The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Wednesday night in the Bronx to win their record 27th World Series championship in team history.
The Yankees, who went 103-59 to establish the best mark in Major League Baseball in the 2009 season, simply outclassed the Phillies over the course of six games.
“I really believe in this club,” said Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, who was widely scrutinized for his decision to utilize a three-man rotation throughout the playoffs. “I’ve always believed in this organization, the job the Steinbrenner family has done, Cashman and his staff and it’s where we wanted to be and the guys did it.”
Despite New York’s exorbitant payroll that exceeded $208 million, Girardi stressed that the Yankees chemistry and perseverance is what ultimately brought another crown to the Bronx.
“It’s unbelievable how this team came together in spring training,” said Girardi, who decided when he was hired by the Yankees in October 2007 that the number on his jersey would be 27 to emphasize that his sole mission in pinstripes was to win another championship. “They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”
Hideki Matsui, who has twice been selected as an All-Star since he made his debut in the Bronx in 2003, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after he batted .615 with three home runs and eight RBI.
The Yankees are an extremely deep and talented squad and Matsui, whose contract has now expired, expressed immediate interest in returning to the Bronx to help defend their title.
“I hope it works out that way,” said Matsui, 35, through an interpreter. “I love New York. I love the Yankees and I love the fans here.”
Provided that the Bombers brass makes sound decisions this impending offseason, the Yankees should be a considerable force again next year.
The Yankees are the most successful organization in the annals of North American professional sports.
However, despite the fact that New York averaged an astounding 97 wins this decade, they were deemed a failure by many onlookers because they had not won a championship since they beat the New York Mets in the 2000 Subway Series.
“All of them were great,” said legendary closer Mariano Rivera of the five championships he has amassed with the Yankees. “But this one is special. It was a drought for nine years and we finally got one.”
Largely because of the significant economic advantages that are afforded to the Yankees, nine years without winning a championship is viewed as an eternity in the Bronx.
Still, nine-year drought or not, the Yankees were absolutely the team of this decade.
It has long been touted that, since there was no year 0, the new millennium commenced on 1/1/2001.
Under that rationale, the Yankees championship in 2000 obviously would not have occurred during this decade.
In actuality, anyone with even a granule of sensibility understands that when the calendar flipped over to 2000, the 1990’s concluded.
Therefore, the New York Yankees captured two championships in this decade and they were baseball’s elite franchise once more.
The Boston Red Sox are the Yankees central competition in the argument over who dominated the diamond in the 2000’s.
The Red Sox finally exorcised the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 and won their first title in 86 seasons.
Boston supplemented their landmark victory in 2004 with another championship in 2007.
Hence, the Yankees and the Red Sox combined for four World Series championships in this decade alone.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the Yankees trounced Boston in every other significant category over the course of the past ten years.
The Yankees accumulated four American League Pennants and eight A.L. East divisional titles since the 2000 campaign began.
Furthermore, the Yankees tallied the most victories this decade and they failed to make the playoffs on only one occasion.
In comparison, the Red Sox accrued two American League Pennants and they earned one measly A.L. East divisional crown in 2007.
Additionally, Boston was not able to qualify for the postseason four separate times.
It is indisputable that the Yankees are the most successful team in the history of baseball and it is equally inarguable that they were the best organization in this era.
Rivera, 39, a ten-time All-Star selection and the owner of numerous MLB records on the hill, was asked what it feels like to earn another championship alongside his longstanding teammates Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada and he answered, “It is, beautiful.”
“I’ve been blessed because I have been able to play for 15 years and we have done almost everything together. It feels wonderful. I am so grateful for them. We have been through so much together, bad times, good times, and we finally got number five together.”
The Yankees have experienced many more “good times” than they have “bad times.”
Considering their lofty standards, the Bombers did struggle a tad this decade.
Nevertheless, in the end, fans of the Bombers should be “so grateful for them.”
Regardless of all the adversity the Yankees faced since the 2000 World Series, they were still the most accomplished team in all of Major League Baseball this decade.
Andy Pettitte is a Hall of Fame Pitcher
http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8648/andy-pettitte-is-a-hall-of-fame-pitcher.html
CC Sabathia's The Greatest Free-Agent Pitcher The Yanks Have Ever Signed http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8632/cc-sabathias-the-greatest-free-agent.html
Embattled Oakland Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable was accused Sunday on the ESPN show Outside the Lines of physical abuse by both of his divorced wives and an ex-girlfriend.
