Monday, August 11, 2014

Do The Yankees Suck When It Matters? Redux


This is an article revisit from a month back. I wanted to add Mariano Rivera Day losses and Paul O'Neill Day losses to the post. SEE HERE for the original post.

You have to start wondering just how clutch the Yankees are when the seasons and the games really matter. I know this sounds weird coming from a team with 27 World Series championships and five in the last 20 seasons but hear me out.

Just last season the Yankees knew Mariano Rivera was retiring early and eventually learned that Andy Pettitte would be joining him. The team responded by missing the postseason for the second time since the strike shortened 1994 season. Jorge Posada retired after the 2011 season after the Yankees had another disappointing ALDS loss in the post season.

The 2008 season was miserable for all Yankees fans as we watched Mike Mussina win 20 games and ride off into the sunset without a playoff berth. The Yankees also closed Yankee Stadium that season and celebrated by missing the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. Before that we saw Bernie Williams essentially call it a career after the 2006 season and yet another ALDS loss in the postseason.

The Yankees all but knew that 2001 was Paul O'Neill and Scott Brosius' last season and made it all the way to the World Series. 2001 was also the season the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the country and New York needed the Yankees more than ever. The Yankees had a heartbreaking loss to the 2001 World Series after giving up the lead in the 9th inning in Game 7.

It goes much farther back but the last instance in my memory is the Don Mattingly retirement party that ended after yet another heartbreaking loss in the ALDS. The Yankees were the first ever Wild Card team and were in the postseason for the first time in Mattingly's career. The Yankees took the first two games against the Seattle Mariners only to lose the next three in heartbreaking fashion to end their season.

Now we have Derek Jeter and a team that spent $500 million to be essentially a .500 team. All I know is nobody better retire next season.... or else.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)