The ALCS

(Photo: MLB)

 It's the two heavyweights in the American League in a best-of-seven series beginning tonight.

The New York Yankees.

The Houston Astros.

In short, the two don't like each other. No, it's not exactly Yankees/Red Sox, but I'm willing to bet the Astros are in the top 3 most hated among Yankees fans.

But it got me thinking about my ALCS history. For the love of Bob Costas, look away if that's not what you want!

The first ALCS I remember watching was in 1976 when the Yankees and Royals held the first of four battles over five years. This one was probably the most contentious, heading to a wild fifth game at Yankee Stadium (the ALCS was a best-of-five until 1984).

Of course, Chris Chambliss became a legend with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to send the Bombers to their first World Series since 1964.

They met again in a five-game dandy in 1977. The Yankees won that one as well as in 1978 when they beat the Royals in four.

It didn't go well in 1980, with George Brett hitting a blast into the upper deck off Goose Gossage to complete a three-game sweep. For what it's worth, that set things up for the "Pine Tar Game" in 1983.

The Yankees were back in the LCS in 1981, blasting the A's in three.

Then? With no wild card or any other way to the playoffs, the Yankees were out of contention for the next 15 years. They'd return to playoff action when the wild card came to existence in 1995 but they didn't advance to the LCS until the following year.

Oh yes, 1996. We know about Jeffrey Maier and Derek Jeter and umpire Richie Garcia and a call that would never happen in the instant replay era. But it did and it's part of lore and infamy. Regardless, the Yankees vanquished the Orioles in five games on their way to their first title since 1978.

The Indians got in the way in 1997 so the next LCS appearance in New York was a hard-fought 1998 battle with Cleveland. It took six games but the Yankees survived and moved on.

Baseball got its first look at a Yankees-Red Sox post-season series in 1999 and the New Yorkers took that in five. 

A third-straight ALCS for the Yankees in 2000 (this time, against Seattle) resulted in a Subway Series for New York as the Bombers bested Seattle in six games. The Mets won the NLCS and, well, yeah. Two New York teams met in the World Series for the first time since 1956.

The Yankees played in their fourth straight LCS in 2001, meeting the Mariners who had won 116 games that year. I don't know if Seattle was tired or the Yankees had a little something extra but, regardless, New York won the American League in five games.

While each one of these series could have been their own blog post, 2003 is a whole different animal. It was seven blistering games, including Pedro Martinez throwing Don Zimmer to the ground (and me spiking a microphone stand in the WGCH newsroom). Oh, there was also Manny Ramirez overreacting to an inside pitch, a fight in the bullpen, and...

Aaron Boone. There was Aaron Boone.

Then there was 2004. Yankees/Red Sox again. Red Sox won. That is all.

It took until 2009 before the Yankees returned to the LCS, winning in six games. They beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County of California of the United States...

The Bombers were right back in the LCS in 2010, losing to the Texas Rangers in six games. I just remember feeling completely disgusted by that series.

I was even more disgusted in 2012 when the Yankees were swept by the Detroit Tigers. It was almost like they didn't even show up in Game 4, losing 8-1.

That brings our history walk (minus Dr. Costas) to 2017 and the first ALCS meeting with the Astros. Regardless of how they won, Houston took the series in seven games.

Those same two teams met again in 2019 and it took six games before the Jose Altuve home run off Aroldis Chapman resolved things. As much as people hated Chapman for smiling after he gave up the bomb, I got it. The smile said, "What the (bleep?)" to me.

I, however, was not smiling.

Nor did I smile when I saw Houston beat the Mariners on Saturday, punching another ticket to the ALCS.

And that's where we are.

The Yankees are in their 18th league championship series -- most by far. They're 11-6 in the previous 17. They were, at one time, almost automatic but times have changed. They are trying to make their first World Series appearance since 2009 and have to vanquish the Astros to do so.

Game 1 continues as I complete this post (and it's not going well).