so basically Peter Richmond would rather watch Horace Clark and Jerry Kenney than Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter? Got it. I'll take winning, thanks.
[1] You're absolutely correct. I would add, however, that the success of the Yanks needed both the purchases PR decries and the home grown talent (e.g., core 4).
I'm from an earlier generation; the Yanks always seemed to skim off better talent from other teams (KC Athletics used to be called the Yankee's farm team), and then there were some other key additions like Roger Maris who were far from home-grown..... and while it was before my time, there was a certain George Herman Ruth who kinda/sorta helped the Yanks at one time.
The one thing I've noticed the past few years, especially people my age, is the nostalgia for our childhood when the Yanks had some lousy years. Being able to get in the park cheap is part of it. Maybe even losing is part of it too. I was listening to the end of the game on Saturday and even though the Yanks lost the crowd was into it and that was cool--the non-front-running fans making some noise.
(3) I've noticed that from some fans as well, and I think people are conflating having nostalgia for one's youth with having nostalgia for a terrible baseball team. Which, whatever that's fine...but it makes for some terrible writing.
I totally get having a longing for being 17 again, what I don't get is having a longing for watching Kevin Maas get 500 ABs.
I wonder how much of this nostalgia is also a subconscious way of establishing one's bona-fides so as to stand out from the legions of bandwagoners and establish a bit of superiority over the same from other fanbases (the pink hat Sox fans, rally monkey era Halos fans, etc.)
On the flip side, there's a lot to be said for hanging onto certain touchstones from one's childhood. Scooter's voice, Bill White, the Channel 11 Yankees theme song, etc. Pags manning 3rd base in his Quaker-ly way, Rickey being Rickey, Winfield stealing a homer, launching a missile, or whiffing huge, and at least we had Mattingly and Rags, the best in the game at what they did.
They all remind me of being a kid. That counts for something, whether the team sucked (as they did in 1990 when I was 12) or they were winning (the dynasty years coinciding with my college years.)
The Yankee ticket prices have kept me out of the stadium this year (especially switching to Ticketmaster) but I still root for them. I bought the MLB app so I can listen to the game without listening to Sterling/Waldman.
You do have to take into consideration that times change faster now than they ever have before. Trends come and go much quicker, technology evolves and adapts much quicker and in essence, makes our lives change and grow older and quicker. I look at the Yanks from the 80's as a whole different entity from the Yanks of today because of the advent of social media, metrics, PEDs, etc. Things that we only dreamed about then are pat and parcel today, even acclaimed and demanded. It does make a tangible difference.
so basically Peter Richmond would rather watch Horace Clark and Jerry Kenney than Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter? Got it. I'll take winning, thanks.
[1] You're absolutely correct. I would add, however, that the success of the Yanks needed both the purchases PR decries and the home grown talent (e.g., core 4).
I'm from an earlier generation; the Yanks always seemed to skim off better talent from other teams (KC Athletics used to be called the Yankee's farm team), and then there were some other key additions like Roger Maris who were far from home-grown..... and while it was before my time, there was a certain George Herman Ruth who kinda/sorta helped the Yanks at one time.
It has ever been thus.
The one thing I've noticed the past few years, especially people my age, is the nostalgia for our childhood when the Yanks had some lousy years. Being able to get in the park cheap is part of it. Maybe even losing is part of it too. I was listening to the end of the game on Saturday and even though the Yanks lost the crowd was into it and that was cool--the non-front-running fans making some noise.
(3) I've noticed that from some fans as well, and I think people are conflating having nostalgia for one's youth with having nostalgia for a terrible baseball team. Which, whatever that's fine...but it makes for some terrible writing.
I totally get having a longing for being 17 again, what I don't get is having a longing for watching Kevin Maas get 500 ABs.
I wonder how much of this nostalgia is also a subconscious way of establishing one's bona-fides so as to stand out from the legions of bandwagoners and establish a bit of superiority over the same from other fanbases (the pink hat Sox fans, rally monkey era Halos fans, etc.)
On the flip side, there's a lot to be said for hanging onto certain touchstones from one's childhood. Scooter's voice, Bill White, the Channel 11 Yankees theme song, etc. Pags manning 3rd base in his Quaker-ly way, Rickey being Rickey, Winfield stealing a homer, launching a missile, or whiffing huge, and at least we had Mattingly and Rags, the best in the game at what they did.
They all remind me of being a kid. That counts for something, whether the team sucked (as they did in 1990 when I was 12) or they were winning (the dynasty years coinciding with my college years.)
The Yankee ticket prices have kept me out of the stadium this year (especially switching to Ticketmaster) but I still root for them. I bought the MLB app so I can listen to the game without listening to Sterling/Waldman.
Though I will say, given the Yanks likelihood of missing the postseason, I am rooting for the Rays -- anybody but the Sox, really.
You do have to take into consideration that times change faster now than they ever have before. Trends come and go much quicker, technology evolves and adapts much quicker and in essence, makes our lives change and grow older and quicker. I look at the Yanks from the 80's as a whole different entity from the Yanks of today because of the advent of social media, metrics, PEDs, etc. Things that we only dreamed about then are pat and parcel today, even acclaimed and demanded. It does make a tangible difference.