Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2009 was one of the worst and one of the best years of my life.

My daughter Grace was born on Feb. 13th and since then she has made me laugh, smile and stand in amazement at the beautiful wonderful, intelligent and funny little girl that she is.

My mother died on March 23rd at the age of 59 after a 13 year battle with pancreatitis, diabetes and various other complications. ...It has rocked my world more than anything else ever has.

I got a new job. ...

My wife's grandfather and my brother-in-law's mother passed away which again rocked my family and left me to question yet again what God's plan is ...

The Yankees won their 27th World Series and brought some enjoyment to my life ...

And through it all, I have seemingly kept it together while trying to do the best I can for the people around me that I love.

More than anything else, this year has taught a number of lessons that I will take with me. Cherish what you have in life. Take care of yourself and the people around you. Don't take anything or anyone you know for granted. Be grateful for what you have. If you want something, don't sit around waiting for it to happen. And each day tell the people that you love how much you care for them.

That last one is the most important of all, I think.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Giants-Eagles Running Blog - The Battle for 1st Place in NFC East

7:50 p.m. - I'm back by unpopular demand with a new running blog of tonight's Giants vs. Eagles game. Let's see how it goes.

7:57 p.m. - Things are working out well for me in fantasy football this week and this year. I'm in 1st place in two leagues and 2nd in another. I advanced in the first round of my Fanball.com league, have a bye week in the Auxiliary league and am fighting for regular season first place ($55) and points leader ($55) in my Keeper league. I never do well in fantasy football, so I'm extremely happy about this.

8:05 p.m. - In the keeper league, I'm in good position to take home both the regular season and the points championships.

Me - 87-67 with Steve Smith, Frank Gore and Eagles Def. yet to play against Vern Davis, Lesean McCoy and Brent Celek.

Pit Crew (First place...he needs to lose and I need to win to capture the regular season championship). He is losing 74-67 with Jacobs going against him tonight. He has Boldin tomorrow.

Pacman Jones (Current points leader by 1 point.) He has 57 points with Kevin Boss and Larry Fitzgerald yet to play.

It's going to be crazy close in every matchup, but I'm hoping to bring home the dough

8:18 p.m. - It's a huge, huge game for the Giants tonight - maybe the Game of the Year - after the Cowboys wet the bed against the Chargers today. Giants win and they are in first place. That's about the furthest thing I thought could happen after watching the team stink up the place for 5 of the last 6 games. Let's see if they answer the bell tonight.

8:25 p.m. - The Giants always play better with their backs against the wall and love playing the "Nobody believed in us card." It's that attitude that won them Super Bowl XLII.

8:27 p.m. - I've heard a ton about Battlestar Galatica since it premiered in 2005, but I never watched it for one reason or another. I was wrong to wait. I just blew through the 4 hour pilot and first 8 episodes and have loved it. It rivals The Wire as my favorite drama of all time.

8:29 p.m. - I don't care how bad he's played this year, if Brandon Jacobs steps up big-time tonight - on the real life and fantasy football side of things - all will be forgotten.

8:30 p.m. - I continually marvel at Justin Tuck's head. It's egg shaped. Very strange.

8:34 p.m. - Eagles are driving and the Giants defense does not look good at all. Yuck.

8:35 p.m. - Al Michaels refers to Michael Boley as one of the "new" Giants. When does he not become a "new" Giant Al? This is the 13th game this season. He ceased being new after the first game.

8:36 p.m. - Celek scores and hurts both the Giants (7-0) and my fantasy team (87-73).... Crap.

8:39 p.m. - Nice runback by Dom Hixon who runs it from the 5 yard line to to the 33.

8:40 p.m. - Hakeem Nicks gets his first pro start. He's earned it with 575 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. Pretty nice for a rookie.

8:42 p.m. - Jacobs fumbles (NO!!!) and the Eagles defense takes it back for a TD. It's good for my fantasy defense, but a complete and utter disaster for the Giants who are now down 14-0.

