Posada, left, and Rivera made their debuts in 1995.
One for the thumb
How it happened
Three reasons why the Yankees were the best team in 2009:
1 Money well spent — After years of throwing money in the wrong places, general manager Brian Cashman used $423 million wisely. Cash signed CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to solidify the rotation and inked Mark Teixeira to protect A-Rod in the lineup and improve infield defense.
2 Old guard not that old — Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera may all be older than 35 but it hardly showed. Between Jeter’s clutch hits and Pettitte’s 3-for-3 in series clinchers, the old boys proved their worth.
3 A-Rod — After years of trying to play Superman, Alex Rodriguez says he’s just having fun. He’s right, dating Kate Hudson and not using steroids is pretty fun. So is belting 100 RBIs after hip surgery.
Derek Jeter has been out of place since his last World Series title. The captain’s been on Jessica Biel’s arm, starred in countless Gillette commercials and had a front-row seat to Alex Rodriguez’s PED news conference.
On Wednesday night, though, Jeter finally stood in the one place where he feels most comfortable — the winner’s circle.
“This is where we belong,” Jeter told the Bronx faithful from a stage near second base at their $1.5 billion stadium. “We’re back.”
Back where they belong. Back to dominating teams in both frames of an inning. Back to winning rings. And Jeter is Lord of the rings with five.
There are several lords in the Bronx now, too. Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera each have a handful of rings.
“Nothing left to prove,” Rivera said. “Well, except next season. We’ll be out to prove we can win a sixth.”
A parade of the wrong names came and went through the Yankees’ clubhouse since their last title in 2000, but now the only parade will happen Friday at 11 a.m.
While a bevy of pinheads came and went in pinstripes, general manager Brian Cashman stayed put. Cashman’s offseason signings of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira finally equaled success in the Bronx. Those talents, combined with the core four, proved too much for the Phillies in six games.
“That traces back to decision-making,” Cashman said about his team’s chemistry, mixing old and new. “To get that kind of a group together and keep them together, it’s special. It’s rare and it’s why we’ve been in this situation a lot.”
