Yankees
NetsI am 40 now, been a Yankee fan since the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the 1978 October tie breaker game,the Bucky "F-ing" Dent Game, as it is coined & known in New England where I am from. Growing up in southern Maine, 2 hours north of Boston, all my family, friends, and neighbors bled for the Red Sox Nation. A 2nd religion almost. To be a Yankee fan would be treason,turncoat,Benedict Arnold, black sheep, unimagineable, your what?, whose family are you in?, etc, heard it all. So here it is, after being 14 games behind Boston in July 1978, (no wild card now, had to win the division to play on in October), the Yankees / Red Sox are all tied after 162 games with the Monday playoff afternoon game at Fenway looming...
My Dad asked me as he was shaving to go to work that morning, "So John, who are ya gonna pull for today?" He knew I loved 'players' on both teams. (ie Munson, Jackson, Nettles, Goose, Guidry, Pinella, but then Yaz, Rice, Fisk, Lynn ... no team loyalty yet at age 8) I said I don't know. My Dad insisted I choose a team, A SIDE ! I said "ok, ok, who ever wins this game I will be a Fan, of that team".
So my Dad came home from work mid-way through the classic and we watched from 1-0 (Boston) on... at the end of the game, after Yaz popped out from a Goose relief pitch, and Bucky and Reggie had homered to secure the 5-4 lead and WIN, I told my Dad confidently and decisively I was a true blue 100% Yankee Fan, from that October 1978 day to the present day. I grew up in Maine going to many Fenway Park Red Sox/Yankee games in a "Yankee Hat" from 1978-1988. Until I went to Fairfield University in Fall of 1988. Hours outside NYC.. attended my first Home Yankee Stadium game on my April 14, 1989 19th Birthday with 15 dorm friends. Yankees won a come from behind victory, 8-5, on a 7th or 8th inning Grand Slam by 'Bye Bye' Steve Balboni. Got to see Dave Winfield play also. What a memory, what a game, what a stadium, what an experience. Stayed in NY for 3 more years after college, 7 total, going to Yankee games.My FAVORITE ALLTIME YANKEE... first basemen #23 Don Mattingly right there at 1B, as we all were sitting 4 rows behind Yankee dugout collecting stacks of large white pinstriped Yankee cups for the beer parties back at school.
To this day... AM STILL A DIEHARD MEMBER OF 'YANKEE NATION!"... and broke my Dad's heart (his only son). Love the YANKEE / RED SOX Rivalry still today..never gets old, even if it is 19 games/year.Moved to NC in 1995, and watch them every year on tv. Made it back up to NY for a few games. Torre and 'Core 4' years have been great. Last year in the New Stadium and winning it all after 9 years was very fulfilling also. Have had Time Warner Baseball package for 2 full years now and have been enjoying the Yankees on the YES NETWORK. Enjoy Center Stage and Yankeeography also.
I visit Maine for 2 weeks out of year, DEC & AUGUST, everyone reminds me up there Yankees suck, then I remind them, who has rings? Who is the reigning Champ? Have two young sons, 5 & 4. One says he is a Yankee Fan, younger says he likes both but says he is a Red Sox fan... we'll see how that plays out. The oldest has been saying Yankees since he could talk at 1-2 yrs.
Thank You & LETS'S GO YANKS !!! #28 !
Yankyguy
