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Shyster's Daily Circuit


Baseball. Blogging. Whenever.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

And That Happened: World Series

Yankees 7, Phillies 3: Champs. You saw it, so no need for me to describe it. I'll just offer some observations:

  • Andy Pettitte was gutsy and successful.


  • Pedro, while unsuccessful, was just as gutsy. He certainly knew before anyone -- and probably well before the game started -- that he had nothing last night. He's Pedro, though, and he did his best to figure out a way to work around it. It's weird: for a Hall of Fame pitcher, I've always thought that Pedro's character as a pitcher was better defined by his losses than his wins. In the 2003 ALCS, last night, and many other times, I've come away strangely more impressed by him when he leaves a game in defeat, and I'm not sure why that is.


  • Matsui. What can you really say? For a guy who often looks like he's in pain when he's hitting, he made it look rather easy last night. He was as good an MVP choice as anyone else.


  • Factoid I found on ESPN: "Wednesday's clincher marked the sixth time New York has defeated the defending champ in the World Series." I'm not going to look it up, but I'll say the Phillies last night, the Braves in 1996, the Braves in 1958, the Dodgers in 1956, Cardinals in 1943, and I have no idea before that. Anyone?


  • Nine years ago is when Jeter, Posada, Rivera and Pettitte last won it all. I know that beyond them there has been massive roster turnover since 1996, but I'm struggling to come up with an example of a team with at least a handful of core players winning World Series outside the context of a continuing dynasty. This would be like Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford hanging around to win one with the 1971 Yankees, or Chipper, Maddux and Smoltz doing it in 2004. I suppose this is mostly a function of them being so young when they were winning them back in the 90s, but it is kind of odd to think about it.


  • I suppose I could go on all day. And really, there won't be much other news happening, so I probably will. For now, congratulations to the 2009 New York Yankees, champions of baseball.

    151 days until Opening Day.

    Posted by Craig Calcaterra at 4:40am


    Comments

    Aarcraft said...

    I don’t like anyone that much.

    Posted 11/05  at  12:14 PM
    BillyBeaneismyHero said...

    Total -

    Just for clarification, I didn’t mean that as a slight of the Yankees.  Under the current rules, they have every right to spend as much money as they want.  Let’s be honest, they (and a few other franchises) are subsidizing part of the league.  What I’m saying is that when invest heavily in your Major League personnel, you’re more likely to win a championship—particuarly if you spend it wisely.  The Yankees, recently, have spent it wisely, at least in the short term.  While you can’t assume they’re going to win every year (because they won’t), their resources are so vast, it’d take gross mismanagement to keep the Yankees from going through a Yankee drought, let alone capturing a championship at least once every decade.

    Posted 11/05  at  12:25 PM
    Richard Dansky said...

    Great season.

    Wait ‘til next year.

    Posted 11/05  at  12:31 PM
    Will said...

    It was a fun season, and the Yankees really were the team to beat, my congratulations to them.

    Now I hope that next year the Rockies figure out how to win at the beginning of the season, rather than after they spend a month or two in the cellar.

    Posted 11/05  at  12:42 PM
    TC said...

    Ron-

    I wasn’t trying to make a point about franchise or fan quality. I, too, root in good times and bad. My point is only that it is more fun when your team falls just short rather than far, far short.

    Posted 11/05  at  12:56 PM
    Beanster said...

    Unsung hero: Damaso Marte.  Striking out Utley (on a questionable check swing) and Howard were enormous, and relieved some pressure on Mo. 

    As it was, Rivera needed 41 pitches to get the last 5 outs and was clearly not at his best.  Afterwards, he admitted he was completely spent and pitching with some type of rib injury.  Amazing performance and a reminder that it’s not as automatic as he makes it look.

    Posted 11/05  at  01:45 PM
    Carlos said...

    I don’t know about “great season”. Honestly I was bored mid way through, and hoped the playoffs would bring some magic to what was turning into a predictable season. Minus a couple of really great post season games, the playoffs shaped up pretty much how we all expected. I hate to sound like a pessimist but this kind of season does not get younger audiences interested in baseball, unless you live in new york. Last point, the final game being played in November is just too much. Most folks have moved on (i.e. football/basketball). Let’s tighten the playoffs up and finish them sooner than later.

    Just my two cents.

    Posted 11/05  at  01:46 PM
    browngoat said...

    The Giants in 1923 were defending champs and defeated by the Yankees. 

    And it will be interesting to see how the Yankees retool for next year.  My two cents = Damon and Matsui are gone, Holliday in left and Posada, Rodriguez and Jeter spend time at DH.

    Posted 11/05  at  02:04 PM
    Gerry said...

    The Tigers won the World Series in 1935, and then again in 1945. Both teams had Hank Greenberg, Tommy Bridges, and Hub Walker. OK, it’s not quite Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, Rivera, but it (and the 71 and 79 Pirates mentioned earlier) will have to do.

    Posted 11/05  at  11:10 PM
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