In my very humble opinion the best writer that The Greedy
Pinstripes has is Scott Fiedler. There is no disrespect intended towards the rest
of our wonderful writers, you guys are all amazing and all truly appreciated,
but I have just been drawn to Scott’s work since day one and I truly think we
are all blessed and incredibly lucky to have him on the site. When I came up
with the idea to do this running series about what it means to be a Yankees fan
I knew I wanted to include him. I knew Scott, and others of course, would just
be able to paint a picture with their words while describing their Yankees
fandom, and he did not let me down. Here is his story, and here is his fandom.
Enjoy.
What
makes you a fan of the New York Yankees?
One of the very first
books I read as a child was a biography about Lou Gehrig. It set the stage for
my interest and passion about the history and tradition of Major League
Baseball. I grew up in the Midwest but was not a fan of the
Cardinals, Cubs or Twins (the most common favorites among my friends). At the
time of my early youth, the Oakland A’s were winning multiple World Series with
a colorful owner and a cast of characters which drew my attention. My
favorite player was the A’s great starting pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter. During
this same time period, I had been reading other baseball biographies including
books about Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Despite reading about other
players, the books about Yankees legends appealed to me the most. The most
storied franchise, the history of success, my deep and longstanding
appreciation for Lou Gehrig…whatever the cause…it left me respectful of the
Pinstripes even though “my team”, at the time, was the Oakland Athletics.
It all changed on
December 31, 1974. That’s the day Catfish Hunter left the A’s in free agency
and signed with the New York Yankees. Thank you, George Steinbrenner. The
combination of my favorite player joining a team I had deep appreciation for
made for an easy and immediate choice to switch my allegiance to the
Yankees.
I’ve never looked
back.
What
is your earliest memory of the New York Yankees?
While I remember the
1975 Yankees and Manager Bill Virdon, the first memorable season was the next
year with Billy Martin at the helm and a new young second baseman named Willie
Randolph whom the Yankees had acquired in the off-season from the Pittsburgh
Pirates. By this time, Thurman Munson had become my favorite player and the
Yankees won the AL East by 10 ½ games over the Baltimore Orioles. I thought at
the time the O’s were the Yankees biggest rival. Silly me.
I can still recall so
vividly when Carroll Christopher Chambliss stepped into the batter’s box in the
bottom of the ninth inning during Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS with Royals closer
Mark Littell, one of the game’s best, on the mound and the game tied at 6.
There was something about the way Chambliss placed his back foot that I
immediately became convinced he was going to hit a game-winning, series-clinching
home run. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the euphoria like I did when Chambliss
connected on the dramatic home run like I had expected and watched, with
tremendous excitement, as the crowd at Yankee Stadium flooded the field. There
have been great Yankees moments in the course of my lifetime but that one
remained the most special because it was truly the first huge moment of my
Yankees fandom.
The Yankees
subsequently lost the World Series when they were swept by the Big Red Machine,
but the 1976 Yankees were a young and exciting team. Thurman Munson was a joy
to watch in the World Series as he batted .529 (9-for-17), solidifying his
place as my favorite Yankee.
What
is your fondest memory of the New York Yankees?
Obviously, the
Chambliss home run in the 1976 ALCS rates very high but since I’ve already
touched on that moment, the fondest will go to the three home runs by Reggie
Jackson in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A
total of three combined pitches by three different pitchers and Reggie took
them all deep. My mother (now deceased) was in another room watching something
else on TV and I would run to her with each home run…so excited to tell her
that Reggie had knocked another one out of the park. I am sure my mom could not
have cared less about the Yankees, yet I remember how interested she seemed
with each home run update. It was important to her because it was important to
me.
It was a magical
moment in Yankees history and certainly one that I will never forget.
What
do you think of when you see the interlocking NY of the Yankees?
Because the foundation
of my Yankees fandom was created when I discovered Lou Gehrig through books
which developed a deep sense of pride, the interlocking NY carries the history
and tradition of baseball’s greatest franchise for me. It is a symbol of greatness,
triumph and unity of the many excellent (and not-so-excellent) players that
have worn the Pinstripes. I’ve always felt the Yankees have the very best cap
insignia in Major League Baseball. Nothing else comes close.
I am proud to be a
Yankees fan.
Thank you, Scott. You are truly appreciated. I really
enjoyed reading this, and I hope everyone else did too.
