My favorite baseball player of all time is Alex Rodriguez, a man everyone who isn't a Yankee fan hates. They hate him because he's a strange bird, he doesn't know how to be a normal person. A baseball prodigy from a young age, he was put in a bubble and protected from real life. Baseball is all he knows. Going to play a major league game is as common to him as taking a piss is to regular people. Michael Vick has only been a Philadelphia Eagle for 2 years, and already he is a legend in my eyes. Donovan McNabb was the quarterback of the team from the time I was 9 up until I was 19, but Michael Vick has already surpassed him in my mind. He is the greatest Eagle I have ever seen. I have 3 dogs and I love them more than anything. Michael Vick strangled and drowned dogs, and the ones he let live were forced to fight each other. A disgusting, unforgivable act. But I believe in redemption. I believe in taking a shit all over your life then rising up and finding a way to make a salad out of it. Am I biased? Of course, he plays for a team I love, but if he played for any other team, I'd secretly be rooting for him, because I love to root for the guy that no one respects, and everyone writes off. Allen Iverson is my favorite pro basketball player of all time, because I loved what he represented. To me, he represented swagger, carelessness, and most of all he was an unapologetic voice of my generation. I love sports history and have a great respect for it, but after years of older players complaining about players with tattoos, and players that listened to hip-hop, and players that wore baggy shorts, AI basically gave all of them the middle finger and told them to get the fuck out of the way. It wasn't his fault that you were stupid enough to hustle on every defensive possession of an all-star game, or that you believed in being a team player. He was going to play the game the only way he knew how, his way. And if people took it the wrong way, fuck em. Why do I love players like this? Players that the majority of people hate, that they treat with no respect? The answers simple: high school.
When I was a junior in the prison the spin machine that is the public education system calls high school, I was taking a test that I had to make up in the guidance center when a 40 something year old guidance counselor that was trying to make herself look 25 walked up to me to talk about my shitty grades. She told me I wouldn't graduate from high school, and that I would end up serving fast food to my classmates. I didn't say anything, I just starred at her. If it had happened now, I would have told her to go fuck herself and walked out. But I was still too young to have that kind of nerve. Something changed though. Up until that point, I didn't plan on graduating from high school. I decided right then and there that I was going to finish school no matter what, just so I could shove it up the asses of piece of shit bitches like her. So I could walk across that phony stage, take the fake diploma from the phony asshole giving them out, and let her know that she was wrong. I barely got by, but fuck it, I got by. I took night classes my senior year at a gateway school, and when I walked across the stage that June and received a diploma that meant nothing to me, I looked at all the faces of the teachers that told me I was a pain in the ass, or that I was a bum, or that I didn't have my priorities in order. That's why I love Michael Vick and Allen Iverson, because every goodie goodie two shoe that had it easy wants them to fail so they can look down on them and laugh, and guys like Mike look them dead in the eye and say "fuck em."
Fuck em. The two words that I live by. It doesn't mean I don't care about anyone, or that I'm selfish. It means I won't let anyone tell me how to feel about myself, or tell me what kind of person I'm supposed to be. When Mike Vick makes a defense look silly on a 40 yard scramble then flexes his muscles for the opposing fans, he's saying fuck em. When ARod hits a 3 run, 2 out homer in boston with the entire fenway crowd calling him afraud, he's saying fuck em. And when Allen Iverson broke Michael Jordan's ankles on a crossover a few years after almost going to jail, he's saying fuck em. When I'm living in Philadelphia, cooking food in a bar for a living, it'll seem like a modest life to most people. But according to the guidance counselor who told me I'd work at mcdonald's my entire life, it's more than I was capable of.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, November 1, 2010
My all time favorite players that never played for a team I root for.
Ken Griffey Jr.-When I was a little kid in the summer, I could be found wandering around my back yard with a backwards hat on and a fake magnetic earring. I tried to learn to hit left handed like Junior, but gave up after about a week. To put it simply, he is what made baseball cool to me. I only saw him play in person once, and by that time his famous sweet and effortless swing had become slower than a blind turtle. It didn't matter. 630 home runs, and there would have been many more if not for all the injuries while he wasted his career with the reds. I'll always remember him as a mariner, hitting balls in to the upper deck of the kingdome and leaping up like superman to make a catch at the wall.
Allen Iverson-As Iverson gets set to start a career in Turkey, it's easy to forget that in his prime he was one of the most exciting basketball players to ever step on the hard wood. He's also a hall of famer. If I had a time machine, I would pay a decent sum of money to be able to go back to 2001 and watch AI do his thing in Philly. One of the all time great scorers in NBA history.
Barry Sanders-Some of my earliest memories of watching football are Thanksgiving afternoons watching Barry Sanders find his way out of the arms of would be tacklers like a magician. Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time. The thing I admire most about him is that when he retired, it wasn't bullshit. He left and didn't come back. He didn't join the media or come back to play a year later. He would have broken the all time rushing record easily had he not retired early, but he had too much respect for the game.
Vladimir Guerrero-When I was a kid and I got Saturday and Sunday afternoon Phillies games on channel 15 in my parents bedroom, I was always hoping they were playing the Expos so I could watch Vlad. No matter how awful of a pitch he swung at, he always seemed to hit it hard. When he signed with the Angels I made it a point to try to go see them once a year so I could watch him play. He killed the Yankees in the 2005 ALDS, but I got over it eventually. If there was one guy I could put in pinstripes for just one season, this would be the guy.
Kurt Warner-Loved watching the 99 Rams play. He broke my heart twice when he beat the Eagles in the 01 and 08 NFC Championship games, but a class act and a hall of famer. He made it look easy out there. In the 2008 NFC title game, the Eagles game back from 3 possessions down to take an improbable lead in the 4th quarter. With 8 minutes left, I turned to my dad and said "I have no doubt Warner will drive them down the field here." Sure enough, he did. And that led to me not talking to anyone in my house for 5 days. Thanks Kurt.
Allen Iverson-As Iverson gets set to start a career in Turkey, it's easy to forget that in his prime he was one of the most exciting basketball players to ever step on the hard wood. He's also a hall of famer. If I had a time machine, I would pay a decent sum of money to be able to go back to 2001 and watch AI do his thing in Philly. One of the all time great scorers in NBA history.
Barry Sanders-Some of my earliest memories of watching football are Thanksgiving afternoons watching Barry Sanders find his way out of the arms of would be tacklers like a magician. Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time. The thing I admire most about him is that when he retired, it wasn't bullshit. He left and didn't come back. He didn't join the media or come back to play a year later. He would have broken the all time rushing record easily had he not retired early, but he had too much respect for the game.
Vladimir Guerrero-When I was a kid and I got Saturday and Sunday afternoon Phillies games on channel 15 in my parents bedroom, I was always hoping they were playing the Expos so I could watch Vlad. No matter how awful of a pitch he swung at, he always seemed to hit it hard. When he signed with the Angels I made it a point to try to go see them once a year so I could watch him play. He killed the Yankees in the 2005 ALDS, but I got over it eventually. If there was one guy I could put in pinstripes for just one season, this would be the guy.
