In the latter part of the 20th century, Yankee Pride reached a fever pitch. After all, the Bronx Bombers just wrapped up their third straight World Series – their fourth in five years. They were the most dynamic baseball team since the late 70s, with a core of young players and veterans that helped put the finishing touches on the most dominant team of the 90s – truly a fitting end to the millennium for the Game’s most storied franchise.

However, just like the Roman Empire, all good things must come to an end. That happened in 2001, when the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks dethroned the New York Yankees in what would be one of the most thrilling Fall Classics in recent memory. And as such, Yankee Pride waned. The fan base was strong, perhaps strongest in baseball, but even it was not impervious to the inevitable regression of a team. Most fans stayed after Luis Gonzales roped a liner over the heads of an (inexplicably?) pulled in infield in 2001. A few more jettisoned after 2003, when a 14 year old Josh Beckett skipped his prom to toss a complete game shutout on three days rest to thwart the attempts at number title number 27.

But it was 2004 that rid Yankees nation of all the faux-hards, when the Red Sox helped the Yankees complete the most epic collapse of all time in the history of collapses of the epic persuasion. On the strength of Johnny Damon’s beard and Kevin Millar’s tenacity, did the die-iest of the die hards reconsider their love for the Yankees.

(Now I know there are a group of Yankee fans who never stopped loving their beloved boys in pinstripes. And it’s fair to say that a vast majority of those fans were on board before 1996 and never got off. But this being a Phillies website, and for all intents and purposes, the Yankees are now our mortal enemies. So, I’m going to ignore that.)

Hence, I say “Welcome back!” We’ve all missed you. It’s been a while, but you can finally climb aboard the Yankees train and root on your beloved 25 as they go for their 27th World Series title. But a lot has changed since 2004, which is why I’m here; to ease you back into things.

I give you the definitive bandwagon jumper guide to the 2009 New York Yankees…

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