How to Be a New York Yankees Fan
Know the players., Try to recognize the game lineups, which don't change too much from the beginning of the regular season to the end., Watch for other names to come up from both the infielders, outfielders and catchers., Research and try to find...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know the players.
Although most of the current Yankee roster contains up and coming players who just recently came from the Triple A club as well as Starlin Castro (a young but talented second basemen who is a heavy hitter) and Didi Gregorius (the Derek Jeter-like shortstop player who has been playing with the Yankees since 2015), the Yankees have had such popular names such as Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera.
Know at least a few others to demonstrate your true fandom.
Recognize some of the famous historical players who have played with the team.
Although there are some that are as big as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio, there are others such as Mariano Rivera, Yogi Bera, David Cone, David Wells, Phil Rizutto who played with the team, following with Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neil, Buck Showalter, Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina, Hideki Matsui, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki and Don Mattingly (who later became the head manager of the Miami Marlins) and countless others.Get used to the name Brian Cashman, the name of the General Manager of the Yankees, who is the manager who elects to sign players to contracts, who has been the New York Yankees General Manager since the 1998 season.
He's the person to watch and hear about when big news strikes of big trades and big free agent signings.
And yes, you'll hear this name a lot if you are a true Yankees fan! -
Step 2: Try to recognize the game lineups
Recognize that most-often the Yankees lineup tries to stay constant, though there are times when the lineup changes due to health issues, which have impacted the Yankee team greatly from 2013 going forward., It's not just about the big names that make this team what it is today.
Like all sports, it's a combined effort and if just one player is down, the rest of the team slumps. (If one player is unhealthy, the rest of the team will show this health problem; as it has in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.) The Yankees have gone through various health constraints that led to some rather nasty losses where they could (and should) have won.
Look towards the use of our current Catcher Gary Sanchez, a former Yankees prospect who came up and immediately starting making a name of himself by hitting home runs, grand slams and even bringing in many runs in many tight situations that helped the Yankees win following all the devastating moves the Yankees were forced to make in 2016 due to the departure of several key players.
He was also the runner up in the Rookie of the Year voting in November 2016
- he was just that outstanding.
Aaron Judge who came up in the same games with Gary Sanchez, started out really good but cooled off and ended up playing hurt and later ended up finishing the 2016 on the disabled list for the remainder of the season (elbow.) In December 2016, the Yankees picked up left-fielder Matt Holiday in hopes of grabbing more home runs and hits.
Perhaps this will be the break the Yankees were looking for to back their young players with star talent. , Each year, the Yankees elect five players (the maximum number of starting rotation players allowed by MLB) who go out there at a set schedule to pitch in a series of a few games then try to repeat the performance over and over again throughout the year.
Although the Yankees schedule differs from team to team and location to location and from year to year, the 180 games tend to be more than needed to get them into the best position in the standings for them to win their division (or come darn close to it) in that year's schedule.
This rotation changes depending on what manager Joe Girardi needs in his players at that point in time each year, though he does try to elect a rotation during and in the days leading up to the regular season.
These players include Masahiro Tanaka, C.C.
Sabathia, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda, and a wealth of other pitchers who are coming up from the Triple A ball club in Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA., Although the Yankees obtained Aroldis Chapman again, after picking him up in December 2015 and trading him to the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, he comes to the Yankees again and is stoked for the 2017 season.
Days before he was traded to the Cubs, he threw his fastest pitch of 104 miles per hour.
As part of history, the closer role has been held by such players as Mariano "Mo" Rivera and John Whettland
- but both of these retired as a Yankee (Mariano Rivera), or were traded to other teams and later retired(John Whettland).
There have been others who in past years have come up and tried to help close games but were unsuccessful and are no longer with the Yankees.
We also formerly had Andrew Miller and David Robertson both of whom we lost. , It's not just about the players who come out onto the field day-after-day-after-day until they get hurt.
There are "substitute"-like players who work behind the scenes waiting for "just that right moment" to make their appearance when the manager Joe Girardi has to fill in these missing players. , Joe Girardi has been the manager of the New York Yankees since 2008, and although his first year with the team ended up with the Yankees missing the playoffs, in 2009 the New York Yankees won the World Series, the best "trophy" that is well deserved in baseball for the best team around.
Believe it or not:
Joe Girardi was once an MLB player for the Cubs, Yankees, Rockies, Cardinals and a bunch of other teams, had helped the team win several World Series rings (Yankees) as he caught the balls as their catcher.. , Although these coaches do change to names that are rather mistakable every year, recognize the pitching coach and batting coach as they come out to speak to the players.
