The Travesty of the YES Network

[DoubleX]

Talking about Tommy Henrich in another thread got me thinking about this - the YES Network does a pisspoor job at making use of the Yankees great history. Other than promos where you see Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and so on, there is very little acknowledgement of the team's history before the 1970s. When you watch Yankees Classics, you get a few games from the late 70s, but almost all the games are from the last 5-10 years. I don't get it. This is a team with a history unlike any other in sports, a team that has won 26 titles and played for 39, and the best they can do is a few games from the late 70s? And I still don't understand why Hideki Matsui has a Yankeeography but Bill Dickey doesn't.

It's a complete travesty, IMO, and it's coverage befitting of a team with less history like the Mets. However, I actually believe that SNY is doing a better job with the Mets. First, SNY is actually showing all the ST games, whereas we've had one with YES so far. But historically, on SNY I was watching the 1969 World Series the other day - we get nothing like that on YES, despite the team's great history. Instead we get Paul O'Neill hits three homeruns in a game in like 1993, or Giambi his a walkoff homerun in the rain. Can't YES do better than that? Wouldn't people love to see telecasts from some of the memorable Yankee games from the 50s and 60s, and just in general, more coverage of the great Yankee teams and players from the 20s-60s?

[ipitch]

I'm sure YES is well aware that people would like to see games from the 50s and 60s. I'd imagine they'd have to pay big $$$ to broadcast games that weren't on YES or MSG originally, and I guess they don't feel it would be profitable. That's my theory, anyway.

[DoubleX]

I'm sure YES is well aware that people would like to see games from the 50s and 60s. I'd imagine they'd have to pay big $$$ to broadcast games that weren't on YES or MSG originally, and I guess they don't feel it would be profitable. That's my theory, anyway.

Doesn't even have to be game broadcasts, but just more programming that focuses on the great history of the franchise. There is so much history to work with, it's really shameful, IMO, how little YES has made use of that history.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Two years ago, I bought the DVD about the 100th anniversary of the Yankees. This is a 4-6 hour footage about their history. It is a great document. This DVD is hard to get now, so I think this would be an ideal item to broadcast.

[Mission 27]

I agree with you completely. Maybe their thinking is that it's promoting the current team more with stuff like Matsui's Yankeeography and all those kind-of but not-so memorable games

[DoubleX]

I agree with you completely. Maybe their thinking is that it's promoting the current team more with stuff like Matsui's Yankeeography and all those kind-of but not-so memorable games

That's certainly part of it. The Yankees have a lot of fans that jumped on the bandwagon in the late 90s, and these are the players and moments they are familiar with. It's a shame though because with such a broad and devoted audience, I think the YES Network is in a great position to really educate the fanbase about the team's great tradition, because for many fans, I think it's really a superficial knowledge of the team's history. I just fear that with all the attention on recent teams, and with masses of fans largely unaware of the team's history other than what's generally common knowledge (26 titles, Ruth, etc), the history could become eroded.

[Mattingly85MVP]

I always wondered about this...it would be nice to see, from time to time, some color games from the old yankee stadium. You always get the same black and white, sometimes color, footage in the yankeeographies, but it would be really cool to see an entire game, or even longer clips of highlights, like mickey mantle day in 69, the final game of the old yankee stadium in 73, Mantle's 500th HR game. I think it would be interesting to hear Phil Rizzuto do a game from back then, and get a better feel for what the old place looked like, especially for those of us who weren't born until a few years after the renovation...

[duckydps]

Two years ago, I bought the DVD about the 100th anniversary of the Yankees. This is a 4-6 hour footage about their history. It is a great document. This DVD is hard to get now, so I think this would be an ideal item to broadcast.

It would be a good broadcast & I think a lot of people would enjoy it... I don't see why they don't, I know their logo is on the back, but I am not sure how big of a role they played in it... yes I am too lazy to get up, go in the living room and look...

[DoubleX]

Right now is a great example of the YES Network's failings - the current program is "Penn State Basketball Story." This is the Yankees channel, would people really prefer to watch a program about Penn State basketball (there's far too much coverage of Penn State on YES), or the Yankees? Would it be that hard like half hour show of like the 1927 Yankees on or something? That would make a great series - a half hour episode discussing each World Series winner.

[Urbanshocker13]

I have thought the same thing ever since YES came on the air. I even wrote the YES Network telling them since it's the last year of Yankee stadium it would be great to see games from the 50's and 60's even the 70's, of course they didn't write me back! They could do allot better job they have a ton of material to work with. I remember too when I was kid during rain delays they would show stuff like clips from the77' 78' WS and specials from back then with bill white about the games and whole games on WPIX and MSG.

The games from the 50's and 60's still exist, I have seen them for sale in the back of magazines for years! Like when they show "Great moments in Yankee History" inbetween shows and games like Micky's 500th Home Run. Why not show the whole game? There might be some copyright issues or a cost issue, but it's the Freakin Yankees I think they could work something out! I would watch that way before White Shadow reruns, center stage, Mike and the Maddogor that stupid show about Running that nobody watches!!!

Also they could make some awsome documentaries and shows with the stuff they have, something a hell of lot better then Yankeeography (even though I do like them) Since they own the rights I don't think i would even cost that much to make. They could even try something real ambitious during the offseason like a Bronx Burning type thing, ( I really doubt it is just wishful thinking) It might cost some but if the market it well it could pay off.

