So there has been this blog bat around that's been circulating the past few weeks. It basically a challenge to show a team you hate some cardboard appreciation. As a Red Sox fan, it's pretty obvious which team falls in the "Most hated" category. Those Yankees aren't the "Evil Empire" for nothing you know!
As shocking as it may be, the truth is the Yankees are very much ingrained into who I am as a person and as a collector. It's time for some confessions!
Confession #1: I was once a Yankee fan!
It's true! Granted, I was only 5 or 6 at the time. Still somewhere out there are pictures of me wearing a Yankees cap. My first ever "favorite player" was a Yankee too! I was apparently a Reggie Jackson fan, although I don't remember why. It's also probably no small coincidence that my interest in baseball waned around the time Reggie left for the Angels...
Confession #2: A Yankee was the reason my dad became a Braves fan.
My dad was never a hardcore baseball fan, but he did enjoy the sport. The Braves were his team, although he never wore a braves hat or owned anything to express this fandom. I always thought it was just because they were frequently on TV, thanks to TBS regularly showing their games. Those games were probably how I became reintroduced to the sport and reigniting my own fandom. What I learned years later was that my dad started following the Braves because a Yankee player he liked joined Atlanta. He couldn't even remember the name of the guy, but I was able to figure out it was Chris Chambliss.
Confession #3: Even a Red Sox fan like me was excited to pull a Yankee out of packs.
When you collect cards, you learn who the big names are. In the late 80's, Don Mattingly was one of the biggest names around. It didn't matter what your team allegiance was, if you opened a pack of cards and found a "Donny Baseball", it was a good pack!
Confession #4: The #1 card in my collection features a Yankee legend.
This is the big one.
I've mentioned this before, but my parents took me to a card show in Niagara Falls as a gift for one of my birthdays. It was there that I got to stand in line to meet one of baseball's all time greats. The autographed card is a reminder of one of the greatest moments in my life as a collector and baseball fan. It's the one card I treasure above all others.
Confession #5: I married a Yankees fan!
Love can make you do crazy things. My wife is a Yankees fan, thanks in no small part to her father, who was born in Brooklyn. Despite being on opposite sides of the field, our marriage is going 20 plus years strong! Like every other female Yankee fan, she liked Derek Jeter, and I must say there is a small ego boost knowing that I rank above him now (I hope...)
Confession #6: Yankee Stadium is a pretty awesome place to watch a game.
Yes, I wore my Red Sox shirt, and yes, Yankee fans were quick to throw some not so nice words in my direction. Despite that, I enjoyed atmosphere and the game. Having the entire stadium erupt when "Enter Sandman" played gave me goosebumps.
Confession #7: Yankee history is baseball history, and I can appreciate that.
Maybe it's easier to appreciate now that the Yankees aren't winning the World Series every year, but I can appreciate Yankee players and what they've done in their career. I was too young to remember Ron Guidry's peak years as a Cy Yong winner and one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, but I was no less appreciative to get his autograph on a baseball. Watching Aaron Judge is must see TV, and I can't help but think watching him feels like watching guys like Reggie and Mantle in their primes. I may not root for the Yankees to win, but I root for a good baseball game and the Yankees consistently provide that.
OK, that's enough Yankee appreciation for one day! Go Red Sox!
