Video and Photos: New York Yankees Win 27th Championship [J. Mark English]

Photos: Warming up Before Game One [J. Mark English]

Derek Jeter: New Yankee Hit King - 2,722 Hits [J. Mark English]

Septemeber 11, 2001: Never Forget [J. Mark English]

Giambi Lifts Yanks Past A's [David Stefanini]

Jason Giambi broke out of his early season slump last night with a game winning HR in the 13th inning at Oakland. Giambi entered the 13th inning of lasts night game, with 5 hits in his last 35 at bats. Then with one swing of the bat, all Yankee fans forgot about what a slow start it has been for the former MVP winner. Giambi hits the game winner in the top of the 13th and everything is once again good in Yankee-land.

Instead of the Yankees falling 2 games below .500, they evened their record at 5 up and 5 down. However, the way this team is playing is much worse than their .500 win percentage tells us. If it was not for the play of A-Rod this team would probably not have 3 wins. Obviously their depleted pitching staff has a lot to do with it, but it has also been their very shaky defense which has given them numerous problems. Their injured pitchers should be able to come back and fix things within a few weeks, but their defense has to be there for the pitchers.

In ESPN.com's baseball ranking the Yankees are #2 behind the New York Mets. There is no need to panic about a slow start. The Yanks will be on top when it is all said and done, but for them to have a chance at making it to the World Series they are going to have to plug up a few holes in their defense and start to play with the passion that A-Rod and Jeter are showing in this young season.

As Stocks Go Down, Cards Go Up [J. Mark English]

The stock market had a bit of a correction today. If you took a hit in the market, but you also have money tied up in a baseball card collection then you may have something to smile about. Check out this story about the latest auction of a Honus Wagner card:

The "Holy Grail of baseball cards,'' the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday.

The buyer has only been identified as a Southern California collector. SCP Auctions Inc., a company that holds sports memorabilia auctions, said it bought a small share of the card. It is scheduled to be shown at a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.

There are about 60 of the tobacco cards in existence featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, one of the first five players to be inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame.

The seller, Brian Seigel, in 2000 paid a then-record $1,265,000 for the prize card, which is in much better shape than the others.

"This particular one was preserved in spectacular condition,'' said Joe Orlando, president of Professional Sports Authenticator of Newport Beach - the company that certified the authenticity of the card. "It's the Holy Grail of baseball cards.''

In other baseball card news, people seem to be really into the 2007 Topps Derek Jeter card. On ebay its listed for as high as $286.00! Why is it so high. Because of the odd background it contains...

This is the description for someone on eBay: You are bidding on a HOT 2007 Topps card #40 of Yankees star Derek Jeter. Card shows Jeter at bat with Former Yankees star Mickey Mantle in the dugout and current president George Bush waving from the stands. Card is in mint condition and is a red back variation card. It has a low starting bid price of $.99. Shipping on this card is $2.50.

Unstich the "C" from Jagr's Jersey [J. Mark English]

Captain my bleeeeeep. Jaromir Jagr disgraced himself last night. Larry Brooks of the New York Post sums up what the 'great' Czech did:

It is unfathomable. In what, by definition, was the most important game of the Rangers' season, because each succeeding match becomes the most important for the unsuccessful 11th-place Blueshirts, Jaromir Jagr did not participate in a shootout that went four rounds against Martin Brodeur.

The Rangers captain did not shoot for the sixth consecutive time after two initial misses because he previously told Tom Renney he does not feel confident enough to participate in the one-on-one showdown in which the great ones generally thrive.

It is unimaginable that Jagr, battered and bruised though both his left shoulder and psyche must be, would not demand to go. It is beyond belief that he would not demand the opportunity to have the game on his stick, if for no other reason than to prove himself unafraid of failure to his teammates.

It is inconceivable that he would not try to keep the Rangers alive when trailing 2-1 in the shootout in a game they once led 2-0 but would lose 3-2.

Hard to disagree with Larry Brooks assessment. The team is not paying you to sit out at the most crucial moment of the game. I can understand not liking a system, but its the system that is in place. The team needed your abilities last night, and you failed to even attempt. Is that attitude of a true captain?

