...going dancin'

...why the 2006 Yankees MUST cast away the demons

In one of the most notable marriages between cinema and sports, Tom Hanks proclaimed that there is no crying in baseball in "A League of Their Own."

But what does he know? He was just acting. He was born into being a cinema star, not a Yankees fan, which arguably takes more effort, patience and work.

Now, I know what you're saying: I've taken one too many foul balls to the head, but let me explain. The Yankees are the most storied franchise in sports -- they've been around since the early 1900s and have the most championships (26). So each year, spring training begets hope and October brings the promise of playoffs, but as I always tell my fellow Yankees lovers, all the time inbetween is just a formality.

Except for last year, when the Yankees came back from a 11-19 and 39-39 to edge the Red Sox for the AL East crown, the regular season is 162-game tune-up for the playoffs. In recent years, the Yanks have stalled or missed a gear in October.

It's gotten progressively worse. In 2001, Mariano Rivera, my all-time favorite player, Mr. Enter Sandman, himself, pitched a 1-2-3 eight inning in Game 7 of the World Series against the D-Backs. Until that game, he had one postseason blemish on his resume, and the next inning was supposed to segway to the coronation of a four-peat. However, an errant throw into center field here, a broken bat single there and the Arizona Diamondbacks - and their fans with those incessant white towels - were basking in our misery.

The following year, the towels were replaced by Rally Monkeys and a shotty bullpen. The Angels bounced us out of the ALDS in four games. In Game 3, the bullpen allowed five runs in four innings, and the next day David Wells - captain hangover/quitter - was bombed maybe literally. The Anegls went on to win the World Series.

And who could forget 2003. Never has the phrase risen from the dead been more approriate. The Yankees crawl from the grave was likely the most exhillarting baseball game in my memory banks. Brian, Ben and I epitomized the superstition inherant to all fans. We all sat in the same seats, uttered "I can't believe this!" 35-or-more times, and nearly wept when Grady Little left in Pedro Martinez.

I didn't pee for eight innings, fearing that any change in my biological make-up would effect the Yankees odds at victory. I never saw Aaron Boone's ball land for two reasons: I was on the floor screaming when the ball ducked into left field, then I missed the replay because I was in the bathroom. However, the Yanks, likely hungover from the Red Sox and unintrigued by the Marlins, blew a 2-1 World Series lead.

But all post-season mishaps pale in comparison to 2004. My chest tightens remebering how the Yankees blew a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the ALCS. At game 6, Brian and I were spectators in section 53 of the bleachers. I remember the awkward silence we shared, each sensing the impending doom. You know the rest.

Last year, the Bombers bowed out to the the Angels in five games. This year has to be different.

You can debate until you're blue in the face that the Royals/Devil Rays/Tigers fans have it bad. But they never have expectations to win, so their disappointment doesn't stem from expectations.

Yankees fans can boast about 26 championships, but for five seasons all baseball fans have revelled in the Bombers disapointments. Rooting against the Yankees, for some fans, is a bigger priority than their team's win-loss ratio.

Now, am I being selfish? Yes. I am the stomping brat in Toys 'R' Us, who is kicking and screaming tuntil he gets his Ninja turtle toy. And yes, I'm 22. Sitting at my father's knee watching Yankees games, being raised on the lore, it's like having a silver spoon in my mouth. So you kick and scream how Yankees fans are spoiled, we'll be the first ones to admit it.

We also know what it's like to be at the top of the mountain. I miss being there, so hopefully 2006 will be different.

...trivia answer

Done racking your brains yet? Well, the answer may shock you. It rivals the Louisiana Purchase on the Homer Simpson "DOH!" scale. This was one of the largest hoodwinks in history, let alone just baseball.

George Steinbrenner and minority partner Burke bought the Yankees from CBS for $8.7 million ($45.6 Mil. in 2005 dollars). Now, the Yankees value, with the YES Network's backing, likely soars over $1 billion dollars. That's about a 10,000 percent return on the investment.

Not bad.

On deck...the 2006 Yanks

...trivia time

Given we are in the midst of spring training baseball, I wanted to post a question for those avid readers of my blog.

When George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees in 1973 from CBS, how much did he and his group of investors pay for the Yankees?

Don't Google the answer, either.