CC Sabathia News

Short hops, quick pops and backhand stops as the general managers meetings wrapped Wednesday: When the Angels acquired Scott Kazmir last summer, most people assumed that he'd wind up being the replacement for John Lackey .

The only time anyone's been talking about the Mets for the last couple of months was to mock/sympathize/observe the fact that their two greatest rivals were on top of the baseball world.

Just think what Hideki Matsui could have done if he had started all six games. The Yankees slugger, limited to pinch-hit duties during the three DH-less games in Philadelphia, was named Most Valuable Player of the Series.

A little more than two years ago, Joba Chamberlain was a minor-league starting pitcher nearing his innings limit when Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made the decision to temporarily move Chamberlain's powerful right arm to the bullpen.

Only in New York can the best team money can buy be saluted as a gutty band of over-achievers. After all, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira aren't any more talented than any Pirate, Padre or Indians duo, right? Bud Shaw says that's one of baseball's most disingenuous spins.

So many times this decade, the Yankees seemed to have a championship screenplay written only to go off-script at the exact wrong time.

NEW YORK - As Howie Traudt and his family rode down on the train Friday morning to attend the Yankees' World Series celebration parade, he knew what awaited countless fans like himself.

NEW YORK - There are 36 lockers in the home clubhouse of Yankee Stadium. On Saturday, 11 of them were completely empty except for a few bare hangers, a spare cleat or two and the occasional cardboard box that once held a dozen baseballs.

Can aging team regroup for another World Series title? Phil Rogers On Baseball November 8, 2009 Now for the really hard part.

According to MLB.com, the Yankees' Opening Day payroll was $201,449,289, with an average of over $7.7 million annually in salary for each player.

It's his first session as head man at the annual GM meetings. There will be young major-league GMs that welcome him to the fraternity with open arms.

WFAN Yankee Parade Day Coverage is brought to you by Guiness. Boomer and Carton will broadcast LIVE at Mudville 9 for the start of "Yankee Parade Day" on the FAN from 6-10AM. Mudville 9 is located at 1 26 Chambers Street -- right outside the stop on the #1 train and across from City Hall.

We tried to give the Yankees their due. We tried to focus on the players on the team that seem reasonably likable: Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte -- the long-standing core guys who don't symbolize the free-spending era.

Johnny Damon realizes his run with the Yankees very well may have come to an end after the parade.

It's never to early to look at the Yankees in 2010. New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talking with manager Joe Girardi during batting practice in preparation for game three tomorrow against the Philadelphia Phillies .

He once patrolled the outfield turf with grace and dignity where an unknown lad named Brett Gardner stood when the Yankees clinched this World Series the other night.

Phillies pick up Lee's option Cliff Lee will try to prolong the World Series when he starts for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 on Monday night.

There was no telling how many cases of champagne had been sprayed and poured around the New York Yankees clubhouse Wednesday.

CC Sabathia celebrates with fans along Canyon of Heroes. After accomplishing that goal, the foursome was rewarded with its first ticker-tape parade, an experience that left each player virtually speechless.

The view from the new Yankee Stadium remains fabulous. The Bronx is not in mourning after Monday's loss.