Gratz to the 27-time champs

You know how people say “money can’t buy you happiness” -- that may be true in the real world, but in sports, money means EVERYTHING. It took a change of managers, a steroid admission from Alex Rodriguez, steroid revelations of Giambi, Clemens, and Pettitte, and a change of scenery, but at long last the New York Yankees found the right combination of superstar sluggers and pitchers to win them their 27th title (the most in sports history). And just what was the source of their winning combination?

Straight cash homey.

The combined contracts of A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia, Hideki Matsui, Mark Teixeria, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Johnny Damon -- seven players -- is greater than $1 billion. This team had all the offense in the world the past nine years, but when it was all said and done, it was their pitching that put them over the top. And how sweet is it for the Yankees to win it all with Pedro Martinez of all people on the mound. Prior to this series, the last time they saw Pedro the Red Sox were going to the World Series. This time around it’s Pedro who is going home the loser, and the Yankees are victorious.

I’ll say this though. Thankfully there is enough parity in the MLB postseason that it took this team nine long years to win another championship, even though their rosters were as gaudy and loaded as any we’ve ever seen. The Tigers, Angels, Red Sox, Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Indians were all able to get past them. Eventually though, something’s gotta give. It doesn’t matter how open your sport is; when one team is paying a quarter of a billion dollars a year to its entire roster, the time will eventually come when that team reigns supreme. That time is now.

Also, kudos to Hideki Matsui, whose six-RBI performance tied Bobby Richardson for the most in a World Series game. If he really is going to Seattle next year, and if this really was his final game in a Yankees uniform, he certainly went out with a bang -- winning the series MVP. Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez finished just one RBI shy of the all-time postseason record. Even without that feather, A-Rod has inarguably silenced the critics who said he wilts in the clutch.