8:46 p.m. -- Well at least my fantasy team is in good shape. 106-73, although that Jacobs fumble hurt the guy who is playing Pit Crew.

8:47 p.m. - Nicks catches a 17-yard slant from Eli. Every time he gets the ball he makes a ton of things happen.

8:49 p.m. - Great, great year for the real Steve Smith -- not the fake one from Carolina. Smith has 80 catches, 1,007 yards and 5 TDs through 12+ games. He's a dominant No. 1 WR and has completely replaced Plaxico...Plaxico who?

Who would have expected that?

8:51 p.m. - G-men going for it on 4 and 1. They need this right here.

8:52 p.m. - Jacobs buries his head ahead for a first down - for the first time this season - and gets a big first down.

8:52 p.m. - Just got my first glimpse at the wet soggy field turf at the Meadowlands. Lots of puddles. It looks like a little league field.

8:53 p.m. - Kevin Boss makes a crazy, Phil McConkey type catch off a deflection from Eagles DB Jeremiah Trotter.

8:54 p.m. - Giants need to score right here to get some of the momentum back in this game.

8:55 p.m. - Manningham catches a TD out of bounds. Just horrible field awareness there as he should have gotten two feet in bounds.

8:56 p.m. - And the Giants settle for a short field goal. 14-3 Philly.

9:01 p.m. - Forgive me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the route that Manningham ran the same Slant n Go route that Burress caught the SuperBowl XLII winning TD on?

9:03 p.m. - Nice pressure by Giants defense and Eagles offense goes 3 and out.

9:05 p.m. - Giants need to score here to cut the Eagles' surprisingly early lead.

9:11 p.m. - Nicks drops a wide open sure TD. ...And then he drops a second bomb by Eli. Both would have been complete daggers to the Eagles. Luckily Eagles get back-to-back illegal contact calls.

9:14 p.m. - And Nicks follows that up with a crazy Madden like 68-yard TD catch started by a nifty catch, a juke and a spin followed by a sprint to the end zone. I believe you execute those moves in Madden by hitting Y, RB, B and then RT. Ha. 14-10 Eagles.

9:18 p.m. - 101-73. Still winning in fantasy as Eagles defense has taken a few lumps from Giants defense. Luckily. Yes. I am rooting for Giants and not my fantasy team. I'm serious. No, really.

9:21 p.m. - Of course, the Giants D is letting the Eagles take the momentum right back. Can they stop someone please?

9:24 p.m. - Considering that the Eagles are on the 2 yard line and bound to score a TD here, can I ask that it be someone other than McCoy or Celek. Please?

9:25 p.m. - Wow, the Giants D actually stops them. Nice work by Aaron Rouse on last two plays. FG attempt by Eagles. 17-10 Eagles.

9:26 p.m. - 6:42 left until the half. Can the Giants tie it up before the half. That would be nice.

9:35 p.m. - And Giants don't do it and instead - aided by a missed block in the back by the Eagles - allow Jackson to run it back 72 yards for a punt return TD. 24-10 Eagles.

9:36 p.m. - Up 107-58 vs. Pacman right now, which pretty much puts the points championship in my pocket. He still has Boss and Fitzgerald, but I'm not guessing they are scoring 50 points combined. It would take like 300 yards and 5 TDs. That still doesn't make the Giants' 2 TD deficit better.

9:49 p.m. - Bradshaw leads the Giants down the field with a number of great runs. He ends it with a short 3 yard TD up the middle. 24-17 Eagles.

9:52 p.m. - Honestly, the Giants offense has looked good tonight. They are losing because of a Eagle fumble recovery TD and a punt return TD. I think we can take that into the lockerroom if they hold right here, with 1:08 left in the 1st half.

9:54 p.m. - Boley drops a sure pick-6 that would have tied up the game going into the half. Ahhhh.

9:55 p.m. - Not sure why Coughlin calls a timeout. It's 3rd and 10, crowd is going wild and they have the Eagles offense on their heels. Of course, after the timeout, they complete a long pass to Jackson.

