Okay, I have to eat my words. Disregard the entire previous post (even if you didn’t understand it Aunty Donna, I still appreciate that you read it). Even though I missed both Game 2 and 3 and most of Game 4 due to work, I couldn’t feel it. I was excited that they made it into the playoffs, but unlike some teams, it’s just not a successful year unless we win it all. And yes, by “we” I mean the Yankees and me. Either way, after hearing the Yanks lost in extras on Friday while I was at the shitty Canucks season opener, followed by the Sox winning on Manny’s homer, I kind of felt it was over. Roger Clemens wasn’t the answer. Chien-Ming Wang definitely wasn’t the answer, especially not on three days rest.
I honestly haven’t felt this awful since the Kings lost to the Lakers in 2002. Sure, I’ve been pissed when the Yankees lose every year in the first round and that the Kings didn’t even come close to making the playoffs last year, but nothing like this. When Sacramento lost in 2002, you could almost feel the hearts of the fans just stop. I can testify to this, even though I was just a new fan at the time. My aunt was in town for my high school graduation and I saw how crushed she was. She hasn’t really been the same ever since. She’s had this chip on her shoulder and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to go away until the Kings win it all. If Sacramento had won in 2002 and come 2007-8 they were as terrible as they’re going to be this coming season, my aunt and I wouldn’t mind (as much). Sure we’d still be pissed that the Maloofs and the city can’t get an arena deal worked out and wonder when Bibby was going to play well again, but we’d have that 2002 banner to look at.
Anyway, I digress. Clearly, the Yankees exit from the 2007 postseason is vastly different from the Kings in 2002. The Kings would have killed the Nets in the NBA Finals, while the Yankees would still have to go through the Red Sox. Also, it was a Game 7. In fact, the 2004 Yankees bear more similarities with the 2002 Kings than do this year’s Yankees. The reason I bring up Sacramento is the feeling I described earlier. It’s a feeling of heartbreak. Yes, New York has the highest payroll in baseball, the highest paid manager, etc. I could go on and on. I’ve accepted that. But the heartbreak for me is that it really is the end of an era. It doesn’t matter if Joe, A-Rod, Posada or Mo comes back next year. I mean, clearly it does matter, but just not to the era. For me it was never the Joe Torre Era, or the Derek Jeter Era. And it was most certainly never the Alex Rodriguez Era. It was an era of Yankee domination. (Okay, there have been periods of Yankee domination before, but I wasn’t alive for any of them, so give me a break.)
Some may argue that it really ended November 2001, when Mariano fell. Some would argue that it really ended October 2004, when the hell froze over. I’m saying it ended when this Yankee fan was not sure they were going to win it all. That was this year. Sure, we came back from 14 1/2 down in June and just rolled through August and September, but I was never comfortable. Believe me, I put up that barrier of confidence in my team, but this was the first time I actually thought, deep down, that my Yankees probably couldn’t pull it off. Last year, I was positive after the Boston Massacre II, they would roll into the World Series. The year before, I thought they could pull it off in Anaheim, but Bubba Crosby proved me wrong. Don’t even get me started on 2004. Every year, I have had full confidence in my team and been utterly shell-shocked when they exit early. This year it was much more guarded.
So there you have it. Don’t get me wrong; I haven’t given up on the Yankees. I believe Joe Torre should be back next year and I hope to all that is holy that Alex will be as well. When it comes down to it, no team has won more championships than the Yankees and no team, every year, gives its fans a better ride. No team gives its players the chance to win every year like the Yankees do. Also, I’m hoping to see both Bedard and Santana in pinstripes come 2009, which would be absolutely sick.
Oh, and for the rest of the playoffs, I’ll be watching with a slightly lowered interest level. I still love the game. When it comes down to it, baseball would have appealed to the casual fan (as they were trying to do this season) if the LCS match-ups were Phillies-Cubs and Yankees-Red Sox. Let’s be serious here. Unfortunately, MLB can’t force the Diamondbacks, Rockies and Indians to just roll over.
I’m throwing my support behind the Indians. Partially because Alex is from Cleveland, partially because I love Grady Sizemore, but mostly because I hate the Red Sox. I like the Rockies coming out of the NLCS, but regardless, I have the AL over the NL in six games. Let it be known that I’m rooting for the Indians, but if the Red Sox win it all, I will definitely not be surprised. (And I am never saying that again.)
Photo Source: Philadelphia Daily News
1 comment:
Aw, come on. I feel your pain, but it's not fair to blame 2005 on Bubba Crosby. It was his ball all the way. He was the center fielder, and he was set up under it. Sheff ran into him. He should have let Bubba get it, as he usually did.
Other than that collision, Bubba had a great game that night. He was 2 for 3 with a stolen base - on a pitchout.
Why not blame Moose for giving up all those big hits in the first place? Or Bernie, for missing the hit and run signal that hung Cano out to dry and meant Bubba's later hit was for one RBI instead of two? Or Torre, for calling that hit and run in the first place? Or Joe West, for that goofy call against Cano (calling him out for running inside the line).
Me, I blame Torre for pinch-hitting Ruben Sierra for Bubba. Ruben Sierra, fer crissakes. :-P
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