What’s Benjamin Franklin’s old saying? The only sure thing in life is death and taxes? If only the Yankees were around back then. From before the season started when the Bronx franchise bought CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira for a combined $423.5 million dollars, everyone with a little baseball interest expected the Yankees to win it all. Last night, they met the expectations and brought home their 27th championship in team history. In between spending half a billion dollars and the final out of the World Series, there was loads of excitement. But in all reality, this baseball season was a lot like playing a pickup basketball game with your older brother. Yeah, there’s a slight chance of an “act of God” and you might actually beat him. But it’s really just going through the motions, entertaining yourself the best you can, until it was time for him to put the nail in the coffin.

Congratulations, New York Yankees, but at the same time – beware. I feel I should warn you because I TOO am the big brother in my family. For years, I would build up my little brother – not block his shots, let him grab easy rebounds – only to break him down – the game had to end because it was time for dinner. This went on over time, M.E. expected to win. But there will come a day, as history has shown, that little brothers all over the world dream about. Sometimes it comes in the form of an injury (like a blown achilles), sometimes it comes in an unexpected growth spurt (and you’re soon dwarfed in less than a year’s time), but most likely, the day comes when the little brother(s) have spent enough time being your doormat and learn the way you work. You have 29 little brothers just sitting back, waiting to pounce on you when you let your guard down.

And two semi-related points I have to make since I have your attention on baseball:

• I’ve tried and tried to enjoy and respect what Alex Rodriguez does on the playing field, but after watching this series, I learned I never will. The centuar-loving third baseman was hit by a pitch and whined to the umpire until the man in blue warned both benches. In two later at bats, including one in that very game, he leaned into pitches in an attempt to get hit. A-Rod, if you insist on playing like A.J. Pierzynski, then I can’t respect that. You’ve got more talent than A.J., stop playing like a little bitch.
• When will Tim McCarver end his life career in the booth? I’ve been tired of this guy for over a decade. The times I enjoyed this series the most were when I was sitting in a public place watching and not being able to hear him.