10:02 p.m. - The convicted dog killer runs it in for a TD and the extra pt is blocked. 30-17 Eagles.

10:12 p.m. - First time I've ever seen it, but boy is the Tailgating History bit really, really bad. It's worst than SNL. ...and that's pretty bad.

10:12 p.m. - Gotta love Tony Dungy promoting his pet - no pun intended - project Mike Vick by showing a Vick pass completion highlight during the half-time show.

10:17 p.m. - After the TD to end the half by the Eagles, I'm really not sure how to characterize the first half. Giants need to really try to score early in the 3rd quarter to set the tone for the 2nd half.

10:29 p.m. - Jacobs runs it in to cut Eagles lead to 30-24 and to increases Clams lead over Pit Crew to 82-67 (with Boldin yet to play for Crew). I can smell the regular season championship money!

10:32 p.m. - If the Giants really want to make the playoffs here, their defense needs to start coming up with stops against the Eagles offense.

10:35 p.m. - JON GOFF WITH A HUGE INT AT EAGLES 35 YARD LINE. BIG TIME!

10:37 p.m. - Eli runs it to the 10 and fumbles the ball after diving head first. The booth is reviewing the play now. Was he touched? Hope so?!

10:38 p.m. - Question is should Joe Girardi have trained Mark Sanchez or Eli Manning to slide feet first?

10:41 p.m. - Giants' don't win the call and Eagles retain possession.

10:47 p.m. - Hixon takes a short pass from Eli 67 yards to tie the game for Giants!! What a crazy game! Extra pt by Tynes and its 31-30 Giants!!

10:52 p.m. - Another big play by Eagles and they go right back up. 37-31 Eagles.

11:01 p.m. - I'm amazed that Andy Reid got a contract extension. He's a horrible game manager.

11:08 p.m. - Why are the Giants running on 3rd and 5. What kind of play calling is that?

11:15 p.m. - And the Giants defense is bending on a mid-4th quarter Eagle drive that is featuring a lot of screens and a lot of running plays. Even a FG here is bad news. We need a turnover!

11:18 p.m. - And Eagles score TD to go up by 2 TDs. The Giants Defense let them go 91 yards and tear up 7 1/2 minutes of 4th quarters. Worst drive of the game. There goes 1st place and probably the playoffs. 45-31

11:20 p.m. - The defense should be ashamed of themselves. They've given up 85 points....85! in the last two games against the Eagles. Fire defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan right now.

11:34 p.m. - Manningham makes his second out of bounds TD catch. Another play where he should have gotten 2 feet down.

11:41 p.m. - Boss scores to cut lead, but it's pretty much over. ...

Recap not needed....Blech.

Cheetah Woods

I heard a funny, albeit it extremely corny joke today: Eldrick is changing his name from Tiger Woods to Cheetah Woods.

That's all I'm saying about this topic. What he did was reprehensible, but a person's private life is just that....no matter how much money he makes or how much his persona is in the public eye. He isn't a role model. He is just extremely talented at a job that nets him an extremely lucrative income.

That doesn't give me the right to know everything he does or the troubles/addiction/problems he has outside of the public eye. I'm not paying to look in on his private life. I'm paying to watch a talented athlete perform in his sport.

Happy Thanksgiving

It has been a tough year to be thankful this year with the passing of my mother, my wife's grandfather and recently the passing of my sister's mother-in-law, but I am indeed thankful this holiday, for a couple things:

The healthy birth of my daughter Grace and the wonderous smile she continually brings to my face and the healing spirit that this little girl has brought to my heart.

and...

The support and love of my wonderful wife who has stuck by me during the best and worst year of my life.

I love my girls....

The U.S. House of Rep. Vote....

.....no, not that vote.

House Resolution 893 -- congratulating the New York Yankees for winning the World Series -- passed last week by a vote of 386 to 17, with 11 Congressmen voting "present."

