The Not-So-Hatable New York Yankees
September 4, 2009 · Michael Leboff · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The New York Yankees used to be the most hated team in all of sports. While that may still be the case, I am pretty sure some sports fans have changed their opinion on the Yankees.
I was 10 years old when the Yankees won the World Series in 2000. The next day in school, I wore my Yankees cap with pride. However, most other students were upset with the result.
I came home that day and asked my dad, “Why does everyone hate the Yankees?”
He replied, “Because they are the Yankees.”
I looked at him with quizzical eyes.
He continued, “The Yankees are the best team, they get the most attention, and they have the most money, and people don’t like that.”
I guess it made sense. And from that night, until this year, the Yankees seemed to be everyone else’s least favorite team.
Fast forward to 2009. The Yankees have not been the best team in baseball since that night. However, they still get the most attention and have the most money. So I asked myself, ‘Why does it seem like people are warming up the Yankees?’
To answer the question I looked at the 2004 Boston Red Sox, a team that had the biggest band wagon of all time.
I looked at their payroll. Not Yankee money, but still pretty sizable.
I looked at the amount of attention they got. Not Yankee-like, but they were on quite a few back pages.
Sure, they hadn’t won since 1918. Sure, they had one of the best comebacks in sports history against the Yankees. Sure, they had an awful movie, with my least favorite actress, made about them. So maybe it was not fair to compare them to the Yankees.
Then it hit me.
It wasn’t how much money the Yankees spent. It wasn’t how much media attention they got.
It was who they spent the money on, and who was getting the attention.
Jason Giambi. Kevin Brown. Carl Pavano. Randy Johnson.
Those were the players the Yankees were bringing in to win the World Series. The above name represent everything that, as a Yankee fan, I resented about the Bronx Bombers.
The Yankees signed the above to bring a World Championship to the Bronx. The above players signed here to make the most money and get the most attention. And if they won a World Series here, so be it.
Giambi was a cheater. Even though he was generally well-liked by his team and the fans, his name was always mentioned in connection with steroids and was a distraction for a lot of his pinstripe career.
Brown was an awful teammate. He punched a wall after an argument with Joe Torre and broke his hand. His short stint in New York was not a memorable one for Yankee fans.
Pavano had no heart. He started only 26 games in his four years as a Yankee. He injured every body part imaginable. He was called out by teammates constantly for not working hard at getting healthy.
Johnson was stand-offish with his teammates, the media, and the fans. He would distance himself from the team on road trips. He would not talk with the media. He didn’t get along with anyone in New York it seemed.
When Giambi left via free agency this year, it felt like a burden was lifted off the Yankees. The “old hired guns” were out. The new ones now had their turn.
Sure the Yankees spent a tons of money this offseason. But it wasn’t about how much, it was about who.
Mark Teixeira is just about as clean cut as they come. He is a family man. He plays hard. And most of all, he wants to win.
CC Sabathia is a horse. He leaves everything out there on the mound. He shows emotion every start. He is a crack-up in the clubhouse and a good teammate.
A.J. Burnett is a goofball. He is the pie-man. He is also a real good starting pitcher for the most part.
Nick Swisher loves to play ball. He loves the camaraderie, the fans, and being able to do what he loves for a living. Oh yeah, he can hit the ball pretty far too.
If you look up and down the Yankees roster, Alex Rodriguez is really the only person that is unlikable. But, even he has made an effort to right his wrongs.
Damon is an “idiot.”
Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano are total goofballs.
Brett Gardner and Dave Robertson are likable young guys who do their job.
Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston Jr. are perfect role players.
And of course, Derek Jeter is still Derek Jeter.
It is funny that this team has transformed into a likable group seemingly overnight.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Everyone may still hate the Yankees. Because as my dad said in 2000, and as many have said before that, “The Yankees are still the Yankees.”
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