The New York Yankees, the most fabled franchise in sports history, won their 27th World Championship and their 40th American League Championship in this, their 108th year in existence. The value of this team is now measured in the billions of dollars, a striking return on the $8.7 million paid for the team at the last sale in 1973.
I was born a Yankees fan in Iowa, probably the only one in existence, a result of the mix up with the stork who was supposed to deliver me to the Rockefeller's of NYC instead of the Iowa farmers. To this day there is no better sports team in my own opinion.
Of course I have had my close up and personal moments with the Yankees thanks to my limited career in sports and the help of sports writers to get me in the Yankee dughouse with legendary teams of the 1960's and the old timer teams dating well back.
My own pictures taken from the dugout in the original Yankees Stadium include Mantle, Maris, Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Joe DiMaggio, and many other Hall of Famers from Yankee history.
When I worked for the Governor of New Jersey I got to know Yogi much better.
The Yankees franchise was founded in 1901, 108 years ago. The 40 American League championships and 27 World championships are unmatched in all of professional sports in America. In baseball the closest team is the St. Louis Cardinals with 11 World titles.
The Yankees were called the Baltimore Orioles until they moved to NYC in 1903 and the name was changed to New York Hilanders. In 1913 they were first called the Yankees and in 1923 Yankee Stadium was built seating an astounding 58,000 people, the largest sports stadium in America. It was indeed the house that Ruth built.
This year, 2009, the new Yankee Stadium was opened and in keeping with legendary tradition, the Yankees won the World Series the first year of the new stadium like they did the first year of the old Yankee Stadium back in 1923.
The Bronx Bombers will celebrate with the people of NYC with the traditional ticker tape parade in lower Manhattan down the Canyon of Heroes, a spectacle in itself. The parade will be Friday.
There is something soothing about a Yankees World Series win, as if maybe the world and all it's chaos can return to normal where heroes are recognized, people are compassionate, money is used to do good instead of fueling greed and God and country can again be honored.
