Yankees Exorcise Some Demons of Playoff Past dated 10/27/09

The Yankees Exorcise the Demons of Playoff Past

By Marc Rasbury

By eliminating the Los Angeles Angels this weekend, the Yankees did more than punch their ticket to the World Series. They escaped the onslaught of questions regarding their past post-season failures. It is not fair to have the current cast of Bronx Bombers answer for their forefathers. But, in New York, that the way it goes!

I hate to bring up those haunting memories that still keep most Yankee fans up at night. Who can forget Mo, one the greatest closers of all time, giving up that game winning bloop single to Alex Gonzalez in the 2001 Fall Classic to give Arizona the title. Then there was the humility of losing to Arizona and Detroit in the Divisional Rounds back in 2002 and 2005, respectively. But nothing can compare to the indignity of letting the hated Boston Red Sox take the American League pennant after jetting off to a 3-0 lead.

I still remember sitting at Glackens Bar & Grill, about a mile from the original Stadium, and saying to a fellow patron that I did not have the warm and fuzzies after Bernie Williams’ bullet down the right field corner bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double in Game 4. You see, the Yankees were up comfortably and Tony ClarkTony Clark, who was on first, scored on the play, but he was sent back to third because of the ground rule double. It seemed innocent at the time but that run was huge. Boston went on to tie the game in the ninth and win it in extra innings. In any other Major League ball park, Williams’ hit would have stayed in the field of play, allowing Clark to score that crucial insurance run that would have sealed the victory.

One bounce of the ball should have prevented the Yankees from becoming an unwanted part of baseball history as the first team to be eliminated from the ALCS after jumping out to a 3-0 lead.

When Mariano RiveraMariano Rivera recorded that final out on Sunday, there was a collective sound of relief coming out of Yankee Stadium. The fans, players and front office personnel all exhaled as the champagne rained all throughout the joint. Yes, everybody was excited about going back to the World Series for the first time in six years. However, most people, yours included, did not want to go through the thought of the Bronx Bombers having to wait another day to clinch the pennant.

Could you imagine the cloud of nervousness that would have covered this city between Sunday and Monday nights as we waited for Game 7? Oh my God, I think I would have left the City for that 24 hour period. The smallest thing would have set some people off. If you honk at somebody after a light turned green, you might have had an attempted murder case on your hands. Folks that you see everyday might have snapped at you just for saying hello.

Things would not have been pretty around here if we had lost on Sunday. You know my brethren in the media would have had a field day asking, “Are we in the midst of another Yankee collapse?” Television Networks, Talk Show Radio and the Blogs would have been filled with polls, debates and other forms of non-stop verbiage about how the Yankees were about to blow another series. It would have been sickening.

It would have been fair to subject this current crew to the barrage of questions that they would have endured should they had blown Game 6. The fact of the matter is that this squad is much better than their recent processors. The bolstered their starting rotation by adding CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. The addition of Mark TeixeiraMark Teixeira has made this team better with his bat as well as his glove. Melky CabreraMelky Cabrera and Robinson Cano have blossomed into above average Major Leaguers. And, lest we forget, they have the best bullpen in the Bigs. This team is as good, if not better offensively and defensively as some the dynasty teams. Now all they have to do is show that they have the mental toughness. Sunday was a good start.

Thank God we do not have to live that ordeal. We can put to rest all those frightful memories for the moment. The Yankees for now can look forward to playing in the World Series vs. looking at it on TV like the rest of us. But let me caution you on this. The Philadelphia Phillies are waiting with baited breath for Joe Giraldi’s Crew. They are not intimated or are in awe of the Bronx Bombers one bit. Moreover, they are just as talented as the Yankees.

Don’t get me wrong. I still feel that this team will prevail but it would not be a walk in the park. This current team has a certain magic or aura about it I have not sensed since 2000. They have that swagger to go along with that talent. They also have had a little luck go their way as well. All things considering, I truly feel that we will have another parade up the Canyon of Heroes in two weeks. Now that the demons are gone, the Yankees should not be stopped.