At the moment, only one thought is going through my mind: No matter what, I will never feel like this again.

The Yankees will win more championships, but there’s nothing like the first time you’re really old enough to appreciate it, and the first time you get to watch it with the same people you have watched with the entire season.

There were seven of us tonight–Amanda, Ben, Joe, Mark, Larry, Brent and myself–and from the get-go, you knew something was up.

The Angels long having been left in the dust, we wanted more. The ALCS alone was not enough.

Brent and I were among the first to arrive. See how clean, how prepared the bar looks? Yeah, by the fifth inning, not so much. By then you could sense it.

A very blurry Ben and Larry.

If you ever get a chance to go to a bar and watch a game with Larry, I highly, highly recommend it. He is an optimist prime!

Brent and Mark.

I have it on good authority that those wings are very, very good. I can’t eat anything fried so I’ve got no idea, but Blondie’s has amazing soft pretzels, so I gorged on them. Actually, by the fifth inning I was so distracted by the game and OHMIGOD CHRIS MELONI that I wasn’t hungry at all.

Brent is gettin’ jiggy wit it!

If you’re an astute observer, you’ll notice who the baserunner is–it kind of sums up everything.

We can sense it. Us and our pitchers of Brooklyn and Miller Lite–so many that we get one on the house–we can sense it.

Mark wanted proof he was here. Ergo, proof he was here.

Celebrating someone doing something in front of a CBS camera man. I can’t really remember what it was, except that after Matsui’s double we all jumped up and started chanting MVP! MVP! and really, at that point, there was no doubt.

Oh, and, GUESS WHO WAS IN THE BAR WATCHING THE GAME?!?

CHRIS MELONI THAT’S WHO!

They handed these signs out towards the end

I’ve also got videos:

1) That girl playing air guitar and generally making an ass of herself? Yeah?

That’s me.

2) The final out. We kind of went crazy. If you can’t tell.

3) New York, New York, one more time:

It was after this last song that tragedy struck:

I’ve had my camera for three years. In those three years I have without fail remembered to use the wrist strap when doing stupid things. Without fail.

Except last night.

While celebrating, one of us who shall remain nameless, knocked the camera out of my hand and it hit the table and then landed on the open lens on the floor.

Had the camera been off, or had it landed on the backside, it would have been fine.

Alas, such was not the case.

Meh.

BUT DUDE. MELONI! MATSUI! TWENTY SEVEN WORLD TITLES!

The best part?

Being able to experience it with friends that have been there every step of the way.

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[I will have a recap with photos and videos from the bar--AND OMG DID I MENTION CHRIS MELONI WAS THERE?!--a little later on]

Let us now praise famous men.

Let us praise men that took Twenty-Seven, that did so easily in a 7-3 fashion.

Let us praise them.

Let us praise Hideki Matsui, who had six RBI, a home run, single and double. Matsui, who had the third highest batting average this World Series ever (min 10 ABs). Matsui, who’s six RBI ties Bobby Richardson with the most RBI in a single World Series game. Matsui, who’s eight RBI total in the World Series are the most since Reggie Jackson. Matsui, who is the first full-time DH to ever win the World Series.

Let us praise him.

Let us praise Andy Pettitte, who pitched his 37-year-old body on three days’ rest to the tune of three runs over five and two-thirds’ innings. Pettitte, who clinched everything this year–the AL East, the ALDS, the ALCS and the World Series, all for the Yankees, the first time any pitcher has ever done that. Pettitte who became just the second pitcher after David Wells in 98 to win four postseason games for the Yankees. Pettitte who did everything the Yankees asked and then more.

Let us praise him.

Let us praise Mariano Rivera, who saw it to the end. Rivera, who’s World Series ERA is now 0.99. Rivera, who’s 41 pitches were the most he has ever thrown in a World Series game. Rivera, who has now been the finishing pitcher in the final game in each of the Yankees’ last 6 Series appearances and in 15
overall playoff Series.

Let us praise him.

