It's been a great and historic Baseball Season.  Mark McGwire shattered the
record for most home runs in a season, hitting in all 70 of them.  Sammy Sosa
came in second with 66.  That's to name a couple, but the season all ended
in a hurry -- Yankee Style.  The World Series tok only 5 days, and that's
because the Yankees decided to sweep the series to their 24th crown.  

The Yankees, they're probably the best team they're is.  They have a
record of 24 World Series titles now, after sweeping the San Diego Padres
in the 1998 World Series.  They've stolen the postseason reputation from the
Atlanta Braves, who made to the postseason for the 7th time in a row.  They
won the 1995 Worlds Series.  They made it to the 1996 World Series and, it
looked like they were going to get the second in a row by winning the first
two games, but the Yankees had other plans.  The Yankees went on the win the
next 4 games and of course, The World Series.  This Year, the Yankees has no
problem winning over the Padres.

Yankee Fever has taking New York City by storm.  Yankee fans are
crawling all around like the Power rangers were back in 1994, when the
Major League Baseball went on strike.  "Let's Go Yankees!" is a household
phrase.  The Yankees have been on almost every front page of the local paper
for the past few weeks.  Just what is behind the sucess of the Yankees
besides the fact that they've won the World Series?  A record setting 114 Wins,
that's what.  They're the winningest AL Team in Baseball History.  Come along
with Me as I tell You about what's been going on in the season as well as the
postseason.

