The Yankees are World Series champions for the 27th time; the most in professional sports. This one, however, has a very special place in my heart.

As many of you may know, I lost my best friend Jake this July. He drowned in the Columbia River. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. My friend Megan called me and told me the news, ten minutes before I was going to an interview. I was devastated. Jake and I have been friends since we were eleven years old. I went home for a week or so to be with his family and friends; remembering the out-pour of love and support the Twitter community showed me.

He was a die-hard Yankees fan. I remember watching the four World Series in the late 90s with him, and also the ones they lost in the early 2000s. It’s so surreal to see Joe Girardi manage the Yankees now, as I remember him as a player…sharing time with a 25-year-old catcher named Jorge Posada. This was back in the day when Mariano Rivera had hair.

Jake used to throw his remote at the TV and swear up a storm when they lost a game. A single game! Of course, I felt obliged to do the same this year as the Yankees lost games. When Jake passed, the Yankees went on a six-game winning streak. This was sometime right after the all star break. I remember thinking how special it’d be if they made a run and won the world series, for him.

Jake’s mom gave me the book he was reading, “The Yankees Years.” Those who knew Jake also knew that he didn’t like to read, unless it was about sports. This will definitely be the next book I read; to learn what it means to be a Yankee, the tradition, but most importantly my best friend’s love and passion for the pinstripes.

Not a day passes that I don’t think about him; all the great memories we had. I will never have another best friend like him. I really believe with the Yankees winning, he is very much at peace. All of Jake’s friends were rooting yard for the Yankees. To see them win brings tears of joy to our eyes.

They won it…for him.

In addition, the Yankees winning is a very good sign; a special one in my heart that I hope comes true. Watching game six has been an emotional rollercoaster. In the end, I am very happy and am at peace.

Love them or hate them, this is the year of the Yankees.