WHY THE YANKEES NEVER SAY DIE

(Photo: Getty)
The Yankees are going back to the Bronx and Jose Valverde can suck it. Whether he was joking or not, it doesn’t matter, the Yankees have a message; “No one speaks out of turn against the Yankees and gets away with it.”

We, the fans will be ready for a performance of a lifetime in Ivan Nova, someone who has grown before our eyes and proven he’s the real thing. With today being a day off, it's great for all of us to recharge the battery. Let's face it, since that Friday night rain out, it's been a non-stop roller coaster. One things for sure, the bats came alive last night and everyone has finally started hitting. The big guys showed and even though the hits weren't 3 run home runs, the bat quickness of Alex Rodriguez is now visible and guys like Brett Gardner no longer need to carry us on our back to the finish line. If everyone contributes Thursday night, there is no reason why we don't advance to the ALCS and play the Texas Rangers...NO REASON.

Derek Jeter, the guy who's proved to the world that he could turn a lousy 2010 season into a brilliant 2011 season needs to lead us. Last night when the Yankees needed a must win...he did and back in the Bronx, no doubt, it will continue. He’s been there before, he knows how it works.

Look, I don’t need to tell you how important this is. It’s been a long battle, everyone’s tired. Mother Nature messed with us and the fan base was worried before last night, but now there's faith. I always have questions about my team... why guys don't always hit and why Joe Girardi makes certain moves because, let's face it, I do get frustrated, I’m human. But for the love of my New York Yankees, I need to sit back and watch a ballgame Thursday night and have confidence, just like I did last night.

The Yankees are now in the driver's seat. We’re home. I wrote a piece in September titled WHY THIS LOSS MEANS HOME, NOT PANIC and the title says it all. Home is where we are comfortable. Home is where the fans are. It’s like a kid who's lost in the store. An officer walks up and says what’s wrong, the kid says “I want my mommy, I want to go home.” Home’s safe. The Yankees are home, we're all home...together as a family.

I’m not going to preach, I’m not going to bitch, I’m going to watch my team Thursday night. It’s go time. We win and we move onto the ALCS, plain and simple. The bats need to show up and the pitching needs to be fantastic.

So let’s do this, it’s what we play for all year long and it’s come down to a Game 5. Let’s win it. Bottom line.

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