The season itself had gotton off the a quiet start.  They lost the first three
games, but quickly picked up and began to feast on eight and nine-game winning
streaks.  They even got the play our other team in New York.  The New York Mets,
that is.  They won two out of three games against the mets.  Oh Yeah, and I
almost forgot.  Yankee Pitcher David Wells picthed Himself into Baseball
History by hurling a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins.  The Yankees
kind of got weak come late august whewn they lost three games the the Aneheim
Angels.  They went into there only four game losing streak in the season.
Then their is the Toronto Blue Jays.  They lost three games at home to them.
It was a good thing both of these teams (The Angels and the Blue Jays), who
are sort of tougher than the Yankees, didn't make it to the postseason.  Had
they made it, it would probably been a different story and they proably would
be in the World Series or American Leuage Championship instead of the Yankees.
Fortunately, this was not the case here.
After a slow and soggy month, they started getting ready for the postseason
again, they were tuned up and ready when they won three games against the
Cleveland Indians and then four against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  It looked
pretty much like they were ready.  They were ready indeed!  They swept the
Texas Rangers in the Division Series.  The Rangers' hope of making it to the
world series was washed away by two home runs by Paul O'neil and Shane Spencer
and then a 3 hour plus rain delay.  Even though the Texas Rangers were swept
away.  They actually helped the Yankees by beating the Anaheim Angels five
times, giving them the AL West Championship title.  Then they took on the
Cleveland Indians, the very same team that eliminated them from the 1997
postseason.  This was a perfect opportunity to take revenge on the Indians.
They took advantage of there opportunity, but before losing Games 2 and 3.
Game 2's loss a home was really a highlight since Chuck Knoblaugh made a
costly mistak by arguaing with the Umpire at first base.  I watched the
arguement on TV and then the next thing I knew, runners were running to the
home plate and the Indians had the lead.  Game 3 was probably worse.  Andy
Pettite gave up four home runs, especually the three in the 5th.  After the
inning was over, I turned of the TV.  While it has happened, no team has ever
come back from a 5 or 6 run deficit in the postseason.  I found it hard to
fall asleep because Orlando Hernandez was going to start the next game.
This was very risky especially when You consider the good hitter Jim Thome of
the Cleveland Indians.  It seems that I have underestimated the rookie
pitcher.  He didn't allow a single run in that game.  The Yankees won it 4-0,
tying the series at a game a peace.  The Yankees went on to win the next two
game.  They won game 6 at Yankee Stadium by gaining a commanding 6-0 lead in
the first few innings.  They needed it, because Jim Thome hit a grand slam
in the fifth.  Put it together with a bases loaded walk and You get the 6 run
lead cut down to one.  The Yankees, however, couldn't let this game get away.
They couldn't let the Indians get away with eliminating them in the
1997 Postseason Quarterfinals.  While the Yankees' Chuck Knoblauch made a
costly mistake in Game 2, it was the Indians that were making the mistakes
and thost mistakes cost them the Series.  I can name a couple of mistakes.
When one of the Yankees hit the ball to third base.  The Indians' 3rd Baseman
threw the ball to first.  First baseman jumped to catch the ball, but not
before the hitter was safe at first.  When Derek Jeter hit what seemed to be
a home run, Indians' Right Fielder Manny Ramierez thought it actually was.
It wasn't.  The ball dropped and that allowed two runs to score.  The final
score: 9-5 Yankees.
Now we're in the World Series, The Yankees versus the San Diego Padres.  The
Padres nearly swept the Atlanta Braves.  Now they were looking to get the
Yankees and win there first World Champoinship title.  As I write this, the
Padres are in a 2 game hole to the Yankees.  In the first game, which seemed
to be interesting since both teams were sticking in there ace pitchers.  For
the Yankees, it was David Wells; For the Padres, Kevin Brown.  It turned out
to be a home run derby.  The Padres seemed to have the game after the 5th
Inning.  Kevin Brown was on the mound.  Everything seemed to be under control.
Then came the 7th Inning.  Their was full redemption for Chuck Knoblauch.  He
hit a three-run Home Run, tying the game at 5.  Then came Tino Martinez.  He
hit a Grad Slam.  So it was 9-5 Yankees.  The Padres wouldn't come back.  They
scored only one run afterwards. Yankees won it by a final score 9-6 in Game 1.
Then come Game 2.  We're still at Yankee Stadium.  The Padres trying to go
home with a split.  Again it seemed they were going to do it in the first.
They would have had an early lead had it not been for Paul O'neil.  He caught
to ball going out of the park.  Th Yankees did the usual.  They scored early
in the game.  The Padres had better straighten there defenses or get used to
this fact if they want to win Game 3.  Dy the end of the 3rd Inning, the
Yankees had a commanding 7-0 Lead over the Padres.  Of course, it's not over
until it over.  Especially when You consider the fact that the San Francisco
Giants had such a lead earlier in the seaon over the Colorado Rockies.  They
blew that 7-0 lead and lost to the Rockies 9-8.  This wasn't the case in
Game 2, though.  The Padres would score only 3 runs in the entre game and
would end up losing Game, putting them at a two game deficit against the
Yankees.  Of course, the Padres weren't discouraged.  After all, the Yankees
themselves were in a 2-0 Deficit to the Braves and then they won the next 4.
So the Padres could still do it.  Then the Series shifted to San Diego.  And
let Me tell You somthing.  I really do feel sorry for those San Diego fans.
It's pretty depressing to see a home team lose and get eliminated in the
PostSeason.  I really wish the Yankees won it at home in front of thousands
of fans.  But the Yankees didn't want tot take a chance and bring the series
back to New York.  They wanted to end it and win it in San Diego.  The Yankees
didn't dominate and praticed their scoring runs early in Games 3 and 4.  In
fact, the Yankees almost lost Game 3.  In the sixth inning the Padres scored
3 runs.  But then Scott Brocsius was ferocious.  He hit two home runs.  One
a solo in the top of the 7th and then a three run home run in the top of the
8th.  Now the Yankees were leading again, for good.  The Padres scored an run
in the bottom of the 8th, and that would be the last run they would score,
in the Series.  Here came Game 4.  Keven Brown was the last hope for the
Padres.  He pitched well, but then in the top of the Sixth, the Yanks got a
run.  It would be the only one they needed.  The Yanks scores a couple more
in the top of the 8th.  But it was not over Yet.  The Padres loaded the Bases
in the bottom of the 8th.  A Grad Slam would give them a game 5, nope one of
the hitters hit the bal into a fly out.  The inning was over.  That was the
last threat of the Padres.  The Yankes wnt out quick in the top of the 9th
Bottom of the 9th, quick inning.   It was over.  The Yankees won.  Bring out
the champagne.  Put on those champ T-Shirts.  Keep the "SWEEP" headlines.
It's been a great season.  Until next Year, if the Yankees get eliminated,
I will hope this team wins.  They do deserve to have there first world
championship.  Congratulations to the New York Yankees for winning and making
it to the top.  Congratulations to the San Diego Padres for making it to the
World Series and winning the National League championship.  KEep trying and
pretty soon You'll become like the Yankees.  :)