Kurt Warner-Loved watching the 99 Rams play. He broke my heart twice when he beat the Eagles in the 01 and 08 NFC Championship games, but a class act and a hall of famer. He made it look easy out there. In the 2008 NFC title game, the Eagles game back from 3 possessions down to take an improbable lead in the 4th quarter. With 8 minutes left, I turned to my dad and said "I have no doubt Warner will drive them down the field here." Sure enough, he did. And that led to me not talking to anyone in my house for 5 days. Thanks Kurt.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
2010 Yankee Report Card
The 2009 Yankee season ended in a euphoric celebration of a world championship. The 2010 Yankees weren't as fortunate, falling just two wins shy of an american league championship and a trip to another world series. Despite the heartache of winter being upon us, there were still many great moments in the Bronx this year. Here's my individual grades for the entire 2010 Yankee squad.
Jorge Posada-C Plus: Jorge battled injures all year and at age 39 is probably a year away from retirement. His defense continues to decline and there's a good chance prospect Jesus Montero will be the starting catcher next season, making Jorge the full time DH. Sadly it seems as if Posada has lost the ability to throw out runners and his passed ball numbers are increasing every year. When healthy, he's still a force with the bat. A good clutch hitter who continues to have pop.
Mark Teixeira-C: Mark Teixeira is the greatest defensive first baseman that I've ever seen. His offensive output this year, however, was a major letdown after a strong 2009 campaign. He again showed pop with 30 homers, and drove in over 100 runs. But he hit around .250 for the season and was dreadful again in April. The biggest disappointment when it comes to Teixeira is his lack of clutch hitting, especially in the postseason. He had a big home run in game 1 of the ALDS, but didn't register a single hit in the ALCS.
Robinson Cano-A Plus: It wasn't a surprise that Cano forced himself in to the MVP talk this season with a monster season. He's always had the tools, and one of the prettiest swings you'll ever see. The difference this year was his approach with RISP. In years past he had been dreadful, this year he was a machine. He hit 30 home runs and had over 100 RBI for the first time. His defense is very underrated, as it seems like every night he made a play that makes you jump out of your seat.
Derek Jeter-B: It's been well written about that this was the worst season of Jeets career. It also wasn't as bad as people claimed it to be. He hit just .270, about 50 points below his career average. But he still had 179 hits, scored 111 runs, and drove in 67. The baseball "experts" that complain about his defense are off base. What he lacks in range he makes up for in other ways. He can't get to balls up the middle the way Jimmy Rollins does, but nobody can go to their left and make the jump throw in the hole like Jeter. He'll resign with the Yankees this winter and, baring a huge injury, collect his 3, 000th hit with the club.
Alex Rodriguez-B: ARod battled injury all year. It was obvious his hip was bothering him. He still managed to hit 30 home runs and drive in 125 runs, second in the major leagues. His defense was fine as always. He has one of the strongest arms in the game.
Nick Swisher-A: The only reason Swish doesn't get an A plus is his dreadful postseason performance. The Yankees right fielder had a solid season last year in his pinstriped debut, but this season took his game to a new level. He was basically a .300 hitter, had lots of pop in his bat and drove in nearly 100 runs. In past years his defense had been a liability, but this year played a far improved right field.
Curtis Granderson-B: If the season ended in early August, Curtis Granderson would be getting an F. The fact that he gets a B should tell you how incredible his stretch run was. He reconstructed his swing with Kevin Long in Kansas City and was incredible from that point on. In early August, he had 9 home runs. He finished with 24. His defense in center field was stellar. I look forward to seeing a complete season from Granderson next year.
Brett Gardner-B Plus: I went in to this year hoping Gardner could hold his own until next season, when we would surely sign Carl Crawford. By mid may it was obvious Gardner was the real deal, and now I just don't see the Yankees making a move for another left fielder. His speed is incredible, he stole 47 bases. He gets on base and causes chaos. His defense is supreme. His only problem is his tendency to look at strike 3 trying to work a pitcher.
Francisco Cervelli-B: Cervelli did what a back up catcher should do. His defense isn't great, but it's good enough. He doesn't have pop in his bat, but he'll get a hit every now and then. I feel comfortable having him back there. His enthusiasm is great.
Marcus Thames-A: I expected nothing from Thames this year. He ended up getting numerous huge clutch hits and home runs for the Yankees. I wouldn't mind bringing him back in 2011.
Ramiro Pena- B Plus: A utility infielder who did his job fine. Can't hit worth a damn, but a wizard with the glove.
Lance Berkman-C: Berkman came over in August in a trade and was awful. He was a clutch hitter in the postseason however, so he gets a C. I don't see the Yankees attempting to bring him back.
Austin Kearns-F: Terrible baseball player.
CC Sabathia-A Plus: This team wouldn't have even made the playoff's without the big man. The rotation fell apart mid summer and he carried us through the dog days without a wimper. The man is the definition of an ace. 161 dollars is looking like a bargain. Everyone should have a CC Sabathia in their life.
Andy Pettitte-A: Old Man Pettitte was having a career year before injuring his groin in July. Of course, he was masterful in every postseason start he had. If he retires this winter, it'll be a dark day in Yankee land.
Phil Hughes-B Plus: Hughes started off on fire, then looked awful, then bounced between not so great and really good. He's 24 years old, so that's going to happen. His future is bright. Phil Hughes is the real deal. We just aren't sure if he's a future ace or a solid number 3.
Javy Vazquez-F: Javy can't pitch in New York. Period. It doesn't help when you have a dead arm. 85 MPH "fastballs" that are straight as arrows aren't going to cut it in the AL East. Time for this bum to get out of town.
AJ Burnett-F: "AJ Burnett has great stuff." Every time I watch or listen to one of his starts, this is what I hear. If great stuff means constantly giving up 7 runs in 2 innings of work, being mentally unstable, and causing me to want to commit suicide every 5 days, he can keep his good stuff and shove it up his hill billy ass.
Kerry Wood-A Plus: When we traded for Wood, I just thought it was cool that I could say Kerry Wood was a Yankee. I expected nothing out of him. He ended up being a shutdown set up man. It'll take a miracle for him to accept a set up role after the year he had, but I'm hoping for a miracle.
David Robertson-B Plus: Robertson is who you bring in if the bases are loaded and nobodies out. He can strike out the side. He can also give up 4 hits in a row. He's still young and I expect him to be a big part of the Yankee bullpen for years to come.
Joba Chamberlain-C Plus: Despite my constant calling him a bum, you won't find a guy who wants Joba to succeed more than me. I love a chubby white guy that gets on the mound and tries to throw it by guys. Sadly when Joba takes the mound you don't know if you'll get a bulldog that's going to leave the opposing team shaking in it's boots for a moron from nebraska that looks like he has no idea what pitch to throw. It might be time for Joba to find a new home.
Boone Logan-B Plus: Nice surprise.
Chad Gaudin-D Minus: Chad Gaudin sucks, simple as that.
Sergio Mitre-B: He manages to mop up without making the mess bigger.
Dustin Moseley-B: He is what he is.
Mariano Rivera-A Plus: Game over.
Jorge Posada-C Plus: Jorge battled injures all year and at age 39 is probably a year away from retirement. His defense continues to decline and there's a good chance prospect Jesus Montero will be the starting catcher next season, making Jorge the full time DH. Sadly it seems as if Posada has lost the ability to throw out runners and his passed ball numbers are increasing every year. When healthy, he's still a force with the bat. A good clutch hitter who continues to have pop.
Mark Teixeira-C: Mark Teixeira is the greatest defensive first baseman that I've ever seen. His offensive output this year, however, was a major letdown after a strong 2009 campaign. He again showed pop with 30 homers, and drove in over 100 runs. But he hit around .250 for the season and was dreadful again in April. The biggest disappointment when it comes to Teixeira is his lack of clutch hitting, especially in the postseason. He had a big home run in game 1 of the ALDS, but didn't register a single hit in the ALCS.
