Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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November 7

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"These are the best days of all, and only partly because they happen in the immediate afterglow of triumph, a championship in the bank and satisfaction sating every ounce of your sporting soul. That part of a parade day is nice, sure. But this is the better part: For the couple of hours that it takes the floats and the flatbeds and the bands to march from Battery Place to City Hall, for that piece of morning and chunk of afternoon when the players and the politicos mingle and chatter and exchange pleasantries and keys to the city, the most famous and most expensive baseball team in the world becomes a public trust, a penny stock. The Yankees belong to the people then, and the people belong ..."

Offseason moves pay big dividends

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November 7

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"The Yankees regained what matters most to their organization when they won their 27th title. And just to show their single-mindedness to that cause, manager Joe Girardi already had decided to switch from No. 27 to 28 for 2010, symbolically revealing the next quest before a single flatbed had navigated up the Canyon of Heroes. But the Yankees got something else vital back this year that is harder to explain. It can be called mystique and aura, or mojo, or chemistry. Difficult to define, it was easy to see this year, especially because of its absence in recent years. Now those who believe in cold, hard numbers will pooh-pooh such elements, and simply point to the overwhelming talent ..."

Hey, Yanks: Make this parade an annual event

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November 7

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"One parade is not nearly enough. There should be a parade next year and the year after that, too. A Yankees victory parade should become as common as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with the talent they have and their ability to outspend the competition. Money doesn't guarantee success (look at the Mets), but it sure beats the alternative. To the Yankees' credit they now all understand what it takes to be a champion. They know it takes playing as a team to win and they know what the Summer Game is all about in October and November. The home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium was a pretty quiet place yesterday. The only sign of the World Series celebration that came after their Game 6 triumph ..."

Matsui stays mum on plans for future

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November 7

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui appears to be in full negotiating mode already. On the same day he received some of the loudest cheers in the Canyon of Heroes for his contributions as the World Series MVP, Matsui wouldn't even say yesterday if he wants to return to the Yankees next season. "I don't have any thoughts right now," Matsui said outside the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, referring to his 2010 preference. There has been some thought that Matsui, who can become a free agent, will return to play in his native Japan if the Yankees don't make him a competitive offer. But when asked about playing for another major league team, Matsui said anything is possible. Those possibilities include shedding ..."

A-Rod caps rocky year in, um, style

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November 7

New York Post

"A season that began with an embarrassing press conference for Alex Rodriguez ended with a triumphant trip up Broadway. Rodriguez captured his first championship, and in the process answered all the questions about his postseason capabilities, batting .365 and driving in 18 runs in 13 games. The only thing his critics could rip him for yesterday was the black fedora he wore. "For me, it's an opportunity to reflect on the year '09, which we all know didn't start very well for me," Rodriguez said. Spring training began with a Sports Illustrated report that Rodriguez used steroids in 2003. He followed that with a public admission. Hip surgery delayed the start of his regular season, but when ..."

Alex's transformation from pariah to hero complete

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November 7

New York Post

columnist Jay Greenberg

"For one day in his life, there were no shades to Alex Rodriguez, postseason hero, though he put a put on a pair for yesterday's parade. A guy who has splattered himself on the floor of more canyons than Wile E. Coyote took a glorious ride up this one, typically without letting anyone see the whites of his eyes. If Rodriguez had feared pulling a Dick Vermeil, nobody would have begrudged him. If A-Rod had wanted to shield himself from the glare of his own brilliance, it would have been for the first time in his life. If he just wanted to show how cool it was to be Alex Rodriguez on a day it certainly was, he fully played the part. There he was, in Yankees jacket and a fedora, standing next ..."

Canseco has fighting words for Rodriguez

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November 7

New York Post

"Former baseball player and current celebrity boxer Jose Canseco said he would like to fight Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. Speaking Thursday at a weigh-in for his upcoming fight in Massachusetts, Canseco was asked which current player he most would like to box?"

