I've heard and seen many theories this week as to why the Yankees won the 2009 World Series and their 27th overall championship this past Wednesday.
Some thought it was the offense, which was lead by Alex Rodriguez hitting .365 and blasting six home runs and 18 RBI, World Series MVP Hideki Matsui batting .615 and Derek Jeter, who batted over .400 in the series
Some said it was the starting pitching of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, who combined went 8-2, being the only team since the 1991 Twins to use three starters.
Then there were the Yankee haters who said the Yankees only won because of their massive $200 million dollar payroll.
But one of the biggest reasons why the Yankees got to October and thrived in every season seems to be lost somewhere, and it should be a main one.
Mariano Rivera.
Rivera was so dominant in the postseason as the closer for the Yankees and was the final pitcher for the Yankees who got the final five outs of the 2009 World Series against the Phillies. But as dominant as Rivera was, there were seven other closers who were a part of the postseason, and at one point or another, they all faltered and cost their teams huge games. If you are having a hard time believing me, lets take a look at those seven other closers for the other playoff teams, plus Rivera and see how they matched up.
Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins
Nathan had a chance to close out Game Two of the ALDS against the Yankees in the Bronx, but he surrendered a two-run home run to A-Rod that tied the game at 3-3 and the Yankees went on to win the game 4-3 in extra innings.
Nathan also gave up back-to-back singles in the ninth inning of Game Three in the Metrodome against the Yankees that increased the Yankees lead to 4-1. The Yankees closed out the ninth inning and eliminated the Twins from the playoffs.
Nathan's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 2 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 9.00 ERA, 0 saves, 1 blown save
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox were down 0-2 to the Angels in the ALDS and had a chance to win Game 3 at Fenway Park, but Papelbon allowed RBI hits by Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero and took a 6-4 Red Sox lead and made it a 7-6 Angels lead.
The Angels closed out Game Three of the ALDS and eliminated the Red Sox for the first time in their postseason meetings.
Papelbon's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 2 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 13.50 ERA, 0 saves, 1 blown save
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Most thought the Cardinals were the team with the most talented and loaded roster in the National League, but experienced a major shock in the first round of the NLDS.
In Game Two, the Cardinals were up 2-1 and had a chance to tie the series at 1-1 going back to St. Louis. James Loney hit a fly ball to left and the ball bounced off Matt Holliday's gut and allowed the ninth inning to continue instead of the game over.
Franklin then allowed RBI hits by Ronnie Belliard and Mark Loretta to score the tying and go-ahead runs and the Dodgers won Game 2 3-2 and took a 2-0 lead in the series. The Dodgers won Game Three and swept St. Louis right out of the playoffs, which came as a major shock.
Franklin's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 1 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 0.00 ERA, 0 saves, 1 blown save
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies
The Rockies had a real chance to take over the NLDS against the Phillies when it returned to Colorado at 1-1.
In Game Three, with the game tied at 5-5 in the ninth inning, Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Jimmy Rollins and gave the Phillies a 6-5 lead that they would hold onto and the Phillies won the game to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
In Game Four, the Rockies were up 4-2 in the ninth inning and gave Street the ball again. Street allowed a two-run double by Howard and an RBI single by Jayson Werth that gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead, which they held onto and knocked the Rockies right out of the playoffs at Coors Field.
Street's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 2 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 13.50 ERA, 1 save, 1 blown saves
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
Broxton pitched in all three games of the NLDS against the Cardinals and got the save in Game 1 and didn't give up anything in the series with St. Louis.
In the NLCS against the Phillies, Broxton did get the save against the Phillies and the Dodgers were 1-1 going into Philadelphia.
In Game Four, the Dodgers were up 4-3 in the ninth inning and Broxton had a chance to save it and go 2-2 to ensure the series would return to Los Angeles.
But with one out, Rollins lined a double to right field to score Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz and the Phillies came from behind to win the game 5-4 and were now up 3-1 in the NLCS.
In Game 5, the Phillies ended the series and won the NLCS with a 10-4 victory to eliminate the Dodgers and move on to the World Series.
Broxton's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 6 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 4.22 ERA, 2 saves, 1 blown save
Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Fuentes was a little shaky during the regular season with quite a few blown saves, but got off to a good start in the ALDS against the Red Sox with saves in Game Two and Game Three to help eliminate Boston and move on to the ALCS against the Yankees.
