2009 Yankees

The 2009 New York Yankees didn't just end a nine-year drought -- they drowned it in $423 million worth of free agent contracts and christened a $1.5 billion cathedral in the process. Record: 103-59. World Series champions. Ring number twenty-seven. And if you were a fan who suffered through 2008 (first missed playoffs since 1993, if you can even believe that), this one felt like oxygen after holding your breath for a decade.

The New Cathedral

New Yankee Stadium opened on April 16, 2009, against Cleveland, and CC Sabathia -- the crown jewel of the offseason -- took the mound. The Yanks won 10-2. The place was gorgeous. Limestone and granite, the iconic frieze, Monument Park relocated and expanded. It looked like the 1923 original got a billion-dollar facelift.

But here's what nobody wanted to talk about right away: the Legend Seats. Those $2,500-per-game thrones behind home plate sat empty on national television for weeks. Empty. Front row. During freakin' primetime games. Corporate buyers couldn't be bothered to show up, and it became this bizarre symbol of the whole "buying a championship" narrative that rival fans couldn't shut up about.

The mega-signings that built this roster were staggering. Sabathia got 7 years and $161 million -- the largest pitcher contract ever at the time. Mark Teixeira signed for 8 years and $180 million (stolen right from Boston's grasp, which made it even sweeter). A.J. Burnett got 5 years and $82.5 million to be the volatile number-two starter everybody hoped would show up on the right nights. Layer those guys on top of the Core Four, A-Rod, Robinson Cano, and Johnny Damon, and you had the most loaded roster in baseball. Period.

A-Rod's Redemption

February 9, 2009. That's when Alex Rodriguez sat down with Peter Gammons on ESPN and admitted he'd used PEDs from 2001 to 2003 while playing for Texas. "I was young, I was stupid, I was naive," he said. Two days after Sports Illustrated broke the story. A little over a year after he'd flat-out denied it on 60 Minutes. It consumed the entire spring.

Then he needed hip surgery and missed the first month. So the narrative was chaos, distraction, and doubt. Classic A-Rod circus stuff.

And then he came back and absolutely destroyed baseballs.

A-Rod hit .286/.402/.532 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI in just 124 games during the regular season. Good numbers. But the postseason? That's where the redemption happened -- 6 home runs and 18 RBI in 15 playoff games. The guy who'd been labeled a choker, a fraud, a distraction -- he carried this team through October. You don't have to like A-Rod (I get it), but you can't deny what he did in 2009.

October

The postseason run felt inevitable, which is a dangerous word to use in baseball, but I'll use it anyway.

The ALDS was a sweep of Minnesota in three games. The Twins had Joe Mauer putting together an MVP season, and it didn't matter. A-Rod homered. Sabathia dominated. Done.

Next up: the Angels -- a team that had knocked the Yankees out in 2002 and 2005. The ALCS went six games. Sabathia was magnificent. A-Rod kept hitting. The Yanks won the pennant 4-2, and the Angels rivalry was finally settled.

And then came the World Series against the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies and their loaded roster -- Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels. The Phillies won Games 1 and 3 (Lee was untouchable in Game 1), but the Yankees took four of six. Burnett came up huge in Game 2. A-Rod delivered in Game 4. And then Game 6 happened.

Matsui

November 4, 2009. Citizens Bank Park. Andy Pettitte on the mound. Hideki Matsui in the lineup as the DH -- because by then his knees were so shot he couldn't play the outfield at all.

Matsui went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. In a clinching game. Against Pedro Martinez. He launched a two-run shot in the second, another two-run blast in the third, and added a two-run single for good measure. The man hit .615 for the entire World Series -- 8-for-13, 3 home runs, 8 RBI -- and won the MVP as a designated hitter who could barely run. It was one of the most dominant individual World Series performances I've ever seen (and his last game as a Yankee, which still stings).

Final score: Yankees 7, Phillies 3. Mariano Rivera got the final out and dropped to his knees on the mound. Jeter sprinted to embrace him. Twenty-seven rings.

Key Moments

To be able to win it in the new stadium in our first year here, it's special. This is what we play for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the 2009 Yankees win the World Series?

Yes. The 2009 Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2 in the World Series, clinching on November 4, 2009 at Citizens Bank Park. It was the franchise's 27th championship and their first since 2000.

Who was the 2009 World Series MVP?

Hideki Matsui won World Series MVP after hitting .615 (8-for-13) with 3 home runs and 8 RBI across six games. His Game 6 performance -- 3-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI -- was one of the greatest individual games in World Series history. He was the first designated hitter to win the award.

How much did the Yankees spend in the 2008-09 offseason?

The Yankees committed approximately $423 million in guaranteed contracts to CC Sabathia (7 years, $161 million), Mark Teixeira (8 years, $180 million), and A.J. Burnett (5 years, $82.5 million). All three played key roles in the championship run.

When did New Yankee Stadium open?

New Yankee Stadium opened for regular season play on April 16, 2009, with a 10-2 win over Cleveland. The $1.5 billion stadium replaced the original Yankee Stadium, which was demolished later that year. CC Sabathia threw the first pitch, and the Yankees won the World Series in the building's inaugural season.