Rib injury threatened Mo's Series

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November 7

New York Post

"If there had been a Game 7 in the World Series, the end of the game might have been dicey. Mariano Rivera revealed yesterday he was nursing a rib injury during the World Series. Rivera, speaking at the victory parade, would not say whether he could have pitched in a Game 7, but manager Joe Girardi said he was concerned. "It was real important we close it out in Game 6," Girardi said. Girardi said the injury occurred after Rivera pitched two innings in Game 2 of the World Series. Rivera said the rib started bothering him during the ALCS with the Angels. "It don't matter now," Rivera said. "It's over. Thank God it's over. It was manageable. Thank God we were able to do what we did.""

Grand Canyon of celebration

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November 7

New York Post

"They've still got it! After a nine-year drought, millions of raucous Bomber fans found themselves back in familiar surroundings yesterday -- lining the confetti-covered Canyon of Heroes to watch the World Series champion Yankees take their victory ride. The estimated 2 million fans didn't show any celebration rust, forming a sea of blue and white as they climbed light poles and street signs and crammed Broadway to cheer on their beloved Bombers. "It's been too long, hasn't it?" team captain Derek Jeter -- a member of five championship squads -- told the adoring crowd at City Hall. "It feels good to be back." The throngs that braved the chilly temperatures to show their pinstripe pride ..."

Series crew good until end

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November 7

Buffalo News

columnist Alan Pergament

"One of the reasons that I've never been a big fan of Fox play-by-play man Joe Buck is that he rarely says anything memorable after the final out in a World Series. And that held true Wednesday night after the New York Yankees beat Philadelphia, 7-3, to win in six games. "The Yankees are back on top," Buck said. "World champions for the 27th time." That wasn't as clever as The Buffalo News headline Thursday — "On top of the heap" — which played off the lyrics of the classic song, "New York, New York." That said, Buck and analyst Tim McCarver had an excellent series. They saw just about everything almost instantly during the six games and talked about every possible story line except one. ..."

In a Child's Company, Champions Become Gods

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November 7

New York Times

"Before Game 5 of the World Series, in the visiting manager's office at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Joe Girardi admitted he had thought about the parade. His son Dante, then 7 years old, had been asking about it. Girardi said he tried to put the magnitude of the crowd in perspective for the boy. Imagine 70 sold-out baseball stadiums, he said. Then take all those people and put them in the streets of Manhattan. That would be roughly the size of the throng if the Yankees won the World Series. It took an extra game, but they did it at home on Wednesday with a 7-3 victory over the Phillies. The parade was Friday, and Girardi's estimate seemed conservative."

All Along Broadway, Pinstripes, Proposals and Chants to 'Go for 28'

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November 7

New York Times

"The Yankees took one last ride together to celebrate their championship. It was a slow, joyous journey up Broadway, an outdoor party attended by hundreds of thousands of their closest friends. For the first time in nine years - and time is measured in dog years in Yankeeland - the Yankees and their fans could brag about being the best. The fans offered marriage proposals to players, suggested that the Yankees re-sign Hideki Matsui, shouted about the importance of repeating as champions and taunted Pedro Martinez by holding up pictures of him in a diaper. Not everyone in New York was a Yankee fan Friday, but across a few chilly hours, it felt and looked that way. "Let's see - we had to get ..."

Amid Celebrations and the Cheers, Cashman Reflects

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November 7

New York Times

"More from kindness than melancholy, Brian Cashman urged all the Yankees to enjoy the ticker-tape parade through Lower Manhattan on Friday morning. The players earned it; they had every right to feel the love from the crowds in the narrow streets. This was their hour. They should be able to dial it back for the rest of their lives. Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, has known championships - three of them in a row from 1998 through 2000. He is no longer so young, all of 42, and he knows that every championship is different, knows how much luck goes into it, even for a team with the biggest payroll in baseball, $206 million in the season just ended."

