The End of the Empire
The word Empire is defined as a state that extends dominion over areas and populations distinct culturally and ethnically from the culture at the center of power. A true empire has a ruler who governs over a group of people or nations. Whether it was Darius’ rule of Persia, the Roman Empire under Trajan, or Alexander’s conquest of Macedonia, every great empire has seen its share of dominating victories that will stand the test of time. The last century has given us one Empire, donned the moniker “Evil” by many, who has dominated the world of professional baseball since the dawn of the sport. Since their first World Series championship in 1923, The New York Yankees have accumulated 26 World Series titles, and in a league of copycats, were considered the model franchise, and stood alone atop the mountain. But having last held the championship trophy in 2000, the Evil Empire has slowly been disintegrating, watching every battle lost create new chinks in the armor.
As a fan of pinstripes, my formative years were defined during what Buster Olney refers to as the Paul O’Neil – Tino Martinez Era, as my Aprils in college were spent shotgunning beers with my buddies watching The Bombers hoist the hardware 4 out of 5 years. But with the joyous days of college ending in the spring of 2001, the flourishing empire crumbled with it, and as following “fair weather” isn’t my thing, I have stood on the front lines witnessing the downfall of the empire. Starting with Game 7 against the Diamondbacks in 2001, to failing to close out the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS, seeing our 5-star general Joe Torre dishonorably discharged, and most recently, replacing the House That Ruth Built with a metropolis of modern day capitalism that hemorrhages money and has chosen to leave the souls and smells of the past buried under a pile of taxpayers’ money. Its internal dimensions are an exact replica of the hallowed grounds of grass and chalk lines which now seem like an afterthought to the concession stands, memorabilia stores, luxury boxes, and museum like displays of greatness past. Instead of an homage to the history of the greatest empire in the history of sport, in only 2 months, it stands as the example of how the misuse of money and power will lead to the crumbling of any great civilization.
The evening of May 4, 2009, brought rain to the Bronx, and with it, a two-hour rain delay for the Yankees’ first home game of the season against their arch rivals from Boston. Although a diehard Yankee fan, I no longer live in New York, and must watch the game from my couch, which sits 2,800 miles away in Los Angeles. Considering ticket prices in this new monstrosity, my seats don’t look so bad, as the price is definitely right. The game didn’t start until about 9:30pm EST, and what I saw next was all the information I needed to know the demise was upon us: empty seats. As Philip Hughes took the mound at the top of the 1st inning, the center field camera gazed towards the plate, and I could count more empty seats than I could people in them. In the past, a Yankees vs. Red Sox ticket would be one of the most sought after tickets in professional sports, and there would never be an empty seat in the House. But with ticket prices as high as $2,600 per seat, and an economy that is having even the most dedicated fans prioritize family over fandom, there are more vacancies than occupants in the $1.5 billion House That Steinbrenner Built. The Steinbrenners, the greedy family of emperors at the helm of this declining dynasty, have made it next to impossible for the average fan to enjoy a day at the ballpark, and have turned the greatest franchise in the history of baseball into just another money hungry corporation looking to maximize revenue. With a payroll hovering around $210 million, and a $161 million burden to taxpayers for the building of the new stadium (coincidentally, the same amount as newly acquired pitcher C.C. Sabathia’s 7-year contract), the Yankees may be the next corporation to request a federal bailout when quarterly revenues do not meet expectations. To make matters worse, hundreds of fans awaiting the start of the game were told by stadium employees that the game last night would be cancelled due to weather and left the ballpark, only to not be let back in when the game started due to a strict no re-entry policy. In a stadium that has been unable to sell out since opening, you would think the Yankee organization would be paying the fans just to put butts in the seats, and would never consider turning its loyal subjects away at the gates.
Last night, I witnessed the end. The Empire is no more, and the loyalty of its fans is slowly, and rightly, fading away. It’s sad to see the decline of such a great empire, although the texts I receive from my friends who are fans of either the Angels or the BoSox shows me that not all people are sad to see its demise. And in some sadistic way, neither am I.