It was the third MVP award for the St. Louis Cardinals star, who also won in 2005. He became the first unanimous MVP since Bonds in 2002.

Pujols led the majors in home runs (47), runs (124), slugging percentage (.658) and intentional walks (44), and topped the NL in on-base percentage (.443). He was second in the league in doubles (45) and third in batting average (.327) and RBIs (135).

He was especially dangerous with the bases loaded, going 10 for 17 with five grand slams, three doubles and 35 RBIs.

Florida’s Hanley Ramirez, the NL batting champion, was second with 233 points, followed by Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard (217) and Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder (203), who tied Howard for the big league lead in RBIs.

Pujols, who turns 30 in January, joined Hall of Famer Al Simmons (11) as the only players with 100 or more RBIs in each of their first nine seasons. He also set a big league record for assists by a first baseman with 185.

Pujols became just the fourth player to win the NL MVP three times. Bonds won seven in the 1990s and 2000s. Stan Musial (1940s), Roy Campanella (1950s) and Mike Schmidt (1980s) each won three.

Five players have won three AL MVPs: Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Alex Rodriguez.

In addition to Pujols and Bonds, the only unanimous NL winners were Orlando Cepeda (1967), Schmidt (1980), Jeff Bagwell (1994) and Ken Caminiti (1996). Unanimous AL winners have been Hank Greenberg (1935), Al Rosen (1953), Mantle (1956), Frank Robinson (1966), Denny McLain (1968), Reggie Jackson (1973), Jose Canseco (1988), Frank Thomas (1993) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1997).

St. Louis players have won 17 MVPs, second in the majors behind 20 for the Yankees. Pujols has been voted among the top 10 in nine consecutive years, finishing second in 2002, 2003 and 2006; third in 2004; fourth in 2001; and ninth in 2007.

Pujols receives a $200,000 bonus for winning the award. He is signed for next season at $16 million, and the Cardinals hold a $16 million option for 2011, so the sides may soon turn their attention to a contract extension.

Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins was voted the AL MVP on Monday, receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes.

In June of 2009, it was reported that Sosa tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003.

So, will Sosa be remembered as the home run hitting machine that he once was? A steroid taking cheater? Or, a Michael Jackson wanna-be?

Yankee Celebration

AP-Paint the town in pinstripes! Nearly a decade after their dynasty ended on a blooper in the desert, the New York Yankees are baseball’s best again.

Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs, Andy Pettitte won on short rest and New York beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 on Wednesday night, finally seizing that elusive 27th title. It was the team’s first since winning three straight from 1998-2000.

Matsui powered a quick rout of old foe Pedro Martinez – and when Mariano Rivera got the final out it was ecstasy in the Bronx for George Steinbrenner’s go-for-broke bunch.

What a way for Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and crew to christen their $1.5 billion ballpark: One season, one championship.

And to think it capped a season that started in turmoil – a steroids scandal involving A-Rod, followed by hip surgery that kept him out until May.

About 100 miles south, disappointment.

For Chase Utley and the Phillies, it was a frustrating end to another scintillating season. Philadelphia fell two wins short of becoming the first NL team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.

Ryan Howard’s sixth-inning homer came too late to wipe away his World Series slump, and Phillies pitchers rarely managed to slow Matsui and the Yankees‘ machine.

In a fitting coincidence, this championship came eight years to the day after the Yankees lost Game 7 of the 2001 World Series in Arizona on Luis Gonzalez’s broken-bat single off Rivera.

New York spent billions trying to get back. At long last, it did.

Hey Babe and Yogi, Mr. October and Joltin’ Joe – you’ve got company. Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and a new generation of Yankees have procured their place in pinstriped lore.

And for the four amigos, it was ring No. 5.

Jorge Posada, Jeter, Pettitte and Rivera came up together through the minors and were cornerstones for those four titles in five years starting in 1996.

Now, all on the other side of age 35, they have another success to celebrate. And surely they remember the familiar parade route, up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes.

Indeed, a New York City-sized party is next. Nine years in the making, with all the glitz and glamour this tony town can offer.

For Steinbrenner, it was the seventh championship since he bought the team in 1973. The Yankees had talked about winning another for their 79-year-old owner, who has been in declining health.

Though he stayed back home in Tampa, Fla., he certainly wasn’t forgotten. The grounds crew wore “Win it for The Boss” shirts last week, which were on sale outside the ballpark Wednesday.