DH Matsui perfect part of post-Series daydream

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November 6

Tacoma News Tribune

columnist John McGrath

"The day after the World Series is a day I dread, especially if the Yankees win. Denied the anticipation of a real baseball game until April, fans are left to debate the pros and cons of an open-market system that ensures the Yanks can install a highly paid star at every position. But Thursday was different. Instead of groaning during each replay of Hideki Matsui's bravura performance - he tied a Series single-game record with six RBI on Wednesday - I imagined how the designated hitter might look in a Mariners uniform. It could happen. Matsui's contract with the Yankees has expired, and the team gets two weeks to decide whether to re-sign him, offer him arbitration for a one-year contract, ..."

Series title vindication for quieter Hank

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November 6

New York Post

"Hank Steinbrenner isn't The New Boss, but still considers himself a boss of the Yankees. The eldest Steinbrenner brother largely has disappeared from public view over the past year, but said he is still involved in the team's day-to-day operations. This comes after his younger brother Hal last year was named managing general partner of the team, leaving many to question if Hank still had a role with the Yankees. As the Yankees celebrated the 27th world championship in franchise history, Hank Steinbrenner was part of the on-field festivities and said rumors of his demise have been exaggerated. Last season Hank Steinbrenner was the face of the organization, often making bombastic statements ..."

Girardi's boldness pays off

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November 6

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"There's just one number that counts, being No. 1. Manager Joe Girardi has understood that from the first day he put on a baseball uniform. Now that Girardi is planning on changing his number from 27 to 28, the Yankees are officially in pursuit of World Championship No. 28. Way to go Joe. Too many teams are not bold enough to say they are shooting for No. 1. The Red Sox, who once challenged the Yankees, are now one of those teams just happy to be here, saying the goal is to get to the playoffs and then everything from that point on is a crap shoot, a matter of luck. Yeah, right. As long as the Red Sox keep thinking that way, the path to No. 1 for the Yankees will be wide enough to drive CC ..."

Mo thrived despite sore rib cage

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November 6

New York Post

"If the Phillies-Yankees World Series had progressed to a Game 7 last night, the Yankees would have had a hurting Mariano Rivera to close it out and would have played Jerry Hairston in left field for an ailing Johnny Damon. How effective Rivera would have been, however, was open to argument because he was nursing a problem on the left side since working two scoreless innings in Game 2. According to general manager Brian Cashman, Rivera would have been healthy enough to pitch. "He was dealing with a rib cage thing," Cashman said off Rivera, who worked two-thirds of an inning in Game 3, one inning in Game 4 and 1 2/3 innings in the clinching Game 6. The only sign that Rivera was ailing in ..."

Yanks beat out the Bosox as team of decade

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November 6

New York Post

columnist David Wells

"Let's end one debate before it really gets started. The Red Sox gave it a nice run for a while, but the Yankees are the team of the decade -- again. I can just imagine what the scene in Red Sox Nation is about now. The fans are bitter. Very bitter. The Yankees are back on top, and that can't be sitting too well in New England. Boston fans can cry all they want that the Yankees bought a championship, but so what? The Yankees are winners. They get the ring. Their city is happy and they are sticking out their tongues at the Red Sox and the rest of the world. Don't get me wrong. Boston had a good team and made a nice run for a few years, but now they have got some holes. The Yankees and Red ..."

Money may keep Yanks off free-agent market

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November 6

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"The Yankees found $181 million lying around last offseason, and made a late, victorious bid to corral Mark Teixeira, so never say never when it comes to the Yankees and spending. But the initial read as the winter bazaar opens is that the Yankees do not intend to make a play for the three biggest free agents: Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and John Lackey. After signing the three biggest free agents last offseason (Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett), the Yankees just might be boring this winter. This is not about need, because corner outfield and starting pitcher are priorities to fortify what is now a champion. But based on conversations with multiple Yankees officials, I sense that ..."