Robinson Cano-A Plus: It wasn't a surprise that Cano forced himself in to the MVP talk this season with a monster season. He's always had the tools, and one of the prettiest swings you'll ever see. The difference this year was his approach with RISP. In years past he had been dreadful, this year he was a machine. He hit 30 home runs and had over 100 RBI for the first time. His defense is very underrated, as it seems like every night he made a play that makes you jump out of your seat.
Derek Jeter-B: It's been well written about that this was the worst season of Jeets career. It also wasn't as bad as people claimed it to be. He hit just .270, about 50 points below his career average. But he still had 179 hits, scored 111 runs, and drove in 67. The baseball "experts" that complain about his defense are off base. What he lacks in range he makes up for in other ways. He can't get to balls up the middle the way Jimmy Rollins does, but nobody can go to their left and make the jump throw in the hole like Jeter. He'll resign with the Yankees this winter and, baring a huge injury, collect his 3, 000th hit with the club.
Alex Rodriguez-B: ARod battled injury all year. It was obvious his hip was bothering him. He still managed to hit 30 home runs and drive in 125 runs, second in the major leagues. His defense was fine as always. He has one of the strongest arms in the game.
Nick Swisher-A: The only reason Swish doesn't get an A plus is his dreadful postseason performance. The Yankees right fielder had a solid season last year in his pinstriped debut, but this season took his game to a new level. He was basically a .300 hitter, had lots of pop in his bat and drove in nearly 100 runs. In past years his defense had been a liability, but this year played a far improved right field.
Curtis Granderson-B: If the season ended in early August, Curtis Granderson would be getting an F. The fact that he gets a B should tell you how incredible his stretch run was. He reconstructed his swing with Kevin Long in Kansas City and was incredible from that point on. In early August, he had 9 home runs. He finished with 24. His defense in center field was stellar. I look forward to seeing a complete season from Granderson next year.
Brett Gardner-B Plus: I went in to this year hoping Gardner could hold his own until next season, when we would surely sign Carl Crawford. By mid may it was obvious Gardner was the real deal, and now I just don't see the Yankees making a move for another left fielder. His speed is incredible, he stole 47 bases. He gets on base and causes chaos. His defense is supreme. His only problem is his tendency to look at strike 3 trying to work a pitcher.
Francisco Cervelli-B: Cervelli did what a back up catcher should do. His defense isn't great, but it's good enough. He doesn't have pop in his bat, but he'll get a hit every now and then. I feel comfortable having him back there. His enthusiasm is great.
Marcus Thames-A: I expected nothing from Thames this year. He ended up getting numerous huge clutch hits and home runs for the Yankees. I wouldn't mind bringing him back in 2011.
Ramiro Pena- B Plus: A utility infielder who did his job fine. Can't hit worth a damn, but a wizard with the glove.
Lance Berkman-C: Berkman came over in August in a trade and was awful. He was a clutch hitter in the postseason however, so he gets a C. I don't see the Yankees attempting to bring him back.
Austin Kearns-F: Terrible baseball player.
CC Sabathia-A Plus: This team wouldn't have even made the playoff's without the big man. The rotation fell apart mid summer and he carried us through the dog days without a wimper. The man is the definition of an ace. 161 dollars is looking like a bargain. Everyone should have a CC Sabathia in their life.
Andy Pettitte-A: Old Man Pettitte was having a career year before injuring his groin in July. Of course, he was masterful in every postseason start he had. If he retires this winter, it'll be a dark day in Yankee land.
Phil Hughes-B Plus: Hughes started off on fire, then looked awful, then bounced between not so great and really good. He's 24 years old, so that's going to happen. His future is bright. Phil Hughes is the real deal. We just aren't sure if he's a future ace or a solid number 3.
Javy Vazquez-F: Javy can't pitch in New York. Period. It doesn't help when you have a dead arm. 85 MPH "fastballs" that are straight as arrows aren't going to cut it in the AL East. Time for this bum to get out of town.
AJ Burnett-F: "AJ Burnett has great stuff." Every time I watch or listen to one of his starts, this is what I hear. If great stuff means constantly giving up 7 runs in 2 innings of work, being mentally unstable, and causing me to want to commit suicide every 5 days, he can keep his good stuff and shove it up his hill billy ass.
Kerry Wood-A Plus: When we traded for Wood, I just thought it was cool that I could say Kerry Wood was a Yankee. I expected nothing out of him. He ended up being a shutdown set up man. It'll take a miracle for him to accept a set up role after the year he had, but I'm hoping for a miracle.
David Robertson-B Plus: Robertson is who you bring in if the bases are loaded and nobodies out. He can strike out the side. He can also give up 4 hits in a row. He's still young and I expect him to be a big part of the Yankee bullpen for years to come.
Joba Chamberlain-C Plus: Despite my constant calling him a bum, you won't find a guy who wants Joba to succeed more than me. I love a chubby white guy that gets on the mound and tries to throw it by guys. Sadly when Joba takes the mound you don't know if you'll get a bulldog that's going to leave the opposing team shaking in it's boots for a moron from nebraska that looks like he has no idea what pitch to throw. It might be time for Joba to find a new home.
Boone Logan-B Plus: Nice surprise.
Chad Gaudin-D Minus: Chad Gaudin sucks, simple as that.
Sergio Mitre-B: He manages to mop up without making the mess bigger.
Dustin Moseley-B: He is what he is.
Mariano Rivera-A Plus: Game over.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The greatest Yankee game of my life.
On October 9th, 2009, I turned 19 years old. It also happened to be the night the Yankees played the most glorious game of baseball I'd ever witnessed. I had followed them intensely all summer. Every year I listened to the games religiously, but this team was different. They were clutch, and they were more fun and less uptight than the former Yankee teams that had dominated the regular season and then fizzled out in the first round of the playoff's. I felt deep down that this team was going to win the world series, but after witnessing the collapse of 2004 and how it had ruined the team mentally in every postseason going forward, I was bracing myself for another early exit. CC Sabathia didn't let me down in game one. He dominated through 7 innings. There was the usual clutch hit from Derek Jeter. Alex Rodriguez, my favorite player, drove in two runs and began the process of getting the postseason RISP monkey off his back. The great Mariano closed it out. It was a breezy 7-2 win. I felt on top of the world, like I had just witnessed a classic October ball game in the Bronx. What I experienced that night would be nothing compared to the chaos that was about to take place two nights later.
As I said earlier, it was my birthday, a fact I wasn't happy about. My mind was on the game all day. My family had made arrangements to go out to dinner. I tried to get them to reconsider but they insisted. We headed out just as the game was starting. The place we were headed had just installed tv's in it's dining room. I hated this. There's nothing I hate more than watching a big game I care about around anyone except my dad. We ended up staying through the first 3 innings, and they were all scoreless. I'd take it. "Just get me out of here as quickly as possible", I thought to myself. I wanted to be home, on the deck, listening to John Sterling call the action.
