Recently in 2009 World Series Category

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.

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 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.

A.J. Burnett was scintillating.
The New York Yankees starter earned his offseason payday.
Make no mistake about it, though, the biggest moment came when Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter bailed Rivera out.
Now the series moves south to the City of Brotherly Love, where Philadelphia fans should give the Yankees a warm greeting.

Every year, it seams, we're told we're going to have a great World Series.
We're usually disappointed.
So, we here at The Southpaw have decided to preview each individual game.
Let's start with Game 1, which looks like it could be a great pitching matchup.
You know the names: New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia is going up against the Philadelphia Phillies' southpaw Cliff Lee.
You also know the background: Both have Cy Young Awards in their back pockets.
Both were teammates on the Cleveland Indians last May. You know the last time the Phillies faced CC Sabathia in the postseason Shane Victorino slayed the dragon with a grand slam. You know the last time the Phillies played the Bronx Bombers, the boys from New York swept the Phillies aside.
Now, here's what you don't know.

Former Indians Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, above, will face of in Game 1.
Cleveland Indians can only ask themselves, "What if?"
It's a question that haunts us all, but is really pertinent to Tribe followers during this World Series.
Consider what they have to watch in Game 1.
CC Sabathia, who was the Indians' ace just more than 16 months ago, will throw out the series' first pitch. And not the ceremonial type either.
The Big Boy will be the Yankees' Game 1 starter.
To answer, the Phillies will throw Cliff Lee to the hill. He's the man who won the Cy Young while pitching for the Indians last season.
So, the Indians could have been much better off with those two making 40 percent of their starts.
Three good friends of the Southpaw - York Daily Record/Sunday News sports copy editor Matt Goul, St. Louis Post Dispatch photographer Emily Rasinski and Frederick News Post sports writer Greg Swatek. - are Indians fans and were willing to offer their perspective.
Here's what they had to say.

Here are some of the World Series stories worth reading from today's media outlets:

Bruce Jenkins says this could be a historic classic.

Jayson Werth almost left the game, but now is a key player on a team that has made it to consecutive World Series.

Joanna Malloy has a good time poking fun at Philly's new-found pride.

A Whiz Kid recollects

Aces abound in Game 1.