NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Fans brought brooms to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. The city of New York will need them for yet another ticker-tape parade.

The Yankees completed their second straight World Series sweep on Wednesday, defeating the Atlanta Braves, 4-1 on Wednesday for their third championship in four years.

The season would not be complete for the Yankees, however, without a ticker-tape parade down Broadway's Canyon of Heroes in New York City. The celebration is scheduled to take place on Friday.

The Yankees claimed their professional sports record 25th crown on Wednesday. Already the Team of the Century, they also staked their claim to a mythical Team of the Decade title.

New York became the first repeat winners since Toronto in 1992-93 and matched a record the franchise set in 1927, 1928 and 1932 with a 12-game World Series winning streak.

The Yankees recorded the first back-to-back World Series sweeps since they did so in 1938-39.

In the postgame celebration on Wednesday, the team put aside its accomplishments on the field to remember those they lost. Paul O'Neill was the third player this season to lose his father as Charles O'Neill died Wednesday morning.

A season of emotion also included the loss of Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Catfish Hunter. It began with news that manager Joe Torre had prostate cancer in spring training.

The 25 World Series titles dwarf the nine won by the St. Louis Cardinals, who are second on the list. The Montreal Canadiens have won 23 Stanley Cups in the National Hockey League.

Pitcher Roger Clemens finally earned his first ring. An All-Century Team selection and a long-time member of the rival Boston Red Sox, Clemens clinched the series with 7 2/3 brilliant scoreless innings.

Closer Mariano Rivera became the second Yankees reliever in four seasons, joining John Wetteland, to be named series Most Valuable Player after slamming the door in the eighth and ninth innings. He earned two saves and a win in the series.

The Braves tied a record for World Series futility with their eighth straight defeat, done previously by the Philadelphia Phillies (1915, 1950) and the Yankees (1921-23).

Despite eight straight Division titles, Atlanta will spend the winter dwelling on another disappointing October. The Braves have made five trips to the World Series this decade and won just once.

Atlanta is the first team to lose four World Series in the same decade since the New York Giants between 1911-17.