Klapisch: Yankees making it feel like 1996 all over again
HOUSTON – It wasn’t long ago that I likened the Yankees to the ’84 Mets, a young, surging team that would win a championship within two years. That’s how I felt about the Bombers – a perfect blend of kids, veterans and karma that would render them unbeatable by 2019.
But the evolution has hit warp speed, beginning with a dramatic comeback against the Twins in the wild-card game and ending with a gripping takedown of the Indians, the American League’s best team, in the division series.
Now I’m starting to believe this is 1996 all over again, as the Yankees continue to gain confidence with each October conquest. The oddsmakers still love the powerhouse Astros in the league championship series, but suddenly it’s become a tough pick. If you accept that history repeats itself, the parallels are strong enough to suggest the Bombers could engineer a second upset of a 100-win team.
For one, the Bombers’ comeback from an 0-2 deficit against the Indians followed the same script after losing the first two games of the ’96 World Series against the Braves. The National League champs were so unimpressed with the Yankees – winning both games in the Bronx, no less – they were overheard in the clubhouse saying the Bombers didn’t even belong on the same field with them.
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The Indians surely felt the same way, needing only one victory to finish off the Yankees in the division series. Every advantage should’ve been theirs: a deciding Game 5 on their home turf, their ace, Corey Kluber, ready as the last line of defense, and the belief that the Yankees’ newcomers – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, Greg Bird – would all crack under pressure due to inexperience.
They were wrong, just as the Braves were wrong. For the all expectations of a dynasty, the Braves won just only World Series, in 1995, followed by a blur of October disappointments. Now it’s the Indians who’ve been added to this list of history’s biggest chokers. They’ve blown six chances to win an elimination game in the last two seasons.
They were up 3-1 on the Cubs in the 2016 World Series and lost. And they squandered those first two wins against the Yankees before collapsing - or as a devastated Terry Francona said, “the season comes to a crashing halt.”
No wonder the Bombers believe they’re special. Same as that Core Four sensed 21 years ago as they were body surfing their way to a World Series ring.
“I’ve been around for (seven) years, played for three different teams, and I’m telling you the truth, there’s something different about these guys,” Todd Frazier was saying on Thursday. “You walk in this clubhouse and it’s like everyone has been playing together their entire careers. Most clubhouses aren’t like that. You don’t find chemistry like that.”
Frazier has quickly become one of the Yankees’ biggest personalities – street smart and loose and sarcastic, as Jersey as it gets. The third baseman isn’t the most talented hitter in the lineup, not by a longshot, but his baseball instincts and decision-making processes are extraordinary.
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Wouldn’t you know it was Frazier who made the heads-up play of the division series, scoring all the way from first base after Brett Gardner’s RBI single in the ninth inning Wednesday night – taking advantage of Francisco Lindor’s bobble of Jay Bruce’s throw to the infield.
Frazier isn’t fast, but he crossed the plate amidst the Indians’ confusion. That was the Indians’ last gasp in October. Frazier beat them with a heads-up play and intuition that can’t be taught. He’s a latter-day Paul O’Neill, just as Gardner is Mariano Duncan and Didi Gregorius is a young Derek Jeter.
And here’s one more connection: Joe Girardi has rallied his players the way Joe Torre did '96. The Yankees rallied around Girardi after he cost them Game 2, so heavily criticized on social media it was almost a given GM Brian Cashman would be looking for a new manager next week.
But Frazier said the Game 5 victory "was for Joe." The veteran spoke up during a team meeting before Game 3, realizing Girardi was near his breaking point. It’s rare to see professional athletes dedicate themselves to a manager or coach, but the Yankees clearly had Girardi’s back. That’s how it played out for Torre, too, as the Bombers finished off the Braves only a day after Torre’s brother, Frank, had received a heart transplant.
It was an irresistible story, impossible to root against. Americans were in lock-step with the Torre family - even Braves fans found a place in their heart for Frank and Joe. These Yankees are just as easy to like. There’s no talk of the Evil Empire with this crew, just uncomplicated story lines and players without egos.
Listen to Aaron Judge answer question about his strikeouts, or Gregorius modestly wave away comparisons to Jeter, or Frazier being told he’s now running the clubhouse.
“Oh come on, not me,” he said with a laugh. “Everyone on this team is a leader, which is what makes us different. Believe me, I’m not that guy.”
The Yankees may or may not roll that goodwill into an upset of the Astros. Personally I think Houston’s lineup will be too much to handle, but this much is certain: iIt’ll be a fun ride through the LCS. Who doesn’t love a little déjà vu?