Yankee Stadium is only a 15-minute drive away from my place of residence and I have been a Yankee fan my entire life. However, it's been a tough and long nine years since the Yankees last won a championship in 2000 in the subway series against the Mets; whether it was the heartbreak in 2001 versus the Diamondbacks or the unbearable loss in the playoffs to the Red Sox in 2004. This year, the Yankees had a new momentum, team, attitude, and even a new stadium. You could tell this was a different team. Whether it was a big pickup in C.C. Sabathia or a small but still important pickup in Nick Swisher, all the pieces just came together this year. The hard work and patience finally paid off, and the Yankees went all the way topping it off with an exciting World Series. Matsui had the highest batting average in World Series history + tied (missing only by a few feet) the record for most RBI's in one world series game. Mariano (Rivera) was unbelievably dominant throughout the entire playoffs as well, proving (as if there was any doubt) that he's easily the greatest closer of all time.
Congratulations to the entire 2009 New York Yankees.
And to keep this post somewhat I.D.-related, here's a celebratory drawing following the text. After that is more championship images to look upon.
(*Side Note - For once, none of these pictures are mine. Credit goes out to whoever posted these great historic flicks.*)