The old-as-dirt New York Yankees take the 2009 World Series.

The Yankees were the best team in baseball this year, and they played like it when it counted, which is good for them and perhaps especially good for the psyche and legend of Alex Rodriguez. (All that centaur does is win!) But if there's anything of significance to take away from the 2009 World Series, it's that this is most likely the end of something rather than the beginning. If there was any nascent dynasty on the field, in fact, it was probably the team built around Utley, Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and others who aren't due to collapse into dust. The Yankees richly deserve their title. Don't get used to it, Yankees fans—it may be a long while before they get another one. Unless they spend another $400 million this winter. Which they might.