Core earns one for the thumb

Somebody needs to take these guys’ thumb measurements.

Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada will have one more piece of championship jewelry come next spring — and need to employ their thumbs if they intend to display that hardware on one hand. It will be a regular five-ring circus.

Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada are considered the franchise core, and all made significant contributions that led to the Yankees’ 27th world championship. The latest wild ride ended with a 7-3 victory over the Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series last night.

REUTERS

Derek Jeter

Photos: 2009 World Series

The nine-year drought since the last championship is over.

“You forget what it feels like,” Posada. “You win the [division], but if you don’t get it done then it’s a failure, so we answered a lot of questions.”

After winning four championships in five seasons at the start of his career, Jeter said he never took it for granted he would get another.

“I knew how difficult it was,” Jeter said. “It’s very hard to make it to the World Series and to win it is more difficult. We made it look easy, but it wasn’t easy.”

It was a little different in 1996 when this group won their first World Series. The rookie Posada played only eight games that year (but received a ring) and Rivera was still setting up closer John Wetteland. Jeter and Pettitte were both kids with unlimited upsides.

YANKEES BLOG

BOX SCORE

Pettitte last night completed the Sombrero as the winning pitcher in the AL East, ALDS, ALCS and World Series clincher. He was 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA this postseason and solidified his place among the great big-game pitchers of all-time. Pettitte’s 18 career postseason victories are the most by any pitcher.

Rivera allowed only one earned run the entire postseason for a 0.53 ERA and last night got to record the final out of a World Series for the fourth time.

Jeter hit .333 in the postseason (including .407 in the World Series) with three homers and six RBIs, only solidifying his reputation as one of the most clutch players in baseball history.

Posada hit .260 in the postseason with two homers and eight RBIs. That included a homer in Game 3 of the ALDS in Minnesota that helped ice the Twins.

“You can’t be more proud,” Rivera said. “These fans of New York were faithful and we were able to do it.”

mpuma@nypost.com