I couldn't possibly care less about George's motives. For me, that one October night in the Bronx against the "Dodjas" cements his plaque on the wall. With apologies to Phil Collins, there was magic in the air that night. I was a 31 year old man and I had tears in my eyes the moment the 3rd one left the bat. Now, some 45 years later the image is still clear in my mind and tears still come to my eyes. I don't care that Jackson only played 5 seasons in NY. I don't care that he too often played lazy. I don't care about his battles wit Billy. Those 3 HRs are indelibly etched in my brain..
I have had the good fortune in my life to be a fan of one of the all-time great sports franchises. I have witnessed some of the greatest moments in baseball history and some of the greatest careers. Larson's perfect WS game. Mickey's unbelievable long running backhand catch in left center to save that perfection, often not mentioned among the great all-time catches but in my mind right at the top of the list because there was no way he would be able to get to it. Yet he did. Whitey's mastery on the mound in the early 60s. Ellie didn't call him the Chairman of the Board for no reason. I was too young to see DiMag play even at the end of a glorious career but I was able to see him play in his first few old-timers games after retiring and even then his long gliding stride in the OF was a thing of beatuy. And Jeter. Amazing. There so many moments. The diving catches into the stands in foul territory, the timely hits, a HR in his last at bat. And then there's the play. Who else in baseball history would have the instinct and presence of mind to put themselves into position in foul territory outside the 1st baseline to field an errant OF throw and nail Giambi the younger at home. That play alone puts 2 on the wall.
OK, enough. I could go on and on. There has been just so much in 70+ years.
