I’m A Yankees Fan… So What???

It feels good to finally admit to the free world that I love the New York Yankees. I know, on paper it doesn’t make sense, but give me a second and I will try to explain it.

I have been a Yankees fan since circa 1989, and I blame it all on my dad. See, when I decided to start my short-lived (10 year) baseball career, I had to do this tryout thing. We had just moved to Mesquite, and I was late for the real tryouts, and so were a slew of kids who had no idea what baseball really was. I mean, we knew, we just weren’t good. The tryouts were for this team being thrown together called the Pirates. Shortly after tryouts the coach quit (we were that bad, and his kid was worse, it was embarrassing), and told my dad to take over the team. He did, and he quickly changed our name to the Yankees. My dad was a pretty intense guy back then before the Coors, and wanted to model us after the Major League Yankees. Just as an example, I was grounded for a week for missing the cutoff man. We were up by 8 runs at that point. I was also benched for stealing second without a sign. Sure, I got there safely, but our drunken thirdbase coach didn’t give me the sign. So, we weren’t exactly like the Major League Yankees, but we studied tape, wore low numbers, and worked our little asses off. It continued this way for the majority of my life. I don’t think Torre has grounded Jeter for an error. I played second and first base, as well as center field. We got better quickly, and within two years we were always 1 or 2 in our league. Every year when the Yankees were in town, he would pay for us to all go to watch them against the Rangers. Sure, we would be in the bleacher seats, but we weren’t there to have fun. We were there to study and learn. Through all of this, especially against the Rangers, I saw them win. It was only a given that I would become passionate about them, right? I mean, every year I was in Yankees pinstripes, watching every game I could, and studying their every move. There was a span of about 3 years in the 90’s when the Rangers actually made the playoffs. Their opponent in each round was the Yankees. You don’t think I caught shit for that? Wearing my Yankees cap in the Ballpark in Arlington was excruciating, especially because the Rangers never won. I have never been called a traitor and a bandwagon ass so many times in my life.

Why am I waiting until right now to talk about my affinity for the Yankees? They’re down 9 games in the standings, and it seemed like the best time to not catch as much bandwagon bitching. I’ve actually hid this for many years, due to the abuse from Rangers fans. Actually, few people know my passion for the Yankees.

Seriously, though, what’s there not to like? You have an owner who is out of control when it comes to spending. You have players who never want to leave, and when they do they come back. Bernie Williams? Pettite and Clemens? Sheff? They never wanted to leave, and when they had to they either complained or came back. You have team that has been involved in almost every significant game in since 1903. You also have arguably the biggest rivalry in history between the Sox and the Yankees. Most importantly, you have the history, Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantel, Maris, Jackson, Catfish, Bucky, Mattingly, Larsen, Yogi, Bernie, Rivera, Rocket, and the Jeter. The amazing managers like, Stengel, Martin, Lou, and Joe. These are New York guys, you know. I’m not going to mention the 26 World Championships, and 39 pennants. Wait… just did. The only thing they didn’t do was get Jackie Robinson, but I bet he wished they had.

As a sports fan, the months I lived in New York were the greatest months of my life. Being able to go to Yankee Stadium was the greatest experience I’ve been involved with. I have no other things to say about it.

I mean, this isn’t a ball team. The Royals, the Rangers, the Marlins, the Brewers, those are ball teams. The Yankees are a legacy. When I think of legacy teams, I think of the Yankees, the Braves, the Sox, the Cubs, and the Dodgers. No one says, “Eh, the Yankees are okay.” Hell no. You either love them with all of you heart, or you hate them with all of you soul. There’s no in between. I once broke up with a chick because she loved the Sox. No way in hell that relationship would ever work out. The difference between being a Yankees fan, and, say, an Astros fan? The Yankees haven’t won a World Series in 7 years, and I feel like it has been forever. The Astros have been to 1 World Series and they were swept. Hell, the Rangers haven’t been close. That is what it’s like being a Yankees fan. Then again, it feels good to be a Yankees fan, doesn’t it? Thanks, Bob.

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