New York Yankees -- a New Era Has Begun.

If anyone were to put a mark on where the Yankees are ranked in terms of star power, success and a plethora of great managers that have led the team to championships, perhaps they would say they are over-rated, but with an All-Star powered team like the one they have currently, how can that be? The Yankees haven't won a championship in quite some time, but that will all change. There is no doubt that Joe Torre was the man when he wore a Yankee uniform, to me he still is the man, but certain things need to come to an end.

The 2001-2007 time period that saw great Yankee seasons didn't thrill many Yankee fans as they were unable to win a championship. Now being a die-hard New York Yankee fan, it is very stressful because we are used to winning championships, but there can't be anything said about the Yankees giving up, because they never do. It is now 2008 and Joe Girardi is the skipper. Girardi is already set to remain the manager for the next three years, so we better get used to him. But what makes this new era really grand? Perhaps it could be the young pitching stars that the Yankees have? Or the "phat" ten year deal that A-Rod received worth $275 million dollars? The Yankees have an awesome team, it is now time to show the world why they are the best.

Let's start off with the Yankees pitching. The one that probably strikes a nerve in many people is a young man by the name of Joba Chamberlain. This kid can throw a baseball very hard, so there is no doubt in my mind that he will be one of the best pitchers that the Yankees have ever seen, but he is still very young. With a fastball that can reach 100 + mph with movement, he closes out games alongside Mariano Rivera who also returned to the Yankees. It was unclear to whether or not Joba Chamberlain was going to be in the main rotation as a starter, but he will soon enough.

A few other pitchers that should help the Yankees in their endeavor to win a World Championship are Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and of course Chien-Ming Wang. The young pitchers that the Yankees have were obviously acquired for a reason, but the ace of the club has to go to Wang, he had 19 wins in his last two seasons, an impressive feat that set a record as a matter of fact. There is no doubt in my mind that Wang won't continue to be a great pitcher, he really has the potential to be amongst the greatest in Yankee history.

Now of course there are the pitchers that have been starters for a long time, they are the veterans of the team. Andy Pettitte for one is a name that should be called out mainly because he is simply one of the best pitchers in the MLB. The left-hander fools a lot of people with his pitches and he picks off a lot of guys, more than most pitchers, simply because of his left-handed delivery. Another name that should be said is Mike Mussina, even though he struggled last year, he is still a great pitcher that just needs to carry the Yankees a bit. At the age of 39, people probably aren't going to be expecting much from him, but he will provide when it most counts.

The main lineup of the New York Yankees consist of the regulars, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu and Melky Cabrera, but with a few other new additions to the team, a younger generation of Yankees, it should make out for a great 2008 season and beyond. Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit are two additions that helped the Yankees last season, their hitting really allowed the Yankees to score more runs, and they shall continue to do that this season as well.

Bringing up the manager position obviously is of major importance, but this manager knows what the New York Yankees are all about. Joe Girardi was a former catcher for the Yankees, and he was a darn good one too... Obviously this change will switch things up a bit, but seeing that Torre set the standards fairly high, the Yankees will continue with what they do best, and that is winning, let's just hope that championships are involved.

Lastly, the Yankees will be playing in "the house that Ruth built" for the last time. This is very sad news for Yankee fans, but the new stadium is said to look just like the old, and it still will be Yankee Stadium. It's just upsetting to see a milestone like that go down, but like I have said before, "All good things must come to an end".