An abundance of riches for Yanks

After being born in New York City and swaddled in pinstripes, perhaps it's ironic that one of my favorite musicals is "Damn Yankees," a phrase often muttered by long-suffering baseball fans originating east of Hartford. In fact, the fanatic baseball perspectives I hold so conflict with that phrase that I find it best to avoid and ignore the few Sox fans I consider to be my friends whenever the Yankees and Red Sox play.

The thrill I felt when I first stepped into the House that Ruth Built, saw the green field with the interlocking N and Y and lost myself in the nostalgia that is Monument Park is refreshed each and every time I return to the Bronx. Hearing Frank Sinatra sing "New York, New York" after pinstriped victories evokes delight, while Liza Minelli's version of the same song denoting the rare home loss makes me cringe.

I get a kick when the players acknowledge the Bleacher Creatures' chants, and I can think of no greater honor than being a part of baseball royalty. It used to be fun to use the retort "1918," but the events of last fall mean I will probably wait until 2030 before I start chanting "2004." I could continue to wax poetic and explain the numerous reasons why "I heart the Yankees," but there will be plenty of time for gushing columns later in the year when my team breaks our mini championship slump.

Being a Yankees fan is not easy. Not only do we have the realistic expectation of consistently winning year after year, but we also face the abuse heaped on us from all fans whose teams consistently lose — in other words, the rest of Major League Baseball. Our loyalties are questioned as if we merely hop on the bandwagon when the Yankees are winning, and even our random knowledge about present and past players is shrugged aside. You can't merely "like" the Yankees — you're all in, or you're out.

The Yankees' success has been unparalleled. And because of that success, they have always been the team everyone loves to hate. Just as Yankee detractors have complained about the '27, '51, '61, '78 and '98 teams, I have no doubt that 20 to 30 years from now, people will continue to whine and find Yankee teams to excoriate.

Still, though many fans disparage the one team that consistently outperforms the rest, why do the Yankees lead the major leagues in road attendance by a significant margin?

I would like to think that fans are drawn to the prospect of viewing excellent baseball. But the truth is that every losing franchise needs someone other than its own general manager to vilify. History needs villains, and both the Yankees and individual Bombers fill that role. Baseball fans need the Yankees just as Dorothy needed the Wicked Witch of the West, just as Clarice needed Hannibal Lecter, just as David was just a kid with a slingshot without Goliath. Would watching a game be as much fun if you didn't feel passionately about defeating a team that has dominated your squad since you started caring?

Yankee fans don't need that kind of sick, negative motivation of rooting against someone. Why would we, when we can cheer for a team that rarely lets us down?

Blame them for spending over $200 million and attracting the premier players in the league, but don't blame George Steinbrenner for investing his profits back into the team instead of lining his own pockets. Don't blame the team or its administration for not doing what is necessary to bring championships to its fans. Pure money doesn't guarantee winning. Look at the Rangers, the Mets, the Orioles, the Dodgers, the Red Sox (other than in the anomalous 2004) or even the Yankees in an off year. The true success of the Yankees is that they will always fight to retain or acquire talent and use the offseason to improve. The Yankees would never win a championship and immediately unload their talent. The Yankees would never betray their fan support by not making it perfectly obvious that they were doing everything in their power to remain at the apex of the major leagues.

The Bombers are indeed the richest team in baseball in myriad ways. They are rich in fans, having attracted more than three million in each of the last six seasons. They are rich in talent on the field. They are rich in the wealth of positive memories garnered from more than 100 years of success. They have a history of employing superb managers, in which Joe Torre's success in meshing baseball individualists into a cohesive unit is only the latest example. Their riches exist in the "lay everything on the line" attitude that inspired Derek Jeter to dive headfirst into the stands to make a play and caused Gary Sheffield to play through excruciating pain because "they're paying me a lot of money to play and not sit and watch."

I'd like to think the "Damn Yankees" lyrics actually apply to the team they're attempting to denigrate: "You've gotta have hope. Mustn't sit around and mope. Nothin's half as bad as it may appear — wait'll next year and hope."

Thank goodness I'm a Yankees fan, thank goodness the regular season is underway and thank goodness the Red Sox are no longer the "official" baseball team of the 'Prince.'