HRES 893 IH

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 893

Congratulating the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the New York Yankees.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 5, 2009

Mr. SERRANO (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. BACA, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DICKS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. MALONEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCMAHON, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. MURPHY of New York, Mr. NADLER of New York, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OBEY, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PASTOR of Arizona, Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. SIRES, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. TONKO, Ms. VELAZQUEZ, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. WAMP, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. HOLT, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. WATT, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. MASSA, Mr. GRAYSON, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. MAFFEI, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. SABLAN, and Mr. UPTON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

---

RESOLUTION

Congratulating the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the New York Yankees.

Whereas the New York Yankees are the most successful franchise in the history of Major League Baseball;

Whereas prior to this year the Yankees had won 26 World Series Championships, the most in the Major Leagues;

Whereas this historic franchise is located in the Bronx and is known as the ‘Bronx Bombers’;

Whereas the Yankees franchise has included all-time great players;

Whereas for many years the Yankees played baseball in the historic Yankee Stadium;

Whereas this year the Yankees opened a new stadium and hope to emulate the success achieved in the ‘House that Ruth Built’;

Whereas during the 2009 regular season, the Yankees had the best record in baseball, going 103-59;

Whereas the Yankees finished at the top of the American League East Division;

Whereas the Yankees went on to beat the Minnesota Twins 3 games to 0;

Whereas the Yankees then faced off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League Championship Series, and emerged victorious in 6 games;

Whereas that victory represented the 40th American League Pennant that the Yankees have won;

Whereas the Yankees were matched up against a valiant Philadelphia Phillies squad for the World Series title;

Whereas the Yankees were able to defeat the defending World Series Champions by 4 games to 2;

Whereas this victory represents the Yankees’ 27th World Series Championship win;

Whereas this number of championship wins is 17 more than their next closest competitor;

Whereas the contributions of the Yankees’ players throughout the season were all vital in securing the title; and

Whereas the Yankees were guided to victory by Manager Joe Girardi, General Manager Brian Cashman, President Randy Levine, and the leadership of Hank and Hal Steinbrenner: Now therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives congratulates--

(1) the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the New York Yankees, for an outstanding season and a record 27th World Series Championship win; and

(2) the players, coaches, staff and leadership of the Yankees organization for their great success

World Series Champions!

Delivering #27 - Right Now

3:34 p.m. - You would literally think I was playing in tonight's game based on how nervous I have been the whole day. Instead, I've hid in my office buried in preparing for a meeting tomorrow and following the healthcare debate on the web while listening to nervous Yankee fan after nervous Yankee fan on WFAN who were equally as nervous as I am right now. The Yankees need to win tonight to clinch their #27 World Series.

3:35 p.m. - Jay Z's Empire State of Mind has also been stuck in my head today and I've listened to the clip on iTunes at least 5 times today. I might even buy it. ....

3:41 p.m. - 6th time: In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of....There's nothing you can't do now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you, let's here it for New York, New York, New York.

3:43 p.m. - I am so tired of hearing about "3 days rest" and "short rest". It's been a topic on WFAN for the last week and Burnett's blow up in Game 5 on 3 days rest did not help. Now Andy Pettitte, winner of the most postseason games and series clinching games ever, is pitching on 3 days rest and everyone is freaking out. I think he'll do well tonight. He's Andy "freaking" Pettitte.

7:23 p.m. - In New York!! Concrete Jungle.....(Yes, it is still stuck in my head.) I'm even dancing along to it now.

7:33 p.m. - I'm crazy hyper tonight.

7:52 p.m. - Nearly gametime and I'm crashing.

7:57 p.m. - Andy's got some really great numbers this postseason: 3-0 with 3.24 ERA. 25 IP with 22 Ks, including game 3 of WS....

7:59 p.m. - Francesca talked on WFAN the last two days about how he didn't think Andy was going to do well on 3 days rest. I disagree. I think he's going 6 innings and going to win it for us.

8:01 p.m. - Keep the freaking ball away from Chase Utley, please.