Cable, 44, a former offensive lineman for the Idaho Vandals and a scab replacement on the 1987 Indianapolis Colts strike team, released a statement in which he admitted that he hit a woman “on only one occasion in my life.”
“More than 20 years ago, during my first marriage, I became aware that my wife Sandy had committed adultery,” said Cable, who has helped lead the Raiders to a sterling mark of 2-6 to date. “I became very angry and slapped her with an open hand. What I did was wrong and I have regretted and felt sorrow about that moment ever since.”
Sandy Cable, who was reportedly granted a temporary order of protection against Tom when they were married, said Oakland’s coach is dangerous and she is worried that he will badly injure someone again in the imminent future.
“On two occasions, one back in ’86 and the other in ’88, he hit me. The second time in the face, however on attempts to call law enforcement, my husband would rip the phone out of the wall.”
Sandy Cable, who is now an employed member of the fuzz, believes that her villainous ex is an utter menace and he will abuse anybody that he is empowered over.
“He’s going to hurt somebody,” said Sandy Cable. “More so than what he’s done to Randy Hanson, more than what he’s done to me, more than what he’s done to anybody else.”
In August, the burly Cable assaulted Hanson, who was his assistant coach, during the Raiders training camp in Napa.
Hanson suffered a fractured jaw in the violent attack and he claimed that Cable also threatened to murder him.
“From my blindside, Tom Cable threw me from my chair and into a piece of furniture that a lamp sat upon,” said Hanson, who is currently on a paid leave-of-absence.
“He was screaming, ‘I’ll fucking kill you! I’ll fucking kill you! I’ll fucking kill you!’ And I have no reason to believe he wouldn’t have killed me if they hadn’t pulled him away. If my head would’ve hit a different way, I might be dead right now.”
Napa’s district attorney oddly declined to file charges against the Raiders vile leader of men.
The Raiders and their batshit owner Al Davis issued a statement Monday in response to the allegations that Cable is a miserable “man” that enjoys hitting women.
“In conjunction with the league office, we will undertake a serious evaluation of this matter,” the organization said in premeditated damage control.
“We wish to be clear that we do not in any way condone or accept actions such as those alleged. There have been occasions on which we have dismissed Raider employees for having engaged in inappropriate conduct.”
The Oakland Raiders have been the laughingstock of the NFL since they lost Super Bowl XXXVII 48-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.
The Raiders and their ghoulish supporters pride themselves on being rogue degenerates.
Therefore, perhaps Tom Cable is the ideal coach for this pathetic Bay Area franchise that became the first team in NFL history to lose at least 11 games in six consecutive seasons in 2008.
“I’m coaching the Raiders and I think my future is to be the coach of the Raiders,” said Tom Cable Monday.
Tom Cable is a loser and the Raiders are a losing franchise.
Sadly, Tom Cable is likely a perfect fit in Oakland and he should coach in “The Town” for as long as he wishes to.
Patrick Kane Belongs In Jail
http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8249/patrick-kane-belongs-in-jail.html
Fedor is a Yellow-Bellied Coward
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Philadelphia Sports Fans Are Scumbags
http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8167/philadelphia-sports-fans-are-scumbags.html
IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao is scheduled to fight WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Cotto (34-1, 27 KO), whose only “loss” came at the illegal hand-wraps of a cheating Antonio Margarito in July 2008, is a gritty and powerful fighter and he will give Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) more than he can handle in two weeks time.
“I consider this one of the hardest fights in my boxing career,” said Pacquiao, 30, who is rated by Ring Magazine as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
Largely because of the manner in which Pacquiao brutalized Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs) and Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) in his two previous bouts, “Pac-Man” is a decided favorite to defeat Cotto, 29.
Nevertheless, Cotto is a naturally bigger man than Pacquiao and his ample speed and superior strength should prove to be very troublesome for the diminutive Filipino.
Despite Cotto’s noted advantages, last week Pacquiao curiously offered his premature opinion in regard to a potential matchup with undefeated former WBC welterweight champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs).
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Pacquiao said about a lucrative battle with the man www.espn.com ranked #48 on their “50 Greatest Boxers of All-Time” list. “I’m sure he doesn’t want the fight.”
Pacquiao is a spectacular talent and his blinding speed could actually neutralize Mayweather’s elusiveness in the ring.
