NY Yankees: 2009 WS Champions! Quiz

Answer: 103

The Yankees were the only team in the Major Leagues to win 100+ games in the season. They went 103-59 under the guidance of manager Joe Girardi. It was the first time in five seasons that the Yankees reached the century mark in wins.

Answer: C.C. Sabathia

Sabathia went 19-8 in the season. He tied Justin Verlander (Tigers) and Felix Hernandez (Mariners) for the most wins in the American League with 19. Pettitte went 14-8, and Chamberlain went 9-6. Schilling never pitched for the Yankees, and retired in 2007.

Answer: Hideki Matsui

The other Yankees listed were all pitchers. Matsui appeared in more than 100 games in the 162-game season as DH. Hideki batted .274 with 125 hits, 28 home runs, and 90 RBIs. The former outfielder was in his seventh season, all with the Yankees.

Answer: Derek Jeter

The Yankees had only two starters that batted over .300. They were Jeter with his .334, and Robinson Cano with his .320 average. Teixeira batted .292, and Cabrera batted .286 in the season. Derek also led the team with his 212 hits.

Answer: Florida Marlins

Girardi began his managerial career with the 2006 Florida Marlins, taking them to a fourth place finish of 78-84. After no phone calls for the 2007 season, the Steinbrenner family called upon him to take the Yankees into the 2008 season. As a player, Joe was a catcher for the Cubs, Rockies, Yankees, and retired as a Cardinal in 2003.

Answer: Mark Teixeira

Both Gardner and Hinske hit less than 10. Teixeira hit 39 big ones for the pinstripes. Rodriguez hit 'only' 30, his lowest total since hitting 23 with the 1997 Seattle Mariners.

Answer: Kansas City Royals

Damon began his career as a Royal in 1995 for six seasons, then went to the Athletics for one season in 2001. In December 2001, he signed as a free agent with the Red Sox, then signed again with the Yankees as a free agent in 2006. In game four of the 2009 World Series, he stole second, then alertly took off for third base when he saw no Phillie was covering the base.

Answer: Robinson Cano

The others had a good season defensively, and did not commit more than five errors in the entire season. Cano, the Yankee second baseman, committed 12 errors. Alex Rodriguez, their third baseman was second on the team with nine, and shortstop Derek Jeter had eight, with catcher Jorge Posada having seven errors in the season.

A very low error rate, the Yankees committed only 86 errors in the entire regular season.

Answer: Anthony Claggett

Claggett pitched in only two games in the season, and had an ERA of 33.75, an outrageous ERA. The Yankees didn't like what the saw, with Anthony giving up 11 hits, 10 runs, 2 home runs, and four walks, all in only 2.2 innings.

Answer: Minnesota Twins

In the other ALDS in the postseason, the Angels took out the Red Sox three games to none also. The Yankees put down the Twins in their ALDS, 7-2, 4-3, and 4-1. Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs in those three games, and pitcher Mariano Rivera struck out seven in his only 3.2 innings pitched.

Answer: Kevin Long

Kevin was in his fourth season as the Yankees' hitting coach in 2009. Long was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the oblivious 31st round in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft, played for only Minor League teams, and never played one game in the big time.

Answer: C.C. Sabathia

The others listed were all Angel players. Sabathia won game one and game four of the ALCS. C.C. had an ERA of only 1.12, a tremendous control indicator. He struck out 12, and allowed nine hits in his 12 innings pitched. Yankee Alex Rodriguez hit three home runs with six RBIs, but didn't win the award.

Answer: 2003

The Yankees had last appeared in the 2003 World Series, which they lost four games to two against the Florida Marlins. The Yankees' previous World Series title was in 2000 against the New York Mets, four games to one. Although the Marlins won the 2003 World Series, and with Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett winning the World Series MVP with his 1-1 record, the Yankees' Bernie Williams hit two home runs, had 10 hits, and batted .400 in the Yankees loss.

Answer: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies put down the Colorado Rockies three games to one in the NLDS, then the Dodgers in the NLCS, four games to one. The Phillies were trying to repeat as World Series champions, as they won the 2008 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, four games to one.

Answer: Derek Jeter

It wasn't until the bottom of the ninth inning that the Yankees were on the board. After a single by Jeter, then another by Johnny Damon, Jeter scored on a groundout by Mark Teixeira. Cliff Lee then struck out the two final batters to end the game. Both Utley and Cabrera were not Yankees.

Answer: Chase Utley

Jackson set his record in the four games to two win over the Dodgers, including hitting three home runs in game six. Utley of the Phillies hit two home runs in game one, one in game four, and two more in game five. Chase accomplished this in one game less than Jackson.

Answer: Pedro Martinez

The others didn't strikeout five. Martinez started game two and game six. He took the loss in both games while allowing nine hits with a 6.30 ERA. Pedro hadn't appeared in a World Series game in five seasons, and 2004 was his only World Series start since beginning his career in 1992 in Major League Baseball.

Answer: Ryan Howard

The other Phillies listed only struck out twice. Howard had 23 at-bats in the series with only four hits, batting a meager .174. He broke the record of the Kansas City Royals' Willie Wilson in the 1980 World Series. Howard also set a single season record in 2007 by striking out 199 times. Mark Reynolds of the Diamondbacks had since broken that record.

Answer: Andy Pettitte

The others didn't win any. Pettitte pitched a total of 11.2 innings in his two starts, and took the wins for game three and the final in game six. Joba Chamberlain and A.J. Burnett took the other two wins for New York.

Answer: Mariano Rivera

Rivera had 10 years on the others listed, and more than a year on the 38-year old Jorge Posada. Mariano was born in November 1969, while Posada in August 1971. Rivera was in his 15th season, all with the Yankees. Mariano saw his seventh pitching World Series appearance in 2009.

In line for the rocking chair behind Rivera and Posada was 37-year old pitcher Andy Pettitte, 36-year old pitcher Brett Tomko, then 35-year old Johnny Damon.

Answer: Andy Pettitte

The other pitchers did not have any at-bat in the series. In game three at Philadelphia, Pettitte singled home Nick Swisher in the fifth inning, and the Yankees went on to win the game 8-5. During the regular season in interleague play, Andy had only one hit also.

Answer: 26

The Yankees gave up eight more walks than the Phillies. While no Phillies pitcher walked five, Andy Pettitte of the Yankees led all pitchers by walking eight. Teammate A.J. Burnett also walked six.

Answer: Game three

The World Series went only six games. In game three in the fourth inning, Rodriguez came to bat against the Phillies' Cole Hamels. After a walk was given up to Mark Teixeira, Rodriguez took Hamels deep to right. Initially ruled a double because the ball looked like it was still in play, the umpiring crew got the call right by reviewing the video. The Yankees won the game 8-5.

Answer: Hideki Matsui

The 35-year old Matsui went 8-for-13, batting .615 along with three home runs. Nicknamed "Godzilla", he was born in Kanazawa, Japan, and was the first Japanese born player to win a World Series MVP Award.

Answer: 40th

Their first World Series appearance was in 1921 against the New York Giants in a loss. In their third appearance in 1923, they took home their first World Series crown against the Giants. From 1936-1964, the Yankees appeared in an amazing 22 World Series, missing the promised land only seven times.

In their 40 appearances, the Yankees were only skunked four games to none twice, by the 1963 Dodgers and the 1976 Cincinnati Reds. The 2009 World Series title was the Yankees' 27th victorious crown.