Reflections on Defeat

By Mike Whiteman November 3, 2024 First, I want to wish our esteemed leader Paul a wonderful New York Marathon. This is a big, big deal, and the fact that he has run so many of these races is pretty darned impressive. I hope you have a great run, and I hope you have the opportunity to savor it as well.

We’ve had a few days to lick our wounds after the abrupt and devastating loss in Game Five of the World Series. I’ll confess, I was starting to dream of possibilities in the early innings of Wednesday’s game. A perfect and fitting end to this crazy, resilient, season would have been a comeback from a 3-0 deficit. Alas, it wasn’t to be.

Sports fandom is a wonderful thing, and it has enhanced my life greatly. I have had so many great memories and friendships from being a sports fan, particularly the Yankees. We also know that being a fan can feel cruel. The disappointment can feel severe. That being said, a Yankees loss as opposed to a victory doesn't impact my life much at all. While I enjoy wins, it's the journey that I cherish. All that in mind, I’ve been doing some reflecting on the ending of the Yankee season, particularly the topic of losing. There’s still a real human part to this defeat. We as fans can take it hard, but we don’t live it like those on the field and in the dugout. After the game a somber Aaron Boone said “It stings. It doesn’t just sting today. It stings forever”. Aaron Judge just looked devastated in his postgame remarks. Due to the gobs and gobs of money the players make, we tend not to feel sorry for ballplayers very much, even in the difficult times. For us this is leisure, for them it's a job. Successes can be fleeting, and as we witnessed in Game Five, failure can come on quickly. Along these lines, I'd strongly recommend folks tune to a recent Sports Spectrum podcast that featured Luke Weaver, and his frank discussion on failure. It's a rare, honest reflection from a professional athlete, and yet another reason why he is one of my favorite Yankees. Weaver gets it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjp2FTQ2OOw&t=269s

The Yankees are the most successful sports franchise in most of our lifetimes. Yet, they are not immune to failure.

My first brush with real sports disappointment was the 1981 World Series, when the Yankees jumped out and won the first two games of the Fall Classic, only to lose the last four and the series to the Dodgers. I was just stunned, as the Yankees of those times (coming off defeating Los Angeles in 1977 and 1978 Fall Classics) just didn't lose to the Dodgers.

The 2001, 2003, and 2004 seasons ended in crushing ways, with the Yankees in positions to win but eventually allowing victory to slip away. I'll add 1997 as perhaps the most consequential of modern Yankee postseason losses. Discussion of the 1998-2000 run of World Series championships often starts with the loss to Cleveland in the 1997 ALDS, and the sheer devastation - and later determination - felt by core players like Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, and Derek Jeter. Was the 2024 season a success or failure? In my mind, winning the American League pennant with the best record in the AL indicates a successful season. That doesn't minimize the sting of the World Series loss, and the feeling of missed opportunity. In addition to the AL flag, a lot of enjoyable things happened during the season. It was quite the journey! Even with the frustrating loss, I enjoyed the Yankees’ time back in the World Series. A lot. The excitement on the days of the games. The banter with Yankee and non-Yankee fans alike. The anticipation of something historic happening. The urgency and “win now” attitude of the teams.    I’m hungry to get there again. As offseason unfolds and decisions are made, I sure hope the Yankees are too.