Today in New York City, myself and millions of Yankee fans are doing the same thing that we have done for the last four years in a row – we are hanging our heads in shame because we once again are at the losing end of a championship. But this year, our heads are hanging even lower – because we lost to the Boston Red Sox.

Personally, I am angry, disgusted and ashamed. The “winning-est” team in baseball has now set two of the most embarrassing records in baseball history this year. The first was on August 30th when they lost 22-0 to the Cleveland Indians in the worst point loss since the creation of the sport – and the second was last night when they became the first team to lose a playoff series after winning the first three games. Nice job.

The fact that the Red Sox beat us was not a surprise to me, because in the last four years, the Yankees, in my opinion – have not earned their pinstripes. With a budget higher then any other team in the sport, with the most star players on their roster and the most championships under their belt – the Yankees have not been playing like the Yankees. This is the fourth year in a row that the Yankees did not take home the World Series trophy, much less make it to the World Series. And the worst part is that we had the Red Sox beat and were one game away from sweeping them at Fenway…

…but instead – they swept us.

The Red Sox played this series like the kid who finally had enough of the big bully that bothered him every day and basically kicked our ass. They came from a 3-0 deficit to win four games in a row – and with authority. With three strong wins to tie the series – the Red Sox dealt the final, crushing blow with a 10-3 victory last night to not only “reverse the curse” – but do it in “The House That Ruth Built.”

I missed the first inning of last night’s game because I was cleaning up after the Fillmore Real Estate Pep Rally at Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall. As I walked a few boxes down the staircase to Pierre’s car, I poked my head in the Oak Room Bar and saw that the Red Sox were already leading 2-0 in the first inning. And then, when I was done packing up Pierre’s car and saw Johnny Damon hit the grand slam in the second inning to bring their lead to 6-0 – I was done. I knew right then and there that the New York Yankees would, for the fourth year in a row – go home empty handed – and as luck would have it – that is exactly what they did.

Now that the Yankees’ 2004 season is over and to me – the entire baseball season is over because I’ll be damned if I watch even one World Series game – I think it is time for the New York Yankees to look in the mirror and re-focus their attention, re-work their roster – and re-member that in the annuls of baseball, the New York Yankees were synonymous with success, achievement – and victory up until 2001. And unless they want to continue their “almost got ‘em” downward spiral and leave their fans saying, “we’ll get ‘em next year.” – they need to fix what’s wrong…now.

Life would be so much easier if I were a Mets fan.