It's tough to be the greatest Yankee of all time when you have to compete against these two.

For the past few days, The Southpaw has tried to find a reason to defend Chris Rose, the host of Fox's pregame show during the World Series.
You see, Rose made a mistake of monumental proportions and we here at The Southpaw can't figure out why.
Maybe Rose got caught up in the moment.
Maybe a producer fed him the line and he didn't think about it before speaking aloud.
Maybe he was dropped down a flight of stairs at birth.
Even if all three of those things happened, there's no excuse for what he asked during the Game 5 telecast: Is Derek Jeter the greatest Yankee of all time?
Even if Rose hadn't heard of Lou Gehrig or Joe DiMaggio, the question still wasn't defensible.
He has to have heard of Babe Ruth. Right? Otherwise, would he be qualified to even be on the set?
Asking the Jeter question is like asking if the Earth rotates around Venus.
So, this Top 10 list is dedicated to Chris Rose.
It is the 10 greatest Yankees of all time.

The Yankees celebrate a 27th World Series crown.
The Southpaw will admit he was biased in this series. The Phillies are the team he's always rooted for. And the Yankees, well they conspired with two politicians in Northeastern Pennsylvania and stole the team he grew up watching, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.
Of course, the problem there isn't that the Phillies weren't going to be associated with The Southpaw's hometown region, it's that the deal struck with the Yankees will probably end Triple-A baseball in the Dunder Mifflin region forever.
But that's another story for another day.
Today, and until a new champion is crowned, the New York Yankees get to be celebrated.

The New York Yankees are the 2009 World Series champions after fighting off the 2008 champion Philadelphia Phillies in a six-game series.
The Yankees, with baseballs biggest payroll, have won their 27th World Series and first under Joe Girardi.
This was also the first championship won in the new Yankee Stadium.
Check The Southpaw tomorrow morning for a recap.

The New York Yankees return home with a chance to clinch their 27th World Series championship. The Philadelphia Phillies, however, are playing to stay alive.

Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Vicente Padilla was reportedly shot.
It's surprising news and, for some, strange reason, not surprising at all.
Look, if you were going to pick someone in the Major Leagues to get shot, your best bet would be Padilla, whom Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster/peddler of doom Chris Wheeler somewhat affectionately dubbed, "A space cadet."
We don't know the reason for this name. But we know Padilla's roughshod ways have worn out his welcome with two franchises.

The Pirates, who've long been derided here, made a great move by bringing in Akinori Iwamura. He came at a cost: Jesse Chavez.

However, Iwamura is a good deal for the Pirates because of two reasons. First, he's a good piece to have around as they continue to rebuild. Second, he's a good piece to trade away as their trying to rebuild.

Look, If Iwamura plays well, he could be traded to a contender for a decent prospect. And if he's allowed to walk when he's a free agent, the infielder will probably bring the Pirates a compensation pick. His numbers aren't good enough to nab the Pirates a "Type-A" selection, but his .281 career batting average, steady defense and ability to play several positions, should merit a "Type-B" pick.

According to today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pirates might consider a contract extension.

New York Yankees fans hope Game 5 was just a blip on the radar.
Philadelphia Phillies fans hope that blip was the unnoticed warning of a coming attack.

Chat live with The Southpaw and friends during Game 5 of the 2009 World Series.

Chat live with The Southpaw and other baseball fans.

The Yankees prevailed on Halloween to take a 2-1 World Series win, but the Phillies will try to even it up at home with Joe Blanton on the mound.

Tweet your Series thoughts with the hashtag #yorksouthpaw. They'll show up here, and we'll include them in Pat Abdalla's chat later tonight.