"The accomplishments of those Yankees teams are presented neatly in the record book, like perfectly boxed museum relics: Those Yankees won the World Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000 -- three consecutive seasons, the heart of a dynasty bookended by the 1996 championship and a Game 7 loss in the 2001 World Series. Four championships in the span of five years; five World Series appearances in six years."
"But in building that legacy, the Yankees were repeatedly pushed to the brink, and through the long regular seasons and the short intense rounds of playoffs, they intermittently looked older or tired or vulnerable -- as the Dodgers have to some rival evaluators over the past 72 hours. In conversation last week, Torre recounted how the Yankees won 114 games in the regular season in 1998, and suddenly played very tight in the American League Championship Series."
Joe Torre used direct reminders of talent and perspective to steady teams facing elimination and postseason pressure. The Yankees achieved three consecutive World Series titles from 1998–2000, part of a dominant run that included four championships in five years and five appearances in six years. Despite regular-season dominance, the Yankees were often pushed to the brink and sometimes appeared tired or vulnerable during playoff stretches. In 1998, after winning 114 games, the team tightened in the American League Championship Series, prompting Torre to call a meeting urging players to relax and stop trying to validate regular-season success.
Read at ESPN.com
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