Are You Really Surprised?

How many years am I going to have to listen to the pre-All Star Break proclamations about the Yankees being a non factor down the play-off run? I hope this is the last. 102 games into the most injury riddled season in the Yanks recent history, NYY find themselves 2.5 behind the AL East leading Rays, and just 1 game behind the AL East favorite Boston Red Sox. When is the world going to learn that the New York Yankee's legacy is not, and has never been, about buying up and winning with more pure talent than anyone else. Admittedly, the huge budget has afforded them opportunities to win that most cities could only dream of. And it has also rendered meaningless big free agent busts. Such misfortune could mean multiple year playoff droughts in other cities, but here they get overlooked and largely fogotten about. Why? Partly because we can. But that's not the only reason.

The Yankees have a more pervasive "culture of winning" than any other sports franchise in history. Guys who have come up through the system from day 1 (Jeter, Posada, Mariano, Bernie Williams) have bought into that culture, and proliferated it. They have insisted on instilling this culture in all those big free agent signings. THIS TEAM WILL NEVER ROLL OVER. The proof? Year after year, NYY stand up to adversity, and show that they have as much heart and resilience as a fan could hope for.

This year has been no different. With each of the following players missing 1/4 of the season or more (to date; or the pitcher equivilent), the Yanks are just 3 games back of the Rays and 2 games back of the Red Sux: Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Chien Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy. Look at those names. Oh yeah, and they've missed Carl Pavano, too. The Justin Christian, Wilson Betemit, Sidney Ponson (cringe) Yankees are 3 games out of the AL East, and have more momentum than the two teams ahead of them.

I can't wait to see how the next 60 games play out. But the truth is, I don't really care. They've already made me proud.