Well, since it was the success of the Yankees which SAVED baseball after the Black Sox scandal nearly killed it, I’d say that the public is too fucking fickle…
*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Six months, two weeks, five days, 18 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds.
8111 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,013.95.
Extra time with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 3 hours, 55 minutes.
*THE YANKEES WIN! THAAAAAAH YANKEES WIN!
1996 · 1998 ··· WORLD CHAMPIONS ··· 1999 · 2000
26 Titles! The #1 Dynasty of all-time!
And most importantly… RULERS OF NYC!!
Yeah, the game is gonna suffer just like it did during the Yankees’ dominance in the '50s. Get a grip. In reality, the ALDS and ALCS were hotly contested this year, and while the Yankees didn’t exactly squeak by, they didn’t win it in a walk, either. The World Series was disappointing in that it only went 5 games, and once the first two were over, it seemed only a matter of time before the Yankees would win. Still, the games were low-scoring affairs, one went into extra innings, and they were all one- or two-run victories. There was excitement, drama and damn good baseball in nearly every game. What if Piazza had homered in the ninth inning of game 5? Whole new ballgame, as the saying goes.
The World Series is a best of seven series at the end of a 162-game season, in which the lead in six separate divisions can change hands almost daily. Unless you root for some dog-ass team like the Phillies, your team may not be out of it until late July/early August. So don’t give me this crap about Yankee dominance ruining it for the entire game. There is more danger of the game being ruined by a team like the Championship Marlins, who were put together in a bunch of cynical business deals solely for the purpose of winning, then disbanded the following season, in which they sucked the proverbial weenie. At least the Yankees have had the same basic corps of players on their championship rosters.
The game will not suffer because the Yankees are a good and consistent team. It will suffer because of cynical businessmen and fair-weather fans. And keep in mind, I’m a Mets fan, so a Yankee dynasty is anathema to me.
And guess what? New Yorkers don’t give a shit what the rest of the world thinks, anyway. Why should we? Especially Yankee fans. It’s not like the team is a flash in the pan, like, say, the Marlins. What’s that say in Satan’s sig? You know, the part about 26 titles.
I’m guessing you’re not a Yankee fan (yeah I know, duh :)). Let us use Montreal as an example. Olympic Stadium is a fuckin’ mausoleum, except for those 3 days every other year that the Yankees roll into town. As a matter of fact, the Yankees are the Number 1 team for road attendance, did you all know that? Other teams may not like the Yankees, but their owners are secretly thrilled when they come in for a series. Ballparks are nearly full, both with Yankee fans (yes, we do seem to be everywhere, don’t we?) and with the hometown fans, hoping to see their team take down the hated Bombers.
As far as the reason for their success, it’s not about payroll. If that were the key, we should have seen Baltimore and L.A. in the playoffs, right? Everyone likes to say that the Yankees “bought” their championships, yet the core of this current team is all homegrown talent. In fact, you can go all the way back, from Lou Gehrig to Joe D to Mickey Mantle, all players obtained through the farm system or solid scouting.
Other fans complain that their teams can’t afford the quality players. Does anyone really think that any of these billionaire owners don’t have the jack to sign good players? C’mon, whose fault is it if a team doesn’t have talent? That is what’s wrong with baseball. (that and ridiculously late starting times, but that’s TV’s fault) And before anyone points out teams like the A’s who have a modest payroll, what do you suppose their young players will be asking for when they have the hammer, or free agency?
So I say, Yes, God Bless the Yankees, and their owner that is committed to winning. It’s a simple formula, sports fans. Hire quality scouts, develop a solid farm system, make some key acquisitions with the right personalities, and you’ve got all the tools to win, or at least compete.
If you must piss and moan, look to your own team’s ownership first.
Especially Yankee fans. It’s not like the team is a flash in the pan, like, say, the Marlins. What’s that say in Satan’s sig? You know, the part about 26 titles.