NEW YORK -- The Yankees had just begun celebrating their 27th World Series title, and first in nine years (that's 63 in Yankee-drought years), when general manager Brian Cashman was asked about people saying his team bought a title.
"You can call us anything you want," Cashman said. "You're also going to have to call us world champions."
But if the Yankees' latest championship teaches us anything, it's that a big payroll is just money unless it's combined with smarts.
Here's what we can conclude off the 2009 postseason:
After a few efforts over the second half of the season, the Angels were able to re-sign outfielder Bobby Abreu on Thursday, locking up the first of many potential free agents on thier roster.
According to a major league source, Abreu will get $9 million in 2010 and 2011. There is a $1 million buyout on a $9 million option for 2012, but Abreu can guarantee the third year with a certain number of plate appearances.
"We are excited to have Bobby and the presence he brings to our organization," said general manager Tony Reagins in a prepared statement. "He was an integral part of what we accomplished in 2009 and we look forward to his contributions both on and off the field."
NEW YORK -- None of them were on the field Wednesday when Robinson Cano threw out Shane Victorino to clinch the Yankees' World Series championship.
And no one should be surprised if neither Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettitte nor Johnny Damon are on the field in Tampa, Fla., next February for Yankees' spring training.
But this championship would not have happened without them.
All three are potential free agents. And all three may wind up leaving the Yankees, for various reasons.
NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui couldn't be a big part of the Yankees offense the past three World Series games because there was no DH for the games in Philadelphia.
Actually, Teixeira was glad to offer up an excuse.
"Unfortunately, during these playoffs, it's been tough to get into a rhythm," Teixeira (hitting .172 in the postseason) said Tuesday before the Yankees worked out. "When you're in a rhythm during the season, you're going to fail seven out of 10 times. When you're not in a rhythm, you're going to fail a lot more than that. And unfortunately for me, that's kind of been the case right now."
"Oh yeah," Andy Pettitte said with a definitive nod when FanHouse asked if he'd be able to pitch Game 6 of the World Series on short rest. "Whenever they tell me to pitch."
But how will it go?
CC Sabathia was fine on three days' rest in Game 4. A.J. Burnett -- less durable than Sabathia but younger than Pettitte -- was awful in Game 5.
PHILADELPHIA -- If Johnny Damon isn't careful, people are going to find out that he's got some smarts.
"That's the only thing that keeps me going now," he jokingly told FanHouse early Monday after almost single-handedly creating the Yankees' winning run in Game 4 of the World Series.
With the score tied in the ninth inning, two out and nobody on, Damon battled Brad Lidge through a nine-pitch at-bat to single. He then stole second and third on the same pitch before scoring on Alex Rodriguez's double.
"He really won the game for us," Jorge Posada said.
PHILADELPHIA -- Of Andy Pettitte's record 17 postseason wins, he may be proudest, in a way, of No. 17.
"I can't remember winning a game where I've struggled like I did tonight," Pettitte said after the Yankees won Game 3 of the World Series. "It's very gratifying to be able to go out there and just battle through it."
For two innings Saturday, Pettitte was awful. He could not hit catcher Jorge Posada's target. Pettitte needed 51 pitches to get through those first two innings, and he gave up three runs to the Phillies in a 31-pitch second, digging a big hole for the Yankees.
But because of the lefty's history, the Yankees were confident he could find his way. And pitching coach Dave Eiland spotted Pettitte's mechanical flaw.
PHILADELPHIA -- Joe Girardi might not know the intricacies of the save rule, but he knew what he had to do.
Girardi's decision to use closer Mariano Rivera for the final two outs of the Yankees' defeat of the Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series created some debate.
Statistically-oriented obervers would cite "win expectancy" -- saying that it was a waste to use Rivera because the chance of winning was so great with one out, an 8-5 lead and no one on in the ninth.
PHILADELPHIA -- Not only will CC Sabathia come back on short rest for Game 4 of the World Series, but the Yankees seem to be leaning toward using A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte on short rest as well.
That would give the Yankees a three-man rotation for the World Series, which no team has done (in a Series of more than four games) since 1992.
The Yankees confirmed, in no surprise, that Sabathia will start Sunday's Game 4. He also started on short rest in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
And while manager Joe Girardi would say only he would "possibly" start Burnett in Game 5 and Pettitte in Game 6, he said Chad Gaudin -- the only other option -- would be "available to us in the bullpen" for Game 4.
PHILADELPHIA -- Like the villain in a comic book or James Bond movie, Joe Girardi has at his disposal the most powerful weapon in the (baseball) universe.
The question now is how often can he use it, and how much on each occasion?
That weapon is Mariano Rivera, the near-automatic postseason closer.
Rivera has nailed down the Yankees' past two postseason wins -- Game 6 of the ALCS and Game 2 of the World Series -- with two innings of work.
In the first, he came in having not pitched the previous two days. In the second, he came in with three days' rest and a guaranteed off day afterward.
NEW YORK -- The Yankees had just begun celebrating their 27th World Series title, and first in nine years (that's 63 in Yankee-drought years), when general manager Brian Cashman was asked about people saying his team bought a title.
After a few efforts over the second half of the season, the 
NEW YORK -- 
PHILADELPHIA -- Ready and willing is one thing.
PHILADELPHIA -- If 
PHILADELPHIA -- Of 
PHILADELPHIA -- 
PHILADELPHIA -- Not only will 
PHILADELPHIA -- Like the villain in a comic book or James Bond movie, Joe Girardi has at his disposal the most powerful weapon in the (baseball) universe.