New York wasted its chance to wrap things up in Game 5 at Philadelphia, then set its sights on clinching the World Series at home for the first time since 1999.

While nine years between titles is hardly a drought for most teams, it was almost an eternity in Yankeeland.

New York’s eight seasons without a championship was the third-longest stretch for the Yankees since their first one, following gaps of 17 (1979-95) and 14 (1963-76).

Reggie Jackson’s three homers in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers made the Yankees champs in ’77. On this November night, Matsui delivered a sublime performance at the plate that must have made Mr. October proud.

Playing perhaps his final game with the Yankees, Matsui hit a two-run homer off Martinez in the second inning and a two-run single on an 0-2 pitch in the third.

A slumping Teixeira added an RBI single in the fifth off reliever Chad Durbin, and Matsui cracked a two-run double off the right-center fence against lefty J.A. Happ.

A designated hitter with balky knees, Matsui came off the bench in all three games at Philadelphia. Still, he had a huge Series, going 8 for 13 (.615) with three homers and eight RBIs. His go-ahead shot off an effective Martinez in Game 2 helped the Yankees tie it 1-all.

Bobby Richardson was the only other player with six RBIs in a World Series game, doing it for the Yankees in Game 3 against Pittsburgh in 1960. Richardson had a first-inning grand slam and a two-run single in the fourth.

Matsui’s big hits built a comfortable cushion for a feisty Pettitte, who shouted at plate umpire Joe West while coming off the field in the fourth. Still, Pettitte extended major league records with his 18th postseason win and sixth to end a series.

The 37-year-old left-hander, pitching on three days’ rest, became the first pitcher to start and win the clincher in all three postseason rounds. He beat Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels in the AL playoffs.

Pettitte lasted 5 2-3 innings, allowing three runs, four hits and five walks. Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte combined for 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief before Rivera secured the final five outs.

It had been nearly a half-century since players had won five titles with one team. The last to do it? Of course a bunch of Yankees: Yogi Berra (10 titles), Mickey Mantle (seven) and Whitey Ford (six) in 1962, according to STATS LLC.

For second-year manager Joe Girardi, a three-time Yankees champion as a player, it was the fulfillment of a mission. When he succeeded Joe Torre in October 2007, Girardi chose uniform No. 27, putting his quest on his back for all to see. His tenure didn’t start out so well, with New York missing the playoffs in its final season at old Yankee Stadium following 13 consecutive appearances.

Steinbrenner’s well-paid players hadn’t soaked themselves in bubbly after the season since Bernie Williams gloved Mike Piazza’s midnight flyout at Shea Stadium to win the 2000 Subway Series and cap the Yankees’ third straight championship and fourth in five years.

Two outs from winning in 2001, the Yankees stumbled in the desert. New York then spent more than $1.6 billion after that trying to regain glory, falling short with infamous flops such as Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano.

But last offseason the Yankees got smart, adding a trio of top free agents – Teixeira, Sabathia and A.J. Burnett – for $423.5 million. They jelled with Rodriguez, the game’s highest-paid player but a winner for the first time in 16 major league seasons.

A-Rod became a newly minted champion following a sordid spring in which he admitted using steroids from 2001-03 with Texas and then needed hip surgery.

Maybe now, demanding fans in the Bronx will consider him a true New York Yankee .

-Mike Fitzpatrick

Yankees Key To Victory-The key part to this baseball game will be the 1-4 hitters in each lineup. The Yankees need Pedro to be scared to pitch to A-Rod and Teixeria. If he can sit those guys down, the Yankees will lose. If they can hit him hard and get some RBIs, the Yankees will win.

Phillies Key To Victory- The Phillies need to jump out to an early lead and hope that Pedro can keep the Yankees to minimal runs. Pedro will also need to keep his cool. If the Yankee faithful can get in his head, this one could be a night to remember for the Yankees.

The New York Yankees are looking forward to winning their 27th World Series tonight as they try to finish off the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees lead the series 3-1 and are starting to lick their chops. However, the road to the 27th will have to go straight through Phillies’ ace, Cliff Lee.

Lee has been red hot throughout the 2009 post-season. He has an era of less than one, in his four starts this post-season. All which have resulted in victories.

