U.S. & World

NEW YORK (CBS) ― There will be baseball in the Bronx on Wednesday night. The rain stopped around 4 p.m., the tarp was taken off the field and the Yankees and Phillies took batting practice in advance of Game 1 of the World Series, CBS station WCBS-TV reported.

The Yankees will be looking to win it all for the first time since beating the Mets in five games back in 2000.

An appearance in the World Series is a first for most of the players on this Yankees roster, but it's something that seems to be almost an October ritual for the old guard, players like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. Those four spoiled the fans by winning four world championships from 1996-2000.

The Yankees returned to the World Series in 2001 and 2003, but lost to Arizona and Florida. Now they realize just how tough it is to get back.

"I thought it was easier earlier," Posada said with a smile, "obviously being young and immature, but now, six years apart, it has been very gratifying and a lot of joy to be back."

"It hurts us all when we don't get back there because we expect when we start spring training that we're going to be in another World Series," said Pettitte, the likely Game 3 starter on Saturday.

Pedro Martinez said he regrets tossing Don Zimmer to the ground during a bench-clearing brawl in the playoffs six years ago. Scheduled to pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series, Martinez touched on several topics during a colorful news conference before the opener Wednesday night.

The 38-year-old right-hander says he might be the most influential player who ever stepped into Yankee Stadium, because of the way New York reporters portrayed him as a villain when he was pitching for rival Boston.

Martinez also says his ugly altercation with Zimmer, then a 72-year-old Yankees bench coach, during the 2003 AL championship series was a disgrace for baseball.


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This is the first World Series for 16-season veteran Alex Rodriguez. After cultivating the reputation as the postseason zero, he's now one of the 2009 heroes.

"It's hard to believe that, after all these years, he hasn't done that," Rivera said of A-Rod. "You know? You're talking about one of the best players there is."

"It's been fun. You know, we have a tremendous team and we have great guys on our club," Rodriguez said. "It's been a lot of fun playing good baseball, but obviously winning is the most fun."

This World Series isn't only being played out on the field, but in the tabloids as well. The New York Post published a huge photo of Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino dressed in a cheerleading miniskirt on the front page of Tuesday's editions and referred to the defending champions as the "Frillies," just to add a little more juice to a Series that has been hyped non-stop since the Yankees won the ALCS on Sunday.

"Oh I don't care," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said when asked about the Post back page. "I look forward to it. I'd probably take it home and frame it."

Added slugger Ryan Howard: "I did see it. (Victorino) could have shaved his legs, could've gone with a little more of an ankle sock."

"We haven't even started a game here yet so I don't know what the mockery is her," Victorino said. "But we'll see what happens."

It all starts soon. CC Sabathia will take the mound for Yankees, opposed by the Phillies' Cliff Lee.

For complete World Series coverage, be sure to check out WCBSTV.com's World Series section.

 
 

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