While New York sports are glad to see this decade draw to a close, the Yankees were able to salvage a little bit of respect.
In what has been hailed as a lost decade for New York sports, the 2010s were not friendly in terms of doling out championships. The New York Yankees were certainly not innocent in this matter, but they also weren’t entirely the problem.
The Giants were the lone victor, coming away with a Super Bowl victory in the 2011 season. Elsewhere, the Mets were the only ones to even sniff a title during the past decade.
While the Yankees didn’t get to the World Series, they made the playoffs seven times, making it all the way to the ALCS on four occasions.
Is that something to celebrate? We all know that the preferred celebration would be that ticker-tape parade that runs through the Canyon of Heroes. The Yankees are a franchise familiar with success in every facet of the game. I mean, 27 World Series rings make that very clear. So a decade without a championship, the franchise’s first since the 1980s, can be deemed as nothing but a failure.
But when it comes down to it, the process of winning a World Series title is incredibly difficult. It’s a miracle the Bombers were able to be so successful in the late 1990s. With 30 teams all vying for the same title and 162 regular-season games to get through before the playoffs roll around, it’s a massive challenge.
And, my, oh my, has the game changed. More home runs. Stronger pitchers coming in with filthy pitches. It’s not all small ball anymore. No team won back-to-back championships, a feat that the Yankees have accomplished six times. The Yankees also won five World Series in a row at one point too. In fact, five of the final series went to the brink, going all seven games. It ain’t easy, that’s for sure.
But enough of the excuses. The Yankees didn’t bring home a title in the last decade. While that is disappointing in itself, what they did accomplish was still exceedingly impressive.
A lost decade, indeed, for the Yankees, who finished six of these 10 seasons with over 90 victories. The Bombers also led the league in runs scored for two of those seasons and finished second in five other seasons.
The Yankees also reemerged as the Bronx Bombers once again, crushing home run records and leading the pack in three seasons. With the ball beginning to fly out of the ballpark starting in the middle of the decade, they kept pace and still stayed out in front of the group.
The overall standings weren’t necessarily impressive. However, they fell below second place just twice in the final standings. They won the division three times, fighting against a resurgent Boston team and a scrappy Rays squad over the years.
Those appearances never included a World Series, but they did make it a lot further than plenty of other teams. And although they missed the World Series, each time they made it to the ALCS, they just missed going to the next level. Unfortunately, the cards were not in their favor this decade.
The decade showed Yankees fans a glimpse of what could be an excellent future. The Bombers trotted out names like Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres, all who took the league by storm the second they broke out at the plate. Still young, several have improved every single year, showing they are incredibly prepared for the next decade.
There was definitely significant disappointment throughout the decade. Any decade without a World Series championship is one to regret. Despite all the negatives, there were certainly plenty of positives, setting the Bombers up for a much better decade to come.
This decade draws to a close and so does the disappointment. Now, the Yankees can start anew. With Gerrit Cole, DJ LeMahieu, Judge and Torres in tow, it seems like they’re off to a hot start.