“Boxing for him is like a business,” Pacquiao said. “(Mayweather) doesn’t care about the people around him watching. He doesn’t care if the fight is boring, as long as the fight is finished and he gets plenty of money. I want people to be happy. You have a big responsibility as a boxer.”
Pacquiao is everything that is right with the floundering sport of pugilism and there is zero dispute that he takes his “responsibility as a boxer” with the utmost seriousness.
Still, no matter what ultimately becomes of the proposed Pacquiao versus Mayweather matchup, it is unwise for “Pac Man” to overlook his fight with Cotto for even an instant.
Pacquiao’s “people” will “be happy” because their fighter is a determined and valiant warrior.
However, for Cotto, boxing is not entirely “like a business.”
From Cotto’s vantage, boxing is essentially a fight and the native of Puerto Rico certainly has shown to date that he loves to scrap.
Therefore, Pacquiao’s only “responsibility as a boxer” should be to focus all of his energy toward Cotto and not on anybody else.
The impending fight with Cotto will be “one of the hardest fights” in Pacquiao’s career as a professional prizefighter.
Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are slated to wage war in ten days.
Hatton should say "No" to Couture and avoid the UFC http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23631-Boston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m11d3-Hatton-should-say-No-to-Couture-and-avoid-the-UFC
Halloween Special--The Three Scariest Boxers Ever http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23631-Boston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m10d29-Halloween-SpecialThe-Three-Scariest-Boxers-Ever
If they ever fight, Kelly Pavlik will punish "The Punisher" http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23631-Boston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m10d28-If-they-ever-fight-Kelly-Pavlik-will-punish-The-Punisher
Former three-time UFC heavyweight champion and two-time light-heavyweight titlist Randy “The Natural” Couture expressed interest this week in converting British professional boxer Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton into the world of mixed martial arts.
Couture (16-10), the only five-time champion in UFC history, is confident that Hatton (45-2, 32KOs) would benefit from his immense punching power and thrive in the octagon if he learned how to fight on the ground under his tutelage.
“He is a tremendous fighter and he has a lot of heart,” said Couture, 46, one of only two UFC fighters to have held a championship in two different divisions. “There is no doubt he could make a tremendous impact with his heart and determination in the ring.”
Hatton, 31, a two-time IBF and IBO light welterweight champion, admitted he is intrigued by the prospect of fighting in MMA and he said his background in kickboxing would make the transition from the ring into the cage easier than some skeptics may predict.
“UFC would be right up my street,” said Hatton, who suffered a brutal second round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao last May. “I used to kickbox, so maybe I would be all right.”
Hatton, who is scheduled to host Monday Night Raw next week, added that UFC has seemed to recently garner more public interest than boxing has.
“It is all action, proper fighting,” Hatton said of MMA. “There is a concern in boxing that the UFC is taking its place. People seem to get more value for money.”
Hatton was a stellar pugilist who still energizes his fellow countrymen every time that he is slated to fight.
However, he was badly outclassed by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in December 2007 and, as mentioned previously, he was pulverized by Pacquiao last spring.
Randy Couture is a superior grappler and “The Natural” would be the ideal man to train Hatton if he ever decided to make his foray into the octagon.
Still, at the delicate age of 31 and after the way he was violently beaten by the diminutive Pacquiao, it would be wise for Hatton to return to his native land and retire from any form of hand-to-hand combat.
Hatton’s fans are known to taunt his opponents throughout his matches with the derisive and sustained chant, “Who are ya?” If Hatton does attempt mixed martial arts at this stage in his career, he could get badly injured.
After one savage loss in the octagon, “The Hitman” may have to permanently ask members of his friends and family, “who are ya?”
The Halloween weekend is finally upon us.
As a tribute to the annual “Fright Night” holiday, I decided to rank the three scariest fighters in the annals of boxing.
Please note that the below list is comprised of the “scariest” and most menacing pugilists to ever enter the ring.
Hence, this is NOT a tabulation of the three most skilled or accomplished fighters in the history of “The Sweet Science.”
Without further adieu, below are my rankings.
1) “Iron” Mike Tyson- Tyson (50-6, 44 KOS) became at the age of 20 the youngest man to ever win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles.
In November 1986, Tyson savagely defeated Trevor Berbick by a TKO in the second round to capture the WBC title.
After he slaughtered Berbick, Tyson expressed disappointment with the way he emerged victorious.
Tyson said he had wanted to catch Berbick “Right on the tip of the nose, because I try to punch the bone into the brain.”