They have really dropped the ball with programing on YES, If they focus on history and tradition like they should. They could have more viewers that tune in more than just Yankees games! But I think they think most people only care about the recent Yankees but I don't think it could hurt to try and put stuff on for people who are interested in the Yankees pre 98'! They have to come up with something better than that show about running!

[Yankees73]

Talking about Tommy Henrich in another thread got me thinking about this - the YES Network does a pisspoor job at making use of the Yankees great history. Other than promos where you see Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and so on, there is very little acknowledgement of the team's history before the 1970s. When you watch Yankees Classics, you get a few games from the late 70s, but almost all the games are from the last 5-10 years. I don't get it. This is a team with a history unlike any other in sports, a team that has won 26 titles and played for 39, and the best they can do is a few games from the late 70s? And I still don't understand why Hideki Matsui has a Yankeeography but Bill Dickey doesn't.

It's a complete travesty, IMO, and it's coverage befitting of a team with less history like the Mets. However, I actually believe that SNY is doing a better job with the Mets. First, SNY is actually showing all the ST games, whereas we've had one with YES so far. But historically, on SNY I was watching the 1969 World Series the other day - we get nothing like that on YES, despite the team's great history. Instead we get Paul O'Neill hits three homeruns in a game in like 1993, or Giambi his a walkoff homerun in the rain. Can't YES do better than that? Wouldn't people love to see telecasts from some of the memorable Yankee games from the 50s and 60s, and just in general, more coverage of the great Yankee teams and players from the 20s-60s?

I emailed YES about this issue and was ignored. What I would like to see is some games from the lean years of the early 1970s when I was a young fan. Case in point. I remember a game in Aug 72 when the Yanks beat Detroit 1-0 Lyle came in for Steve Klein, loaded up the bases and struck out Gates Brown in the bottom of the ninth!! Up to that point in my young life, that was the most exciting Yankee moment up to that time! I was 10. I am sick of seeing the three homer game of O'Neil from 95.. They also do a horrible job on the new Yankeeographies. You are absolutely right. How about a piece on Henrich, Bauer, or how about Mel? I think they have one for Whitey Ford though.

[Yankees73]

I have thought the same thing ever since YES came on the air. I even wrote the YES Network telling them since it's the last year of Yankee stadium it would be great to see games from the 50's and 60's even the 70's, of course they didn't write me back! They could do allot better job they have a ton of material to work with. I remember too when I was kid during rain delays they would show stuff like clips from the77' 78' WS and specials from back then with bill white about the games and whole games on WPIX and MSG.

The games from the 50's and 60's still exist, I have seen them for sale in the back of magazines for years! Like when they show "Great moments in Yankee History" inbetween shows and games like Micky's 500th Home Run. Why not show the whole game? There might be some copyright issues or a cost issue, but it's the Freakin Yankees I think they could work something out! I would watch that way before White Shadow reruns, center stage, Mike and the Maddogor that stupid show about Running that nobody watches!!!

Also they could make some awsome documentaries and shows with the stuff they have, something a hell of lot better then Yankeeography (even though I do like them) Since they own the rights I don't think i would even cost that much to make. They could even try something real ambitious during the offseason like a Bronx Burning type thing, ( I really doubt it is just wishful thinking) It might cost some but if the market it well it could pay off.

They have really dropped the ball with programing on YES, If they focus on history and tradition like they should. They could have more viewers that tune in more than just Yankees games! But I think they think most people only care about the recent Yankees but I don't think it could hurt to try and put stuff on for people who are interested in the Yankees pre 98'! They have to come up with something better than that show about running!

Heres a good one, Who follows the Ultimate Road trip? That is brutal to watch. And that ridiculous running program is an absolute joke. Who does the programming there? Did that person work for the weather channel before YES??? How about a weekly update on the new Stadium or some fresh stuff? Even Winter league baseball telecasts would work. Yes should take some lessons from NFL network. They do an excellent job. And SNY is without doubt superior to Yes. They are unbiased and give a more fair and balanced perspective on their team and even give thoughtful analysis on the Yankees.

[philliesfiend55]

Say No To Yes

All of the programming on YES is as you said - A Travesty. Yankees fans can live in a permanent alternate universe where the Yankees never lose on YES, and even mediocre Yankees get their own hour-long Yankeeography dedicated to them. The Yankees do acknowledge that they lost the spectacular 2001 World Series, but on YES they will only re-run games they won in Yankee Stadium in that Series, during Byung-Hyun Kim's notorious meltdown.
Except for actual in-season games, where I tune in occasionally to root against the Yankees, I never watch any of the other programming on YES.
Whatever Yankees PR guy or executive thought up the idea of a station where the viewer can watch all-Yankees , all the time, and related Yankees propaganda, deserves to receive the inaugural Joseph Goebbels Award!

[Old Sweater]

^What baseball fan would want to watch their team lose very much?


If the Phillies had a network like YES, the 1980 WS would probably be the most showed.

[Mission 27]

I just ordered that 100th Anniversary of the N.Y. Yankees DVD. It's not sold most places, but you can find it on Amazon.com

$20 with 2-day shipping