How The Yankees Fell From Grace Part Three: Lack Of Clubhouse Chemistry

One of the most underrated elements of a team is the chemistry that exists within the clubhouse. Athletes are temperamental beings and if there is even one thing that off sets the delicate balance that they operate under their play can be affected.

Teams need to be on the same page, and if even one player feels that he is more important than the rest of the team there can be friction.

New York is the media capital of the world, and therefore the New York teams are covered by more press than any of the other teams. Nothing escapes the media and if an athlete can't handle that constant spotlight they are likely to flounder in New York.

If a team is filled with superstars the attention often shifts to the individuals, not the team, and that can definitely affect the clubhouse. Not to mention if the media picks up on the vibe that the clubhouse is not harmonious, they will feed on that to no end.

The Yankee championship teams had great chemistry. That doesn't mean that everyone got along all the time, but they all were on the same page and didn't let anything get in the way of their goal. The motto of the '96 team was "We play today, we win today."

They had a one game at a time approach and that led to their success. The team was a mix of veterans like Wade Boggs, David Cone and Paul O'Neill and young guys like Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera. It's important for a team to have guys that have the experience for the high pressure situations, and young guys that can bring that fresh hunger and desire that veterans don't necessarily have.

The '98 team was much of the same. If you asked any player that was on that team they will tell you that every day they felt like they were going to win. That might explain why the team went on to win 114 regular season game (125 when the post season is added in) and the World Series.

There were no real big names on those teams, but guys that had the ability to do great things when combined with the other players. It doesn't matter how great one player is, if they can't find a way to work with the other guys out on the field success is less likely to occur.

Now, I am in no way getting on the band wagon of those who want to bash A-Rod, but it is no secret that the guy creates a lot of media attention and it's not always good attention. From the moment he was traded to New York, the headlines were about how he had committed to playing for Boston and once the players' union wouldn't approve the contract he ended up with the Yankees.

When Alex goes 0-4 with three strike outs during a game in May, it gets blown up as if it's a playoff game. If Paul O'Neill went 0-4 it would get mentioned, but it wouldn't be the centerpiece of the news.

Of course there was the time when Alex was photographed going into a strip club with a blond that wasn't his wife, which went over really well. Then there was his blurred relationship with Madonna, and then his split/divorce from his wife which created more attention for him. My favorite though is last year during the World Series when he opted out of his contract with the Yankees during Game Four; that left a great impression on everyone.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?