Yankees win AL East title ...

The Yankees have won the 2009 American League East title. They did so by sweeping the Boston Red Sox today at Yankee Stadium. It was the team's 100th win of the season. Mo got the save. They have the best record in Major League Baseball. They have beat Boston in nine of their last 10 meetings. The clubhouse celebration was pretty wild. A great day in the Bronx. One down, three more steps to go. Let's all enjoy the win and get ready for the ALDS. Congratulations to the '09 Yanks.

Yanks poised for playoffs

OK ... we haven't blogged that much here over the past few weeks, but maybe that's simply because the Yanks opened up such a nice lead in the standings in August. What we have is two Cy Young candidates in CC and Mo, two MVP candidates in Jeter and Texiera and a Manager of the Year candidate in Girardi. We have a team that, with the exception of April and a little bump in June, has played great baseball all year. We've had surprising comebacks from Damon and Matsui and a fun clubhouse thanks to A.J and Swisher. I like this team. The bullpen, a great concern earlier this year, is actually not so bad these days. Our concerns should be Andy's shoulder, A.J.'s inconsistency and, of course Joba. I hope they know what they're doing with the kid. I think most of us are just confused with how they handle him. Fortunately, he's our fourth starter, which is never a big factor in October.

Postseason success is in the hands of CC, AJ and Andy. I like this team. No first-round exit this year. No way. Let's go ....

Derek Jeter breaks Yankees all-time hits record

Derek Jeter got hit number 2,722 last night at Yankee Stadium, passing the great Lou Gehrig as the Yankees all-time hit leader. Here is a statement issued by George Steinbrenner:

"For those who say today's game can't produce legendary players, I have two words: Derek Jeter. Game in and game out, he just produces. As historic and significant as becoming the Yankees' all-time hit leader is, the accomplishment is all the more impressive because Derek is one of the finest young men playing the game today. That combination of character and athletic ability is something he shares with the previous record-holder, Lou Gehrig. It adds to the pride that the Yankees and our fans feel today. Every Yankees' era has its giants. It's thrilling to watch Derek as he becomes one of the greats of his generation, if not all-time."

Mo is still the man

From the New York Daily News:

Mariano Rivera is leading the American League with 38 saves and is pitching to a 1.78 ERA. He has converted 34 straight saves opportunities, the longest streak of his career, while blowing only one save all season. He has allowed only one run in 29 appearances since June 12.

There is talk of a Cy Young Award for Mo. He probably won't win it, because relievers rarely do, but as he approaches the age of 40, I try to savor every time I see him pitch, whether I'm at the game, or just watching on TV. He is one of the most remarkable Yankees of all-time.