Monument Park - image from YankeesTribute.com

Yesterday I wrote about how Aura & Mystique appeared to be in attendance at our new ballpark and a Facebook member asked me to define these terms. Rather than respond on Facebook, I thought I’d write about it in more detail on the Voice of Yankees Universe.

Aura and Mystique are two words often associated with the New York Yankees, Yankees Stadium, and Monument Park. While the two terms can be used interchangeably, I would explain “Aura” as the distinct feeling surrounding the Yankees environs, while “Mystique” would be described as the mystery surrounding the Yankees’ phenomenal achievements, their sometimes outlandish skills, and often intriguing accomplishments noticed within individual games.

Since 1903, the Yankees have won 26 World Series, averaging one win every four years. This is no ordinary feat since the team with the second most wins is the St. Louis Cardinals with 10 and in third place is the Red Sox with seven. The Yankees have won more championships than any other team in the history of all sports, not just baseball. This extraordinary fact alone creates a mystique surrounding this storied franchise. Over the past century, many of the world’s greatest baseball players have worn the Pinstripes. Their presence (aura) is still felt inside the ballpark, among the players, in the hearts of the fans, and within the spirit surrounding the New York Yankees franchise.

The special aura that’s felt within the stadium has been described not only by the Yankees and their fans, but the competition as well. There’s a grand majesty connected to Yankees Stadium that’s just not felt and seen elsewhere, and that becomes especially obvious when young players visit the stadium for the first time. They are admittedly awestruck as they step inside our cathedral, especially at the sight of Monument Park. Even the Yankees themselves feel that unmistakable aura upon visiting Monument Park. Some believe they acquire energy or power by touching the monuments. Roger Clemens religiously rubs The Babe’s forehead before every game he pitches in. Mariano likes to visit our Great Ancestors often enough compelling the Yankees to build a door between the bullpen and Monument Park at his request. There’s no doubt a special aura that draws extraordinary athletes to these sacred baseball grounds.

The mystique surrounding the Yankees goes beyond their outstanding – and sometimes outlandish — ability to bounce back in the late innings. If you’ve ever watched games where the ball takes weird hops or our competition botches the simplest plays, it appears mystique is in attendance. During those years when the Yankees were consistently winning, such as in the late Nineties, it seemed the Yankees won many of those games in often bizarre fashion. During the exhibition games in our new stadium, balls were flying out of the stadium when it appears some of them should only have been infield hits, if that. The Cubs missed some of the simplest plays as the ball appeared to have a mind of its own. Of course, most would say the wind had something to do with it, but the Cubs also had the same wind at their disposal and, notably, the wind failed to oblige them. There was an aura surrounding some of these mysterious plays that made them appear odd or different enough to the announcers (radio and TV) who often commented on them, and then Girardi was questioned about them after the game.

I will end by describing mystique one further way, and that is by quoting Joe Torre from a USA article when he was asked about the Yankee mystique in 2001.

“What we have accomplished over the past few years has been nuts, it really has. There’s no way you could ever foresee that, or understand why it happens.”

USA follows that quote with the statement,

“It just does.”

I agree we don’t know exactly why or how aura and mystique play a part in Yankee tradition, but the Yankees and their fans no doubt would agree we’re happy “it just does.”