“Iron Mike,” who had been arrested 38 times by the age of 13, was a physical marvel in the ring.
Tyson possessed a rare combination of quickness, coordination and power that was unlike anything the heavyweight division had ever seen before.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” steamrolled the competition for years before his personal demons derailed his seemingly inevitable path to boxing immortality.
In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sexual assault and he spent in excess of three years in an Indiana prison.
After he was paroled from the pen, Tyson embarked on a comeback in the ring.
Initially, Tyson revived his career and he was able to regain portions of the heavyweight title.
Unfortunately, both Tyson’s livelihood and behavior again spiraled downward.
In a colossal upset, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield defeated Tyson in the 11th round by a TKO in November of 1996.
The epic battle between Holyfield and Tyson had fans clamoring for a rematch and the two sides agreed to fight again in June 1997.
After Holyfield controlled the fights opening rounds, Tyson went insane and twice brutally chomped off pieces of “The Real Deal’s” ears.
Tyson was temporarily banned from the sport of boxing and he never was able to recapture any semblance of the fighter he once was.
“Iron Mike” can be considered something of a Shakespearean tragedy.
Before Tyson receded into a cannibalistic, convicted rapist, he was one of the most skilled prizefighters the sport of boxing had ever seen.
Tyson was once quoted as saying, “I feel like sometimes that I was not meant for this society.”
Perhaps “The Baddest Man on the Planet” is more thoughtful than he is given credit for.
2) Charles L. “Sonny” Liston- Liston (50-4, 39 KOs) was an individual most would want to avoid encountering in a dark alley.
Liston, whose actual date of birth is unknown, was born in Arkansas to a sharecropper.
Liston was often beaten by his father as a child.
At the age of 13, Liston escaped from his violent patriarch and reunited with his mother and cousins in St. Louis.
During his adolescence, Liston partook in a gas station robbery and he was arrested and subsequently imprisoned for his crime.
While incarcerated, Liston’s boxing skills were discovered.
Boxing served as an outlet for “The Big Bear” and, after he won several amateur tournaments, he decided to become a professional boxer.
Liston, who had a disproportionately long reach, was one of the greatest jabbers and punchers of all-time.
Liston’s mean nature and burly frame often intimidated his opponents to the point that they were scared to even enter the ring to face him.
One person who Liston particularly threatened was a fighter by the name of Cassius Clay.
Clay, who eventually changed his name to Muhammad Ali, admitted that he was mortified by Liston.
Clay entered the ring against Liston in Miami in 1964 as an 8-1 underdog.
However, Clay’s quickness infuriated Liston and “The Big Bear” quit in his corner before the start of the seventh round.
Liston claimed he had hurt his shoulder in the midst of the fight and he was not physically able to continue.
Skeptics voiced their opinions that Liston, who had alleged ties to organized crime, fixed the match and purposefully lost.
Liston and Ali fought a rematch in May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine and the contest again ended shrouded in controversy.
Ali landed a seemingly feathery punch on Liston’s chin and “The Big Bear” went down like the Titanic.
It was never confirmed whether or not Liston intentionally threw the two matches he had with Ali.
Nevertheless, there was never any doubt that Liston, a purported enforcer for the Mafia, was a chilling human being who was not meant to be trifled with.
Liston was found dead of an apparent heroin overdose in Las Vegas in 1971.
To this day, there is a wide belief that Liston was actually murdered by some of his contacts in the underworld.
Liston was once quoted as saying, “A boxing match is like a cowboy movie. There’s got to be good guys and there’s got to be bad guys. And that’s what people pay for – to see the bad guys get beat.”
Liston only lost four times in his professional career.
Unfortunately, the “good guys” suffered 50 defeats at the hands of “The Big Bear.”
3) “Big” George Foreman- Before he become a lovable grandfatherly figure renowned for his Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine, Foreman (76-5, 68 KOs) wore a permanent scowl on his face as a youngster.
Foreman, who acknowledged that he patterned himself after Liston, was aloof and antisocial and he bullied everyone he encountered inside and outside of the ring.
“Big” George had extraordinarily powerful fists and he was one of the greatest punchers to ever grace the ring.
In January 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, Foreman was a huge underdog as he readied to fight heavyweight champion “Smokin’” Joe Frazier.
In HBO Boxing’s first broadcast, Foreman abso
Keywords: Boston Red Sox, Boxing, MMA, New York Yankees, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Phillies, UFC