However, in Game Two of the ALCS agiant the Yankees, the Angels had the chance to tie the series at 1-1 with a 3-2 lead in the 11th inning. But another playoff home run from A-Rod off Fuentes tied the game at 3-3 for the Yankees.
Fuentes came close to blowing another save in Game Five in Los Angeles with the bases loaded, but got Nick Swisher out for the final out and recorded the save.
The Yankees ended up winning the ALCS in six games, but some wonder what would have happened if the series went 1-1 instead of the Yankees up 2-0.
Fuentes's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 4 innings, 1 hit, 1 run, 1.50 ERA, 3 saves, 1 blown save
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies
Lidge was 48-for-48 in 2008 and won a World Series with the Phillies. In 2009, he blew 11 saves and had an ERA that hovered around 7.
Lidge got through the NLDS rather easily by saving Game Three and Game Four in Colorado to knock the Rockies out of the playoffs and move on to the NLCS against the Dodgers.
In the NLCS, he saved Game One, ended up getting the victory in Game Four and got the final three outs in the ninth inning for Game Five to send the Phillies to the World Series to face the Yankees.
In the World Series against the Yankees, Lidge was used for only one game, in Game Four. Lidge entered the game in the ninth inning with the game tied at 4-4. After Johnny Damon battled to get a base hit to left, Damon stole second and then stole third on an overshift from Mark Teixeira. Lidge then hit Teixeira to put him on, which then allowed A-Rod to create another postseason memory by drilling a fastball down to left field for the game-winning RBI double. The Yankees won Game 4 7-4 and took a 3-1 lead.
Lidge never pitched again in the series and the Yankees ended up going on to win the World Series 4-2.
Lidge's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 5 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 9.00 ERA, 3 saves, 1 loss
Those were the seven other closers who at one point in the playoffs, blew an important game for their teams and eventually cost their team their spot in the playoffs.
Then there is only one.
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Rivera pitched in all three games of the ALDS against the Twins, got the final outs of Game One in a non-save situation and closed out the series with a Game 3 save in the Metrodome and the Yankees swept the Twins 3-0 right out of the ALDS.
After the Twins, the Yankees played the Angels in the ALCS. Rivera got the easy save in Game One, pitched in Game Two and Three, but didn't figure into the extra inning decisions. He pitched in the Game Five loss. In Game Six, Rivera came in for a two-inning save with the game at 3-1 in the eighth inning. Rivera allowed an RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero to cut the lead to 3-2, and allowed his first runs of the postseason. However in the next inning, the Yankees tacked on two more runs to make the game 5-2 and Rivera got the final three outs to knock the Angels out of the playoffs and move on to the World Series.
In the World Series, Rivera came into Game Two and battled the Phillies hitters but got the save to tie the series at 1-1.
Rivera came into Game Three to get the final two outs and got the save in Game 4 very easily.
In Game Six, Rivera was called on to get the final five outs. The only trouble Rivera had was a double in the eighth by Raul Ibanez, but was wiped away quickly. In the ninth, Shane Victorino was the final groundout to second to end the World Series with a 7-3 Game Six win and the Yankees won the World Series 4-2.
Rivera's 2009 Playoff Numbers: 16 innings, 10 hits, 1 run, 0.56 ERA, 5 saves, 0 blown saves.
In the 2009 postseason, not only did Rivera show why he is still the best closer in baseball today, but why he is still the best closer to ever pitch and the best postseason closer ever.
Rivera's career playoff numbers include: 133 1/3 innings, 82 hits, 13 runs, 0.74 ERA, 39 saves, 5 World Series championships, 1 World Series MVP in 1999 and 1 ALCS MVP in 2003.
Rivera easily could have won the 2009 World Series MVP with his dominating performance, but nobody is going to complain about Matsui winning the award either.
Rivera's dominance in the postseason is by far one of the biggest keys why the Yankees won their 27th World Series on Wednesday night and are traveling through the Canyon of Heroes in the Ticker-Tape Parade on Friday celebrating with the fans.
Not even Rivera is sure how much longer he will pitch in pinstripes for the Yankees, but as long as he continues his dominance over the league, Yankees Universe can only hope Rivera's retirement won't be any time soon.
But if you're looking for a reason why not only the Yankees have been so good over the last 13 years and why they are the 2009 champions, you can only look back to number 42, because every night he went out in October and November, Mariano Rivera got the job done.
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