Why am I a fan?

Before I start... anyone remember the "How You Doin'" song series that played on Z100 and around the Stadium between 1999 and 2003?

I just found their CD, though I'm not desperate enough to get it.... if you hear the tracks on the CD, you can tell that the songs started to sound played out by 2003...

However, I just wanna hear from Joey Baseballs and Carmanooch one last time, maybe making a version of "How You Doin'" for a possible Subway Series, perhaps? Or even just for the playoffs? It'll be the best thing to hear on Z100 since Justin brought sexy back a few months ago...

But anyway, let's bring it back to the original questions Prez put out there in a forum topic...

1. "So why are you a fan? What made you a fan?"

When I was growing up, home videos proved that I was groomed to be a Mets fan. I had the Mets jacket, the Mets cap, and I even had the cocky Mets demeanor. I was this way all the way up to 1995. I started to watch TV, especially sports, more heavily than before. In that year, my allegiance within baseball and basketball were made. I became a Yankee fan and a Knicks fan that year. Though I am a disgrunted Knicks fan (screw you, Dolan!), I still love the team, especially doing the Patrick Ewing era. As for the Yankees, if this blog isn't a testament for my love of them, nothing can.

What mades me a fan though? Maybe it's how closely I follow the team. Maybe it's the reason why I read the Times, Post and Daily News. Maybe it's the reverence I show for my Mariano Rivera jersey. Maybe it's the fact that I have a "game cap" and my "going out" Yankee caps. Maybe it's that I have so much Yankee stuff on my walls at home and at school that the walls are ready to fall with all the Yankee awesomeness.

But maybe... maybe, it's because the Yankees are a part of my identity as a person. Maybe it's because it brought me so many friends that I never thought I would have. Maybe it's because the Yankees are becoming more of my life every day I write in this blog, see a game, chat at the Yankees Empire, wear my "going out" cap, and go to the Stadium.

What makes me a fan? My love, appreciation, admiration, and dedication to my Yankees, period.

2. "What games in you life stand out and you will always remember good and bad?"

There are so many I can think of, but I'll go with three.

a) May 10, 2006: I talked about it here, but the reasons why I'll always remember the game: it was my first Yankees/Red Sox game, Schilling got bombed, A-Rod was "clutch" and hit a HR to put us in the lead, and the rush I got from repping my Yankees in the midst of an absurd amount of Red Sox fans in the Stadium.

b) November 4, 2001: Mariano gives up the blooper and Arizona wins the World Series. I remember that I was completely stunned of the moment, but I don't remember being upset really. As cliche as this sounds, we all needed that World Series for obvious reasons. It had absolutely "perfect" games, as perfect as you can get in baseball. You have Game 4 with Jeter's walk-off, you have Game 5 with one of the most clutch performers in Yankee history tying the game with a HR (Brosius), you have the Yankees sending O'Neill with amazing cheering in Game 5, and you have the improbable happen in Game 7. By far, it was the best World Series I have ever seen.

c) October 16-17, 2003: I have been practicing this call almost every day, and I do it for the people on the subway going to Yankee games. Let's see how good I am with this...

"His first at-bat of the game... there's a fly-ball, deep into left, it's on its way, there it goes, and the Yankees are going to the World Series! Aaron Boone has hit a home run! The Yankees go to the World Series for the 39th time in their remarkable history. Aaron Boone, down the left field line. They are waiting for him at home plate, and now, he dives into the scrum! The Yankees win it 6 to 5!

Ball game over! American League Championship Series Over! Yankees win, the Yankees win!"

I just finished my homework when Boone hit his HR. I ran out in my underwear and I celebrated with my mom and grandmother downstairs in the kitchen for 5 minutes. I even ran outside in the house to celebrate... yes, only in my underwear.

It was amazing, to say the least, and a moment I will never forget.

3. "Who are some of your favorite players that we let go? Who are some of your favorite flops?"

Though I still like A-Rod over Soriano, Soriano is up there. Jon Lieber is up there as well. Andy Pettitte is also up there.

Flops: Brien Taylor. Period.

4. "Who are the top Yankee players in your lifetime?"

To state them all is rather silly, so I'll just say Jeter and etc. and just move on.

5. "Can you spot a bandwagon fan from a mile away? If so, what do you tell him/her? Are you a classy Yankee fan? Or, do you fit into the "typical Yankee" fan stereotype?"

Whenever I hear the voice of a girl screaming "Jeter! Jeter!" who won't listen to reason or debate, that's my sign to know that the person's a bandwagon fan. I don't say anything to them because it would be useless. I am a classy Yankee fan who gives respect where respect is due. However, I can be a jerk, which can be fun at times. Seriously.

6. "How do you feel about our future? Are we building another dynasty? Damon, Jeter, Bobby, Alex, Jason, Matsui, Sheff, Cano, Jorge?"

As EJ from the Fire Joe Torre blog states, we have incredible pitching depth in the minors. Melky, Cano, and Wang shows what our farm system can reap and sow. Unlike the Red Sox (Cla Meredith, Anibal Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez), we didn't deal our cream-of-the-crops within our farm system. As more teams are paying and buying players as well as increasing payroll (the Mets and Blue Jays, among others), the Yankees did their best to reduce their payroll by 10 million dollars by Opening Day this year.

We're going on the right track. As my high school principal used to say about us at Paramus Catholic, "there's no better time to be a Yankee fan."

Happy reading!

B(rent)