The New York Yankees and Ira Riklis

Looking back through history, the December 26 has its fair share of significant moments. It was on that day in 1492 that Christopher Columbus founded the first Spanish settlement in the New World. On December 26, 1620, Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, MA. And on that same day in 1776, George Washington defeated the Hessians at Trenton. But Yankees’ fan such as Ira Riklis might recall that it was on that day in 1919 when their team made the deal that brought George Herman (“Babe”) Ruth to the team.

The rest, as they say, is history. Within a year, the team was in the World Series; two years after that Ira Riklis’ Bronx Bombers won their first world championship. Ruth went on to set long-standing records for career home runs and most homers in a season. And the Yankees have continued their winning ways ever since. To date, they’ve gone on to win twenty-seven more championships.

In business and in sports, even the most reliable members of the team must eventually retire. And as Ira Riklis knows, sometimes they must be let go—perhaps before their time—in order to meet the bottom line. That’s been the case for two of the Yankees most reliable players this off season. Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, both of whom played key roles in leading the team to the playoffs and to the World Championship.

For the Yankees, it was a matter of money and of looking towards the future. Last year Ira Riklis’ home-town heroes had the biggest payroll in baseball. But even they have a bottom line. And with the money it will take to retain their top stars, including Alex Rodriguez, C. C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, they have to cut expenses elsewhere. Matsui and Damon are veterans who expect big salaries, but who are both growing older. Did they have another big season in them? No one knows. But in looking to 2010, the Yankees are hoping other players will step up and join the long ranks of the team’s “Old Reliables.”

As Ira Riklis can tell you, timing is sometimes everything in both business and in baseball. And his favorite team, the New York Yankees, have always taken a professional, business-like approach to the sport of baseball. And in rebuilding their roster of pitchers for the 2010 season, the timing was right to bring back Javier Vazquez, a stable, solid right-hander who pitched for them during the 2004 season. Back then, Vazquez made the All-Star team and pitched well until slowed by injuries in the second half of the season.

They got Vazquez from Atlanta in a trade for left fielder Melky Cabrera.  He’ll be replaced in left field by Brett Gardner, a strong, speedy defender. Vazquez is expected to anchor the back end of the pitching rotation which will include C.C. Sabathia, A. J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte. As Ira Riklis can also tell you, solid assessment of your personnel is another key to succeeding in baseball and business. And after the Yankees looked carefully at available pitchers around the league, they concluded that he’s one of the fifteen best starters in the majors. If all goes well, the move could help the team repeat as champions next year!

It happened less than two months ago. It was the top of the ninth, with two outs and the score tied, 4-4, in the third game of the World Series. Ira Riklis’ Yankees were up two games to one. Johnny Damon was in the hole with one ball and two strikes. One more strike and the Phillies would have come to bat before their cheering fans with a chance to tie the series. Instead, Damon fought off five pitches from Brad Lidge until he lined a single to centerfield. He then stole two bases on one pitch and went on to score the winning run. It’s was a pivotal moment as the Yankees went on to win the series.

But Damon won’t be there for the Bombers next year. While the Yankees know that Damon is the best man for the number 2 hitter slot, they let him go on Friday. In his place, they’ve agreed to a contract with Nick Johnson, a former Yankee who had a .426 on-base percentage for Washington and Florida last season. Like Damon, Johnson works the count well, and he’s great against lefties, something the team needs. How will it all turn out? Like other fans, Ira Riklis will have to wait until next year to find out.

Even though the days are still growing shorter and colder, and spring is still months away, the long-standing rivalry between Ira Riklis’ New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox is heating up. The Hot Stove league is in full swing, and you can almost hear the wheels turning as the staff of both teams try to out-guess and out-strategize one another (not to mention all the other teams they’ll play) as they prepare for the 2010 season.

The Red Sox have bolstered their pitching rotation with the addition of John Lackey and have signed an excellent center fielder in Mike Cameron. In the meantime the Yanks have pulled off a seven-player, multi-team swap to get center fielder Curtis Granderson from the Tigers. And with Hideki Matsui gone to the Angels, the Bronx Bombers are nearing a deal that will bring designated hitter Nick Johnson to the team. The moves are designed to keep the offense strong while at the same time clearing room in the budget to bolster their pitching core. No one can tell now just how it will all play out. But fans like Ira Riklis will get their first chance to see the results when the Yanks head to Boston next April 4 for the season opener.

In the Yankees’ storied history, they’ve won more championships by far than any other team—27 in all. That averages out to around a championship every four years over the course of MLB history. By contrast, the next closest team, the Cardinals, have won ten. Among all major North American major sports leagues, the only team that even begins to approach this accomplishment is the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League, who have won 24 Stanley Cup championships. That’s pretty heady stuff for Ira Riklis’ Bronx Bombers!