These two coaches include the hitting/batting coach Alan Cockrell and pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Although few people know the trainer's name (Steve Donohue), it's good to know what this person looks like because you'll occasionally see them help their players off the field when the player gets injured on the field if you attend a game, or hear/read the newspaper and see their name for something they acted upon when health issues strike the team. , Learn about the Bleacher Creatures who used to sit in the stands and bring stadium-goers into the action with chants that still ring in most Yankees fans heads regularly. , This is the best place to find out news on the team's conditions and status of it's players and who's going where and what's happening.
This filtered log can be found online at here. , As with all MLB teams, the New York Yankees have a variety of locations they use for a farm system including their Gulf Coast League affiliate, all leading to their closest and next-level down from professional league at Trenton.
Their affiliates can be found under "Affiliate Information" here.
These teams include the Pulaski Yankees of the Rookie League, the Staten Island Yankees, Charleston RiverDogs and Tampa Yankees of the Single A leagues, Trenton Thunder of the Double A league and their Triple A (and close to professional league yet still not quite) the Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders.
Get to know the "up and coming names" of those in the farm system.
These players become more later, if and when they arrive at professional level.
Some of the Yankees top prospects are listed here, though some have tried out professional and couldn't compete or were injured and are rehabbing after surgery so were demoted back down to the minor league affiliates again until they performance can become back up to professional level. , Although George Steinbrenner, the former New York Yankees' owner passed away just recently (as of the 2016 season), Mr.
Steinbrenner's son Hal was able to take over and now has full ownership over the New York Yankees. , This will show that you know the team and are involved enough to have a favorite player.
Have a reason for choosing your favorite player: a play at a specific game, a skill or talent they have, their character or gamesmanship, etc.
Most people prefer Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, but you can like whomever you wish. , 2004 World Series winners, the bloody sock, Fenway Park, Carlton Fisk, Big Papi.
These words will get any Yankee fan/Red Sox hater riled up.
Know that Yankee fans hate Red Sox fans and vice versa.
If the Red Sox fans use these attacks, just use the 27 World Championships, 1978, Bucky Dent and a first pitch walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 to Aaron Boone in the 2003 ALCS to formulate a comeback. , The Yankees have a big rivalry with the Red Sox but that is not their only big rival.
The crosstown New York Mets play the Yankees in several games per year (several games at Yankee Stadium and several games at Citi Field) in what is known as the Subway Series, and is considered important for Big Apple bragging rights.
In 2000, the Yankees and Mets met in the World Series for the first time; the Yankees won in 5 games to claim their third straight title.
Another team that has become a big rival lately is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as they have eliminated the Yankees in the playoffs twice in the 2000s and are the only team to have a winning record against the Yankees since their dynasty began in
1996.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who have now shown to be contenders, are also growing rivals because an enormous number of Yankee fans attend games at Tropicana Field. , Did you know that the Yankees had a huge rivalry with the Kansas City Royals back in the '70s and '80s? In the years leading up to the Royals' 1985 World Series, the two teams often were pitted against each other in intense playoff matchups.
Surprise people by knowing such an extensive part of Yankees history like this, and other things as well.
However, be sure not to make a fool of yourself and claim that the two are still rivals, because they aren't.
The downfall of the Royals have made most fans of both teams completely forget about this rivalry until it is mentioned in the newspapers or on some websites occasionally. , Check out the external links, read the New York Times' sports section.
If you want to know about the Yankees' chances of winning each season, learn about other teams and their players, as this will give you a good idea of what games the Yankees can win, and which ones they can't. , The Yankees are an old team with a very rich history, and they also tend to have some of their own traditions.
For example, try getting to a game when they have their annual "Old Timer's Day"
where some of the Yankee greats from the past century have been there.
It is a tradition that many teams have tried to do, but none have been as consistent as the Yankees.
You can find out about Old Timer's Day and other Yankees promotions on the YES Network.
Visit Monument Park at least once in your life.
If you a dedicated Yankee fan who isn't planning on attending a game, a Yankee Stadium Stadium tour will get you to see this area.
Numbers of famous Yankee players that have been retired are included there, and some can be almost immortalized in this area.
However, if you are planning to watch a game, come past the area behind Center field to see this famous area. , A lot of baseball fans (especially Red Sox fans) say the Yankees won their past championships (e.g. 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009, etc.) because of their high payroll.
However, this is not the case.
Others argue that they won because of the Yankees' willingness to stay true to the team and play their best. -
Step 3: which don't change too much from the beginning of the regular season to the end.
-
Step 4: Watch for other names to come up from both the infielders
-
Step 5: outfielders and catchers.
-
Step 6: Research and try to find out the Yankees' starting rotation for its pitchers who pitch games.
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Step 7: Research and look for names that make up the closing and relieving pitchers roles for the Yankees.
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Step 8: Get to understand the remainder of the roster.
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Step 9: Get to know the manager of the team.
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Step 10: Get to know the remainder of the coaches of the New York Yankees.
