SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT THE MOMENT!

Who knows what will happen tonight.  Baseball is a fickle game because no matter the talent that stands on the field, be it the favorite or underdog... anything can happen on any given day. That's what makes it amazing.

I often think about "moments"... moments you never saw coming that can literally change the turnout of a game or series.  I wanted to share 3 of my favorite Yankee homers at the perfect time in a playoff game.  Maybe it can linger over to Yankee Stadium tonight and help them out.

Who remembers where you were when Jimmy Leyritz cranked one out when we least expected it. It was the 1996 World Series off Mark Wohlers. Remember? Wohlers was the favorite in that match up, but he had an off night.


Remember Ricky Ledee? He didn't do much in New York, but damn he was fun to watch.

 I remember that Grand Slam from Ricky Ledee against Rod Beck in the 1999 ALCS. It was huge. The Yankees went on to win the World Series.



How about when Scott Brosius went big against Byung-Hyun Kim in the 2001 World Series.

It was Game 5, in the 12th and it kept New York's hopes alive in a very dark time in our nation's history.


All I'm saying is... there are champions in all of us and these moments with lesser players have proven great things. Amazing moments from many players you wouldn't ever expect big things from. But in that split second, when adrenaline is flowing... big things can happen.

Tonight... the Yankees can do this.  The Yanks are not expected to beat the Astros.  Something tells me they don't believe it though.

Go Yanks!

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REFLECTING ON JULY 18th & THE YANKEES

"Let’s go make fun of that Canadian team."

That’s how my buddy talked me into going to Yankee Stadium that day. Not that it would have taken much. It was July 18, 1999. We both had the day off from work.

The Montreal Expos were in town. They were less than a big draw. Vladimir Guerrero played for them, and that was about it. My friends liked to make fun of me for being Canadian. But we all loved baseball, and were all die-hard Yankee fans.

None of us knew that it was Joe Torre’s birthday. If we had, we would have, I don’t know, made a sign or something. Torre remains beloved to us, and to New York. And he was about to get an amazing birthday present from David Cone.

It was Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium. Don Larsen, he of the 1956 World Series perfecto, was on hand as well. As the story goes, his magic transferred to Coney. The ghosts of the Stadium did their thing.

By the time the sixth inning rolled around, the murmurs of a Perfect Game had started in full force. Nobody believed what they were seeing. We were hoping for maybe a no-hitter, but even that seemed like a long shot. We would have been happy with just a win, really.

I have since seen interviews with people saying they knew from the start Coney was throwing a perfecto, but I call shenanigans on that. David Wells had just thrown a perfect game the previous year against the Minnesota Twins. Nobody thought Coney was going to do it. It seemed too unreal. Completely impossible.

The rest is history. July 18th IS history. It plays out in slow motion now. Ricky Ledee scaring everyone by almost bobbling the catch. The growing intensity in the Stadium. The absolute and complete  pandemonium and jubilation of that win.

David Cone sank to his knees. Joe Girardi grabbed him. All the Yankees piled on. And we all screamed with joy. Strangers hugging each other. Tears flowing freely from big tough guys. Nobody making fun of anyone. Bliss. Pride. Love.

It was a hot day, 98 degrees and muggy. That kind of sticky heat that makes you feel like you’re covered in wet laundry in the desert. Those conditions can just mug you. Hence the term “muggy."

We had great seats. Down in the catered section behind First Base. Just walked up and got them from the ticket guy. Tino Martinez was RIGHT THERE. We could not have known how lucky we were, and we thought we were pretty lucky at the time.

It didn’t look like the game would even finish at one point. There was a rain delay for a half an hour at the bottom of the third, right in the middle of Tino’s at-bat. Thankfully it didn’t end the game. We still didn’t know what we were in for.

As the game went on, Cone’s fastball seemed to pick up speed. His slider darted in and out of the strike zone. The Expos looked confused. My buddy completely forgot about riding me for being Canadian. Something was happening. Even then, we didn’t know how big.

Joe Torre, Happy belated Birthday, and for your birthday, I give you a weak account of what David Cone already gave you in 1999. Thank you for everything you have done for the Yankees.

Happy July 18th weekend everyone!

 

 
Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants

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WHY THERE'S A FORMULA FOR A PERFECT YANKEE TEAM

I’ve always believed that the perfect combination of a true championship team is a mixture of gritty veterans with young guys that come together as 1. the old timers play the way they've always known being around the game for so long, and the young guys are anxious and willing to learn like a sponge and do pick up everything they can from the older guys. Yes, it sounds pretty obvious but let me explain.

