The New York Yankees had just won their 27th World Series title, and Rodriguez crouched. He covered his face, trying to gather his composure. When he stood, preparing to go on stage, he no longer could conceal his emotions.

Tears trickled from his reddened eyes, down his cheeks and onto his uniform.

Rodriguez, baseball's richest and perhaps greatest all-around player with three MVP awards, finally got his proudest possession — a World Series championship.

"Look, a lot of people ran the other way," Rodriguez said, "but my teammates and coaches and organization stood right next to me. We finished together as world champs."

Rodriguez, who exemplified the Yankees' postseason failures, finally has earned his pinstripes. He's a champion, just like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter.

"He exorcised a lot of demons," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "There's no reason to take any, 'He can't do this. He can't do that.' He's done it all now.

"He's one of the greatest players of all time. The rest of his career, he can continue to write history."

Rodriguez, who entered the postseason with a .136 batting average, was hugely responsible for terminating the Yankees' nine-year World Series drought. He led the Yankees with a .365 batting average, six homers and 18 RBI. He hit three homers in the seventh inning or later that tied the game, the most by anyone in a career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"It doesn't surprise me what he did," said Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who earned the moniker Mr. October with his World Series success. "The ability to become uncluttered emotionally and psychologically allowed his talent to come out."

The entire Yankees team, burdened by its October struggles — even missing the playoffs last year — treated this year differently. The clubhouse no longer felt like a stuffy corporate office. Players threw shaving cream pies into the faces of game heroes. Attended basketball games together. Even had a team party at a pool hall, courtesy of manager Joe Girardi.

"You saw how those guys were different from the past," Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "You could see the fun they had together. Whatever they did, everybody bought into."

The Yankees left their stuffiness at the old ballpark sitting across 161st Street. The name off the famous façade is gone, purchased by Jackson, but the championship tradition is once again thriving.

"All of them are great, but this one is special," closer Mariano Rivera said. "We fought hard. As a team, like the old days.

"(Girardi) tried to put us together from the first day of spring training. It helped everyone."

Said Yankees ace CC Sabathia: "First day, everyone came in, got along and showed they were motivated. I felt like we had a good chance right away."

None of it would have been possible, of course, without the Steinbrenner family and its seemingly limitless resources. The Yankees missed the playoffs last year, leaving Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein to openly wonder how they would react.

They responded by spending $423.5 million, culminating in another Yankees championship. The only difference this time was that George Steinbrenner, 79, was too frail to be part of the celebration. He stayed home in Tampa.

"He was subdued during the game," son Hank Steinbrenner said, "but emotional, very teary-eyed. It was very, very weird not having him here. Very strange.

"But he's happy now. He's very proud. Proud of all of them."

Enlarge By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Third baseman Alex Rodriguez shows his emotions while clutching the World Series trophy Wednesday night. "He exorcised a lot of demons," Yankees general manager Biran Cashman said.