The Fall of the New York Yankees Leaves an Empire in Ruins

The New York Yankees were once the ultimate power in the baseball universe.

For years, they hunted down and eliminated teams; their bats cutting through the air like wooden sabers, as the chase for a pennant continued unabated from season to season. 

Ruling over this empire was a father and son, George and Hank Steinbrenner, ruthless individuals with bad tempers who made sure those underneath them understand exactly who wields all the power. Mistakes are not easily forgotten.

Under their guidance, the Yankees conquered diamond after diamond, with the innocent succumbing to its powerful force, broken and defeated, in cities like San Diego and Atlanta.

Unbeknownst to the evil Empire, however, the seeds of terror they sewed only strengthened the resolve of others to defeat them and soon, what promised to be great victories turned in to staggering defeats. 

The first group of ragtags to take on the Empire was the Boston Red Sox who, at the start of the battle, appeared unlikely to gain any ground. As Boston deployed its players on the eve of Oct. 12, 2004, they were met with strong resistance, falling 14-10. Subsequent battles also fell short, and the Empire moved in, poised to blast the Red Sox and their loyal fans at Fenway in to oblivion.

But then, a chink in the armor appeared. 

A slip up at second allowed for a base hit up the middle, tying the game which sent Yankee reliever Mariano Riviera off course. Two innings later, a two-run shot ended it and, with a mighty "Yaaahooo!" the rebellious Red Sox were back in it.

The Red Sox had a new hope with a big win in Game Four of that ALCS battle. It was followed by two more and finally, with a perfect strike from Johnny Damon (who would eventually join the dark side), the rout was on and, in explosive fashion, the Empire crumbled. 

Attempts were made to recover from that calamity and plans were drawn up for a new and more powerful Yankee Stadium to be built.

But as the seasons came and went, and despite a couple of notable victories, the Evil Empire never fully recovered, and as 2008 draws to a close, Yankee troops are on the run from another group of rebels or, more appropriately, Rays.

Even without their star generals and admirals, namely Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and Troy Percival, the Rays have defeated the Yankees in the AL without even trying. Once the Rays team up with the Chicago Cubs, those forest creatures to the north, the epic struggle to end the reign of the evil Empire will be complete, and a new stadium will do nothing to help the Empire win the day. 

Some may find my lack of faith disturbing, but unless the scattered remnants of the Yankees can regroup and recover, what little force it has left will be inconsequential.