The Power of the Yankees Brand

I am a Yankees fan. That’s hardly news to anyone who knows me. That also doesn’t make me different than millions of people in the New York area and millions more throughout the US and around the world. However, I can humbly say I am far more knowledgeable about the game than the average fan. I understand the 40 man roster, Rule 5, free agency, arbitration and have an in-depth knowledge of players on every roster, particularly those in the American League. I know every one of the Championship years.

But what I understand best is that the Yankees are far more than the most successful major league baseball franchise; they are a worldwide brand. Furthermore, I appreciate that the Yankees brand is “Ruthian”. It stands above the current ownership, management, even its players. The brand is bigger than Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig. Even bigger than the Babe, if that’s possible.

The Yankees Brand is American history, a worldwide phenomenon, and an international icon.

I am 23 years old so I’ve grown up in an era of Yankees excellence. My first game was in 1995 and I remember my dad telling me about the first baseman #23 ”Donnie Baseball”, a Yankees great, and how he would soon retire. I also remember him telling me that Yankees don’t have names on their uniforms. He told me that if I wanted to be a serious Yankees fan, it was my responsibility to know who the players are. He made me memorize the retired numbers in Monument Park (in order of retirement). And he made me appreciate that not every year was a great one. He explained that just a few years earlier the Yankees had a losing record, and that during most of the 80s, the late 60s and early 70s, the franchise had a long drought of non-post season appearances.

I understood that the Yankees were bigger than the record of a particular season—that the Yankees brand was, is and will always stand for greatness, regardless of their record that year. The Yankees stand for striving for the highest goal, without being satisfied with a “good job, good effort”.

Everything about the Yankees is special. Their nameless uniforms, Monument Park, the façade, pinstripes, the interlocking NY. There is nothing ordinary about the Yankees brand. That’s why I hate red hats and pink gear. Bastardizations of the logo and Yankees gear, while in keeping with MLB guidelines, are fine for the other 29 teams. Not for the Yankees, I believe.

So I will only wear a blue hat, pinstriped shirt with no name, and use the logos with respect. I apologize for using the logos in this blog post without permission. Though done with only respect, the logos are ones to be protected.

Because the Yankees Brand is special and like none other. And a true Yankees fan never forgets that, no matter what the pennant race situation may be.

Jorge Posada: A Yankee for Life

Today is an incredibly emotional day, a day where one of the greatest Yankees of all time officially said goodbye to the game of baseball. It is another mark of an ending era in Yankees baseball, and in my life. Jorge Posada was a staple of my childhood, one of the faces I remember from when I first started to understand and love the game of baseball and sports in general. It was those Yankee teams of the mid-late 90s that ignited my passion in sports, and it was that passion that eventually inspired my decision to pursue a career in sports, and I consider Jorge a huge part of that.

Watching Jorge in the press conference this morning was really tough and surreal for me. Watching him get emotional when speaking about his family, and his Yankee family and brotherhood with Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, I could not help but cry (Luckily, my puppy Jeter was there to lick away my tears, he was sad too). But I was not at all surprised to see Jorge so emotional, because that's who Jorge is. He played with an unparalleled fire and passion and wore his emotions on his sleeve always. He was consistently real and honest with the media and the fans, one of the many reasons he is so loved and admired by all who followed his career.

Today I want to congratulate Jorge Posada on a phenomenal career worthy of heavy HOF consideration, and I want to thank him for all the moments: that bloop double in the 2003 ALCS, placing the tag on the flip play, talking smack to Pedro from the dugout, hitting the first homer in the new Yankee Stadium, to his final postseason where he was the only Yankee to show up for every last at-bat. Thank you Jorge for the countless number of wonderful Yankee memories that I will cherish forever, and thank you for being a true Yankee from beginning to end.

I love you Jorgie and I hope to see your name in Cooperstown one day.

HIP HIP, JORGE!

Back in the New York Groove

On September 13, 2011, I recapped the Giants' Week 1 loss to the Washington Redskins, noting how disappointed I was in the way the Giants played. My conclusion read as follows:

While the eventual returns of star defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora should ignite the D, this performance from Big Blue making it very difficult for us Giants fans to be optimistic. Here's to hoping they'll prove me wrong!

Here we are, January 16, 2012, heading into Conference Championship week and the New York Football Giants are alive and better than ever.  The eventual returns of Tuck and Osi DID ignite the defense, though I never could have predicted back in September the kind of impact that youngsters Jason Pierre-Paul and Victor Cruz would have on this season. Both of them are so energetic with a unique ability and drive to make big plays, Cruz on the offensive side and JPP on the defensive side. And let's not forget about Eli Manning, who's having a career year and set an NFL record for touchdowns in the 4th Quarter, constantly rising to the challenge when the game is on the line.

With two big wins against crosstown rival Jets and division rival Cowboys to end the season, the Giants earned their first playoff berth since 2008. And with an impressive Wild Card week win at home against the Falcons (where the Giants defense allowed ZERO points), Big Blue steamrolled into Green Bay in an incredible upset where they flat-out dominated the 15-1 Packers, the reigning Super Bowl Champs.

So the red-hot Giants head to San Francisco next Sunday for a rematch at Candlestick against the 49ers. It will not be easy to beat the 49ers phenomenal defense that's coming off a big win against the New Orleans Saints. But I can't be anything but confident in this Giants team that has come together when it counts the most and is playing their best football since the 2008 Super Bowl.

After Week 1, I hoped the Giants would prove me wrong. Regardless of what happens next, the G-men have certainly exceeded all expectations and have made me proud to be a Giants fan.

LET'S GO BIG BLUE!