Nine years ago, in October 2000, I was sitting in my hotel room in the Ponchatrain Hotel in Detroit, alternating between preparing for a difficult hearing the next day with a client I had just met and who was rather intimidating, and watching the Yanks try to wrap up their 3rd straight World Series title and 4th in 5 years by beating the Mets. I really didn’t get to relax and enjoy that victory, but by then I had been a bit spoiled by the Yankees’ success.  It wasn’t until the Yanks lost in the 9th inning of Game 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 in an incredible series in which Mariano Rivera, for one of the few times in his life, couldn’t close it out, did I realize that titles are a special event to be cherished by fans. It would have been a 4th straight title for the Yanks, so the loss stung, especially considering the ramifications of 9/11 and the incredible comebacks the Yanks had made in several games in that series.  Little did I know that there would be many more years of postseason failure. Sure, they beat the Red Sox in 2003 in an epic seven game series, but they lost to the Marlins, of all teams, in the World Series. That was followed by the crushing 2004 ALCS loss to the Sox, in which the Yanks blew a 3-0 lead. Then nothing but 1st round flameouts in 05, 06, and 07, before finally not even making the playoffs in 08.  It was a long stretch. Not as long as the one endured between 1978 and 1996. That 1996 title is probably still the most satisfying, since I was living in Connecticut that summer, watched every game on TV and saw a few live, including Game 1 of the ALDS against Texas (a loss), and because I had been a diehard during the dark days. I vaguely recall watching a 1978 Yankees-Dodgers World Series Game, and remember the Yanks 1981 World Series loss to the Dodgers when I was 9, but after that, the Yanks weren’t back in the playoffs until 1995, when I was 23. The 1998 title was also pretty special, since they went 114-48 in the regular season and 11-2 in the playoffs for an overall record-setting mark of 125-50. That 1998 team is the best baseball team in my lifetime. But this 2009 title ranks up there in terms of pure joy. I feel happy for Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera, and Posada, the 4 holdovers from the 90′s dynasty, each of whom won his 5th ring last night, and the new guys like Sabathia and Teixeira, who were so instrumental in the team’s success (I’ll leave the debate about the Yanks’ payroll for the bitter Sox fans out there). EDIT:  I forgot to add: And, of course, I feel good that ARod finally gets to remove the overplayed playoff choker label. He carried this team offensively this postseason and his playoff performance will hopefully get people to focus once again on the fact that he is one of the greatest players of all time.

Of course, my life has changed quite a bit since watching Rivera induce Piazza to fly out to end the 2000 World Series.  I spent another almost 2 years in Milwaukee, moved back to Boston in August 2002, met the Mrs. in June 2004, and got married in July 2007.  I’m 37 freaking years old, but I’m still giddy about a Yankees World Series title.