The New York Yankees are the most storied team in sports, that is something that few will disagree with. People are usually either fiercely loyal Yankees fans or diehard haters. The media as a whole however falls in to the category of fiercely loyal Yankees fanatics. At a recent game, the Yankees faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers experienced more than twice the normal media, and from a photographers perspective all the spots in both wells were occupied, something that has not happened for any other game this season other than opening day. Clearly there is something about the Yankees, but what is it?
Now, let it be known I’m writing this from the perspective of a Yankees fan but when I’m on assignment I try to be an unbiased photojournalist. However I was amazed with the number of media there for the Yankees series. On Friday, the first game of the series and the only one of which I was on assignment for, the horde of media was ridiculous. At one point writers and photographers stormed the grass, which is considered off-limits to those who are not team-personnel, it was insanity — control of the field was seemingly lost by security.
I did an informal poll of the media and most of them were not actually from New York but were from Los Angeles outlets that don’t always cover the Dodgers. For some reason (and based on my conversations with people who travel with the Yankees, it is this way everywhere) local media love to see the Yankees come in to face their team. It clearly isn’t because the home team will win, in fact the opposite result usually occurs with the Yankees winning 22 of their 40 home games so far this season, tied for second best road record with the Angels behind only the Tampa Bay Rays. Now it clearly is not the fact that local media are coming to see their team get owned – or is it?
The Yankees roster of superstars, both in terms of stats and salary; Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter surely is one factor. People want to, to steal a Nike marketing phrase, “Be a Witness” to greatness. But is this greatness the only reason people come? If I recall, the Texas Rangers never had this tpye of media following when they had Juan Gonzalez, A-Rod, Mark Teixeira, Pudge, Rafael Palmeiro and Michael Young on the same team, but they also weren’t winning.
Now since it clearly isn’t completely due to the Yankees extreme load of talent, maybe it is due to their winning history. This seems to be the most plausible answer, at least when combined with media following. Let’s consider that the Yankees and Kansas Jayhawks Men’s Basketball have similar insane numbers of media, though for different sports. They are both winning teams that have a chance to win their respective championship every year. This is it. The fact that the Yankees are a championship contender and that there is always a story there. Is Jeter going to win more World Series rings than any other person in history? Will Mo Rivera be the overall saves leader? Will A-Rod break Bonds Aaron’s career homerun record?
These possibilities at history are what people come for. The aura that athletes of the caliber capable of garnering such impressive career feats attracts a media circus. People like to write about winners and those that amaze them and this is why the Yankees have their own private media circus that travels with them. Maybe Griffey was right to be a Yankees hater, he was able to have all the attention to himself. Now if my conclusions are true maybe Jamie Moyer should get this kind of following, he does hold the career home run record after all….for home runs allowed.
-Andrew
