Can’t really hate the Yankees that much anymore

Since 2004, when the Red Sox won the World Series and my hatred of “ultra-market AL East teams that buy championships” began to spread between two different teams, I’ve started hating the Yankees less and less. Yes, I know.

A byproduct of this change is that I now get to objectively appreciate the few quality personalities in the Yankees franchise.

One of these is Jeter, who you really can’t help but like (c’mon, admit it). He plays his ass off, he shuts his mouth, and he, in Peter Gammons’ words, doesn’t care about anything but winning:

[Jeter] was asked what he thought was his best year in the major leagues. “I’ve had four great years,” he said. “1996, ‘98, ‘99 and 2000.” [Note: those are all Yankees championship years] In Jeter’s mind, VORP and OPS and Runs Created cannot determine great from good and bad seasons, only rings.

I mean, be honest, have you ever heard a better answer to question like that? In a world where I often cringe at the inability of athletes to provide the most obvious of neutral cliche answers to questions, it’s refreshing to see a response that demonstrates real engagement to ‘just winning’. He’s the Tom Brady of baseball (or maybe Brady’s the Derek Jeter of football) - he plays on a team you hate, but you can’t help but wish he was on your team.

The other two guys from those Yankees teams that I can really no longer hate are Torre and Rivera. For that reason, it is actually fun to see Steinbrenner take it on the chin from one of the players most responsible for their past success, as Rivera sticks up for his manager.

Rivera’s contract also is expiring and he is eligible to become a free agent. He said whether Torre returns will help determine whether he remains with the Yankees.

“It might do a lot of it,” he said. “I mean, I’ve been with Joe for so many years, and the kind of person he has been for me and for my teammates. It’s been great. The thing is that I don’t see why they have to put him in this position.”

You don’t see this kind of thing in sports every day. The message? “You can get rid of Torre, but you’re going to have quite the PR nightmare as I tie myself to him.” My guess is Torre still goes and the team effectively is blown up.

The best part about that? Maybe all of these guys that I like will be on other teams next year and I can start hating the Yankees again.