AJ Burnett surrendered a run in the 6th and it was 1-0 Minnesota. Already I was ready to throw in the towel. I'm a pessimistic sports fan. It's in my blood. There's nothing I can do about it. In the bottom half of the inning Jeter responded with a one out double. Up came Johnny Damon. I waited for Sterlings call. "LINED DOWN THE LINE IT IS AAAAAA...FOUL BALL!!!". John Sterling, despite being a hero of mine, messes up an amazing amount of calls every year. Usually I could laugh it off but in this case there was no excuse. I paced back and forth on the deck as my dad tried to calm me down. "I THOUGHT HE HAD TIED THE GAME. JESUS JOHN. DO YOU HAVE EYES?!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!". Damon eventually worked a walk. Mark Teixeira followed and did nothing, so it was up to my favorite player, the always controversial ARod. This time John got it right. "hit on the ground....THROUGH FOR THE BASE HIT. HERE COMES JETER, HE'LL SCORE AND THE GAME IS TIED AT 1!!" All hell broke lose on a deck in the middle of Westminster, Maryland. My guy had come through. He was officially clutch. That euphoria didn't last long.
The Yankees gave up two two out runs in the 8th. It was 3-1 Twins. I was done. They did nothing in the 8th inning, the series was going to Minnesota tied 1-1. They would lose the next two in the metrodome and the dream season would be over, I told myself. I walked in to the living room where my mom was watching tv and sat down deflated. "They lost". "It's over?!" "No, it's the 9th inning, they have no chance of coming back." I walked out on to the deck and gathered enough strength to turn the radio back on and listen to my teams slow death. Then I was given hope. "Heres the 1-0...LINED in to center field theres a base hit for Teixeira." I started pacing. "Stop. Don't get your hopes hope. They aren't going to do it." Here came my hero Alex Rodriguez. The count went to 3-1 on him. "Take a walk", was my thinking at the time. What happened next is, without question, the greatest single sports moment of my life. I paced and paced and waited for the call. "It'll be a 3-1 to ARod.....SWUNG ON AND HIT HIGH IN THE AIR TO RIGHT CENTER AND DEEP. IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT ISSSSSSS GONE!!! HE'S DONE IT!!! ALEX RODRIGUEZ HAS HIT A GAME TYING TWO RUN HOME RUN IN THE 9TH INNING. AN UNBELIEVABLY DRAMATIC HOME RUN AN THE GAME IS TIED AT 3!!!". My dad had given up and gone to bed, I was too shocked to say anything, I threw something of the deck and in to the yard, I sprinted through the kitchen and in to the bed room. I said something that didn't quite make sense. Maybe a little like this: "GONE....AROD....HE DID IT. TIE GAME AROD WAS UP WITH A MAN ON IN THE 9TH AND HIT IT OUT. THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. COME ON YANKEES!!!!" I would later read a New York sports writer say he never felt old or new Yankee stadium shake the way the new place did after that home run. I can say without question that it was the most emotional home run I ever have or will ever witness as a Yankee fan. There have been bigger home runs in bigger games, but this one meant something more to me.
The game was far from over. The Yankees went down without making any more noise in the 9th. In the top of the tenth, Alfredo Aceves put men on second and third with two out and got out of it. In the bottom of the 10th I thought we had the game won. First and third one out for Johnny Damon. "Heres the pitch..SWUNG ON AND LINED RIGHT TO CABRERA HE THROWS TO THIRD DOUBLE PLAY." I was sick to my stomach. I threw off my Yankees hat and lied down face first in the couch. My dad tried to calm me down yet again. "Just leave me alone...I need a minute to deal with this." I was overreacting, obviously, but that's the way it is when you're a fan of a team. Logic doesn't apply in any situation. In the top of the 11th, it looked like the Twins had the game won when they loaded the bases with nobody out. My dad's quote was perfect, "it's no longer IF they score, it's how many." I was emotionally exhausted at that point, and quite frankly resigned. I sat slumped in the chair outside. "LINED RIGHT TO TEIXEIRA. What a break. One away." Moments later, "HIT ON THE GROUND RIGHT TO TEIXEIRA. THROWS HOME, OUT. LOOKS TO FIRST THATS ALL THEY'LL GET." I was now out of the chair and pacing once again. Could this really happen. Could David Robertson, a guy that had trouble holding 5 run 9th inning leads this summer, get out of a bases loaded no one out jam. "HIT IN THE AIR TO RIGHT WE'RE GONNA GET OUT OF IT. GARNDER IS THERE HE...MAKES THE CATCH TO END THE INNING." This night had been a wild roller coaster. I tasted victory. The heart of the order was due up in the bottom half. Teixeira stepped to the plate and worked the count to 2-1 in his favor. Then I would receiver the greatest birthday present I've ever gotten. "SWUNG ON LINED DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE IT IS...." For a moment my dad and I stood still, waiting to here either "fair, base hit" or "foul". I was shocked by what I heard coming through the radio. "GONE.......GONE!!!! IT'S A WALK OFF!!!!!!". I can't really describe the way I reacted, because I'm still not really sure what I did. I started crying. did a combination of dancing/shaking, and in general lost my mind like never before. I'll never forget that night and I'll forever be thankful to that team for the experience they gave me all spring/summer/fall. They went on to win the world series, there would be more memorable games along the way. Nothing like that night in the Bronx on October 9th, 2009. The night the 250 million dollar man finally became a legend. The night a 24 year old drafted in the 17th round by the Yankees got out of the biggest jam of his life in the most famous stadium in all of sports. David Robertson will never be an all star, but someday when he's an old man he can remind himself, that he played for the 2009 Yankees. A team that gave me more pure joy than any other sports team ever has. A team that got the job done despite overwhelming expectations. The 2009 Yankees weren't the 1927 Yankees, or the 76 Reds, but there's not a team that ever existed that I wouldn't bet on them to find a way to beat.
As I said earlier, it was my birthday, a fact I wasn't happy about. My mind was on the game all day. My family had made arrangements to go out to dinner. I tried to get them to reconsider but they insisted. We headed out just as the game was starting. The place we were headed had just installed tv's in it's dining room. I hated this. There's nothing I hate more than watching a big game I care about around anyone except my dad. We ended up staying through the first 3 innings, and they were all scoreless. I'd take it. "Just get me out of here as quickly as possible", I thought to myself. I wanted to be home, on the deck, listening to John Sterling call the action.
AJ Burnett surrendered a run in the 6th and it was 1-0 Minnesota. Already I was ready to throw in the towel. I'm a pessimistic sports fan. It's in my blood. There's nothing I can do about it. In the bottom half of the inning Jeter responded with a one out double. Up came Johnny Damon. I waited for Sterlings call. "LINED DOWN THE LINE IT IS AAAAAA...FOUL BALL!!!". John Sterling, despite being a hero of mine, messes up an amazing amount of calls every year. Usually I could laugh it off but in this case there was no excuse. I paced back and forth on the deck as my dad tried to calm me down. "I THOUGHT HE HAD TIED THE GAME. JESUS JOHN. DO YOU HAVE EYES?!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!". Damon eventually worked a walk. Mark Teixeira followed and did nothing, so it was up to my favorite player, the always controversial ARod. This time John got it right. "hit on the ground....THROUGH FOR THE BASE HIT. HERE COMES JETER, HE'LL SCORE AND THE GAME IS TIED AT 1!!" All hell broke lose on a deck in the middle of Westminster, Maryland. My guy had come through. He was officially clutch. That euphoria didn't last long.
