(h/t: The Yankee Universe)

The City, it seems, is in a groggy funk this morning.

Lots of people who think a Game 5 loss automatically means the Yankees are going to completely collapse and Philadelphia will win the series.

Clearly, these people did not watch the 2009 ALCS.

Philadelphia’s a good team. The Yankees have their work cut out for them, yes, but don’t forget, it’s the Yankees–not the Phillies–who are up three games to two.

The Yankees haven’t been this deep in a postseason in almost a decade–a series that either the Yankees will win or a series that will go seven games.

How many of you would sign up in February for a team that will play in the sixth and possibly seventh game of a World Series? I guarantee you every single one of you would do so.

Let me say this again, for dramatic effect: the Yankees are in the World Series.

As far as baseball is concerned, you cannot ask for more than that.

The Yankees are the only team in the American League left standing; better than the Red Sox and the Angels and the Rays and the Twins and the Tigers and on and on.

As much as we may worry about Andy Pettitte going on three days’ rest, remember also who Philadelphia is throwing on the mound–Pedro Martinez, who’s had a decent postseason, and Cole Hamels, who is so utterly lost he provoke a teammate to ask “Hey, didn’t you quit?”.

The Yankees, instead of turning to infighting and public remarks about wanting the season to end, have instead chosen to wear it, owning up to when they don’t play well, and taking it in stride when they do.

That’s class.

There is no good reason, no way to convince me, that these 2009 Yankees, that these fine men and centaurs cannot finish the task set before them.

Even if calamity strikes and they do not, I will still hold my chin high–this is one of the best, most fun to follow Yankee teams that there ever has been, and I am honored to be a fan the whole way through. Whatever happens from here on out, nothing will invalidate how much fun this season has been, and how much it has meant to be able to remember why it is we are Yankee fans in the first place.