A big part of their success is the incredible players the team has fielded over the years. The team’s rosters have included many of the legends of the game, from Ruth, to Gehrig, to Mantle to Jeter. So it will come as no surprise to fans like Ira Riklis that the organization leads baseball in the number of jersey numbers—15 to date—it has retired. In their new stadium, the retired numbers have a place of honor in Monument Park, which sits in center field between both bullpens. If and when the team retires Derek Jeter’s number—2—and former Manager Joe Torre’s number—6—the Yankees will set another record as the first team to have retired all the numbers between 1 and 10.

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” the old song sung at the 7th inning stretch in baseball stadiums across the country, extols the delights not only of baseball, but also some of the popular snack food served at games. But after attending his first game last year in the Legends Suite at the new Yankees stadium, Ira Riklis can testify that peanuts, Cracker Jacks and hot dogs are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of the available food.

As you enter the suite, you find a lovely restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet of truly delicious food that includes roast meats, lobster and other delectables. Famous restaurateurs from around the metropolitan area take turns preparing the feasts, each providing their own special take on popular ballpark dishes. The interior spaces are nicely air conditioned—a boon for folks like Minnesota-born Ira Riklis—who melt after spending a while in the sun, heat and humidity of New York summers. When that happens he enjoys being able to duck back into the cool club room, where he can also grab some of those quintessential baseball goodies like peanuts, Cracker Jacks, pretzels, candies and sodas.

It used to be that once the baseball season ended, players and coaches enjoyed a few months off while fans stoked the fires of speculation in the “hot stove league.” Those days are now long. To be sure, fans still gather to discuss last year’s triumphs and defeats and to debate how their favorite team can get to the top (or stay on top in the Yankees’ case). But as Ira Riklis can tell you, while baseball’s a pastime for fans, it’s a also a business for the teams and players.

Manager Joe Girardi’s a case in point. While he’s still basking in the afterglow of winning his first World Series as a manager, he’s already hard at work preparing for next year. Earlier this week, he attended a ceremony at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel where he accepted the honor of being the March of Dimes’ Sportsman of the Year. But he’s now getting ready to head down to Tampa, Fla, with General Manager Brian Cashman for the organization’s budget meetings. There, he’ll learn just how much the team has to work with to hold onto their current stars and to fill in gaps on their 2010 roster. So as fans like Ira Riklis turn their thoughts to the holidays and winter sports like skiing, for their favorite team, it’s already spring.

This past Monday, Sports Illustrated named Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter as their Sportsman of the Year. This marks the first time a member of Ira Riklis’ favorite team has won the award since its inception in 1954. Jeter was humble in learning of the award. “It’s one of the greatest honors you can achieve in sports.,” he said, especially “… considering all the great Yankee players that have played for this organization. ‘So I hope I’ve done them proud.” Sports Illustrated Group editor Terry McDonell thinks he has. ”This verifies my idea that he is on the level of Ruth and Gehrig,” McDonell said. ”He’s the greatest shortstop in the history of the game.”

There’s no question that Jeter had a remarkable season. He batted .334 for the year. His 18 homers, 66 RBIs and 30 steals helped power the team’s potent offense. And fans like Ira Riklis know that his sterling defense, which earned him his fourth Gold Glove, was also key to the Yankees winning the championship. But what really clinched the sportsman award for him was his philanthropic work off the field. Since 1996, his Turn 2 Foundation has provided more than $10 million in grants to groups that help keep young people away from alcohol and drugs.

Ask people about some great right fielders who have played for the Yankees over the years and you’ll hear names like Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Reggie Jackson. But dedicated fans like Ira Riklis might also mention Tommy Henrich. During his eleven years with the team, the five-time All-Star became known as “Old Reliable.” He earned the nickname during an away game with the Philadelphia Athletics. As he recalled the story to The Chicago Sun-Times in 1989: “The score was tied in the late innings, and the Yankees had to catch a train,” he “I got a hit that won the game, and broadcaster Mel Allen said: ‘Good old reliable Henrich. Looks like we’ll catch the train after all.’ ”

Henrich, who died yesterday at age 96, was known for getting hits when the team needed them and for being a solid defensive hitter. He was also a leader, both on and off the field, who embodied the image of the classy Yankee. Though he grew up near Cleveland, he was never an Indian’s fan, declaring once in an interview: “I was a Yankee fan since 1921, when I was 8 years old. I was a Babe Ruth man.” His career with the Yankees began in 1937, so he never played with Ruth. But he did play with Gehrig, DiMaggio and Stengel. He was the last survivor of those storied teams of the late ‘30s, and one of the many legends of Ira Riklis’ home-town heroes.