New York in Autumn is a very special place though this year no one cared about baseball — after all New York Yankees aren’t playing — and the world was talking about the Giants and the Rangers, of the football and ice hockey kind!
After decade and a half riding on the backs of core four and the massive amount of television moe by, New York Yankees baseball like all aging teams is on its way down. Money, makes things easy, but it does help fix the core of the problem.
While rest of baseball has learned how to build great teams by building a strong core of talented young players and surround them with veteran talent — a playbook Yankees wrote — my favorite baseball team still tries tired old ways of winning. It is not that my love for pinstripes has diminished, but in this post-Jeter era, who do I love, who do I cheer for? I can’t muster any enthusiasm for the new guys — Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCaan and Carlos Beltran. A-rod? Can we just eat these losses and move on and head back to the future?
If baseball seasons are going to end in September, we don’t need aging stars. So why not making youth part of our future plans. Shawn Greene and David Phelps have shown that our farm system can surprise. But it’s an ideological shift and it is hard to make, especially for an organization that talks about “product” and “business” more than the game.
October is particularly painful for ever so often my neighbors, aka SF Giants remind what is wrong in Bronx. It is a taunt from rest of baseball fans – reminder that Yankees need to change. For next few days, I am ready to hear that roar of the Giants fans, with stadium lights piercing into my apartment. I am not a fan of either the Royals or the Giants — how can I be when I love someone else . But I love the game of baseball. And I admire a team made of imperfect players, certified aces, fresh faced new comers and those who can feel the chill of the autumn of their carrier.
A team that does little things right and knows winning isn’t about how you look, where you are from and how much money you have in the bank! You don’t have to be a fan to like magic and joy of winning.
From the archives: San Francisco Giants and the D-Word, where D is for dynasty Related: ESPN asks is Buster Posey is the next Derek Jeter. Now let’s now get carried away guys!