8:02 p.m. - Andy coerces a double play out of Utley after Vic Torino hits a tiny, tiny infield single and gets out of the first 1-2-3 (in the unconventional sort of way.) Good start.

8:04 p.m. - Let's get the bats rocking in the new Stadium!!

8:05 p.m. - Jeter strolls to the plate and his music comes on: "Big lights will inspire you, let's here it for New York, New York, New York." Let's go!

8:06 p.m. - Yankees have to make Pedro work tonight and get into the bullpen early.

8:07 p.m. - Pedro calls Phillies catcher Ruiz to the mound after the first pitch to ask him who his parental guardian is.

8:09 p.m. Frankly I'm shocked at how cold that Mark Teixiera has been during this year's playoffs. He has 2 hits during the World Series (HR and Double) -- he's 2 for 19 -- and needs to do something tonight.

8:11 p.m. - Tex gets JUST under the ball and hits it to the track for a loud 3rd out to the 1st inning.

8:16 p.m. - I've said it before and I'll say it again: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are rooting for the Phillies. It's not just the inflection in their voices when the Phillies do something well, it's the stats and commentary they give about the Phillies. Maybe I'm hearing things, but I don't think so.

8:25 p.m. - Seriously if the producers of 2012 wanted to do something cool, they would release the movie on December 21st, not November 13. We all know - if you are Mayan - that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. It's common knowledge. :-)

8:28 p.m. - The Yankees' lineup is significantly better when they play in their park. Despite winning 2 of 3 in Philadelphia, they really missed Matsui's bat.

8:29 p.m. - Question for you: Do you know who your daddy is?

8:32 p.m. - The new Yankees Stadium sounds loud tonight...on my TV at least.

8:34 p.m. - Matsui hits BIG BOMB IN THE SECOND DECK OF RIGHT FIELD JUST INSIDE THE FOUL POLE FOR A 2 RUN HR. Yankees break out ahead. Yankees 2-0.

8:35 p.m. - My lovely, beautiful, fabulous wife just told me that I am a fairweather Hideki Matsui fan. I told her not true, but she may be right. Who knows. Who cares. Yankees lead!!

8:36 p.m. - Tim McCarver just said that Godzilla is hugely popular in Tokyo. Well, why did they run away screaming from him then?

8:41 p.m. - RT @YankeesWFAN: Matsui now 6 for 10 in the series with 3 HR....I think there's a chance he could be the WS MVP if Yankees close out the series tonight.

8:42 p.m. - I'm a record (read my previous blogs) but after the Yankees take an early 2-0 lead, Pettitte needs to shut down Phillies in the Top of the 3rd.

8:44 p.m. - That was a horrible play of the Ruiz carom off the wall by Gardner. It allowed the Phillies to score on a sac fly by Rollins. 2-1 Yankees.

8:52 p.m. - There's nothing you can't do now you're in New York. ...Jeter singles to center on a sinking line drive.

8:59 p.m. - Johnny walks to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Pedro has 51 pitches through 2 1/3 innings. Yankees are cooking!

9:00 p.m. - Tex is hit on first pitch to put the ducks on the pond with Mr. Alex Rodriguez coming to the plate. About time to break this open Mr. WS MVP.

9:04 p.m. - A-Rod strikes out looking on a pitch that was not a strike. It was in the other batters box.

9:05 p.m. - Matsui up here with bases loaded and 2 outs. He gets a hit and he's the MVP for sure.

9:07 p.m. - Matsui hits an 0-2 pitch for 2 RBI single to center field. Jeter and Damon score. 4-1 Yankees. Nice! That's 4 RBIs tonight and 6 total in the series for Matsui.

9:12 p.m. - Hairston is in for Johnny in left field. Not good for Yankees as Damon as been one of the team's MVPs this series. As you know, I think A-Rod and Matsui have been the others.

9:14 p.m. - Pettitte strikes out Utley to start the 4th inning. Bout time.

