Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
When you're the Yankees, the only acceptable end to a season is one that ends with a dogpile on the pitcher's mound and a champagne-soaked locker room. The 2009 season had quite an acceptable ending, then, although it isn't one they'll be able to celebrate for too long.
The nature of expecting a championship every year is that the work toward building the next champion begins before Broadway is cleared of confetti. This year's decisions will revolve around a trio of aging stars from the title squad as well as figuring out how they'll use their leverage as baseball's richest team to improve themselves for run at a 28th title.
As always, the latter means that you'll be seeing a lot of Mad Lib headlines with "The Yankees are interested in _______," and, as always, just about any one of them could wind up being true.
CHICAGO -- The confetti from their championship parade not fully cleaned up, the Yankees are not yet prepared to address their offseason moves.
"I don't see anything happening here in Chicago," general manager Brian Cashman said Monday after checking in to the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport for baseball's GM Meetings. "I have the feeling we'll be a little bit more cautious than anxious."
And Cashman made it clear that just because Hideki Matsui was MVP of the World Series does not make it more important for the Yankees to keep him. In fact, the Yankees probably prefer not to have a player who can only DH, as seems to be the case with Matsui because of his knee problems.
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 (AP) -- Paint the town in pinstripes! Nearly a decade after their dynasty ended on a blooper in the desert, the New York Yankees are baseball's best again.
Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs, Andy Pettitte won on short rest and New York beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 on Wednesday night, finally seizing that elusive 27th title - the most in all of sports.
It was the team's first since winning three straight from 1998-2000.
NEW YORK -- Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte both used the same word to describe how they felt about getting the assignment to pitch Game 6 of the World Series: "Blessed."
Martinez, understanding the similarities between the pitchers go beyond their statistical resumes, added another description: "Two old goats out there doing the best they can and having fun with it."
With the Yankees looking to close out their 27th World Series title on Wednesday night, they'll turn to the 37-year-old Pettitte, while the Phillies will lean on 38-year-old Martinez to try to force a Game 7. The matchup would have plenty of drama because of the situation in the series, but it certainly has an added bit of texture because of what could be the final major league game for either or both of these iconic pitchers.
"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 -- 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 -- 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.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down the playoffs from a scouting perspective.
It's easy to be pessimistic after a team suffers a crushing loss, mostly because fans and broadcasters alike like to zone in on intangibles like momentum and the players' psyche. But if you are a New York Yankees fan and looking for reasons to be worried, there are some perfectly logical and tangible ones to focus on.
From the performance of Joba Chamberlain, to many of the Yankee hitters' struggles against the breaking ball, to the decision most New York fans will be screaming about, the removal of David Robertson from the game in the 11th inning in favor of Alfredo Aceves, there are more than enough tangible reasons to be concerned about the Yankees. And from a scouting standpoint, there are certainly points of intrigue in New York's weaknesses.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
CHICAGO -- The confetti from their championship parade not fully cleaned up, the 
PHILADELPHIA -- Ready and willing is one thing.
PHILADELPHIA -- Of 
PHILADELPHIA -- Not only will 
NEW YORK -- No starter/reliever pair has combined to lock down more games with the win and the save than 
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