Full Circle

Triumph

"The ladies in the place like it just like that...I'm an around the way guy with the baseball cap..."

KRS-One - Return of The Boom Bap

Alex Rodriguez has been the lighting rod for the Yankees success and failure since he first buttoned up in pinstripes during the '04 season. He has accomplished numerous things in the Bronx...however there is one adjective that has eluded him during his Yankee years...clutch.

I Love NY

ARod hit career number 500 as a Yankee, as well as he won 2 American League MVP awards, but as everyone knows...the team is judged only on the championships they win, and it has been 8 years, and 10 months since they have captured the crown. What happened last night in the South Bronx could be considered a watershed moment for Rodriguez, as he finally got the albatross off his neck by hitting a 2-run home run in the 15th inning, to beat the rival Red Sox 2-0.

In a word, he was as CLUTCH as Derek Jeter's career. The game lasted 5 hours and 33 minutes, and with one swing it was over...it being the years of frustration as Alex has finally earned his pinstripes. Baseball is all about production and being able to deliver...and while it took the better part of 5 hours...the Yankees won...keeping the lead in the AL East, making ARod a hero...if only for one night.

Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

The Empire Strikes Back

Teammates

NY State of Mind

Pride

"Remember Bronx River, rolling thick...with cool DJ Red Alert and Chuck Chillout on the mix..."

KRS-One - South Bronx

I absolutely LOVE the game of baseball, and the past season has boiled my fervor for America's pastime. From the collapse of the New York Yankess, and Mets...to the rise of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa Bay Rays...things have been outright interesting. However it is the off season that has somewhat overshadowed the joy of October, as the Yankees have, as always gone shopping for new talent and headlines.

A Bronx Tale

The Yankees had plenty of highs and lows last summer, from the 2008 MLB All-Star game, and the closing of their historic stadium, to missing the playoffs, and finishing with a sub par 89-73 record...times have been tough, and CHANGE was very necessary.

Like his father before him, Hank Steinbrenner has invested millions of dollars into All-Star caliber players, in an effort to put the most famous team in all of sports, back on top. After signing the top free agent pitchers CC Sabathia, and AJ Burnett, the Yanks have emerged as a true contender by adding power and dexterity with Mark Teixeira. The first basemen brings youth, and power from both sides of the plate, infusing an offense that boasts the likes of Derek Jeter, AROD, Robinson Canoe, Jorge Posada, Melky Cabrera, and Johnny Damon. 

Unlike Sabathia and Burnett, the signing of Teixeira came out of nowhere, as the Yankees made one offer several weeks ago, and stayed pat, while the Orioles, Rex Sox, Nationals, and Angels vied for his services. Yesterday at about 2pm, it was announced that he would don the pinstripes, becoming a New York Yankee...coming from another American League franchise, much like Reggie Jackson did over 30 years ago. 

Will the World Series return to the South Bronx...only time will tell, as Yankees look good on paper, but the Phillies are champions until proven otherwise. 

Happy Holidays baseball fans.

Photos: Jeffrey Zelevansky/Getty Images