New York sports radio demigod WFAN earlier today took it upon itself to stoke the fires of one of the most outmoded debates in local sports: Is New York REALLY an American League or National League town? For the un-indoctrinated, this debate emanates from the 1950's, when New York was at its baseball height, with the Giants, Dodgers, and Yankees dominating the game. It was not unusual at that time to believe that given the prevalence of two National League clubs, and the infamous rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants, that New York was in fact a National League town at that time. Though to examine the reality of this debate, its important to have a brief history lesson.
Despite baseball being the personal
possession of New York during the 1950's, the 1950's themselves were
the undisputed property of the New York Yankees. In that ten year
period, the Yankees won 9 American League Pennants, and 7 World
Series titles, including five in a row. At the end of 1957, the
Dodgers and Giants moved to Los Angeles, and San Francisco,
respectively. A devastating ending to one of the greatest periods in
baseball history. Many of the former Giants and Dodgers fans did not
follow their original teams once they relocated, and many eventually
became Mets fans upon their inception in 1962.
When all three of these teams shared
the same city, the role of the clubs themselves were dramatically
different than what we have come to expect today. The players
themselves were pillars of the communities they played for. Despite
being paid more than the average American of the day, almost every
ballplayer took up off-season employment in the area. They would
genuinely interact with the fans that packed their stadiums, and the
teams themselves were for all purposes living embodiments of their
corner of New York. Players are no longer prominent members of the
communities in which they play. The players, despite having their
most dedicating following occur on a regional basis, are major
figures of the free world. The days of Willie Mays playing stick-ball
with the neighborhood kids in upper Manhattan are long since
past, and Yogi Berra is no longer selling suit's. Those qualities
undoubtedly created bonds between borough and team that simply no
longer exist. Players today are as real to the average New Yorker as
their image on Wheaties boxes.
In addition to the teams no longer
having the relationship they once did with their cities, Major League
Baseball has done everything in its power to make each league
androgynous, specifically with the rise of inter-league play on a
season long basis. MLB has taken almost every conceivable step to
stream line all of their league operations, creating a unified
shield, nearly to the point of the American and National League's
lacking all identity. With the exception of the designated hitter,
the two leagues are indistinguishable, and modern fans have no
problem with this. In fact, most fans under 40 would not be able to
tell you which league was synonymous with the high strike zone.
As for the preservation of history
itself, the last of the great baseball cathedrals in New York were
washed away with the piece by piece auction of the original Yankee
Stadium. Coogan's Bluff and Flatbush are a housing project, and an
overpriced/gentrified piece of real estate. That is what remains of
New York's golden age of baseball, and the physical pieces of history
that made this debate relevant at the time.
While it may be fun to argue about
whether New York is really an American or National League town, it is
undeniable that baseball itself has made the distinction irrelevant,
because each league is essentially identical. Modern baseball fans no
longer think in those terms, including New Yorkers. Why would they?
The modern fan wants complete digital access to all Major League
Baseball content, instant replay technology that rivals Cheyenne
Mountain, a unified strike zone, and more food and beverage options
than a U.N. luncheon. Most importantly, modern fans want access to
the game at any time, in any place in the world. People that have
never broached the western hemisphere are wearing interlocking NY
hats, Yasiel Puig jersey's, and pink Buster Posey t-shirts on every
continent. You can guarantee that Major League Baseball will do
whatever is necessary to cater to the growing global appetite for the
game. A game that is a unified product, and where all 30 teams draw
fans from every corner of the earth. One game, one league. Whether
New York is an American or National League town is a debate that
rightly belongs in the annals of baseball history, but has no place
in baseball modernity.
(2014 and beyond...)
*Photo's courtesy of New York City MTA, and Magellan Graphix Santa Barbarra, CA 1994.
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