It’s hard to be a Yankees fan

Yankees fans get a bad rap. Yeah, there are some crazy ones that get a lot of attention, and the New York media doesn’t help matters, but generally speaking, if you know a Yankees fan, you know someone who is very knowledgeable and passionate about baseball. More importantly, you know someone who, no matter how crazy things get in the Bronx, is aware that, yes, it is kind of crazy. These folks spend most of the offseason doing the following things:

1. Rationalizing, apologizing for and, when necessary, translating the wacko stuff that first George and now Hank Steinbrenner says;

2. Explaining to non-Yankee fans that just because the New York tabloids claim to speak for the fans, doesn’t mean they really do; and

3. Trying to reconcile their support of Yankee players in light of the fact that many Yankee players are damaged individuals.

Here’s a prime example of number 3 from my favorite rational Yankees fan, Jason at the blog It is About the Money, Stupid.

The rose goes in the front, big guy.


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tadthebad
15 years ago

I always thought of Jason as the rare Yankee fan…c’mon, Craig, don’t lump this good man in with the rest of the psychopaths wink (considering the post, that smile is just for you, Jason).

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

Awwww, you guys…. (tears welling)

Yes, the NY press generally SUCKS.  Just riling people for the sake of selling papers (which is their job, after all).  That Joel Sherman article the other day about Pettitte being a phony was a prime example of that.  DUMB.

Yes, I try to defend the undefendable (did I make up that word).  I didn’t want to use “defenseless”. 

Yes, most of us, Yanks fans, are embarrassed by Hank and most other people related to George.

Yes, we know how obnoxious it looks that our team has targeted EVERY free agent.  It’s not dissimilar to the guy driving the Corvette to make up for other shortcomings. 

Yes, we know our team wears the bulleye and we can handle it.  (But we hate when other teams get a pass.)

Yes, we hate pink baseball hates with a B on it.

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

*hats, sorry.  Freud called.

MooseinOhio
15 years ago

Craig,

I agree with you that many Yankee fans from NY tend to know the game well and while often coming off as arrogant they tolerable to be around.  However I struggle with the Yankee fans who are not, or have no family roots, from NY as they tend to be the more obnoxious and over the top fans.  Case in point – the many born and raised in Ohio Yankee fans (Lebron??) who would wear their brand new gear around and spout off about how great the Yankees are but not know anything about the team, their history, or the fact that the Clippers were the farm team. 

What is interesting is that the Red Sox have a similar fan base (i.e. Red Sox Nation) and I can typically vet out true Red Sox fans pretty easily.  It takes just a few quick questions.  Ask what they think about RemDawg or what’s the latest talk in on The Sons of Sam Horn tends to trip them up.  Questioning them about the Jack Clark/Matt Young signings or an old school question about the Yawkeys typically reveals their real status as a born and raised Red Sox fan or a band wagon jumping, Johnny come lately fan.

rufuswashere
15 years ago

Two other (kind of) hard things about being a Yankee fan:  telling casual baseball fans that no, the Yankees are not in contention every year (those of us who were fans in the late 1960s/early 1970s rooted for some pretty lousy teams), and that yes, losses can be heartbreaking even when your team has had historically unprecedented success (see in particular 1960, 1995, 2001, 2004).

Not expecting any sympathy here, just stating some facts!

Pete Toms
15 years ago

I saw 4 games at Yankee Stadium.  If you’ve been there I don’t know how you can hate Yankee fans.  They know their ball stone cold and they LOVE their team.  Baseball matters in NYC, a LOT. 

@ Moose.  It’s funny that you mention Yankee fans outside NYC being obnoxious.  The 1 big league game I attended this past season was Yanks vs Jays in Toronto.  It was a Sunday afternoon game and we ended up sitting beside a Yankees fan, from Niagara Falls Canada.  He was hammered for the 1 PM start ( young guy, that’s ok, been there done that ), wigga type, chains, tatoos, hip hop style Yankees hat.  Anyway, he was REALLY into it, telling all the Jays fans how great the Yanks are, A Rod the greatest player in the game, etc. etc.  Didn’t bother me, I found it a nice change from the quiet indifference that is typical at Jays games, but the other fans in our section couldn’t stand the guy and eventually some thick necked jock types intimidated him into shutting up.  He disappeared about the 6th.

Anyway, I asked the Yankee fan during the game if he’d been to Yankee Stadium and he had not.  But somehow I think he had concluded that if you’re a Yankee fan, that his type of behavior is expected.

tadthebad
15 years ago

Quick question: Are Red Sox fans and Yankees fans pretty much interchangeable to those who aren’t fans of either club?  I mean, nowadays the Sox fans tend to receive the most criticism, but way back in the ‘90’s and early 00’s I think the Yankees fans drew more ire.  Is this observation accurate, and if so, is it simply a result of success?

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

Pete, and that’s all media driven.  That kid THOUGHT that’s how he SHOULD act. 

Can the fans at Yankee Stadium be obnoxious and crude… damn straight, particularly against the RedSox.  Especially if there are ones so bold to wear the colors into the Bleachers.  There’s fandom and then there’s stupidity!  Ditto in Fenway; I don’t dare wear my #15 away jersey to Fenway. 

I do love the park though.  Totally unique.