The Yankees gave up two two out runs in the 8th. It was 3-1 Twins. I was done. They did nothing in the 8th inning, the series was going to Minnesota tied 1-1. They would lose the next two in the metrodome and the dream season would be over, I told myself. I walked in to the living room where my mom was watching tv and sat down deflated. "They lost". "It's over?!" "No, it's the 9th inning, they have no chance of coming back." I walked out on to the deck and gathered enough strength to turn the radio back on and listen to my teams slow death. Then I was given hope. "Heres the 1-0...LINED in to center field theres a base hit for Teixeira." I started pacing. "Stop. Don't get your hopes hope. They aren't going to do it." Here came my hero Alex Rodriguez. The count went to 3-1 on him. "Take a walk", was my thinking at the time. What happened next is, without question, the greatest single sports moment of my life. I paced and paced and waited for the call. "It'll be a 3-1 to ARod.....SWUNG ON AND HIT HIGH IN THE AIR TO RIGHT CENTER AND DEEP. IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT ISSSSSSS GONE!!! HE'S DONE IT!!! ALEX RODRIGUEZ HAS HIT A GAME TYING TWO RUN HOME RUN IN THE 9TH INNING. AN UNBELIEVABLY DRAMATIC HOME RUN AN THE GAME IS TIED AT 3!!!". My dad had given up and gone to bed, I was too shocked to say anything, I threw something of the deck and in to the yard, I sprinted through the kitchen and in to the bed room. I said something that didn't quite make sense. Maybe a little like this: "GONE....AROD....HE DID IT. TIE GAME AROD WAS UP WITH A MAN ON IN THE 9TH AND HIT IT OUT. THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. COME ON YANKEES!!!!" I would later read a New York sports writer say he never felt old or new Yankee stadium shake the way the new place did after that home run. I can say without question that it was the most emotional home run I ever have or will ever witness as a Yankee fan. There have been bigger home runs in bigger games, but this one meant something more to me.
The game was far from over. The Yankees went down without making any more noise in the 9th. In the top of the tenth, Alfredo Aceves put men on second and third with two out and got out of it. In the bottom of the 10th I thought we had the game won. First and third one out for Johnny Damon. "Heres the pitch..SWUNG ON AND LINED RIGHT TO CABRERA HE THROWS TO THIRD DOUBLE PLAY." I was sick to my stomach. I threw off my Yankees hat and lied down face first in the couch. My dad tried to calm me down yet again. "Just leave me alone...I need a minute to deal with this." I was overreacting, obviously, but that's the way it is when you're a fan of a team. Logic doesn't apply in any situation. In the top of the 11th, it looked like the Twins had the game won when they loaded the bases with nobody out. My dad's quote was perfect, "it's no longer IF they score, it's how many." I was emotionally exhausted at that point, and quite frankly resigned. I sat slumped in the chair outside. "LINED RIGHT TO TEIXEIRA. What a break. One away." Moments later, "HIT ON THE GROUND RIGHT TO TEIXEIRA. THROWS HOME, OUT. LOOKS TO FIRST THATS ALL THEY'LL GET." I was now out of the chair and pacing once again. Could this really happen. Could David Robertson, a guy that had trouble holding 5 run 9th inning leads this summer, get out of a bases loaded no one out jam. "HIT IN THE AIR TO RIGHT WE'RE GONNA GET OUT OF IT. GARNDER IS THERE HE...MAKES THE CATCH TO END THE INNING." This night had been a wild roller coaster. I tasted victory. The heart of the order was due up in the bottom half. Teixeira stepped to the plate and worked the count to 2-1 in his favor. Then I would receiver the greatest birthday present I've ever gotten. "SWUNG ON LINED DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE IT IS...." For a moment my dad and I stood still, waiting to here either "fair, base hit" or "foul". I was shocked by what I heard coming through the radio. "GONE.......GONE!!!! IT'S A WALK OFF!!!!!!". I can't really describe the way I reacted, because I'm still not really sure what I did. I started crying. did a combination of dancing/shaking, and in general lost my mind like never before. I'll never forget that night and I'll forever be thankful to that team for the experience they gave me all spring/summer/fall. They went on to win the world series, there would be more memorable games along the way. Nothing like that night in the Bronx on October 9th, 2009. The night the 250 million dollar man finally became a legend. The night a 24 year old drafted in the 17th round by the Yankees got out of the biggest jam of his life in the most famous stadium in all of sports. David Robertson will never be an all star, but someday when he's an old man he can remind himself, that he played for the 2009 Yankees. A team that gave me more pure joy than any other sports team ever has. A team that got the job done despite overwhelming expectations. The 2009 Yankees weren't the 1927 Yankees, or the 76 Reds, but there's not a team that ever existed that I wouldn't bet on them to find a way to beat.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
When I was a 12 year old kid, few things were more exciting then a 4 o'clock December Eagle game at the Vet against a division rival. As I've gotten older, I've realized that what made it so special was the attachment to the players on the field. Guys like Duce Staley, Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglass, and Ike Reese gave their all out there every time. Even when they let you down, you still loved them. Around 2006 I started noticing the team was wearing thin on players I felt a connection with, and with the loss of Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, and Sheldon Brown in the past two years, I'm stuck with a team I love simply because of the wings on their helmet and what they mean to me and millions of other fans. Sure, I like Lesean Mccoy, Desean Jackson is fun as hell to watch, and Brent Celek is a hard nosed player, but they don't give me the same feeling Bobby Taylor and Chad Lewis did. On the other hand, the Yankee teams I rooted for in my teenage years were old and grumpy. Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu were nightmares to watch defensively. And there was nothing worse than seeing washed up versions of Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson take the hill. Of course, those teams were saved by the usual suspects. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettite not counting the three years he pitched for Houston, and Jorge Posada. I loved A-Rod and Mussina. But for the most part, I felt like the Yankee team I rooted for was the team my dad would tell me about on the back deck while Kevin Brown was getting shelled. Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, Thurman Munson and the Bronx zoo. Or the faint memories I had of being half asleep on the living room couch as my dad celebrated a world series won by Paul O'neill, Bernie Williams, and Tino Martinez. The Eagles were my team, the Yankees were a team that I loved because it had been engraved in my mind at an early age. Now, the Eagles are a team that I can't talk about for five minutes without feeling like I have to throw up, and the Yankees, they could lose 12 straight and I'd still want to talk about them for hours, and it has to do with more than just a championship trophy.
Obviously, the fact that the Yankees came through with a world series win last year is the biggest reason they take the top spot in terms of my enjoyment level and excitement as a fan. I've wanted a professional championship badly and when they recorded the final out it washed away years of a blown 3-0 series leads, world series losses, and numerous losses in the first round. But along with that, the guys on the team are guys that I really like to watch play the game of baseball. I enjoy rooting for CC Sabathia, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner, and Mark Teixeira. I like them as people. If Joba Chamberlain gives up a run in a close game, I'm angry at him, but I like the guy to much to call him a bum. It wasn't hard to call Kyle Farnsworth a bum, because he was such a goddamn prick all the time. When CC Sabathia gives up 5 runs, I know he'll go and throw 8 innings of 1 run ball next time. Even guys I don't enjoy watching play like AJ Burnett have made the team fun again with things like pie in the face after walk off wins. Jason Giambi wasn't pieing anyone in the face, I can tell you that. Nick Swisher isn't a great player, but he gets the most out of his talent, and appreciates the fans. They've even loosened up the legends. Guys like Jeter, Mariano, Posada, and Pettitte seem to be having more fun playing baseball then they have in all the years I've watched them. In fact, watching this team is the most fun I've had watching sports since I was in middle school.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have done everything possible to alienate a fan base. They've gotten rid of the most beloved player in the history of the franchise behind Reggie White in Brian Dawkins, traded away the only member of the defense that carried his spirit, signed a man that was in prison for dog fighting, extended a coach we've all had enough of, made arrogant statements such as "we are the gold standard of the NFL" despite having won ZERO super bowl championships, and in general made no attempt to make their fans feel they are being listened to. Brian Cashman, meanwhile, is available to the fans multiple times through out a season and off season. Even when he tells us things we don't want to hear, like this winter when he said he wouldn't be sentimental and sign Matsui and Damon to large deals, he was honest with us. Lurie meanwhile refused to comment on Brian Dawkins when he left, instead bringing a fat injured Stacy Andrews, the brother of mental patient Shawn Andrews, to a podium and proclaiming, "this is Stacy's day, we won't be taking any questions regarding Brian Dawkins."
