Fan’s view: Yankees traditions on Opening Day and all season long (Associated Content)

The New York Yankees, like other teams with a storied history in baseball, have a dedicated fan base that cannot wait for Opening Day and a brand new baseball season to start. Growing up on Long Island, Opening Day at Yankee Stadium was a sign of spring and the cold and the snow would finally be gone. The boys of summer begin their season, and there is always a chance for another pennant. Since the "House That Ruth Built" was dismantled and the new "modern" stadium was built, some fans felt that Opening Day would not be the same.

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Red Sox fan: MLB fans can mail it in for 2011 (Associated Content)

At the age of 10, in 1966, I began watching the Boston Red Sox. Because of limited television coverage, it was more like listening to them. In 1967, after finishing last in the American League in 1966, I witnessed the "Cardiac Kids" finish first, winning the A.L. pennant on the final day of the season. "That was fun," I thought. We all know what followed. Losing the World Series, in seven games, in 1967,1975, and1986. Add to that the many key losses to the dreaded New York Yankees.

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Damn Yankees! Rangers overcame hex to win pennant (PA SportsTicker)

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER Associated Press

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Damn Yankees! Rangers overcame hex to win pennant (AP)

In the Washington Senators' final game before leaving for Texas four decades ago, they had a 7-5 lead over the New York Yankees with two outs in the ninth inning. But the Senators never got that last out, as their fans stormed on to the field, and the game went down as a forfeit to the Yankees. It may not rival the old Yankee "Curse of the Bambino" over the Boston Red Sox, but that...

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ALCS ratings jump 34 percent over 2009 (AP)

Ratings for the American League championship series are up 34 percent over last year. TBS said Saturday that the series between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees averaged a 5.1 rating on the network, which also saw its audience jump 36 percent over 2009 to 8,223,000 viewers. The Rangers' pennant clinching victory in Game 6 Friday night was the most watched game this year and the...

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Wilson wastes chance to clinch pennant for Rangers (AP)

C.J. Wilson went down on one knee and took a stick to his spikes, digging out the thick clumps of dirt stuck to his soles. No matter what he tried Wednesday, Wilson couldn't get comfortable -- and the former closer failed to close out the New York Yankees. Wilson wasted his chance to pitch the Rangers into their first World Series, allowing back-to-back homers in a 7-2 loss that trimmed...

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Yankees beat Rangers 7-2 to close to 3-2 in ALCS (AP)

Texas has two more chances to reach the World Series for the first time. First, Colby Lewis gets a chance to win the pennant. If he can't finish the job, Cliff Lee would face the New York Yankees in Game 7. "There's no frustration or feeling like we didn't accomplish what we wanted to do," Rangers third baseman Michael Young said after Wednesday's 7-2 loss in Game 5.

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Dan Johnson homers twice, Rays top Yankees (AP)

Dan Johnson to the rescue. One of the unheralded contributors in Tampa Bay's drive to the AL pennant two years ago is at again, hitting game-winning homers and helping the Rays make a push for another division title. Johnson smacked a pair of two-run homers Wednesday night, lifting the Rays to a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees and back into first place in the AL East.

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Westbrook, Ludwick, Lilly, Wood move, Berkman goes (AP)

Former All-Stars Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly, Ryan Ludwick and Kerry Wood were traded Saturday as pennant contenders played a game of beat-the-clock. Lance Berkman went to the World Series champion New York Yankees after rejecting the Chicago White Sox. Octavio Dotel, Rick Ankiel, Kyle Farnsworth, Chad Qualls and Ryan Theriot also joined the playoff chase and Ryan Church highlighted a five-player...

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