Captain's contract a big deal

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November 6

New York Post

"A year from now, the Yankees and Derek Jeter will be involved in the mother of all contract negotiations. Next season will be the last on Jeter's 10-year, $189 million deal that will pay him $21 million. Fifteen days after the 2010 World Series is completed, Jeter will be able to negotiate with every team. And though it's hard to believe Jeter would ever leave The Bronx, it's not likely the Yankees will get his name on an extension before next November. "We have had no discussions," general manager Brian Cashman said. Anything involving Jeter is always delicious the farther you get away from him. And this has the legs to be tantalizing, because the 35-year-old shortstop and captain is ..."

Pettitte: To return or not will be a family matter

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November 6

New York Post

"Andy Pettitte's decision over whether to return for a 16th major league season or retire will come down to his two families -- his own and the Yankees. Pettitte has been through this to-be-determined situation before and each time he has chosen to continue to pitch. The 37-year-old is eligible for free agency and he's not certain whether he'll be back. "I need to get home and talk to my family," Pettitte said after winning Game 6 to capture his fifth World Series ring. "I'll need to talk to the Yankees and find out where they're at and then I'll try to figure out what I'd like to do." Last night, Pettitte appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, along with Derek Jeter, Hideki ..."

Vets, Bombers ponder pinstriped future

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November 6

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Andy Pettitte will be with the Yankees when they bask in the glory of a ticker-tape parade today up the Canyon of Heroes as World Series champions. However, when the three step off the floats, will they be headed to Tampa for spring training? Matsui, Damon and Pettitte are expected to file for free agency before the midnight, Nov. 19 deadline. Because all three played big parts in the Yankees beating the Phillies in six games to cop the organization's record 27th World Series title, there are decisions to be made. If they return, at what price? If they don't, who will replace them? Matsui, who tied a single-game record with six RBIs in the clinching Game 6 ..."

'09 Yankees reminder of big, bad Bombers

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November 6

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"It took a while for the city and the Yankees to get together with this parade business, if you want to know the truth. Babe Ruth never got to see the Canyon of Heroes. Neither did Lou Gehrig, or Joe DiMaggio, or Lefty Grove. Phil Rizzuto had to wait until he'd taken residence in a broadcast booth to go. Casey Stengel had to wait until he was the manager of the expansion Mets to go. Bobby Jones got two ticker-tape parades and Ben Hogan got one before anyone ever thought to invite the Yankees to the Canyon of Heroes. The first baseball man of any kind to be showered in confetti wasn't even a New York baseball man, but Connie Mack, honored on Aug. 19, 1949, on his 50th anniversary as manager ..."

Join the club!

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November 6

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Mariano Rivera jogged slowly toward the mound. This is what the beginning of the end has looked like in this generation, Rivera's steady procession toward the mound. The unfazed face, Enter Sandman booming. Late on a Wednesday night in The Bronx, the Phillies watched the arrival of their executioner, the man who would throw the final pitch of another season. Eight years to day earlier, Rivera had thrown the last pitch of the 2001 season and Luis Gonzalez deposited it beyond a drawn-in Derek Jeter. The Diamondbacks had won a World Series and the Yankees had lost a dynasty. Now, again on the latest date a baseball season had ever ended, Rivera brought the final offering, his windup as ..."

A bittersweet climb to the top

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November 6

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"Alex Rodriguez didn't want to celebrate prematurely, he knows better, but he couldn't help himself, couldn't keep his arms from flying in the air and his mouth from opening wide, couldn't keep the roar from spilling out of his heart and through his tongue and into the frosty New York night. Not now. He watched the baseball bound along on the ground toward second base, saw Robinson Cano scoop it up, flip it to first baseman Mark Teixeira, and now it was OK to act however he pleased. He'd seen this final act on television many times before, but it always had been someone else's party, someone else's celebration. And now it was his. Now it was theirs. Now it was time for the New York Yankees ..."

