Even after the Yankees' disappointing shut-out loss, 3-0 to the Astros, it's hard to let them go. If you're a New Yorker, you know this struggle. This season has been a rough one for Yankee players and fans alike, but as a New Yorker, I still can't get enough of them. You know that you'll never be able to pick a different favorite team. Derek Jeter's smile will pull you back every time, and set you straight on who your favorite team really is. Here are 25 reasons why New Yorkers will always be in love with the Yankees.
1. Derek Jeter.
Look at that smile. Need I say more?
2. A history we can get behind.
Fun fact: the Yankees actually started off in Baltimore, after losing a fight to be a New York City team. They finally made it back to New York after a long fight by the owners in 1903. They were given the nickname "The Yankees" from the New York Americans (doesn't get more patriotic than that) from the New York Press. The official name was changed to the Yankees in 1913.
3. Pride about Babe Ruth.
Babe Ruth is, arguably, the most famous baseball player of all time, and he ended up on the Yankees (take that, Red Sox). That's yet another part of Yankee history that makes them the greatest team of all time, and one that fans won't give up on. Not to mention he really pulls off the pants tucked into socks look.
4. Also Yogi Berra.
Yogi (R.I.P.) had arguably the coolest name in all of baseball, and he was a Yankee. Maybe his real name was Lawrence, and maybe he was on the Mets for a little while, but he was on the Yankees for the longest and then returned as a coach, so, we'll let this one slide -- right into home.
5. Everyone looks good in Yankee hats.
If there's one thing New Yorkers appreciate, it's style. Anyone can rock a Yankees hat. Beyonce is wearing a Yankees hat. This, obviously, means we are the best team in America.
6. Yankees say inspiring things.
“A team is where a boy can prove his courage on his own. A gang is where a coward goes to hide.” Mickey Mantle (another Yankee with an awesome name).
7. They bring us together.
Eighteen days after 9/11/01, a postponed Yankee vs. White Sox game took place at Yankee Stadium. While the players questioned whether or not a baseball game so soon after 9/11 was appropriate, it was something New York City needed. It gave New Yorkers a semblance of normalcy after a horrific event that left New York City in shambles. Even White Sox fans gave the Yankees a standing ovation, proving just how much the Yankees mean not only to New Yorkers, but to the rest of our country. This game meant to New Yorkers that no one and nothing could keep us down.
Baseball is often termed as America's pastime. Even if you think you're too cool to be patriotic, you have to admit baseball is a huge force in bringing Americans together. When something becomes powerful in that way, it becomes more than just a game. For New York Yankee fans, baseball is more than a game, and the team is more than their wins or losses. For many New Yorkers, the Yankees stand for everything New York City has accomplished, endless possibilities and never giving up. That's what really gets us Yankees fans going when someone shouts play ball.
