It was the year of 1975; we did not have cable television. We had a T.V that was literally a piece of furniture, I remember my mom setting pictures and other types of room decorations on top of it. The one thing that really stood out to me was this big black box with a dial on it with metal antenna looking thing standing out to the side sometimes with aluminum foil hanging off it.

I remember when we would turn the T.V on and try to see what was on through the static and vertical lines jumping from side to side. Then my Grandfather would get up and move the antenna arms from side to side up and down until the picture was somewhat visible then you can enjoy the program for a few minutes until it was time to cycle through all three available channels we had to watch, of course with changing the channel meant adjusting the antenna to a position where you might be able to put up with the picture you have. Needless to say at that time period with only three channels, baseball games were not televised like they are today. Baseball was broadcast on Saturday afternoons and Monday nights that was the extent of it.

I grew up in Upstate New York so naturally my family were New York Yankees fans, I would sit with my grandfather in the breezeway and listen to the radio broadcast of the game. Listening to Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer and Bill White was the beginning of a fanatic stage for me. Just listening to them relay to you with just voice gave you a visual of what was really happening on the field. They would paint such a picture for you that you could close your eyes and visualize what was happening just like you were sitting behind the Yankees dugout on the first base side. When the game got a little slow Phil Rizzuto would tell stories of the old days when he patrolled shortstop at the stadium.

I remember sitting out on the sidewalk of my street with my childhood friends gathered around the radio listening and hanging on every word that was broadcast and rooting our beloved Yankees on, I remember eating Reggie bars named after the great Yankee right fielder Reggie Jackson. Yea that’s right Reggie bars, they were round chocolate patties with caramel filling. I bet I still have some stored in my closet with my baseball cards, we all collected. We would do this every night. Then go into our homes and wait for tomorrow to come so we can do it again.

Every Monday when my mom would bring home the T.V guide from the Star Market , I would grab it from the shopping bag and look to see if the Yankees would be televised on Monday Night Baseball at 8 o’clock, then I would turn the pages and go right to Saturday to see if they were on then. If we were lucky enough me and my friends would get together at one of our houses and watch the game, it was the greatest thing ever to be able to see your heroes on T.V.

That year The Yankees had a good season finishing with a record of 83-77 but not good enough they finished behind the Boston Red Sox and yes That’s when it all began, The Red Sox from that point on became my hated rival and that still stands true today.

In 1975 I watched that World Series on T.V and that was one of the greatest World Series I have ever seen to this day. The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Boston Red Sox in 7 games.

In October 1976, the Yankees faced the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series, The Yanks and Royals played in an outstanding ALCS that wasn’t decided until Yankees first baseman Chris Chambliss slugged a game winning walk off homerun into the right center field bleachers, sending the Yankees to the World Series. I remember watching this game in my living room sitting 2 feet from the T.V, as I always did with my mother warning me it’s going to hurt your eyes she said which I debated with her, today I wear glasses if that tells you who was right in that situation. The Yankees went on to face the defending champion Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. That’s where my celebrations ended. The Big Red Machine with star power like Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, and Tony Perez tore through the Yankees and swept them in 4 games.

Fall of 1977; The Yankees beginning of a dynasty in my opinion once again made it to the ALCS and defeated the Kansas City Royals again in 5 games to move onto play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

1977 World Series was a great series from a Yankees fan stand point I’m sure others would disagree. The Bronx Bombers led by Mr. October Reggie Jackson aka “The Straw That Stirs the Drink” who slugged 3 home runs off of three different pitchers in Game 6 of the World Series to add another championship to New York. I watched game six from my bedroom trying to be quiet so I didn’t wake the rest of the family who had to be up early the next morning.

The 1978 Miracle Season: The Yankees found themselves 14 ½ games behind the hated Boston Red Sox only to rally back and tie them after a 162 game season. The Yankees traveled to Boston for a one game playoff which again they found themselves trailing until the Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent or as they call him in Boston Bucky Fuc**n Dent who belted a Home run over the green monster which eventually would give the Yankees a 5-4 win sending them again to the ALCS. The Yankees then defeated the Royals in four games and were heading to their third consecutive World Series.

The Yankees faced the Los Angeles Dodgers again in the World Series. The Dodgers got off to a fast start and defeated the Yankees 11-5 in game 1 in L.A, this one was not even close. Game 2 was very competitive but ultimately the Dodgers won again taking a commanding 2 game lead in the series. The series was now shifting to the Bronx New York for games 3, 4, and 5. I remember get ready to watch game 3 and thinking we have to win this one, the Yankees are home and we will get back into the series. Ron Guidry aka Louisiana Lightning was on the mound and was poised to get the Yankees back into this. Guidry was a 25 game winner this season and was just what the Yankees needed. Greg Nettles made two defensive gems in this one and saved at least 4 runs with his glove. The Yankees would go on to score 3 runs in the seventh and went on to win game 3, it was a series again. Game 4 began and the Dodgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead the Yankees pecked away and eventually won the game 4-3 in 10 innings. From that point on in the series the Yankees had their number and pounded the Dodgers 12-2 then moving back to L.A to defeat them 7-2 and take the trophy back to it’s home.

As kids having your favorite team win 3 consecutive World Series was like a dream, the young kid in me was thinking we would win every year this is easy, but then as you grow up you quickly find out nothing is easy in life, nothing is given to you. This isn’t the way it is always going to be. The Yankees did not win another World Series until 1996, when a new set of wide eyed kids came to the Bronx, led by a small skinny kid from Michigan named Derek Jeter. Jeter was accompanied by Bernie Williams Andy Pettite, and Mariano Rivera. This group of guys would be known as the Core Four. These guys together would go on to do great and memorable things in New York; they again won the series in 1998, 1999, and 2000. This was great time again to be a Yankee fan only this time I knew it wasn’t supposed to be this way I knew it was due to hard work, team play, and an abundance of talent. The Yankees did not win another Championship until 2009. It is now 2019 and loyal Yankee fans are just waiting for the next one. Number 28 hopefully I will be around to see it. Today in this day and age of the satellite television, MLB.com, ESPN, and several other streaming devices, you can watch games from your I Pad and cell phone, It is a great time to be alive. I can only imagine what the future brings. But you know what? I would never give up my memories of sitting with my grandfather in the breezeway or sitting on the curb with my childhood friends listening to Yankees baseball on a transistor radio. It was a great time to be a Yankees fan. But then again when is it not. Thanks for reading