Why it Sucks Being a NY Yankees Fan
October 8, 2008
You are a New York Yankees fan, one who has more time on their hands because the team failed to make the postseason. You saw the pitching crumble, the hitting go South and the fielding becomes more of search and rescue mission. You know that there are leaves to be raked, housework to be done and family outings to be planned because there is so much more time on your hands.
You are Billy Crystal or Rudy Giuliani, who travel to The Stadium in hopes of seeing one more game before it gets torn down. There is nothing left but to tear it down for a luxury parking lot so cars and battle to precious spots next to the new Yankee Stadium set to open next season. Yet, you are even more upset that there is baseball being played and the Yankees are not involved. You are angry for more reasons that that, too. Here are some of those reasons:
Your arch-rival is still playing. The Boston Red Sox did not repeat as AL East Champs, but they did capture the A.L.Wild Card. That must gnaw at Yankee Nation because the team with the highest payroll in baseball finished in third place and earned a spot on the sidelines.
Your owner lives in Tampa, home of the new A.L. East Champs. As a Yankee fan, this must be more embarrassing! Losing to a team that was dead last in the league last year? That should not happen, but it did. Now, the two teams that are still playing for a trip for the World Series reside in the same division as you. Right now, George Steinbrenner is hoping to remember the good times—like the late 1980s.
Your previous manager is not washed up. Your sons made a take-it-or-leave-it offer to Manager Joe Torre, who served with dignity and pride for many years. Brought home four World Series titles also. You repaid him by giving him a crap offer to stay but hoping he would refuse. He did and went to the LA Dodgers to manage an underachieving team. The result? Dodgers win the NL West Division Crown and sweep the Cubs in the NLDS. It must have been the terrible coaching in New York, huh. Torre’s success out West is another big “FU” to the Steinbrenners.
Your prospects do not look promising. The “Joe Girardi Death Watch” may have started by now. How do you take a team that makes the playoffs and drive them into early vacations? By injuries (not his fault), slumps (not his fault) and poor game management (definitely his fault). He was going to be compared with Torre, which is normal and unfair. Girardi inherited and aging, decrepit team that will only compete when its younger stars emerge.
For now Yankees fans, you have to be happy not to be Mets’ fans, who find ways to prohibit themselves from making the postseason nowadays. You were out early enough to make other plans while the Mets were agonized their fans by dragging out their season until the final day before losing at home to the Florida Marlins—again.
--Mark Berger
-Bergseye
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