A list of recent WorldSeries champs and their quests to repeat:
2008: Phillies Lost in ’09 World Series
2007: Red Sox Lost in ’08 ALCS
2006: Cardinals Missed ’07 playoffs
2005: White Sox Missed ’06 playoffs
2004: Red Sox Lost in ’05 ALDS
The Yankees threw their first parade at the Canyon of Heroes in nine years on Friday. It started with fans celebrating the franchise’s 27th championship ended with anticipation for a 28th title.
The Yankees would know something about consecutive parades. They celebrated three straight from 1998-2000, two in a row in both 1977-78 and 1961-1962, five straight from 1949-1953 and four straight from 1936-1939.
It was the parade the Yankees were one inning away from in 2001 when the Diamondbacks beat Mariano Rivera. A celebration seemed in order in late October 2003 before the Marlins stunned the world. They also hoped to have it in 2004 but lost in epic fashion, triggering three straight first-round playoff losses and then last year’s stay-at-home October.
This time, though, management got it right with a right mixture of veteran pitching and clubhouse hijinks.
“The only thing greater than this celebration is doing it two years in a row,” manager Joe Girardi said.
“So [owner George Steinbrenner] asked me to remind you that pitchers and catchers report in 96 days. Be ready to defend it.”