Girardi likely to up ante with uniform switch

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November 6

New York Post

"Joe Girardi is going to wear a big goal on his back next season and dares every team in baseball to deny the Yankees reaching it. That's the same back people were plunging knives into a year ago for his lack of communication and as recently as this week for going with a three-man World Series rotation. When Girardi replaced Joe Torre, he asked for No. 27 at the start of the 2008 season to signify the Yankees quest for a 27th World Series title. Now, after the Yankees copped their 27th World Series on Wednesday night by beating the Phillies in six games, Girardi is pushing forward. Yesterday, on his WFAN gig, the manager strongly hinted he will wear No. 28 next season to signify a push ..."

Greater Yankee truths and observations

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November 6

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Scott Ostler

"Random notes from baseball's Oktoberfest that spills into Novemker: -- Now that Alex Rodriguez has a World Series ring and is a postseason hero, will he trade up from Kate Hudson? -- To quote Yogi Berra on something he never said, "Everybody hates the Yankees because they're so popular." -- Defend your Yankees all you want, fans, but please don't tell us they win because their owners' competitive fire burns brighter than all the rest. There are at least a few other teams - not the Giants or A's - that have the same level of desire, and willingness to kiss off short-term profits, but none of them have Yankee dough. -- OK, I'll give you this: Brian Cashman is a freaking genius. Who else ..."

Mission Probable accomplished for Yankees

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Alex Rodriguez hopped up and down in the clubhouse, chilled by yet another champagne shower from a different group of teammates, reveling in the bath as if the liquid could cleanse some of his past. The Yankees' new "horse," CC Sabathia, spoke about winning his first world championship in his first season as a Yankee. In still another part of the clubhouse, there was a horse of a different kind, a warhorse named Andy Pettitte who had come through with his record 18th postseason victory. On the field, Hal Steinbrenner, the franchise's new patriarch, talked about the original, who was watching at home in Tampa, Fla., and very much enjoying the Yankees' 27th world championship, captured in ..."

'Never seen a payroll on a ring'

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November 6

Toronto Sun

columnist Bob Elliott

"Damon Oppenheimer goes to scouting showcase events, college and high school games across North America. As scouting director of the New York Yankees, he gets one of two greetings: Either "Hi Damon" or "Ohhh, here come the Yankees with their $200-million payroll." "We get that all the time," Oppenheimer said yesterday awaiting his return flight to Tampa. "You know what, I held that World Series trophy and looked at all the teams listed over the years. Nowhere, not once, does it list team payroll. Same for a World Series ring -- I've never seen a payroll on a ring." You have heard about the four core homegrown players -- Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada -- who ..."

Matsui wrong MVP choice

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November 6

Toronto Star

columnist Richard Griffin

"It was great news for Major League Baseball growing the sport internationally in a season that began with Version 2 of the World Baseball Classic, but the selection of Japanese DH Hideki Matsui as MVP of the World Series was wrong. The real most valuable player, the biggest influence on the outcome, was closer Mariano Rivera. Matsui is strictly a designated hitter who could not play in the field because of his wonky knees. Therefore, in the three Series games at Philadelphia, at a time when it was turning around and the Yankees grabbed history by the throat, winning the first two games to go up 3-1, Matsui was a pinch-hitter, missing Game 4 entirely. Meanwhile, Rivera appeared in four of ..."

Tony La Russa not surprised at Joe Girardi's success

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November 6

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Cardinals manager Tony La Russa laughed Thursday when he was told that Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees, had said he chose to wear No. 27 because he wanted the Yankees to win a 27th World Series title, just as La Russa had chosen 10 in St. Louis. In 2006, some 10 years after La Russa had taken charge, the Cardinals indeed finally did win a 10th title. La Russa recalled Girardi as a backup catcher for his 2003 team and said, "He really could have managed then. "He had a really good career as a catcher. He had played for Joe (Torre). I was really impressed with him for the year he was with us. He was as advertised." La Russa said Girardi, who won the World Series in his second ..."

Experience pays off for Yankees in postseason run

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November 6

Miami Herald

"Call it one for the aged, not one for the ages. From late 30-somethings Hideki Matsui to Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees rode the backs of their older veterans to bring the World Series title back to the Bronx for the 27th time. While few would classify the Yankees' conquest of the Philadelphia Phillies in six games a classic Fall Classic, it underscored the value of experience, and the Yankees were bursting with it. There was the 35-year-old Matsui, who garnered Most Valuable Player honors after turning in one of the most spectacular single-game performances in Series history, a six-RBI night to lead the Yankees to a Game 6 win. ``I guess you could say this is the best moment of my ..."

A-Rod finally gets validation

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November 6

Miami Herald

columnist Linda Robertson

"Alex Rodriguez began the year in shame. He stammered, red-eyed and red-faced, as he gave his forced confession to using steroids in 2001-2003. His teammates listened with arms crossed, looking none too sympathetic. A-Rod was ripped as A-Fraud in Joe Torre's book. The tabloids continued to find him a treasure trove of juicy news on his divorce and romantic entanglements. Then there was the hip surgery. It looked to be another difficult year for Rodriguez, another year of trying too hard to be the best, to be accepted as a Yankee and to overcome his unlovable image. Look how it turned out. Not with another choke in the playoffs but with a World Series title, the 27th in Yankees' history, the ..."

Baseball playoffs 2009: Thanks for the memories

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November 6

Boston Herald

columnist Phil Rogers

"Alex Rodriguez couldn't stop smiling. He was holding the World Series Commissioner's Trophy in his hands after the Yankees' Game 6 clincher Wednesday night. He rubbed it, he kissed it, he practically caressed it. There were real, honest tears in his eyes and nothing phony about his feelings for his teammates, from Derek Jeter to Jerry Hairston Jr. A gazillionaire who has moved through dozens of relationships had found a lasting bond. His season, one that had started as badly as possible with an admission of steroid use that clouds his standing as a future Hall of Famer, had ended with him earning respect along with a championship. "There have been a lot of ups and downs," Rodriguez said. ..."

'09 champions built for a long run

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November 6

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Buckley

"What the New York Yankees accomplished during the 2009 postseason was not one of those feel-good, pinch-me-I'm-dreaming baseball love stories. When they put the Philadelphia Phillies out of their misery in Game 6 of the World Series Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, it was not the culmination of a Cinderella season. It was not a 21st century, Tri-State version of the Impossible Dream. They were not plucky underdogs. This wasn't Rocky Balboa outlasting Apollo Creed in "Rocky II." Put another way, the 2009 Yankees lived up to their nickname: They were truly the Bronx Bombers. They didn't simply beat teams, they reduced them to puddles. Picture Pedro Martinez trying to sneak out of the new ..."

Business as usual for baseball's bully

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November 6

Washington Times

columnist Thom Loverro

"Years ago, the saying about Yankees fans was that rooting for the New York Yankees was like rooting for U.S. Steel. Let's modernize it a bit: Rooting for the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees is like rooting for AIG. The Yankees are the perfect symbol for the times - bloated excess. While the federal government was bailing out AIG, the Yankees were charging thousands of dollars for the best tickets in a new $1.6 billion ballpark paid for in part with public funding and tax breaks. There is some symmetry to that - the Yankees have spent about $1.6 billion since they last won a World Series in 2000. So by all means, throw a ticker-tape parade for them Friday to celebrate their ..."

Big spending, big return for Yankees

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November 6

Washington Times

"As the New York Yankees mobbed one another on the Yankee Stadium mound Wednesday night, exercising their World Series rite of passage to act like the world's richest 12-year-olds, it was easy to mistake the dogpile for a group of baseball players celebrating the conclusion of a journey. In reality, it was a solid return on an investment. The Yankees' six-game World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, which followed a 103-win regular season and playoff victories over the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels, was greeted with all the enthusiasm of a corporation announcing it had met its earnings projection, and there's a reason. With the largest payroll in baseball (at ..."

