The Yankees season wasn't supposed to end with such heartbreak. It was supposed to be 27 in 07. Not an early exit to the season.
It wasn't supposed to end this way.
This was a season that started off so badly, where the Yankees posted a 21-29 record at the All Star break. They were 14 1/2 games out of first place. Everyone aside from the Yankees and their fans counted them out.
It wasn't supposed to end this way.
This was a season where the Yankees came storming back, posting a 73-39 record in the second half, the best in the majors. This was a season that saw the emergence of young stars, where the "Big 3" of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy made their debuts. This was a season where 9 Yankee pitchers made their starts for the first time. This was a season that saw the return of Yankee product Andy Pettite, and Yankee favorite Roger Clemens out of retirement. This was a season that boasted milestones for many players. Roger Clemens won his 350th career game. Mike Mussina won his 250th career game. Andy Pettite won his 200th career game. Chase Wright, Matt DeSalvo, Tyler Clippard, Kei Igawa, Edwar Ramirez, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain all recorded their first major league victories. Hideki Matsui hit his 100th career homerun. Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th career homerun. Shelley Duncan hit his 1st career homerun. Johnny Damon hit his 2000th career hit.
It wasn't supposed to end this way.
This was a season that boasted career best numbers for Alex Rodriguez, who obliterated opposing pitching with his MVP caliber numbers. He batted .314 with 54 homeruns, 156 RBI's, scored 143 runs, and had a slugging percentage of .645, the previous four stats all leading the major leagues. Jorge Posada, a career .277 hitter, exploded by hitting .338, a career best at the age of 36. In fact, he boasted the best numbers by a Yankee catcher since Yogi Berra.
It wasn't supposed to end this way.
This was a season full of turn-arounds, comebacks, and the never-give-up attitude. After such a poor start and an incredible turn around, they were supposed to win it all. Is the Cy Young Award type season from Chien-Ming Wang a waste? Is a career best season by Jorge Posada a waste? Is the MVP season of A-Rod a waste? Is this the last time that we will ever see Joe Torre, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Bobby Abreu, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettite in pinstripes? I hope not.
That's why you can see it was so easy for me to cry last night. This season, this team, so full of potential, and yet they don't make it very far in October, where it matters the most. Everything seemed so sure coming into the playoffs, but nothing is certain, especially in October. I'm not ready for this season to be over. I'm not ready to see a Yankees uniform without a black armband around the left arm (for the death of Cory Lidle), and I'm not ready to see a Yankees uniform without that armband and the number 10 sitting on top of it (for the death of Phil Rizzuto). I get emotional, and the thought of the season being over, so many people possibly never wearing pinstripes again, it just sobers me up. Everything is just to hard to digest still, after about 12 hours of this pain. My heart and my mind stay with the Yankees, but the wounds are still too raw. I can only hope for the best in 2008, with all the young talent and seasoned veterans the Yankees roster will produce.
Here's to a great season! Go Yankees!