Derek Jeter is the captain of the Yankees because he sacrifices time, body, and soul to the Yankees organization. He may not be the flashiest player, but he is always giving his all. Remember the defensive play against the Oakland A's many years ago where he came out of nowhere to flip the ball over to Posada? That was from pure adrenaline and determination.

Mark Messier wore the "C" with pride as a Ranger. There once was a time when the Rangers could beat the Devils. Down three games to two in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, he swore that the Rangers would win in New Jersey. Not only did they win, but Messier had a hat trick. He willed the team to victory.

When the game is on the line you don't see this similar fire in Jagr. And last night, during the shootout he opted to sit out. Jagr has become a stigma of one who is afraid to take charge, and lead this team. Its time to remove the "C" and give it to someone more deserving.

Best of the Best Conclusion: Baseball Edition [David Stefanini]

This is the conclusion of the Best of the Best posts. It has taken me a little longer to write because there are so many players in baseball it is nearly impossible to say who are the top 5. There will be a lot of disagreement with these picks, and there should be. One can make a case for literally 20 different top 5's. When writing this post I re-wrote my list 6 times, at first including names like A-Rod, then taking them out. So without any further delays here it is:

1 - Albert Pujols - Pujols is the most versatile in the game today. Every time he steps to the plate there is a good possibility bringing in every runner on base, including himself. Along with being the best batter in the league Pujols can play outfield or 1st base exceptionally well. There is nothing he can't do and he is still growing as a hitter and a defensive player. The sky is the limit for Pujols and there is no telling when he will get there.

2 - David Ortiz - Ortiz is the most clutch hitter in the league. With the game on the line in the 9th inning who do you want up to the plate, Ortiz without question. He does not play defense because he is the DH, but there is no questioning what he can do with the bat. He may not be the fastest runner or the best hitter for AVG. however the way he steps up in the clutch over compensates for his lack of speed and defense.

3 - Johan Santana - Is there a more dominating pitcher in the league? Undoubtedly no. He lead the league in Wins, Strikeouts (by a mile), and ERA. For the second time in his career he won the CY Young Award with a unanimous vote. When he takes the hill his team has a very good chance to walk out with a victory. His change up makes even the best hitters look like sorry excuses for batters and his fastball makes even the best hitters look silly trying to catch up. He is the most dominating pitcher in the league and still has a long career ahead of him.

4 - Derek Jeter - Jeter has been the face of baseball for quite sometime now. More than just his hitting his defense is unbelievable. He is a complete player and has been the leader of the Yankees for several years. His leadership is what makes Jeter the player he is. It is impossible for one player to win a game in baseball, but at times you can see Jeter willing the Yankees to victory.

5 - Ryan Howard - Howard just completed his second full year in the majors and did he show up with a bang. Howard lead the majors in HR's and RBI's at 58 and 149 respectively. He won the MVP Award by almost bringing the Phillies into the playoffs single-handily. Going into next year he has to be one of the top 2 favorites to win the MVP Award again. It should be a great race between him and Pujols to see who can claim the award.

Your Late Night Fix 2.6.07 [J. Mark English]

• Tyrus Thomas of the Bulls, fined $10,000 by the NBA for saying that he's only in the dunk contest for the money. Guess he'll think again before saying something dumb like that...
• Boston Celtics not only are losing games, but they are losing Pierce for a longer period of time...
• Steve Nash misses game due to inflammation of the right shoulder.
• Injuries seem to be contagious tonight around the NBA, as Iverson misses fourth straight game.
• Jackie MacMullan on the new and improved Kobe Bryant.
  
• Derek Jeter has reason to believe that Roger Clemens will come back to pitch again this year... (How many years left will we have to put up with this waiting game with Clemens?)
• Meanwhile, Jeter's teamate, A-Rod, ducks questions about whether he'll opt out of his contract next year.
• Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson gets a three year contract extension. And we can thank him for the Zambrano/Kazmier trade...
  
• Controversial Super Bowl TV Ad gets pulled.
• Scott Wraight rolls out his NHL power rankings.
• Finally, 1957 World Series MVP, Lew Burdette, dead at 80.