9:17 p.m. - Totally meaningless comment that you will clearly not care about or remember tomorrow: RT@TylerKepner: Matsui was MVP of Japan Series in 2000 vs. Hawks. He was 8x21 with 3 HR, 8 rbi in Series, including 2x2 with 4 RBI in Game 6.

9:18 p.m. - Joe Buck is totally rooting for Ibanez to hit a HR here.

9:19 p.m. - This "3 days rest" b.s. is so overblown. You would have thought it was 2012 that world was ending the way everyone was talking about it the last few days.

9:20 p.m. - Despite a few idiotic statements - re: people in Toyko loving Godzilla and the daylight savings time one - I think Tim McCarver has been very good this postseason with his commentary.

9:23 p.m. - Pettitte gets out of a big jam to end the top of the 4th. He's pitching well so far as thru 4 innings, he has given up 1 run on 2 hits.

9:27 p.m. - I have no idea why Pedro is still in there to start the 4th inning. He's got nothing tonight. Does Charlie Manuel realize that this is an elimination game for him and not a game in mid-May.

9:32 p.m. - Brett Gardner should be a career pitch runner. He is truly atrocious at the plate. I hope Austin Jackson is ready next year.

9:37 p.m. - Andy strikes out Francisco with a fastball on the corner. He's finally gets that call from Joe West, who Andy talked to (more like yelled at) after the top of the 4th inning.

9:39 p.m. - Human Target on Fox looks interesting. I might have to watch that when it starts up. However, Fox cancels its new shows far too quickly as the network gives its shows about 2 episodes to build a fan base and if they don't, they cancel it - remember Drive, you Fox producing punks -- so I'm not holding my breath.

9:41 p.m. - Andy gets another DP off the bat of Jimmy Rollins to end the 5th inning. He has walked 4 tonight and given up 2 hits, but is pitching very well out of jams.

9:43 p.m. - Is Avatar going to be really bad or really good? I can't tell after watching the trailer for the fifth time. It's not going to be just okay. It's the kind of movie that will be a box office disaster or a Top 10 highest grossing movie. No in between.

9:46 p.m. - Pedro's out and Durbin in to start the bottom of the 5th. Jeter knocks a ground rule double.

9:49 p.m. - Tex singles to center (3rd hit this WS) to drive in Jeter from 3rd. 5-1 Yankees.

9:57 p.m. - Matsui rockets a double to deep center (it nearly goes out) to drive home Tex and A-Rod. 7-1 Yankees.

9:58 p.m. - 6 RBIs tonight for Matsui. Yeah, he's the MVP.

10:00 p.m. - @Ledger_Yankees Matsui has tied a WS record with 6 RBIs (the Yanks' Bobby Richardson v Pit in 1960)

10:02 p.m. - @YankeesWFAN Matsui: 8 for 12 in the Series, 3 HR and 8 RBI (6 in Game 6). Really???

10:03 p.m. RT @BrendanPrunty: List of cities destroyed by Godzilla: 1) Tokyo. 2) Philadelphia.

10:07 p.m. - Based on how he's pitched in this year's playoffs and during the regular season: (14-8 4.16 ERA), I think the Yankees need to re-sign Andy this offseason. Just a clutch, stellar performance by him in the biggest game of the year.

10:09 p.m. - Crowd is chanting "Andy Pettitte" loudly like they were for Paul O'Neill in 2001 WS - in last Yankee Stadium game before he retired.

10:10 p.m. - Howard hits 2 run HR to cut score. 7-3 Yankees.

10:13 p.m. - Jayson Werth strikes out looking on a pitch that Andy has thrown for a ball 4 or 5 tonight. West has been soooo inconsistent tonight.

10:15 p.m. - Andy is pulled and gets a standing O. Here comes Joba with 2 outs in the 6th inning.

10:18 p.m. - Joba gets out of 6th inning without further damage.

10:19 p.m. - Andy's final line tonight: 5 2/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 3 K, 5 BB. A lot of walks for Andy and he needed to work out of trouble a few times, but an overall gutty performance from the all-time leader in postseason victories. Take that Mike Francesca! I wonder what he will say tomorrow.

