Now, that wasn’t all that surprising, was it?

The Yankees won the World Series, wow.

Is anyone really shocked or surprised by this?

Well, it took them two games longer than I thought it would but it appeared the Phillies couldn’t win any games that weren’t started by Cliff Lee. What with the crappy postseason schedule based entirely around the desires of the networks the Phillies might have actually won the series if they had drawn out the seven games further - maybe the next thing we’ll see is the World Series taking on a game a week format so it runs seven weeks.

Again, I’m not surprised the Yankees won. As far back as the middle of August I was talking to a cousin (who is a Yankee fan) and noted quite matter-of-factly the Yankees would go all the way this year.

The main reason I thought they would was because they had something they didn’t have in a long time... a team.

The Yankees over the last decade have been known for breaking the bank and moving Heaven and Earth to get the highest priced free agent available but they never seem to have given much thought to how well their acquisition will fit in with the overall scheme of the club.

Notable about the teams of the 90s was the fact that even though there were stars on those teams, there were a lot more "grinders." Grinders being the kind of players that go out each and every day and play hard. Those Yankee teams had a toughness and a business-like mentality that was unmistakable and it was a big factor in why the franchise was so successful throughout the period.

This year’s edition is unlikely to enjoy the rampant success the 90s teams did. I honestly don’t see the Yankees repeating next year. A lot of things have to go your way to go all the way in baseball and truthfully as good as the Yankees are, they just aren’t built for the back to back to back success enjoyed from 96 to 00.

Now, I’m a Mets fan but I was a former Yankee fan and all through the earlier part of this decade I couldn’t help but feel a certain deja vu incited by the actions of the franchise compared to the way the Yankee teams of the eigthies and early 90s were built. The Yankees made some big mistakes too over the past few years, is it a coincidence the year the team finally went out and got a decent first-baseman they did better?

Jason Giambi was never the second coming of Mickey Mantle, Mike Mussina while a 300 game winner was never a leader on the team and let‘s not forget the debacle that was the Kei Igawa signing or the Carl Pavano contract. There are names and then there are names but those names should send chills down the spine of any Yankee fan.

Mind you, this is a club with a lot of promise. Promise to contend and make things at the very least interesting but what the Yankees do this off-season will tell 6baseball fans a lot about whether or not they are going to revert to the dysfunctional ways of the early part of the decade or if they are really dedicated to going into a bold new direction and creating another dynasty.

Let’s talk about the infield first.

Catcher: Jorge Posada as a catcher, Posada’s days are numbered. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he doesn’t evenly split time between DH and catching next season. The biggest question the Yankees have is what to do until Joe Mauer becomes a free-agent (if Minnesota doesn’t lock him up before then) and what Plan B will be if he should wind up not being available. Jose Molina is a stopgap at best and the Yankees should be looking right now to develop someone in their minor league system to be their catcher of the future (whether they draft or trade for this person).

First Base: Mark Texiera will be a fixture for years to come the only question is who will be the backup and at the moment Nick Swisher looks to fill that role.

Second Base: All knocks aside, Robinson Cano has provided the Yankees with steady defense for years now. When you place him against Jeter, Rodriguez and Texiera it’s a tough comparison but he IS ONLY 26! There are a lot of teams that wouldn’t mind having a player like Cano man second base and there is a lot to be said for a durable player who has hit over .300 in three of the five seasons he’s played in so far. You don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Shortstop: The Yankees are locked in on Jeter. He will sign another contract with the Yankees and most likely retire a Yankee. If not at the end of his next contract, sometime shortly thereafter. When the day comes for the Yankees to find a new shortstop or have someone replace Jeter it won’t be an easy thing because he is one of the most beloved Yankees of all time.

Third Base: A-Rod finally won. He made it to the World Series and was on the winning side. He did it in a season where he missed significant time to injury and stayed out of the headlines once he did return to playing. The rub with A-Rod though is this - for all his talent, for all his gaudy numbers, even with the big contract it is just a matter of time. New York fans are merciless. They do not suffer fools gladly and A-Rod has shown time after time after time a proclivity to self-destruct. Immensely talented, A-Rod will have a slump, he will back a back page headline (or maybe even a front page headline again) and when that time comes he will take the team down with him. The problem is he’s not going anywhere - he’s got the contract and the years so the Yankees are married to him until the inevitable ugly divorce.