I remember 1996 with the Yankees and specifically thought about guys like Mariano Duncan and Cecil Fielder. For those you who don’t remember, Mariano Duncan was our second baseman and Cecil Fielder was playing a hell of a lot more than a younger, Tino Martinez.

Mix in guys like Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter and you saw a team forming. We reached the playoffs and I remember no one in the media believed in Joe Torre and his past losing managerial record. We were all but written off when we finally made it to the World Series. At that point, the mighty Atlanta Braves were king of the mountain... they were Goliath and we were David. But, with the mixture of our guys like Jimmy Key and David Cone and Cecil Fielder, Jeter, Rivera and even guys like Luis Sojo… a championship happened.

(In photo: Tino Martinez, left, Chili Davis)

I think back to 1998 and Chili Davis. Another veteran on the downside but he rode the bench and hit when we needed him, all the while being a mentor to younger kids coming up in the Yankees organization like Ricky Ledee and Shane Spencer. There were guys that had been around the block like Darryl Strawberry who were given a second chance... well, the Yankees rallied and we won again, and again, and again in 2000.

You can talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 1970’s and Willie Stargell bringing a true Pirates championship together and all that is true, he brought a whole group of young and old together and won big, but the Yankees won too... 4 championships in 5 years was no fluke. George Steinbrenner helped by putting the best guys on the field and a lot of what Cashman did worked. Bringing in older guys that could contribute here and there and teach the young guys a thing or 2 helped a lot.

Which brings me to 2012, another year of Yankee baseball and the team is different, but the formula and tools are always the same. Eric Chavez may be on the down side of his career but there is no doubt his toughness is needed to prove to kids that you just have to love the game and work hard and you can succeed. Andruw Jones was a kid when he homered against the Yankees back in 1996 and now he is a Yankee and happy to be there. Eduardo Nunez knows he’s sitting with greatness and no doubt will ask questions and learn from these guys, like the king of New York himself, Derek Jeter and leaders like Robinson Cano. There is no doubt in my mind that the Yankees can win it all this season. The formula works and has always has worked in baseball history, brains and experience of the veterans mixed in with athleticism and hunger of the kids and just a true grittiness to get their team there every single time. You have to understand it, know it and feel it… I like what I see this season in my New York Yankees... it reminds me a lot like the teams of years' past, the teams that made it all the way....a perfect formula.

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WHY SEIZING THE MOMENT MAKES YOU NEW YORK'S DARLING

Poking around for a story this morning I came across something very interesting. Someone on Facebook wrote the following simple, yet brilliant statement: "Victor Cruz, Ivan Nova and J-Lin just proved you don't need to be a big name or have a big contract to succeed and grab everyone's attention...that's New York Sports for ya!" That was from Nate Maverick Linner. Give credit where credit is due, he's right.

Think about that for a second. It doesn't happen in New York too often but when it does happen, damn it's exciting. I think back to Kevin Maas a lot, even Shane Spencer once in a while. These are guys that were thrown in the Yankee lineup and needed to deliver, they saw an opening and went for it and for that moment, New York immediately fell in love with them. Why? Because we weren't expecting much, but we got more than we expected. It's always exciting when it happens that way. Special moments that New York fans never forget. Remember when Ricky Ledee hit a Grand Slam in 1999 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox? (Read HERE.) I do, he did and many of you won't forget it either... it's a shining moment, something no one ever expected.Enter Ivan Nova, Jeremy Lin and Victor Cruz. 3 guys that just needed a chance, they got a chance and they capitalized and hopefully they will for the long haul. New York fans immediately fell in love with them and what's not to love?

Ivan Nova went 16-4 last season with a 3.70 ERA. He proved to all of New York he can pitch with the big boys.Victor Cruz, a kid from Paterson New Jersey worked hard to make it to the NFL and did as a fourth receiver of the New York Giants. But when injury sidelined the Giants other receivers, he was given a chance and never looked back. Victor Cruz scored a touchdown in this years Super Bowl and is on top... a member of the World Champion New York Giants. It doesn't get much better than that.Jeremy Lin was claimed off waivers from the Houston Rockets and suddenly Lin's a superstar for the New York Knicks. The Knicks needed a pick me up and they got one. There was a door opened and Lin entered and he's been dominating all week.

It just goes to show...it's about seizing the moment and never letting go. Sometimes you capitalize and become legends, sometimes you don't, but it's a simple life lesson and everyone sees it in their lives at a certain moment. The question is, as nervous as you are when you see that opportunity... are you going to lasso it and take a chance, or are you going to take a pass and hope another one comes your way. Nova, Cruz and Lin took a chance and New York is rejoicing... I can't wait to see who's next.

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