Conviction, not cash, won title

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November 6

Washington Post

"The cynical view, of course, is that the New York Yankees bought the World Series. True, payroll size is always a big factor, but teams from Baltimore to Detroit to Queens to the north side of Chicago (not to mention the Bronx itself) have discovered at one point or another in the past decade that you simply can't spend your way to a championship -- you can only spend your way to high expectations. Meeting them is another matter entirely. The better way to think of the Yankees' 2009 World Series title, clinched Wednesday night with a 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium, is in human, not economic, terms: Their championship was not won by money. It was won by ..."

Alex Rodriguez gains respect along with title

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November 6

Chicago Tribune

columnist Phil Rogers

"Alex Rodriguez couldn't stop smiling. He was holding the World Series Commissioner's Trophy in his hands after the Yankees' Game 6 clincher Wednesday night. He rubbed it, he kissed it, he practically caressed it. There were real, honest tears in his eyes and nothing phony about his feelings for his teammates, from Derek Jeter to Jerry Hairston Jr. A gajillionaire who has moved through dozens of relationships had found a lasting bond. His season, one that had started as badly as possible with an admission of steroid use that clouds his standing as a future Hall of Famer, had ended with him earning respect along with a championship. "There have been a lot of ups and downs," Rodriguez said. ..."

Yankees victory reverberates through Bay area

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November 6

Tampa Tribune

"When the New York Yankees won the World Series by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night in New York, the victory had a special meaning in Tampa. Tampa is the home of the team's legendary owner George Steinbrenner and the place where the Yankees' run to the Series began in the spring. Outside the Yankees spring training complex on North Dale Mabry, workers updated the signs, proclaiming the Yankees as winners of 27 world championships. They also added the year 2009 to the list of championship teams, the firstin nine years. Bronx native Tom Miano owns the company hired by the Yankees to redo the signs. "This is a dream come true," he said. "It doesn't get any better than this.""

It's About the Money, and the Yanks Have a Lot

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November 6

New York Times

columnist William C. Rhoden

"Jimmy Rollins stood in the middle of the losing clubhouse early Thursday morning, speaking with reporters and putting the best face possible on the Philadelphia Phillies' four-games-to-two World Series loss to the Yankees. "They were the better team this series," he said. "Do I think we're the better team? I really do. They showed a lot of heart. A lot of grit. We drilled a couple of guys, no one backed down and they executed." Rollins, the Phillies' shortstop, set the tone before the Series when he predicted that the Phillies would beat the Yankees in five or six games. After the Yankees won Game 6, Derek Jeter told some reporters that Rollins's prediction had served as motivation."

Yankees' 27th Title Proves a Big Draw

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November 6

New York Times

"In the 13 years since the Yankees started to play regularly in the World Series again, their viewership has never exceeded the 25.2 million average in 1996, when they beat the Atlanta Braves. Pick your reasons: the novelty of the Yankees playing in the late fall, the still-potent world of broadcast TV, the matchup of major markets or the appearance that year of the "Seinfeld" episode in which George Steinbrenner craves calzones. The next best viewership was the 23.7 million for the Yankees' sweep of the Braves in 1999, followed by 20.3 million (for their 1998 sweep of the Padres), and 18.0 million (in 2000 against the Mets). The Yankees' 27th championship, secured Wednesday night against ..."

Rivera, Nearing 40, Wants to Play Five More Seasons

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November 6

New York Times

"There was no reason for Mariano Rivera to discuss the future Wednesday night. Not as he stood on a makeshift podium in center field at Yankee Stadium and celebrated his fifth World Series title. The moment was about the present, not the future. But Rivera, who has been as instrumental to the Yankees' championships as anyone, shifted from throwing a baseball to reading a crystal ball. He told the fans that he wanted to play five more years, a surprise announcement that drew almost as much noise as when he recorded the final out against the Philadelphia Phillies. Was Rivera simply playing to the euphoria of the crowd? Could a pitcher who turns 40 in three weeks really believe his cut ..."

