Quiet Gratification the Season After the Yankees Win the World Series
August 11, 2011 · Harold Friend · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
I was sitting alone at the Court Deli, which is a coffee shop-delicatessen near Yankee Stadium, part of which I could see from my table.
It was a pleasant, sunny day in early May. I don’t remember whether the year was 1999, 2000 or 2001, but it doesn’t matter.
The waitress brought me my coffee and corn muffin. Later, I would stop at one of the take-out places on my way to the game to get some more food that I would take into the park.
As I waited for the waitress to return, I thought about how great it was to just be sitting at the Court Deli with the New York Yankees as the World Champions.
Nothing could be better.
“A Satisfied Mind” is a song written by Joe “Red” Hayes and Jack Rhodes. That’s what I had.
Certainly our personal successes and disappointments supersede those of a baseball team. Most fans don’t know the players on a personal basis, but baseball fans, more than fans of any other sport, identify with their team.
I never felt the need to celebrate wildly after a critical Yankees win. I find it distasteful to disrespect opponents. They feel bad enough about losing.
Two of the greatest Yankees espoused that philosophy. Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio were modest, quiet winners.
When I was in school, Mickey Mantle hitting a home run made getting a low grade on a test a little easier to take. It motivated me to do better because Mantle succeeding at his work made me want to succeed at mine.
Minor annoyances in everyday life become less annoying knowing the Yankees won.
It didn’t take long for me to get the coffee and muffin, and as I added some half-and-half to the coffee, I again looked in the direction of the stadium.
What a great sight it was. I was returning to the site of the triumphs.
All fans realize how difficult it is to win the World Series, but for the Yankees, it is a must-win situation because of their money.
The Yankees are expected to win because they outspend the opposition. When they win, it is because they bought the championship. If they don’t win, management spent the money poorly.
Most other teams are thrilled to make the playoffs. If they don’t get to the Series or if they lose it, it is still considered a successful season. That’s not true for the Yankees.
How difficult it is to win the World Series. How fortunate I was to be one of the millions of fans who followed the team as it went all the way.
George Steinbrenner used to say that it was time to start planning for next season the day after the Yankees won the World Series. He was serious.
It isn’t easy to describe how I felt that day. I had been to at least one game of the 1998, 1999 and 2000 World Series. The excitement was exceeded only by the tension.
Now it was the early part of another season. All games are important, but there would be little tension that day.
The tension would have to wait until October.
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