A - A-Rod was a vital part to the Yankees success in the 2009 postseason. His timely hitting, and game-changing home runs gave this team all that they needed to succeed. This was a far cry from his previous postseason struggles.
B – A.J. Burnett was maybe the third best pickup in the offseason for the Yankees, but he was just as important as anyone else. His Game 2 performance of the World Series was huge for this team, as he was able to even the series, and he was able to give the Yankees the surge they needed to beat the Phillies. Without him in Game 2, the Phillies would have definitely won the series.
C – CC Sabathia was one of the biggest signings in the offseason, and he paid huge dividends throughout the season. Being the true ace that the Yankees could rely on was something that the team sorely needed to be as good as they were.
D – The Double steal by Johnny Damon in Game 4 of the World Series was a bold move that the Yankees will not soon forget. Watching Damon hop up from second base and run away from Pedro Feliz made everybody think, ”What is he doing?” When everyone realized that third base was not occupied, Johnny Damon looked like a genius.
E - Early season struggles had this team wondering if it was going to be another disappointing year. Getting off to 15-17 start in their first 32 games had many people pressing the panic button. I believe the rough start helped this team finish strong.
F – Brian Fuentes is regarded as one of the best closers in baseball. However, when the Angels needed their trusted closer to finish off Game 2 of the ALCS, he could not answer the call. On an 0-2 pitch, Fuentes served up a game-tying home run to Alex Rodriguez that just cleared the wall in right field. This home run proved to be extremely important, as the Yankees went on to win the game a few innings later, and they took a 2-0 lead in the ALCS.
G - Even though there was a lot of criticism surrounding Joe Girardi and his decision-making, he made the right moves when it counted most. In only his second year with the Yanks, Girardi is a World Series Champion.
H - Hideki Matsui was a guy who had an unexpectedly fantastic World Series, as he batted .615 and had 3 HRs. His 6 RBIs in the Game 6 clincher landed him World Series MVP honors, and there is no doubt that he was the one who provided the spark that they so desperately needed in that all-important game.
I – Infield strength is something that the Yankees prided themselves on in 2009. With Teixeira, Cano, Jeter, and A-Rod, the Yankees four infielders were by far the best in baseball. Each one of them had special moments throughout the season, and they provided everything the Yankees needed on offense and defense. With a solid infield, everything else followed.
J - Joba Chamberlain surprisingly had a little impact on this team’s success this season. Joba was supposed to be a key pitcher for this staff, yet the Yankees found enough quality arms to get the job done without too much help from number 62.
K – The Yankees led the AL in K‘s in 2009. Largely due to their offseason pickups of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the Yankees were able to strike out their opponents 1260 times during the 2009 regular season.
L – Cliff Lee’s performance in Game 1 of the World Series was one for the record books. He made the Yankees look like a piece of cake, and he put doubt in the minds of the Yankee faithful. Despite his wonderful performance, the Yankees were able to win 4 out of the next 5 games, and they put that game 1 masterpiece in the rearview mirror.
M - Mariano Rivera proved once again that he is possibly the most valuable piece to the Yankees’ championships since 1996. His ability to shut down the opponent in the 9th inning so consistently, makes the Yankees so much tougher to beat.
N - Nick Swisher played a great role in helping the Yankees win a championship. Even though he struggled for most of the postseason, he was an emotional leader who definitely helped boost this team, who reflected his energetic attitude.
O – ”Over-managing” is the term that the critics used to describe the frequent pitching changes made by Joe Girardi in the ALCS against the Angels. Girardi used 3 pitchers to record 4 outs in Game 2, and many worried that he would cause this team to lose somewhere in the postseason. Fortunately for Joe, that never happened.
P – A Pie in the face was the way the Yankees would celebrate their walkoff wins. There were plenty of pies to go around in 2009, and they were happily delivered by A.J. Burnett.
Q – Questionable calls by the umpires had many people going crazy in Game 4 of the ALCS. Even though the Yankees blew the Angels away 10-1, there were many irate baseball fans wondering why the umpires were missing so many easy calls. Many talks about instant replay have surfaced since then.
R – Ryan Howard was arguably the best batter that the Phillies had, as he hit 45 home runs in 2009. However, Howard is also known for his tendency to strike out a lot (186 times in 2009). The Yankees highlighted the latter, as the New York pitching staff struck out Howard for a record 13 times in the World Series. Without Ryan Howard helping out his buddy Chase Utley, the Phillies just lacked the depth that the Yankees had.
S - Shortstop and Yankees captain, Derek Jeter, showed why he is considered one of the best to wear the Yankee pinstripes. By the end of the regular season, Jeter found himself in the top 4 in batting average, hits, and runs in the AL. Every season I expect this guy to slow down, but he always seems to get better as time goes on. There are no words to describe how valuable Jeter is to this team.
T – Mark Teixeira did not let the New York crowd and media get to him in 2009, as he led the AL in home runs and RBIs in his first season with his new team. Teixeira also provided world-class defense at first base which helped this team tremendously. Teixeira will continue to be an intricate part of this team for many years to come.
U – Urgency is the catalyst that fueled this team in 2009. After missing the playoffs for the first time in a long time last season, the Yankees knew that they needed to have a big showing in 2009. They did that with many offseason pickups, and a commitment to winning unlike any season in a while. Their 103 victories was 6 more than the next best team.
V – Victories came in bunches for the Yankees in 2009. When they won 1 game, many would usually follow before they got their next loss. The fact that the Yankees were able to rack up victories in bunches, they were able to overcome the early season struggles that they had. One example is the way they started beating the Red Sox after starting 0-8 against them. Following the 0-8 start against their rivals, the Yankees were able to win 9 out of the last 10 against them, and they ended the season series tied at 9.
W - Walk-off wins were definitely hip in 2009 for the Yankees. They had a league-leading 15 walk-off wins during the regular season. The final one came on a hit by Juan Miranda in a 4-3 win against the Royals.
X – After winning the World Series, Alex Rodriguez can X out the final task that would keep him from ever being a true Yankee. Now that he has a championship with New York, he can assure himself of everlasting love by the Yankee fans.
Y – Yankee Stadium is where all of the magic happened in ’09. Although the name of the stadium is the same as its predecessor, there are obvious differences. Just like the old Yankee Stadium, the Yankees won it all in the inaugural season of the new Yankee Stadium.
Z – Z‘s were definitely produced when the Yankees and Red Sox played 14 and 1/2 innings of scoreless baseball on August 7. When everybody woke up, they found out that A-Rod hit a 2-run dinger in the bottom of the 15th to win it for the Bronx Bombers.
27 – The 27 World Series Championships by the Yankees are the most by any team in professional sports. Amazingly, it is 17 more than the next best team; the St. Louis Cardinals.
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