Do you know what's awesome about being right?

Everything.

Two days removed from the Yankees' inevitable triumph in Game 6 over the Angels, I still feel a sense of relief. 40 AL pennants. 40!

I stayed up until the last pitch was thrown and took a moment to enjoy the Yankees hugging and happiness. People assume Yankees fans are arrogant and presumptuous, we are, but not about winning the World Series. We're arrogant and presumptuous about WINNING BASEBALL. Yes, championships are great, but knowing your team plays smart and gutsty ... well, that's what we deserve. I felt the same way I imagine any baseball fan feels about his team going to the Series. Excited, happy, anxious. October 2003 was pretty miserable as my wife and I spent most of WS week in Florida, sick, with bandwagon-hopping fans lording it over us while the Marlins ... no, while Josh Beckett ... buzz-sawed a lethargic Yankees team that frankly was in the Series thanks only to inertia. Oh, and Aaron Boone.

It's no secret the Yankees are winning in spite of their manager. Great pitching makes anyone look smart, so when Joe Girardi says, "Get Mo," in the 9th after Sabathia has given him eight, or Burnett or Pettitte have gone six or seven and Phils Hughes and Coke and/or Joba have bridged that gap ... well, Girardi's a genius. When he starts playing the mix/match game he fails, he fails consistently and brutally. Name one switch, pitching or defensively, that have worked in the playoffs. Hairston's a mess in the outfield. Marte and Aceves look lost ... What's-his-name Guzman has gone missing.

By the way, Marte still has no business being on the WS roster. It should be Bruney. I said that a week ago, I still believe it. Brett Gardner needs to do more than pinch run, although there are signs Nick Swisher is coming out of his coma. Hideki Matsui's been deadwood too, so maybe there's a chance Damon DHs, while Gardner, Cabrera and Swisher man the outfield.

Jorge has been a mess as well, but the threat of his bat is probably greater than the reality of Molina's But who knows. If Molina gets hot in his start with Burnett, does he play the next night? Eh, probably not.

My prediction is Yankees is 5, which means a road celebration. Kinda lame, but whatever. I don't see the Phillies winning in New York, and their pitching just isn't that great beyond Cliff Lee and Brad Lidge, who could implode at any moment. I just get the feeling the Yankees are very much looking forward to facing Pete Martin on the biggest stage, and pounding him mercilessly. And the Dodgers just rolled over died. So, while the Phils may have an American League-type lineup, they haven't faced these Yankees, on this stage.

Cole Hamels could go nuts, or he could continue his slide into mediocrity ... I very much hope he does. And Joe Blanton is Joe Blanton.

While Ronan Tynan (and his debatable anti-Semiticism) is out for good, Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes are in for Game 1, which shoudld put everyone in an Empire State of Mind.

Images I can't shake from Game 6: Robbie Cano fielding Torri Hunter's surefire RBI single on the SS side of second base. Scott Kazmir's hand grenade up the rightfield line, followed by the pellet he unloaded later in the inning. Kate Hudson. So cute. So A-Rod inspiring.