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Step 11: Get to know what the trainer of the New York Yankees looks like.
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Step 12: Research the history of Yankee Stadium as well as the history of the Old Yankee Stadium (which got torn down during the 2009 and 2010 season).
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Step 13: Read the transactions log of your daily newspaper or online at the MLB.com website regularly.
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Step 14: Recognize the team's farm system.
-
Step 15: Get to know the family history of the owner of the New York Yankees.
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Step 16: Have a favorite player.
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Step 17: Get into the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox.
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Step 18: Understand the Mets-Yankees rivalry as well.
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Step 19: Research past rivalries.
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Step 20: Read about the team!
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Step 21: Get involved with Yankees traditions.
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Step 22: Learn how to argue well.
Detailed Guide
Although most of the current Yankee roster contains up and coming players who just recently came from the Triple A club as well as Starlin Castro (a young but talented second basemen who is a heavy hitter) and Didi Gregorius (the Derek Jeter-like shortstop player who has been playing with the Yankees since 2015), the Yankees have had such popular names such as Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera.
Know at least a few others to demonstrate your true fandom.
Recognize some of the famous historical players who have played with the team.
Although there are some that are as big as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio, there are others such as Mariano Rivera, Yogi Bera, David Cone, David Wells, Phil Rizutto who played with the team, following with Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neil, Buck Showalter, Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina, Hideki Matsui, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki and Don Mattingly (who later became the head manager of the Miami Marlins) and countless others.Get used to the name Brian Cashman, the name of the General Manager of the Yankees, who is the manager who elects to sign players to contracts, who has been the New York Yankees General Manager since the 1998 season.
He's the person to watch and hear about when big news strikes of big trades and big free agent signings.
And yes, you'll hear this name a lot if you are a true Yankees fan!
Recognize that most-often the Yankees lineup tries to stay constant, though there are times when the lineup changes due to health issues, which have impacted the Yankee team greatly from 2013 going forward., It's not just about the big names that make this team what it is today.
Like all sports, it's a combined effort and if just one player is down, the rest of the team slumps. (If one player is unhealthy, the rest of the team will show this health problem; as it has in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.) The Yankees have gone through various health constraints that led to some rather nasty losses where they could (and should) have won.
Look towards the use of our current Catcher Gary Sanchez, a former Yankees prospect who came up and immediately starting making a name of himself by hitting home runs, grand slams and even bringing in many runs in many tight situations that helped the Yankees win following all the devastating moves the Yankees were forced to make in 2016 due to the departure of several key players.
He was also the runner up in the Rookie of the Year voting in November 2016
- he was just that outstanding.
Aaron Judge who came up in the same games with Gary Sanchez, started out really good but cooled off and ended up playing hurt and later ended up finishing the 2016 on the disabled list for the remainder of the season (elbow.) In December 2016, the Yankees picked up left-fielder Matt Holiday in hopes of grabbing more home runs and hits.
Perhaps this will be the break the Yankees were looking for to back their young players with star talent. , Each year, the Yankees elect five players (the maximum number of starting rotation players allowed by MLB) who go out there at a set schedule to pitch in a series of a few games then try to repeat the performance over and over again throughout the year.
Although the Yankees schedule differs from team to team and location to location and from year to year, the 180 games tend to be more than needed to get them into the best position in the standings for them to win their division (or come darn close to it) in that year's schedule.
This rotation changes depending on what manager Joe Girardi needs in his players at that point in time each year, though he does try to elect a rotation during and in the days leading up to the regular season.
These players include Masahiro Tanaka, C.C.
Sabathia, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda, and a wealth of other pitchers who are coming up from the Triple A ball club in Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA., Although the Yankees obtained Aroldis Chapman again, after picking him up in December 2015 and trading him to the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, he comes to the Yankees again and is stoked for the 2017 season.
Days before he was traded to the Cubs, he threw his fastest pitch of 104 miles per hour.
As part of history, the closer role has been held by such players as Mariano "Mo" Rivera and John Whettland
- but both of these retired as a Yankee (Mariano Rivera), or were traded to other teams and later retired(John Whettland).
There have been others who in past years have come up and tried to help close games but were unsuccessful and are no longer with the Yankees.
We also formerly had Andrew Miller and David Robertson both of whom we lost. , It's not just about the players who come out onto the field day-after-day-after-day until they get hurt.
There are "substitute"-like players who work behind the scenes waiting for "just that right moment" to make their appearance when the manager Joe Girardi has to fill in these missing players. , Joe Girardi has been the manager of the New York Yankees since 2008, and although his first year with the team ended up with the Yankees missing the playoffs, in 2009 the New York Yankees won the World Series, the best "trophy" that is well deserved in baseball for the best team around.
