The Fall of the Yankees

For Red Sox fans watching the frenzy of halos and rally monkeys last weekend in Anaheim, it was impossible not to feel a deep sense of respect for the Angels. Overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, the Angels were able to defeat the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and remind us all that the Yankees do occasionally lose in the playoff. So we offer our congratulations to the Angels, who will face the Minnesota Twins for the right to move on to the World Series. But we also extend our most heartfelt sympathies to the Bronx Bombers, who will be watching the World Series from their couches this year along with the rest of us. After all, there’s no reason to hate the Yankees.

Except maybe the $140 million payroll. And the obnoxious bandwagon-jumping fans. And Jason Giambi abandoning Oakland. And the embarrassment of riches that is trading for Jeff Weaver, who they don’t even start, but who would start on every other team in baseball. And trading for Raul Mondesi because you’re the only team capable of doing so, and hey, another All-Star-caliber player never hurt anybody.

And Joe Torre, who will go down in history as one of baseball’s best managers. Winning a few World Series with the Yankees and being called one of the best managers of all time is like getting a rocket launcher for your birthday, taking out a couple cars and being called one of history’s best marksmen. Managing the Yankees to the World Series should, in theory, be about as challenging as piloting a washing machine through the spin cycle: Insert money, watch it go.

And George Steinbrenner. When it’s all said and done, this man will have nothing in his defense but having inspired a couple very good episodes of Seinfeld.

And the horrendously biased media coverage. If we have to hear the words “mystique,” “aura” or “magic” again, we would have to ritualistically sacrifice a television. And by “ritualistically,” we mean “suddenly” and “violently.”

And the fans who call WFAN in New York arguing that Paul O’Neill will go down in history as a better ballplayer than Barry Bonds.

But today, at least, all is right with the world. For truly the Angels, a team that doesn’t come close to matching up with the Yankees on paper, were guided in this series by a higher power.

There are so many other teams to like. Minnesota is the best story in baseball; their own owner wanted them to lose last year and they barely dodged contraction. St. Louis is playing out of its mind in memory of fallen pitcher Darryl Kile. Oakland won 100 games after losing Giambi and not adding much payroll. Bonds has playoff ghosts to shake, and even the people who like the Braves the least realize they should have won more than one puny world championship over the last decade. And the Angels are the saviors of baseball.