As Red Sox have been faltering, the Yankees have been falling out of the sky dead

The New York Yankees website has a bolded title hanging in the foreground of its home page reading Yankees: a timeless legacy.

Now it is true that the boys in pinstripes have seen more World Sires titles than any other team in MLB history (27) and sure they have seen the greatest home run hitter in the history of baseball come through their town, and sure they have Mariano Rivera: a name that speaks for all the greatness its owner possesses but over the past few years and in this season in particular, the Yankees have been faltering. For the first time in so many years, fans of this team might not have much of a future to look forward to meaning that the best thing they have is what has already passed: the legacy.

After their inception in 1900, the New York Yankees formally known as the Highlanders began play in 1901 but struggled in their first few years in the MLB as they failed to make the playoffs every single year before 1921.

They made it to the World Series that year and did the same in the ensuing 3 seasons, winning it all in 1923. From then on, the Yankees left their 21 year playoff drought behind them winning 4 titles in the next 10 seasons and 6 more in the 10 years after that. 

For more than 40 years, New York was the city of winners snagging 20 of their 27 titles in that span from 1923 to 1962. Nevertheless, with the rest of the league getting stronger, New York’s championship decades soon became a thing of the past as even while forgetting the World Series, the team missed the playoffs 26 times over the next 30 years.

But nevertheless as the century turned into the year 2000, new names like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter rapidly turned things around in the Big apple as from 1996 to 2000 they would win the title 4 different times. Both Rivera and Jeter would win a world series MVP award through that stretch. From then on it looked like the Yanks were poised to dominate in a similar fashion to that of the early 1920’s but even with the additions of Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez, that was simply not the case. They would win just once more before 2010 a title that even though it came nearly 4 years ago remains their most recent in team history. 

Now in the 3 completed seasons since that 4-2 series win over the Phillies New York has been well less than stellar. They won the division twice but only on the slimmest of margins and in 2010 their year of title defense they barely managed to get into the postseason by winning the wild card berth.

But nevertheless, they HAVE made it in and HAVE succeeded as they have been to the ALCS twice in that 3 year span. But after looking less than Yankee like in 2012 the Big apple has been watching their team have one of their worst seasons of the new millennium in this 2013 and as it stands there is a slight chance that come October, there will be no baseball played in the Bronx: a shocking occurrence that has only happened once in almost 10 years but could soon become a regular theme.

Kicking off the season with two huge series’ against the Red Sox and Tigers respectively, New York went 4 and 2 in those 8 games and never really found their footing. By May 1st they were 17 and 10 and 2 games behind the Red Sox for the division lead. One month later their number of games above 500 began to shrink as in the month of May the Yanks fell to a record of 31 and 24 yet they were still just 2 games behind the Red Sox.

But nevertheless, it was in mid June that things really began to worsen for the Yankees as by June 15th they were just 6 games above 500 and by then they were a full 4 games out of first place. But that is only where their free-fall begins.

By July 1st, they were then 3rd in the division while boasting a record of 43 and 39 and managing a winning percentage of just .524. And worse, Derek Jeter seemed to be injured once again and Alex Rodriguez was once again right in the thick of a PED scandal that at this point in time might end his career. But still their decent had not bottomed out.

No, that low point came on July 27th when the Yankees were thrown a 2 hit shutout by David Archer and sank to a horrendously imperfect 7 and a half game deficit separating them and the division leading Red Sox.

Now for a normal team you would say something like “oh there is always next season.” But for the Yankees, that might not be the case… at least for a lot longer than 1 year.

Now no matter how wonderful Mariano Rivera’s march through baseball in this farewell season is, it has a flipside. No matter how heartwarming it was to watch Mariano Rivera jog out during the all-star game, there is a heart wrenching side of this all.

Mariano Rivera is a great closer and deserves to be respected on his way out but… Mariano Rivera is a great closer and on his way out one cannot help but see how deep down Yankees fans want to say something along the lines of “come on, one more year!” 

Why? Because the Yankees have no other prime closers within their ranks, a fact that produces a stunning number.

If you assumed that 25 percent of the games that Rivera has saved this season were not saved, a truth that with any other run of the mill closer, the team would have approximately 8 fewer wins to date. That tally that would have them sitting a whopping 15 games out of 1st.

But for NY, Rivera is not the only big piece of the puzzle possibly leaving next season.

After he was linked to the Biogenisis PED scandal back in January, the MLB has been constantly working to punish Alex Rodriguez. Fact is, Ryan Braun has already been suspended. For 65 games in fact and in the words of commissioner Bud Selig, an impending Rodriguez suspension could dwarf that handed down to Braun.

Now while it is true that the Yankees would much rather shoot A-Rod between the eyes rather than keep him in their uniform, his absence from the lineup will take away an average of 108 RBI’s a year.

Finally, the 3rd piece of this eroding puzzle is that man who played a pivotal role in leading the Yankees to those the World Series titles almost 15 years ago: Derek Jeter.

With persisting quad troubles keeping him out of the lineup, the 39 year old isn’t getting any younger and after nearly 2 decades in the MLB, one cannot help but wonder. Are Derek’s days numbered? 

Rivera is retiring, Jeter may be soon to follow and A-Rod will likely be getting the boot for a LONG time if not forever. The Yankees are no longer the dream team of the 1920’s or even the early 2000s, they are a ball club, smashed into pieces and watching idle as the waves of time sweep their best players away. Their window is closing FAST but the Yankees are not moving to beat time. Their window is closing fast but after looking at the standings, that window is threatening to slam shut far faster than any expected.

Yet where are the Yankees? 7 and half games removed from a pennant race that is threatening to leave them in the dust.