These are the good times. This is the good stuff. Sometime in the next couple of days maybe as early as Tuesday the Yankees are going to win a baseball game, something theyve done 59 percent of the time theyve taken a ballfield this year. When that happens, the magic number will melt away to zero. The players will storm the field after the final out and will then retreat to the clubhouse, goggles at the ready, to participate in the ages-old tradition of dousing each other with as much champagne as they can fit in the home-team clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, right behind the first-base dugout. Maybe, if the fans are so inclined, they can fire up an old cla sic chant, and let that serve as a complimentary soundtrack for the evening, riding shotgun to The Chairman crooning about his little town blues, all melting away: Brian Cashman (l.) talks with Phillies manager Rob Thomson during spring training media day. Charles Wenzelberg Were Number One! Were Number One! Were Number One! That would be a fine thing to hear, because when the Yankees win their next baseball game, they will Wes Iwundu Jersey officially clinch first place in the American Leagues Eastern Division. And that is still important. Even in a time where there are far more second- and third-place finishers who qualify for playoff berths in North American sports than first-place teams, first place still says something. More From Mike Vaccaro First place still matters. It mattered to the Rangers when they finished in first place in the Metropolitan Division last spring. You can believe it would matter to the Jets, who have finished in first place exactly twice in 54 years. The Mets have gotten a lot of attention ; you can believe theyd prefer to have held a few of those ninth-inning leads they squandered in May and June, which wouldve given them a reasonable chance to catch the Phillies for first place in the NL East. Even around the Yankees, this should still matter. Yes, we know: the Yankees measure succe s in championships. Its part of the teams mi sion statement, and if you ever forget all you need to do is hop on the phone with the Yankees fan of your choice when things dont turn out right in October, the way they havent turned out right in 15 years. You know what? The Yankees trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr. helped turn their season around. Charles Wenzelberg If youre a Yankees fan, worry about October in October. Let September be for savoring. Let the 91st win, which will officially relegate the Orioles to the crapshoot two-out-of-three play-in series, be a time to enjoy what weve seen acro s the bulk of these last six months. It was Col. Jacob Ruppert, the first imperial owner of the Yankees, who once declared, The perfect afternoon at Yankee Stadium? Its when the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning and then slowly pull away. Thats the way a lot of Yankees seasons have gone through the years. Take over first place in May, then slowly pull away. This one was different. This one had a nice easy start and then a good 100 games when you werent quite sure about the Yankees, stretches where you wondered if they were on cruise control or simply not very good. It was at these moments and there were a few that Aaron Boone would break out his greatest hits We have the guys in that room to get it done Its all right there in front of us These guys are fighters And there would be eyerolls and groans galore. And you know what? He was right. The Yankees did have enough. It was all there in front of them, even on July 9, when they fell four games behind Baltimore in the lo s column, even later when the only reason they werent even farther behind was because the long season caught up to the Orioles, too. An AL East title would mark the third of Aaron Boones career as the Yankees manager. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post He was right, and when the Yankees win their next game that will make three first-place finishes for Boone, who a lot of Yankees fans look at as a cro s between Rich Kotite and Joe Judge sometimes. And Brian Cashman, the other organizational piata? He that changed everything for the Yankees. For the record, this is his 27th year and the Yankees have finished in first place 15 times. Sure: in a few weeks, if this doesnt lead to the Canyon of Heroes, little of that will be remembered. You dont see a lot of Rangers fans walking around with 2024 Presidents Trophy Winners T-shirts. The Yankees, better than anyone, understand that there are no medals for trying. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! So worry about that then. For now, when the next win arrives and the next first-place finish is secure the 50th first-place finish in team history, for those who like round numbers do yourself a favor: Take a deep breath. Think about what a ride its been acro s 162 games. Maybe crack both a smile and a cold one if youre of a mood. Were Number One is still the sweetest chant in all of sports, after all. Antonius Cleveland Jersey