Dynasty Rules

     

                                                 

       Yesterday, the Hahn, Humpty, and Canty show was at the Mariano Rivera Charity Golf Tournament. While on my lunch break, I happen to get a glimpse of the guys interviewing Mariano Rivera. They were asking him to compare his dynasty to what appears to be a budding Yankees dynasty. What stood out to me the most was the he said that everyone chipped in, it was not one person over another. The current Yankee club is not where the mid to late 90’s club, but it appears to be heading in that direction. The question appears to be what makes a dynasty and how can this Yankee club evolve into one.

   Let’s take the what exactly is a dynasty in sports. A dynasty comprises a group of core players who develop together to eventual win for years to come. In baseball, you would have 1 or 2 pitchers anchoring the rotation, followed by key pieces behind them. The bullpen would have a shut out closer with key component pitchers in the bullpen.The position players would be a mix between up and coming stars and veterans. A dynasty is about a team that grows together and learns how to win together. The current team that fits this description perfectly is the Golden State Warriors.

   The Yankees of the late 90’s and early 2000’s were a dynasty everyone wishes they can replicate. They had the perfect fit of stars, role players, and coaches. Today, if a team has money that can overpay for a bunch of players, but it does not mean that it will work out. The team I thought that was close to being dynasty-like was the Royals, but apparently that was not the case. If the Houston Astros can win a few World Series, they could be baseballs next dynasty. The question that comes to mind is if the Yankees have what it takes to create another dynasty.

    They have a lot of young players set in place on the Major League roster like Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Did Gregorius. They also have a lot of prospects in their system waiting to come up like Clint Frazier and Dustin Fowler. They also have the pitchers in their rotation and farm system. We see the Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery are performing better than expected.  Knocking on the door is Chance Adams and eventually Justus Shiefield. Right here we have a young nucleus that could provide that excitement for years to come. The other part is the veterans.

    For every dynasty of young core players, there are a few veterans that are there for leadership skills and to provide for the team other intangibles. During the 1996 championship run, the Yankees had Wade Boggs, Paul O’ Neil, and John Wetland. The last image I have is Charlie Hayes catching that last out and Wade Boggs riding around Yankee Stadium on a horse. The veterans are seasoned and know how to play the game differently than the younger players. With the mix of right veterans to compliment the young players, the team can bud into a dynasty.

   The current Yankees team has the foundation for years to come as far as being a dynasty is concerned. The only concern for me is if they will have the right leadership guiding them. Joe Girardi can guide the them, but will they place the proper veteran presence around them. For every Derek Jeter you need a Paul O’ Neill and every Andy Pettite you need a Roger Clemens, which is something they currently do not have. Brett Gardner, Chase Headley, and CC Sabathia are all nice players, but I do not think they are what the Yankees are looking for in veteran pieces. Once we see a complete and clicking team, they will be unstoppable for years to come. This is just the infancy stage of this dynasty, once it gets to its teenage years, as they say in New York, “Fugget About it!!!”