Welcome back, Yankees. It had been awhile. I have to admit, I was hoping and betting that you wouldn’t make it. When you took out the Angels with relative ease, I took a hit on my bottom line. Of course I was bitter and angry, but don’t feel special. Most things make me bitter and angry. You’re just the latest obstacle in my path to eternal bliss. But then, I remembered.
I remembered 2003, the last time that you made it to the World Series. A fleeting memory returning to my conscious, welcomed with an exuberant blast of acknowledgement. Has it really been six years? I almost began to miss the collective obnoxiousness that Yankee fans permeate, when on the verge of something big. It’s good to have every guy named Ramon, Pauly or Lou dig out their gold-plated ship rope necklace with the NYY medallion dangling in their visible sweaty chest hairs, because they never learned how to button up their shirts all the way. I’m happy for these folks who have been given an excuse to blurt out “Go Yankees! #$^* YEAH!” even more than they would normally. What I would do to have 2003 back.
You stay classy, Yankee fans
The upstart Florida Marlins entered the playoffs as the NL Wildcard representative. They overcame the odds by beating San Francisco, and then Chicago in a 7-game thriller. Now they were set to meet a 101-win Yankee team, fresh off a seventh game 11th inning victory over the Boston Red Sox. Not many gave the Marlins a chance, and to be honest, neither did I. But they’d made me so much money so far, that there was no way I was ready to turn my back on them now. I was locked in with the Marlins to win the Series, and I was afraid. But I never let the Yankees fans smell my fear.
Game 1 rolled around on a Saturday and Brad Penny got the call against David Wells. The mound probably sunk a few feet after Nine innings of supporting the combined weight of a musk ox. The pitching didn’t suffer, as the Marlins shutdown the Yankees to steal the opener in the Bronx 3-2. Juan Pierre came up with the big hit, and Dontrelle Willis provided 2-plus innings of perfect relief. Ugueth Urbina closed out a scary 9th inning and kissed Pudge Rodriguez. The last time I was that happy to see two men make out was, well, never! The New Yawkers at the other end of the bar yelled out some homophobic slurs, but they weren’t even watching the game anymore. That’s just the way they talked. What a start.
The very next day Andy Pettitte sent me a little reminder of why it’s silly to get excited after one win. The Marlins were completely shutdown for more than eight innings by the longtime Yankee. They suffered a 6-1 beating, but were headed to Miami all tied up, with young gun Josh Beckett getting the call. I was feeling pretty good.
It wasn’t that Beckett didn’t pitch well. It’s that Mike Mussina was on a mission to put his team back in the driver’s seat. The Marlins were dominated by Yankee’s starting pitching once again, and duplicated their 6-1 loss. I don’t know how much I lost monetarily on that single game, but it dwindled in comparison to the lost hope that I once held for Florida. The Yankees were back, and every New York transplant in Florida was there to let me know about it. I was in my very own personal hell.
Things didn’t look to get any better as the legendary Roger Clemens was up next versus Carl Pavano. Nothing about Pavano impresses me other than the fact that he once dated Alyssa Milano. So did Brad Penny, actually. She loved this Marlin’s staff! I wonder why Dontrelle Willis never got any love. Maybe she was afraid of his crazy leg action.
Well wouldn’t you know it, some early offense from Miguel Cabrera and Derrek Lee was all that Pavano needed, and Florida headed to the 9th leading 3-1. Enter Urbina. With two on, two out, the Yankees send Ruben Sierra to pinch hit. Urbina runs the count full. I began to wonder why it never comes easy. Pudge began to wonder if he put on his lip gloss prematurely. He did. Sierra hit a triple to tie the game. No easy victory for me and no smooches for Ugueth.
This smooch meant money
There were several men on-base in extra innings, but no resulting runs. Then leading off the bottom of the 12th, shortstop Alex Gonzalez blasted a homer to tie the series. I took the opportunity to pick my heart up from the floor and celebrate like I should’ve three innings ago.
The Yankees scored one unearned run to start Game 5. Other than that, Brad Penny was filthy. I’d call him Filthy Penny, but that would be disrespectful. The Yank’s bats were silenced once again. Gonzalez, Pierre and Mike Lowell came through with key RBI’s, and Urbina was able to end a late threat from New York for a 6-4 win. It was time to head back to New York with two chances to topple the Evil Empire. I hadn’t wanted anything this badly since puberty.
Game 6 took place on a Saturday night. It was the same night that Tampa holds a huge debaucherous Halloween-themed party in their club district. My girlfriend was out of town, and not even this game could keep me from the opportunity to party as a single man on this evening. I ended up going as Ricky Williams, and met up with some friends. Deep down I just knew that New York would turn it on at home and take the last two games. It’s what champions do. I had already embraced my losses to escape the pinstriped wrapped sorrow that was headed my way.
As we stumbled up and down the strip, taking in the vast array of wild and X-rated costumes, I hardly thought about the game. That’s when I noticed a large crowd amassed outside one bar in particular with a TV setup at the window. They were showing the game, so I had to at least check out the score. Marlins 2 Yankees 0, 7th inning. Holy crap.
I told my group that I would meet up with them later, and made a temporary home leaning against a balcony pole. Josh Beckett had shut down the mighty Yankees for six innings, and the very second I started to watch, he gets in a jam. Jorge Posada led off the 7th with a double. After two outs, it’s none other than Ruben Sierra pinch hitting. You got to be kidding me.
Swinging strikeout. Oh holy wow!
Beckett closed out the 8th and 9th innings with little incident, and the Marlins did the unthinkable. They took four straight from the New York Yankees just when it seemed that the Empire had hit their stride and stolen momentum. And I just won a nice chunk of change. I jumped around the street with a gathering of random Yankee-haters. My Ricky Williams’ dreads hit me in the face as I flailed about with reckless abandon. What a World Series.
As great as that experience was, I’m not trying to relive the past. The Yankees are back in the World Series and they are going to win it. I took a shot at the Angels beating them, and they were dominated. At -220, New York is the play against a tough Philly team. They are getting solid contributions from their entire pitching staff, and the top-to-middle of their lineup cannot be stopped when the game is on the line. Congrats Yankee fans. You’ve earned the right to annoy me even more than usual for another year.
Watch out for THIS guy
Super post Bread. right on the money with the yanks
Take a nap my friend and hopefully you will wake up on the right side of the bed this time! Nothing like a sharp machete!
If Petite wants to gives us 5-6 runs Little League style, take them! PATIENCE!!! If both Philly teams lose today by the sports complex and add in a Pearl Jam finale concert for the beloved Spectrum (will be demolished set for New Year's eve I think?) then you don't want to be in the vicinity of that area or you might become collateral damage! Let's go Phighting Phils! The Eagles.......FU Andy Reid!
You made a good bet with your head. Couldn't stop playing my Phils but inside had a bad feeling it would turn out this way. The Yanks were the better team and came up clutch at the crucial moments. Enjoy!
