Bleeding Yankee Blue: THE 2017 ALMOST

Sunday, October 22, 2017

THE 2017 ALMOST

Source: Getty Images

Almost...I know it's not good enough, but it's all I have. We went further than anyone expected. Our team was supposed to be still brewing, still growing and we weren't supposed to be ready for "prime time." But we were...and we moved passed the Twins to win the AL Wild Card one and done, we came back from 0-2 deficit against Cleveland to take the ALDS. We came back from an 0-2 deficit and won three at home against the Astros. But we didn't close the deal. We almost did.

Source: Society for American Baseball Research

"Because while it is true, the first thing we associate with the Yankees is winning – they do have more championships than any other team in North American professional sports, after all – it has always been something more than that. The Yankees, after all, didn’t start winning championships until they acquired a fellow named Babe Ruth," eloquently wrote the NY Post earlier on Saturday. And we have a team of hard working players and young leaders who like Ruth, are born to win. These guys are both on our team now and in the farm system. We almost won the pennant this year but fear not, we will be back next year.

No one would have liked a Dodgers-Yankees World Series more than us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue and when I say us, I mean you too, our readers. I never expected that the last time I would see a Dodgers-Yankees World Series would be in 1981 I thought they would play against each other forever. It was all I knew in 1977 and 1978. It was all I was told by my grandmother as a kid who fell in love with baseball with my first breath.

As the Baltimore Sun reported, "The biggest reason for the ratings boost is the presence of so many big-market teams with national followings. The Yankees won the American League Wild Card game, which put a huge market in play (along with Boston) for both AL Division Series while the Los Angeles and Chicago were already in play in the National League."

Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America

The Astros-Dodgers Series won't nearly have the depth and excitement nor fan base as a Yankees-Dodgers matchup, but I have to concede my 2017 dream of a World Series to the Astros, for now. It is hard a thing to swallow because of all of the "thumbs down" moments we've experienced in 2017.

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

This season will be remembered as the season we found Aaron Judge or he found himself. It will also be remembered as the team that clicked with a beautiful chemistry of veterans and rookies. I am thankful for this team, for making my fall exciting and for giving it everything they had. We almost did it. We will be back in force in 2018.