From 1923 through 1962, 40 World Series were played and the Yankees won 20 of them. For anyone born after World War I, there was never a time in which the Yankees weren’t great. Then from 1965 through 1975, not only were the Yankees not great, they weren’t particularly good either. The Mickey Mantles and Whitey Fords of the team aged out, and the new-look Yankees weren’t particularly inspiring.
Then in 1976, due in large part to a roster born from a slew of smart moves (nine of the top 11 WAR producers were acquired via trade), the team won 97 games, and a dramatic ALCS over Kansas City.