Taking a Look Back at the Best of the Best

The 2008 New York Yankees season was tough to watch at times, but it was filled with a lot of exciting moments and great games. I have broken down a few awards and moments during the season.

While the Yankees did not make the playoffs for the first time since 1993, they will rebound and come back stronger then ever. When you got the kind of talent that this team has, it is still a blessing to be a fan of theirs.

I am proud of them this season and think they did the best they could have done with that they had; the Rays were just too young and strong this season to be tamed. We'll get'em next year!

Most Valuable Player: Mariano Rivera

This was a very easy choice for me. "The Sandman" closed it out in style in 2008. He had one of the best season of his career and pitched the very last inning at Yankee Stadium ever. He had a remarkable 39 saves in 40 chances and a 1.40 ERA. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 12.83 was the best baseball has seen since 1900 and batters only hit .168 off of him.

It is truly a blessing to watch him, and I can't wait to see him in the new stadium, as his Hall Of Fame career is drawing near the end.

Slugger of the Year:  Alex Rodriguez

Tough choice here. Bobby Abreu posted some great numbers as well. I know I am a big Rodriguez fan and sometimes he burns me when I back him up, but the stats are there, clutch or not; you can't argue the numbers.

A-Rod posted another good offensive season, hitting .303 with 35 HR and 101 RBI. A bit down from the magical season of last year, but still good in comparison to the other Yankee hitters. He sits at 550 home runs on his career now and looks like he is in New York to stay; maybe a fresh start in a new stadium is exactly what he and the rest of the Yankees need in 2009.

Comeback Player Of The Year: Mike Mussina

Just a year after the man known to Yankee fans as Moose was removed from the rotation by Joe Torre, the 39-year old right hander proved he still had what it takes to get the job done. On the last day of the season, Mussina defeated the Red Sox at Fenway Park for his 20th win of the season.

It is the first time he has done so in his career. He also hinted at retirement in a postgame interview, saying if he did hang it up, winning 20 games would be a nice way to go out.


Rookie Of The Year: Brett Gardner

Though he can work on his hitting some, this was an easy pick for me. He is just a kid and made an immediate impact on the Yankees when he hit a walk-off against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon on July 6.

After a short stint in the minors, Gardner was called back up and had another walk-off single on Aug. 13, knocking in Robinson Cano in the 13th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays.

He also stole seven bases in his short stint as a Yankee this season, easily the fastest player on the team and is very exciting to watch. He has a bright future in the big leagues. Cody Ransom deserves an honorable mention, starting off his career with three home runs for his first three hits.

Biggest Moment Of The Year: Derek Jeter passing Lou/Jeter's speech

I couldn't choose one. So, since it was the same guy, I will call it a tie and choose both.  Derek Jeter broke Lou Gehrig's record of most hits at Yankee Stadium with style. It came down the wire with just a handful of games left to be played at the stadium. He tied the record, hitting a home run off of David Price, the highly-touted prospect from the Rays.

He then broke it off of White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd on Sept. 16, two days later. The previous record was 1,269 hits.

After the last game ever at Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter stood on the pitchers mound with the rest of the team behind him and made the last memorable speech at a stadium that has heard a lot of them through the years.

He talked about the pride of the Yankees, and how the memories of Yankee stadium could be passed down from generation to generation, and he said new memories will be made across the street. He then thanked the fans for their support and called them the greatest fans in the world. It was a touching moment; one I will not soon forget.