Let us praise Alex Rodriguez, who may be the sole person responsible for the Yankees making it to the World Series. Rodriguez, who’s ALDS and ALCS for once and all rid him of the playoff demons and the unfair scapegoating. Rodriguez, who can now say he is a True Yankee in every sense of the word. Rodriguez, who has proven, once and for all, that he can play for a World Series winner.

Let us praise him.

Let us praise Joe Girardi, who has now won the World Series in just his third year as a manager and second with the Yankees. Girardi, who guided his team to 103 wins in the regular season–and 114 overall. Girardi, who became the first person to play for and manage the same team to a World Series title since Billy Martin.

Let us praise him.

Let us praise the Yankees, who have now won their 27th world title, the most ever for a professional sporting team. The Yankees, who never gave Philadelphia a chance last night, who knocked Pedro out in the third inning, who played smart baseball and had the game more or less decided by the sixth inning.

Let us praise them.

It is said that some are born great, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

This is wrong.

It does not allow for the fact that some become great, not because they were born that way or because they found themselves in extreme circumstances, but because they themselves decided to become great.

In 2009, greatness came to those who took it.

It came to New York.

It came to the Yankees.

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With the help of some friends via Twitter, I’ve compiled a preliminary 2009 NYY Playoffs Playlist.

A few caveats:

1) This playlist is supposed to be more about the team than any individual player, so I haven’t included At Bat music–yet. I did include “Enter Sandman”, because it’s significance–a game about to end, a win about to go down–transcends just Mariano.

2) Please add any you think should belong in the comments below.

So here we go:

“New York, New York” –Frank Sinatra. This one is, of course, timeless. It belongs on any Yankees-related playlist.

“Enter Sandman” –Metallica. As discussed above, while it’s Mo’s song, it’s about more than just Mo. If Mo’s coming into a game, 9 times out of 10 it’s because the Yankees are winning–something the entire team does together.

“We Weren’t Born to Follow” –Bon Jovi. Interestingly enough, while TBS played this song all the time, FOX has not. This is remarkable if only because of Bon Jovi’s association with the state of New Jersey, which is the Connecticut of the Yankees-Phillies. You follow?

“I Gotta Feeling” –Black Eyed Peas. This is one of the songs featured in the YES season-ending montage/”Get Ready for the Showdown” video, and, well, it’s really catchy. It also describes the way many of us have been feeling this entire season and now postseason: pure optimism. We’ve got a feeling, it’s going to be a good night. Mazel tov!

“Run This Town” and “Run This Town Yankees ’09 remix” –Jay-Z/Rihanna. Right now, is there another artist more associated with New York City and New York City sports than Jay-Z? You’d be hard pressed to find one. The Yankees ’09 Remix is my preference over the other one because it’s, uh, slightly more family friendly.

“Empire State of Mind” –Jay-Z/Alicia Keys. I’m not a rap/hip-hop person. Most of my music is either alternative rock or medieval folk music (don’t ask). However, seeing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys perform it live for Game Two–there’s just something about the atmosphere of being there.

“Glory Days” –Bruce Springsteen. Always have to give Bruce a nod. If we’re talking New Jersey music, then one can’t mention Bon Jovi without mentioning Bruce Springsteen. At any rate, this is exactly what this season’s felt like: a return to Yankee Glory Days of the end of last decade–when I was, indeed, back in high school.

“Let it Rock” –Kevin Rudolf/L’il Wayne. At one point, Nick Swisher’s walk up music, it’s a stadium anthem that’s kind of just stuck with me. Anyway, there’s something about the line “stuck his middle finger to the world” that’s just too New York to not include.

“Don’t Stop Believing”–Journey. Okay, so this song might be a little more apt for the small market teams like Minnesota that didn’t have much of a chance to do anything, but even so, being a baseball fan is like being religious: keeping the faith, keeping the hope and keeping belief.

“Don’t Stop Me Now” –Queen. This one’s featured in a YouTube mashup of all the Yankees’ walk off wins from the 2009 regular season. In the immortal words of Eric–who was at the Stadium to watch game three of the ALCS along with me–WE. CANNOT. BE. STOPPED.

(Added at request)

“Showdown” –Black Eyed Peas. Do you need me to explain this? Really?

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