YANKEES, WIN, THEEEE YANKEES WIN!

It was touted as a smack down series, and for the most part was, but the ALCS ended with the Yankees soundly beating the Angels in Game Six 5-2. Andy Pettitte pitched like a grizzled grizzley bear, tearing into his opponents with the big-time crafty pitching only a veteran of play-off wars can showcase. He's been there, done that, and he took care of business for 6 1/3 innings, leaving to a well-deserved standing ovation. Surprising or not, depending how you view Joe Giradi's moves, Pettitte was relieved by Joba Chamberlain. This time, however, the kid got the job done, and then for the last two innings the Angels had to face the greatest reliever of all time, Mariano Rivera. While Mo gave up a run in the 8th, but the Halos gave up two more runs in the bottom half, and seemed demoralized in the 9th. Then, Rivera wiped them clean with a 1-2-3 inning ending in a classic strike to deliver his team to the Fall Classic.

The Angels, though, have to blame themselves for this loss more than tipping their caps to their opponents. Sure, series MVP CC Sabathia shut them down in two games, and ARod went nuts this entire series, but it was the Halos untimely errors that was one of the biggest causes for this ousting. The Yankees capitalized on every last one, too; the mark of a smart, and truly excellent team.

While a lot of focus, from myself included, has revolved around Giradi's over-managing, he must be congratulated as despite it all he got them to the World Series. It doesn't make his moves right, but his team responded to him nonetheless, and, for now, all the shouting has quieted.

This win is a major accomplishment for a team that didn't make it last year. Sure, most teams don't make it, but when you play for the Yankees it's standard. And this Yankee team has made the standard far from the norm. This Yankee team has quite possibly started a new era...