IT'S BEEN A HUMBLING POST SEASON

Source: NJ.com 

Ever want something so much, that you'd do whatever it takes to get it? The Yankees have always been that team for me. They wanted it in the 90s, and they pushed through tough teams like the Seattle Mariners who had tough guys like Ken Griffey, Jr. and Edgar Martinez. They plowed through Red Sox teams, Oakland teams and Cleveland teams, and ended up on top. They had Houston where they wanted them and well, you know what happened from there. Those teams did not have it easy but they did have one thing- grit. It has been over ten years since we won a World Series. And that drought has humbled me as a fan who always thought of the Yankees as heroes. Seeing the Yankees fight so hard over the last few games of the post season has been humbling for me. I want a championship this year and this team may have enough fight in them to get there.

Source: ESPN

One of the biggest fighters on this team is Yankee first baseman Luke Voit, who exudes enthusiasm and grit with every at bat. 

"I love being a Yankee. I hope I am a Yankee for a long time. I want to win. That's what we all want. That's the most important thing. Obviously, the numbers have been good for me and I always want to have as best year as possible. But that is not the goal. The goal is to win a World Series and now's our chance to take advantage and end 2020 on a good note," reported ESPN.

Source: Corey Sipkin, NY Post

Another fighter is Mr. Reliable, DJ LeMahieu. Since coming to the Yankees last year as a utility player at best, DJ has been literally invaluable, in the field and at the plate. But it has been his humility and heads-down approach to getting things done that has been an exemplar for grit on this Yankee team. 

"The way this whole team approaches our work, I’ve just been very comfortable here from Day 1,” LeMahieu said last week. “We know what we want to accomplish and we know what we need to do to get there. It’s just been an excellent fit," reported the New York Post. 

Walking around town this morning in Central NJ, I stopped by a local eatery and talked shop with Liz, one of the chefs for the small business named Wild Flour. We both share a passion for the Yankees and she was grinning from ear to ear behind her dark blue mask when I picked up my breakfast after a workout. "It is humbling to be a Yankee fan today. We always took it for granted that we would win, but now, it is not a guarantee which makes these games even more exciting." My sentiment exactly. WFAN's Boomer and Gio affirmed this when they recalled that the Yankees have had to play tough teams before and this is no different. 

The Rays are just another team for the Yankees to get passed. They need to stay the course, dig deep and know they can beat this team, just like the other Yankee teams before this one who defeated worthy opponents to earn the right to contend for the championship. Let's hope this is the journey and destiny for this team, one run, one game at time. 2020 is certainly a year to be humble. It is only fitting we do it this year. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof