Champions

I was afforded the unique and memorable privilege of covering the night the Yankees captured World Championship No. 27. Next to making a positive difference for people like the late George Murray, nights like Game 6 at Yankee Stadium is why I got into the business.

Let's be fair: The Yankes were baseball's best team. They won 115 games, many in dramatic fashion. And it was extra special seeing Hideki Matsui put on a show. I'm sure it reminded many older fans of what Reggie Jackson did in 1977 - also in Game 6. Reggie belted three homers that night. Matsui drove in six runs (tying Bobby Richardson's World Series record). Both took over the city, and in Matsui's case he also took over Tokyo.

The 2009 season and postseason was one of serious redemption for Alex Rodriguez. You can like him or not like him, and his wounds were self-inflicted, but A-Rod worked his way out of hell to slug 30 homers and drive in 100 runs for the 13th time in his career (12th straight season) - and he was sidelined until May 8 while rehabbing from hip surgery. On some levels, this may have been Rodriguez's finest campaign.

A.J. Burnett drove Yankees fans crazy at times, but you know what? The Yankees may not have won the World Series if he didn't shut down the Phillies in Game 2 to even the Fall Classic at 1-1. There will always be "Good A.J." and "Bad A.J." but when he's on there's nobody better, and you can never question his mental strength in big games. I spoke with Burnett during the clubhouse celebration about what he learned from his first season in the Bronx.

Because baseball never slows down, expect more observations, analysis and the inevitable coverage of the Yankees' big-ticket free signee this winter. Because business always picks up in MMA, expect MMAJunkie.com and other outlets to keep me busy. An alumni event has me missing tomorrow's big Strikeforce show in Chicago, but I'll be DVRing CBS' broadcast. I have Fedor beating Rogers, showing why he's the sport's best heavyweight, and in the fight of the night, Jake Shields doing enough to get by Jason "Mayhem" Miller.