What I am thankful for: Yankees Edition
In
2017, the Yankees gave their fans a lot to be thankful for after an unexpected
run, which displayed glimpses of an extremely bright future. On a holiday that
is designed around the theme of being thankful, I decided to give thanks to the
baseball team I spend hours and hours watching throughout the season. So, what
about the Yankees am I thankful for?
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| Photo Credit: AP |
This
could not have been an easier decision for one of the things I am most thankful
for. Being born in 1998, I was only able to truly enjoy the tailspin of the
great Yankees dynasty. Before 2017, the Yankees were a team of aging veterans
that had seen better days. The Yankees have never really been known to develop their
own young talent as they usually opt to trade away prospects for stars or sign
the most expensive free agents.
However,
in the summer of 2016, Brian Cashman decided to turn the page on the old
dynasty and begin the framework for the new dynasty. The Yankees farm system quickly
rose to the top of the power rankings and a plethora of that young talent was displayed
in 2017. In a year that was meant to be a bridge to 2018 and beyond, the
Yankees young core of players and savvy veterans outplayed expectations and
fell one game short from a World Series birth.
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| Photo Credit: NY Post |
All
of this came before Gleyber Torres, Justus Sheffield, Chance Adams, and company
even stepped foot on a major league field. I am thankful the Yankees are
setting themselves up for another extended run, that all of Yankee fans should
be thinking about while taking their first bite of turkey.
Making Yankees Baseball Fun
Again
Baseball
has been said to be on the decline with young viewing audiences due to its lack
of action and fun aspects that could reel in young people. When former Red Sox
legend David Ortiz on national television says he enjoys this Yankee team, they
have to be doing something right. Partnered with the declined play has been a
few seasons of less than stellar entertainment. The Yankees had not been
relevant in the playoffs in five years and the aging team lacked life and
enthusiasm, but the infusing of young, exciting talent rejuvenated veterans
like CC Sabathia and Brett Gardner, and we were able to witness some of their
most exciting moments to date.
Speaking
of moments, can you remember a season of Yankees baseball that had more
pinpoint moments than 2017? The comebacks, the walk-offs, the moonshots, the
shutouts, the thumbs down movement, and the pretend dugout interviews were all
mainstays in 2017. Every night it seemed like the Yankees were able to put on a
show and accomplish something that we have never seen before. While a team’s
solid win-loss record usually validates a successful season, I would argue that
the Yankees defining moments were what validated 2017 and made it truly a great
season of baseball.
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| Photo Credit: AP |
The
third and final thing I wanted to say I am thankful for is four all of our
readers here at the BBB. The Bronx Bomber Ball was the first Yankees platform I
was given the opportunity to write for, and I have been simply amazed at how
much we have grown in the eight months I have been writing here. We hope to
keep you guys reading all winter and we are ready to prepare you for what
should be an excellent brand of baseball that will be played in 2018.
Shohei Ohtani: Coming soon
All
of us here at the BBB wish all of our fans a happy and safe Thanksgiving and holliday season.
Article
by: Ryan Thoms
Follow @_TheRealRT_
Follow @BronxBomberBall
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