After the Championship Comes the Challenge

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November 6

New York Times

"It was never as easy as the Yankees made it seem the last time they were champions. They won four World Series in five seasons, from 1996 through 2000. They did not win again until Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. "You forget how good it feels after the final out," said the captain, Derek Jeter, after the clubhouse celebration early Thursday morning. "But I appreciated the last ones we won. I knew it was very, very difficult to do. If it was easy, people would be repeating every year. No one's done it since we did." The Boston Red Sox won twice this decade, but not consecutively. The Philadelphia Phillies won last season, but the Yankees vanquished them in six games this time. The St. Louis ..."

Phillies Ponder Missed Chances Even as They Look to Next Year

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November 6

New York Times

"After making the last out in the World Series, Shane Victorino did not run back to the Phillies' dugout. He did not jog, either. He lingered, ever so briefly, making sure to give the Yankees' celebration a good, hard stare as he walked past the mound. "That was a long walk," Victorino said, and one that he expected to relive all off-season. A memory will linger for Victorino just as one did in 2007, when he made the last out in the Phillies' division series loss to Colorado, and last October, when his triumphant leap onto his teammates - arms outstretched, mouth agape - became an enduring image of Philadelphia's first title in 28 years. The afterglow of winning the title lasted until ..."

Girardi aids crash victim in Westchester on way home from Series clincher

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November 5

The Journal News

"On his way home from winning the World Series, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi stopped to help a woman who had lost control of her car on the Cross County Parkway and crashed into a wall. "The guy wins the World Series, what does he do? He stops to help," said Westchester County police officer Kathleen Cristiano, who was among the first to arrive at the accident scene. "It was totally surreal." The driver was stunned by the accident, but otherwise uninjured, police said. The crash happened at 2:25 a.m. today on the eastbound lanes along a long blind curve where the Cross County meets the Hutchinson River Parkway prior to the New Rochelle Road exit, police said. Police were in the area ..."

Yanks on top of world!

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November 5

New York Post

"Whoop it up, New York -- we're back where we belong! The Yankees took their rightful place as champions last night, spanking the Phillies, 7-3, to clinch their 27th World Series. Bedlam broke out in The Bronx at 11:50 p.m., when ace reliever Mariano Rivera got Shane Victorino to ground out, capping Game 6 and a 4-2 Series victory. Yankee players held up a special edition of The Post -- with the huge red headline "27" -- as they celebrated on the Stadium infield. "This is just amazing!" screamed Yankee diehard Curtis Jones, commander of USS New York, from his front-row seat next to Mayor Bloomberg. "Bringing the ship here felt like bringing hope back to New York. It was more fulfillment ..."

Japan followed Matsui heroics

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November 5

New York Post

"If New York toasted Hideki Matsui all night and morning after the Yankees' 7-3 World Series-clinching victory in Game 6 last night in The Bronx, imagine the reaction in Japan, which has 20 Japanese media affiliates regularly covering the Bombers and which has sent 28 affiliates and more than 100 journalists to cover the World Series. "This is unbelievable," said Sataru Kagenezawa of Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper. "The biggest story in Japan for a Japanese player playing in the major leagues was Ichiro [Suzuki] winning the MVP (in 2001). "But I think this is even bigger. "This is the World Series. Japanese players have played in the World Series since 2005 and won three times (the ..."

Hank sees a repeat!

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November 5

New York Post

"Hank Steinbrenner is bold. He's already insisting the Yankees will win another championship next season. Shortly after the Yankees won their 27th World Championship last night at Yankee Stadium, beating the Phillies, 7-3 to win the World Series in six games, Hank was asked by The Post if he expects the Yankees to win the Series again in 2010. Without hesitation he answered, "Of course." Red Sox Nation beware. "It was a team effort," Hank added. "We all did our thing in our own way, but if I had to pick an MVP I'd say [Joe] Girardi. He did everything I expected him to do as a manager and everything Brian [Cashman] expected him to do as a manager and that's the bottom line." Did he ever ..."

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