The Yankees‘ manager Joe Girardi will turn his team’s fate over to star pitcher AJ Burnett. Burnett has been off and on all year for the Yankees. He is either lights out, or completely awful. In game 2 against the Phillies, he brought his A game and walked away with a victory as he held the Phillies to only 1 run.

It should be a good game. I am predicting the Yankees to win just because of Jimmy Rollins and his prophecy about the Phillies winning in 5. Better luck next year Jimmy! Take a lesson from Jeter and learn how to conduct yourself. Shut your mouth and just play!

Prediction: Yankees 4 Phillies 2

Phillies Starting Pitcher Pedro Martinez

Tonight should be very interesting to say the least.

The New York Yankees host the Philadelphia Phillies in World Series game 2. The game from last night was really not a competition from the moment Cliff Lee took the mound. He was untouchable for the Yankee lineup, minus Derek Jeter who had three hits against the lefty. The Phillies came out with a lot more energy and confidence from what I could tell. It looked like they wanted to be there and it appeared that they wanted to back up the comments of their short stop Jimmy Rollins.

Jimmy Rollins has already predicted a Phillies chamionship. The real kicker is that he came out and said that they will win in 5 games. Talk about being bold! Does someone need to let Rollins know trhey are playing the Yankees? However, if they do walk into Yankee stadium and spank them like red-headed step children and win the series in five, Rollins will be all smiles!

As for tonight, the weather is looking clear with a little bit of wind. Pretty much perfect baseball weather for October in NYC.

Grandfather–Pedro Martinez– will be taking the mound against the hated pinstripe crew this evening. He will face a fiery lineup of the Yankees who looked as though they should have been riding on a bus to and from the games this year instead of a lavish plane of the Steinbrenners.

Unpredictable AJ Burnnett will be on the bump for the Yankees, and that is a scary thought if you are a Yankees fan. You never know who will show up. The good AJ or the bad AJ. If the Yankees can get lucky and the “good” AJ Burnnett takes the hill, they could run away with this game. Especially if old man rivers, from whatever island, doesn’t have his best stuff. He could really find out “who is his daddy” tonight.

Considering all things, I think it should be an exciting game to watch. I feel the Yankees will run away with the game, but who knows. Maybe someone will poor some oil into the joints of Pedro Martinez and he will be in the headlines tomorrow morning.

Be careful Cliff. Next time people might be laughing at you and not with you.

There are some afternoon showers that are currently hitting the Big Apple and Yankee Stadium. However, the weather should cooperate enough to allow game 1 of the World Series to commence as expected at 7:57 PM. There could possibly be some light rain throughout the game, but nothing that should delay or postpone the highly anticipated match-up between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. Light fog should also be expected for those that will be attending.

Mark McGwire Before Congress

Mark McGwire will be back in the game of baseball. He has accepted a position as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.

McGwire played 4 1/2 seasons with the Cardinals, in which he hit 220 home runs and for a short time set the single-season MLB record with his 70 homers in 1998. Obviously, since then he’s been surrounded by steroid and HGH rumors and has more or less dropped completely off of the baseball radar after his Congressional testimony in 2005.

From the way that things are sounding, Tony LaRussa will be back in the clubhouse managing the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010. That should make for a comfortable environment for McGwire, who played for LaRussa in both Oakland and St. Louis.

It should be interesting to see how McGwire handles all of the press conferences and interviews he will be participating in for the next couple of weeks. It would be wise for him to follow the road that has been so nicely paved by Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguex. That is, admitting you were wrong and then ask for forgiveness and go on like nothing ever took place. Seems to be working a lot better for those than for Roger Clemens, who is still denying his steroid usage.

Either way, it is a good thing that he took this job. The Cards need some help with their bats and he could be the one to give some good hitting advice.

Today was the first day that the tickets were available, but many fans of the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies were disappointed when they showed up to their team’s stadium box office, only to be turned away. That is right. The tickets for the World Series are currently only available online.

This morning at 10:00 am, yankees.com automatically directed visitors to ticketmaster, where they were able to purchase tickets. However, by 10:07 am, the tickets were all sold out!

Many Yankee fans were very upset, especially those that lined up outside the box office early in the morning, only to be turned away at 9:00 am when the office opened.

Tickets can still be had, but they are only available through private online vendors, and they will cost an arm and a leg to get them.