1996 Joe Torre Bob Watson / Steve Crandall/GettyImages
Heading into Monday night, the New York Yankees were down 0-2 in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who ended up being gifted those victories at home over the weekend because of the Bombers’ ineptitude.
Yankees fans did lose hope, though, which is admirable. You’re in the fight until you’re not, right? The fan energy is important. Without it, the Yanks would’ve been deader than dead.
But then there are the insane fans. You know, the ones attempting to channel the dynasty years in some way to try and create a parallel with the 2024 team. And that’s the kind of vibe the Yankees absolutely do not need.
Though New York snapped its 15-year AL Pennant drought this year (sorry, Brian Cashman, it was indeed that long regardless of who cheated), this group of players is entirely different than the 1996 squad that started one of the most successful runs in franchise history.
With the Yankees trailing 0-2 after Saturday, some fans went for the lowest hanging fruit possible when researching the team’s previous World series appearances. “Oh, we’ve got it! The Yankees were also down 0-2 against the Atlanta Braves in 1996! And then they came back to win four straight! Why not us again!?”
Not the same! At all! In those first two games against the Braves, the Yankees faced the 1996 Cy Young winner John Smoltz and reigning 1995 Cy Young winner Greg Maddux. They lost those contests by a combined 16-1. Both were in the Bronx. They were never in it. Not even for a second.
No, 1996 World Series is nothing like 2024 World Series for Yankees
That was a different kind of momentum for the Braves. Though it felt borderline insurmountable, there was little doubt they were supposed to win both of those games handily. There was something to be said about the Yankees not being fully demoralized. They lost to a better team with better pitchers who came into their ballpark and taught them a lesson. That’s kind of what’s supposed to happen when you haven’t been to the World Series since 1981 (and are making your second playoff appearance over that span). They didn’t lose any heartbreakers. They didn’t “give” any games away to Atlanta. The expected results occurred, and all the Yankees had to do was play their game pressure-free on the road and hope for the best. After all, the series was already over, right?
It just so happened they won three in a row in Atlanta before closing the series in New York. It sounds impossible in retrospect, but their backs weren’t against the wall. No one expected anything, so they just … went out there and grabbed it.
Another important factor for the Yanks in that series? They had insane depth and leadership beyond the top of the totem pole. The Yankees had Tim Raines (a Hall of Famer), Darryl Strawberry (one of the most talented players in history), Cecil Fielder (one of the best sluggers of the 1990s) and Wade Boggs (a Hall of Famer and perennial All-Star at the time). Those guys complemented Tino Martinez, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill. That’s how good that team was, even if it lacked postseason mettle at the time.
Look at the 2024 Yankees, who were a house of cards even before the playoffs began. They have two of the best players in the game in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, and one of them has disappeared. They have one (1) postseason legend in Giancarlo Stanton. Everyone else is either over the hill, inexperienced, or just outright bad. This lineup is not relentless. After Stanton, it’s a pitcher’s haven of soft contact and swing-and-miss.
Their bench consists of guys who’d barely be suitable for the regular season. Jose Trevino and Trent Grisham are here. Jasson Dominguez, who is a top prospect but hasn’t been given the proper experience, is also here. Oswaldo Cabrera is the only player who fans are comfortable with logging consistent postseason reps, and that’s probably someone who should be the third or fourth guy on your bench.
And then there’s Aaron Boone vs Joe Torre — one of those managers had nearly 15 years of managerial experience under their belt and became famous for his incredible feel for the game. The other? Seven straight years with the Yankees, who gave him his managerial start, with every proceeding failure feeling worse than the last. Same mistakes over and over again, just as we saw in Game 1.
Back in 1996? There was a lineup that boasted the necessary characteristics to actually win a World Series. That wasn’t a team that succeeded because their opponents were worse (which is exactly how the 2024 Yankees operate) — they took what was theirs and did it with authority, which helped pave the way for the dominance from 1998-2003.
The 2024 Yankees? They had to pull out every imaginable stop, from acquiring Juan Soto to finding a diamond in the rough in Luke Weaver, while also watching the rest of the league fail around them, to get to this point. Yes, they did handle their business in the ALDS and ALCS, and that deserves merit, regardless of what aimless haters say. But there’s a difference when your World Series opponent is primed for the moment with enviable depth and a willingness to switch things up rather quickly when something seems off.
The 2024 Yankees might make minor changes, but none will ever convince you that they’re serious about the end goal. Whatever alterations they do make feel more like lip service than forcing somebody to make a sacrifice for the betterment of the team’s success.
I might’ve only been six years old for that 1996 World Seres win, but watching all the re-runs confirms what the current Yankees do not have in order to dig out of an 0-2 deficit against the best team in the National League. Might be a good time for all the younger Yankees fans out there to refresh their memory on the 1996 team so they don’t slip into this short-term delusion now that they’re down 0-3 after Monday night’s stinker.