I don't know how many times in my life I've said the Eagles winning the super bowl would be the single greatest thing to ever happen to me. But I also know it'll be hard for me to bring myself to the point where I feel okay buying a ticket from this team this year. And if I do go, it'll be a Westbrook or Dawkins jersey, not a Maclin or Mccoy. Meanwhile, I have no problem spending 50 dollars on Yankee tickets, and when I wear my CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera t-shirts, it's not just the logo on the front that I'm proud of, but the name on the back as well. The Eagles have a long way to go before they become the Eagles again. I'll be there win or lose, but I won't be happy about it. What makes me happier, seeing the Eagles not being able to cover a tight end for the 8th year in a row on 3rd and 3, or hearing John Sterling on a warm summer night declare "ball game over, yankees win". The answer is the latter. On a warm sunday in August, the Yanks are playing the the A's and for a minute I feel like a kid when I hear "it's gonna drop in for a hit!! Two runs will score." I walk outside to the driveway where my dad is washing the car and say "runners on second and third two out, A-Rod with a base hit scored them both, 5-2 Yanks bottom of the 7th." That beats running outside in december when my dad is putting up christmas lights and shouting "3RD AND 17 AND THE EAGLES GAVE UP A FIRST DOWN. BALLS AT THE EAGLE 17. ANDY'S JUST STANDING THERE LIKE A MORON!!!"
All you can do is hope and pray that Nate Allen is the next Brian Dawkins, that Brandon Graham is the next Hugh Douglas, and that Mariano Rivera still has his cutter in 5 years. The Eagles, now 50 years departed from their last NFL championship, and having never won a super bowl, are about halfway to the cubs in terms of total number of years without a title. Sounds like Brian Cashman could teach Jeffrey Lurie a thing or two about gold standards.
Obviously, the fact that the Yankees came through with a world series win last year is the biggest reason they take the top spot in terms of my enjoyment level and excitement as a fan. I've wanted a professional championship badly and when they recorded the final out it washed away years of a blown 3-0 series leads, world series losses, and numerous losses in the first round. But along with that, the guys on the team are guys that I really like to watch play the game of baseball. I enjoy rooting for CC Sabathia, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner, and Mark Teixeira. I like them as people. If Joba Chamberlain gives up a run in a close game, I'm angry at him, but I like the guy to much to call him a bum. It wasn't hard to call Kyle Farnsworth a bum, because he was such a goddamn prick all the time. When CC Sabathia gives up 5 runs, I know he'll go and throw 8 innings of 1 run ball next time. Even guys I don't enjoy watching play like AJ Burnett have made the team fun again with things like pie in the face after walk off wins. Jason Giambi wasn't pieing anyone in the face, I can tell you that. Nick Swisher isn't a great player, but he gets the most out of his talent, and appreciates the fans. They've even loosened up the legends. Guys like Jeter, Mariano, Posada, and Pettitte seem to be having more fun playing baseball then they have in all the years I've watched them. In fact, watching this team is the most fun I've had watching sports since I was in middle school.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have done everything possible to alienate a fan base. They've gotten rid of the most beloved player in the history of the franchise behind Reggie White in Brian Dawkins, traded away the only member of the defense that carried his spirit, signed a man that was in prison for dog fighting, extended a coach we've all had enough of, made arrogant statements such as "we are the gold standard of the NFL" despite having won ZERO super bowl championships, and in general made no attempt to make their fans feel they are being listened to. Brian Cashman, meanwhile, is available to the fans multiple times through out a season and off season. Even when he tells us things we don't want to hear, like this winter when he said he wouldn't be sentimental and sign Matsui and Damon to large deals, he was honest with us. Lurie meanwhile refused to comment on Brian Dawkins when he left, instead bringing a fat injured Stacy Andrews, the brother of mental patient Shawn Andrews, to a podium and proclaiming, "this is Stacy's day, we won't be taking any questions regarding Brian Dawkins."
I don't know how many times in my life I've said the Eagles winning the super bowl would be the single greatest thing to ever happen to me. But I also know it'll be hard for me to bring myself to the point where I feel okay buying a ticket from this team this year. And if I do go, it'll be a Westbrook or Dawkins jersey, not a Maclin or Mccoy. Meanwhile, I have no problem spending 50 dollars on Yankee tickets, and when I wear my CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera t-shirts, it's not just the logo on the front that I'm proud of, but the name on the back as well. The Eagles have a long way to go before they become the Eagles again. I'll be there win or lose, but I won't be happy about it. What makes me happier, seeing the Eagles not being able to cover a tight end for the 8th year in a row on 3rd and 3, or hearing John Sterling on a warm summer night declare "ball game over, yankees win". The answer is the latter. On a warm sunday in August, the Yanks are playing the the A's and for a minute I feel like a kid when I hear "it's gonna drop in for a hit!! Two runs will score." I walk outside to the driveway where my dad is washing the car and say "runners on second and third two out, A-Rod with a base hit scored them both, 5-2 Yanks bottom of the 7th." That beats running outside in december when my dad is putting up christmas lights and shouting "3RD AND 17 AND THE EAGLES GAVE UP A FIRST DOWN. BALLS AT THE EAGLE 17. ANDY'S JUST STANDING THERE LIKE A MORON!!!"
All you can do is hope and pray that Nate Allen is the next Brian Dawkins, that Brandon Graham is the next Hugh Douglas, and that Mariano Rivera still has his cutter in 5 years. The Eagles, now 50 years departed from their last NFL championship, and having never won a super bowl, are about halfway to the cubs in terms of total number of years without a title. Sounds like Brian Cashman could teach Jeffrey Lurie a thing or two about gold standards.
Monday, April 5, 2010
11 Bittersweet Seasons
Donovan McNabb is Washington Redskin. That's a sentence I was sure I'd never in my life find myself writing. But it's true. After 11 polarizing seasons in Philadelphia, number 5 is a member of a team I hate and a division rival. I remember the day I found out we had drafted him. I was eight years old, I'm now nineteen going on twenty. My Dad broke the news to me. Although I had watched all the games as the Eagles went 3-13 the year before, I barely knew what the NFL draft was. "The Eagles drafted Donovan McNabb. He was terrible in the orange bowl, he laughed about it too." I didn't think much of it, to be honest. I was in the third grade. I assumed the Eagles would always be a bad football team. I didn't know that I would go through many peaks and valley's in life, all with this man as the quaterback of my football team. He would become like a family member. Even though he had no idea who I was, by the 3rd year, you felt like you were just watching a really good friend play. A friend that pissed you off, made you laugh, broke your heart, and got you through some bad times when you needed a distraction. I don't really think I can put into words how I feel about Donovan, because frankly, it's too difficult to explain. I sit here with tears in my eyes knowing what was and thinking about what could have been.