Outfield: Here is the Yankees biggest question mark. Swisher will be with the team next year and is only 28, there is no doubt he can man right field for a few more years. Plus, he’s a clubhouse guy, the kind of teammate other players like having around if only to stay loose. Melky Cabrera IS ONLY 24! Fans forget this far too easily. The biggest question the Yankee organization has about Melky is whether he’s going to mature into another Bernie Williams or if he’ll wind up being Roberto (don’t call me Bobby) Kelly. The answer to that question will affect the Yankees more than people realize in the coming years. Brett Gardner is 25 and there is no reason not to think he can’t play left field. Certainly he can man it until such a time as the Yankees need to go out and find another big bat for the outfield.

Say goodbye to:

Johnny Damon. The Yankees simply shouldn’t give him the contract he‘s looking for in terms of money or years. The best indicator of why they shouldn’t is Game 6 with Damon pulling up lame. Damon is going to break down more and more as time goes on - he’s 35 and the money the Yankees would be obligated pony up to resign him could be put to better use elsewhere.

Hideki Matsui. Fans haven’t seen the last of him but with Posada looking to spend more time at DH in the future does it make sense to overspend for a part time DH? California, Detroit, Boston and the White Sox are all possible destinations.

As far as the bench goes, I leave it up to others to spend time mincing about those details.

Pitching?

The Yankees starting rotation is set for several years. Of course CC Sabathia is back and so is AJ Burnett.

The difference between the Yankees and other teams is that they have a potential number one pitcher on the disabled list. Chien-Ming Wang would be slotted into the three spot on this team but on many other teams would be considered a number one pitcher. The Yankees (and all of baseball) are eager to see just what Wang will have next year, if he returns to form and wins another 19 games (as he did in his second and third seasons) the Yankees will have a formidable punch.

Andy Pettitte hopefully will re-sign with the team. Pettitte is often undervalued by the Yankees and did win 14 (’09), 14 (’08) and 15 (’07) games over the last three seasons. The man flat out knows how to pitch and is a good teammate. Very few teams could contemplate having such an experienced hand at the number four position in their rotation.

The five spot?

Phil Hughes. The 23 year old should be given the chance to crack the rotation and if he doesn’t succeed then Chad Gaudin can easily spell fifth starter.

One thing people will notice in a discussion of the starting rotation is the absence of a name - Joba Chamberlain. There’s a reason for that.

Much as you have to respect the man’s accomplishments, Mariano Rivera will be 40 in 2010. When closers lose it, they lose it fast. It happens quickly and without warning, one day they’re just not the sure thing they once were and it happens to all the great closers of the game. Yankee fans have been spoiled by Rivera; really, really spoiled.

As a former Yankee fan I suffered through a lot. First, biting my nails every time Dave Righetti entered a game and then watching a succession of mediocre pitchers try to be closers after Righetti left (Steve Howe anyone?). Steve Farr was a bright spot but it wasn’t until John Wetteland arrived Yankee fans could breath a sigh of relief when their team was ahead entering the ninth inning. Rivera was tutored by Wetteland and in similar circumstances should be tutoring Chamberlain the same way. Let’s face facts, the great Joba Chamberlain starting pitcher experiment was a mediocre success at best and a great closer is infinitely harder to find. Chamberlain should get moved to the bullpen and be given the eighth inning role.

Besides, if the Yankees truly had someone in their bullpen they could rely on they wouldn’t have pitched Mariano more than an inning per game during the post season. The Yankees can fill in the bullpen around those two anyway with Chamberlain in the eight inning role and Mariano in the ninth inning role they’ll only be looking for middle and long relievers and there are always more than a few to choose from.

Even so, with all the things the Yankees have going for them, dynasty will be a hard feat to pull off.