It was 1981, I was 10. Mezzanine section of the old Yankee Stadium. Right field. Yankees vs. Dodgers. Game 1. I was there. I wasn't an obsessed fan, but I knew how important it was. It was the first time I saw the real Bronx Zoo, the fans, all decked out, the house packed. It was the first I smelled weed. You know that smell. I remember my old man telling me "Don't breathe that in", but to be honest I didn't really even know what it was. I just knew that the odor lingered in that section for a lot of the game.
Ron Guidry won Game 1, but in the end, the Yankees would lose to the Dodgers. After the Yanks won 2 at home, the Dodgers would take over winning 4 in a row. It was a pretty great match up, much like in 1978. I guess the '78 team was better, but through all of it, as a kid, I knew that the Yankees franchise was my franchise.
Yankee fans are some of the greatest fans in the world. Sure, there are moments where you scratch your head, but for the most part, the passion is real. I knew that I was a Yankee fan after that. I collected my baseball cards; I took care of them... I loved the New York Yankees. I still do.
These days I still do, but one thing I do not like it the gaslighting, the bullshit, the way Aaron Boone talks to the media, the lack of urgency and of course... the gaslighting... oh yea, I said that already. Don't get me wrong, I will always love this Yankee team, and I will always root hard for them. But I am a realist. I have no problem calling tools out. The Yankees as a team are still one of the best and brightest things in my life. The front office needs a full overhaul. The arrogance and ignorance is staggering. It's time for a change.
I want this Yankee team to win this World Series against the Dodgers. This matchup is incredible for baseball. East Coast vs. West Coast. Fox will do everything surrounding this matchup including using Tupac on the West Coast commercial bumps and Biggie for the games at Yankee stadium. They will play it up and get the biggest TV viewership ever. It's quite a spectacle and I love that. But at the end of the day, I'll be sitting with my now 15-year-olds as a watch these games from my couch. Gone are the days of bringing your son to a World Series game at Yankee stadium for Game 1 unless you want to spend $4000. It's not so much of the sign of the times as it is greed. The games are important, but the prices are not normal and it's sad.
One of my college boys texted me last week. "Are we getting tickets?" Great question, honest question he asked. He also didn't realize the market. "No buddy, I can't do it." I sent him a link to the prices for these World Series games. He couldn't believe it. "That's insane," he said.
So yea, the times are different now. We'll be on the couch, not the mezzanine. It will be quieter in my house than at the stadium. I won't smell the weed because I'll be home and don't smoke, but let's be honest, you can now smell weed everywhere. It's almost not fun anymore. Back then it was a surprise, now we live in a world where everyone smokes. What's the fun in that?
But in the end, throughout all of this, there is one thing that is important to me. The Yankees are back. The Yankees need to do the job and win this World Series. Yankees, Dodgers. Wow. You can't script this season any better. Last year the Yankees were horrible. This year we gain Juan Soto and suddenly the energy is different.
It's true, I had my doubts about this team, but they were resilient. It's refreshing. Let's hope they do win. Let's get on top again New York. Let's beat the bums!
Let's freaking go!
Go Yanks!
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