I don’t care where your allegiances lie. You have to give props to Mariano Rivera.
Class act. No media drama. A workhorse. The biggest reason the Yankees did what they did in the mid to late 90s. And he loves Jesus. Mucho.
Congrats on #500 Mo! Thanks for the memories!!
taicligh
June 29, 2009
red sox fan here to say he’s the best ever. there, you happy?
Ryan
June 29, 2009
He is my favorite by far and is clearly the best closer…especially in the post season…and just a great person…
one of my prize possession is an autograph ball by mo
johnekeane
June 30, 2009
Indeed he is a stud.
I have lost most of my angry “yankees suck” feelings. The Red Sox have gotten thier rings in my lifetime and the Bronx Bombers have been a bust for quite awhile now.
Shane Bertou
June 30, 2009
Ok, waaaaiiiiiit a minute. Not to throw gasoline all over the whole Red Sox v. Yankees thing but … a bust? …. for “quite a while?”
Last year was the first year they missed the playoffs since 1993. That’s 13 straight years. That’s three more times than the Red Sox made the playoffs during their 86 year World Series drought. They’ve been in half the World Series played in the past decade. They’ve won the division 7 of the past 10 seasons!
taicligh
June 30, 2009
shane, by the yankees standards, they have most certainly been a bust. and every single player on that team and all the arsegoblins that run the team will tell you that. now, red sox -v- yankees stats are unfair, it’s like comparing the bruins with the canadiens. they are rivals, yes, but in both rivalries, one team has completely dominated their sport (and sadly for me, in neither scenario does boston win, historically).
when you consider the money spent on these teams during the past 8-9 seasons – and that the taxpayers paid for the new stadium, what the hell kinda crap is that?!?! – not winning a world series is a huge bust. yes yes, boston spends ridiculous money, too, but so do the mets & tigers and they aint winning nothing. the reason boston has won lately is the same reason the yanks won 4 out 5, team chemistry. you’d be better off with paul o’neill in the outfield instead of damon and scott brosius at 3rd instead of a-rod (i’m not kidding at all). chemistry wins, not a bunch of all-stars who all hate each other.
Shane Bertou
July 1, 2009
I agree that expectations are always high for the Yankees. But I also do not share them.
Anyone who expects a team to win the World Series every year has an obvious disconnect from reality and lacks any kind of historical perspective whatsoever. I don’t care how much money you spend on a team, there are still 29 other clubs competing for the same goal. You make my point for me by pointing out that the Cubs, Mets and Tigers spend a ton of money in futility.
Some teams spend a ton and win. Others spend a ton and lose. Some spend nothing and win. Others spend nothing and lose. There’s no secret recipe. It’s baseball. If payroll influences your expectations, you’re still going to be wrong about your team’s chances 85% of the time.
In my opinion, a Red Sox fan calling the Yankees a bust because they haven’t won the World Series in a few years is short sighted crazy talk. Especially when said team that is supposedly in the toilet is a mere 2 1/2 games back as we approach the All-Star break.
johnekeane
July 1, 2009
While you may have healthy and realistic expectations of the Yankees not making the World Series every year I don’t think the team ownership does. That’s why I call their past several years a bust. Ask Torre about about what management defines as a bust 3 rings and 6 pennants and where is he coaching?
It would be sweet if Torre became your “Ruth” although that would mean the Dodgers were winning so there are potential flaws for red sox fans.
taicligh
July 1, 2009
it might be “crazy” for john or i to call them a bust b/c they won more al east pennants this decade & are only 2.5 games back, but that huge gap in spending is more than the payroll of half a dozen teams (yet i agree, it aint about the $). the thing w/ nyy’s spending is it’s totally over the top. it makes the sox, cubs, mets & tigers look like AAA teams. and, again, the yankees front office have expected to win it all every year, and the satanbrenners say it every time. i mean, giradi has #27 for a reason, right? i think based on their own expectations it’s fair to say this club has been a bust for the past 9 seasons.
it’s all about team chemistry. the sox have a bunch of dudes who came up in the system together – and were fortunate enough to bring in outsiders who fit in perfectly (schilling in ’04, j bay last year, among others). some have been total busts – lugo, clement, and drew is waaaaaaaaay too overpaid, though has been overall a good fit. dice-k looks like a bust right now, but it’s a WBC hangover. the sox have been able to mix up both chemistry & spending very good. now, 15 years ago the yankees were doing this, bringing up jeter, rivera, posada, pettitte, bernie, etc. and adding some all-stars, too. now they just buy a bunch of aged all-stars with massive egos and expect that to work, and have this whole decade, and fail to realize it don’t! you gotta build up the system.
buster olney was right. http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-Yankee-Dynasty-Greatness/dp/0060515066