NEW YORK — At $210 million this year, the New York Yankees have spent enough money to be baseball's best team. And for the first time in nine years, they are.

By virtue of their 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees won the World Series four games to two and gained their first world championship since they beat the Mets in 2000.

Additionally, the Yankees became the first team since 1998, when they won 114 games and the World Series, to have the major leagues' best undisputed record in a season (103-59) and then capture the World Series that season.

For manager Joe Girardi, whose job became jeopardized after one season when he dared to bring the Yankees home in third place in the division in 2008, it fulfilled the prophecy of his having asked to wear No. 27 when he signed on as manager. The Yankees had 26 world titles when Girardi was hired.

Girardi, who finished his playing career with the Cardinals as a backup catcher in 2003, said he had taken a page from the book of his last manager, the man who said he was wearing No. 10 because he was hoping the Cardinals would win a 10th world championship. The Cardinals did in 2006, christening a new ballpark, just as the Yankees did this year.

"I know Tony La Russa did it in St. Louis and that was kind of the idea I got," said Girardi. "I have so much respect for him and all the managers I've played for."

But, as Girardi and some of his players pointed out, this 27th title wasn't for anybody but one person. The scoreboard read, "Boss, this is for you," meaning longtime owner George Steinbrenner, who was in New York for a game last week but is in declining health.

"George Steinbrenner and his family are champions," Girardi said. "To be able to deliver this to the Boss, the stadium that he created and the atmosphere he has created around here is very gratifying for all of us."

With the defending world champion Phillies going down, still no National League team has won back-to-back World Series since the 1975-76 Cincinnati "Big Red Machine." But Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "As (Gen. Douglas) MacArthur, I guess, said, 'We will be back.'"

Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui's $13 million probably will be subtracted from that $210 million as his four-year contract has expired. If so, the 35-year-old, whose world championship was his first in his seven years with the Yankees, gave the fans something by which to remember him.

Matsui was eight for 13 in the Series, including three homers, despite having to sit out three starts on the road. He knocked in six runs Wednesday, tying the single-game record set by the Yankees' Bobby Richardson in 1960, and earned the World Series Most Valuable Player award.

Matsui delivered two runs each on a second-inning home run, a third-inning single and a fifth-inning double.

"It's been a long road and very difficult journey," said Matsui, through an interpreter. "I'm just happy we were able ... to reach the goal that I came here for."

Pedro Martinez, a longtime Boston star, said he realized he was pitching for more than just the Phillies on Wednesday night. Aware that Red Sox fans were rooting against the Yankees — and for him — the 38-year-old Martinez had said Tuesday, "I know they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games."

But fans of both teams were disappointed as Martinez was not the same pitcher who had the Yankees on their heels in Game 2, though he lost that one, too. With virtually no fastball, Martinez lasted just four innings, throwing 77 pitches and giving up four runs.

Andy Pettitte, who has a record 18 postseason wins, completed the trifecta of starting and winning the clinching game in all three Yankees postseason series this year. On Wednesday, the 37-year-old was pitching on three days' rest for the first time in three years and labored, walking five, but survived 5 2/3 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The Yankees jumped ahead 2-0 in the second as Matsui did something he had achieved the last time he faced Martinez. He hit a home run. After a prolonged at-bat with Alex Rodriguez on base, Matsui reached the second deck in right field.

After a Phillies run in the third, the Yankees and Matsui answered with two more in their half.

Righthander Chad Durbin and lefthander J.A. Happ hardly stemmed the tide for the Phils in the fifth after Martinez left.

Derek Jeter, who led all batsmen in the Series with 11 hits, doubled and moved up on a sacrifice by Jerry Hairston Jr., in for an injured Johnny Damon. Mark Teixeira, hitting an even .100 in the Series, singled to score Jeter.

Durbin walked Rodriguez and then Happ, brought in to face Matsui, had no better luck than his predecessor, as Matsui put the game away.

Manuel said Matsui "not only hit fastballs, but he was on everything we threw up there."

St. Louisan Ryan Howard, who later would break the strikeout record for the World Series at 13, hit his first homer of the Series, a two-run drive to left, in the Phillies' sixth.

But that really was the Phillies' last sniff.

"When we had to do the things to take them out of the game, it seemed like we couldn't do it," said Manuel.