Landing the Big One: the Marlins' thumping of the Yankees in the World Series was no upset, given how well Florida played in October.(The World Series)

When Derek Jeter led off for the Yankees in Game 6 of the 99th World he figured hard-throwing Josh Beckett would start him with a fastball. He was right. Beckett's 95-mph heater roared waist-high down the middle of the plate, and Jeter smashed it--foul down the third base line. A harmless Strike 1. Two pitches later, Jeter was shaking his head on his way back to the dugout, a victim of a curve called Strike 3.

The Marlins' best had beaten the Yankees' best. Jeter, the man who is as much about October as fun-size candy bars, the man who had all three of his team's hits off Beckett in Game 3, the man who never fails this time of year, had failed. This was not going ...