I just got back from Troy New York.
The annual New York State Baseball Hall of Fame was held there.
This Hall of Fame is for some of the great baseball players and coaches and executives that have been a part of New York State baseball.
The honorees in the Major League Baseball category were Buck Schowalter, Jesse Barfield, Don Mattingly, and Yogi Berra.
Yogi was represented that night by his son Larry and his granddaughter Lindsey.
While they were talking about the greatness of the man I couldn’t help going back in my mind and remembering 1976. In the immortal words of Sir Yogi… it was Dejavue all over again!
I remember losing to the Cincinnati Reds, the fabled big Red Machine in four games. After the last game, George Steinbrenner met in the manager’s office with Billy Martin and Yogi Berra.
He was pretty hot. He felt embarrassed about being swept. Billy really didn’t say much. However surprisingly Lawrence Peter Yogi Berra with a smile on his face said … Boys we have not been in a World Series in twelve years ( 1964 vs The Cards ) and we have not won one in fourteen years ( 1962 vs The Giants ). Do you guys understand that we were just in the big stage, the World Series? Well, George if I was you I would just keep on doing your magic and let Billy do his and I guarantee you that we win next year. At that point, with a big smile on his face he walked out of the office. Mr. Steinbrenner and Billy had puzzled looks on their faces. The looks said that Yogi either is a true genius or that Yogi is nuts.
Well, I’m gonna have to go with plan A. Yogi was a genius because the Boss continued his magic and got Reggie Jackson and Don Gullet the following season and Billy guided us to a World Championship versus the Dodgers.
Now you go forward to 2024 and we are in a World Series after a fourteen-year hiatus and we lose to a very strong Dodgers team in five games.
With a couple of adjustments, we could have gotten into a seven-game series and then all bets are off. We will never know.
As I was listening to Larry and Lindsey Berra speak I could almost hear Yogi saying they did good Ray … tell Hal they did good!
Well Hal this is a message to you.
You are no longer the little boy that I used to babysit when your dad was running the ship back in the 70s. You are our leader. Our Boss. You have gotten us back to the World Series during a period when it’s a harder task to get there because of the complicated playoff structure. Yet you and Cashman, Levine, Boone, and staff got us there anyway.
I don’t know about you Hal, but I’m very proud of the great accomplishment this season. All of New York should be. That doesn’t mean that we are going to settle for second best. After all, we are the fabled Yankees.
With that being said, I can’t wait for next season and what tricks you and the staff have up your sleeve.
Hey, young man as your one-time baby sitter and present-day Yankee employee let me just say… You’re doing fine kid, You’re doing fine. I think Yogi Berra would agree with me!!!
