“They had gotten away from being the Yankees for a little while,” Martinez said Saturday by phone, “but now I think they’re back.”
“I still believe this team has more talent on paper than we had when we won those championships,” said Martinez, who first made that concession in spring.
“But the thing I was concerned about was whether they would come together. Would they play together? Would they develop that attitude we had when we were winning in October?
“And I think they’ve answered those questions. You can’t get tested any more than they were [Friday] night. They had to have that game. That was as close to a must-win game as you’ll see, because you can’t let Minnesota go back to their place with momentum and a chance to close out the series.”
“Those teams probably would’ve folded in the ninth,” Martinez said. “They would’ve packed it in. And it’s been demoralizing to a former player to see other teams celebrating at our expense the last few years, especially when you know how Jeter and Mariano [Rivera] are feeling.
“But this team never quits. It’s reminiscent of what we did.”
“But once those guys signed the big contracts,” Martinez said, “they put that away and made their whole focus about winning. I don’t think some of the guys they brought in the last few years had that same feeling.
“A lot of guys are just happy to get the money, and then whatever happens on the field happens. Not these guys. You take CC and A.J. and Teixeira, and throw in [Nick] Swisher, and put them with the four guys who were there when I played; that’s a great combination.”
He also said that can relate to the A-Rod and Mark Teixeira's heroics:
“I knew exactly what Alex and Teixeira were feeling when they rounded the bases,” Martinez said. “It’s a feeling that lasts forever, and it’s almost impossible to explain. When you’re the guy, it all happens so fast, and you’re almost numb. It’s like an out-of-body experience.”
And that he expects big things from Rodriguez:
“Now the monkey’s off Alex’s back, and he’s going to have a great postseason run,” Martinez said. “Other teams have to be saying, ‘Oh no, this is the last guy we want to see hot this time of year.’ There’s no break in that Yankee lineup.”
I expected a big October from A-Rod, and so far he's delivered. That home run Friday night will forever be one of his signature moments as a Yankee, but don't be surprised if there's a couple more before this season comes to a close.
And of course he still enjoys seeing the Yankees celebrate:
“I still love seeing the Yankees celebrate,” Martinez said. “You’ve got guys making $20 million a year and others making the minimum, and they’re all jumping up and down like 12-year-old kids.”The definition of Swagger is "to conduct oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner; especially : to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence." Tino doesn't use the word, but that's what he's talking about, and it's something we've seen all year and it's carried over into October.
It's an attitude that not only the position players carry with them onto the field, but most importantly that pitchers CC, AJ, and Andy take to the mound every time out. One bad outing here or there doesn't change things; they still know they're good enough to get anyone out and any time. It's something guys like David Cone, David Wells, Roger Clemens, and Orlando Hernandez also had. And something Javy Vazquez, Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson (as a Yankee), Kevin Brown (as a Yankee), and yes, even Mike Mussina (at times) didn't have.
I think we've all grown to love this team, and the fight and attitude, or swagger, they've brought to the field is one of the main reasons why. They have everything they need to do something very special this year, and their one win away from completing step one.
