Legendary Home Grown Yankee?
Yes, i am a Mets fan. No, unlike a lot of my friends, i do not hate the Yankees. When i was a kid, the Yankees sucked. It was that fairly small time when living in New York City meant Mets Baseball. Life was good.
But that's a story that ive told before, probably more then once.
Anywho. Topic at hand.
When i was a little kid, a few things really stick out from that time period.
Elvis dying. My Mother and her best friend were huge fans, i remember how upset they were.
John Lennon Murdered. My Father is a huge Beatles fan, so therefore so am i.
Thurman Munson dying. im a Mets fan, but remember how sad people around me were when he died.
Thurman Munson started his Yankees Career in 1969, the year after Mickey Mantle hung 'em up. Mantle replaced Joe D, the lineage goes back through the Yankees History.
After Munson died, the Yankees were without a mega-home grown star until 1982 when Mattingly was given a cup of coffee.
Mattingly carried the torch from then until Derek Jeter took hold of it.
That was 1995
1995 was 17 years ago (wow. think about that for a minute my fellow over 40ers)'
ive been a baseball fan since 1978. Yes i love the Mets, but i love Baseball.
Derek Jeter is a touch more then 3 years younger then i am. His best days are behind him on the diamond. Nothing wrong with that, we all get old.
But heres the thing, whos going to take the torch from him?
Some say Cano. But Cano turns 30 this year and has much to accomplish to be the next in the LONG line of home grown Yankee Greats. i dont think he can do it, to quote Yoda "He's too old"
for the last few years i was sold that Jesus Montero was going to be the one, the "savior" so to speak that would keep the lineage alive. Well, he was traded this winter. So no Jesus Saves will be occuring in the bronx.
Its strange to say it, but i think we're entering a time period that is not very familiar to anyone that has followed baseball for a long period of time. A time of the Yankees not having that home grown superstar.
