World Series Game 6

Sweet Victory

Yankees Win World Series 2009

Game 6 went according to some kind of plan. Pedro Martinez was willing to pitch around Mark Teixeira and A-Rod, just to get to Hideki Matsui, and for perhaps the last time Hideki Matsui played like his nickname Godzilla, batting in 6 runs. The Yankee pitching, led by Andy Pettitte and closed by Mo, did pretty much everything it was expected to do – hold down the Phillies so the offense can pound out some runs.

I guess it’s the kind of pleasure you get watching a blockbuster – they spent the money to give you a thrill ride, and a happy ending. Pleasing the crowd is the iron rule of entertainment and the Yankees do have a world wide crowd to please. It’s all good.

Goodbye Godzilla

Jeter has this quote about Hideki Matsui:

“He looked like he wanted it bad,” Derek Jeter said. “Matsui is one of my favorite players. He’s one of my favorite teammates. He comes ready to play every day. He’s a professional hitter. All he wants to do is win.”

That’s mighty high praise from the captain o a team that has Tex and A-Rod and CC and AJ and Jorge and Mo. The scuttlebut is that it may have been Matsui’s final game in NY pinstripes. If so, it was a heck of a way to say farewell.

Everybody seems to be talking about what a long road it’s been and what a great finale it might be so I’ll leave it be. The guy got what he wanted in the end. We should all be so lucky.

When you think about it, 2009 is the year of the NPB. Ichiro and his guysfrom Japan won the World Baseball Classic, and now Matsui put his stamp on the World Series by becoming World Series MVP. It’s a good year for the Nippon Professional Baseball guys.

No.27

Goodness. So, I’ve seen 7 in my lifetime. I’m trying to get my head around that one. They don’t come as often as one would be made to think about all the talk about the money. Let’s get one thing straight, money alone doesn’t win it all, and certainly if you think winning the World Series is the only credible end to a season for a team, then you’re already thinking like the Steinbrenners.

I’m just glad it’s in the can. The next might take 10 years, 15, even but I won’t be forgetting 2009. This was a really, good, memorable squad.

In Democrats We Trust

Not a single title during the Bush years. Not a single title during the Reagan years or the Bush snr. years. All that money spent and no titles. The Yankees won 2 under JFK (’61, ’62), 2 under Jimmy Carter (”77, ’78), 4 Under Bill Clinton (’96, 98, 99, ’00) and now 1 under Barack Obama (“hooray!”).

Makes you wonder why George Steinbrenner ever donated to the Republicans!

To tell you the truth I had an inkling this coincidental streak might run from the moment Obama won office and the Yankees traded for Swisher, and signed CC, AJ and Tex.