It goes family, Jerseyland, Yankees then House Music – the order in learning the loves in my life.  A Yankees fan since 1976, as a result, baseball is still my number 1 sport.  Witnessing the power of Chambliss, the cockiness (and backing it up of Reggie Jackson), the steadiness of Munson, the athleticism of Mickey Rivers, the consistency of Randolph, Nettles (first name Graig not Greg) and everyone else, hooked me to this bunch of misfis that unified for one common goal.  World Champions.

The Bronx is burning.

So in expecting this to be a rebuilding year with minimal success, I reached into the archives of Yankee lore to carry me through this expected to be dismal season… 

 

Here’s what I came up with.

10.

I hate the Mets as much as I love the Yankees so of course 1986 was a tough year for me.  I can thank them for Gooden and Strawberry but still..  So this play brings me joy everytime I watch it.  2 things – ‘You have to play the game,’ and ‘it aint over til it’s over.’

9.

I had an aunt, my great aunt, who was legally blind.  A Yankees fan also, we were watching this game and when this play took place, she yelled out,, “He stuck out his hip!” Mind you, watching a 13 inch black & white in the mid 70’s – blind my ass, but he did stick out his hip..

8.

“Those are my boys,” – a teary-eyed George Steinbrenner.  And did I see a young #11, Scotch Plains native Jeffrey Hammonds get in a few blows?  Ironic note:  Benitez became a Yankee.

7.

They needed this.  2 outs, Arizona was completely dominating the Yankees.  (To me), the Diamondbacks really won 6 out of the 7 games.  But it was the dejectedness of Kim, the pitcher that gave up the homerun(s), that signifies thie phrase, “There’s no crying in baseball.”  Note:  There’s a book that chronicles this 2001 season by Buster Olney, The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty.  For years I refused to read it but when I did, surprisingly, I enjoyed it immensely.

6.

The Yankees sucked in the 80’s.  Jesse Barfield was their main guy…  And Dave Righetti languished on this awful team.  By now, I was just learning to understand the nuances of the game and began to view the players as humans as opposed to commodities.  So when Dave Righetti, pitcher of a no-hitter, against Boston on July 4th, was traded to San Francisco, I thought, “good for him,” – he had gotten off of a sinking ship..

Here’s 5 – 1

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