The Yankees have a chance to be something they almost never have been for almost a hundred years: a team that drops out of the sky, find itself, surprises people, and becomes — surprise! — a team you root for even if you don’t root for them.
It’s funny: We tend to think of New York City and the Yankees as interchangeable. The old saying about rooting for the Yankees — “It’s like rooting for U.S. Steel” — is often transferred to the city itself. And it’s true: In a lot of ways, there never is a reason to feel sorry for New York — and if you don’t believe us, we’ll gladly tell you why.