[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Pages 27618-27619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE NEW YORK YANKEES

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. Res. 210, recognizing and honoring the 
New York Yankees, introduced earlier today by Senators Schumer and 
Moynihan.
  I will withhold my objection and make it a unanimous consent request.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 210) recognizing and honoring the New 
     York Yankees.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, it is with great pride that I rise today 
with my distinguished colleagues, Senator Moynihan and Senator 
Lieberman, to introduce a resolution honoring one of the greatest 
franchises in American sports history, the New York Yankees, or as so 
many of us endearingly refer to them as--the Bronx Bombers.
  Having grown up in New York during the 1950's, I am full of fond 
memories of a team that as a child I idolized. After school, time after 
time, I rode the dynamite D train with my friends from Sheepshead Bay 
to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, sitting in the bleachers eating hot 
dogs and munching on peanuts, watching my idol Mickey Mantle play like 
no one else could, then returning home happy as a kid could be, all for 
less than three dollars At that time, the only thing in life I wanted 
to be was Mickey Mantle. Since I never reached that achievement, it is 
only proper for me to honor the team in which he became a baseball 
icon.
  The Yankee were then, and are now, the toast of the town. They have 
become a franchise synonymous with greatness, a team full of heroes, 
playing in the greatest city in the world. Players such as Babe Ruth, 
Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Lou Gehrig are some of the 
many Yankee legends of the past. Players like Bernie Williams, Derek 
Jeter, and David Cone are our Yankee legends of the future. The Yankees 
are typified by character, commitment and achievement, values that 
represent all that is great about baseball, the State of New York, and 
America. I can still remember listening to one of the greatest games of 
all time, Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. 
But the memories do not stop there, five years later in 1961 Roger 
Maris hit a then-astonishing 61 homeruns, breaking the previous record 
of 60 set by the legendary Babe Ruth.
  Sixteen Hall of Famers, countless no-hitters, and 25 World 
Championships later, I stand before you to honor an American icon, a 
team of this century, and also the next, the New York Yankees.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, it is with considerable glee that I 
rise today to commend a true titan of our national pastime, the New 
York Yankees, who earlier this week cemented their legacy as the 
preeminent dynasty of 20th century American sports.
  The Yankees four-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in this year's 
World Series earned the franchise its 25th championship of the 1900s, 
proving that the Yankees belong right up there with Uncle Sam and Mom's 
apple pie as inspirational symbols of America's greatness.
  In Connecticut, the loyalties of baseball fans are split between the 
Yankees, the New York Mets, and the Boston Red Sox. This made the 1999 
Major League Baseball season truly memorable, as all three teams 
advanced to their respective league championships and vied for the 
pennant.
  I confess that I was once a Brooklyn Dodgers backer, but I have been 
cheering the Bronx Bombers for decades--since my eldest son, Matt, 
caught Yankee fever at an early age. Some of my fondest memories are 
watching games at Yankee Stadium with my family. Yet I cannot recall 
any of the teams' accomplishments being more impressive or fun to watch 
than this world championship, the Yankees' third in four years, capping 
a string of World Series triumphs that dates back to 1923.
  I tip my pinstripe cap to Manager Joe Torre, Series MVP Mariano 
Rivera, the indomitable Roger Clements, Orlando ``El Duque'' Hernandez, 
the valiant Paul O'Neill, the heroic Chad Curtis, and the entire 
Yankees organization for their inspirational and dominating play this 
October. The Yankees' remarkable success has brought untold joy to 
their neighbors in Connecticut.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble 
be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I also add, the Texas Rangers will rise again.
  The resolution (S. Res. 210) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 210

       Whereas the New York Yankees is 1 of the greatest sports 
     franchises ever;
       Whereas the New York Yankees are the winningest sports 
     franchise in professional sports history;
       Whereas the New York Yankees have won 25 World Series, the 
     most by any major league franchise;
       Whereas the New York Yankees have played 86 seasons in the 
     city of New York;
       Whereas the New York Yankees became a baseball icon in the 
     1950's by winning 5 World Series in a row;
       Whereas the New York Yankees' dominance was ignited in 1920 
     by the appearance of the indomitable Babe Ruth in pinstripes;
       Whereas the New York Yankees have retired 11 numbers for 12 
     baseball legends;
       Whereas the New York Yankees have had a player win the 
     American League batting title 9 times;
       Whereas the New York Yankees are represented in the 
     Baseball Hall of Fame by 16 players who were inducted wearing 
     the distinctive New York Yankee cap;
       Whereas the New York Yankees have fielded teams such as the 
     1927 ``Murderers' Row''; and
       Whereas the New York Yankees have finished the 20th century 
     meeting the standards they set throughout it: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. CONGRATULATION AND COMMENDATION.

       The Senate recognizes and honors the New York Yankees--
       (1) for their storied history;
       (2) for their many contributions to the national pastime; 
     and
       (3) for continuing to carry the standards of character, 
     commitment, and achievement for baseball and for the State of 
     New York.

[[Page 27619]]



     SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION.

       The Senate directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit 
     an enrolled copy of this resolution to the New York Yankees 
     owner, George Steinbrenner, and to the New York Yankees 
     manager, Joe Torre.

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