Magic Number 0

It’s official. The New York Yankees have just clinched their 9th straight AL East division title. This title was wrapped up after the Yankees swept the five game series in Boston, but it was just a matter of finalizing the inevitable (there were some technicalities to dispose of first). Boston came through one last time for the Yankees and their fans as they lost to the Twins, enabling New York to clinch despite losing a close game 3-2 to Toronto. When Roy Halliday made an early exit last night I thought we might manage to pull off a win even though half of the regulars were missing from the lineup. Although they came up just short last night, the other two rookies left impressions after pitching well and sticking it out for the win.

This year was a special celebration. This season the Yankees blew out the division and did not back into the title. There was no race to the wire, but to clinch was just as gratifying. They fought hard, battled many injuries, worked through pitching problems, gave the fans a scare or two, and overcame deficits. There were times when it looked like this was just not there year as the injuries heaped up and as their game deteriorated. But, looking back over the course of the season they are arguably the best team going into the playoffs; not the hottest just the best. This celebration was different. It was more emotional and there was a giddiness due in part to the many “kids” on this younger and fresher Yankee team. The clincher last night certainly lifted my sagging spirits. (And even though they clinched in Toronto there were Yankee fans making themselves seen and heard throughout the ballpark. There were fans waving Yankee flags behind the dugout and others holding signs.)

Torre did a great job of managing this team. He rolled with the punches and found a way to win. Cashman, too, did a spectacular job of bringing people to the team out of nowhere. Bruney was an amazing find to bolster a tired bullpen. As for Abreu, he is the perfect fit, helped get the Yankees over the last hump, and will be an important contributor the rest of the time he is here. The only problem I have with Torre is that he once again mismanaged the bullpen and tired out key guys like Proctor and Villone. Mo absence has not helped matters and he did not have many good options in the bullpen much of the season, but you can only hope the bullpen will not fall apart from exhaustion.

I will not even begin to discuss the SI cover article on A-Rod now. Definitely interesting to hear about, but I have no patience to analyze it at the moment. Too much to say.

One of the Yankee radio broadcasters, Suzyn Waldman, is taking off because of the “Jewish holliday” (Rosh Hashanah). Nice to see. Tino Martinez will be joining John Sterling in her place. He is one of my all time Yankee favorites and I am not happy that I am missing it. Maybe this will become a more regular occurrence because after seven years I am beginning to tire of John Sterling and I never thought I would say that. I miss Michael Kay in the booth. He was so much more entertaining to listen to. Although I still listen to his espn show.

Mo is just rarin’ to go. Joe said to him, “We did it without you, but no more.” Reenter Sandman.

Finally, I would like to officially congratulate all the Mets fans out there who read my blog. I know there are quite a few of you. Good luck in the playoffs and maybe we'll meet again down the road. The best team in the AL vs the best team in the NL. New York vs New York. It could happen.

This is just the beginning. The best is yet to come.