Believe it or not:
Joe Girardi was once an MLB player for the Cubs, Yankees, Rockies, Cardinals and a bunch of other teams, had helped the team win several World Series rings (Yankees) as he caught the balls as their catcher.. , Although these coaches do change to names that are rather mistakable every year, recognize the pitching coach and batting coach as they come out to speak to the players.
These two coaches include the hitting/batting coach Alan Cockrell and pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Although few people know the trainer's name (Steve Donohue), it's good to know what this person looks like because you'll occasionally see them help their players off the field when the player gets injured on the field if you attend a game, or hear/read the newspaper and see their name for something they acted upon when health issues strike the team. , Learn about the Bleacher Creatures who used to sit in the stands and bring stadium-goers into the action with chants that still ring in most Yankees fans heads regularly. , This is the best place to find out news on the team's conditions and status of it's players and who's going where and what's happening.
This filtered log can be found online at here. , As with all MLB teams, the New York Yankees have a variety of locations they use for a farm system including their Gulf Coast League affiliate, all leading to their closest and next-level down from professional league at Trenton.
Their affiliates can be found under "Affiliate Information" here.
These teams include the Pulaski Yankees of the Rookie League, the Staten Island Yankees, Charleston RiverDogs and Tampa Yankees of the Single A leagues, Trenton Thunder of the Double A league and their Triple A (and close to professional league yet still not quite) the Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders.
Get to know the "up and coming names" of those in the farm system.
These players become more later, if and when they arrive at professional level.
Some of the Yankees top prospects are listed here, though some have tried out professional and couldn't compete or were injured and are rehabbing after surgery so were demoted back down to the minor league affiliates again until they performance can become back up to professional level. , Although George Steinbrenner, the former New York Yankees' owner passed away just recently (as of the 2016 season), Mr.
Steinbrenner's son Hal was able to take over and now has full ownership over the New York Yankees. , This will show that you know the team and are involved enough to have a favorite player.
Have a reason for choosing your favorite player: a play at a specific game, a skill or talent they have, their character or gamesmanship, etc.
Most people prefer Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, but you can like whomever you wish. , 2004 World Series winners, the bloody sock, Fenway Park, Carlton Fisk, Big Papi.
These words will get any Yankee fan/Red Sox hater riled up.
Know that Yankee fans hate Red Sox fans and vice versa.
If the Red Sox fans use these attacks, just use the 27 World Championships, 1978, Bucky Dent and a first pitch walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 to Aaron Boone in the 2003 ALCS to formulate a comeback. , The Yankees have a big rivalry with the Red Sox but that is not their only big rival.
The crosstown New York Mets play the Yankees in several games per year (several games at Yankee Stadium and several games at Citi Field) in what is known as the Subway Series, and is considered important for Big Apple bragging rights.
In 2000, the Yankees and Mets met in the World Series for the first time; the Yankees won in 5 games to claim their third straight title.
Another team that has become a big rival lately is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as they have eliminated the Yankees in the playoffs twice in the 2000s and are the only team to have a winning record against the Yankees since their dynasty began in
1996.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who have now shown to be contenders, are also growing rivals because an enormous number of Yankee fans attend games at Tropicana Field. , Did you know that the Yankees had a huge rivalry with the Kansas City Royals back in the '70s and '80s? In the years leading up to the Royals' 1985 World Series, the two teams often were pitted against each other in intense playoff matchups.
Surprise people by knowing such an extensive part of Yankees history like this, and other things as well.
However, be sure not to make a fool of yourself and claim that the two are still rivals, because they aren't.
The downfall of the Royals have made most fans of both teams completely forget about this rivalry until it is mentioned in the newspapers or on some websites occasionally. , Check out the external links, read the New York Times' sports section.
If you want to know about the Yankees' chances of winning each season, learn about other teams and their players, as this will give you a good idea of what games the Yankees can win, and which ones they can't. , The Yankees are an old team with a very rich history, and they also tend to have some of their own traditions.
For example, try getting to a game when they have their annual "Old Timer's Day"
where some of the Yankee greats from the past century have been there.
It is a tradition that many teams have tried to do, but none have been as consistent as the Yankees.
You can find out about Old Timer's Day and other Yankees promotions on the YES Network.
Visit Monument Park at least once in your life.
If you a dedicated Yankee fan who isn't planning on attending a game, a Yankee Stadium Stadium tour will get you to see this area.
Numbers of famous Yankee players that have been retired are included there, and some can be almost immortalized in this area.
However, if you are planning to watch a game, come past the area behind Center field to see this famous area. , A lot of baseball fans (especially Red Sox fans) say the Yankees won their past championships (e.g. 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009, etc.) because of their high payroll.
However, this is not the case.
Others argue that they won because of the Yankees' willingness to stay true to the team and play their best.
About the Author
Gary Kim
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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