Jimmy Sez

People often warn you to never meet your heroes because you'll likely be disappointed. As a general rule, it probably works. Heroes tend to be famous and with fame and fortune, a healthy detachment from reality is a strong possibility. Despite this making intuitive sense, I've always been a bit skeptical. Maybe because the hero I've looked up to more than any other since I was a kid has the reputation for being as down-to-earth as they come. I've written before about how much Don Mattingly meant to me growing up. So much so, that recently I made a promise to myself that if the opportunity to meet him ever arises, I should do it at any cost. Well, I stumbled upon that opportunity by way of a massive Yankee autograph show that happened in North Jersey earlier this month. As a person who has never paid for an autograph before, the price seemed high, but if that's what it took to meet Donnie, so be it. As my excitement grew, I planned on accomplishing two things with ...

When Whitey Ford passed away a few weeks ago it left the Yankee Universe asking themselves a question that has had an obvious answer for a very long time. Ford was one of many former Yankees who racked up championship rings at record rates in the 1950's and 60's. Since that time, the team has been lucky enough to celebrate those teams by inviting the men who made them legendary back to Yankee Stadium every year. And of that group, there's always been a clear elder statesman, an old guy with a Hall of Fame resumé who serves as the unofficial patriarch of the extended Yankee family. For nearly 50 years this role was filled by Joe DiMaggio. The man who touted himself as the "Greatest Living Ballplayer" was treated as such whenever returning to the Bronx. There were others in the running of course, none more so than Mickey Mantle, but The Mick tragically died at the way too young age of 63 and DiMaggio held the title until he passed away in the spring of 1999. At tha...