TOP OF THE HEAP!

And the Yankees have done it for a 27th time! On the backs of Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Godzilla they once again climbed the mountain and won their 27th championship. I must tip the cap to the Phillies first, as they played hard in their quest to win two in a row, but with a lack of pitching behind Cliff Lee, it wasn't to pass. Meanwhile, the Yankees prepare to ride down the Canyon of Heroes tomorrow, and they did so in titanic fashion.

Andy Pettitte, working on fumes and the much over-exaggerated three days rest, pitched a gritty-gutty 5 2/3 innings. He wasn't sharp, but he was making the right pitches when he had to. He gave up three runs, one on a sac fly and the other on a Ryan Howard home-run, that would account for his only offensive damage of the series. Pettitte gave all he had and did splendidly. He turned away the naysayer,s and did what the true fans believed he would do, win.

He was relieved by Joba Chamberlain, who continued his resurgence and reclamation to the bullpen. Will he be there next year or will they give him another go at the rotation? We shall see, for now though, he got the job done, and then handed the ball over to one of the revelations of the post-season, Damaso Marte. The lefty did another fantastic job striking out both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, who set a record for K's with 13.

The game could've just ended there, as Mariano Rivera came out of the bullpen, and almost completely shut them down for the next 5 outs. This man is beyond words, and like a fine wine, he's getting better with age. With weeks before his 40th birthday, Mr. Rivera delivered the Yankees back to where they belong, the Top of Heap.

And what can be said about the Series' MVP, Hideki Matsui, the Yankee Godzilla? He would do Toho proud with his performance last night. With a record tying 6 RBIs off of a two-run homer, single, and double respectively, Matsui forever placed himself in Yankee lore. It's where this great and proud man should be, and if that was his last game in pinstripes, he couldn't have asked for a better parting gift. No not the MVP, but the adulation of his fans, at once remembering all he has done for this team, culminating in a championship.

What more can be said of this game, but congratulations to both teams. This was one of the best World Series I've seen in a long time, probably going back to 2001. The best two teams in baseball gave us their all, and the better team came out on top. What does the future hold for these two, and can they meet again in a rematch next year? Stay tuned as the Hot Stove season begins, but for now I close my World Series write-ups with this final thought: ARod has earned his pinstripes.