The Empire wins

The New York Yankees finished up the World Series last night, pounding the Philadelphia Phillies and got to celebrate their 27th World Championship in front of their home town fans. And, really, it’s about time these guys got it done. When you have a roster that has topped $200-million in salary the past few years and has been the runaway leader for most expensive team in the league, you would expect to see titles like this one more often. It’s taken nine years for the Bronx Bombers to claim a title and that equals a lot of money spent on losers.

And what a difference a Matsui makes. Pending free agent Hideki Matsui finished 8-for-13 in the World Series and was one of the big bats that the New York Yankees sorely missed at times in Philadelphia. He had an amazing six RBIs last night and was the insurance behind A-Rod that was needed without the DH. In total, he hit three home runs and drove in eight runs. But, because of his limited role as a DH, was he really a deserving MVP?

My choice would have been the captain, Derek Jeter, who hit an outstanding .407 and had a hit in every game. He was also solid in the field and scored five runs. Even Alex Rodriguez would have been a good choice for the MVP crown. The usually unclutch slugger came through when his team needed him the most for once and drove in six runs. While he only hit .250, he got on base six other times via walks and three HBPs. Talk about taking one for the team.

Here’re a few other things I found noteworthy…

-I never thought I’d see Johnny Damon facing Pedro Martinez in the World Series, with one on the Yankees. If you had told me that back in 2004, my head might have exploded trying to figure out who was the one that took the money and ran from the rival Red Sox.

-It looks like the problem the whole time for the Yankees was potential Hall of Famer Mike Mussina. He came to New York in2001, the year after they won, and left after last season. As one writer on SI.com noted: “He’s the meat in a Yankees Championship sandwich.”

-Finally, it looks like what I wrote about Eric Hinske was right.
“The trade the Yankees made yesterday might be their answer to making it to the World Series. Yes, New York dealt two minor leaguers to the Pirates for Eric Hinske.”
He might not have played a huge role, but he was there on the World Series roster. Now, the former AL Rookie of the Year has rings with the Red Sox and the Yankees.