.

The 2009 World Series continued in New York on Thursday at New Yankee Stadium as the Philadelphia Phillies were set to do battle with the home town Yankees, leading the series one game to none after a masterful pitching performance from game one starter Cliff Lee.

The Yankees were very familiar with the Phillies game two starter as Pedro Martinez returned to New York to pitch amongst the consistent heckling he received in the past as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Martinez would be matched on the day by the flame throwing right arm of AJ Burnett.

Today I continue my “stars” column, which I have been contributing to throughout the playoffs.

Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees Game 2 (Phillies Lead 1-0)

AJ Burnett

Being a Toronto native and fan of our hometown Blue Jays I am not a personal fan of AJ Burnett and I did not think I would ever be listing the pitcher as a star throughout any point of the playoffs, as he’s never lived up to his hype in my opinion.

However, Thursday night Burnett showed the world that the Cy Young “stuff” he pitches is there and when he is on his game he is next to unhittable, even with an offense like the Phillies to contend with.

Burnett worked seven strong innings for the Yankees, allowing one earned run on four hits, walking two and striking out nine.

The amazing performance by Burnett allowed for a true two inning save from Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera for a 3-1 Yankee victory.

A smiling Pedro Martinez would lose this game although he did pitch a decent game himself. Martinez pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, walking two and striking out eight.

The Phillies seemed like they were in complete control of the Yankees after they score the initial run of the game in the second inning after Matt Stairs squeaked an RBI single past the glove of Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

But after that second inning run Burnett completely locked in and did not allow a single run, while Martinez would fall to the Yankee offense who scored runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Two runs came off solo home run shots from Hideki Matsui and Mark Teixeira while the third came off the bat of Jorge Posada who would pinch hit for AJ Burnett’s personal catcher Jose Molina.

Once Mariano Rivera entered the game in the eighth inning the sense of victory increased as the cut fastball master shut down the Phillies to tie the series at one game apiece.

The victory was a much-needed one for the Yankees as they now travel to the raucous Citizens Bank Park to deal with the Phillies on their home turf Saturday night.

The Phillies will send last season’s World Series MVP Cole Hamels to the mound to square off against one of the postseason’s all time best pitchers Andy Pettitte in a battle of lefty handers.

The game is set to begin at 7:57pm EST.

The 2009 World Series between the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees began last night in New York at New Yankee Stadium.

The magical night for baseball fans was not so magical if you were donning the Yankee pinstripes, as the Philadelphia Phillies held true to Jimmy Rollins prediction on the Jay Leno Show last Monday by beating the Yankees 6-1. The prediction being that the Phillies would defeat the Yankees in 5, maybe 6 games if the Phillies were nice.

Today I continue my “Stars” column which I have been contributing to throughout the 2009 Major League Baseball postseason.

Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion only.

Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees Game 1

Cliff Lee

I would like to start off this article with one simple, straight to the point word. Wow!

In his first World Series appearance against the top offense of the postseason combined with a matchup against an old friend who was the hottest pitcher in the postseason(CC Sabthia), Cliff Lee really brought his “A Game”.

Lee pitched a complete game, allowing only one run, none earned, on six hits while striking out ten Yankee hitters. Of those ten strikeouts five were of the Yankees biggest hitters Mark Teixeira (struck out twice) and Alex Rodriguez (struck out three times).

Lee was dominant on all portions of the plate mixing a deadly pitching combination of two and four seam fastballs along with a cutter and a knee buckling change up.

Lee, is not known as an overpowering pitcher but more so for hiding the ball well upon releasing it from his left side.

The mixture of his hidden delivery along with the rain showering throughout the game was a perfect setting for a pitcher of his caliber.

Chase Utley smashed two homers in Game 1 for the Phils.

Yes, the argument can be made that Chase Utley who hit two home runs in the game could be the named as the star of the game because the two home runs set the momentum in the direction of the Phillies, but I can not personally get over how fantastic of a pitching performance Lee put together.

The pitching performance by Lee was one of the best I have seen in the World Series and if the Phillies can continue to play like they did on Wednesday night Rollins prediction may come to fruition.

The World Series continues tonight in New York as the Yankees looks to even the series at a game a piece.

Flame thrower AJ Burnett will start for the Yankees against New York’s favorite heckle monkey Pedro “Who’s Your Daddy” Martinez.

The game is set for a 7:57pm EST start time.

And for you fans of funny stories related to baseball check out this link:

What some people will do for World Series tickets, yeesh!

Click here to view the embedded video.

And the behind the back catch in the 8th.  He’s killing the Yankees with his arm and glove.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the folks from the other side of the tracks. Philly is a working city with working chumps just like you and me, except they are a bit crazy when it comes to sports. Normally I’d never pull for a city that hurls ice balls and boos at Santa Claus, throws D batteries at opposing players or cheers when Michael Irvin lay motionless on the field, but that’s how much I despise the Yankees. I only hate the Red Sox more. I want Philly to find the below fan in video, recruit him, give in him beer and turn him loose in Game 3.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fuck the Yankees. Go Philly!

I’ve never seen such a huge bandwagon. And frankly, I’m happy to be on it.

I understand how Yankees fans feel, to an extent. I’m a Patriots fan, and the 2007 season was the greatest opportunity for smack talk of all time. Watching them steamroll every single opponent they came up against…watching Brady and Moss endlessly score TDs at will… it was exhilarating. Because you could talk whatever outrageous smack you wanted to anyone about any other team. And you knew your boys were going to win. You just knew it.

And everyone hated the Pats because of it. And their fans.

I understand how excited Yankees fans are. I’m a Red Sox fan too, and I recognize the disease because my team’s fans (and I) share the symptoms:  the intolerable cockiness; the endless, seemingly drunken, chants of “Derek Jeter” for MVP, despite at least a half dozen players who are more deserving; the bandwagon fans who jump on a winning team who couldn’t be bothered to watch that team slog through a miserable season; but the worst of it… the entitlement. Watching Yankees fans sidle up to the World Series like they have a 2 for 1 coupon at an All You Can Eat Buffet is scrotum wrenching.

And yet, that one dreaded word keeps all of us in check: Scoreboard.

There’s no denying it, no amount of refusal or 12 step programs, no amount of cursing with a Boston accent, no voodoo curses or santeria rituals are going to change anything.

*Gulp*… the Yankees are the best team in baseball.

And I dread this World Series. I’ve been able to say the Yankees haven’t won a thing in recent history. Their last trip to the World Series was 2003 when they gave it up to the Marlins. And they haven’t been the same since. The ‘04 ALCS gives Red Sox fans goosebumps just to think about it. And the Yanks have played like a bunch over paid egos ever since. A-Rod’s antics have made more of an impact on the media than the way they played on the field.

But not this year. The bloated payroll is more than paying off, and it’s especially poignant after their miserable start to the season. But the second half of this season, the Yankees play baseball like it’s fun. Like they enjoy being out there as a team.

And starting tomorrow night, they have another chance to add to all those rings that we endlessly hear about. No matter what team stat you want to talk about with a Yankee fan, you will inevitably hear “26 Rings”.

I hope the Phillies pitching is as crafty as I keep reading about. I hope the returning World Series champs are this year’s New York Giants. I hope Pedro Martinez can catch a foul ball against the side of his head.

Does anyone… anyone want the Yankees to win?