Yankees fans watched their team win four World Series in five years in the late ’90s and it felt like their dynasty would never end.
It did — and for nine years the Yankees have gone without a title. But now the Bombers have a chance to embark on a similar run. The same can be said about the Phillies, who have an opportunity to win back-to-back Fall Classics this week. Dynasties are rare nowadays, but that does not mean it is impossible, especially when talking about teams as talented as the two that are participating in this year’s World Series.
“The Yankees are alwways competitive and for the most part the Phillies are, too,” Fox analyst Tim McCarver said. “It might be a little premature, but if the Phillies win this year, then you start talking about things like that.
“It’s so difficult because of the movement among major league players, free agency things like that. I think the Phillies were very smart with the early signing of Raul Ibanez, who has had immediate success in Philadelphia. That’s the type of signing, along with Pedro [Martinez] that leads to success of dynastic proportions.”
The Phillies have a head start because of last year’s championship, but the Yankees have the cash to outbid most any team for free-agent talent. The Bombers flexed their financial muscles this offseason by bringing in CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira — three guys the rest of the American League will have to deal with for the foreseeable future — to an already talented bunch.
“Thank God they are not pitching in our division, we only have to face them twice,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who is joining Fox as a special pregame analyst for the World Series.
“I think the Yankees did a tremendous job of picking the best two pitchers in the game last winter. That’s the reason they are where they are right now. When those guys come to the mound, they expect to win, especially with CC.”
But Guillen, who led the White Sox to their first World Series title in 85 years in 2005, knows how difficult it is to repeat, let alone build a dynasty.
“Each occasion is different and every time they go to the World Series, it’s a month, month and a half of extra work,” Guillen said. “The springtime comes right away and you get distracted if somebody picks you to win and then some players put a lot of pressure on themselves. There are so many things that go into a season that makes repeating so difficult.”
There’s one player, who will almost certainly end his career in pinstripes, that could make that type of run possible again for the Yankees.
“I have all the respect in the world for Joe Girardi, but there’s one guy that pulls that team together and that’s Derek Jeter,” Guillen said. “He is the guy that everyone looks up to.”
justin.terranova@nypost.com