The media has tried every year to make a story out of the Eagles fans feelings towards Donovan. They've said we don't appreciate him and that most of the time he "had no weapons". For the last time in my life, I am going to tell those people to go fuck themselves. Members of the media outside of Philadelphia DO NOT understand the relationship between the two parties. That is not my problem. I don't apologize for any anger I have towards Donovan. I don't feel bad about any of the mean things I might have said about him. At the end of the day, he's going to retire a rich man, and I'm going to be driving a truck somewhere at age 65. I think it's safe to say I'll never forgive him for the NFC championship game losses and for throwing up in the super bowl. For laughing when he throws at a wide open guys feet. Truth be told I could go on and on, but I don't want to make this a negative post. I've watched every game the man ever played in, so what ESPN or Deion Sanders says means nothing to me. Once again, and for the last time, they can go fuck themselves.
I'm going to remember Donovan McNabb fondly and with a head full of great memories. I could go down the list, game by game, talking about the plays I remember him making and the excitement he brought me, but it would take too long. When I was a 12 year old kid going to my first Eagles game at the Vet, Donovan delivered me one of the greatest days of my life on a broken ankle. When I was a 16 year old kid on my birthday depressed over a girl, Donovan went out against the dallas cowgirls and terrell owens and beat them, taking my mind off every silly problem I was having so that my main focus was that the Eagles were now 4-1 and maybe this year was the year. I remember most of all a cold winter night in late January when he went out and after three years in a row of failure won an NFC championship game to take us to the show. It saddens me that he failed to ever complete the journey. It makes me angry, I won't lie. But if you asked me if I would trade all the memories I have of watching him play for a super bowl championship, I would tell you no, because I've had so much fun over the years being a fan of this team and watching guys like him, Brian Dawkins, and Brian Westbrook. All of those guys are gone now, and we have a new era of Eagles football. It will take a while for me and people that have been watching this team for the past 11 years to get used to and embrace the change, but with any luck, a kid who is eight years old now will be writing something like this about Kevin Kolb eleven years from now, minus the part about him never winning it all.
I'll end in saying that I can only hope that Kevin Kolb carry's himself with as much class and dignity as Donovan McNabb did for his 11 seasons in Philadelphia. For all the times I've called him a bum, a shithead, a piece of shit, the worst quarterback of all time, and worm murderer, I know the one thing I'll never be able to call him is a bad guy. I may not have always appreciated his personality, but I was always proud of the way he handled himself on and off the field. Thank you Donovan McNabb for 11 incredible years. I'll never forget a single one of them.
The media has tried every year to make a story out of the Eagles fans feelings towards Donovan. They've said we don't appreciate him and that most of the time he "had no weapons". For the last time in my life, I am going to tell those people to go fuck themselves. Members of the media outside of Philadelphia DO NOT understand the relationship between the two parties. That is not my problem. I don't apologize for any anger I have towards Donovan. I don't feel bad about any of the mean things I might have said about him. At the end of the day, he's going to retire a rich man, and I'm going to be driving a truck somewhere at age 65. I think it's safe to say I'll never forgive him for the NFC championship game losses and for throwing up in the super bowl. For laughing when he throws at a wide open guys feet. Truth be told I could go on and on, but I don't want to make this a negative post. I've watched every game the man ever played in, so what ESPN or Deion Sanders says means nothing to me. Once again, and for the last time, they can go fuck themselves.
I'm going to remember Donovan McNabb fondly and with a head full of great memories. I could go down the list, game by game, talking about the plays I remember him making and the excitement he brought me, but it would take too long. When I was a 12 year old kid going to my first Eagles game at the Vet, Donovan delivered me one of the greatest days of my life on a broken ankle. When I was a 16 year old kid on my birthday depressed over a girl, Donovan went out against the dallas cowgirls and terrell owens and beat them, taking my mind off every silly problem I was having so that my main focus was that the Eagles were now 4-1 and maybe this year was the year. I remember most of all a cold winter night in late January when he went out and after three years in a row of failure won an NFC championship game to take us to the show. It saddens me that he failed to ever complete the journey. It makes me angry, I won't lie. But if you asked me if I would trade all the memories I have of watching him play for a super bowl championship, I would tell you no, because I've had so much fun over the years being a fan of this team and watching guys like him, Brian Dawkins, and Brian Westbrook. All of those guys are gone now, and we have a new era of Eagles football. It will take a while for me and people that have been watching this team for the past 11 years to get used to and embrace the change, but with any luck, a kid who is eight years old now will be writing something like this about Kevin Kolb eleven years from now, minus the part about him never winning it all.
I'll end in saying that I can only hope that Kevin Kolb carry's himself with as much class and dignity as Donovan McNabb did for his 11 seasons in Philadelphia. For all the times I've called him a bum, a shithead, a piece of shit, the worst quarterback of all time, and worm murderer, I know the one thing I'll never be able to call him is a bad guy. I may not have always appreciated his personality, but I was always proud of the way he handled himself on and off the field. Thank you Donovan McNabb for 11 incredible years. I'll never forget a single one of them.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Myth of the "Yankee Problem"
This past Thursday I headed to my mail box to check out the latest issue of sports illustrated. As I was flipping through the pages I noticed a short article that instantly had me rolling my eyes. It was yet another piece about the Yankees winning ways and the "lack of parity" in the league being bad for baseball. It's an argument we've all heard hundreds of times. Obviously as a Yankee fan my view is biased, but this is an issue I can't hold my tongue on any longer. I'd like to try and put to rest once and for all the myth that is the "Yankee problem".
The Yankees are a team that most people either love or hate. It's been said that hating them is as American as apple pie. I'd agree with that, but I also think there's something distinctly American about loving them. I admit I get caught up in the tradition of the team I root for. I love old footage of Lou Gehrig and hearing Mickey Mantle stories. Listening to my Dad tell me about the 77 team and Reggie Jackson's 3 home runs in the world series clinching game. It doesn't bother me when I hear fans of other teams call us the evil empire. In fact, I enjoy it, it means we're doing something right. But the two things I can't stand hearing from baseball fans is that the Yanks are bad for the game, and that there's no parity in the league. This past season the Yankees celebrated their first world championship in 9 years. When I tell my grandchildren about it I will always refer to it as "my championship". The Yankees other world series title this decade came in the year 2000, giving them two for the ten year span. Nothing to be ashamed of, no question, but certainly not such incredible domination that other teams around the league have no chance.
In 2001 and 2003, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins, two of the smallest market teams in the game of baseball, beat the New York Yankees to win the world series. The Boston Red Sox have two world series titles this decade, matching the Yankees, but they aren't treated like a team ruining the game, in fact they get treated like folk heroes even though they spend the second most money in all of baseball. In 2005 the Chicago White Sox took home rings, in 2006 the St. Louis Cardinals, and in 2008 the Philadelphia Phillies won their first championship since 1980, defeating a Tampa Bay Rays team that had finished in last place the year before. So 7 different teams won the world series this decade. This to me seems like more of a balanced league than the NBA, where the Lakers and the Spurs have won 10 out of the last 11 Western Conference titles. I dont see any shirts that say "The only thing I hate more than the Spurs are those damn Spurs fans." In fact, in a league like the NBA where only 3 or 4 teams have any chance at all, I hardly ever hear people talking about the playing field being unfair. In the NFL the Patriots won three super bowls in a row, and although plenty of people hate the Patriots, we don't complain about the NFL and it's lack of parity. People are always looking to take shots at baseball and bow down to the almighty National Football league. When a baseball player admits to steroid use, he's a terrible person, but when a defensive lineman is suspended for testing positive for a banned substance, no one seems to care. That, however, is a different topic all together.
