Joel Sherman

Joel Sherman

MLB

Yankees core made for the last great dynasty

I was at a function last year, chit-chatting with a few folks at the bar, when one of the attendees, who described himself as a lifelong Yankees fan, said, “What are we going to do next year after such a disgraceful season?”

My response essentially was: Your team won 95 games. Set a home run record. Drew more than 3 ¹/₂ million fans for the ninth straight year. Reached the playoffs for the 17th time in 18 seasons. Won a round of the playoffs to reach the ALCS.

If that were disgraceful, what did that mean for the 26 teams that finished playing before the Yankees? The guy shook his head as if he understood and then began, “But, still …”

It was just another moment when I realized the impossible life the Yankees have established for themselves in this era — nothing ever was going to be good enough.

So it felt right — on the occasion of Mariano Rivera Day and Andy Pettitte’s last start ever at the Stadium (assuming no second un-retirement or the Yanks making the playoffs) — to praise, not bury, these Yankees. Because I hope the most spoiled and dissatisfied of their fans can understand and appreciate this: No team is ever doing again what they have done for the last 21 seasons — 21 straight years over .500 and in contention, 17 playoff trips (probably 18 if the season were not halted in 1994), seven pennants and five championships.

It created forever memories, but also impossible standards. The blame begins with the organization, notably George Steinbrenner, who created a championship-or-humiliation doctrine.

As an aside, I will say this: The most noble team of this entire era was the 2001 Yankees. They won on muscle memories and fumes, and because their collective will would accept nothing else. They should have lost the Division Series after going down two-games-to-none to the A’s but flew cross-country to win two in Oakland then back to New York without an off-day to clinch in Game 5.

They beat the 116-win Mariners in Round 2, and they probably should have lost the World Series seven-games-to-nothing or six-games-to-one, so badly were they outplayed by Arizona. But with the greatest closer ever on the mound, they were two outs from winning a fourth straight championship. Rivera buckled, the Diamondbacks won and Steinbrenner ranted in the clubhouse in fury about how things were going to change around here. He was worse than the fan at the function.

The Boss should have gone around and hugged every one of those players and thanked them for all they had accomplished — made more meaningful in the aftermath of 9/11. But this was the monster he unleashed. Glory or gloom — no respectful middle ground. No appreciation of the length and brilliance of the run.

This is 21 years. The Phillies arguably had their greatest five-year run — five — from 2007-11. Look at what the price has been the past two seasons. The Nationals’ expected dynasty so far is one playoff appearance in 2012. The Red Sox missed the playoffs the past three years and fell to complete humiliation last season.

I know folks will talk about the huge payrolls and, of course, they help. But the Phillies responded to winning by upping and upping their payroll and, again, look where that has left them.

The Yanks are not the only club with large payroll disparities over division rivals year after year. Consider, in 2013, for example, the Phillies have nearly double the payroll of the NL East champ Braves. The Angels have more than double the payroll of the likely AL West champ A’s. The Blue Jays also more than double that of the perennially contending Rays. It is one thing to have the money, another to make the playoffs year after year after year. How have the Angels looked the past few years, as an example?

I suspect even having the money and the willingness to spend it will not help teams nearly as much in the future. Not with rules in place limiting how much clubs could spend in the draft and international markets, not with more organizations than ever having the financial wherewithal to keep their best players out of free agency. The Yankees never again will be able to operate like the George Steinbrenner Yankees.

And here is the other thing that never will happen again — that any organization will bring up in a short span five homegrown players who will have the longevity, year-to-year excellence, grace under pressure and team-oriented nature of Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams.

If you were starting a team from scratch and could pick what you want, how different would it be from those traits attached to a switch-hitting catcher and center fielder with power and patience from both sides, an all-world shortstop, an unflinching lefty starter and the best closer ever?

That group made sure the Yanks have not picked toward the top of the draft for two decades. But even if you had the first pick every year, you are not coming up with that quintet. No shot.

Now, it is almost all gone — just Jeter promising his return from ankle devastation.

And this is what I wished the Yankees fans who think it is a divine right that the team wins it all every year would understand and appreciate. This has been unique, unrepeatable. You have been witness to the definition of extended brilliance.

I know, I know, but still …