From 1921 to 1964, the longest drought the New York Yankees and its fans suffered without a World Series title was three seasons. It happened three times: 1928 to 1932, 1932 to 1936, and 1943 to 1947.

In many ways their most dominant years weren’t the ones everyone talks about, from 1949 to 1964, when they went to every World Series but two. That’s amazing, yes, but of those 14 World Series they lost five of them. I guess that's also amazing—9-5 in the World Series—until you see what they did from 1936 to 1953. In this slightly longer period, they went to 13 of 18 World Seriesbut won 12 of them.

The Yankees’ last title in the 1960s was in ’62: the “Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher!" series. They wouldn’t get another for 15 years: the “Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!” series of ’77. After another title in ’78, it took another 18 years for them to win again. So for a period of 33 years, from 1963 to 1996, the Yankees had only two titles to show for it. Good times.

The good times ended from ’96 to ’00, when Jeter, Rivera, et al., won four titles in five years. But since then things have looked up again. The Yanks have appeared in three Series but won just once: 2009.

One title in 12 years. Most fans would be happy. But that’s massive failure in Yankee land.

Of course now we have twice as many teams, and three times as many rounds of playoffs. Even so, that's massive failure in Yankee land.

Here’s to more good times.

The last Yankees postseason at-bat: down 3 games to zero, down 8-1 in Game 4, two out and nobody on in the top of the ninth.