WHY YANKEE FANS "BELIEVING" IS THE DIFFERENCE

The New York Yankees are about to embark on an August run that will be more important that any season since 2001... for me at least.  Why? Because even though we won it all in 2009… that team seemed to click a whole lot easier than this team's clicking now.  I use 2001 as my reference point because for me personally, that was a huge fall season and it was a World Series that I expected us to win it all.  That World Series was so dramatic in so many ways and it was ours for the taking, yet, no one expected the Arizona Diamondbacks to roll over either.  I remember all of us in New York knew that winning would mean we'd dig ourselves out of that tragedy of 9/11, at least for that brief moment, but when  we lost that hard fought World Series, it was then that I realized I was a gigantic Yankees fan, hanging on every pitch. 

It also provided reality for me. Mariano Rivera was human and Luis Gonzalez was a good hitter…it’s called life in baseball, you never can predict it. After that winter, I eventually moved on, I started a family and I rooted harder than ever for my New York Yankees after that.

Fast forward to now, the 2012 New York Yankees. A team that gained some great ballplayers and had to battle injury along the way. The latest coming from CC Sabathia and his new stint on the DL, read HERE.  Meanwhile, the Yankees have managed to win and stay in first place for most of the season.  Yet, as fans, we want more and more.  No, we’re not sitting in the clubhouse trying to get “exclusive” quotes from the players after the games. Instead we're waiting for guys like Mark Feinsand and Joel Sherman to do that for us.  After all, it's their job, not ours. Those beat writers ARE the news.  We’re the fans who want answers when our teams loses.  That’s the way it works.  If I wanted to do what they do, I would do it, Lord knows I can, but that was never my plan. Mine plan was to give my opinion in a blog like this, like a commentator on TV or on a radio show. My job is to be a fan and give my opinion to you like you would do with me at work the next day after a big win, or a big loss. That’s me in the blog world, but one thing is clear and I want to make sure you understand where I’m coming from…I may be sarcastic, or maybe even a wise ass here on Bleeding Yankee Blue, but I’d never wish ill on anyone.  This is supposed to be fun, yet, it’s not always fun. God forbid I give a simple opinion on Billy Butler or David Robertson not playing well or getting "booed," or whatever, I do not need to be publicly ridiculed or threatened.  That’s silly, yet, that's happened. Why? Am I doing anything different that the sports writers with opinions write? Am I doing anything different that any other fan might do?  Message to the haters, I'm allowed to be provocative, but I draw the line there and I always have. Trust me, there's nothing wrong with alittle criticism, Lord knows I take some too, but threats will get you know where. There's a difference between being passionate about baseball and being obsessed...know the line. Bottom line,  If we disagree, that's fine and it's not a bad thing, but let's keep it there.

The truth is, from a fan perspective, me, BYB is what you wake up to when you’re having your coffee. It's happening now.  Sure, you weren't expecting anything heavy like this, but sometimes I need to get stuff off my chest...that's why this blog was designed in the first place. Again, this is a conversation you have at the water cooler.  No one hates anyone here and everyone is entitled to comment, as long as you’re not vicious or threatening. That's my rule on my site, you don't agree, create you're own. This is America...you can.

But enough about me... back to my New York Yankees for a moment.  It’s August and with guys like Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Brett Gardner and Mariano Rivera on the mend and guys like David Aardsma shut down sometimes we feel down in the dumps. But there are hopefuls, guys like Pedro Feliciano and Ichiro Suzuki and Joba Chamberlain and Derek Lowe ready to go, plus, you have to believe that if we can get into a rhythm with guys like Eric Chavez, Raul Ibanez, Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano and a strong Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova…We can accomplish anything.  As fans, we believe.  Say what you want about my Yankees, criticize them, blast them, but know this; my Yankees are for real. But they need August to be truly great though... it needs to happen this month. Again, momentum, rhythm, wins and most importantly... we need to believe.

I expect the Yankees to turn it on and I often go back to the "Jorge Posada Well" asking, “What would Jorge do right now?” The reality is, he was such a competitor, you saw the fight in his face...every game.  He believed and I just want my Yankees to look that way, and this August, they will.

Something changed the night Joe Girardi went nuts on the umpires in Detroit…heart happened. Joe received more compliments that criticism from us fans.  We saw balls! We saw that sometimes we just need a message from the team to the fans... something like what Joe did. "We're here to win no matter what!"  I need that the other day.  I felt good seeing him fired up, the same way guys like Paul O’Neill got fired up.  Do I believe that can change the momentum in a ball club? You’re damn right it can.  

I’m not saying we will win every game from now until the end of the season, but I predict a run that will hopefully take them flying high into the playoffs.  CC may be on the shelf but better now than in October.  Kuroda will rise up like he’s been doing all year, I like what I see.  Even Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes will prove they’re valuable, read Steve Skinner's brilliant piece WHY YOU CAN'T GIVE UP ON NOVA AND HUGHES. Even Freddy Garcia... what can I say? The guy has done everything we ask of him and he still delivers. It’s impossible to not love this guy.  

Derek Jeter and company will start to roll consistently, Grandy will return to his old form, Nick Swisher will have a run as he approaches free agency. Even Ichiro will pick it up as he gets familiar with the inner workings of what it’s like to be a New York Yankee. And this is the best part...This is the part that gets Bleeding Yankee Blue ignored regularly by the mainstream media, because their job is to report the news, and our job is to root for our team…the best part is...I can say from the bottom of my heart, as a fan, that I know my New York Yankees will succeed.  Not because of statistics or homers or 86 pitch count or any of that crap.  I know they’ll succeed because I'm a true fan and I believe.  That’s bigger than any article in the Daily News or Tweet from Buster Olney or and article trying to raise money selling $20 t-shirts (Who'd pay $20 for a t-shirt?) that’s me as a fan... and it should be you too. 

Believe fans…it’s strength in numbers. It's about passion, momentum, rhythm, wins and most importantly... we need to believe. Believe me... it’s the fans that get it right every time... Go Yanks!

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