I'm In An Empire State Of Mind

The chorus from Jay-Z's song, Empire State of Mind, is very fitting right now. "In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York." I've been bumping that song all day. If you're a Yankee fan, how can you not be in an "Empire State of Mind." Today is all about the Yankees. Excuse me. I mean today is all about the 27-time World Champion Yankees. Yeah, that's more like it. Last night's game is still playing fresh in my mind. What an awesome night. What an awesome day. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York.

Hats off to Andy Pettitte who shut up all the doubters who said he couldn't pitch well on short rest. I'm not sure if I fall into that group or not. Here's what I wrote about Andy before yesterday's game:

I'm really nervous about tonight's game. Andy is 37 and hasn't pitched on short rest in over 100 starts. But if anyone can figure out a way to battle through the game, it's Andy Pettitte. We shouldn't expect perfection but I'm confident he'll be able to keep the team in the game. That's all I'm looking for. The offense though needs to show up and get the necessary run support.

That's pretty much what happened. Andy definitely battled his way thru the start yesterday. But he did what I thought he'd do and that was keep the team in the game. The offense came through and took care of the rest. Andy is definitely one of the unsung heroes of the postseason. He went 4-0 in his 5 starts, pitching to an ERA of 3.52 and he held the opponents to a .226 batting average. 3 of his wins came in clinchers. You the man Andy. I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of AP, but if it is, thanks for everything.

Hats off to the World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui. If this was his last go-around in Pinstripes, what a way to go out. Hideki had a monster World Series, hitting .615. His overall postseason numbers were pretty impressive too. He appeared in 15 games, smacked 4 HRs, knocked in 13 and hit .349 with an OPS of 1.136. Godzilla was definitely deserving of the MVP. He single-handedly won game 6 with his 6 RBI. He absolutely owned Pedro too. I'm on the fence as to whether or not the Yankees should bring back Matsui for another term. But we've got months to discuss that, so why start now.

Hats off to Mariano Rivera. Mo very well could have been the WS MVP. I think it was a two horse race between Mo and Johnny Damon until Matsui came along. Mo pitched 5.1 innings in the WS, allowing 0 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. After game 1, Jimmy Rollins remarked that the Phillies "saw some things" against Mo. Guess not. Like he's done so many times before, Mo locked it down. And like they always are, his postseason numbers were out of this world. 16 IP, 10 hits, 5 walks, 14 K, 1 ER, 0.56 ERA, .169 opponents batting average. Add that up and you get 5 saves. If any non-Yankee fans out there doubt that Mo is the greatest ever, take notice. He was the only closer of the 8 postseason teams who didn't have a meltdown. He's the GOAT. Mo made a sort-of joking comment during the postgame festivities that he'd be able to pitch another 5 years. Memo to Brian Cashman: sign that deal! Right now.

Hats off to Alex Rodriguez. Nobody can dog A-Rod anymore about not coming through in the postseason. Alex's postseason, as I predicted, was huge. He hit .365, had an OBP of .500 and a SLG percentage of .808. In 16 games, he hit 6 HR and drove in 18 RBI. The Yankees definitely don't win #27 without Alex. His World Series definitely wasn't as good as his other 2 rounds of the postseason, but he definitely had some huge hits that can't be discounted. And though I think this happened long ago, we can now make it official. A-Rod is a 100% true Yankee. Don't even try to tell me he's not. You won't win that argument.

Hats off to Damaso Marte. Damaso came out of nowhere and had an outstanding postseason. His postseason numbers are shocking compared to his regular season numbers. Marte appeared in 8 games, allowing only 2 hits, both of which came in his 1st postseason outing. 4 IP, 2 hits, no walks, 5 K, and a .133 opponents batting average. Marte came up big. Color me shocked. I didn't see that coming.

Hats off to, and I'm not a big fan of this moniker, the "Core Four." The drought is over. You guys have your 5th ring. Congrats. It all starts at the top with the Captain. Derek was another one of the guys who had a stellar postseason, hitting .344 for the entire postseason and .407 in the postseason. It was definitely a magical season for DJ. I'll bet this victory tastes pretty sweet.

Hats off to Joe Girardi. I may not agree 100% with his moves and I do think he can be an idiot at times, but I've to give Joe some credit. Girardi was integral in bringing the team together and making it about the team and not individuals. Girardi did an outstanding job helping to turn this team into a true team. Now if only he could get rid of his little book.

Hats off to the entire Yankees organization. From the top to the bottom you guys have given us fans a season to remember. I love that the Yankees have an owner who's committed to winning and doesn't care what it costs, even if it means losing money. There's been a lot of talk on the radio today about the Yankees and their high payroll. Yawn. It all boils down to jealousy. I'll talk about that more in the coming days/weeks. Anyway, congrats Mr. Steinbrenner! And thank you.

I feel like I'm making an acceptance speech. I know I'm leaving people out but that doesn't mean their accomplishments and contributions are being overlooked. Everyone at some point or another had a huge hand in bringing the World Series back to the Bronx. Hats off to all.

There's only 1 question left unanswered. What am I going to watch on TV now?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie