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Thoughts from the Bench
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Come fall, there are some things that you can always count on: like Halloween candy showing up on the shelves months before the actual date and pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks.
In the sports world, one of the automatic gimmies come fall is the New York Yankees in the post-season.
However, the world has shifted and cruel fate has left the Yankees out of the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
When you think of baseball and October, the Yankees almost always come to mind, along with all of the astonishing memories they created through the years.
I remember watching the Yankees sweep the San Diego Padres and win the World Series in 1998 with my dad and sister in a tiny hotel room.
That was a special moment because I became a Yankees fan then, and I realized later that you’re either a Yankees fan or a Red Sox fan. There’s no in between.
However to note, I am first and foremost a Colorado Rockies fan, and always will be.
Another special Yankees moment was in 2000 when they went on to beat their in- state rival, the New York Mets, in five games to clinch the World Series.
This was a defining moment because it was the first “Subway Series” since 1956.
There have been many more moments in Yankee history that have shaped the way we think and look at baseball, but probably one of the most recent, memorable and moving to most Yankees fans happened Sept. 21.
That night, the Yankees played their last game in Yankee Stadium.
Yankee Stadium was more than a place that housed ball games and sold hot dogs. It was a place where legends were made.
Known as the “House that Ruth Built,” Yankee Stadium was home to such celebrated athletes as Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson.
And current Yankees such as Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte.
The stadium that was built in 1923 and later renovated in 1974 is gone forever.
Now a bigger and better stadium looking to create its own legacies and memories will take its place.
As sad as it is not to see the Yankees in the playoffs, maybe it’s a good thing.
As unnatural as this month of postseason baseball will feel, the Yankees will be watching and waiting for their chance to show the world what they can accomplish in their new venue come this spring.
MARY ALBL
Sports Editor