Yankees' Cody Bellinger Recognizes What New York Winning Means

Cody Bellinger already has a championship ring on his finger. He and the Los Angeles Dodgers hoisted their trophy during the short but exceptionally challenging 2020 season. Six years later, that drive to win is still there for Bellinger, but this time it's for the New York Yankees.

During an interview on MLB Network Radio, Bellinger specifically mentioned how rewarding it would be to win in New York. One of his goals is to bring a parade back to the city.

"Every single person in that locker room shows up, and we're all there to win a World Series. Now, are 30 other teams? Yeah, of course," Bellinger told MLB Network Radio. "I think that the guys that we have in this locker room are hungry man. I really do feel like it is the pinnacle to win a World Series in this city. A parade in New York City — that's what I'm chasing, and that's something that I really want and definitely a dream of mine. I show up every day wanting to win, and so does everyone else in that locker room, and it's just a fun environment that we have there."

Yankees World Serie MVP Derek Jeter — Yankees MVP Derek Jeter records the parade from a float during the Yankees Victory Parade from Battery Park to City Hall in New York City, NY Monday October 30, 2000. | Tanya Breen/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bellinger also spoke about the American League East and how challenging it is. Last season, the Blue Jays won the East by a small margin, and he saw firsthand how tough it is to win a division, unlike his old Dodger teams, where the only credible threat is the Padres, followed by a slew of cakewalk wins against the Rockies.

"Ultimately, the AL East, it's a gauntlet," he continued. "Every team is out there to win. And just to be in this kind of environment, it's what you ask for. When you're all said and done, you want to be the best. You want to be a part of that."

The Ghost of Championships Past

Those talks of championship aspirations are nothing new for the big-time acquisitions. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned it when he was first introduced back in 2018. Ace Gerrit Cole said it. Aaron Judge said the same when the Yankees re-signed him and named him captain, too.

Fans and media have become accustomed to players and members of the front office taking on that championship burden. It's hard not to when one is playing for the Yankees, living under the spectre of previous championship teams.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Joe Torr — Oct 24, 2000; New York, NY, USA; Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (left, at cage) talks with Yankees owner Joe Torre before the start of the third game of the World Series at Shea Stadium in New York. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser/USA TODAY-USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY-USA TODAY NETWORK

It's like the ghosts of the past keep a watchful eye on everything, be it the iconography of past accolades plastered around Yankee Stadium or the fans themselves who grew up in the '90s, throwing that pressure on them from their seats. In right field, there's even an imposing life-size image of George Steinbrenner, glaring down at the field just behind the short porch.

What these current Yankees haven't done, though, is actually live up to the standard they set for themselves, seeing as the last parade was in 2009. One time, they should actually come through and overcome their ghosts, the way Sam Darnold did.

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