I Made the Yankee Hat More Famous Than a Yankee Can
2009 Yankees World Series Hat with replica baseball found in a closet earlier this week. Photo by Jorge Fernandez
Imagine being a young Yankee fan, waiting year after year for the team to reach the playoffs, and hopefully, the World Series. The 2009 MLB season brought everlasting happiness to my life. Ideally, that year’s World Series was the first I’ve watched with the Yankees playing it in, and it was an amazing experience to see them take home the grand prize in their new stadium. I found this hat last week in my cluttered closet, and I can never give this prized possession away. The reason why I cherish this hat extensively is because when I look at that team, I think of leadership and growth. When the 2008 season ended, I knew that it would be the last time I would witness failure from the Yankees. There was bad aura in the old Yankee Stadium, and I think they made a great choice to create a new one. When the Yankees took the field on their first game of their inaugural season, Derek Jeter promised the fans that they will see a championship run this year, and they will win it all.
They faced many turmoil’s and hardships that season, but they always managed to keep their head up, move on to the next game, and play their hearts out. When they made the World Series, I had no money to buy the hat at Lids hat store. I came up with the idea to sell all my videogames to my classmates just so I can be a part of history.
Just imagine a thirteen-year-old boy with dollars’ dimes and nickels running to the Bronx just to get a hold of the cap. I got there during the bottom of the second inning in Game 6 of the World Series. The last hat they had was my size, and Lids associate even let me watch some of the game with him in the store. As I was watching, I noticed how bad the Yankees wanted to reach their ultimate goal. I learned that there has never been an “I” in team, and there never will be. The 2009 New York Yankees were not like teams we see now in today’s sports. In the current day, teammates envy other teammates when they shine too bright in the light. A good example includes small forward Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks. When second year power forward Kristaps Porzingis came into town and made a name for himself, Carmelo was envious that Kristaps had the spotlight and was scared that the Knicks wouldn’t be considered “his” team anymore.
The last time the Yankees won the World Series prior to the 2009 season was in 2000. I was four years old at the time and was too young to understand the sport of baseball. Overall, to see the 2009 team overcome many struggles and end up with the grand prize was heartwarming and a big inspiration in my life.