The worst thing about the people who complain about the Yankees is that all this talk of us ruining the game has just started popping up again now that we've won the world series. From 2001-2008, instead of telling us we bought championships, people acted as if we were a laughing stock for not being able to win the world series with the payroll we had. Ah, the infamous 2009 payroll. People never mention that even after signing CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, our payroll was actually lower than it was in 2008 because we released washed up veterans like Jason Giambi and and Bobby Abreu. And people always seem to forget that the core four, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada, are all players drafted by the Yankees. In 2009 many people contributed our success to making Phil Hughes the 8th inning guy, a pitcher we drafted. And Robinson Cano, the young up and coming second baseman that is exceptionally gifted but frustrating to watch at times, was drafted by yours truly. Yes, we spend a lot of money. Yes, no other team in baseball has the money we have. But the success of this team is still largely dependent on the draft.
As much as people say they hate the Yankees and are sick of baseball, the ratings are always great when it's the Yanks in the world series. I love baseball more than any other team sport, so if it's a Royals Pirates world series, I'll watch. But the fact is the casual viewer is more inclined to tune in if it's the Yankees taking on the Dodgers. The Yankees get ratings, and good ratings help the league, and when the league is thriving, it can bring you, the fan, a better experience. People say they don't care about the game anymore, but if you can't enjoy sitting in the upper deck with a hot dog on a cool summer night, well then I just don't see myself getting along with you.
I'm not saying that everyone should love the Yankees. If you're a fan of the Red Sox, the Rays, the Orioles, or the Blue Jays, I would expect you to hate the Yankees as a division rival. If you're a jealous Mets fan, hate away. Maybe even if you're an Angels fan after the decade long playoff rivalry the two teams have had. But if you're a Houston Astros fan, you look pretty stupid when you hate the Yankees more than a team in your own division.
I guess the moral of the story is this. The Yankees will continue to spend money and draft well. They won't win the world series every year, and when they don't the country will act like the team is a disgrace for not doing so. When they do win it all, the country will act like the team is ruining baseball. Fans in San Diego will sit in their ballpark at night with t-shirts that illustrate their hatred for a team that plays on the other side of the country. The Yankees will continue to make it possible for Major League Baseball to help pay for that ballpark. So before you decide to boo Derek Jeter but not Manny Ramirez, remind yourself that baseball is the cheapest major sporting event you can attend because it's so popular. And as important as teams like the Padres and Royals are to our game, where would the popularity of our sport be without the Yankees?
The Yankees are a team that most people either love or hate. It's been said that hating them is as American as apple pie. I'd agree with that, but I also think there's something distinctly American about loving them. I admit I get caught up in the tradition of the team I root for. I love old footage of Lou Gehrig and hearing Mickey Mantle stories. Listening to my Dad tell me about the 77 team and Reggie Jackson's 3 home runs in the world series clinching game. It doesn't bother me when I hear fans of other teams call us the evil empire. In fact, I enjoy it, it means we're doing something right. But the two things I can't stand hearing from baseball fans is that the Yanks are bad for the game, and that there's no parity in the league. This past season the Yankees celebrated their first world championship in 9 years. When I tell my grandchildren about it I will always refer to it as "my championship". The Yankees other world series title this decade came in the year 2000, giving them two for the ten year span. Nothing to be ashamed of, no question, but certainly not such incredible domination that other teams around the league have no chance.
In 2001 and 2003, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins, two of the smallest market teams in the game of baseball, beat the New York Yankees to win the world series. The Boston Red Sox have two world series titles this decade, matching the Yankees, but they aren't treated like a team ruining the game, in fact they get treated like folk heroes even though they spend the second most money in all of baseball. In 2005 the Chicago White Sox took home rings, in 2006 the St. Louis Cardinals, and in 2008 the Philadelphia Phillies won their first championship since 1980, defeating a Tampa Bay Rays team that had finished in last place the year before. So 7 different teams won the world series this decade. This to me seems like more of a balanced league than the NBA, where the Lakers and the Spurs have won 10 out of the last 11 Western Conference titles. I dont see any shirts that say "The only thing I hate more than the Spurs are those damn Spurs fans." In fact, in a league like the NBA where only 3 or 4 teams have any chance at all, I hardly ever hear people talking about the playing field being unfair. In the NFL the Patriots won three super bowls in a row, and although plenty of people hate the Patriots, we don't complain about the NFL and it's lack of parity. People are always looking to take shots at baseball and bow down to the almighty National Football league. When a baseball player admits to steroid use, he's a terrible person, but when a defensive lineman is suspended for testing positive for a banned substance, no one seems to care. That, however, is a different topic all together.
The worst thing about the people who complain about the Yankees is that all this talk of us ruining the game has just started popping up again now that we've won the world series. From 2001-2008, instead of telling us we bought championships, people acted as if we were a laughing stock for not being able to win the world series with the payroll we had. Ah, the infamous 2009 payroll. People never mention that even after signing CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, our payroll was actually lower than it was in 2008 because we released washed up veterans like Jason Giambi and and Bobby Abreu. And people always seem to forget that the core four, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada, are all players drafted by the Yankees. In 2009 many people contributed our success to making Phil Hughes the 8th inning guy, a pitcher we drafted. And Robinson Cano, the young up and coming second baseman that is exceptionally gifted but frustrating to watch at times, was drafted by yours truly. Yes, we spend a lot of money. Yes, no other team in baseball has the money we have. But the success of this team is still largely dependent on the draft.
As much as people say they hate the Yankees and are sick of baseball, the ratings are always great when it's the Yanks in the world series. I love baseball more than any other team sport, so if it's a Royals Pirates world series, I'll watch. But the fact is the casual viewer is more inclined to tune in if it's the Yankees taking on the Dodgers. The Yankees get ratings, and good ratings help the league, and when the league is thriving, it can bring you, the fan, a better experience. People say they don't care about the game anymore, but if you can't enjoy sitting in the upper deck with a hot dog on a cool summer night, well then I just don't see myself getting along with you.
I'm not saying that everyone should love the Yankees. If you're a fan of the Red Sox, the Rays, the Orioles, or the Blue Jays, I would expect you to hate the Yankees as a division rival. If you're a jealous Mets fan, hate away. Maybe even if you're an Angels fan after the decade long playoff rivalry the two teams have had. But if you're a Houston Astros fan, you look pretty stupid when you hate the Yankees more than a team in your own division.
I guess the moral of the story is this. The Yankees will continue to spend money and draft well. They won't win the world series every year, and when they don't the country will act like the team is a disgrace for not doing so. When they do win it all, the country will act like the team is ruining baseball. Fans in San Diego will sit in their ballpark at night with t-shirts that illustrate their hatred for a team that plays on the other side of the country. The Yankees will continue to make it possible for Major League Baseball to help pay for that ballpark. So before you decide to boo Derek Jeter but not Manny Ramirez, remind yourself that baseball is the cheapest major sporting event you can attend because it's so popular. And as important as teams like the Padres and Royals are to our game, where would the popularity of our sport be without the Yankees?
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