10:32 p.m. - Guess what?! The Box (the movie) is sponsoring Fox's In Game Box Score. How original! And pathetic that everything is sponsored now. (This insta-blog is sponsored by Newcastle Beer imported from England.)

10:34 p.m. - Stop talking about greatest Philly-Phillie comebacks ever Tim McCarver. I will hurt you.

10:36 p.m. - 9 more outs. I'm just saying....

10:37 p.m. - For the last couple days, Francesca has completely obsessed -- even more than he is obsessed with the Joba in the bullpen discussion -- with the fact that Mariano should be in Game 6 during the 7th inning if the game was close. By close, he meant 1-2 runs. Right now, it's at 4 runs.

He literally ripped apart Sweeney Murti and any caller who contested him about his thesis. I love listening to him, but he can be a complete bastard sometime. Hopefully he won't have a chance to be right this inning.

10:40 p.m. - Joba strikes out Francisco swinging....8 outs.......

10:43 p.m. - Rollins grounds into FC......7 outs.

10:45 p.m. - Joba walks Italian BMT Sub Torino to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. Marte in

10:48 p.m. - Big spot by Marte here. Hughes warming up in pen. Just give me one out Marte, please

10:50 p.m. - Marte gets Utley to chase a ball out of the strike zone and the ump calls him out for breaking his wrists! 6 outs to #27!!

10:53 p.m. - I'm kinda in awe at how Marte is pitching this postseason since we've really never seen this from him before....except when he was with the Pirates...okay, no one really saw that except the 32 people in the stands.

10:55 p.m. - RT@Ledger_Yankees Outlandish: Damaso Marte comes up with one of the biggest pitches of the season.

11:01 p.m. - Web 2.0 has helped to calm my fears during the 2009 World Series. While I was watching the World Series in the '96, '98, '99, '00, '01, and '03, all I did was drink beer and sit on the edge of my seat. I was a complete and utter nervous wreck.

Now -- because of Web 2.o - along with watching the 2009 World Series -- I am talking to my wife (in person), reading what people are Twittering about the game, writing this insta-blog, Twittering myself, reading videogame reviews and Im'ing a friend. It has made me much more busy and decidedly less nervous about the game. The 7-3 score tonight also helps.

11:11 p.m. - I know we're ahead by 4 runs Robbie, but you looked like you didn't care in that at-bat.

11:12 p.m. - Is Mo coming in to start the 8th? 6 outs left.

11:13 p.m. - Marte, who has pitched really well in the playoffs, to start the 8th.

11:14 p.m. - Howard strikes out for 14th time this WS to break the mark set by Willie Wilson in 1980. 5 outs left.

11:15 p.m. - Joe isn't messing around. Mariano coming into game amongst cheers and Metallica's Enter Sandman. Here we go.

11:17 p.m. - In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of....There's nothing you can't do now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you, let's here it for New York, New York, New York.

11:19 p.m. - Mo strikes out Werth swinging. 4 outs.

11:25 p.m. - After a double to center by Ibanez, Mo gets Feliz to foul out to Posada. End of 8th.

11:27 p.m. - 3 OUTS TILL #27!

11:32 p.m. - Despite the fact that he can't hit for anything, you have to still respect Gardner for completely tearing down the line after he hit a routine grounder to 2nd base.

11:36 p.m - Derek lines single to right field for 3rd hit in the game and 175th hit in postseason. That's his 11th hit this series. He sure is something else.

11:38 p.m. - The 8th inning is over and Game 6 heads into the Top of the 9th inning with the best closer in MLB history taking the mound to finish off the Phillies.

11:39 p.m. - 3 outs until the Yankees capture their 27th World Championship!

11:43 p.m. - Matt Stairs, who totally looks like Darvin Moon who is at the final table at the 2009 WSOP, lines out to Jeter. 2 outs left!

11:46 p.m. - Swisher catches a fly ball by Rollins at the track and we are down to the final out!

11:51 p.m. #27!